(1849,1,'2010-11-10 22:18:40','2010-11-11 05:18:40','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100181.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1845\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100181-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>A couple of months ago on my birthday, Elaine aka Laney surprised me with a bunch of magazines on my birthday.  And I do mean a <em>bunch.  </em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This was truly a treat, as I never buy magazines.  Mainly because I never park it on my sofa long enough to look at them. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I set the magazines aside for a rainy day. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Or...change in plans:  a sick night! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Remember last week when this sickie-poo forced herself to observe <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/05/day-39-its-shooshing-time/\" target=\"_blank\">Shooshing Time</a></strong>? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I should have listened to my own advice more than once because now I am combating a raging sinus infection.  I feel like complete and utter crap! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Day 45, since I was too nauseous for anything but parking it on my sofa, I hauled out the magazines.  Laney and I recently discussed our desires for a wardrobe makeover, so I hunted for fashion tips.  What\'s \"in\", what\'s \"out\", and all that stuff. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I immediately became sidetracked by the soft porn that is Cosmo.  I haven\'t looked at a Cosmo in <em>years</em>, so I forgot about its cheesiness factor.  Allow me to share:</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Untamed Va-jay-jays!  Guess What Sexy Style is Back!\"</strong></span>  For reals, Cosmo?  How very retro of you!  Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!  And are we seriously still using the term \"Va-jay-jay\"?!?!  Isn\'t that infinitely more embarrassing and ridiculous than just saying \"vagina\"?!?!  </li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Guy Sex Confessions:  37 Things He Doesn\'t Have the Balls to Tell You!\"</strong>  </span>I avoid conflict like the plague, and I prefer a man that has cajones, so I skipped over this one.  If you must know the 37 things, write me and I\'ll send you a copy of the article.  </li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Seduce Him!  This Sexy Move Works From 20 Feet Away!\"</strong></span>  I turned to this article because I thought it might be blog fodder if it\'s not too NC-17.  Bingo!  It IS blog fodder.  I will have to schedule this one in.  Basically, it\'s a \"strut\", ladies.  This is your new mantra:  \"Shoulders, hips, heels\".  Actually, Brettesy performs this beautifully.  I\'ll ask her if she\'ll be a sport and allow me to post a video demonstration.  Vote \"Yes for Brettesy!\" in the comment section below if you would like to watch her strut her stuff.  </li>\r\n	<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">\"The Touch That Calms Him During a Fight\"</span>  </strong>I want a lover, not a fighter.  Next!</li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>\"Red-Hot Read:  Forbidden Fling\"</strong></span> -- \"Erica Donelson is crushing on a smoking-hot bad boy.  The only problem?  The pantie-melting object of her desire is none other than her ex-husband\'s former best friend.\"  Bwhahahahahahaha!!!  Is it really \"forbidden\" if it\'s your ex\'s former friend?  Huh?  And Pantie-melting???   Are they the edible kind from Fascinations?  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!!  I went ahead and read the short story because I needed to for journalistic purposes.  Pretty tame/lame, if you ask me.  Do you find the term \"rock hard member\" sexy???  Bwhahahahahahahahahaha!!!!  </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ah, well...I suppose Cosmo is not so much soft porn but comedy.  And laughter is the best medicine after all. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think I\'m feeling better already. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 45:  Fashion Mags or Soft Porn?','','inherit','open','open','','1837-revision-8','','','2010-11-10 22:18:40','2010-11-11 05:18:40','',1837,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/10/1837-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(1853,1,'2010-11-10 22:21:09','2010-11-11 05:21:09','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100181.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1845\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100181-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>A couple of months ago on my birthday, Elaine aka Laney surprised me with a bunch of magazines on my birthday.  And I do mean a <em>bunch.  </em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This was truly a treat, as I never buy magazines.  Mainly because I never park it on my sofa long enough to look at them. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I set the magazines aside for a rainy day. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Or...change in plans:  a sick night! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Remember last week when this sickie-poo forced herself to observe <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/05/day-39-its-shooshing-time/\" target=\"_blank\">Shooshing Time</a></strong>? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I should have listened to my own advice more than once because now I am combating a raging sinus infection.  I feel like complete and utter crap! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Day 45, since I was too nauseous for anything but parking it on my sofa, I hauled out the magazines.  Laney and I recently discussed our desires for a wardrobe makeover, so I hunted for fashion tips.  What\'s \"in\", what\'s \"out\", and all that stuff. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I immediately became sidetracked by the soft porn that is Cosmo.  I haven\'t looked at a Cosmo in <em>years</em>, so I forgot about its cheesiness factor.  Allow me to share:</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Untamed Va-jay-jays!  Guess What Sexy Style is Back!\"</strong></span>  For reals, Cosmo?  How very retro of you!  Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!  And are we seriously still using the term \"Va-jay-jay\"?!?!  Isn\'t that infinitely more embarrassing and ridiculous than just saying \"vagina\"?!?!  </li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Guy Sex Confessions:  37 Things He Doesn\'t Have the Balls to Tell You!\"</strong>  </span>I prefer a man with cajones, so I skipped over this one.  If you must know the 37 things, write me and I\'ll send you a copy of the article.  </li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Seduce Him!  This Sexy Move Works From 20 Feet Away!\"</strong></span>  I turned to this article because I thought it might be blog fodder if it\'s not too NC-17.  Bingo!  It IS blog fodder.  I will have to schedule this one in.  Basically, it\'s a \"strut\", ladies.  This is your new mantra:  \"Shoulders, hips, heels\".  Actually, Brettesy performs this beautifully.  I\'ll ask her if she\'ll be a sport and allow me to post a video demonstration.  Vote \"Yes for Brettesy!\" in the comment section below if you would like to watch her strut her stuff.  </li>\r\n	<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">\"The Touch That Calms Him During a Fight\"</span>  </strong>I want a lover, not a fighter.  Next!</li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>\"Red-Hot Read:  Forbidden Fling\"</strong></span> -- \"Erica Donelson is crushing on a smoking-hot bad boy.  The only problem?  The pantie-melting object of her desire is none other than her ex-husband\'s former best friend.\"  Bwhahahahahahaha!!!  Is it really \"forbidden\" if it\'s your ex\'s former friend?  Huh?  And Pantie-melting???   Are they the edible kind from Fascinations?  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!!  I went ahead and read the short story because I needed to for journalistic purposes.  Pretty tame/lame, if you ask me.  Do you find the term \"rock hard member\" sexy???  Bwhahahahahahahahahaha!!!!  </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ah, well...I suppose Cosmo is not so much soft porn but comedy.  And laughter is the best medicine after all. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think I\'m feeling better already. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 45:  Fashion Mags or Soft Porn?','','inherit','open','open','','1837-revision-11','','','2010-11-10 22:21:09','2010-11-11 05:21:09','',1837,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/10/1837-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(1850,1,'2010-11-10 22:20:00','2010-11-11 05:20:00','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100181.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1845\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100181-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>A couple of months ago on my birthday, Elaine aka Laney surprised me with a bunch of magazines on my birthday.  And I do mean a <em>bunch.  </em></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This was truly a treat, as I never buy magazines.  Mainly because I never park it on my sofa long enough to look at them. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I set the magazines aside for a rainy day. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Or...change in plans:  a sick night! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Remember last week when this sickie-poo forced herself to observe <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/05/day-39-its-shooshing-time/\" target=\"_blank\">Shooshing Time</a></strong>? </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I should have listened to my own advice more than once because now I am combating a raging sinus infection.  I feel like complete and utter crap! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>On Day 45, since I was too nauseous for anything but parking it on my sofa, I hauled out the magazines.  Laney and I recently discussed our desires for a wardrobe makeover, so I hunted for fashion tips.  What\'s \"in\", what\'s \"out\", and all that stuff. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I immediately became sidetracked by the soft porn that is Cosmo.  I haven\'t looked at a Cosmo in <em>years</em>, so I forgot about its cheesiness factor.  Allow me to share:</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<ul>\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Untamed Va-jay-jays!  Guess What Sexy Style is Back!\"</strong></span>  For reals, Cosmo?  How very retro of you!  Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!  And are we seriously still using the term \"Va-jay-jay\"?!?!  Isn\'t that infinitely more embarrassing and ridiculous than just saying \"vagina\"?!?!  </li>\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Guy Sex Confessions:  37 Things He Doesn\'t Have the Balls to Tell You!\"</strong>  </span>I avoid conflict like the plague, and I prefer a man that has cajones, so I skipped over this one.  If you must know the 37 things, write me and I\'ll send you a copy of the article.  </li>\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Seduce Him!  This Sexy Move Works From 20 Feet Away!\"</strong></span>  I turned to this article because I thought it might be blog fodder if it\'s not too NC-17.  Bingo!  It IS blog fodder.  I will have to schedule this one in.  Basically, it\'s a \"strut\", ladies.  This is your new mantra:  \"Shoulders, hips, heels\".  Actually, Brettesy performs this beautifully.  I\'ll ask her if she\'ll be a sport and allow me to post a video demonstration.  Vote \"Yes for Brettesy!\" in the comment section below if you would like to watch her strut her stuff.  </li>\n	<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">\"The Touch That Calms Him During a Fight\"</span>  </strong>I want a lover, not a fighter.  Next!</li>\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>\"Red-Hot Read:  Forbidden Fling\"</strong></span> -- \"Erica Donelson is crushing on a smoking-hot bad boy.  The only problem?  The pantie-melting object of her desire is none other than her ex-husband\'s former best friend.\"  Bwhahahahahahaha!!!  Is it really \"forbidden\" if it\'s your ex\'s former friend?  Huh?  And Pantie-melting???   Are they the edible kind from Fascinations?  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!!  I went ahead and read the short story because I needed to for journalistic purposes.  Pretty tame/lame, if you ask me.  Do you find the term \"rock hard member\" sexy???  Bwhahahahahahahahahaha!!!!  </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ah, well...I suppose Cosmo is not so much soft porn but comedy.  And laughter is the best medicine after all. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I think I\'m feeling better already. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 45:  Fashion Mags or Soft Porn?','','inherit','open','open','','1837-autosave','','','2010-11-10 22:20:00','2010-11-11 05:20:00','',1837,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/10/1837-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(1851,1,'2010-11-10 22:18:55','2010-11-11 05:18:55','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100181.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1845\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100181-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>A couple of months ago on my birthday, Elaine aka Laney surprised me with a bunch of magazines on my birthday.  And I do mean a <em>bunch.  </em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This was truly a treat, as I never buy magazines.  Mainly because I never park it on my sofa long enough to look at them. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I set the magazines aside for a rainy day. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Or...change in plans:  a sick night! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Remember last week when this sickie-poo forced herself to observe <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/05/day-39-its-shooshing-time/\" target=\"_blank\">Shooshing Time</a></strong>? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I should have listened to my own advice more than once because now I am combating a raging sinus infection.  I feel like complete and utter crap! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Day 45, since I was too nauseous for anything but parking it on my sofa, I hauled out the magazines.  Laney and I recently discussed our desires for a wardrobe makeover, so I hunted for fashion tips.  What\'s \"in\", what\'s \"out\", and all that stuff. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I immediately became sidetracked by the soft porn that is Cosmo.  I haven\'t looked at a Cosmo in <em>years</em>, so I forgot about its cheesiness factor.  Allow me to share:</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Untamed Va-jay-jays!  Guess What Sexy Style is Back!\"</strong></span>  For reals, Cosmo?  How very retro of you!  Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!  And are we seriously still using the term \"Va-jay-jay\"?!?!  Isn\'t that infinitely more embarrassing and ridiculous than just saying \"vagina\"?!?!  </li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Guy Sex Confessions:  37 Things He Doesn\'t Have the Balls to Tell You!\"</strong>  </span>I avoid conflict like the plague, and I prefer a man that has cajones, so I skipped over this one.  If you must know the 37 things, write me and I\'ll send you a copy of the article.  </li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Seduce Him!  This Sexy Move Works From 20 Feet Away!\"</strong></span>  I turned to this article because I thought it might be blog fodder if it\'s not too NC-17.  Bingo!  It IS blog fodder.  I will have to schedule this one in.  Basically, it\'s a \"strut\", ladies.  This is your new mantra:  \"Shoulders, hips, heels\".  Actually, Brettesy performs this beautifully.  I\'ll ask her if she\'ll be a sport and allow me to post a video demonstration.  Vote \"Yes for Brettesy!\" in the comment section below if you would like to watch her strut her stuff.  </li>\r\n	<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">\"The Touch That Calms Him During a Fight\"</span>  </strong>I want a lover, not a fighter.  Next!</li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>\"Red-Hot Read:  Forbidden Fling\"</strong></span> -- \"Erica Donelson is crushing on a smoking-hot bad boy.  The only problem?  The pantie-melting object of her desire is none other than her ex-husband\'s former best friend.\"  Bwhahahahahahaha!!!  Is it really \"forbidden\" if it\'s your ex\'s former friend?  Huh?  And Pantie-melting???   Are they the edible kind from Fascinations?  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!!  I went ahead and read the short story because I needed to for journalistic purposes.  Pretty tame/lame, if you ask me.  Do you find the term \"rock hard member\" sexy???  Bwhahahahahahahahahaha!!!!  </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ah, well...I suppose Cosmo is not so much soft porn but comedy.  And laughter is the best medicine after all. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think I\'m feeling better already. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 45:  Fashion Mags or Soft Porn?','','inherit','open','open','','1837-revision-9','','','2010-11-10 22:18:55','2010-11-11 05:18:55','',1837,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/10/1837-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(1852,1,'2010-11-10 22:20:39','2010-11-11 05:20:39','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100181.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1845\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100181-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>A couple of months ago on my birthday, Elaine aka Laney surprised me with a bunch of magazines on my birthday.  And I do mean a <em>bunch.  </em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This was truly a treat, as I never buy magazines.  Mainly because I never park it on my sofa long enough to look at them. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I set the magazines aside for a rainy day. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Or...change in plans:  a sick night! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Remember last week when this sickie-poo forced herself to observe <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/05/day-39-its-shooshing-time/\" target=\"_blank\">Shooshing Time</a></strong>? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I should have listened to my own advice more than once because now I am combating a raging sinus infection.  I feel like complete and utter crap! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Day 45, since I was too nauseous for anything but parking it on my sofa, I hauled out the magazines.  Laney and I recently discussed our desires for a wardrobe makeover, so I hunted for fashion tips.  What\'s \"in\", what\'s \"out\", and all that stuff. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I immediately became sidetracked by the soft porn that is Cosmo.  I haven\'t looked at a Cosmo in <em>years</em>, so I forgot about its cheesiness factor.  Allow me to share:</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Untamed Va-jay-jays!  Guess What Sexy Style is Back!\"</strong></span>  For reals, Cosmo?  How very retro of you!  Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!  And are we seriously still using the term \"Va-jay-jay\"?!?!  Isn\'t that infinitely more embarrassing and ridiculous than just saying \"vagina\"?!?!  </li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Guy Sex Confessions:  37 Things He Doesn\'t Have the Balls to Tell You!\"</strong>  </span>I prefer a man that has cajones, so I skipped over this one.  If you must know the 37 things, write me and I\'ll send you a copy of the article.  </li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Seduce Him!  This Sexy Move Works From 20 Feet Away!\"</strong></span>  I turned to this article because I thought it might be blog fodder if it\'s not too NC-17.  Bingo!  It IS blog fodder.  I will have to schedule this one in.  Basically, it\'s a \"strut\", ladies.  This is your new mantra:  \"Shoulders, hips, heels\".  Actually, Brettesy performs this beautifully.  I\'ll ask her if she\'ll be a sport and allow me to post a video demonstration.  Vote \"Yes for Brettesy!\" in the comment section below if you would like to watch her strut her stuff.  </li>\r\n	<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">\"The Touch That Calms Him During a Fight\"</span>  </strong>I want a lover, not a fighter.  Next!</li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>\"Red-Hot Read:  Forbidden Fling\"</strong></span> -- \"Erica Donelson is crushing on a smoking-hot bad boy.  The only problem?  The pantie-melting object of her desire is none other than her ex-husband\'s former best friend.\"  Bwhahahahahahaha!!!  Is it really \"forbidden\" if it\'s your ex\'s former friend?  Huh?  And Pantie-melting???   Are they the edible kind from Fascinations?  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!!  I went ahead and read the short story because I needed to for journalistic purposes.  Pretty tame/lame, if you ask me.  Do you find the term \"rock hard member\" sexy???  Bwhahahahahahahahahaha!!!!  </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ah, well...I suppose Cosmo is not so much soft porn but comedy.  And laughter is the best medicine after all. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think I\'m feeling better already. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 45:  Fashion Mags or Soft Porn?','','inherit','open','open','','1837-revision-10','','','2010-11-10 22:20:39','2010-11-11 05:20:39','',1837,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/10/1837-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(1854,1,'2010-11-10 22:24:24','2010-11-11 05:24:24','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-89','','','2010-11-10 22:24:24','2010-11-11 05:24:24','',1839,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1855,1,'2010-11-10 22:26:01','2010-11-11 05:26:01','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-90','','','2010-11-10 22:26:01','2010-11-11 05:26:01','',1839,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100187.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1856,1,'2010-11-10 22:25:21','2010-11-11 05:25:21','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1854\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>','Day 46:  Preparing the Nest ','','inherit','open','open','','1839-revision-2','','','2010-11-10 22:25:21','2010-11-11 05:25:21','',1839,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/10/1839-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1859,1,'2010-11-11 11:42:51','2010-11-11 18:42:51','','Unnamed','','inherit','open','open','','unnamed','','','2010-11-11 11:42:51','2010-11-11 18:42:51','',1839,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Unnamed.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1857,1,'2010-11-10 22:22:12','2010-11-11 05:22:12','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100181.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1845\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100181-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>A couple of months ago on my birthday, Elaine aka Laney surprised me with a bunch of magazines on my birthday.  And I do mean a <em>bunch.  </em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This was truly a treat, as I never buy magazines.  Mainly because I never park it on my sofa long enough to look at them. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I set the magazines aside for a rainy day. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Or...change in plans:  a sick night! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Remember last week when this sickie-poo forced herself to observe <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/05/day-39-its-shooshing-time/\" target=\"_blank\">Shooshing Time</a></strong>? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I should have listened to my own advice more than once because now I am combating a raging sinus infection.  I feel like complete and utter crap! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Day 45, since I was too nauseous for anything but parking it on my sofa, I hauled out the magazines.  Laney and I recently discussed our desires for a wardrobe makeover, so I hunted for fashion tips.  What\'s \"in\", what\'s \"out\", and all that stuff. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I immediately became sidetracked by the soft porn that is Cosmo.  I haven\'t looked at a Cosmo in <em>years</em>, so I forgot about its cheesiness factor.  Allow me to share:</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Untamed Va-jay-jays!  Guess What Sexy Style is Back!\"</strong></span>  For reals, Cosmo?  How very retro of you!  Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!  And are we seriously still using the term \"Va-jay-jay\"?!?!  Isn\'t that infinitely more embarrassing and ridiculous than just saying \"vagina\"?!?!  </li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Guy Sex Confessions:  37 Things He Doesn\'t Have the Balls to Tell You!\"</strong>  </span>I prefer a man with cajones, so I skipped over this one.  If you must know the 37 things, write me and I\'ll send you a copy of the article.  </li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\"Seduce Him!  This Sexy Move Works From 20 Feet Away!\"</strong></span>  I turned to this article because I thought it might be blog fodder if it\'s not too NC-17.  Bingo!  It IS blog fodder.  I will have to schedule this one in.  Basically, it\'s a \"strut\", ladies.  This is your new mantra:  \"Shoulders, hips, heels\".  Actually, Brettesy performs this beautifully.  I\'ll ask her if she\'ll be a sport and allow me to post a video demonstration.  Vote \"Yes for Brettesy!\" in the comment section below if you would like to watch her strut her stuff.  </li>\r\n	<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">\"The Touch That Calms Him During a Fight\"</span>  </strong>I want a lover, not a fighter.  Next!</li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>\"Red-Hot Read:  Forbidden Fling\"</strong></span> -- \"Erica Donelson is crushing on a smoking-hot bad boy.  The only problem?  The pantie-melting object of her desire is none other than her ex-husband\'s former best friend.\"  Bwhahahahahahaha!!!  Is it really \"forbidden\" if it\'s your ex\'s former friend?  Huh?  And pantie-melting???   Are they the edible kind from Fascinations?  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!!  I went ahead and read the short story because I needed to for journalistic purposes.  Pretty tame/lame, if you ask me.  Do you find the term \"rock hard member\" sexy???  Bwhahahahahahahahahaha!!!!  </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ah, well...I suppose Cosmo is not so much soft porn but comedy.  And laughter is the best medicine after all. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think I\'m feeling better already. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 45:  Fashion Mags or Soft Porn?','','inherit','open','open','','1837-revision-12','','','2010-11-10 22:22:12','2010-11-11 05:22:12','',1837,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/10/1837-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(2011,1,'2010-11-19 15:27:30','2010-11-19 22:27:30','<p>\r\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"640\" height=\"385\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" /><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/fq36ieYP9YU?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US\" /><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"640\" height=\"385\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/fq36ieYP9YU?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\"> </embed></object>\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It seems as though it was just yesterday that I was obsessed with a new musical called <em>Les Miserables</em>.  I knew the score backwards and forwards. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>During my freshman year in college, my suitemate created a cassette tape for me called \"Beautiful Men Singing Love Songs\".  (Yes, cassettes were still around -- yikes!  CDs were brand new and just starting to take off.)  My suitemate was a hopeful romantic like me and knew that I would be verklempt over her recording. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>A featured singer on this \"Beautiful Men Singing Love Songs\" recording was <strong><a href=\"http://www.michaelball.co.uk/bio/\" target=\"_blank\">Michael Ball</a></strong> from <em>Les Miserables.  </em>Michael played Marius in both the London and Broadway casts.  He was gorgeous and had a voice equally as smashing.  Frenchy and I would snuggle in our beds and dream of Michael (or someone like him) sweeping us off our feet and singing sweet music to us on a nightly basis. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Like <em>that </em>has ever happened.  I have dated men who sing, but they have always been a highly dysfunctional lot. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Oh, well.  It\'s always good for a girl to have fantasies. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Last week, I was talking to my sis (another <em>Les Miserables</em> fanatic) who told me of the upcoming <em>Les Miserables </em>25th anniversary concert.  It was actually filmed in London in October but would broadcast for one night only in movie theatres around the world. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And then my sister broke the news.  Nick Jonas would sing the part of Marius. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\"><strong>WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!</strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister reminded me that when Nick was a boy, he played the part of Gavroche on Broadway.  I relaxed a bit, thinking that this kid might have a set of pipes.  Perhaps he would be the Michael Ball of a new generation of <em>Les Miserables</em> fans. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Day 53 was like Christmas for me.  I couldn\'t wait to get to the theatre at 7:30 that night for an epic musical that sings to the depths of my heart.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When I arrived, the theatre was nearly full of <em>Les Miserables</em> fans.  Hurrah!  The buzz of excitement was palpable. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The lights dimmed, the speakers blared, the idiots in front of me started singing (luckily the guy beside me hushed them), and...</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Magic.  </strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It took me about 5 minutes to warm up to <strong><a href=\"http://www.alfie-boe.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Alfie Boe</a></strong> who played the leading part of Jean Valjean.  I am used to hearing <a href=\"http://www.colmwilkinson.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Colm Wilkinson</strong> </a>and <a href=\"http://garymorris.com/biography.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Gary Morris.</strong></a>  But Alfie quickly blew me away with his stratospheric voice and soulful performance. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The rest of the cast was equally stellar.  On the whole, the evening was stirring and memorable. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Except for one glaring exception.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Nick Jonas.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Which made me question the judgment of Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of <em>Les Miserables.</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><em> </em> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Cameron Mackintosh, are you on crack?!?!  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>How could you allow this to happen?  You don\'t need the money, so why did you sell out??  Shame on you! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><em>Les Miserables </em>is celebrating its 25th anniversary.  It is one of the most successful musicals of all time.  You didn\'t need to stoop to the bubblegum pop star heap to attract audiences.  But you got greedy.  And musical theatre fans will never forgive you. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I kind of feel sorry for Nick, as he was placed in an impossible situation.  I am sure that he\'s fantastic at what he does in the teeny-bop world.  And from what I understand, he is a great role model in a time where teens need upstanding role models.  Many kudos to him for his success. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He simply did not fit in amongst the phenomenal <em>Les Miserables </em>25th anniversary cast.  His acting was non-existent, and his voice lacked power. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Readers, I will let you be the judge.  Who is the better Marius:  Michael Ball or Nick Jonas?  Please cast your vote in the comment section below. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"480\" height=\"385\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" /><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/CJnjcX8skXk?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US\" /><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"480\" height=\"385\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/CJnjcX8skXk?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\"> </embed></object>\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"640\" height=\"385\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" /><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/OnJ-10SbXI8?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US\" /><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"640\" height=\"385\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/OnJ-10SbXI8?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\"> </embed></object>\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 53:  Cameron Mackintosh is on Crack (and other musical theatre news)','','publish','open','open','','day-53-cameron-mackintosh-is-on-crack-and-other-musical-theatre-news','','','2010-11-19 15:27:30','2010-11-19 22:27:30','',0,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?p=2011',0,'post','',5),(1860,1,'2010-11-11 11:45:49','2010-11-11 18:45:49','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Unnamed.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1859\" title=\"Unnamed\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Unnamed-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\n\n<p>It’s official!  I am adopting fur baby Bella tonight! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I joked the other day in<strong> “Baby Makes Two?”</strong> that this is an unplanned pregnancy.  In December, it will be a year that Woofie passed, and he was truly the perfect doggy match for me.  It has been challenging to imagine another pooch filling Woofie’s paws. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I have been a dog lover all of my life, so I knew that I eventually would bring a Girl’s Best Friend into my world again when the timing was right.  And with this blog taking off (and the time vacuum created with the blog), the timing is...interesting. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">I specifically told friends and fam that I wouldn’t consider a dog until after the 365 project.  </span></strong></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Bella obviously had other plans when she picked me.  It looks as though this year is getting curiouser and curiouser indeed. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>On Day 46, I devoted myself to nesting.  I needed to prepare my house for the new addition.  This meant unpacking Woofie’s bed, toys, bowls (including the one that I made for him at a pottery place), crate, blankets, and leash.  I am not going to pretend that this wasn’t painful.  I cried. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>But the tears dried with laughter when I noted that the 2<sup>nd</sup> child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs.  :-)</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Out of the mountain of toys that I saved, I did choose the ones that the WoofMonster snubbed for whatever reason.  (Italian Greyhounds can be sooooo fickle!)  Bella has quite a few almost-new toys, as well as a barely used cushy bed and heated doggie blanket! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1854\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Considering that she was a street urchin in Yuma, AZ, she’s going to think she’s died and gone to Beverly Hills. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>It has been 15 years since I raised a puppy.  Bella is 10-months old.  HELP!!!!!!  Please, for the love of God, comment with any and all tips, advice, and pearls of wisdom.  :-) <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100187.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1855\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100187-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>','Day 46:  Preparing the Nest ','','inherit','open','open','','1839-revision-3','','','2010-11-11 11:45:49','2010-11-11 18:45:49','',1839,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/1839-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1861,1,'2010-11-11 11:46:08','2010-11-11 18:46:08','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Unnamed.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1859\" title=\"Unnamed\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Unnamed-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It’s official!  I am adopting fur baby Bella tonight! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I joked the other day in<strong> “Baby Makes Two?”</strong> that this is an unplanned pregnancy.  In December, it will be a year that Woofie passed, and he was truly the perfect doggy match for me.  It has been challenging to imagine another pooch filling Woofie’s paws. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I have been a dog lover all of my life, so I knew that I eventually would bring a Girl’s Best Friend into my world again when the timing was right.  And with this blog taking off (and the time vacuum created with the blog), the timing is...interesting. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">I specifically told friends and fam that I wouldn’t consider a dog until after the 365 project.  </span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Bella obviously had other plans when she picked me.  It looks as though this year is getting curiouser and curiouser indeed. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Day 46, I devoted myself to nesting.  I needed to prepare my house for the new addition.  This meant unpacking Woofie’s bed, toys, bowls (including the one that I made for him at a pottery place), crate, blankets, and leash.  I am not going to pretend that this wasn’t painful.  I cried. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>But the tears dried with laughter when I noted that the 2<sup>nd</sup> child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs.  :-)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Out of the mountain of toys that I saved, I did choose the ones that the WoofMonster snubbed for whatever reason.  (Italian Greyhounds can be sooooo fickle!)  Bella has quite a few almost-new toys, as well as a barely used cushy bed and heated doggie blanket! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1854\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100187.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1855\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100187-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Considering that she was a street urchin in Yuma, AZ, she’s going to think she’s died and gone to Beverly Hills. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It has been 15 years since I raised a puppy.  Bella is 10-months old.  HELP!!!!!!  Please, for the love of God, comment with any and all tips, advice, and pearls of wisdom.  :-)</p>','Day 46:  Preparing the Nest ','','inherit','open','open','','1839-revision-4','','','2010-11-11 11:46:08','2010-11-11 18:46:08','',1839,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/1839-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(1862,1,'2010-11-11 11:46:13','2010-11-11 18:46:13','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Unnamed.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1859\" title=\"Unnamed\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Unnamed-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It’s official!  I am adopting fur baby Bella tonight! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I joked the other day in<strong> “Baby Makes Two?”</strong> that this is an unplanned pregnancy.  In December, it will be a year that Woofie passed, and he was truly the perfect doggy match for me.  It has been challenging to imagine another pooch filling Woofie’s paws. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I have been a dog lover all of my life, so I knew that I eventually would bring a Girl’s Best Friend into my world again when the timing was right.  And with this blog taking off (and the time vacuum created with the blog), the timing is...interesting. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">I specifically told friends and fam that I wouldn’t consider a dog until after the 365 project.  </span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Bella obviously had other plans when she picked me.  It looks as though this year is getting curiouser and curiouser indeed. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Day 46, I devoted myself to nesting.  I needed to prepare my house for the new addition.  This meant unpacking Woofie’s bed, toys, bowls (including the one that I made for him at a pottery place), crate, blankets, and leash.  I am not going to pretend that this wasn’t painful.  I cried. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>But the tears dried with laughter when I noted that the 2<sup>nd</sup> child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs.  :-)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Out of the mountain of toys that I saved, I did choose the ones that the WoofMonster snubbed for whatever reason.  (Italian Greyhounds can be sooooo fickle!)  Bella has quite a few almost-new toys, as well as a barely used cushy bed and heated doggie blanket! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1854\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100187.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1855\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100187-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Considering that she was a street urchin in Yuma, AZ, she’s going to think she’s died and gone to Beverly Hills. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It has been 15 years since I raised a puppy.  Bella is 10-months old.  HELP!!!!!!  Please, for the love of God, comment with any and all tips, advice, and pearls of wisdom.  :-)</p>','Day 46:  Preparing the Nest ','','inherit','open','open','','1839-revision-5','','','2010-11-11 11:46:13','2010-11-11 18:46:13','',1839,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/1839-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(1863,1,'2010-11-11 11:47:47','2010-11-11 18:47:47','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Unnamed.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1859\" title=\"Unnamed\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Unnamed-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It’s official!  I am adopting fur baby Bella tonight! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I joked the other day in<strong> “Baby Makes Two?”</strong> that this is an unplanned pregnancy.  In December, it will be a year that Woofie passed, and he was truly the perfect doggy match for me.  It has been challenging to imagine another pooch filling Woofie’s paws. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I have been a dog lover all of my life, so I knew that I eventually would bring a Girl’s Best Friend into my world again when the timing was right.  And with this blog taking off (and the time vacuum created with the blog), the timing is...interesting. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">I specifically told friends and fam that I wouldn’t consider a dog until after the 365 project.  </span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Bella obviously had other plans when she picked me.  It looks as though this year is getting curiouser and curiouser indeed. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Day 46, I devoted myself to nesting.  I needed to prepare my house for the new addition.  This meant unpacking Woofie’s bed, toys, bowls (including the one that I made for him at a pottery place), crate, blankets, and leash.  I am not going to pretend that this wasn’t painful.  I cried. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>But the tears dried with laughter when I noted that the 2<sup>nd</sup> child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs.  :-)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Out of the mountain of toys that I saved, I did choose the ones that the WoofMonster snubbed for whatever reason.  (Italian Greyhounds can be sooooo fickle!)  Bella has quite a few almost-new toys, as well as a barely used cushy bed and heated doggie blanket! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1854\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100187.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1855\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100187-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Considering that she was a street urchin in Yuma, AZ, she’s going to think she’s died and gone to Beverly Hills. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It has been 15 years since I raised a puppy.  Bella is 10-months old.  HELP!!!!!!  Please, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, comment with any and all tips, advice, and pearls of wisdom.  :-)</p>','Day 46:  Preparing the Nest ','','inherit','open','open','','1839-revision-6','','','2010-11-11 11:47:47','2010-11-11 18:47:47','',1839,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/1839-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(1864,1,'2010-11-11 11:47:57','2010-11-11 18:47:57','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Unnamed.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1859\" title=\"Unnamed\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Unnamed-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It’s official!  I am adopting fur baby Bella tonight! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I joked the other day in<strong> “Baby Makes Two?”</strong> that this is an unplanned pregnancy.  In December, it will be a year that Woofie passed, and he was truly the perfect doggy match for me.  It has been challenging to imagine another pooch filling Woofie’s paws. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I have been a dog lover all of my life, so I knew that I eventually would bring a Girl’s Best Friend into my world again when the timing was right.  And with this blog taking off (and the time vacuum created with the blog), the timing is...interesting. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">I specifically told friends and fam that I wouldn’t consider a dog until after the 365 project.  </span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Bella obviously had other plans when she picked me.  It looks as though this year is getting curiouser and curiouser indeed. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Day 46, I devoted myself to nesting.  I needed to prepare my house for the new addition.  This meant unpacking Woofie’s bed, toys, bowls (including the one that I made for him at a pottery place), crate, blankets, and leash.  I am not going to pretend that this wasn’t painful.  I cried. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>But the tears dried with laughter when I noted that the 2<sup>nd</sup> child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs.  :-)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Out of the mountain of toys that I saved, I did choose the ones that the WoofMonster snubbed for whatever reason.  (Italian Greyhounds can be sooooo fickle!)  Bella has quite a few almost-new toys, as well as a barely used cushy bed and heated doggie blanket! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1854\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100187.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1855\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100187-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Considering that she was a street urchin in Yuma, AZ, she’s going to think she’s died and gone to Beverly Hills. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It has been 15 years since I raised a puppy.  Bella is 10-months old.  HELP!!!!!!  Please, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, comment with any and all tips, advice, and pearls of wisdom.  :-)</p>','Day 46:  Preparing the Nest ','','inherit','open','open','','1839-revision-7','','','2010-11-11 11:47:57','2010-11-11 18:47:57','',1839,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/1839-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(1865,1,'2010-11-11 11:48:31','2010-11-11 18:48:31','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Unnamed.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1859\" title=\"Unnamed\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Unnamed-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It’s official!  I am adopting fur baby Bella tonight! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I joked the other day in<strong> “Baby Makes Two?”</strong> that this is an unplanned pregnancy.  In December, it will be a year that Woofie passed, and he was truly the perfect doggy match for me.  It has been challenging to imagine another pooch filling Woofie’s paws. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I have been a dog lover all of my life, so I knew that I eventually would bring a Girl’s Best Friend into my world again when the timing was right.  And with this blog taking off (and the time vacuum created with the blog), the timing is...interesting. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">I specifically told friends and fam that I wouldn’t consider a dog until after the 365 project.  </span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Bella obviously had other plans when she picked me.  It looks as though this year is getting curiouser and curiouser indeed. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Day 46, I devoted myself to nesting.  I needed to prepare my house for the new addition.  This meant unpacking Woofie’s bed, toys, bowls (including the one that I made for him at a pottery place), crate, blankets, and leash.  I am not going to pretend that this wasn’t painful.  I cried. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>But the tears dried with laughter when I noted that the 2<sup>nd</sup> child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs.  :-)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Out of the mountain of toys that I saved, I did choose the ones that the WoofMonster snubbed for whatever reason.  (Italian Greyhounds can be sooooo fickle!)  Bella has quite a few almost-new toys, as well as a barely used cushy bed and heated doggie blanket! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1854\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100187.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1855\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB100187-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Considering that she was a street urchin in Yuma, AZ, she’s going to think she’s died and gone to Beverly Hills. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It has been 15 years since I raised a puppy.  Bella is 10-months old.  HELP!!!!!! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Please, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, comment with any and all tips, advice, and pearls of wisdom.  :-)</p>','Day 46:  Preparing the Nest ','','inherit','open','open','','1839-revision-8','','','2010-11-11 11:48:31','2010-11-11 18:48:31','',1839,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/1839-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(1866,1,'2010-11-13 01:11:54','2010-11-13 08:11:54','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1870\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Bella has been home now for 24 hours. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>She is a perfect angel.  And I do mean perfect. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Allow me to brag about my new fur baby. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I picked her up at her foster mother\'s home, and it was obvious that she remembered me.  As soon as she saw me from across the room, her tail started wagging a mile a minute.  When she was placed into my arms, she immediately nuzzled me and kissed me. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>For the car ride home, she took to her traveling crate with no issues and didn\'t make a peep on the way home!  (Unlike my mildly neurotic Italian Greyhound who would whine the entire journey unless I sang show tunes to him.  True story.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Let\'s see...what else...she performed her \"business\" outside as soon as I placed her in the backyard.  (Today, we remain at zero \"accidents\"!)  She ate like a champ.  She snuggled with me as well as three of her visiting Aunties.  (She\'s incredibly trusting!) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When the Aunties returned home, I was STARVING for dinner.  I heated up some leftover Pho (I was still sicker than a dog) and took to the couch to watch a bit of smutty Housewives of Beverly Hills.  (The woman who used to watch quality television such as Masterpiece Theatre now crawls into the cultural gutter.  I am absolutely appalled with myself.  Please feel free to stage an intervention.)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anywho, little snookie was VERY excited about the Pho (Vietnamese chicken soup for those of you who are ???) and I saw a hint of a begging in her eyes.  I gently picked her up and plopped her into her cushy doggy bed where she stayed curled up and sleeping until I finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1871\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When I returned to the living room, she stretched out across my torso and napped until bedtime.  She then quietly slept in her crate for 8 hours without an accident. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I learned today that she walks nicely on her leash.  She has already made friends with other dogs.  She loves EVERYBODY. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/09/day-43babymakestwo/\" target=\"_blank\">This was a completely unplanned pregnancy</a></strong>, and I scored the sweetest, best behaved dog in the history of mankind. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Funny how life works. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1872\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 47:  Let the Puppy Worshipping Begin!  ','','publish','open','open','','day-47-let-the-puppy-worshipping-begin','','\nhttp://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/09/day-43babymakestwo/','2010-11-12 18:23:43','2010-11-13 01:23:43','',0,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?p=1866',0,'post','',15),(1867,1,'2010-11-12 17:47:05','2010-11-13 00:47:05','','Auto Draft','','inherit','open','open','','1866-revision','','','2010-11-12 17:47:05','2010-11-13 00:47:05','',1866,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/12/1866-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1868,1,'2010-11-14 11:09:08','2010-11-14 18:09:08','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On our way to breakfast yesterday morning, <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+my+world\" target=\"_blank\">Neighbor Cub</a></strong> asked me what I was up to the night before. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I told him that it was Card Night at my house.  (Originally, Dawn aka Sister Dawn Catherine offered to host, but we moved it to my pad for a double feature of Cards and Adoration of the Puppy.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Neighbor Cub was surprised.  \"Girls play cards???  That\'s so cool!!!  Was it poker?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>No, although I love poker, and I think I need to play for $$ this year for the blog, don\'t you? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is a game that my Aunt taught me called \"Scrooged\".  She said it\'s also called \"Thirteen\", although Sister Dawn Catherine swears that it\'s called \"Spit\".  And then Whitters always gets confused and calls it \"Smudged\".  Apparently, we\'ve all been smoking something funny because when you Google \"Scrooged\", you get nada.   \"Thirteen\" and \"Spit\" are entirely different card games. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>For the purposes of this post, let\'s just call it my family\'s name of \"Scrooged\" because Auntie Bonnie says so and she\'s the Queen of Scrooged.  NO ONE can beat her.  Biotch. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>About once every month or so, the card sharks gather for food and fun.  This card game is fast-paced and frenzied.  We always wind up screaming with laughter, and Katie Ann and I usually resort to cussing like sailors. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Here are the rules:</span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Each player has their own deck of cards.  Froo-froo cards with all sorts of cutesy designs on the face of the cards (not the back) are a nightmare.  Don\'t use them.  Lisa\'s puppy cards and Lori\'s Star Wars cards are banned from play. </li>\r\n	<li>Shuffle like you\'re in Vegas.  This will make you feel really cool.  Katie Ann\'s mom says 7-8 times is a complete shuffle.</li>\r\n	<li>Deal yourself a pile of 13 cards and place them face up in front of you to your left.  Now deal 4 cards face up and across (to the right of the 13 pile).  Each player has this set-up in front of them, and there will be a large space in the middle.  </li>\r\n	<li>The object of the game is to get through your pile of 13.  First player who does so is \"out\".  </li>\r\n	<li>Signal to start the game.  We say, \"Ready?  Ok!\" in our best cheerleader imitation because we\'re goofy and ridiculous.  </li>\r\n	<li>Men suck at this game because it involves multi-tasking.  ;-)  Simultaneously you are placing Aces in the middle and building on them (same suit), as well as playing Solitaire in front of you with those 4 cards to the right of the 13 pile.  </li>\r\n	<li>At the start, all Aces (the top card of the 13 pile or any of the single 4 across cards) go into the middle.</li>\r\n	<li>When you move one of the 4 cards into the middle, you want to move the top card of your 13 pile to the empty space.  </li>\r\n	<li>When you can\'t play any cards, use the remaining deck in your hand and start going through 3 at a time as in Solitaire.  You can play those in the middle or on your Solitaire in front of you.  You would of course not build on the pile of 13.  </li>\r\n	<li>First person who empties their pile of 13 is \"out\".  Cards in the middle are +1 point each, cards remaining in your pile of 13 are multiplied by -2.  </li>\r\n	<li>Play as many rounds as needed until a player reaches 100 points and is The Winner.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>In our group, Katie Ann always wins the first game with me close behind (she\'s the sprinter), and I always win the 2nd game with Katie Ann close behind (I\'m the marathoner).  Luckily, none of our other friends are competitive \"play to win\" types.  Two Alpha females are plenty. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Late Bloomer\'s Strategy Tips:</span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li><strong>Be very vocal.</strong>  Yell, mutter to yourself, announce how confused you are, and cuss if you feel so inclined.  This really unnerves the players who need quiet to concentrate.  </li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sing.</strong>  When I play with Kimeee\'s girls who are now older and good players, Mozart\'s \"Figaro\" drives them crazy.  </li>\r\n	<li><strong>You better move fast, girlfriends.</strong>  Or you will be eaten alive.  It is not unusual for a player\'s score total to equal negative points.  I prefer to call these \"special\" points because I\'m so used to framing everything in a positive way for the early childhood classroom.  :-) </li>\r\n	<li><strong>Even if you are \"special\" you will still have fun.</strong>  I promise.  </li>\r\n</ol>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I realize that the directions above are confusing.  I\'m a kinaesthetic learner, so writing out the directions is painful for me.  Hopefully, these photos of the layouts help. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140182.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1885\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140182-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is the initial layout that you delt yourself.  Pile of 13 is on the left. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140183.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1886\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140183-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is your first play.  Ace of Hearts in the middle, 3 of Hearts now moved to space left by Ace of Hearts, 8 of Diamonds move under 9 of Spades (as in Solitaire).</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The Jack of Hearts was underneath the 3 of Hearts in the 13 pile and is moved over to the empty space left by 8 of Diamonds. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>You would now starting turning over your remaining deck of cards 3 at a time while looking into the middle.  When a player places a Two of Hearts, you need to move the 3 of Hearts FAST.  (If another player gets there before you, you need to put the 3 of Hearts back in its original place.)  You would also be watching for a player to place an Ace of Diamonds in the middle. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Whew! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Let me know if you have questions. </p>','Day 48:  Card Sharks  ','','publish','open','open','','day-48-card-sharks','','','2010-11-14 11:09:08','2010-11-14 18:09:08','',0,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?p=1868',0,'post','',8),(1869,1,'2010-11-12 17:47:34','2010-11-13 00:47:34','','Auto Draft','','inherit','open','open','','1868-revision','','','2010-11-12 17:47:34','2010-11-13 00:47:34','',1868,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/12/1868-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1870,1,'2010-11-12 17:48:47','2010-11-13 00:48:47','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-91','','','2010-11-12 17:48:47','2010-11-13 00:48:47','',1866,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1871,1,'2010-11-12 18:13:46','2010-11-13 01:13:46','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-92','','','2010-11-12 18:13:46','2010-11-13 01:13:46','',1866,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1872,1,'2010-11-12 18:14:53','2010-11-13 01:14:53','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-93','','','2010-11-12 18:14:53','2010-11-13 01:14:53','',1866,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1873,1,'2010-11-12 18:16:08','2010-11-13 01:16:08','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1870\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Bella has been home now for 24 hours. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>She is a perfect angel.  And I do mean perfect. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p> Please allow me to brag about my new fur baby. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I picked her up at her foster mother\'s home, and it was obvious she remembered me.  As soon as she saw me from across the room, her tail started wagging a mile a minute.  When she was placed into my arms, she immediately nuzzled me and kissed me. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>For the car ride home, she took to her traveling crate with no issues and didn\'t make a peep on the way home!  (Unlike my mildly neurotic Italian Greyhound who would whine the entire journey unless I sang show tunes to him.  True story.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Let\'s see...what else...she performed her \"business\" outside as soon as I placed her in the backyard.  (Today, we remain at zero \"accidents\"!)  She ate like a champ.  She snuggled with me as well as three of her visiting Aunties.  (She\'s incredibly trusting!) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>When the Aunties returned home, I was STARVING for dinner.  I heated up some leftover Pho (I was still sicker than a dog) and took to the couch to watch a bit of smutty Housewives of Beverly Hills.  (The woman who used to watch quality television such as Masterpiece Theatre now crawls into the cultural gutter.  I am absolutely appalled with myself.  Please feel free to stage an intervention.)</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Anywho, little snookie was VERY excited about the Pho (Vietnamese Chicken Soup for those of you who are ???) and had a hint of a begging in her eyes.  I gently picked her up and plopped her into her cushy doggy bed where she stayed curled up and sleeping until I finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1871\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>When I returned to the living room, she stretched out across my torso and slept until bedtime.  She then quietly slept in her crate for 8 hours without an accident. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I learned today that she walks nicely on her leash.  She has already friends with other dogs.  She loves EVERYBODY. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This was a completely unplanned pregnancy, and I scored the sweetest, best behaved dog in the history of mankind. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Funny how life works. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1872\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 47:  Let the Puppy Worshipping Begin!  ','','inherit','open','open','','1866-revision-2','','','2010-11-12 18:16:08','2010-11-13 01:16:08','',1866,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/12/1866-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1877,1,'2010-11-12 18:18:44','2010-11-13 01:18:44','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1870\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Bella has been home now for 24 hours. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>She is a perfect angel.  And I do mean perfect. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Allow me to brag about my new fur baby. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I picked her up at her foster mother\'s home, and it was obvious that she remembered me.  As soon as she saw me from across the room, her tail started wagging a mile a minute.  When she was placed into my arms, she immediately nuzzled me and kissed me. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>For the car ride home, she took to her traveling crate with no issues and didn\'t make a peep on the way home!  (Unlike my mildly neurotic Italian Greyhound who would whine the entire journey unless I sang show tunes to him.  True story.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Let\'s see...what else...she performed her \"business\" outside as soon as I placed her in the backyard.  (Today, we remain at zero \"accidents\"!)  She ate like a champ.  She snuggled with me as well as three of her visiting Aunties.  (She\'s incredibly trusting!) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>When the Aunties returned home, I was STARVING for dinner.  I heated up some leftover Pho (I was still sicker than a dog) and took to the couch to watch a bit of smutty Housewives of Beverly Hills.  (The woman who used to watch quality television such as Masterpiece Theatre now crawls into the cultural gutter.  I am absolutely appalled with myself.  Please feel free to stage an intervention.)</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Anywho, little snookie was VERY excited about the Pho (Vietnamese Chicken Soup for those of you who are ???) and had a hint of a begging in her eyes.  I gently picked her up and plopped her into her cushy doggy bed where she stayed curled up and sleeping until I finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1871\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>When I returned to the living room, she stretched out across my torso and slept until bedtime.  She then quietly slept in her crate for 8 hours without an accident. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I learned today that she walks nicely on her leash.  She has already friends with other dogs.  She loves EVERYBODY. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/09/day-43babymakestwo/\" target=\"_blank\">This was a completely unplanned pregnancy</a></strong>, and I scored the sweetest, best behaved dog in the history of mankind. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Funny how life works. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1872\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 47:  Let the Puppy Worshipping Begin!  ','','inherit','open','open','','1866-revision-6','','','2010-11-12 18:18:44','2010-11-13 01:18:44','',1866,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/12/1866-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(1874,1,'2010-11-12 18:16:40','2010-11-13 01:16:40','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1870\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Bella has been home now for 24 hours. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>She is a perfect angel.  And I do mean perfect. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p> Please allow me to brag about my new fur baby. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I picked her up at her foster mother\'s home, and it was obvious she remembered me.  As soon as she saw me from across the room, her tail started wagging a mile a minute.  When she was placed into my arms, she immediately nuzzled me and kissed me. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>For the car ride home, she took to her traveling crate with no issues and didn\'t make a peep on the way home!  (Unlike my mildly neurotic Italian Greyhound who would whine the entire journey unless I sang show tunes to him.  True story.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Let\'s see...what else...she performed her \"business\" outside as soon as I placed her in the backyard.  (Today, we remain at zero \"accidents\"!)  She ate like a champ.  She snuggled with me as well as three of her visiting Aunties.  (She\'s incredibly trusting!) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When the Aunties returned home, I was STARVING for dinner.  I heated up some leftover Pho (I was still sicker than a dog) and took to the couch to watch a bit of smutty Housewives of Beverly Hills.  (The woman who used to watch quality television such as Masterpiece Theatre now crawls into the cultural gutter.  I am absolutely appalled with myself.  Please feel free to stage an intervention.)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anywho, little snookie was VERY excited about the Pho (Vietnamese Chicken Soup for those of you who are ???) and had a hint of a begging in her eyes.  I gently picked her up and plopped her into her cushy doggy bed where she stayed curled up and sleeping until I finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1871\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When I returned to the living room, she stretched out across my torso and slept until bedtime.  She then quietly slept in her crate for 8 hours without an accident. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I learned today that she walks nicely on her leash.  She has already friends with other dogs.  She loves EVERYBODY. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/09/day-43babymakestwo/\" target=\"_blank\">This was a completely unplanned pregnancy</a></strong>, and I scored the sweetest, best behaved dog in the history of mankind. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Funny how life works. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1872\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 47:  Let the Puppy Worshipping Begin!  ','','inherit','open','open','','1866-revision-3','','','2010-11-12 18:16:40','2010-11-13 01:16:40','',1866,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/12/1866-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1875,1,'2010-11-12 18:16:54','2010-11-13 01:16:54','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1870\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Bella has been home now for 24 hours. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>She is a perfect angel.  And I do mean perfect. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p> Please allow me to brag about my new fur baby. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I picked her up at her foster mother\'s home, and it was obvious she remembered me.  As soon as she saw me from across the room, her tail started wagging a mile a minute.  When she was placed into my arms, she immediately nuzzled me and kissed me. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>For the car ride home, she took to her traveling crate with no issues and didn\'t make a peep on the way home!  (Unlike my mildly neurotic Italian Greyhound who would whine the entire journey unless I sang show tunes to him.  True story.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Let\'s see...what else...she performed her \"business\" outside as soon as I placed her in the backyard.  (Today, we remain at zero \"accidents\"!)  She ate like a champ.  She snuggled with me as well as three of her visiting Aunties.  (She\'s incredibly trusting!) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When the Aunties returned home, I was STARVING for dinner.  I heated up some leftover Pho (I was still sicker than a dog) and took to the couch to watch a bit of smutty Housewives of Beverly Hills.  (The woman who used to watch quality television such as Masterpiece Theatre now crawls into the cultural gutter.  I am absolutely appalled with myself.  Please feel free to stage an intervention.)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anywho, little snookie was VERY excited about the Pho (Vietnamese Chicken Soup for those of you who are ???) and had a hint of a begging in her eyes.  I gently picked her up and plopped her into her cushy doggy bed where she stayed curled up and sleeping until I finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1871\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When I returned to the living room, she stretched out across my torso and slept until bedtime.  She then quietly slept in her crate for 8 hours without an accident. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I learned today that she walks nicely on her leash.  She has already friends with other dogs.  She loves EVERYBODY. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/09/day-43babymakestwo/\" target=\"_blank\">This was a completely unplanned pregnancy</a></strong>, and I scored the sweetest, best behaved dog in the history of mankind. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Funny how life works. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1872\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 47:  Let the Puppy Worshipping Begin!  ','','inherit','open','open','','1866-revision-4','','','2010-11-12 18:16:54','2010-11-13 01:16:54','',1866,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/12/1866-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(1876,1,'2010-11-12 18:17:17','2010-11-13 01:17:17','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1870\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Bella has been home now for 24 hours. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>She is a perfect angel.  And I do mean perfect. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Allow me to brag about my new fur baby. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I picked her up at her foster mother\'s home, and it was obvious she remembered me.  As soon as she saw me from across the room, her tail started wagging a mile a minute.  When she was placed into my arms, she immediately nuzzled me and kissed me. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>For the car ride home, she took to her traveling crate with no issues and didn\'t make a peep on the way home!  (Unlike my mildly neurotic Italian Greyhound who would whine the entire journey unless I sang show tunes to him.  True story.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Let\'s see...what else...she performed her \"business\" outside as soon as I placed her in the backyard.  (Today, we remain at zero \"accidents\"!)  She ate like a champ.  She snuggled with me as well as three of her visiting Aunties.  (She\'s incredibly trusting!) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When the Aunties returned home, I was STARVING for dinner.  I heated up some leftover Pho (I was still sicker than a dog) and took to the couch to watch a bit of smutty Housewives of Beverly Hills.  (The woman who used to watch quality television such as Masterpiece Theatre now crawls into the cultural gutter.  I am absolutely appalled with myself.  Please feel free to stage an intervention.)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anywho, little snookie was VERY excited about the Pho (Vietnamese Chicken Soup for those of you who are ???) and had a hint of a begging in her eyes.  I gently picked her up and plopped her into her cushy doggy bed where she stayed curled up and sleeping until I finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1871\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When I returned to the living room, she stretched out across my torso and slept until bedtime.  She then quietly slept in her crate for 8 hours without an accident. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I learned today that she walks nicely on her leash.  She has already friends with other dogs.  She loves EVERYBODY. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/09/day-43babymakestwo/\" target=\"_blank\">This was a completely unplanned pregnancy</a></strong>, and I scored the sweetest, best behaved dog in the history of mankind. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Funny how life works. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1872\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 47:  Let the Puppy Worshipping Begin!  ','','inherit','open','open','','1866-revision-5','','','2010-11-12 18:17:17','2010-11-13 01:17:17','',1866,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/12/1866-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(1878,1,'2010-11-12 18:19:04','2010-11-13 01:19:04','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1870\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Bella has been home now for 24 hours. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>She is a perfect angel.  And I do mean perfect. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Allow me to brag about my new fur baby. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I picked her up at her foster mother\'s home, and it was obvious that she remembered me.  As soon as she saw me from across the room, her tail started wagging a mile a minute.  When she was placed into my arms, she immediately nuzzled me and kissed me. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>For the car ride home, she took to her traveling crate with no issues and didn\'t make a peep on the way home!  (Unlike my mildly neurotic Italian Greyhound who would whine the entire journey unless I sang show tunes to him.  True story.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Let\'s see...what else...she performed her \"business\" outside as soon as I placed her in the backyard.  (Today, we remain at zero \"accidents\"!)  She ate like a champ.  She snuggled with me as well as three of her visiting Aunties.  (She\'s incredibly trusting!) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When the Aunties returned home, I was STARVING for dinner.  I heated up some leftover Pho (I was still sicker than a dog) and took to the couch to watch a bit of smutty Housewives of Beverly Hills.  (The woman who used to watch quality television such as Masterpiece Theatre now crawls into the cultural gutter.  I am absolutely appalled with myself.  Please feel free to stage an intervention.)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anywho, little snookie was VERY excited about the Pho (Vietnamese Chicken Soup for those of you who are ???) and I saw a hint of a begging in her eyes.  I gently picked her up and plopped her into her cushy doggy bed where she stayed curled up and sleeping until I finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1871\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When I returned to the living room, she stretched out across my torso and slept until bedtime.  She then quietly slept in her crate for 8 hours without an accident. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I learned today that she walks nicely on her leash.  She has already friends with other dogs.  She loves EVERYBODY. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/09/day-43babymakestwo/\" target=\"_blank\">This was a completely unplanned pregnancy</a></strong>, and I scored the sweetest, best behaved dog in the history of mankind. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Funny how life works. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1872\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 47:  Let the Puppy Worshipping Begin!  ','','inherit','open','open','','1866-revision-7','','','2010-11-12 18:19:04','2010-11-13 01:19:04','',1866,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/12/1866-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(1879,1,'2010-11-12 18:20:58','2010-11-13 01:20:58','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1870\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Bella has been home now for 24 hours. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>She is a perfect angel.  And I do mean perfect. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Allow me to brag about my new fur baby. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I picked her up at her foster mother\'s home, and it was obvious that she remembered me.  As soon as she saw me from across the room, her tail started wagging a mile a minute.  When she was placed into my arms, she immediately nuzzled me and kissed me. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>For the car ride home, she took to her traveling crate with no issues and didn\'t make a peep on the way home!  (Unlike my mildly neurotic Italian Greyhound who would whine the entire journey unless I sang show tunes to him.  True story.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Let\'s see...what else...she performed her \"business\" outside as soon as I placed her in the backyard.  (Today, we remain at zero \"accidents\"!)  She ate like a champ.  She snuggled with me as well as three of her visiting Aunties.  (She\'s incredibly trusting!) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>When the Aunties returned home, I was STARVING for dinner.  I heated up some leftover Pho (I was still sicker than a dog) and took to the couch to watch a bit of smutty Housewives of Beverly Hills.  (The woman who used to watch quality television such as Masterpiece Theatre now crawls into the cultural gutter.  I am absolutely appalled with myself.  Please feel free to stage an intervention.)</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Anywho, little snookie was VERY excited about the Pho (Vietnamese Chicken Soup for those of you who are ???) and I saw a hint of a begging in her eyes.  I gently picked her up and plopped her into her cushy doggy bed where she stayed curled up and sleeping until I finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1871\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>When I returned to the living room, she stretched out across my torso and slept until bedtime.  She then quietly slept in her crate for 8 hours without an accident. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I learned today that she walks nicely on her leash.  She has already made friends with other dogs.  She loves EVERYBODY. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/09/day-43babymakestwo/\" target=\"_blank\">This was a completely unplanned pregnancy</a></strong>, and I scored the sweetest, best behaved dog in the history of mankind. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Funny how life works. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1872\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 47:  Let the Puppy Worshipping Begin!  ','','inherit','open','open','','1866-revision-8','','','2010-11-12 18:20:58','2010-11-13 01:20:58','',1866,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/12/1866-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(1880,1,'2010-11-12 18:21:28','2010-11-13 01:21:28','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1870\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Bella has been home now for 24 hours. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>She is a perfect angel.  And I do mean perfect. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Allow me to brag about my new fur baby. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I picked her up at her foster mother\'s home, and it was obvious that she remembered me.  As soon as she saw me from across the room, her tail started wagging a mile a minute.  When she was placed into my arms, she immediately nuzzled me and kissed me. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>For the car ride home, she took to her traveling crate with no issues and didn\'t make a peep on the way home!  (Unlike my mildly neurotic Italian Greyhound who would whine the entire journey unless I sang show tunes to him.  True story.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Let\'s see...what else...she performed her \"business\" outside as soon as I placed her in the backyard.  (Today, we remain at zero \"accidents\"!)  She ate like a champ.  She snuggled with me as well as three of her visiting Aunties.  (She\'s incredibly trusting!) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When the Aunties returned home, I was STARVING for dinner.  I heated up some leftover Pho (I was still sicker than a dog) and took to the couch to watch a bit of smutty Housewives of Beverly Hills.  (The woman who used to watch quality television such as Masterpiece Theatre now crawls into the cultural gutter.  I am absolutely appalled with myself.  Please feel free to stage an intervention.)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anywho, little snookie was VERY excited about the Pho (Vietnamese Chicken Soup for those of you who are ???) and I saw a hint of a begging in her eyes.  I gently picked her up and plopped her into her cushy doggy bed where she stayed curled up and sleeping until I finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1871\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When I returned to the living room, she stretched out across my torso and slept until bedtime.  She then quietly slept in her crate for 8 hours without an accident. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I learned today that she walks nicely on her leash.  She has already made friends with other dogs.  She loves EVERYBODY. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/09/day-43babymakestwo/\" target=\"_blank\">This was a completely unplanned pregnancy</a></strong>, and I scored the sweetest, best behaved dog in the history of mankind. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Funny how life works. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1872\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 47:  Let the Puppy Worshipping Begin!  ','','inherit','open','open','','1866-revision-9','','','2010-11-12 18:21:28','2010-11-13 01:21:28','',1866,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/12/1866-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(1881,1,'2010-11-12 18:22:25','2010-11-13 01:22:25','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1870\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Bella has been home now for 24 hours. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>She is a perfect angel.  And I do mean perfect. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Allow me to brag about my new fur baby. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I picked her up at her foster mother\'s home, and it was obvious that she remembered me.  As soon as she saw me from across the room, her tail started wagging a mile a minute.  When she was placed into my arms, she immediately nuzzled me and kissed me. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>For the car ride home, she took to her traveling crate with no issues and didn\'t make a peep on the way home!  (Unlike my mildly neurotic Italian Greyhound who would whine the entire journey unless I sang show tunes to him.  True story.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Let\'s see...what else...she performed her \"business\" outside as soon as I placed her in the backyard.  (Today, we remain at zero \"accidents\"!)  She ate like a champ.  She snuggled with me as well as three of her visiting Aunties.  (She\'s incredibly trusting!) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When the Aunties returned home, I was STARVING for dinner.  I heated up some leftover Pho (I was still sicker than a dog) and took to the couch to watch a bit of smutty Housewives of Beverly Hills.  (The woman who used to watch quality television such as Masterpiece Theatre now crawls into the cultural gutter.  I am absolutely appalled with myself.  Please feel free to stage an intervention.)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anywho, little snookie was VERY excited about the Pho (Vietnamese chicken soup for those of you who are ???) and I saw a hint of a begging in her eyes.  I gently picked her up and plopped her into her cushy doggy bed where she stayed curled up and sleeping until I finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1871\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When I returned to the living room, she stretched out across my torso and slept until bedtime.  She then quietly slept in her crate for 8 hours without an accident. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I learned today that she walks nicely on her leash.  She has already made friends with other dogs.  She loves EVERYBODY. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/09/day-43babymakestwo/\" target=\"_blank\">This was a completely unplanned pregnancy</a></strong>, and I scored the sweetest, best behaved dog in the history of mankind. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Funny how life works. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1872\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 47:  Let the Puppy Worshipping Begin!  ','','inherit','open','open','','1866-revision-10','','','2010-11-12 18:22:25','2010-11-13 01:22:25','',1866,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/12/1866-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(1882,1,'2010-11-12 18:23:04','2010-11-13 01:23:04','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1870\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Bella has been home now for 24 hours. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>She is a perfect angel.  And I do mean perfect. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Allow me to brag about my new fur baby. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I picked her up at her foster mother\'s home, and it was obvious that she remembered me.  As soon as she saw me from across the room, her tail started wagging a mile a minute.  When she was placed into my arms, she immediately nuzzled me and kissed me. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>For the car ride home, she took to her traveling crate with no issues and didn\'t make a peep on the way home!  (Unlike my mildly neurotic Italian Greyhound who would whine the entire journey unless I sang show tunes to him.  True story.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Let\'s see...what else...she performed her \"business\" outside as soon as I placed her in the backyard.  (Today, we remain at zero \"accidents\"!)  She ate like a champ.  She snuggled with me as well as three of her visiting Aunties.  (She\'s incredibly trusting!) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When the Aunties returned home, I was STARVING for dinner.  I heated up some leftover Pho (I was still sicker than a dog) and took to the couch to watch a bit of smutty Housewives of Beverly Hills.  (The woman who used to watch quality television such as Masterpiece Theatre now crawls into the cultural gutter.  I am absolutely appalled with myself.  Please feel free to stage an intervention.)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anywho, little snookie was VERY excited about the Pho (Vietnamese chicken soup for those of you who are ???) and I saw a hint of a begging in her eyes.  I gently picked her up and plopped her into her cushy doggy bed where she stayed curled up and sleeping until I finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1871\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB110180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>When I returned to the living room, she stretched out across my torso and slept until bedtime.  She then quietly slept in her crate for 8 hours without an accident. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I learned today that she walks nicely on her leash.  She has already made friends with other dogs.  She loves EVERYBODY. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/09/day-43babymakestwo/\" target=\"_blank\">This was a completely unplanned pregnancy</a></strong>, and I scored the sweetest, best behaved dog in the history of mankind. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Funny how life works. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1872\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120184-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 47:  Let the Puppy Worshipping Begin!  ','','inherit','open','open','','1866-revision-11','','','2010-11-12 18:23:04','2010-11-13 01:23:04','',1866,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/12/1866-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(1883,1,'2010-11-14 09:35:37','2010-11-14 16:35:37','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-94','','','2010-11-14 09:35:37','2010-11-14 16:35:37','',1868,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1884,1,'2010-11-14 10:36:57','2010-11-14 17:36:57','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\n\n<p>On our way to breakfast yesterday morning, <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+my+world\" target=\"_blank\">Neighbor Cub</a></strong> asked me what I was up to the night before. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I told him that it was Card Night at my house.  (Originally, Dawn aka Sister Dawn Catherine offered to host, but we moved it to my pad for a double feature of Cards and Adoration of the Puppy.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Neighbor Cub was surprised.  \"Girls play cards???  That\'s so cool!!!  Was it poker?\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>No, although I love poker, and I think I need to play for $$ this year for the blog, don\'t you?  This is a game that my Auntie Bonnie taught me called \"Scrooged\".  She said it\'s also called \"Thirteen\", although Sister Dawn Catherine swears that it\'s called \"Spit\".  And then Whitters always gets confused and calls it \"Smudged\".  Apparently, we\'ve all been smoking something funny because when you Google \"Scrooged\", you get nada.   \"Thirteen\" and \"Spit\" are entirely different card games. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>For the purposes of this post, let\'s just call it my family\'s name of \"Scrooged\" because Auntie Bonnie says so and she\'s Queen of Scrooged.  NO ONE can beat her.  Biotch. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>About once every month or so, the card sharks gather for food and fun.  This card game is fast-paced and frenzied.  We always wind up screaming with laughter, and Katie Ann and I usually resort to cussing like sailors. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Here are the rules:</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<ul>\n	<li>Each player has their own deck of cards.  Froo-froo cards with all sorts of cutesy designs on the face of the cards (not the back) are a nightmare.  Don\'t use them.  Lisa\'s puppy cards and Lori\'s Star Wars cards are banned from play. </li>\n	<li>Shuffle like you\'re in Vegas.  This will make you feel really cool.  Katie Ann\'s mom says 7-8 times is a complete shuffle.</li>\n	<li>Deal yourself a pile of 13 cards and place them face up in front of you to your left.  Now deal 4 cards face up and across (to the right of the 13 pile).  Each player has this set-up in front of them, and there will be a large space in the middle.  </li>\n	<li>The object of the game is to get through your pile of 13.  First player who does so is \"out\".  </li>\n	<li>Signal to start the game.  We say, \"Ready?  Ok!\" in our best cheerleader imitation because we\'re goofy and ridiculous.  </li>\n	<li>Men suck at this game because it involves multi-tasking.  ;-)  Simultaneously you are placing Aces in the middle and building on them (same suit), as well as playing Solitaire in front of you with those 4 cards to the right of the 13 pile.  </li>\n	<li>At the start, all Aces (the top card of the 13 pile or any of the single 4 across cards) go into the middle.</li>\n	<li>When you move one of the 4 cards into the middle, you want to move the top card of your 13 pile to the empty space.  </li>\n	<li>When you can\'t play any cards, use the remaining deck in your hand and start going through 3 at a time as in Solitaire.  You can play those in the middle or on your Solaire in front of you.  You would of course not build on the pile of 13.  </li>\n	<li>First person who empties their pile of 13 is \"out\".  Cards in the middle are +1 point each, cards remaining in your pile of 13 are multiplied by -2.  </li>\n	<li>Play as many rounds as needed until a player reaches 100 points and is The Winner.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>In our group, Katie Ann always wins the first game with me close behind (she\'s the sprinter), and I always win the 2nd game with Katie Ann close behind (I\'m the marathoner).  Luckily, none of our other friends are competitive \"play to win\" types.  Two Alpha females are plenty. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Strategy tips:</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<ol>\n	<li>Be very vocal.  Yell, mutter to yourself, announce how confused you are, and cuss if you feel so inclined.  This really unnerves the players who need quiet to concentrate.  </li>\n	<li>Sing.  When I play with Kimeee\'s girls who are now older and good players, Mozart\'s \"Figaro\" drives them crazy.  </li>\n	<li>You better move fast, girlfriends.  Or you will be eaten alive.  It is not unusual for a player\'s score total to equal negative points.  I prefer to call these \"special\" points because I\'m so used to reframing everything in a positive way in the early childhood classroom.  :-) </li>\n	<li>Even if you are \"special\" you will still have fun.  I promise.  </li>\n</ol>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I realize that the directions above are confusing.  I\'m a kinaesthetic learner, so writing out the directions was almost painful for me.  Hopefully, these photos of the layouts help. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 48:  Card Sharks  ','','inherit','open','open','','1868-revision-2','','','2010-11-14 10:36:57','2010-11-14 17:36:57','',1868,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1868-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1885,1,'2010-11-14 10:55:56','2010-11-14 17:55:56','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-95','','','2010-11-14 10:55:56','2010-11-14 17:55:56','',1868,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140182.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1886,1,'2010-11-14 10:58:23','2010-11-14 17:58:23','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-96','','','2010-11-14 10:58:23','2010-11-14 17:58:23','',1868,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140183.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1887,1,'2010-11-14 11:02:54','2010-11-14 18:02:54','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\n\n<p>On our way to breakfast yesterday morning, <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+my+world\" target=\"_blank\">Neighbor Cub</a></strong> asked me what I was up to the night before. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I told him that it was Card Night at my house.  (Originally, Dawn aka Sister Dawn Catherine offered to host, but we moved it to my pad for a double feature of Cards and Adoration of the Puppy.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Neighbor Cub was surprised.  \"Girls play cards???  That\'s so cool!!!  Was it poker?\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>No, although I love poker, and I think I need to play for $$ this year for the blog, don\'t you? </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This is a game that my Aunt taught me called \"Scrooged\".  She said it\'s also called \"Thirteen\", although Sister Dawn Catherine swears that it\'s called \"Spit\".  And then Whitters always gets confused and calls it \"Smudged\".  Apparently, we\'ve all been smoking something funny because when you Google \"Scrooged\", you get nada.   \"Thirteen\" and \"Spit\" are entirely different card games. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>For the purposes of this post, let\'s just call it my family\'s name of \"Scrooged\" because Auntie Bonnie says so and she\'s Queen of Scrooged.  NO ONE can beat her.  Biotch. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>About once every month or so, the card sharks gather for food and fun.  This card game is fast-paced and frenzied.  We always wind up screaming with laughter, and Katie Ann and I usually resort to cussing like sailors. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Here are the rules:</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<ul>\n	<li>Each player has their own deck of cards.  Froo-froo cards with all sorts of cutesy designs on the face of the cards (not the back) are a nightmare.  Don\'t use them.  Lisa\'s puppy cards and Lori\'s Star Wars cards are banned from play. </li>\n	<li>Shuffle like you\'re in Vegas.  This will make you feel really cool.  Katie Ann\'s mom says 7-8 times is a complete shuffle.</li>\n	<li>Deal yourself a pile of 13 cards and place them face up in front of you to your left.  Now deal 4 cards face up and across (to the right of the 13 pile).  Each player has this set-up in front of them, and there will be a large space in the middle.  </li>\n	<li>The object of the game is to get through your pile of 13.  First player who does so is \"out\".  </li>\n	<li>Signal to start the game.  We say, \"Ready?  Ok!\" in our best cheerleader imitation because we\'re goofy and ridiculous.  </li>\n	<li>Men suck at this game because it involves multi-tasking.  ;-)  Simultaneously you are placing Aces in the middle and building on them (same suit), as well as playing Solitaire in front of you with those 4 cards to the right of the 13 pile.  </li>\n	<li>At the start, all Aces (the top card of the 13 pile or any of the single 4 across cards) go into the middle.</li>\n	<li>When you move one of the 4 cards into the middle, you want to move the top card of your 13 pile to the empty space.  </li>\n	<li>When you can\'t play any cards, use the remaining deck in your hand and start going through 3 at a time as in Solitaire.  You can play those in the middle or on your Solitaire in front of you.  You would of course not build on the pile of 13.  </li>\n	<li>First person who empties their pile of 13 is \"out\".  Cards in the middle are +1 point each, cards remaining in your pile of 13 are multiplied by -2.  </li>\n	<li>Play as many rounds as needed until a player reaches 100 points and is The Winner.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>In our group, Katie Ann always wins the first game with me close behind (she\'s the sprinter), and I always win the 2nd game with Katie Ann close behind (I\'m the marathoner).  Luckily, none of our other friends are competitive \"play to win\" types.  Two Alpha females are plenty. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Late Bloomer\'s Strategy Tips:</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>Be very vocal.</strong>  Yell, mutter to yourself, announce how confused you are, and cuss if you feel so inclined.  This really unnerves the players who need quiet to concentrate.  </li>\n	<li><strong>Sing.</strong>  When I play with Kimeee\'s girls who are now older and good players, Mozart\'s \"Figaro\" drives them crazy.  </li>\n	<li><strong>You better move fast, girlfriends.</strong>  Or you will be eaten alive.  It is not unusual for a player\'s score total to equal negative points.  I prefer to call these \"special\" points because I\'m so used to framing everything in a positive way for the early childhood classroom.  :-) </li>\n	<li><strong>Even if you are \"special\" you will still have fun.</strong>  I promise.  </li>\n</ol>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I realize that the directions above are confusing.  I\'m a kinaesthetic learner, so writing out the directions is painful for me.  Hopefully, these photos of the layouts help. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140182.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1885\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140182-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\n\n<p>This is the initial layout that you delt yourself.  Pile of 13 is on the left. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140183.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1886\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140183-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\n\n<p>This is your first play.  Ace of Hearts in the middle, 3 of Hearts now moved to space left by Ace of Hearts, 8 of Diamonds move under 9 of Spades (as in Solitaire).</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The Jack of Hearts was underneath the 3 of Hearts in the 13 pile and is moved over to the empty space left by 8 of Diamonds. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>You would now starting turning over cards 3 at a time while looking into the middle.  When a player places a Two of Hearts, you need to move the 3 of Hearts FAST.  (If another player gets there before you, you need to put the 3 of Hearts back ini</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 48:  Card Sharks  ','','inherit','open','open','','1868-revision-3','','','2010-11-14 11:02:54','2010-11-14 18:02:54','',1868,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1868-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1888,1,'2010-11-14 11:03:29','2010-11-14 18:03:29','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On our way to breakfast yesterday morning, <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+my+world\" target=\"_blank\">Neighbor Cub</a></strong> asked me what I was up to the night before. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I told him that it was Card Night at my house.  (Originally, Dawn aka Sister Dawn Catherine offered to host, but we moved it to my pad for a double feature of Cards and Adoration of the Puppy.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Neighbor Cub was surprised.  \"Girls play cards???  That\'s so cool!!!  Was it poker?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>No, although I love poker, and I think I need to play for $$ this year for the blog, don\'t you? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is a game that my Aunt taught me called \"Scrooged\".  She said it\'s also called \"Thirteen\", although Sister Dawn Catherine swears that it\'s called \"Spit\".  And then Whitters always gets confused and calls it \"Smudged\".  Apparently, we\'ve all been smoking something funny because when you Google \"Scrooged\", you get nada.   \"Thirteen\" and \"Spit\" are entirely different card games. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>For the purposes of this post, let\'s just call it my family\'s name of \"Scrooged\" because Auntie Bonnie says so and she\'s Queen of Scrooged.  NO ONE can beat her.  Biotch. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>About once every month or so, the card sharks gather for food and fun.  This card game is fast-paced and frenzied.  We always wind up screaming with laughter, and Katie Ann and I usually resort to cussing like sailors. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Here are the rules:</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Each player has their own deck of cards.  Froo-froo cards with all sorts of cutesy designs on the face of the cards (not the back) are a nightmare.  Don\'t use them.  Lisa\'s puppy cards and Lori\'s Star Wars cards are banned from play. </li>\r\n	<li>Shuffle like you\'re in Vegas.  This will make you feel really cool.  Katie Ann\'s mom says 7-8 times is a complete shuffle.</li>\r\n	<li>Deal yourself a pile of 13 cards and place them face up in front of you to your left.  Now deal 4 cards face up and across (to the right of the 13 pile).  Each player has this set-up in front of them, and there will be a large space in the middle.  </li>\r\n	<li>The object of the game is to get through your pile of 13.  First player who does so is \"out\".  </li>\r\n	<li>Signal to start the game.  We say, \"Ready?  Ok!\" in our best cheerleader imitation because we\'re goofy and ridiculous.  </li>\r\n	<li>Men suck at this game because it involves multi-tasking.  ;-)  Simultaneously you are placing Aces in the middle and building on them (same suit), as well as playing Solitaire in front of you with those 4 cards to the right of the 13 pile.  </li>\r\n	<li>At the start, all Aces (the top card of the 13 pile or any of the single 4 across cards) go into the middle.</li>\r\n	<li>When you move one of the 4 cards into the middle, you want to move the top card of your 13 pile to the empty space.  </li>\r\n	<li>When you can\'t play any cards, use the remaining deck in your hand and start going through 3 at a time as in Solitaire.  You can play those in the middle or on your Solitaire in front of you.  You would of course not build on the pile of 13.  </li>\r\n	<li>First person who empties their pile of 13 is \"out\".  Cards in the middle are +1 point each, cards remaining in your pile of 13 are multiplied by -2.  </li>\r\n	<li>Play as many rounds as needed until a player reaches 100 points and is The Winner.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>In our group, Katie Ann always wins the first game with me close behind (she\'s the sprinter), and I always win the 2nd game with Katie Ann close behind (I\'m the marathoner).  Luckily, none of our other friends are competitive \"play to win\" types.  Two Alpha females are plenty. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Late Bloomer\'s Strategy Tips:</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li><strong>Be very vocal.</strong>  Yell, mutter to yourself, announce how confused you are, and cuss if you feel so inclined.  This really unnerves the players who need quiet to concentrate.  </li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sing.</strong>  When I play with Kimeee\'s girls who are now older and good players, Mozart\'s \"Figaro\" drives them crazy.  </li>\r\n	<li><strong>You better move fast, girlfriends.</strong>  Or you will be eaten alive.  It is not unusual for a player\'s score total to equal negative points.  I prefer to call these \"special\" points because I\'m so used to framing everything in a positive way for the early childhood classroom.  :-) </li>\r\n	<li><strong>Even if you are \"special\" you will still have fun.</strong>  I promise.  </li>\r\n</ol>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I realize that the directions above are confusing.  I\'m a kinaesthetic learner, so writing out the directions is painful for me.  Hopefully, these photos of the layouts help. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140182.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1885\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140182-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is the initial layout that you delt yourself.  Pile of 13 is on the left. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140183.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1886\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140183-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is your first play.  Ace of Hearts in the middle, 3 of Hearts now moved to space left by Ace of Hearts, 8 of Diamonds move under 9 of Spades (as in Solitaire).</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The Jack of Hearts was underneath the 3 of Hearts in the 13 pile and is moved over to the empty space left by 8 of Diamonds. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>You would now starting turning over cards 3 at a time while looking into the middle.  When a player places a Two of Hearts, you need to move the 3 of Hearts FAST.  (If another player gets there before you, you need to put the 3 of Hearts back in its original place.)  You would also be watching for a player to place an Ace of Diamonds in the middle. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Whew! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 48:  Card Sharks  ','','inherit','open','open','','1868-revision-4','','','2010-11-14 11:03:29','2010-11-14 18:03:29','',1868,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1868-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(1889,1,'2010-11-14 11:03:50','2010-11-14 18:03:50','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On our way to breakfast yesterday morning, <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+my+world\" target=\"_blank\">Neighbor Cub</a></strong> asked me what I was up to the night before. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I told him that it was Card Night at my house.  (Originally, Dawn aka Sister Dawn Catherine offered to host, but we moved it to my pad for a double feature of Cards and Adoration of the Puppy.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Neighbor Cub was surprised.  \"Girls play cards???  That\'s so cool!!!  Was it poker?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>No, although I love poker, and I think I need to play for $$ this year for the blog, don\'t you? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is a game that my Aunt taught me called \"Scrooged\".  She said it\'s also called \"Thirteen\", although Sister Dawn Catherine swears that it\'s called \"Spit\".  And then Whitters always gets confused and calls it \"Smudged\".  Apparently, we\'ve all been smoking something funny because when you Google \"Scrooged\", you get nada.   \"Thirteen\" and \"Spit\" are entirely different card games. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>For the purposes of this post, let\'s just call it my family\'s name of \"Scrooged\" because Auntie Bonnie says so and she\'s Queen of Scrooged.  NO ONE can beat her.  Biotch. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>About once every month or so, the card sharks gather for food and fun.  This card game is fast-paced and frenzied.  We always wind up screaming with laughter, and Katie Ann and I usually resort to cussing like sailors. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Here are the rules:</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Each player has their own deck of cards.  Froo-froo cards with all sorts of cutesy designs on the face of the cards (not the back) are a nightmare.  Don\'t use them.  Lisa\'s puppy cards and Lori\'s Star Wars cards are banned from play. </li>\r\n	<li>Shuffle like you\'re in Vegas.  This will make you feel really cool.  Katie Ann\'s mom says 7-8 times is a complete shuffle.</li>\r\n	<li>Deal yourself a pile of 13 cards and place them face up in front of you to your left.  Now deal 4 cards face up and across (to the right of the 13 pile).  Each player has this set-up in front of them, and there will be a large space in the middle.  </li>\r\n	<li>The object of the game is to get through your pile of 13.  First player who does so is \"out\".  </li>\r\n	<li>Signal to start the game.  We say, \"Ready?  Ok!\" in our best cheerleader imitation because we\'re goofy and ridiculous.  </li>\r\n	<li>Men suck at this game because it involves multi-tasking.  ;-)  Simultaneously you are placing Aces in the middle and building on them (same suit), as well as playing Solitaire in front of you with those 4 cards to the right of the 13 pile.  </li>\r\n	<li>At the start, all Aces (the top card of the 13 pile or any of the single 4 across cards) go into the middle.</li>\r\n	<li>When you move one of the 4 cards into the middle, you want to move the top card of your 13 pile to the empty space.  </li>\r\n	<li>When you can\'t play any cards, use the remaining deck in your hand and start going through 3 at a time as in Solitaire.  You can play those in the middle or on your Solitaire in front of you.  You would of course not build on the pile of 13.  </li>\r\n	<li>First person who empties their pile of 13 is \"out\".  Cards in the middle are +1 point each, cards remaining in your pile of 13 are multiplied by -2.  </li>\r\n	<li>Play as many rounds as needed until a player reaches 100 points and is The Winner.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>In our group, Katie Ann always wins the first game with me close behind (she\'s the sprinter), and I always win the 2nd game with Katie Ann close behind (I\'m the marathoner).  Luckily, none of our other friends are competitive \"play to win\" types.  Two Alpha females are plenty. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Late Bloomer\'s Strategy Tips:</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li><strong>Be very vocal.</strong>  Yell, mutter to yourself, announce how confused you are, and cuss if you feel so inclined.  