So I have never won a football game before any season. And this week, I won twice. How exciting is that? I mean, really.

My grandfather's 86 birthday is somewhere around here. I say somewhere around here b/c no one is really sure when he was born. (Or even that he is, in fact, 86. He may be older. Or younger.) The problem is, he was born on the boat from Greece to the U.S. So you understand the confusion. Added to, no one remember if he was born when they were moving to the US, or on the way to the US after a trip back home to Greece. He has no birth certificate. So they just choose a date and an age.

My little cat, the one getting the medicine, hates me right now. I keep grtabbing her and shoving this thing inher mouth and squirting cherry flavored liquid down her throat. Oh, if looks could kill. BUT my other cat hates me right now too. He sees me with her, then he sees her escape and lick her lips. But when he wanders over, he doesn't get anything. Excellent.

And a word of advice to guys: if you ask a girl if she has a boyfriend and she says no, don't keep asking, adding the word, "Really?" or "are you lying" or "truthfully?" or some annoying variation. First, the question has been asked and answered. Second, even if she does, her answer is never going to become, "oh, not that I think about it, I do. I just forgot the first fifteen times you asked." So if you get a 'no' once, don't keep asking. It gets old. And annoying.

Has anyone ever heard of brazilca? It's something between martial arts, dance, and acrobatics. I think I may check out classes. It sounds somewhat intriguing.

Oh, and to the person who rear ended my mother when she was stopped at a red light and then, when she pulled onto a side street to be off the main street followed her and then drove right around her: Rot in hell.

First, the attempts to get the medicine in my cat leave me winded, scratched, and exhausted. First, you have to get her. THis isn't my trusting cat who likes to be icked up or pet. No, this is my "I'm invisible so you can't see me, but if you get to close, I'm running under the bed" cat. I've had people stay at my house for a long weekend and have no idea that I have more than one cat. So getting her is a challege. Then, the medicine is supposed to be shaken - but how can I shake it when it takes me forever to get her? By the time I get her, it's not shaken anymore. Then if I manage to get her, I have to pry her mouth open. Has she glued her mouth shut, or what? She squirms, she won't open her mouth, she tries to get away. I can't even handle a cat, how will I handle a child one day?

Second, rock climbing take 2 was a bit better, meaning I managed not to scream, something that both the owner and the random guy who laughed at me when I said I wasn't smart enough to climb the wall pointed out. But the class, rather than just 2 people, had 6 people in it. Which means that I didn't get to climb as often. It was a lot of boring sitting around. And we all know that I hate being bored. So I want to learn to belay so that I can go whenever I want (well, whenever I can convince someone to go with me) rather than having to do the class and whatnot.

Finally, the list of the top 10 hottest hunks on tv. I'm so glad they went with Josh Holloway on Lost over Matthew Fox. I really can't stand the character Jack. Others include the guy from Prison Break (well, duh), Patrick Dempsey (we all fondly remember those 80s movies. Does he make anyone else want to start calling some of those nerds to see how they turned out??) a bunch of gusy from shows that I've never seen, the teen superman, and Jared Padalecki from Supernatural. I've seen Supernatural (kinda creepy, actually) but I'm not sure which one he is. One brother - the younger one - is really cute. But I have to take issue with this for not putting (1) Logan from Veronica Mars and (2) Ted from How I Met Your Mother on the list. Geesh. Ok, maybe Logan only makes it because I love the asshole and the angst, but Ted? Hello...

I'm heading to Lakewood bars tonight - and great ideas as to what bars I should hit?

So everyone knows that I like How I Met Your Mother. Last night? So adorable. I know, I know, I'm supposed to cheer for Ted and Robin, but I already know that he doesn't end up with her, so who really cares?? (And yes, I still think that Ted, Josh Radnor, is adorable.) But when e walked nto that baker and stoof there, half defiant, and then they got together at the end, it was adorable. Yes, underneath it all, I'm a romantic girl. Gak.

But really. He's simply adorable. How can you not love him??



Turns out that my cat has bartonellosis. (It's the cat scratch disease.) My poor baby kitten. This is likely why she had to have 10 teeth pulled a few years ago. So now I have to get an antibiotic and hope that she won't need more teeth pulled. She could have given into me and my other cat too.