This really unnerves the players who need quiet to concentrate.  </li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sing.</strong>  When I play with Kimeee\'s girls who are now older and good players, Mozart\'s \"Figaro\" drives them crazy.  </li>\r\n	<li><strong>You better move fast, girlfriends.</strong>  Or you will be eaten alive.  It is not unusual for a player\'s score total to equal negative points.  I prefer to call these \"special\" points because I\'m so used to framing everything in a positive way for the early childhood classroom.  :-) </li>\r\n	<li><strong>Even if you are \"special\" you will still have fun.</strong>  I promise.  </li>\r\n</ol>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I realize that the directions above are confusing.  I\'m a kinaesthetic learner, so writing out the directions is painful for me.  Hopefully, these photos of the layouts help. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140182.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1885\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140182-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is the initial layout that you delt yourself.  Pile of 13 is on the left. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140183.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1886\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140183-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is your first play.  Ace of Hearts in the middle, 3 of Hearts now moved to space left by Ace of Hearts, 8 of Diamonds move under 9 of Spades (as in Solitaire).</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The Jack of Hearts was underneath the 3 of Hearts in the 13 pile and is moved over to the empty space left by 8 of Diamonds. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>You would now starting turning over cards 3 at a time while looking into the middle.  When a player places a Two of Hearts, you need to move the 3 of Hearts FAST.  (If another player gets there before you, you need to put the 3 of Hearts back in its original place.)  You would also be watching for a player to place an Ace of Diamonds in the middle. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Whew! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 48:  Card Sharks  ','','inherit','open','open','','1868-revision-5','','','2010-11-14 11:03:50','2010-11-14 18:03:50','',1868,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1868-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(1890,1,'2010-11-14 11:08:23','2010-11-14 18:08:23','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On our way to breakfast yesterday morning, <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+my+world\" target=\"_blank\">Neighbor Cub</a></strong> asked me what I was up to the night before. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I told him that it was Card Night at my house.  (Originally, Dawn aka Sister Dawn Catherine offered to host, but we moved it to my pad for a double feature of Cards and Adoration of the Puppy.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Neighbor Cub was surprised.  \"Girls play cards???  That\'s so cool!!!  Was it poker?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>No, although I love poker, and I think I need to play for $$ this year for the blog, don\'t you? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is a game that my Aunt taught me called \"Scrooged\".  She said it\'s also called \"Thirteen\", although Sister Dawn Catherine swears that it\'s called \"Spit\".  And then Whitters always gets confused and calls it \"Smudged\".  Apparently, we\'ve all been smoking something funny because when you Google \"Scrooged\", you get nada.   \"Thirteen\" and \"Spit\" are entirely different card games. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>For the purposes of this post, let\'s just call it my family\'s name of \"Scrooged\" because Auntie Bonnie says so and she\'s the Queen of Scrooged.  NO ONE can beat her.  Biotch. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>About once every month or so, the card sharks gather for food and fun.  This card game is fast-paced and frenzied.  We always wind up screaming with laughter, and Katie Ann and I usually resort to cussing like sailors. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Here are the rules:</span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Each player has their own deck of cards.  Froo-froo cards with all sorts of cutesy designs on the face of the cards (not the back) are a nightmare.  Don\'t use them.  Lisa\'s puppy cards and Lori\'s Star Wars cards are banned from play. </li>\r\n	<li>Shuffle like you\'re in Vegas.  This will make you feel really cool.  Katie Ann\'s mom says 7-8 times is a complete shuffle.</li>\r\n	<li>Deal yourself a pile of 13 cards and place them face up in front of you to your left.  Now deal 4 cards face up and across (to the right of the 13 pile).  Each player has this set-up in front of them, and there will be a large space in the middle.  </li>\r\n	<li>The object of the game is to get through your pile of 13.  First player who does so is \"out\".  </li>\r\n	<li>Signal to start the game.  We say, \"Ready?  Ok!\" in our best cheerleader imitation because we\'re goofy and ridiculous.  </li>\r\n	<li>Men suck at this game because it involves multi-tasking.  ;-)  Simultaneously you are placing Aces in the middle and building on them (same suit), as well as playing Solitaire in front of you with those 4 cards to the right of the 13 pile.  </li>\r\n	<li>At the start, all Aces (the top card of the 13 pile or any of the single 4 across cards) go into the middle.</li>\r\n	<li>When you move one of the 4 cards into the middle, you want to move the top card of your 13 pile to the empty space.  </li>\r\n	<li>When you can\'t play any cards, use the remaining deck in your hand and start going through 3 at a time as in Solitaire.  You can play those in the middle or on your Solitaire in front of you.  You would of course not build on the pile of 13.  </li>\r\n	<li>First person who empties their pile of 13 is \"out\".  Cards in the middle are +1 point each, cards remaining in your pile of 13 are multiplied by -2.  </li>\r\n	<li>Play as many rounds as needed until a player reaches 100 points and is The Winner.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>In our group, Katie Ann always wins the first game with me close behind (she\'s the sprinter), and I always win the 2nd game with Katie Ann close behind (I\'m the marathoner).  Luckily, none of our other friends are competitive \"play to win\" types.  Two Alpha females are plenty. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Late Bloomer\'s Strategy Tips:</span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li><strong>Be very vocal.</strong>  Yell, mutter to yourself, announce how confused you are, and cuss if you feel so inclined.  This really unnerves the players who need quiet to concentrate.  </li>\r\n	<li><strong>Sing.</strong>  When I play with Kimeee\'s girls who are now older and good players, Mozart\'s \"Figaro\" drives them crazy.  </li>\r\n	<li><strong>You better move fast, girlfriends.</strong>  Or you will be eaten alive.  It is not unusual for a player\'s score total to equal negative points.  I prefer to call these \"special\" points because I\'m so used to framing everything in a positive way for the early childhood classroom.  :-) </li>\r\n	<li><strong>Even if you are \"special\" you will still have fun.</strong>  I promise.  </li>\r\n</ol>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I realize that the directions above are confusing.  I\'m a kinaesthetic learner, so writing out the directions is painful for me.  Hopefully, these photos of the layouts help. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140182.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1885\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140182-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is the initial layout that you delt yourself.  Pile of 13 is on the left. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140183.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1886\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140183-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is your first play.  Ace of Hearts in the middle, 3 of Hearts now moved to space left by Ace of Hearts, 8 of Diamonds move under 9 of Spades (as in Solitaire).</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The Jack of Hearts was underneath the 3 of Hearts in the 13 pile and is moved over to the empty space left by 8 of Diamonds. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>You would now starting turning over your remaining deck of cards 3 at a time while looking into the middle.  When a player places a Two of Hearts, you need to move the 3 of Hearts FAST.  (If another player gets there before you, you need to put the 3 of Hearts back in its original place.)  You would also be watching for a player to place an Ace of Diamonds in the middle. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Whew! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Let me know if you have questions. </p>','Day 48:  Card Sharks  ','','inherit','open','open','','1868-revision-6','','','2010-11-14 11:08:23','2010-11-14 18:08:23','',1868,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1868-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(1891,1,'2010-11-15 01:11:24','2010-11-15 08:11:24','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>Bone Appetit is not just a canine and feline bakery and Pet Whole Foods.  It also offers everything you need to thoroughly spoil your pooch in style. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>We visited the store for TWO HOURS while Helen (the owner) and the constant stream of patrons participated in yet another Adoration of the Puppy. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Here is a list of Little Miss Bella\'s brand new motherload:</span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li> Red sweater decorated with 3 rosettes down the back to keep her warm on the chilly morning and everning walks.  Very classic.  Very Gwyneth Paltrow.  </li>\r\n	<li>A matching collar, harness and leash appropriately and coincidentally named Bella Flora.  No bling here.  I\'m not blingy, and neither is my dog.  :-) </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1900\" title=\"BellaFlora0\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"35\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Toothbrush and beef flavored toothpaste.  Yum?!</li>\r\n	<li>Dried lamb lung.  Yum???  Helen fed pieces to Bella, and she went berserk.  </li>\r\n	<li>Beef stick to chew on.  She doesn\'t know what to do with it yet, bless her heart.  She also doesn\'t know how to play with toys.  She soon will!</li>\r\n	<li>Homemade and all-natural pumpkin treats</li>\r\n	<li>Corn-free, wheat-free and soy-free Terrabone to clean her teeth and freshen her breath.  (Did I say this was a Pet Whole Foods?)</li>\r\n	<li>Treat dispensing Waggle toy</li>\r\n	<li>An ultra plush and furry mat for her crate in attempt to match her luxurious dog bed that she loves so much</li>\r\n	<li>A super soft dog blanket to cuddle with in her crate</li>\r\n	<li>Freeze dried white meat chicken</li>\r\n	<li>Dog brush to tame her luscious locks</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Don\'t worry about the number of treats.  The vet said that she needs to gain a pound or two, so we don\'t need to fret about her figure. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think she\'s officially \"set\".  Don\'t you? </p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','publish','open','open','','day-49-puppy-pampering','','\nhttp://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/','2010-11-14 21:08:41','2010-11-15 04:08:41','',0,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?p=1891',0,'post','',6),(1892,1,'2010-11-14 11:23:47','2010-11-14 18:23:47','','Auto Draft','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision','','','2010-11-14 11:23:47','2010-11-14 18:23:47','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1893,1,'2010-11-16 01:11:30','2010-11-16 08:11:30','<p>\r\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier!!!  </span></span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span></span><br class=\"spacer_\" /> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on. </span> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link <span style=\"color: #008000;\">(</span></span></span></strong></span><a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</span></span></strong></span></a><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">)</span> to your friends and family.  </span></span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></span></strong></span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></span></span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And for those of you who must know the English translation, here you go.  Don\'t say Aunt Rose didn\'t warn you!  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is a story of three little rabbits named Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>One day Foot say to Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat some carrots.  So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to eat the carrots and they eat until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>They go home and another week passes. Foot Foot say to Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat more carrots. So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to Farmer Jones house and they eat the carrots until their bellies are full!  They go home.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Another week passes by and Foot Foot Foot says to Foot and Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer jones house and eat more carrots.  So they go and eat the carrots until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now Farmer Jones is very mad and he says, \"I\'m going to get those Rabbits and I\'m going to kill them because they are eating all my carrots.  I will stand behind the door, turn on the light fast and open the door and I\'ll kill them. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>So one night Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot go back to eat more carrots and Farmer Jones is standing behind the door and hears a noise.   He turns on the light fast, opens the door, takes aim  and shoots and kills Foot.  So Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot were very afraid and they ran home.  Now they are very afraid to ever go  back to eat more carrots. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>A month passes by and Foot Foot says to Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, a month has passed.  Let\'s go back and eat more carrots. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Foot Foot Foot says, \"No Foot Foot we can\'t go back!\"   Why not Foot Foot Foot?\"  Foot Foot Foot  says to Foot Foot, \"Because we already have one Foot in the grave!\"</p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','publish','open','open','','day-50-uncle-keek-needs-you','','','2010-11-15 21:30:50','2010-11-16 04:30:50','',0,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?p=1893',0,'post','',13),(1894,1,'2010-11-14 11:24:22','2010-11-14 18:24:22','','Auto Draft','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision','','','2010-11-14 11:24:22','2010-11-14 18:24:22','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1893-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1895,1,'2010-11-14 19:51:07','2010-11-15 02:51:07','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-97','','','2010-11-14 19:51:07','2010-11-15 02:51:07','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1897,1,'2010-11-14 20:39:04','2010-11-15 03:39:04','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision-2','','','2010-11-14 20:39:04','2010-11-15 03:39:04','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1896,1,'2010-11-14 20:37:45','2010-11-15 03:37:45','','bellaflora','','inherit','open','open','','bellaflora','','','2010-11-14 20:37:45','2010-11-15 03:37:45','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bellaflora.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1898,1,'2010-11-14 20:50:01','2010-11-15 03:50:01','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p>Bone Appetit is not just a canine and feline bakery and Pet Whole Foods.  It also offers everything you need to thoroughly spoil your pooch in style. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>We visited the store for TWO HOURS while Helen (the owner) and the constant stream of patrons participated in yet another Adoration of the Puppy. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Here is a list of Little Miss Bella\'s brand new motherload:</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<ul>\n	<li> Red sweater decorated with 3 rosettes down the back to keep her warm on the chilly morning and everning walks.</li>\n	<li>A matching collar, harness and leash.  No bling here.  I\'m not bling, and neither is my dog.  :-) </li>\n	<li>Toothbrush and beef flavored toothpaste.  Yum!</li>\n	<li>Dried lamb lung.  Bleck.  Helen fed pieces to Bella, and she went berzerk.  </li>\n	<li>Beef stick to chew on.  She doesn\'t know what to do with it yet, bless her heart.  She also doesn\'t know how to play with toys.  She soon will!</li>\n	<li>Homemade and all-natural pumpkin treats</li>\n	<li>Corn-free, wheat-free and soy-free Terrabone to clean her teeth and freshen her breath.  (Did I say this was a Pet Whole Foods?)</li>\n	<li>Treat dispensing Waggle</li>\n	<li>An ultra plush </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p><strong></strong> </p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision-3','','','2010-11-14 20:50:01','2010-11-15 03:50:01','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1900,1,'2010-11-14 20:56:49','2010-11-15 03:56:49','','BellaFlora0','','inherit','open','open','','bellaflora0','','','2010-11-14 20:56:49','2010-11-15 03:56:49','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1899,1,'2010-11-14 20:54:54','2010-11-15 03:54:54','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p>Bone Appetit is not just a canine and feline bakery and Pet Whole Foods.  It also offers everything you need to thoroughly spoil your pooch in style. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>We visited the store for TWO HOURS while Helen (the owner) and the constant stream of patrons participated in yet another Adoration of the Puppy. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Here is a list of Little Miss Bella\'s brand new motherload:</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<ul>\n	<li> Red sweater decorated with 3 rosettes down the back to keep her warm on the chilly morning and everning walks</li>\n	<li>A matching collar, harness and leash.  No bling here.  I\'m not blingy, and neither is my dog.  :-) </li>\n	<li>Toothbrush and beef flavored toothpaste.  Yum!</li>\n	<li>Dried lamb lung.  Bleck.  Helen fed pieces to Bella, and she went berzerk.  </li>\n	<li>Beef stick to chew on.  She doesn\'t know what to do with it yet, bless her heart.  She also doesn\'t know how to play with toys.  She soon will!</li>\n	<li>Homemade and all-natural pumpkin treats</li>\n	<li>Corn-free, wheat-free and soy-free Terrabone to clean her teeth and freshen her breath.  (Did I say this was a Pet Whole Foods?)</li>\n	<li>Treat dispensing Waggle</li>\n	<li>An ultra plush and furry mat for her crate in attempt to match her luxurious dog bed that she loves so much</li>\n	<li>A super soft dog blanket to cuddle with in her crate</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision-4','','','2010-11-14 20:54:54','2010-11-15 03:54:54','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(1901,1,'2010-11-14 20:58:22','2010-11-15 03:58:22','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p>Bone Appetit is not just a canine and feline bakery and Pet Whole Foods.  It also offers everything you need to thoroughly spoil your pooch in style. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>We visited the store for TWO HOURS while Helen (the owner) and the constant stream of patrons participated in yet another Adoration of the Puppy. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Here is a list of Little Miss Bella\'s brand new motherload:</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<ul>\n	<li> Red sweater decorated with 3 rosettes down the back to keep her warm on the chilly morning and everning walks</li>\n	<li>A matching collar, harness and leash.  No bling here.  I\'m not blingy, and neither is my dog.  :-) </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1900\" title=\"BellaFlora0\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"35\" /></a></p>\n\n<ul>\n	<li>Toothbrush and beef flavored toothpaste.  Yum!</li>\n	<li>Dried lamb lung.  Bleck.  Helen fed pieces to Bella, and she went berzerk.  </li>\n	<li>Beef stick to chew on.  She doesn\'t know what to do with it yet, bless her heart.  She also doesn\'t know how to play with toys.  She soon will!</li>\n	<li>Homemade and all-natural pumpkin treats</li>\n	<li>Corn-free, wheat-free and soy-free Terrabone to clean her teeth and freshen her breath.  (Did I say this was a Pet Whole Foods?)</li>\n	<li>Treat dispensing Waggle</li>\n	<li>An ultra plush and furry mat for her crate in attempt to match her luxurious dog bed that she loves so much</li>\n	<li>A super soft dog blanket to cuddle with in her crate</li>\n	<li>Freeze dried white meat chicken</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I think she\'s officially \"set\".  Don\'t you? </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Oops!  I forgot a dog</p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision-5','','','2010-11-14 20:58:22','2010-11-15 03:58:22','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(1902,1,'2010-11-14 20:59:11','2010-11-15 03:59:11','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>Bone Appetit is not just a canine and feline bakery and Pet Whole Foods.  It also offers everything you need to thoroughly spoil your pooch in style. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>We visited the store for TWO HOURS while Helen (the owner) and the constant stream of patrons participated in yet another Adoration of the Puppy. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Here is a list of Little Miss Bella\'s brand new motherload:</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li> Red sweater decorated with 3 rosettes down the back to keep her warm on the chilly morning and everning walks</li>\r\n	<li>A matching collar, harness and leash.  No bling here.  I\'m not blingy, and neither is my dog.  :-) </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1900\" title=\"BellaFlora0\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"35\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Toothbrush and beef flavored toothpaste.  Yum!</li>\r\n	<li>Dried lamb lung.  Bleck.  Helen fed pieces to Bella, and she went berzerk.  </li>\r\n	<li>Beef stick to chew on.  She doesn\'t know what to do with it yet, bless her heart.  She also doesn\'t know how to play with toys.  She soon will!</li>\r\n	<li>Homemade and all-natural pumpkin treats</li>\r\n	<li>Corn-free, wheat-free and soy-free Terrabone to clean her teeth and freshen her breath.  (Did I say this was a Pet Whole Foods?)</li>\r\n	<li>Treat dispensing Waggle</li>\r\n	<li>An ultra plush and furry mat for her crate in attempt to match her luxurious dog bed that she loves so much</li>\r\n	<li>A super soft dog blanket to cuddle with in her crate</li>\r\n	<li>Freeze dried white meat chicken</li>\r\n	<li>Dog brush to tame her luscious locks</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think she\'s officially \"set\".  Don\'t you? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision-6','','','2010-11-14 20:59:11','2010-11-15 03:59:11','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(1903,1,'2010-11-14 20:59:21','2010-11-15 03:59:21','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>Bone Appetit is not just a canine and feline bakery and Pet Whole Foods.  It also offers everything you need to thoroughly spoil your pooch in style. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>We visited the store for TWO HOURS while Helen (the owner) and the constant stream of patrons participated in yet another Adoration of the Puppy. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Here is a list of Little Miss Bella\'s brand new motherload:</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li> Red sweater decorated with 3 rosettes down the back to keep her warm on the chilly morning and everning walks</li>\r\n	<li>A matching collar, harness and leash.  No bling here.  I\'m not blingy, and neither is my dog.  :-) </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1900\" title=\"BellaFlora0\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"35\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Toothbrush and beef flavored toothpaste.  Yum!</li>\r\n	<li>Dried lamb lung.  Bleck.  Helen fed pieces to Bella, and she went berzerk.  </li>\r\n	<li>Beef stick to chew on.  She doesn\'t know what to do with it yet, bless her heart.  She also doesn\'t know how to play with toys.  She soon will!</li>\r\n	<li>Homemade and all-natural pumpkin treats</li>\r\n	<li>Corn-free, wheat-free and soy-free Terrabone to clean her teeth and freshen her breath.  (Did I say this was a Pet Whole Foods?)</li>\r\n	<li>Treat dispensing Waggle</li>\r\n	<li>An ultra plush and furry mat for her crate in attempt to match her luxurious dog bed that she loves so much</li>\r\n	<li>A super soft dog blanket to cuddle with in her crate</li>\r\n	<li>Freeze dried white meat chicken</li>\r\n	<li>Dog brush to tame her luscious locks</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think she\'s officially \"set\".  Don\'t you? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision-7','','','2010-11-14 20:59:21','2010-11-15 03:59:21','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(1904,1,'2010-11-14 21:01:19','2010-11-15 04:01:19','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>Bone Appetit is not just a canine and feline bakery and Pet Whole Foods.  It also offers everything you need to thoroughly spoil your pooch in style. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>We visited the store for TWO HOURS while Helen (the owner) and the constant stream of patrons participated in yet another Adoration of the Puppy. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Here is a list of Little Miss Bella\'s brand new motherload:</span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li> Red sweater decorated with 3 rosettes down the back to keep her warm on the chilly morning and everning walks</li>\r\n	<li>A matching collar, harness and leash.  No bling here.  I\'m not blingy, and neither is my dog.  :-) </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1900\" title=\"BellaFlora0\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"35\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Toothbrush and beef flavored toothpaste.  Yum!</li>\r\n	<li>Dried lamb lung.  Bleck.  Helen fed pieces to Bella, and she went berzerk.  </li>\r\n	<li>Beef stick to chew on.  She doesn\'t know what to do with it yet, bless her heart.  She also doesn\'t know how to play with toys.  She soon will!</li>\r\n	<li>Homemade and all-natural pumpkin treats</li>\r\n	<li>Corn-free, wheat-free and soy-free Terrabone to clean her teeth and freshen her breath.  (Did I say this was a Pet Whole Foods?)</li>\r\n	<li>Treat dispensing Waggle</li>\r\n	<li>An ultra plush and furry mat for her crate in attempt to match her luxurious dog bed that she loves so much</li>\r\n	<li>A super soft dog blanket to cuddle with in her crate</li>\r\n	<li>Freeze dried white meat chicken</li>\r\n	<li>Dog brush to tame her luscious locks</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think she\'s officially \"set\".  Don\'t you? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision-8','','','2010-11-14 21:01:19','2010-11-15 04:01:19','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(1905,1,'2010-11-14 21:02:00','2010-11-15 04:02:00','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>Bone Appetit is not just a canine and feline bakery and Pet Whole Foods.  It also offers everything you need to thoroughly spoil your pooch in style. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>We visited the store for TWO HOURS while Helen (the owner) and the constant stream of patrons participated in yet another Adoration of the Puppy. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Here is a list of Little Miss Bella\'s brand new motherload:</span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li> Red sweater decorated with 3 rosettes down the back to keep her warm on the chilly morning and everning walks.  Very classic.  Very Gwyneth Paltrow.  </li>\r\n	<li>A matching collar, harness and leash.  No bling here.  I\'m not blingy, and neither is my dog.  :-) </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1900\" title=\"BellaFlora0\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"35\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Toothbrush and beef flavored toothpaste.  Yum!</li>\r\n	<li>Dried lamb lung.  Bleck.  Helen fed pieces to Bella, and she went berzerk.  </li>\r\n	<li>Beef stick to chew on.  She doesn\'t know what to do with it yet, bless her heart.  She also doesn\'t know how to play with toys.  She soon will!</li>\r\n	<li>Homemade and all-natural pumpkin treats</li>\r\n	<li>Corn-free, wheat-free and soy-free Terrabone to clean her teeth and freshen her breath.  (Did I say this was a Pet Whole Foods?)</li>\r\n	<li>Treat dispensing Waggle</li>\r\n	<li>An ultra plush and furry mat for her crate in attempt to match her luxurious dog bed that she loves so much</li>\r\n	<li>A super soft dog blanket to cuddle with in her crate</li>\r\n	<li>Freeze dried white meat chicken</li>\r\n	<li>Dog brush to tame her luscious locks</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think she\'s officially \"set\".  Don\'t you? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision-9','','','2010-11-14 21:02:00','2010-11-15 04:02:00','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(1906,1,'2010-11-14 21:02:47','2010-11-15 04:02:47','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>Bone Appetit is not just a canine and feline bakery and Pet Whole Foods.  It also offers everything you need to thoroughly spoil your pooch in style. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>We visited the store for TWO HOURS while Helen (the owner) and the constant stream of patrons participated in yet another Adoration of the Puppy. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Here is a list of Little Miss Bella\'s brand new motherload:</span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li> Red sweater decorated with 3 rosettes down the back to keep her warm on the chilly morning and everning walks.  Very classic.  Very Gwyneth Paltrow.  </li>\r\n	<li>A matching collar, harness and leash.  No bling here.  I\'m not blingy, and neither is my dog.  :-) </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1900\" title=\"BellaFlora0\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"35\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Toothbrush and beef flavored toothpaste.  Yum!</li>\r\n	<li>Dried lamb lung.  Bleck.  Helen fed pieces to Bella, and she went berzerk.  </li>\r\n	<li>Beef stick to chew on.  She doesn\'t know what to do with it yet, bless her heart.  She also doesn\'t know how to play with toys.  She soon will!</li>\r\n	<li>Homemade and all-natural pumpkin treats</li>\r\n	<li>Corn-free, wheat-free and soy-free Terrabone to clean her teeth and freshen her breath.  (Did I say this was a Pet Whole Foods?)</li>\r\n	<li>Treat dispensing Waggle</li>\r\n	<li>An ultra plush and furry mat for her crate in attempt to match her luxurious dog bed that she loves so much</li>\r\n	<li>A super soft dog blanket to cuddle with in her crate</li>\r\n	<li>Freeze dried white meat chicken</li>\r\n	<li>Dog brush to tame her luscious locks</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think she\'s officially \"set\".  Don\'t you? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision-10','','','2010-11-14 21:02:47','2010-11-15 04:02:47','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(1907,1,'2010-11-14 21:04:37','2010-11-15 04:04:37','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p>Bone Appetit is not just a canine and feline bakery and Pet Whole Foods.  It also offers everything you need to thoroughly spoil your pooch in style. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>We visited the store for TWO HOURS while Helen (the owner) and the constant stream of patrons participated in yet another Adoration of the Puppy. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Here is a list of Little Miss Bella\'s brand new motherload:</span></strong></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<ul>\n	<li> Red sweater decorated with 3 rosettes down the back to keep her warm on the chilly morning and everning walks.  Very classic.  Very Gwyneth Paltrow.  </li>\n	<li>A matching collar, harness and leash appropriately and coincidentally named Bella Flora.  No bling here.  I\'m not blingy, and neither is my dog.  :-) </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1900\" title=\"BellaFlora0\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"35\" /></a></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<ul>\n	<li>Toothbrush and beef flavored toothpaste.  Yum!</li>\n	<li>Dried lamb lung.  Bleck.  Helen fed pieces to Bella, and she went berzerk.  </li>\n	<li>Beef stick to chew on.  She doesn\'t know what to do with it yet, bless her heart.  She also doesn\'t know how to play with toys.  She soon will!</li>\n	<li>Homemade and all-natural pumpkin treats</li>\n	<li>Corn-free, wheat-free and soy-free Terrabone to clean her teeth and freshen her breath.  (Did I say this was a Pet Whole Foods?)</li>\n	<li>Treat dispensing Waggle</li>\n	<li>An ultra plush and furry mat for her crate in attempt to match her luxurious dog bed that she loves so much</li>\n	<li>A super soft dog blanket to cuddle with in her crate</li>\n	<li>Freeze dried white meat chicken</li>\n	<li>Dog brush to tame her luscious locks</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I think she\'s officially \"set\".  Don\'t you? </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision-11','','','2010-11-14 21:04:37','2010-11-15 04:04:37','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(1908,1,'2010-11-14 21:06:16','2010-11-15 04:06:16','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p>Bone Appetit is not just a canine and feline bakery and Pet Whole Foods.  It also offers everything you need to thoroughly spoil your pooch in style. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>We visited the store for TWO HOURS while Helen (the owner) and the constant stream of patrons participated in yet another Adoration of the Puppy. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Here is a list of Little Miss Bella\'s brand new motherload:</span></strong></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<ul>\n	<li> Red sweater decorated with 3 rosettes down the back to keep her warm on the chilly morning and everning walks.  Very classic.  Very Gwyneth Paltrow.  </li>\n	<li>A matching collar, harness and leash appropriately and coincidentally named Bella Flora.  No bling here.  I\'m not blingy, and neither is my dog.  :-) </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1900\" title=\"BellaFlora0\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"35\" /></a></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<ul>\n	<li>Toothbrush and beef flavored toothpaste.  Yum?!</li>\n	<li>Dried lamb lung.  Yum???  Helen fed pieces to Bella, and she went berserk.  </li>\n	<li>Beef stick to chew on.  She doesn\'t know what to do with it yet, bless her heart.  She also doesn\'t know how to play with toys.  She soon will!</li>\n	<li>Homemade and all-natural pumpkin treats</li>\n	<li>Corn-free, wheat-free and soy-free Terrabone to clean her teeth and freshen her breath.  (Did I say this was a Pet Whole Foods?)</li>\n	<li>Treat dispensing Waggle</li>\n	<li>An ultra plush and furry mat for her crate in attempt to match her luxurious dog bed that she loves so much</li>\n	<li>A super soft dog blanket to cuddle with in her crate</li>\n	<li>Freeze dried white meat chicken</li>\n	<li>Dog brush to tame her luscious locks</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Don\'t worry about the number of treats.  The vet said that she needs to gain a pound or twoI think she\'s officially \"set\".  Don\'t you? </p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision-12','','','2010-11-14 21:06:16','2010-11-15 04:06:16','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(1909,1,'2010-11-14 21:06:59','2010-11-15 04:06:59','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>Bone Appetit is not just a canine and feline bakery and Pet Whole Foods.  It also offers everything you need to thoroughly spoil your pooch in style. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>We visited the store for TWO HOURS while Helen (the owner) and the constant stream of patrons participated in yet another Adoration of the Puppy. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Here is a list of Little Miss Bella\'s brand new motherload:</span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li> Red sweater decorated with 3 rosettes down the back to keep her warm on the chilly morning and everning walks.  Very classic.  Very Gwyneth Paltrow.  </li>\r\n	<li>A matching collar, harness and leash appropriately and coincidentally named Bella Flora.  No bling here.  I\'m not blingy, and neither is my dog.  :-) </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1900\" title=\"BellaFlora0\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"35\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Toothbrush and beef flavored toothpaste.  Yum?!</li>\r\n	<li>Dried lamb lung.  Yum???  Helen fed pieces to Bella, and she went berserk.  </li>\r\n	<li>Beef stick to chew on.  She doesn\'t know what to do with it yet, bless her heart.  She also doesn\'t know how to play with toys.  She soon will!</li>\r\n	<li>Homemade and all-natural pumpkin treats</li>\r\n	<li>Corn-free, wheat-free and soy-free Terrabone to clean her teeth and freshen her breath.  (Did I say this was a Pet Whole Foods?)</li>\r\n	<li>Treat dispensing Waggle</li>\r\n	<li>An ultra plush and furry mat for her crate in attempt to match her luxurious dog bed that she loves so much</li>\r\n	<li>A super soft dog blanket to cuddle with in her crate</li>\r\n	<li>Freeze dried white meat chicken</li>\r\n	<li>Dog brush to tame her luscious locks</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Don\'t worry about the number of treats.  The vet said that she needs to gain a pound or two, so we don\'t need to fret about her figure. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think she\'s officially \"set\".  Don\'t you? </p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision-13','','','2010-11-14 21:06:59','2010-11-15 04:06:59','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(1910,1,'2010-11-14 21:07:30','2010-11-15 04:07:30','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>Bone Appetit is not just a canine and feline bakery and Pet Whole Foods.  It also offers everything you need to thoroughly spoil your pooch in style. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>We visited the store for TWO HOURS while Helen (the owner) and the constant stream of patrons participated in yet another Adoration of the Puppy. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Here is a list of Little Miss Bella\'s brand new motherload:</span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li> Red sweater decorated with 3 rosettes down the back to keep her warm on the chilly morning and everning walks.  