And I woke up this morning with an awful migraine (and an eye infection). Ugh. I assumed that the day would get better. Oops. My migraine never went away. When I first went to the office, I closed my blinds, turned the light off, and closed the door. Still, the light from the computer was too much for me. It was painful. It started to go away around lunch, and then came back later in the night. (So if there are typos here, I'm not looking at the keys, I'm just typing by memory.)

We played against another high school team this week. Yet another team to bribe with beer next week (one of the teams that played at 10 was our age. I look forward to playing them.) :) This week, we managed to tie. I took that as a victory. We subbed more often at the beginning of the game. The ref is kinda sexist though. At one point, I went after the ball. So did one of the guys on the other team. We collided. The guy got called. I'm not sure for what. On another play. my brother and I girl went after the ball. The girl swept my brother off his feet. My brother got called. So basically, anytime a guy and a girl are together, the guy is getting called...Good to know. But I do have to say, his field where we play, Greenbriar in Parma Heights, may have the best turf I've ever played on. Hell, it's better than the grass I've played on in the spring and summer.

And my TiVo messed up taping Desperate Housewives. What happened?

And next Monday, the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club is putting on a seminar on Technology for the Young Professional. It starts at 6 at Great Lakes Brewing Co. Rockefeller Room. Speaksers are JJ DeGeronimo of TechEdge and George Nemeth of Brewed Fresh Daily. I highly recommend it to everyone.

In light of the Skating with Celebritites and Dancing with the Stars, my brother wondered just how far reality televisin will go next. Can you just see it: Sleeping with Celebrities? Average Americans sleeping with C level "celebrities."

I'm scared that if that is pitched to Fox, they will pick it up...

And I went rock climbing for the first time ever today at Cleveland Rock Gym, this indoor place in South Euclid. I can barely lift my hands to type. This was incredibly hard for me. First, I have no arm muscles. At all. My leg muscles are decent from soccer and whatnot, but no arm muscles. So climbing was difficult, but not utterly impossible for me. (I didn't use my arms really until the third wall. But the last wall was all arms. Had I not tried that, I think I would have been ok.) But what was miserably impossible for me was once I got to the top.

Ok, the first wall I tried was the far left in this photo. You can see that it inclines. So you get to the top...then what? You are supposed to hold onto the rope (i.e. let go of the rocks that are keeping you from falling!) and lean back.



What the HELL?! Are you f'ing kidding me?? No way in hell am I doing that!!
I sat up there just clinging onto the rocks or dear life for a minute or two. Just hanging out. There was no way I could do that. Let go and lean back??? LEAN BACK? Just sort of free fall?? What?! I tried climbing down the wall in a way but I didn't have the rope to do it. I was miserable. I was making a scene and had no idea what to do. I don't have any memory of getting down this wall.

You see that corner wall second from the left? Not the one that the guy in grey is climbing on, but the maroon one to his left? I'm climbing that one, and using the red one as well so it's like a 90 degree place. Which gets smaller. Where the hell do you do that? It's impossible. I'm on that thing but I'm stuck b/c the corner is so small and my feet are the wrong way. I'm stuck, unsure where to go, and frustrated. Exasperated, I call out, "I'm not smart enough for this." Well, evidently, this is a weird statement to make. Later, some guy came up to me when I was on the ground to laugh and me and tell me that in all his time climbing (14 years) he's never heard that and there should be a board of quotes. Great. We had one of those in college. I was never good to be put on that board. (Our "board" was puffy paint on the window.)

Now, when I say that I was not comfortable falling, you have to understand that while getting up was ok (ok, not ok, I had a hard time, but not impossible) saying I was "not comfortable falling" is an incredible under-exaggeration (is that a word?)

Even after that first wall, once I got to the top, tears would form in my eyes when I realized that that meant. I was not able to get down. EVERY time - and I do mean every time - I finally got down from the wall I was shaking. I am a control freak (big chorus of, "you? really? No!" from my friends, who can all go to hell.) And god help me, the one time that I lost my grip on the wall and fell (when I wasn't expecting to) I screamed for a moment, then I got myself back on the wall, and started to climb again, and said, "I want down." My instructed, trying to be supportive, says, "oh, no, you got it, keep going." "No, I want down." I insist. More positive team rah rah bullshit. "I want down, I want down, I want down, I want down." (At least I think that's what I said. I meant to, at least.) I was so panic stricken at this point. By now, I'm almost hyperventilating and my arms won't stop shaking and so I can't hold only anything. I get down and I wasn't just slightly shaking but full out, panic stricken, my hands won't stay still shaking. I sat on the floor while my friend climbed the wall and even when she got off the wall, I was still shaking. At least I wasn't hyperventilating anymore though, right? (Later that night, I did conquor that wall. Pride wouldn't allow me not to.)