Very classic.  Very Gwyneth Paltrow.  </li>\r\n	<li>A matching collar, harness and leash appropriately and coincidentally named Bella Flora.  No bling here.  I\'m not blingy, and neither is my dog.  :-) </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1900\" title=\"BellaFlora0\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"35\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Toothbrush and beef flavored toothpaste.  Yum?!</li>\r\n	<li>Dried lamb lung.  Yum???  Helen fed pieces to Bella, and she went berserk.  </li>\r\n	<li>Beef stick to chew on.  She doesn\'t know what to do with it yet, bless her heart.  She also doesn\'t know how to play with toys.  She soon will!</li>\r\n	<li>Homemade and all-natural pumpkin treats</li>\r\n	<li>Corn-free, wheat-free and soy-free Terrabone to clean her teeth and freshen her breath.  (Did I say this was a Pet Whole Foods?)</li>\r\n	<li>Treat dispensing Waggle toy</li>\r\n	<li>An ultra plush and furry mat for her crate in attempt to match her luxurious dog bed that she loves so much</li>\r\n	<li>A super soft dog blanket to cuddle with in her crate</li>\r\n	<li>Freeze dried white meat chicken</li>\r\n	<li>Dog brush to tame her luscious locks</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Don\'t worry about the number of treats.  The vet said that she needs to gain a pound or two, so we don\'t need to fret about her figure. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think she\'s officially \"set\".  Don\'t you? </p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision-14','','','2010-11-14 21:07:30','2010-11-15 04:07:30','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision-14/',0,'revision','',0),(1911,1,'2010-11-14 21:08:23','2010-11-15 04:08:23','<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1895\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB140180-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>The other day I chuckled over how<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-46-preparing-the-nest/\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>the 2nd child always gets the shaft with the hand-me-downs</strong>.</a> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This made me feel guilty enough to go on a canine shopping trip with Little Miss Bella.  :-) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Our destination was a locally owned <strong><a href=\"http://www.azboneappetit.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bone Appetit Bakery.</a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>Bone Appetit is not just a canine and feline bakery and Pet Whole Foods.  It also offers everything you need to thoroughly spoil your pooch in style. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>We visited the store for TWO HOURS while Helen (the owner) and the constant stream of patrons participated in yet another Adoration of the Puppy. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Here is a list of Little Miss Bella\'s brand new motherload:</span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li> Red sweater decorated with 3 rosettes down the back to keep her warm on the chilly morning and everning walks.  Very classic.  Very Gwyneth Paltrow.  </li>\r\n	<li>A matching collar, harness and leash appropriately and coincidentally named Bella Flora.  No bling here.  I\'m not blingy, and neither is my dog.  :-) </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1900\" title=\"BellaFlora0\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BellaFlora0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"35\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Toothbrush and beef flavored toothpaste.  Yum?!</li>\r\n	<li>Dried lamb lung.  Yum???  Helen fed pieces to Bella, and she went berserk.  </li>\r\n	<li>Beef stick to chew on.  She doesn\'t know what to do with it yet, bless her heart.  She also doesn\'t know how to play with toys.  She soon will!</li>\r\n	<li>Homemade and all-natural pumpkin treats</li>\r\n	<li>Corn-free, wheat-free and soy-free Terrabone to clean her teeth and freshen her breath.  (Did I say this was a Pet Whole Foods?)</li>\r\n	<li>Treat dispensing Waggle toy</li>\r\n	<li>An ultra plush and furry mat for her crate in attempt to match her luxurious dog bed that she loves so much</li>\r\n	<li>A super soft dog blanket to cuddle with in her crate</li>\r\n	<li>Freeze dried white meat chicken</li>\r\n	<li>Dog brush to tame her luscious locks</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Don\'t worry about the number of treats.  The vet said that she needs to gain a pound or two, so we don\'t need to fret about her figure. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think she\'s officially \"set\".  Don\'t you? </p>','Day 49:  Puppy Pampering','','inherit','open','open','','1891-revision-15','','','2010-11-14 21:08:23','2010-11-15 04:08:23','',1891,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/14/1891-revision-15/',0,'revision','',0),(1912,1,'2010-11-15 20:26:02','2010-11-16 03:26:02','<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong></strong> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier.  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong></strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on.  </strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong></strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link to your friends.  </span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong></strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-2','','','2010-11-15 20:26:02','2010-11-16 03:26:02','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1913,1,'2010-11-15 20:49:56','2010-11-16 03:49:56','<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier.  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on.  </strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link to your friends.  </span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-3','','','2010-11-15 20:49:56','2010-11-16 03:49:56','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1915,1,'2010-11-15 20:58:14','2010-11-16 03:58:14','<p>\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\n<br />\n<br />\n</p>\n\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier.  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on.  </strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link to your friends.  </span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!! </span></strong></span><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-5','','','2010-11-15 20:58:14','2010-11-16 03:58:14','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(1914,1,'2010-11-15 20:54:57','2010-11-16 03:54:57','<p>\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\nI have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier.  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on.  </strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link to your friends.  </span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-4','','','2010-11-15 20:54:57','2010-11-16 03:54:57','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(1918,1,'2010-11-15 21:05:42','2010-11-16 04:05:42','<p>\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\n</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier.  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on.  </strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link (<a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\">http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</a>) to your friends and family.  </span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong><br class=\"spacer_\" /> </p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-8','','','2010-11-15 21:05:42','2010-11-16 04:05:42','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(1916,1,'2010-11-15 21:00:33','2010-11-16 04:00:33','<p>\r\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\r\nI have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier.  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on.  </strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link to your friends.  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-6','','','2010-11-15 21:00:33','2010-11-16 04:00:33','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(1917,1,'2010-11-15 21:01:05','2010-11-16 04:01:05','<p>\r\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier.  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on.  </strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link to your friends.  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-7','','','2010-11-15 21:01:05','2010-11-16 04:01:05','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(1919,1,'2010-11-15 21:06:42','2010-11-16 04:06:42','<p>\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\n</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier.  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on.  </strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link (<a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"><strong>http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</strong></a>) to your friends and family.  </span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong><br class=\"spacer_\" /> </p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-9','','','2010-11-15 21:06:42','2010-11-16 04:06:42','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(1921,1,'2010-11-15 21:09:51','2010-11-16 04:09:51','<p>\r\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\r\n</p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </strong></span></p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></strong></p>\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier.  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on.  </strong></span></p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link (<a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</strong></a>) to your friends and family.  </span></p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And for those of you who must know the English translation, here you go.  Don\'t say Aunt Rose didn\'t warn you!  </span></p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n<p>This is a story of three little rabbits named Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot. </p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p>One day Foot say to Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat some carrots.  So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to eat the carrots and they eat until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p>They go home and another week passes. Foot Foot say to Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat more carrots. So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to Farmer Jones house and they eat the carrots until their bellies are full!  They go home.</p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p>Another week passes by and Foot Foot Foot says to Foot and Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer jones house and eat more carrots.  So they go and eat the carrots until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p>Now Farmer Jones is very mad and he says, \"I\'m going to get those Rabbits and I\'m going to kill them because they are eating all my carrots.  I will stand behind the door, turn on the light fast and open the door and I\'ll kill them. </p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p>So one night Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot go back to eat more carrots and Farmer Jones is standing behind the door and hears a noise.   He turns on the light fast, opens the door, takes aim  and shoots and kills Foot.  So Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot were very afraid and they ran home.  Now they are very afraid to ever go  back to eat more carrots. </p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p>A month passes by and Foot Foot says to Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, a month has passed.  Let\'s go back and eat more carrots. </p>\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n<p>Foot Foot Foot says, \"No Foot Foot we can\'t go back!\"   Why not Foot Foot Foot?\"  Foot Foot Foot  says to Foot Foot, \"Because we already have one Foot in the grave!\"</p>\r\n','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-11','','','2010-11-15 21:09:51','2010-11-16 04:09:51','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(1920,1,'2010-11-15 21:09:44','2010-11-16 04:09:44','<p>\r\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier.  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on.  </strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link (<a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</strong></a>) to your friends and family.  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And for those of you who must know the English translation, here you go.  Don\'t say Aunt Rose didn\'t warn you!  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is a story of three little rabbits named Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>One day Foot say to Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat some carrots.  So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to eat the carrots and they eat until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>They go home and another week passes. Foot Foot say to Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat more carrots. So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to Farmer Jones house and they eat the carrots until their bellies are full!  They go home.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Another week passes by and Foot Foot Foot says to Foot and Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer jones house and eat more carrots.  So they go and eat the carrots until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now Farmer Jones is very mad and he says, \"I\'m going to get those Rabbits and I\'m going to kill them because they are eating all my carrots.  I will stand behind the door, turn on the light fast and open the door and I\'ll kill them. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>So one night Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot go back to eat more carrots and Farmer Jones is standing behind the door and hears a noise.   He turns on the light fast, opens the door, takes aim  and shoots and kills Foot.  So Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot were very afraid and they ran home.  Now they are very afraid to ever go  back to eat more carrots. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>A month passes by and Foot Foot says to Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, a month has passed.  Let\'s go back and eat more carrots. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Foot Foot Foot says, \"No Foot Foot we can\'t go back!\"   Why not Foot Foot Foot?\"  Foot Foot Foot  says to Foot Foot, \"Because we already have one Foot in the grave!\"</p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-10','','','2010-11-15 21:09:44','2010-11-16 04:09:44','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(1922,1,'2010-11-15 21:13:43','2010-11-16 04:13:43','<p>\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\n</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></span></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier.  </span></span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on. </span> </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link (</span></span></strong></span><a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</span></span></strong></span></a><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">) to your friends and family.  </span></span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And for those of you who must know the English translation, here you go.  Don\'t say Aunt Rose didn\'t warn you!  </span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p>This is a story of three little rabbits named Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>One day Foot say to Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat some carrots.  So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to eat the carrots and they eat until their bellies are full. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>They go home and another week passes. Foot Foot say to Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat more carrots. So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to Farmer Jones house and they eat the carrots until their bellies are full!  They go home.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Another week passes by and Foot Foot Foot says to Foot and Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer jones house and eat more carrots.  So they go and eat the carrots until their bellies are full. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Now Farmer Jones is very mad and he says, \"I\'m going to get those Rabbits and I\'m going to kill them because they are eating all my carrots.  I will stand behind the door, turn on the light fast and open the door and I\'ll kill them. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>So one night Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot go back to eat more carrots and Farmer Jones is standing behind the door and hears a noise.   He turns on the light fast, opens the door, takes aim  and shoots and kills Foot.  So Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot were very afraid and they ran home.  Now they are very afraid to ever go  back to eat more carrots. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>A month passes by and Foot Foot says to Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, a month has passed.  Let\'s go back and eat more carrots. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Foot Foot Foot says, \"No Foot Foot we can\'t go back!\"   Why not Foot Foot Foot?\"  Foot Foot Foot  says to Foot Foot, \"Because we already have one Foot in the grave!\"</p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-12','','','2010-11-15 21:13:43','2010-11-16 04:13:43','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(1923,1,'2010-11-15 21:15:14','2010-11-16 04:15:14','<p>\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\n</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></span></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier.  </span></span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on. </span> </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link (</span></span></strong></span><a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</span></span></strong></span></a><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">) to your friends and family.  </span></span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></span></span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And for those of you who must know the English translation, here you go.  Don\'t say Aunt Rose didn\'t warn you!  </span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p>This is a story of three little rabbits named Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>One day Foot say to Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat some carrots.  So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to eat the carrots and they eat until their bellies are full. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>They go home and another week passes. Foot Foot say to Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat more carrots. So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to Farmer Jones house and they eat the carrots until their bellies are full!  They go home.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Another week passes by and Foot Foot Foot says to Foot and Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer jones house and eat more carrots.  So they go and eat the carrots until their bellies are full. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Now Farmer Jones is very mad and he says, \"I\'m going to get those Rabbits and I\'m going to kill them because they are eating all my carrots.  I will stand behind the door, turn on the light fast and open the door and I\'ll kill them. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>So one night Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot go back to eat more carrots and Farmer Jones is standing behind the door and hears a noise.   He turns on the light fast, opens the door, takes aim  and shoots and kills Foot.  So Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot were very afraid and they ran home.  Now they are very afraid to ever go  back to eat more carrots. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>A month passes by and Foot Foot says to Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, a month has passed.  Let\'s go back and eat more carrots. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Foot Foot Foot says, \"No Foot Foot we can\'t go back!\"   Why not Foot Foot Foot?\"  Foot Foot Foot  says to Foot Foot, \"Because we already have one Foot in the grave!\"</p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-13','','','2010-11-15 21:15:14','2010-11-16 04:15:14','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(1924,1,'2010-11-15 21:16:22','2010-11-16 04:16:22','<p>\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\n</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></span></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier.  </span></span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on. </span> </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link (</span></span></strong></span><a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</span></span></strong></span></a><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">) to your friends and family.  </span></span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></span></span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And for those of you who must know the English translation, here you go.  Don\'t say Aunt Rose didn\'t warn you!  </span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p>This is a story of three little rabbits named Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>One day Foot say to Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat some carrots.  So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to eat the carrots and they eat until their bellies are full. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>They go home and another week passes. Foot Foot say to Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat more carrots. So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to Farmer Jones house and they eat the carrots until their bellies are full!  They go home.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Another week passes by and Foot Foot Foot says to Foot and Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer jones house and eat more carrots.  So they go and eat the carrots until their bellies are full. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Now Farmer Jones is very mad and he says, \"I\'m going to get those Rabbits and I\'m going to kill them because they are eating all my carrots.  I will stand behind the door, turn on the light fast and open the door and I\'ll kill them. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>So one night Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot go back to eat more carrots and Farmer Jones is standing behind the door and hears a noise.   He turns on the light fast, opens the door, takes aim  and shoots and kills Foot.  So Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot were very afraid and they ran home.  Now they are very afraid to ever go  back to eat more carrots. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>A month passes by and Foot Foot says to Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, a month has passed.  Let\'s go back and eat more carrots. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Foot Foot Foot says, \"No Foot Foot we can\'t go back!\"   Why not Foot Foot Foot?\"  Foot Foot Foot  says to Foot Foot, \"Because we already have one Foot in the grave!\"</p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-14','','','2010-11-15 21:16:22','2010-11-16 04:16:22','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-14/',0,'revision','',0),(1925,1,'2010-11-15 21:17:33','2010-11-16 04:17:33','<p>\r\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier.  </span></span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on. </span> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link (</span></span></strong></span><a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</span></span></strong></span></a><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">) to your friends and family.  </span></span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></span></strong></span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></span></span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And for those of you who must know the English translation, here you go.  Don\'t say Aunt Rose didn\'t warn you!  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is a story of three little rabbits named Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>One day Foot say to Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat some carrots.  So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to eat the carrots and they eat until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>They go home and another week passes. Foot Foot say to Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat more carrots. So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to Farmer Jones house and they eat the carrots until their bellies are full!  They go home.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Another week passes by and Foot Foot Foot says to Foot and Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer jones house and eat more carrots.  So they go and eat the carrots until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now Farmer Jones is very mad and he says, \"I\'m going to get those Rabbits and I\'m going to kill them because they are eating all my carrots.  I will stand behind the door, turn on the light fast and open the door and I\'ll kill them. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>So one night Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot go back to eat more carrots and Farmer Jones is standing behind the door and hears a noise.   He turns on the light fast, opens the door, takes aim  and shoots and kills Foot.  So Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot were very afraid and they ran home.  Now they are very afraid to ever go  back to eat more carrots. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>A month passes by and Foot Foot says to Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, a month has passed.  Let\'s go back and eat more carrots. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Foot Foot Foot says, \"No Foot Foot we can\'t go back!\"   Why not Foot Foot Foot?\"  Foot Foot Foot  says to Foot Foot, \"Because we already have one Foot in the grave!\"</p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-15','','','2010-11-15 21:17:33','2010-11-16 04:17:33','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-15/',0,'revision','',0),(1927,1,'2010-11-15 21:19:20','2010-11-16 04:19:20','<p>\r\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier!!!  </span></span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on. </span> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link (</span></span></strong></span><a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</span></span></strong></span></a><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">) to your friends and family.  </span></span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></span></strong></span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></span></span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And for those of you who must know the English translation, here you go.  Don\'t say Aunt Rose didn\'t warn you!  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is a story of three little rabbits named Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>One day Foot say to Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat some carrots.  So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to eat the carrots and they eat until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>They go home and another week passes. Foot Foot say to Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat more carrots. So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to Farmer Jones house and they eat the carrots until their bellies are full!  They go home.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Another week passes by and Foot Foot Foot says to Foot and Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer jones house and eat more carrots.  So they go and eat the carrots until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now Farmer Jones is very mad and he says, \"I\'m going to get those Rabbits and I\'m going to kill them because they are eating all my carrots.  I will stand behind the door, turn on the light fast and open the door and I\'ll kill them. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>So one night Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot go back to eat more carrots and Farmer Jones is standing behind the door and hears a noise.   He turns on the light fast, opens the door, takes aim  and shoots and kills Foot.  So Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot were very afraid and they ran home.  Now they are very afraid to ever go  back to eat more carrots. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>A month passes by and Foot Foot says to Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, a month has passed.  Let\'s go back and eat more carrots. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Foot Foot Foot says, \"No Foot Foot we can\'t go back!\"   Why not Foot Foot Foot?\"  Foot Foot Foot  says to Foot Foot, \"Because we already have one Foot in the grave!\"</p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-17','','','2010-11-15 21:19:20','2010-11-16 04:19:20','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-17/',0,'revision','',0),(1926,1,'2010-11-15 21:18:37','2010-11-16 04:18:37','<p>\r\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier!!!  </span></span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on. </span> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link (</span></span></strong></span><a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</span></span></strong></span></a><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">) to your friends and family.  </span></span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></span></strong></span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></span></span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And for those of you who must know the English translation, here you go.  Don\'t say Aunt Rose didn\'t warn you!  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is a story of three little rabbits named Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>One day Foot say to Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat some carrots.  So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to eat the carrots and they eat until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>They go home and another week passes. Foot Foot say to Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat more carrots. So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to Farmer Jones house and they eat the carrots until their bellies are full!  They go home.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Another week passes by and Foot Foot Foot says to Foot and Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer jones house and eat more carrots.  So they go and eat the carrots until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now Farmer Jones is very mad and he says, \"I\'m going to get those Rabbits and I\'m going to kill them because they are eating all my carrots.  I will stand behind the door, turn on the light fast and open the door and I\'ll kill them. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>So one night Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot go back to eat more carrots and Farmer Jones is standing behind the door and hears a noise.   He turns on the light fast, opens the door, takes aim  and shoots and kills Foot.  So Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot were very afraid and they ran home.  Now they are very afraid to ever go  back to eat more carrots. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>A month passes by and Foot Foot says to Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, a month has passed.  Let\'s go back and eat more carrots. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Foot Foot Foot says, \"No Foot Foot we can\'t go back!\"   Why not Foot Foot Foot?\"  Foot Foot Foot  says to Foot Foot, \"Because we already have one Foot in the grave!\"</p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-16','','','2010-11-15 21:18:37','2010-11-16 04:18:37','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-16/',0,'revision','',0),(1928,1,'2010-11-15 21:19:44','2010-11-16 04:19:44','<p>\r\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier!!!  </span></span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span></span><br class=\"spacer_\" /> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on. </span> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link (</span></span></strong></span><a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</span></span></strong></span></a><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">) to your friends and family.  </span></span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></span></strong></span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></span></span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And for those of you who must know the English translation, here you go.  Don\'t say Aunt Rose didn\'t warn you!  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is a story of three little rabbits named Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>One day Foot say to Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat some carrots.  So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to eat the carrots and they eat until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>They go home and another week passes. Foot Foot say to Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat more carrots. So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to Farmer Jones house and they eat the carrots until their bellies are full!  They go home.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Another week passes by and Foot Foot Foot says to Foot and Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer jones house and eat more carrots.  So they go and eat the carrots until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now Farmer Jones is very mad and he says, \"I\'m going to get those Rabbits and I\'m going to kill them because they are eating all my carrots.  I will stand behind the door, turn on the light fast and open the door and I\'ll kill them. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>So one night Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot go back to eat more carrots and Farmer Jones is standing behind the door and hears a noise.   He turns on the light fast, opens the door, takes aim  and shoots and kills Foot.  So Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot were very afraid and they ran home.  Now they are very afraid to ever go  back to eat more carrots. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>A month passes by and Foot Foot says to Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, a month has passed.  Let\'s go back and eat more carrots. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Foot Foot Foot says, \"No Foot Foot we can\'t go back!\"   Why not Foot Foot Foot?\"  Foot Foot Foot  says to Foot Foot, \"Because we already have one Foot in the grave!\"</p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-18','','','2010-11-15 21:19:44','2010-11-16 04:19:44','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-18/',0,'revision','',0),(1929,1,'2010-11-15 21:21:34','2010-11-16 04:21:34','<p>\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\n</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></span></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier!!!  </span></span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span></span><br class=\"spacer_\" /> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on. </span> </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link <span style=\"color: #008000;\">(</span></span></span></strong></span><a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</span></span></strong></span></a><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">)</span> to your friends and family.  </span></span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></span></strong></span></span> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></span></span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And for those of you who must know the English translation, here you go.  Don\'t say Aunt Rose didn\'t warn you!  </span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p>This is a story of three little rabbits named Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>One day Foot say to Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat some carrots.  So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to eat the carrots and they eat until their bellies are full. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>They go home and another week passes. Foot Foot say to Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat more carrots. So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to Farmer Jones house and they eat the carrots until their bellies are full!  They go home.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Another week passes by and Foot Foot Foot says to Foot and Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer jones house and eat more carrots.  So they go and eat the carrots until their bellies are full. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Now Farmer Jones is very mad and he says, \"I\'m going to get those Rabbits and I\'m going to kill them because they are eating all my carrots.  I will stand behind the door, turn on the light fast and open the door and I\'ll kill them. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>So one night Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot go back to eat more carrots and Farmer Jones is standing behind the door and hears a noise.   He turns on the light fast, opens the door, takes aim  and shoots and kills Foot.  So Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot were very afraid and they ran home.  Now they are very afraid to ever go  back to eat more carrots. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>A month passes by and Foot Foot says to Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, a month has passed.  Let\'s go back and eat more carrots. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Foot Foot Foot says, \"No Foot Foot we can\'t go back!\"   Why not Foot Foot Foot?\"  Foot Foot Foot  says to Foot Foot, \"Because we already have one Foot in the grave!\"</p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-19','','','2010-11-15 21:21:34','2010-11-16 04:21:34','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-19/',0,'revision','',0),(1930,1,'2010-11-15 21:22:38','2010-11-16 04:22:38','<p>\r\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier!!!  </span></span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span></span><br class=\"spacer_\" /> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on. </span> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link <span style=\"color: #008000;\">(</span></span></span></strong></span><a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</span></span></strong></span></a><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">)</span> to your friends and family.  </span></span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></span></strong></span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></span></span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And for those of you who must know the English translation, here you go.  Don\'t say Aunt Rose didn\'t warn you!  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is a story of three little rabbits named Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>One day Foot say to Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat some carrots.  So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to eat the carrots and they eat until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>They go home and another week passes. Foot Foot say to Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat more carrots. So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to Farmer Jones house and they eat the carrots until their bellies are full!  They go home.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Another week passes by and Foot Foot Foot says to Foot and Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer jones house and eat more carrots.  So they go and eat the carrots until their bellies are full. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now Farmer Jones is very mad and he says, \"I\'m going to get those Rabbits and I\'m going to kill them because they are eating all my carrots.  I will stand behind the door, turn on the light fast and open the door and I\'ll kill them. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>So one night Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot go back to eat more carrots and Farmer Jones is standing behind the door and hears a noise.   He turns on the light fast, opens the door, takes aim  and shoots and kills Foot.  So Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot were very afraid and they ran home.  Now they are very afraid to ever go  back to eat more carrots. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>A month passes by and Foot Foot says to Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, a month has passed.  Let\'s go back and eat more carrots. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Foot Foot Foot says, \"No Foot Foot we can\'t go back!\"   Why not Foot Foot Foot?\"  Foot Foot Foot  says to Foot Foot, \"Because we already have one Foot in the grave!\"</p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-20','','','2010-11-15 21:22:38','2010-11-16 04:22:38','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-revision-20/',0,'revision','',0),(1931,1,'2010-11-15 21:31:55','2010-11-16 04:31:55','<p>\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/6gDS9k3nu2Y\"> </embed></object>\n</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I have mentioned numerous times that I come from a crazy Portuguese family.  Truly, there is <em>never</em> a dull moment when we gather together. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Today I introduce you to Uncle Keek.  He is actually my great uncle, and he fills those shoes perfectly.  He is indeed a \"great\" uncle.  He is an absolute hoot-and-a-half to be around -- always goofing and joking around.  Uncle Keek is 75 years old, and you would never in a million years know it.  Portuguese genes ROCK! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Uncle Keek still thinks BIG at 75 years young, and he needs your help.  Uncle Keek dreams of going VIRAL.  </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He has a video on YouTube, and I promised him I would help him spread it to the masses. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>What is this video, you ask?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ever since I can remember, Uncle Keek has been telling his infamous \"Foot-Foot\" joke to anyone who will humor him and listen.  My Aunt Rose thinks he\'s completely obnoxious.  (You can\'t blame her.  She\'s been hearing this joke for 50+ years.) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I have always LOVED listening to the \"Foot Foot\" joke because we idolize Uncle Keek.  He has always been the \"fun\" uncle.  I can\'t ever remember exactly what the joke is about because it is irrevelant. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">It is Uncle Keek\'s DELIVERY that is so stinkin\' funny!  </span></span></strong></p>\n\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">And when it\'s delivered in Portuguese, it\'s even funnier!!!  </span></span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ladies and 3 token gents, I present to you Uncle Keek\'s legendary \"Foot-Foot\" joke.  I love my uncle so much that I am willing to show the world what I look like after I\'ve just rolled out of bed.  </span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was filmed about a month ago when we congregated in Florida for my grandfather\'s funeral.  We certainly had our fair share of crying and grieving, but we also found moments to laugh and celebrate.  </span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span></span><br class=\"spacer_\" /> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Here is what I ask of you, pretty please:  Watch the \"Foot-Foot\" joke and then pass it on. </span> </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></strong></span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And I do mean pass it on.  Share it on Facebook, tweet about it, send the YouTube link <span style=\"color: #008000;\">(</span></span></span></strong></span><a href=\"http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">http://youtu.be/6gDS9k3nu2Y</span></span></strong></span></a><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">)</span> to your friends and family.  </span></span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></span></strong></span></span> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Let\'s see how many views we can accumulate to fulfill Uncle Keek\'s dream!  Let\'s do it for Keek!!  </span></span></span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></strong></span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And for those of you who must know the English translation, here you go.  Don\'t say Aunt Rose didn\'t warn you!  </span></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span> </p>\n\n<p>This is a story of three little rabbits named Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>One day Foot say to Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat some carrots.  So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to eat the carrots and they eat until their bellies are full. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>They go home and another week passes. Foot Foot say to Foot and Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer Jones house and eat more carrots. So there go Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot to Farmer Jones house and they eat the carrots until their bellies are full!  They go home.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Another week passes by and Foot Foot Foot says to Foot and Foot Foot, \"Hey, let\'s go to Farmer jones house and eat more carrots.  So they go and eat the carrots until their bellies are full. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Now Farmer Jones is very mad and he says, \"I\'m going to get those Rabbits and I\'m going to kill them because they are eating all my carrots.  I will stand behind the door, turn on the light fast and open the door and I\'ll kill them. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>So one night Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot go back to eat more carrots and Farmer Jones is standing behind the door and hears a noise.   He turns on the light fast, opens the door, takes aim  and shoots and kills Foot.  So Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot were very afraid and they ran home.  Now they are very afraid to ever go  back to eat more carrots. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>A month passes by and Foot Foot says to Foot Foot Foot, \"Hey, a month has passed.  Let\'s go back and eat more carrots. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Foot Foot Foot says, \"No Foot Foot we can\'t go back!\"   Why not Foot Foot Foot?\"  Foot Foot Foot  says to Foot Foot, \"Because we already have one Foot in the grave!\"</p>','Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs YOU! ','','inherit','open','open','','1893-autosave','','','2010-11-15 21:31:55','2010-11-16 04:31:55','',1893,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/15/1893-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(1933,1,'2010-11-17 11:11:49','2010-11-17 18:11:49','<p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1945\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Actual Photo from Jerome Grand Hotel. Hocus Pocus or a Ghost? \"]<a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1945 \" title=\"hallway_3\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hallway_3-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places on the planet.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they are all crazy enough to accept.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Haunted Destination:  <a href=\"http://www.jeromegrandhotel.net/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Jerome Grand Hotel</strong></a> in Jerome, Arizona. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">\"What makes the Jerome Grand Hotel a worthwhile place to stay, is the fact that this is probably one of the most active haunted locations in the world,\" according to ghostlyfavorites.com. \"Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it is a quite popular destination for amateur ghost hunters.\"</span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>If you go to the hotel website, <a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>you will find photos of misty orbs, ghosts, and even ectoplasm</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Ectoplasm???</strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>That was the slime in <em>Ghostbusters</em>, right? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">3 of us have seen dead people before.  1 of us is a paranormal virgin.</span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Which is why I needed to use this \"blog day\" to share some back story. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I lived in a haunted house in New York when I was in 1st and 2nd grade.  I was old enough to etch a very vivid image into my memory banks.  And what is that image, you are wondering?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The ghost of Mr. Santos.  Although it certainly wasn\'t the traditional image of a ghostly white apparition. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>One summer night my sister and I were sent to bed early for being naughty.  Since this was New York, at 7:30 ish, it was still light outside. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I were talking as I layed on my side and stared out to the hallway.  I saw a shadow of a man wearing what I now know as a fedora hat on the hallway wall.  I felt no fear at the time.  I simply called out, \"Daddy?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mom was downstairs dusting and yelled up, \"Go to sleep!  Your dad is outside cleaning the pool.\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The shadow then moved away.  In my child\'s mind, I believed that it was my father\'s shadow.  Which I now know is an impossibility, as shadows are not cast up two stories and baseball caps are not magically transformed into fedora hats. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>It wasn\'t until we moved to Houston that I learned the identity of the shadow.</strong></span> </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My cousins were visiting, and they were talking in hushed tones with my mother about a ghost in the old New York house. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Mary Elizabeth swore up, down and sideways that she heard the broken player piano play in the basement every time she babysat and entered the kitchen alone to fetch us popcorn and Cokes.  She quickly discovered that when my sister or I went into the kitchen with her, the piano did not play.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I distinctly remember Mary Elizabeth asking us to go into the kitchen with her to get the popcorn.  I distinctly remember her resorting to \"if you don\'t come with me, you don\'t get anymore popcorn\".</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now I started to feel scared.  I told my cousins and my mother about the shadow.  (I was in 4th grade by this time.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">I also told them about the Wednesdays. </span></span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Wednesdays, my mother wasn\'t always home from her bowling league when the school bus dropped us off.  My friends, Dorothy and Theresa, would wait at the end of my driveway while I knocked on my front door.  If my mom were home, I would wave goodbye to them.  If mom wasn\'t home, I would walk around the corner with them and stay at Dorothy\'s house. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>EVERY time my mother wasn\'t home yet, I would return to them in the driveway while they asked, \"Why did you come back?  Your uncle waved at us from the upstairs window.\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I thought that they were just teasing me.  My Uncle Johnny lived in MANHATTAN, and this was Mineola-- a small village on Long Island!!! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mother experienced run of the mill ghostly stuff.  Jewelry winding up in different areas of the house.  A ghost sitting on the bed at night when she was home all alone. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Yep.  My mom was in bed reading a book at bedtime when the mattress creaked and an indentation as though someone was sitting there appeared. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Holy Sh#%balls!!!!  </strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I personally would have grabbed the nearest crucifix and fled from the house screaming like a bat out of hell.  My mother, however, preferred the horror movie route.  She stayed in the house and addressed the ghost. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Mr. Santos (she previously found out that he died in the house from a heart attack), I know that you are not trying to scare us.  You are just watching over us.  My mother, Alice, knew you from the Portuguese American Club and always spoke very fondly of you.  (My mother has always had a tendency to go on and on and on...) But I am scared, Mr. Santos.  And I need you to go to the light.  We\'re o.k.  You don\'t need to watch over us anymore.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The indentation disappeared.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">And nothing ghostly happened after that.   </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"> </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Until Mom and I found ourselves shopping in Spring, TX circa 2005.</strong></span> </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>In Spring, quaint old homes are converted into quaint shops filled with knickknacks.  In an effort to escape the clutter of one such shop, I traveled upstairs where the bathrooms and bedrooms displayed linens, vintage clothing, and the like.  Everything was fine until I entered a bedroom where I immediately became dizzy and nauseated.  There was also a terrible musty smell and the feeling of intense \"energy\".  I escaped the room gasping, \"Mom?!  Dad?!\"  I was 36 years-old and crying out for my parents. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Mom and Dad were climbing the stairs at that point and asked what was wrong.  I threw out a nonchalant, \"Oh, nothing.  I just think that this place might be haunted.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Michelle, don\'t be ridiculous!  This is a lovely shop!  Larry, look at these linens.  Aren\'t they gorgeous?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">My mother then entered THE ROOM.</span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>She then nearly knocked my father over trying to get out. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"LARRY!!!!  Oh, my god!  I feel so sick.  I feel like I\'m going to pass out!  I\'m so dizzy!!!  THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED!!!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I always rise to the chance to egg my mother on, so I sacrificed myself to reenter the room as she exited. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"MICHELLE!!!!  GET OUT OF THERE!!!  WHAT\'S THE MATTER WITH YOU???  LARRY, TELL HER TO GET OUT OF THERE!!!\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Dad scolded, \"Michelle, why are you purposely upsetting your mother?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Do you turn into a 5 year-old when you return home for visits?  heh heh heh</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The joke turned out to be on me when I felt even sicker the 2nd time around. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anywho, as we left the shop, my mother said, \"Wait a minute\".  She went back in and marched up to the counter.  She used her calmest, sweetest voice to ask the shopkeeper, \"Excuse me, but is this place haunted?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The shopkeeper smiled and asked, \"Did you SEE her?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>No.  BUT WE SMELLED HER!!!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>And that\'s when we were told of the resident ghost of the teenager who died in the upstairs bedroom.</strong></span></span> </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Since teens didn\'t have much in the way of entertainment back in the homestead days, they jumped off the barn roofs for kicks.  I don\'t remember her name, so let\'s say \"Lucy\" broke her leg and convalesced in the upstairs bedroom where she died of gangrene.  Thus the incredible stench that made mom and I want to puke. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>And then there was the time when I stayed at the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver, BC.</strong></span> </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>While setting my suitcases on the bed, I had a sense.  A 6th sense.  Nothing perceptible, but I wasn\'t about to tolerate any funny business. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Like a crazy women, I announced out loud, \"I don\'t want to see you.  I don\'t want to smell you.  I don\'t want any part of you.  STAY AWAY.  GO TO THE BLOODY LIGHT!!!!\" </span></span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>A friend picked me up for dinner, and on the drive back to the hotel, I asked, \"Can I ask you a crazy question?  Is the Sylvia Hotel haunted?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My friend burst out laughing.  \"Why of course, Michelle!!!  That\'s why people stay there!  They hope to experience something!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He slept in the other room that night.  (It was a weird little hotel room comprised of 3 separate rooms.)  There was no way I was sleeping in there by myself.  I popped a sleeping pill and slept with earplugs and an eye mask. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Thankfully, no funny business to report. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>So there you have it.  Jerome Ghosthunter #1 has seen and taken a whiff of dead people.</strong> </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I introduce to you to Ghosthunter #2, Christy Jo.   She posed for a photo in Mexico with a Mexican ghost, so it seems.  If you look closely, smack in the middle of the girls you\'ll see the bottom of his face including his moustache!!!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1948\" title=\"mexicanghost\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp\" alt=\"\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ghosthunter #3 is none other than the lovely and talented Rebecca aka Becky Jo (her actual birthname which she legally changed, bless her). </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Becky Jo sees dead peeps frequently.  IN HER CURRENT ABODE!!!!  Now, let me preface this by saying that Becky Jo is one of the most intelligent and \"together\" women I know.  i.e. She\'s not a loony tune. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Becky Jo routinely encounters a guy in a 70s tuxedo sitting on her stairs.  This isn\'t an actual photo, but I once posted this on her Facebook wall to freak her out. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://arniesvintagecostumers.com\"><img title=\"bluetux\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bluetux-129x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"129\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ghosthunter #4 is Sarah, our token Paranormal Virgin.  She is a valuable asset to our team, as she doesn\'t have \"the sense\".  So, if something happens to Sarah, then we are all officially ghost magnets.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>With our good looks and personalities, we will surely sign lucrative contracts for our own TV show. </strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Saturday, we start this escapade fully equipped. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>I am not making this up:  Apple has a ghosthunting app. </strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>???</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Becky Jo has already installed it on her iPhone, and Christy Jo has back-up on the iPad.   </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">From an actual email correspondence between Christy Jo and Michelle:</span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  Apparently there is a spirit in my house. According to the iPad app, it just said my brother’s name, Marc. This thing is creeping me out!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!  I don\'t want that thing near my house!!  :-)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  According to Yahoo, EMF meters or any other devices really don’t work. Electromagnetic fields are everywhere and are not good indicators of paranormal activity. “Serious investigators do not use gadgets,” one website says. “Most often they use Patron.”</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  I have heard that as well. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Countdown:  3 days until the Ghosthunting begins!  </span></span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> </span></span></strong></span></span></p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','publish','open','open','','day-51-we-see-dead-people','','','2010-11-17 17:16:40','2010-11-18 00:16:40','',0,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?p=1933',0,'post','',7),(1934,1,'2010-11-16 10:38:59','2010-11-16 17:38:59','<p>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places in America.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they are crazy enough to join me. </p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','inherit','open','open','','1933-revision','','','2010-11-16 10:38:59','2010-11-16 17:38:59','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1933-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1936,1,'2010-11-16 10:41:45','2010-11-16 17:41:45','<p>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places in America.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they are crazy enough to join me. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','inherit','open','open','','1933-revision-3','','','2010-11-16 10:41:45','2010-11-16 17:41:45','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1933-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1935,1,'2010-11-16 10:41:19','2010-11-16 17:41:19','<p>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places in America.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they are crazy enough to join me. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>testing testing</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>testing testing</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>testing</p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','inherit','open','open','','1933-revision-2','','','2010-11-16 10:41:19','2010-11-16 17:41:19','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1933-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1938,1,'2011-01-20 01:11:30','2011-01-20 08:11:30','<p><strong> </strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/18/day-52-we-are-experiencing-technical-difficulties-please-stand-by/\" target=\"_blank\">Remember Day 52?</a></strong>  Probably not.  I\'ll remind you. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/11/day-45-fashion-mags-or-soft-porn/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>It all started on Day 45</strong> </a>when I was innocently flipping through Cosmo for fashion tips. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Instead, I was bombarded with sex tips including \"Seduce him!  This move works from 20 feet away!\"</span></span></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Tell me more, Cosmo!  Tell me more! </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I learned that this secret move to stow away in our seduction arsenal is none other than the old-fashioned strut.  <br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Which my friend, Brette aka Brettesy, happens to do oh so well.   I had the bright idea that we would film Brettesy strutting her stuff and teaching the rest of us how it\'s done. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I invited readers to vote \"Yes for Brettesy!\" in the comment section, and with an overwhelming \"Yes for Brettesy\" vote, we staged a Strut Shoot on Day 52.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>We were soon sidelined by technical difficulties.  Argh. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>But I did not forget our promise, dear readers! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>We now present to you Take Two of The Brettesy Strut. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n<object style=\"width: 640px; height: 390px;\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/0EBbWm6aIJg?version=3\" /><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" /><embed style=\"width: 640px; height: 390px;\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/0EBbWm6aIJg?version=3\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"> </embed></object>\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n<object style=\"width: 640px; height: 390px;\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/cYhWMgtfV_8?version=3\" /><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" /><embed style=\"width: 640px; height: 390px;\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/cYhWMgtfV_8?version=3\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"> </embed></object>\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Live.  Laugh.  Love. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Strut. </strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 52 Revisited:  Seduce Men from 20 Feet Away!   ','','publish','open','open','','day-52-revisited-seduce-men-from-20-feet-away','','\nhttp://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/18/day-52-we-are-experiencing-technical-difficulties-please-stand-by/','2011-01-19 22:21:15','2011-01-20 05:21:15','',0,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?p=1938',0,'post','',5),(1939,1,'2010-11-16 14:35:43','2010-11-16 21:35:43','<p>my first take was it.  Brette said she couldn\'t teach me anything.  It was only my self-esteem that needed work.  I had already bloomed. </p>\n\n<p>brette is my talisman</p>\n\n<p>Britt mantra -- I am hot. </p>\n\n<p>upon entering the building a VERY cute man eyed Brette her whole way in the door. and then said \"hello\"  It works!!!!  Wow!!! </p>\n\n<p>Brette (said like scarlet saying Rhett) </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 52:  Strut ','','inherit','open','open','','1938-revision','','','2010-11-16 14:35:43','2010-11-16 21:35:43','',1938,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1938-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(2169,1,'2010-11-26 12:55:23','2010-11-26 19:55:23','<p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2171\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Sit. Good girl!\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bellasit.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2171\" title=\"bellasit\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bellasit-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p>As a new puppy mom, I naturally want the best for my precious bundle of joy.  Remember that Little Miss Bella had a ruff start.  She was found as a street urchin in Yuma, Arizona.  (If you are unaware, Yuma is the armpit of the Southwest.  i.e., Hell on Earth.) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I decided that this time around I am on Team Victoria.  Team Cesar doesn\'t resonate with me for a variety of reasons.   </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Victoria Stillwell\'s methods mirror my former classroom management style as a Montessori teacher.  She\'s all about gentle, positive reinforcement and building confidence in dogs.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Victoria is a doggie Montessorian of sorts.  Where do I sign up? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><a href=\"http://positively.com/\" target=\"_blank\">On her website of course!</a></strong>  Victoria hand-picked trainers to represent her method of training in 23 cities around the <em>world.</em>  Get this:  one of these trainers extraordinaire resides in Gilbert, Arizona which is a suburb of my fair city! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>What a coinkidink, huh?!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I promptly called trainer <strong><span style=\"color: #888888;\"><a href=\"http://sharon.witherspoon.positively.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sharon Witherspoon</a></span> </strong>and scheduled a home visit.  Sharon\'s group classes didn\'t start until December 11th, and with Bella\'s recent upheaval, I thought it was important to get started sooner rather than later.  Kind of like Head Start with preschoolers. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Sharon came out to my house, and as a mother of rescued pups herself, felt an immediate connection with Bella.  In her sweet, Southern drawl, Sharon told me that she didn\'t want to upset me, but she felt that Bella was a little depressed and traumatized which is common for a rescue pup.  She quickly followed with reassurances of confidence building through the training. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think I was previously in denial.  Bella had been listless, which I attributed to her vaccines.  But the vaccines were administered a week ago, and I couldn\'t bring myself to think about what this angel of a dog encountered before she came under my care. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Sharon reminded me that Bella was lucky to have found me.  After a detailed discussion on Bella and her habits, Sharon chuckled that there really wasn\'t much to work on.  Didn\'t I tell you that she was the perfect dog??  :-)))</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>We segued into the positive reinforcement training.  The first lesson included working on eye contact, sit, and responding to her name. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Sharon and I were tickled over how much Bella broke out of her shell during this initial training.  She is SO smart (brilliant, if you ask me) and SO eager to learn and to please. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I am a bit behind on these posts due to the holiday, and since Sharon\'s initial visit, Bella and I have practiced our \"homework\" every day. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>WOW!  Bella is one happy, spunky brainiac of a pooch.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Forget puppy preschool.  She is ready for doggie Harvard. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 58:  Teaching a New Dog Old Tricks ','','publish','open','open','','day-58-teaching-a-new-dog-old-tricks','','','2010-11-26 12:55:23','2010-11-26 19:55:23','',0,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?p=2169',0,'post','',3),(1941,1,'2010-11-16 14:35:46','2010-11-16 21:35:46','<p>my first take was it.  Brette said she couldn\'t teach me anything.  It was only my self-esteem that needed work.  I had already bloomed. </p>\r\n\r\n<p>brette is my talisman</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Britt mantra -- I am hot. </p>\r\n\r\n<p>upon entering the building a VERY cute man eyed Brette her whole way in the door. and then said \"hello\"  It works!!!!  Wow!!! </p>\r\n\r\n<p>Brette (said like scarlet saying Rhett) </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 52:  Strut ','','inherit','open','open','','1938-revision-2','','','2010-11-16 14:35:46','2010-11-16 21:35:46','',1938,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1938-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1942,1,'2010-11-16 20:27:15','2010-11-17 03:27:15','<p>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places in America.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they were all crazy enough to accept.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Haunted Destination:  <a href=\"http://www.jeromegrandhotel.net/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Jerome Grand Hotel</strong></a> in Jerome, Arizona. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #339966;\">\"What makes the Jerome Grand Hotel a worthwhile place to stay, is the fact that this is probably one of the most active haunted locations in the world,\" according to ghostlyfavorites.com. \"Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it is a quite popular destination for amateur ghost hunters.\"</span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>If you go to their website, <a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>you will find photos of misty orbs, ghosts, and even ectoplasm</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ectoplasm???</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>That was the slime in <em>Ghostbusters</em>, right? </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>3 of us have seen dead people before.  1 is a paranormal virgin.</strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Which is why I needed to use this \"blog day\" to share some backstory. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I lived in a haunted house in New York when I was in 1st and 2nd grade.  I was old enough to etch a very vivid image into my memory banks.  And what was that image, you are wondering?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The ghost of Mr. Santos.  Although it certainly wasn\'t the traditional image of a ghostly white apparition. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>One summer night my sister and I were sent to bed early for being naughty.  Since this was New York, and it was only 7:30 ish, it was still light outside. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I were talking as I layed on my side and stared out to the hallway.  I saw a shadow of a man wearing what I now know as a fedora hat on the hallway wall.  I felt no fear at the time.  I simply called out, \"Daddy?\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mom was downstairs dusting and yelled up, \"Go to sleep!  Your dad is outside cleaning the pool.\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The shadow then moved away.  In my child\'s mind, I believed that it was my father\'s shadow.  Which I now know is an impossibility, as shadows are not cast up two stories and baseball caps are not transformed into fedora hats. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','inherit','open','open','','1933-revision-4','','','2010-11-16 20:27:15','2010-11-17 03:27:15','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1933-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(1943,1,'2010-11-16 21:41:29','2010-11-17 04:41:29','<p>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places in America.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they were all crazy enough to accept.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Haunted Destination:  <a href=\"http://www.jeromegrandhotel.net/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Jerome Grand Hotel</strong></a> in Jerome, Arizona. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #339966;\">\"What makes the Jerome Grand Hotel a worthwhile place to stay, is the fact that this is probably one of the most active haunted locations in the world,\" according to ghostlyfavorites.com. \"Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it is a quite popular destination for amateur ghost hunters.\"</span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>If you go to the hotel website, <a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>you will find photos of misty orbs, ghosts, and even ectoplasm</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ectoplasm???</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>That was the slime in <em>Ghostbusters</em>, right? </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>3 of us have seen dead people before.  1 of us is a paranormal virgin.</strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Which is why I needed to use this \"blog day\" to share some backstory. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I lived in a haunted house in New York when I was in 1st and 2nd grade.  I was old enough to etch a very vivid image into my memory banks.  And what was that image, you are wondering?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The ghost of Mr. Santos.  Although it certainly wasn\'t the traditional image of a ghostly white apparition. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>One summer night my sister and I were sent to bed early for being naughty.  Since this was New York, at 7:30 ish, it was still light outside. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I were talking as I layed on my side and stared out to the hallway.  I saw a shadow of a man wearing what I now know as a fedora hat on the hallway wall.  I felt no fear at the time.  I simply called out, \"Daddy?\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mom was downstairs dusting and yelled up, \"Go to sleep!  Your dad is outside cleaning the pool.\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The shadow then moved away.  In my child\'s mind, I believed that it was my father\'s shadow.  Which I now know is an impossibility, as shadows are not cast up two stories and baseball caps are not magically transformed into fedora hats. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>It wasn\'t until we moved to Houston that I learned the identity of the shadow.</strong></span></span> </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My cousins were visiting, and they were talking in hushed tones with my mother. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Mary Elizabeth swore up, down and sideways that she heard the broken player piano play in the basement every time she babysat and entered the kitchen alone to fetch us popcorn and Cokes.  