AND I broke my nail. The nails that are left are digusting and dirty.

I hate things that I'm a failure at. It frustrates me to no end to suck at something. There was one wall I never made it up. Hell, I never made it beyond about four movies - and two of those moves were side to side. It was quite pathetic. And the thing is, I can't even figure out how to get up it.

Also, I realized that I've never participated in a solo sport. I always participated in team sports against an opponent. This was me against the wall. No teammates. No opponents. Just me. (No, I've never been a runner for the same reason.) It was definitely different.

Finally, I have this friend. Except we're currently not talking, so I guess he's not a friend. I'm not really sure why. Anyway, my friends and I were talking about him today. It's important to know that they can't stand him. Actual hatred, I fear. So one commented, "I think that he is f'ed up. ... It sucks, but maybe you'll meet the man of your dreams/next guy with a crap load of issues at the auction." Ever supportive, the second replied, "Ah to dream the impossible dream...maybe this one will have mother issues too." Just for the record, I'm not into mommy issues. Emotionally unavailable assholes who aren't interested, yeah, I'm all over that. But mommy issues? Please. Who needs that bullshit?

So, I was talked into participating in the Easter Seals thing, the Bachelor and Bachelorette Bid. (It's on Thursday, February 16 at the Holiday Inn on Rockside Road. Drop me an email or leave a comment if you are interested in coming. We have to sell tickets each at $35. The proceeds to go Easter Seals. I can remind you how Easter Seals helps over a million people with disabilities every year through child development centers, physical rehabilititation, and job training. But you know that. If that's not seller enough, you get to see me make an ass of myself. What better way to spend a Thursday night?? If you can't make it, I can always take a tax deductable check for $20.)

But anyway, part of the deal (which was signed in blood - should I be worried about this?) is that we have to come up with a date package. Something for people to bid on. My friend said to offer a blow job in the parking lot. Actually, let's not call him a friend. Let's call him a crude acquientance that I spent too much time with because of mutual friends and mutual interests. But I digress.

Anyway, I was thinking more along the lines of a tandem skydiving jump. (Not the winner and I, the winner with an experienced jumper, and me with an experienced jumper.) :) However, I'm worried that this will frighten away too many people. That too many people are afraid of heights/afraid of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane/afraid of death, whatever. So I'm sorta polling to see how many people would not bid on someone if the date package was skydiving, and how many people would be more inclined to do so.

And does anyone have any better ideas for a date package? Not the usual dinner/ball game (as much as I love baseball) or dinner/comedian. But something different and fun?

Oh, a lot of people get to my blog by googline Jump Back Ball in Cleveland right now. If you are interested in coming to that (which is the best party in Cleveland all year in my opinion) let me know and I'll email you the order form. I'm selling tickets. Those are $130 and include dinner, entertainment, and an open bar. Then you'll get to see me in costume as well. :)

Thanks guys. You all rock!!

Saturday night I went on a Mystery Pubcrawl that was written about in The Plain Dealer. 220 people, 5 buses. 4 bars. Jello shots. Men without shirts (on our way to the first bar!) And that's all great, but I want to share a funny (?) story. Bar #3 (I think) of the barcrawl, I saw the managing partner and Yoda (and their wives). Now understand that at this point, I'm 14 jello shots, 1 beer, 3 Smirnoff Twisted, and 2 Smirnoff Ice into the evening. In other words, I'm the opposite of sober. So...I went up and hugged them. AND their wives. Umm... yeah. SO getting fired.

Other than that, it was a good time. I met some interesting people. (One who told me I looked like Salma Hayek in Frida...which I took as an insult.) It was a good time. I really liked not knowing what was next. Me, the control freak, and I liked that. And I liked being on the bus travelling and whatnot. Something about jello shots, bad beer, and loudness is just fun.