She quickly discovered that when my sister or I went into kitchen with her, the piano did not play.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I distinctly remember Mary Elizabeth asking us to go into the kitchen with her to get the popcorn.  I distinctly remember her resorting to \"if you don\'t come with me, you don\'t get anymore popcorn\".</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Now I started to feel scared.  I told my cousins and my mother about the shadow.  (I was in 4th grade by this time.)  I also told them about the Wednesdays. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>On Wednesdays, my mother wasn\'t always home from her bowling league when the school bus dropped us off.  My friends, Dorothy and Theresa, would wait at the end of my driveway while I knocked on my front door.  If my mom were home, I would wave goodbye to them.  If mom wasn\'t home, I would walk around the corner with them and stay at Dorothy\'s house. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>EVERY time my mother wasn\'t home yet, I would return to them in the driveway while they asked, \"Why did you come back?  Your uncle waved at us from the upstairs window.\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My Uncle Johnny lived in MANHATTAN, and this was Mineola -- a small village on Long Island!!! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mother experienced run of the mill ghostly stuff.  Jewelry winding up in different areas of the house.  A ghost sitting on the bed at night when she was home all alone. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Yep.  My mom was in bed reading a book at bedtime when the mattress creaked and an indentation as though someone was sitting there appeared. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Holy Sh#%&amp;balls!!!!  </strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I personally would have grabbed the nearest crucifix and fled from the house screaming like a bat out of hell.  My mother, however, preferred the horror movie route.  She stayed in the house and addressed the ghost. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Mr. Santos (she previously found out that he died in the house from a heart attack), I know that you are not tring to scare us.  You are just watching over us.  My mother, Alice, knew you from the Portuguese American Club and always spoke very fondly of you.  (My mother has always had a tendency to go on and on and on...) But I am scared, Mr. Santos.  And I need you to go to the light.  We\'re o.k.  You don\'t need to watch over us anymore.\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The indentation disappeared.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And nothing ghostly happened after that.   </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Until Mom and I found ourselves shopping in Spring, TX circa 2005.  In Spring, quaint old homes are converted into quaint shops filled with knickknacks.  In an effort to escape the clutter of one such shop, I traveled upstairs where the bathrooms and bedrooms displayed lines, vintage clothing, and the like.  Everything was fine until I entered a bedroom where I immediately became dizzy and nauseated.  There was also a terrible musty smell and the feeling of intense \"energy\".  I escaped the room gasping, \"Mom?!  Dad?!\"  I was 36 years-old and crying out for my mom and dad. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Mom and Dad were climbing the stairs at that point and asked what was wrong.  I threw out a nonchalant, \"Oh, nothing.  I just think that this place might be haunted.\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Michelle, don\'t be ridiculous!  This is a lovely shop!  Larry, look at these linens.  Aren\'t they gorgeous?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mother then entered THE ROOM.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"LARRY!!!!  Oh, my god!  I feel so sick.  I feel like I\'m going to pass out!  I\'m so dizzy!!!  THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED!!!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I always rise to the chance to egg my mother on, so I sacrificed myself to reenter the room as she exited. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"MICHELLE!!!!  GET OUT OF THERE!!!  WHAT\'S THE MATTER WITH YOU???  LARRY, TELL HER TO GET OUT OF THERE!!!\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Michelle, why are you purposely upsetting your mother?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Do you turn into a 5 year-old when you return home for visits?  heh heh heh</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The joke turned out to be on me when I felt even sicker the 2nd time around. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Anywho, as were leaving the shop, my mother said, \"Wait a minute\".  She went back in and marched up to the counter.  She used her calmest, sweetest voice to ask the shopkeeper, \"Excuse me, but is this place haunted?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Did you SEE her?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And that\'s when we were told of the resident ghost who of the teenager who died in the upstairs bedroom.  Since teens didn\'t have much in the way of entertainment back in the homestead days, they jumped off the barn roofs for kicks. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I don\'t remember her name, so let\'s say \"Lucy\" broke her leg and convalesced in the upstairs bedroom where she died of gangrene.  Thus the incredible stench that made mom and I want to puke. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And then there was the time when I entered the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver.  While setting my suitcases on the bed, I had a sense.  A 6th sense.  Nothing perceptable, but I wasn\'t about to tolerate any funny business.  Like a crazy women, I announced out loud, \"I don\'t want to see you.  I don\'t want to smell you.  I don\'t want any part of you.  STAY AWAY.  GO TO THE BLOODY LIGHT!!!!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>A friend picked me up for dinner, and on the drive back to the hotel, I asked, \"Can I ask you a crazy question?  Is the Sylvia Hotel haunted?\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My friend burst out laughing.  \"Why of course, Michelle!!!  That\'s why people stay there!  They hope to experience something!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He slept in the other room that night.  (It was a weird little hotel room comprised of 3 separate rooms.)  I popped a sleeping pill and slept with earplugs and an eye mask. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Thankfully, no funny business to report. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>So there you hae it.  Jerome Ghosthunter #2 has seen and smelled dead people. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I introduce to you Christy Jo who posed for a photo with a Mexican ghost. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ghosthunter #3 is none other than the lovely and talented Rebecca aka Becky Jo (her actual birthname which she legally changed, god bless her).  Becky Jo sees dead peeps frequently.  IN HER CURRENT ABODE!!!!  Now, this is one of the most intelligent and \"together\" women I know.  i.e. She\'s not a looney tune. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Becky Jo routinely encounters a guy in a 70s tuxedo sitting on her stairs.  This isn\'t an actual photo, but I once posted this to her Facebook wall to freak her out. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ghosthunter #4 is Sarah, our token Paranormal Virgin.  She is a valuable asset to our team, as she doesn\'t have \"the sense\".  So, if something happens to Sarah, then we are all officially ghost magnets.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p> With our good looks and personalities, we will surely sign on for our own TV show. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>On Saturday, we start this escapade fully equipped. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I am not making this up:  Apple has a ghosthunting app. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>???</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Becky Jo has already installed it on her iPhone, and Christy Jo has back-up on the iPad.   </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','inherit','open','open','','1933-revision-5','','','2010-11-16 21:41:29','2010-11-17 04:41:29','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1933-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(1944,1,'2010-11-16 21:51:19','2010-11-17 04:51:19','<p>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places in America.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they were all crazy enough to accept.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Haunted Destination:  <a href=\"http://www.jeromegrandhotel.net/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Jerome Grand Hotel</strong></a> in Jerome, Arizona. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #339966;\">\"What makes the Jerome Grand Hotel a worthwhile place to stay, is the fact that this is probably one of the most active haunted locations in the world,\" according to ghostlyfavorites.com. \"Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it is a quite popular destination for amateur ghost hunters.\"</span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>If you go to the hotel website, <a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>you will find photos of misty orbs, ghosts, and even ectoplasm</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ectoplasm???</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>That was the slime in <em>Ghostbusters</em>, right? </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>3 of us have seen dead people before.  1 of us is a paranormal virgin.</strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Which is why I needed to use this \"blog day\" to share some backstory. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I lived in a haunted house in New York when I was in 1st and 2nd grade.  I was old enough to etch a very vivid image into my memory banks.  And what was that image, you are wondering?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The ghost of Mr. Santos.  Although it certainly wasn\'t the traditional image of a ghostly white apparition. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>One summer night my sister and I were sent to bed early for being naughty.  Since this was New York, at 7:30 ish, it was still light outside. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I were talking as I layed on my side and stared out to the hallway.  I saw a shadow of a man wearing what I now know as a fedora hat on the hallway wall.  I felt no fear at the time.  I simply called out, \"Daddy?\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mom was downstairs dusting and yelled up, \"Go to sleep!  Your dad is outside cleaning the pool.\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The shadow then moved away.  In my child\'s mind, I believed that it was my father\'s shadow.  Which I now know is an impossibility, as shadows are not cast up two stories and baseball caps are not magically transformed into fedora hats. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>It wasn\'t until we moved to Houston that I learned the identity of the shadow.</strong></span> </span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My cousins were visiting, and they were talking in hushed tones with my mother. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Mary Elizabeth swore up, down and sideways that she heard the broken player piano play in the basement every time she babysat and entered the kitchen alone to fetch us popcorn and Cokes.  She quickly discovered that when my sister or I went into kitchen with her, the piano did not play.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I distinctly remember Mary Elizabeth asking us to go into the kitchen with her to get the popcorn.  I distinctly remember her resorting to \"if you don\'t come with me, you don\'t get anymore popcorn\".</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Now I started to feel scared.  I told my cousins and my mother about the shadow.  (I was in 4th grade by this time.)  I also told them about the Wednesdays. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>On Wednesdays, my mother wasn\'t always home from her bowling league when the school bus dropped us off.  My friends, Dorothy and Theresa, would wait at the end of my driveway while I knocked on my front door.  If my mom were home, I would wave goodbye to them.  If mom wasn\'t home, I would walk around the corner with them and stay at Dorothy\'s house. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>EVERY time my mother wasn\'t home yet, I would return to them in the driveway while they asked, \"Why did you come back?  Your uncle waved at us from the upstairs window.\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My Uncle Johnny lived in MANHATTAN, and this was Mineola -- a small village on Long Island!!! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mother experienced run of the mill ghostly stuff.  Jewelry winding up in different areas of the house.  A ghost sitting on the bed at night when she was home all alone. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Yep.  My mom was in bed reading a book at bedtime when the mattress creaked and an indentation as though someone was sitting there appeared. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Holy Sh#%&amp;balls!!!!  </strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I personally would have grabbed the nearest crucifix and fled from the house screaming like a bat out of hell.  My mother, however, preferred the horror movie route.  She stayed in the house and addressed the ghost. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Mr. Santos (she previously found out that he died in the house from a heart attack), I know that you are not tring to scare us.  You are just watching over us.  My mother, Alice, knew you from the Portuguese American Club and always spoke very fondly of you.  (My mother has always had a tendency to go on and on and on...) But I am scared, Mr. Santos.  And I need you to go to the light.  We\'re o.k.  You don\'t need to watch over us anymore.\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The indentation disappeared.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And nothing ghostly happened after that.   </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Until Mom and I found ourselves shopping in Spring, TX circa 2005.  In Spring, quaint old homes are converted into quaint shops filled with knickknacks.  In an effort to escape the clutter of one such shop, I traveled upstairs where the bathrooms and bedrooms displayed lines, vintage clothing, and the like.  Everything was fine until I entered a bedroom where I immediately became dizzy and nauseated.  There was also a terrible musty smell and the feeling of intense \"energy\".  I escaped the room gasping, \"Mom?!  Dad?!\"  I was 36 years-old and crying out for my mom and dad. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Mom and Dad were climbing the stairs at that point and asked what was wrong.  I threw out a nonchalant, \"Oh, nothing.  I just think that this place might be haunted.\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Michelle, don\'t be ridiculous!  This is a lovely shop!  Larry, look at these linens.  Aren\'t they gorgeous?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mother then entered THE ROOM.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"LARRY!!!!  Oh, my god!  I feel so sick.  I feel like I\'m going to pass out!  I\'m so dizzy!!!  THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED!!!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I always rise to the chance to egg my mother on, so I sacrificed myself to reenter the room as she exited. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"MICHELLE!!!!  GET OUT OF THERE!!!  WHAT\'S THE MATTER WITH YOU???  LARRY, TELL HER TO GET OUT OF THERE!!!\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Michelle, why are you purposely upsetting your mother?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Do you turn into a 5 year-old when you return home for visits?  heh heh heh</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The joke turned out to be on me when I felt even sicker the 2nd time around. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Anywho, as were leaving the shop, my mother said, \"Wait a minute\".  She went back in and marched up to the counter.  She used her calmest, sweetest voice to ask the shopkeeper, \"Excuse me, but is this place haunted?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Did you SEE her?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And that\'s when we were told of the resident ghost who of the teenager who died in the upstairs bedroom.  Since teens didn\'t have much in the way of entertainment back in the homestead days, they jumped off the barn roofs for kicks. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I don\'t remember her name, so let\'s say \"Lucy\" broke her leg and convalesced in the upstairs bedroom where she died of gangrene.  Thus the incredible stench that made mom and I want to puke. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And then there was the time when I entered the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver.  While setting my suitcases on the bed, I had a sense.  A 6th sense.  Nothing perceptable, but I wasn\'t about to tolerate any funny business.  Like a crazy women, I announced out loud, \"I don\'t want to see you.  I don\'t want to smell you.  I don\'t want any part of you.  STAY AWAY.  GO TO THE BLOODY LIGHT!!!!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>A friend picked me up for dinner, and on the drive back to the hotel, I asked, \"Can I ask you a crazy question?  Is the Sylvia Hotel haunted?\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My friend burst out laughing.  \"Why of course, Michelle!!!  That\'s why people stay there!  They hope to experience something!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He slept in the other room that night.  (It was a weird little hotel room comprised of 3 separate rooms.)  I popped a sleeping pill and slept with earplugs and an eye mask. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Thankfully, no funny business to report. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>So there you hae it.  Jerome Ghosthunter #2 has seen and smelled dead people. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I introduce to you Christy Jo who posed for a photo with a Mexican ghost. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ghosthunter #3 is none other than the lovely and talented Rebecca aka Becky Jo (her actual birthname which she legally changed, god bless her).  Becky Jo sees dead peeps frequently.  IN HER CURRENT ABODE!!!!  Now, this is one of the most intelligent and \"together\" women I know.  i.e. She\'s not a looney tune. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Becky Jo routinely encounters a guy in a 70s tuxedo sitting on her stairs.  This isn\'t an actual photo, but I once posted this to her Facebook wall to freak her out. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ghosthunter #4 is Sarah, our token Paranormal Virgin.  She is a valuable asset to our team, as she doesn\'t have \"the sense\".  So, if something happens to Sarah, then we are all officially ghost magnets.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p> With our good looks and personalities, we will surely sign on for our own TV show. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>On Saturday, we start this escapade fully equipped. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I am not making this up:  Apple has a ghosthunting app. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>???</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Becky Jo has already installed it on her iPhone, and Christy Jo has back-up on the iPad.   </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">From an actual email correspondence between Christy Jo and Michelle:</span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  Apparently there is a spirit in my house. According to the iPad app ,it just said my brother’s name, Marc. This thing is creeping me out!</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!  I don\'t want that thing near my house!!  :-)</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  According to Yahoo, EMF meters or any other devices really don’t work. Electromagnetic fields are everywhere and are not good indicators of paranormal activity. “Serious investigators do not use gadgets,” one website says. “Most often they use Patron.”</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  I have heard that as well. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">Countdown:  3 days until the Ghosthunting begins!  </span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','inherit','open','open','','1933-revision-6','','','2010-11-16 21:51:19','2010-11-17 04:51:19','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1933-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(1945,1,'2010-11-16 21:56:02','2010-11-17 04:56:02','','hallway_3','','inherit','open','open','','hallway_3','','','2010-11-16 21:56:02','2010-11-17 04:56:02','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hallway_3.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1946,1,'2010-11-16 21:54:22','2010-11-17 04:54:22','<p>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places in America.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they were all crazy enough to accept.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Haunted Destination:  <a href=\"http://www.jeromegrandhotel.net/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Jerome Grand Hotel</strong></a> in Jerome, Arizona. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">\"What makes the Jerome Grand Hotel a worthwhile place to stay, is the fact that this is probably one of the most active haunted locations in the world,\" according to ghostlyfavorites.com. \"Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it is a quite popular destination for amateur ghost hunters.\"</span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>If you go to the hotel website, <a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>you will find photos of misty orbs, ghosts, and even ectoplasm</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ectoplasm???</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>That was the slime in <em>Ghostbusters</em>, right? </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">3 of us have seen dead people before.  1 of us is a paranormal virgin.</span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Which is why I needed to use this \"blog day\" to share some backstory. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I lived in a haunted house in New York when I was in 1st and 2nd grade.  I was old enough to etch a very vivid image into my memory banks.  And what was that image, you are wondering?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The ghost of Mr. Santos.  Although it certainly wasn\'t the traditional image of a ghostly white apparition. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>One summer night my sister and I were sent to bed early for being naughty.  Since this was New York, at 7:30 ish, it was still light outside. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I were talking as I layed on my side and stared out to the hallway.  I saw a shadow of a man wearing what I now know as a fedora hat on the hallway wall.  I felt no fear at the time.  I simply called out, \"Daddy?\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mom was downstairs dusting and yelled up, \"Go to sleep!  Your dad is outside cleaning the pool.\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The shadow then moved away.  In my child\'s mind, I believed that it was my father\'s shadow.  Which I now know is an impossibility, as shadows are not cast up two stories and baseball caps are not magically transformed into fedora hats. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>It wasn\'t until we moved to Houston that I learned the identity of the shadow.</strong></span> </span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My cousins were visiting, and they were talking in hushed tones with my mother. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Mary Elizabeth swore up, down and sideways that she heard the broken player piano play in the basement every time she babysat and entered the kitchen alone to fetch us popcorn and Cokes.  She quickly discovered that when my sister or I went into kitchen with her, the piano did not play.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I distinctly remember Mary Elizabeth asking us to go into the kitchen with her to get the popcorn.  I distinctly remember her resorting to \"if you don\'t come with me, you don\'t get anymore popcorn\".</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Now I started to feel scared.  I told my cousins and my mother about the shadow.  (I was in 4th grade by this time.)  I also told them about the Wednesdays. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>On Wednesdays, my mother wasn\'t always home from her bowling league when the school bus dropped us off.  My friends, Dorothy and Theresa, would wait at the end of my driveway while I knocked on my front door.  If my mom were home, I would wave goodbye to them.  If mom wasn\'t home, I would walk around the corner with them and stay at Dorothy\'s house. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>EVERY time my mother wasn\'t home yet, I would return to them in the driveway while they asked, \"Why did you come back?  Your uncle waved at us from the upstairs window.\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My Uncle Johnny lived in MANHATTAN, and this was Mineola -- a small village on Long Island!!! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mother experienced run of the mill ghostly stuff.  Jewelry winding up in different areas of the house.  A ghost sitting on the bed at night when she was home all alone. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Yep.  My mom was in bed reading a book at bedtime when the mattress creaked and an indentation as though someone was sitting there appeared. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Holy Sh#%&amp;balls!!!!  </strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I personally would have grabbed the nearest crucifix and fled from the house screaming like a bat out of hell.  My mother, however, preferred the horror movie route.  She stayed in the house and addressed the ghost. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Mr. Santos (she previously found out that he died in the house from a heart attack), I know that you are not tring to scare us.  You are just watching over us.  My mother, Alice, knew you from the Portuguese American Club and always spoke very fondly of you.  (My mother has always had a tendency to go on and on and on...) But I am scared, Mr. Santos.  And I need you to go to the light.  We\'re o.k.  You don\'t need to watch over us anymore.\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The indentation disappeared.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And nothing ghostly happened after that.   </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Until Mom and I found ourselves shopping in Spring, TX circa 2005.  In Spring, quaint old homes are converted into quaint shops filled with knickknacks.  In an effort to escape the clutter of one such shop, I traveled upstairs where the bathrooms and bedrooms displayed lines, vintage clothing, and the like.  Everything was fine until I entered a bedroom where I immediately became dizzy and nauseated.  There was also a terrible musty smell and the feeling of intense \"energy\".  I escaped the room gasping, \"Mom?!  Dad?!\"  I was 36 years-old and crying out for my mom and dad. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Mom and Dad were climbing the stairs at that point and asked what was wrong.  I threw out a nonchalant, \"Oh, nothing.  I just think that this place might be haunted.\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Michelle, don\'t be ridiculous!  This is a lovely shop!  Larry, look at these linens.  Aren\'t they gorgeous?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mother then entered THE ROOM.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"LARRY!!!!  Oh, my god!  I feel so sick.  I feel like I\'m going to pass out!  I\'m so dizzy!!!  THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED!!!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I always rise to the chance to egg my mother on, so I sacrificed myself to reenter the room as she exited. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"MICHELLE!!!!  GET OUT OF THERE!!!  WHAT\'S THE MATTER WITH YOU???  LARRY, TELL HER TO GET OUT OF THERE!!!\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Michelle, why are you purposely upsetting your mother?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Do you turn into a 5 year-old when you return home for visits?  heh heh heh</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The joke turned out to be on me when I felt even sicker the 2nd time around. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Anywho, as were leaving the shop, my mother said, \"Wait a minute\".  She went back in and marched up to the counter.  She used her calmest, sweetest voice to ask the shopkeeper, \"Excuse me, but is this place haunted?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Did you SEE her?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And that\'s when we were told of the resident ghost who of the teenager who died in the upstairs bedroom.  Since teens didn\'t have much in the way of entertainment back in the homestead days, they jumped off the barn roofs for kicks. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I don\'t remember her name, so let\'s say \"Lucy\" broke her leg and convalesced in the upstairs bedroom where she died of gangrene.  Thus the incredible stench that made mom and I want to puke. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And then there was the time when I entered the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver.  While setting my suitcases on the bed, I had a sense.  A 6th sense.  Nothing perceptable, but I wasn\'t about to tolerate any funny business.  Like a crazy women, I announced out loud, \"I don\'t want to see you.  I don\'t want to smell you.  I don\'t want any part of you.  STAY AWAY.  GO TO THE BLOODY LIGHT!!!!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>A friend picked me up for dinner, and on the drive back to the hotel, I asked, \"Can I ask you a crazy question?  Is the Sylvia Hotel haunted?\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My friend burst out laughing.  \"Why of course, Michelle!!!  That\'s why people stay there!  They hope to experience something!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He slept in the other room that night.  (It was a weird little hotel room comprised of 3 separate rooms.)  I popped a sleeping pill and slept with earplugs and an eye mask. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Thankfully, no funny business to report. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>So there you hae it.  Jerome Ghosthunter #2 has seen and smelled dead people. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I introduce to you Christy Jo who posed for a photo with a Mexican ghost. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ghosthunter #3 is none other than the lovely and talented Rebecca aka Becky Jo (her actual birthname which she legally changed, god bless her).  Becky Jo sees dead peeps frequently.  IN HER CURRENT ABODE!!!!  Now, this is one of the most intelligent and \"together\" women I know.  i.e. She\'s not a looney tune. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Becky Jo routinely encounters a guy in a 70s tuxedo sitting on her stairs.  This isn\'t an actual photo, but I once posted this to her Facebook wall to freak her out. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ghosthunter #4 is Sarah, our token Paranormal Virgin.  She is a valuable asset to our team, as she doesn\'t have \"the sense\".  So, if something happens to Sarah, then we are all officially ghost magnets.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p> With our good looks and personalities, we will surely sign on for our own TV show. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>On Saturday, we start this escapade fully equipped. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I am not making this up:  Apple has a ghosthunting app. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>???</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Becky Jo has already installed it on her iPhone, and Christy Jo has back-up on the iPad.   </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">From an actual email correspondence between Christy Jo and Michelle:</span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  Apparently there is a spirit in my house. According to the iPad app ,it just said my brother’s name, Marc. This thing is creeping me out!</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!  I don\'t want that thing near my house!!  :-)</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  According to Yahoo, EMF meters or any other devices really don’t work. Electromagnetic fields are everywhere and are not good indicators of paranormal activity. “Serious investigators do not use gadgets,” one website says. “Most often they use Patron.”</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  I have heard that as well. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">Countdown:  3 days until the Ghosthunting begins!  </span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','inherit','open','open','','1933-revision-7','','','2010-11-16 21:54:22','2010-11-17 04:54:22','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1933-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(1947,1,'2010-11-16 22:10:08','2010-11-17 05:10:08','','bluetux','','inherit','open','open','','bluetux','','','2010-11-16 22:10:08','2010-11-17 05:10:08','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bluetux.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1948,1,'2010-11-16 22:17:38','2010-11-17 05:17:38','','mexicanghost','','inherit','open','open','','mexicanghost','','','2010-11-16 22:17:38','2010-11-17 05:17:38','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp',0,'attachment','image/bmp',0),(1949,1,'2010-11-16 22:11:18','2010-11-17 05:11:18','<p><a href=\"http://arniesvintagecostumers.com/1970smens/1970sm32.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1947\" title=\"bluetux\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bluetux-129x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"129\" height=\"300\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1945\" title=\"hallway_3\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hallway_3-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places in America.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they were all crazy enough to accept.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Haunted Destination:  <a href=\"http://www.jeromegrandhotel.net/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Jerome Grand Hotel</strong></a> in Jerome, Arizona. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">\"What makes the Jerome Grand Hotel a worthwhile place to stay, is the fact that this is probably one of the most active haunted locations in the world,\" according to ghostlyfavorites.com. \"Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it is a quite popular destination for amateur ghost hunters.\"</span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>If you go to the hotel website, <a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>you will find photos of misty orbs, ghosts, and even ectoplasm</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ectoplasm???</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>That was the slime in <em>Ghostbusters</em>, right? </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">3 of us have seen dead people before.  1 of us is a paranormal virgin.</span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Which is why I needed to use this \"blog day\" to share some backstory. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I lived in a haunted house in New York when I was in 1st and 2nd grade.  I was old enough to etch a very vivid image into my memory banks.  And what was that image, you are wondering?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The ghost of Mr. Santos.  Although it certainly wasn\'t the traditional image of a ghostly white apparition. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>One summer night my sister and I were sent to bed early for being naughty.  Since this was New York, at 7:30 ish, it was still light outside. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I were talking as I layed on my side and stared out to the hallway.  I saw a shadow of a man wearing what I now know as a fedora hat on the hallway wall.  I felt no fear at the time.  I simply called out, \"Daddy?\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mom was downstairs dusting and yelled up, \"Go to sleep!  Your dad is outside cleaning the pool.\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The shadow then moved away.  In my child\'s mind, I believed that it was my father\'s shadow.  Which I now know is an impossibility, as shadows are not cast up two stories and baseball caps are not magically transformed into fedora hats. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>It wasn\'t until we moved to Houston that I learned the identity of the shadow.</strong></span> </span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My cousins were visiting, and they were talking in hushed tones with my mother. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Mary Elizabeth swore up, down and sideways that she heard the broken player piano play in the basement every time she babysat and entered the kitchen alone to fetch us popcorn and Cokes.  She quickly discovered that when my sister or I went into kitchen with her, the piano did not play.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I distinctly remember Mary Elizabeth asking us to go into the kitchen with her to get the popcorn.  I distinctly remember her resorting to \"if you don\'t come with me, you don\'t get anymore popcorn\".</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Now I started to feel scared.  I told my cousins and my mother about the shadow.  (I was in 4th grade by this time.)  I also told them about the Wednesdays. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>On Wednesdays, my mother wasn\'t always home from her bowling league when the school bus dropped us off.  My friends, Dorothy and Theresa, would wait at the end of my driveway while I knocked on my front door.  If my mom were home, I would wave goodbye to them.  If mom wasn\'t home, I would walk around the corner with them and stay at Dorothy\'s house. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>EVERY time my mother wasn\'t home yet, I would return to them in the driveway while they asked, \"Why did you come back?  Your uncle waved at us from the upstairs window.\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My Uncle Johnny lived in MANHATTAN, and this was Mineola -- a small village on Long Island!!! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mother experienced run of the mill ghostly stuff.  