Nothing shows you how completely out od shape you are quicker than indoor soccer. The game last night (and I do mean last night. Who plays at 10 pm? That's inhuman!!) was against high school kids. They weren't even all able to drive!! Their parents were there. Hell, the game doesn't end until 11, and that's after curfew as well!!

And the girls would push off b/c the guys on our team were hesitant about playing hard against little girls who didn't even have breasts, 15 years younger. So they were getting away with A LOT. At one point, one of them FINALLY got called for the foul, and the girl on the bench was like, "oh, come on, she's 14 and he's 42!" 42?!?!? 42?!?!? Are you kidding me?? Oh, my!! I mean, I remember that when I was that young, all "old" people seem really old, but I'm not even 30 yet!! And there are a few people on the team who are 22 or 23. The average age is probablt 25 or so. C'mon! 42!!

You can tell they are young, and they haven't really been exposed to alcohol, let alone ever tried to play a soccer game hung over. The last 10 minutes of the first half, and the entire second part of the second half, we were dragging. As I said, nothing illustratse just how out of shape you actually are better than indoor soccer.

And for those who watch 24 (and I admit being addicted) OH.MY.GOD...

When I was young, our Christmas tree would stay up all January. First, we always left the tree up until at least Orthodox Christmas, January 7. This was odd to me because the Greek Orthodox churches here don't celebrate Orthodox Christmas (though ironically, we do celebrate Orthodox Easter). But I was a child, who am I to question the logic of adults?

Then, because we are Greek, it took a while to get anything done. Including taking ornaments off the Christmas tree and dragging it to the garbage. What would take a normal person about half an hour could easily take a Greek ten times that. So by the time it made it's way to the curb, the tree had no needles left on it, and you were reasonably sure you'd never be able to walk on your left foot again.

I thought, "well, I'm only half Greek, I'll only be half as bad."

HA.

I have never had a fake Christmas tree. My family always believed in real trees. But this year, I have a fake tree. And it occurred to me that I can leave my Christmas tree up until July, I can have a true Christmas in July event. And it's not like the tree will die. Granted, the neighbors may start to stare, but I really like coming home to a house with the Christmas tree in the front window all lit up. It makes me happy.

So my question: how long can I leave the tree up before my neighbors start to talk?

No, scratch that. My question: if I don't care if my neighbors start to talk, is there any reason why I can't leave my tree up all year?

Cooking Lesson 101

I tried making chicken wings last night. I had bought myself a fryer for Christmas, and figured, "hell, good of time as any. I'm home tonight, I'll do laundry, I'll make dinner, I'll watch a DVD."

Well, we learned (the hard way) why this is not a good idea.

First, you can really only cook 3 chicken wings at a time, so if you want 6 chicken wings, the first 3 are cold by the time the other 3 come out.

Second, and more importantly, my ENTIRE house smells AWFUL now. Like oil. But it's in the friggin' AIR. When you breath, you are breathing oil, I swear to god.

Mental note, if you get a craving for chiken wings, just GO OUT TO EAT. DO NOT attempt this on your own.

I found this Hershey's Kiss on the floor. I was confused. I had some when everyone came over on Christmas, but I took them to my grandparents later that week, and why was it on the ground in another room? But I picked it up, and out it on the kitchen table.

A few hours later, I walked into the kitchen, and it was on the floor again by the steps. At this point, I'm fairly certain that my house is haunted. I pick it up again, and put it again on the kitchen table. I get a drink and walk to my chair.

Maybe 15 minutes later, my one cat walks over to me, and drops it at my feet. Like it's some sort of toy. She is carrying it around by that little piece of paper that says Hershey's on it. And apparently has been doing this for some time. My cat is such a dork.

Oh, and speaking of dorks, I have a crush on Josh Radnor, who plays Ted in How I Met Your Mother.

So a theatre in Utal pulled Brokeback Mountain:

Gayle Ruzicka, president of the conservative Utah Eagle Forum, said not showing the film set an example for the people of Utah. "I just think (pulling the show) tells the young people especially that maybe there is something wrong with this show," she said.

I am so disgusted with the hatred. It's a love story. I saw the movie. It's fantastic. I urge everyone to see it. It's beautifully written and well-acted. Do I like the attention that it's getting as "the gay cowboy movie?" No. I'd rather they just call it a love story. But I accept the fact that people need to do that. But to refuse to show it at a theatre?? Let people make the decision for themselves if there is someting wrong with the movie or not.

This is a fun website. I like the color visualizer. You can "paint" interiors. My friends are appalled. I enjoy teal with orange. It's so awful together that I must do it.

I also bought a dress for the Easter Seals raffle. I was looking for a cocktail length red dress. That is not what I ended up with. Perhaps I'll keep looking...

And for Jump Back Ball (which I urge everyone in Cleveland to attend, it's easily the best party in town.), I've decided rather than due black tie (like I've done the last two years), I'm going in costume. (It's a black tie/costume theme party). This year's theme is Frolic on 42nd Street - A Jumpback to Broadway. I don't want to spoil the surprise of who I am going as, but I can assure you that I will be comfortable! Last year, my feet were in pain. So that's exciting.

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey
Name:	Stephanie
Birthday:	9 July 1976
Birthplace:	Ohio
Current Location:	Cleveland, Ohio
Eye Color:	Dark Brown
Hair Color:	Dark Brown
Height:	5'7"
Right Handed or Left Handed:	Right
Your Heritage:	Greek, English and Scottish
The Shoes You Wore Today:	Adidas soccer shoes
Your Weakness:	Too many to count
Your Fears:	Too personal to name
Your Perfect Pizza:	I just like cheese
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year:	Both too many to count and too personal to name.
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger:	I don't use IM
Thoughts First Waking Up:	Already?
Your Best Physical Feature:	Maybe my eyes?
Your Bedtime:	Late. I'm a night owl.
Your Most Missed Memory:	Being in school.
Pepsi or Coke:	Regular coke. But now I don't drink caffeine. So caffeine free diet pepsi
MacDonalds or Burger King:	Neither
Single or Group Dates:	Depends on the guy
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea:	Neither
Chocolate or Vanilla:	Vanilla - no smart ass comments from my friends!
Cappuccino or Coffee:	Don't drink caffeine so I don't care
Do you Smoke:	No
Do you Swear:	Yes
Do you Sing:	I prefer to use the word 'seranade' perfect strangers...
Do you Shower Daily:	Hell, I don't even get dressed on some Sundays.
Have you Been in Love:	No
Do you want to go to College:	Already went. Had a great time.
Do you want to get Married:	If I find someone who I want to marry. Otherwise, no.
Do you belive in yourself:	On my better days.
Do you get Motion Sickness:	Rarely.
Do you think you are Attractive:	Again, on my better days.
Are you a Health Freak:	Not really
Do you get along with your Parents:	Usually.
Do you like Thunderstorms:
Do you play an Instrument:	No
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol:	Yes. Hell, the answer is the same if you as in the past 24 hours.
In the past month have you Smoked:	No
In the past month have you been on Drugs:	No
In the past month have you gone on a Date:	No
In the past month have you gone to a Mall:	Unfortunately. With Christmas and all.
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos:	No
In the past month have you eaten Sushi:	No
In the past month have you been on Stage:	No
In the past month have you been Dumped:	No
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping:	No
In the past month have you Stolen Anything:	No
Ever been Drunk:	Yes
Ever been called a Tease:	No
Ever been Beaten up:	Yes
Ever Shoplifted:	I plead the Fifth. How about in the last 15 years?
How do you want to Die:	Either in my sleep, or in a blaze of glory.
What do you want to be when you Grow Up:	Hell if I know.
What country would you most like to Visit:	Greece or Italy. Again.
In a Boy/Girl..
Favourite Eye Color:	Green
Favourite Hair Color:	Dark Brown.
Short or Long Hair:	I generally go for longer hair on my guys. Scruffy sort.
Height:	Taller than me (in heels) is a must.
Weight:	I prefer tall and lanky so that goes with the territory.
Best Clothing Style:	Casual. Jeans. etc.
Number of Drugs I have taken:	One
Number of CDs I own:	Are you serious?? I can't even count that high.
Number of Piercings:	Four - three in my ears.
Number of Tattoos:	None.
Number of things in my Past I Regret:	Truly regret? Just one.
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!