Jewelry winding up in different areas of the house.  A ghost sitting on the bed at night when she was home all alone. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Yep.  My mom was in bed reading a book at bedtime when the mattress creaked and an indentation as though someone was sitting there appeared. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Holy Sh#%&amp;balls!!!!  </strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I personally would have grabbed the nearest crucifix and fled from the house screaming like a bat out of hell.  My mother, however, preferred the horror movie route.  She stayed in the house and addressed the ghost. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Mr. Santos (she previously found out that he died in the house from a heart attack), I know that you are not tring to scare us.  You are just watching over us.  My mother, Alice, knew you from the Portuguese American Club and always spoke very fondly of you.  (My mother has always had a tendency to go on and on and on...) But I am scared, Mr. Santos.  And I need you to go to the light.  We\'re o.k.  You don\'t need to watch over us anymore.\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The indentation disappeared.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And nothing ghostly happened after that.   </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Until Mom and I found ourselves shopping in Spring, TX circa 2005.  In Spring, quaint old homes are converted into quaint shops filled with knickknacks.  In an effort to escape the clutter of one such shop, I traveled upstairs where the bathrooms and bedrooms displayed lines, vintage clothing, and the like.  Everything was fine until I entered a bedroom where I immediately became dizzy and nauseated.  There was also a terrible musty smell and the feeling of intense \"energy\".  I escaped the room gasping, \"Mom?!  Dad?!\"  I was 36 years-old and crying out for my mom and dad. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Mom and Dad were climbing the stairs at that point and asked what was wrong.  I threw out a nonchalant, \"Oh, nothing.  I just think that this place might be haunted.\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Michelle, don\'t be ridiculous!  This is a lovely shop!  Larry, look at these linens.  Aren\'t they gorgeous?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mother then entered THE ROOM.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"LARRY!!!!  Oh, my god!  I feel so sick.  I feel like I\'m going to pass out!  I\'m so dizzy!!!  THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED!!!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I always rise to the chance to egg my mother on, so I sacrificed myself to reenter the room as she exited. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"MICHELLE!!!!  GET OUT OF THERE!!!  WHAT\'S THE MATTER WITH YOU???  LARRY, TELL HER TO GET OUT OF THERE!!!\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Michelle, why are you purposely upsetting your mother?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Do you turn into a 5 year-old when you return home for visits?  heh heh heh</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The joke turned out to be on me when I felt even sicker the 2nd time around. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Anywho, as were leaving the shop, my mother said, \"Wait a minute\".  She went back in and marched up to the counter.  She used her calmest, sweetest voice to ask the shopkeeper, \"Excuse me, but is this place haunted?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Did you SEE her?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And that\'s when we were told of the resident ghost who of the teenager who died in the upstairs bedroom.  Since teens didn\'t have much in the way of entertainment back in the homestead days, they jumped off the barn roofs for kicks. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I don\'t remember her name, so let\'s say \"Lucy\" broke her leg and convalesced in the upstairs bedroom where she died of gangrene.  Thus the incredible stench that made mom and I want to puke. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And then there was the time when I entered the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver.  While setting my suitcases on the bed, I had a sense.  A 6th sense.  Nothing perceptable, but I wasn\'t about to tolerate any funny business.  Like a crazy women, I announced out loud, \"I don\'t want to see you.  I don\'t want to smell you.  I don\'t want any part of you.  STAY AWAY.  GO TO THE BLOODY LIGHT!!!!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>A friend picked me up for dinner, and on the drive back to the hotel, I asked, \"Can I ask you a crazy question?  Is the Sylvia Hotel haunted?\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My friend burst out laughing.  \"Why of course, Michelle!!!  That\'s why people stay there!  They hope to experience something!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He slept in the other room that night.  (It was a weird little hotel room comprised of 3 separate rooms.)  I popped a sleeping pill and slept with earplugs and an eye mask. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Thankfully, no funny business to report. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>So there you hae it.  Jerome Ghosthunter #2 has seen and smelled dead people. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I introduce to you Christy Jo who posed for a photo with a Mexican ghost. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ghosthunter #3 is none other than the lovely and talented Rebecca aka Becky Jo (her actual birthname which she legally changed, god bless her).  Becky Jo sees dead peeps frequently.  IN HER CURRENT ABODE!!!!  Now, this is one of the most intelligent and \"together\" women I know.  i.e. She\'s not a looney tune. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Becky Jo routinely encounters a guy in a 70s tuxedo sitting on her stairs.  This isn\'t an actual photo, but I once posted this to her Facebook wall to freak her out. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ghosthunter #4 is Sarah, our token Paranormal Virgin.  She is a valuable asset to our team, as she doesn\'t have \"the sense\".  So, if something happens to Sarah, then we are all officially ghost magnets.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p> With our good looks and personalities, we will surely sign on for our own TV show. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>On Saturday, we start this escapade fully equipped. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I am not making this up:  Apple has a ghosthunting app. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>???</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Becky Jo has already installed it on her iPhone, and Christy Jo has back-up on the iPad.   </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">From an actual email correspondence between Christy Jo and Michelle:</span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  Apparently there is a spirit in my house. According to the iPad app ,it just said my brother’s name, Marc. This thing is creeping me out!</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!  I don\'t want that thing near my house!!  :-)</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  According to Yahoo, EMF meters or any other devices really don’t work. Electromagnetic fields are everywhere and are not good indicators of paranormal activity. “Serious investigators do not use gadgets,” one website says. “Most often they use Patron.”</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  I have heard that as well. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">Countdown:  3 days until the Ghosthunting begins!  </span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','inherit','open','open','','1933-revision-8','','','2010-11-16 22:11:18','2010-11-17 05:11:18','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1933-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(1950,1,'2010-11-16 22:20:22','2010-11-17 05:20:22','<p><a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1945\" title=\"hallway_3\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hallway_3-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places in America.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they were all crazy enough to accept.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Haunted Destination:  <a href=\"http://www.jeromegrandhotel.net/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Jerome Grand Hotel</strong></a> in Jerome, Arizona. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">\"What makes the Jerome Grand Hotel a worthwhile place to stay, is the fact that this is probably one of the most active haunted locations in the world,\" according to ghostlyfavorites.com. \"Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it is a quite popular destination for amateur ghost hunters.\"</span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>If you go to the hotel website, <a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>you will find photos of misty orbs, ghosts, and even ectoplasm</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ectoplasm???</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>That was the slime in <em>Ghostbusters</em>, right? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">3 of us have seen dead people before.  1 of us is a paranormal virgin.</span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Which is why I needed to use this \"blog day\" to share some backstory. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I lived in a haunted house in New York when I was in 1st and 2nd grade.  I was old enough to etch a very vivid image into my memory banks.  And what was that image, you are wondering?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The ghost of Mr. Santos.  Although it certainly wasn\'t the traditional image of a ghostly white apparition. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>One summer night my sister and I were sent to bed early for being naughty.  Since this was New York, at 7:30 ish, it was still light outside. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I were talking as I layed on my side and stared out to the hallway.  I saw a shadow of a man wearing what I now know as a fedora hat on the hallway wall.  I felt no fear at the time.  I simply called out, \"Daddy?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mom was downstairs dusting and yelled up, \"Go to sleep!  Your dad is outside cleaning the pool.\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The shadow then moved away.  In my child\'s mind, I believed that it was my father\'s shadow.  Which I now know is an impossibility, as shadows are not cast up two stories and baseball caps are not magically transformed into fedora hats. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>It wasn\'t until we moved to Houston that I learned the identity of the shadow.</strong></span> </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My cousins were visiting, and they were talking in hushed tones with my mother. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Mary Elizabeth swore up, down and sideways that she heard the broken player piano play in the basement every time she babysat and entered the kitchen alone to fetch us popcorn and Cokes.  She quickly discovered that when my sister or I went into kitchen with her, the piano did not play.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I distinctly remember Mary Elizabeth asking us to go into the kitchen with her to get the popcorn.  I distinctly remember her resorting to \"if you don\'t come with me, you don\'t get anymore popcorn\".</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now I started to feel scared.  I told my cousins and my mother about the shadow.  (I was in 4th grade by this time.)  I also told them about the Wednesdays. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Wednesdays, my mother wasn\'t always home from her bowling league when the school bus dropped us off.  My friends, Dorothy and Theresa, would wait at the end of my driveway while I knocked on my front door.  If my mom were home, I would wave goodbye to them.  If mom wasn\'t home, I would walk around the corner with them and stay at Dorothy\'s house. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>EVERY time my mother wasn\'t home yet, I would return to them in the driveway while they asked, \"Why did you come back?  Your uncle waved at us from the upstairs window.\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My Uncle Johnny lived in MANHATTAN, and this was Mineola -- a small village on Long Island!!! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mother experienced run of the mill ghostly stuff.  Jewelry winding up in different areas of the house.  A ghost sitting on the bed at night when she was home all alone. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Yep.  My mom was in bed reading a book at bedtime when the mattress creaked and an indentation as though someone was sitting there appeared. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Holy Sh#%&amp;balls!!!!  </strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I personally would have grabbed the nearest crucifix and fled from the house screaming like a bat out of hell.  My mother, however, preferred the horror movie route.  She stayed in the house and addressed the ghost. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Mr. Santos (she previously found out that he died in the house from a heart attack), I know that you are not tring to scare us.  You are just watching over us.  My mother, Alice, knew you from the Portuguese American Club and always spoke very fondly of you.  (My mother has always had a tendency to go on and on and on...) But I am scared, Mr. Santos.  And I need you to go to the light.  We\'re o.k.  You don\'t need to watch over us anymore.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The indentation disappeared.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And nothing ghostly happened after that.   </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Until Mom and I found ourselves shopping in Spring, TX circa 2005.  In Spring, quaint old homes are converted into quaint shops filled with knickknacks.  In an effort to escape the clutter of one such shop, I traveled upstairs where the bathrooms and bedrooms displayed lines, vintage clothing, and the like.  Everything was fine until I entered a bedroom where I immediately became dizzy and nauseated.  There was also a terrible musty smell and the feeling of intense \"energy\".  I escaped the room gasping, \"Mom?!  Dad?!\"  I was 36 years-old and crying out for my mom and dad. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Mom and Dad were climbing the stairs at that point and asked what was wrong.  I threw out a nonchalant, \"Oh, nothing.  I just think that this place might be haunted.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Michelle, don\'t be ridiculous!  This is a lovely shop!  Larry, look at these linens.  Aren\'t they gorgeous?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mother then entered THE ROOM.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"LARRY!!!!  Oh, my god!  I feel so sick.  I feel like I\'m going to pass out!  I\'m so dizzy!!!  THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED!!!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I always rise to the chance to egg my mother on, so I sacrificed myself to reenter the room as she exited. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"MICHELLE!!!!  GET OUT OF THERE!!!  WHAT\'S THE MATTER WITH YOU???  LARRY, TELL HER TO GET OUT OF THERE!!!\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Michelle, why are you purposely upsetting your mother?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Do you turn into a 5 year-old when you return home for visits?  heh heh heh</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The joke turned out to be on me when I felt even sicker the 2nd time around. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anywho, as were leaving the shop, my mother said, \"Wait a minute\".  She went back in and marched up to the counter.  She used her calmest, sweetest voice to ask the shopkeeper, \"Excuse me, but is this place haunted?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Did you SEE her?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And that\'s when we were told of the resident ghost who of the teenager who died in the upstairs bedroom.  Since teens didn\'t have much in the way of entertainment back in the homestead days, they jumped off the barn roofs for kicks. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I don\'t remember her name, so let\'s say \"Lucy\" broke her leg and convalesced in the upstairs bedroom where she died of gangrene.  Thus the incredible stench that made mom and I want to puke. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And then there was the time when I entered the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver.  While setting my suitcases on the bed, I had a sense.  A 6th sense.  Nothing perceptable, but I wasn\'t about to tolerate any funny business.  Like a crazy women, I announced out loud, \"I don\'t want to see you.  I don\'t want to smell you.  I don\'t want any part of you.  STAY AWAY.  GO TO THE BLOODY LIGHT!!!!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>A friend picked me up for dinner, and on the drive back to the hotel, I asked, \"Can I ask you a crazy question?  Is the Sylvia Hotel haunted?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My friend burst out laughing.  \"Why of course, Michelle!!!  That\'s why people stay there!  They hope to experience something!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He slept in the other room that night.  (It was a weird little hotel room comprised of 3 separate rooms.)  I popped a sleeping pill and slept with earplugs and an eye mask. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Thankfully, no funny business to report. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>So there you hae it.  Jerome Ghosthunter #2 has seen and smelled dead people. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I introduce to you Christy Jo who posed for a photo with a Mexican ghost.  If you look closely, you\'ll see the bottom of his face including his moustache!!!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1948\" title=\"mexicanghost\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp\" alt=\"\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ghosthunter #3 is none other than the lovely and talented Rebecca aka Becky Jo (her actual birthname which she legally changed, god bless her).  Becky Jo sees dead peeps frequently.  IN HER CURRENT ABODE!!!!  Now, this is one of the most intelligent and \"together\" women I know.  i.e. She\'s not a looney tune. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Becky Jo routinely encounters a guy in a 70s tuxedo sitting on her stairs.  This isn\'t an actual photo, but I once posted this to her Facebook wall to freak her out. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://arniesvintagecostumers.com\"><img title=\"bluetux\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bluetux-129x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"129\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ghosthunter #4 is Sarah, our token Paranormal Virgin.  She is a valuable asset to our team, as she doesn\'t have \"the sense\".  So, if something happens to Sarah, then we are all officially ghost magnets.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p> With our good looks and personalities, we will surely sign on for our own TV show. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Saturday, we start this escapade fully equipped. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I am not making this up:  Apple has a ghosthunting app. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>???</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Becky Jo has already installed it on her iPhone, and Christy Jo has back-up on the iPad.   </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">From an actual email correspondence between Christy Jo and Michelle:</span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  Apparently there is a spirit in my house. According to the iPad app ,it just said my brother’s name, Marc. This thing is creeping me out!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!  I don\'t want that thing near my house!!  :-)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  According to Yahoo, EMF meters or any other devices really don’t work. Electromagnetic fields are everywhere and are not good indicators of paranormal activity. “Serious investigators do not use gadgets,” one website says. “Most often they use Patron.”</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  I have heard that as well. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">Countdown:  3 days until the Ghosthunting begins!  </span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','inherit','open','open','','1933-revision-9','','','2010-11-16 22:20:22','2010-11-17 05:20:22','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1933-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(1951,1,'2010-11-16 22:20:24','2010-11-17 05:20:24','<p><a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1945\" title=\"hallway_3\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hallway_3-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places in America.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they were all crazy enough to accept.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Haunted Destination:  <a href=\"http://www.jeromegrandhotel.net/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Jerome Grand Hotel</strong></a> in Jerome, Arizona. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">\"What makes the Jerome Grand Hotel a worthwhile place to stay, is the fact that this is probably one of the most active haunted locations in the world,\" according to ghostlyfavorites.com. \"Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it is a quite popular destination for amateur ghost hunters.\"</span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>If you go to the hotel website, <a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>you will find photos of misty orbs, ghosts, and even ectoplasm</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ectoplasm???</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>That was the slime in <em>Ghostbusters</em>, right? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">3 of us have seen dead people before.  1 of us is a paranormal virgin.</span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Which is why I needed to use this \"blog day\" to share some backstory. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I lived in a haunted house in New York when I was in 1st and 2nd grade.  I was old enough to etch a very vivid image into my memory banks.  And what was that image, you are wondering?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The ghost of Mr. Santos.  Although it certainly wasn\'t the traditional image of a ghostly white apparition. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>One summer night my sister and I were sent to bed early for being naughty.  Since this was New York, at 7:30 ish, it was still light outside. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I were talking as I layed on my side and stared out to the hallway.  I saw a shadow of a man wearing what I now know as a fedora hat on the hallway wall.  I felt no fear at the time.  I simply called out, \"Daddy?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mom was downstairs dusting and yelled up, \"Go to sleep!  Your dad is outside cleaning the pool.\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The shadow then moved away.  In my child\'s mind, I believed that it was my father\'s shadow.  Which I now know is an impossibility, as shadows are not cast up two stories and baseball caps are not magically transformed into fedora hats. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>It wasn\'t until we moved to Houston that I learned the identity of the shadow.</strong></span> </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My cousins were visiting, and they were talking in hushed tones with my mother. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Mary Elizabeth swore up, down and sideways that she heard the broken player piano play in the basement every time she babysat and entered the kitchen alone to fetch us popcorn and Cokes.  She quickly discovered that when my sister or I went into kitchen with her, the piano did not play.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I distinctly remember Mary Elizabeth asking us to go into the kitchen with her to get the popcorn.  I distinctly remember her resorting to \"if you don\'t come with me, you don\'t get anymore popcorn\".</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now I started to feel scared.  I told my cousins and my mother about the shadow.  (I was in 4th grade by this time.)  I also told them about the Wednesdays. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Wednesdays, my mother wasn\'t always home from her bowling league when the school bus dropped us off.  My friends, Dorothy and Theresa, would wait at the end of my driveway while I knocked on my front door.  If my mom were home, I would wave goodbye to them.  If mom wasn\'t home, I would walk around the corner with them and stay at Dorothy\'s house. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>EVERY time my mother wasn\'t home yet, I would return to them in the driveway while they asked, \"Why did you come back?  Your uncle waved at us from the upstairs window.\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My Uncle Johnny lived in MANHATTAN, and this was Mineola -- a small village on Long Island!!! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mother experienced run of the mill ghostly stuff.  Jewelry winding up in different areas of the house.  A ghost sitting on the bed at night when she was home all alone. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Yep.  My mom was in bed reading a book at bedtime when the mattress creaked and an indentation as though someone was sitting there appeared. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Holy Sh#%&amp;balls!!!!  </strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I personally would have grabbed the nearest crucifix and fled from the house screaming like a bat out of hell.  My mother, however, preferred the horror movie route.  She stayed in the house and addressed the ghost. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Mr. Santos (she previously found out that he died in the house from a heart attack), I know that you are not tring to scare us.  You are just watching over us.  My mother, Alice, knew you from the Portuguese American Club and always spoke very fondly of you.  (My mother has always had a tendency to go on and on and on...) But I am scared, Mr. Santos.  And I need you to go to the light.  We\'re o.k.  You don\'t need to watch over us anymore.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The indentation disappeared.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And nothing ghostly happened after that.   </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Until Mom and I found ourselves shopping in Spring, TX circa 2005.  In Spring, quaint old homes are converted into quaint shops filled with knickknacks.  In an effort to escape the clutter of one such shop, I traveled upstairs where the bathrooms and bedrooms displayed lines, vintage clothing, and the like.  Everything was fine until I entered a bedroom where I immediately became dizzy and nauseated.  There was also a terrible musty smell and the feeling of intense \"energy\".  I escaped the room gasping, \"Mom?!  Dad?!\"  I was 36 years-old and crying out for my mom and dad. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Mom and Dad were climbing the stairs at that point and asked what was wrong.  I threw out a nonchalant, \"Oh, nothing.  I just think that this place might be haunted.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Michelle, don\'t be ridiculous!  This is a lovely shop!  Larry, look at these linens.  Aren\'t they gorgeous?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mother then entered THE ROOM.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"LARRY!!!!  Oh, my god!  I feel so sick.  I feel like I\'m going to pass out!  I\'m so dizzy!!!  THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED!!!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I always rise to the chance to egg my mother on, so I sacrificed myself to reenter the room as she exited. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"MICHELLE!!!!  GET OUT OF THERE!!!  WHAT\'S THE MATTER WITH YOU???  LARRY, TELL HER TO GET OUT OF THERE!!!\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Michelle, why are you purposely upsetting your mother?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Do you turn into a 5 year-old when you return home for visits?  heh heh heh</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The joke turned out to be on me when I felt even sicker the 2nd time around. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anywho, as were leaving the shop, my mother said, \"Wait a minute\".  She went back in and marched up to the counter.  She used her calmest, sweetest voice to ask the shopkeeper, \"Excuse me, but is this place haunted?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Did you SEE her?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And that\'s when we were told of the resident ghost who of the teenager who died in the upstairs bedroom.  Since teens didn\'t have much in the way of entertainment back in the homestead days, they jumped off the barn roofs for kicks. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I don\'t remember her name, so let\'s say \"Lucy\" broke her leg and convalesced in the upstairs bedroom where she died of gangrene.  Thus the incredible stench that made mom and I want to puke. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And then there was the time when I entered the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver.  While setting my suitcases on the bed, I had a sense.  A 6th sense.  Nothing perceptable, but I wasn\'t about to tolerate any funny business.  Like a crazy women, I announced out loud, \"I don\'t want to see you.  I don\'t want to smell you.  I don\'t want any part of you.  STAY AWAY.  GO TO THE BLOODY LIGHT!!!!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>A friend picked me up for dinner, and on the drive back to the hotel, I asked, \"Can I ask you a crazy question?  Is the Sylvia Hotel haunted?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My friend burst out laughing.  \"Why of course, Michelle!!!  That\'s why people stay there!  They hope to experience something!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He slept in the other room that night.  (It was a weird little hotel room comprised of 3 separate rooms.)  I popped a sleeping pill and slept with earplugs and an eye mask. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Thankfully, no funny business to report. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>So there you hae it.  Jerome Ghosthunter #2 has seen and smelled dead people. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I introduce to you Christy Jo who posed for a photo with a Mexican ghost.  If you look closely, you\'ll see the bottom of his face including his moustache!!!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1948\" title=\"mexicanghost\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp\" alt=\"\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ghosthunter #3 is none other than the lovely and talented Rebecca aka Becky Jo (her actual birthname which she legally changed, god bless her).  Becky Jo sees dead peeps frequently.  IN HER CURRENT ABODE!!!!  Now, this is one of the most intelligent and \"together\" women I know.  i.e. She\'s not a looney tune. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Becky Jo routinely encounters a guy in a 70s tuxedo sitting on her stairs.  This isn\'t an actual photo, but I once posted this to her Facebook wall to freak her out. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://arniesvintagecostumers.com\"><img title=\"bluetux\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bluetux-129x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"129\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ghosthunter #4 is Sarah, our token Paranormal Virgin.  She is a valuable asset to our team, as she doesn\'t have \"the sense\".  So, if something happens to Sarah, then we are all officially ghost magnets.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p> With our good looks and personalities, we will surely sign on for our own TV show. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Saturday, we start this escapade fully equipped. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I am not making this up:  Apple has a ghosthunting app. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>???</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Becky Jo has already installed it on her iPhone, and Christy Jo has back-up on the iPad.   </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">From an actual email correspondence between Christy Jo and Michelle:</span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  Apparently there is a spirit in my house. According to the iPad app ,it just said my brother’s name, Marc. This thing is creeping me out!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!  I don\'t want that thing near my house!!  :-)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  According to Yahoo, EMF meters or any other devices really don’t work. Electromagnetic fields are everywhere and are not good indicators of paranormal activity. “Serious investigators do not use gadgets,” one website says. “Most often they use Patron.”</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  I have heard that as well. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">Countdown:  3 days until the Ghosthunting begins!  </span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','inherit','open','open','','1933-revision-10','','','2010-11-16 22:20:24','2010-11-17 05:20:24','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1933-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(1952,1,'2010-11-16 22:21:14','2010-11-17 05:21:14','<p><a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1945\" title=\"hallway_3\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hallway_3-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places in America.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they were all crazy enough to accept.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Haunted Destination:  <a href=\"http://www.jeromegrandhotel.net/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Jerome Grand Hotel</strong></a> in Jerome, Arizona. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">\"What makes the Jerome Grand Hotel a worthwhile place to stay, is the fact that this is probably one of the most active haunted locations in the world,\" according to ghostlyfavorites.com. \"Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it is a quite popular destination for amateur ghost hunters.\"</span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>If you go to the hotel website, <a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>you will find photos of misty orbs, ghosts, and even ectoplasm</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ectoplasm???</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>That was the slime in <em>Ghostbusters</em>, right? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">3 of us have seen dead people before.  1 of us is a paranormal virgin.</span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Which is why I needed to use this \"blog day\" to share some backstory. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I lived in a haunted house in New York when I was in 1st and 2nd grade.  I was old enough to etch a very vivid image into my memory banks.  And what was that image, you are wondering?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The ghost of Mr. Santos.  Although it certainly wasn\'t the traditional image of a ghostly white apparition. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>One summer night my sister and I were sent to bed early for being naughty.  Since this was New York, at 7:30 ish, it was still light outside. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I were talking as I layed on my side and stared out to the hallway.  I saw a shadow of a man wearing what I now know as a fedora hat on the hallway wall.  I felt no fear at the time.  I simply called out, \"Daddy?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mom was downstairs dusting and yelled up, \"Go to sleep!  Your dad is outside cleaning the pool.\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The shadow then moved away.  In my child\'s mind, I believed that it was my father\'s shadow.  Which I now know is an impossibility, as shadows are not cast up two stories and baseball caps are not magically transformed into fedora hats. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>It wasn\'t until we moved to Houston that I learned the identity of the shadow.</strong></span> </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My cousins were visiting, and they were talking in hushed tones with my mother. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Mary Elizabeth swore up, down and sideways that she heard the broken player piano play in the basement every time she babysat and entered the kitchen alone to fetch us popcorn and Cokes.  She quickly discovered that when my sister or I went into kitchen with her, the piano did not play.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I distinctly remember Mary Elizabeth asking us to go into the kitchen with her to get the popcorn.  I distinctly remember her resorting to \"if you don\'t come with me, you don\'t get anymore popcorn\".</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now I started to feel scared.  I told my cousins and my mother about the shadow.  (I was in 4th grade by this time.)  I also told them about the Wednesdays. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Wednesdays, my mother wasn\'t always home from her bowling league when the school bus dropped us off.  My friends, Dorothy and Theresa, would wait at the end of my driveway while I knocked on my front door.  If my mom were home, I would wave goodbye to them.  If mom wasn\'t home, I would walk around the corner with them and stay at Dorothy\'s house. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>EVERY time my mother wasn\'t home yet, I would return to them in the driveway while they asked, \"Why did you come back?  Your uncle waved at us from the upstairs window.\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My Uncle Johnny lived in MANHATTAN, and this was Mineola -- a small village on Long Island!!! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mother experienced run of the mill ghostly stuff.  Jewelry winding up in different areas of the house.  A ghost sitting on the bed at night when she was home all alone. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Yep.  My mom was in bed reading a book at bedtime when the mattress creaked and an indentation as though someone was sitting there appeared. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Holy Sh#%&amp;balls!!!!  </strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I personally would have grabbed the nearest crucifix and fled from the house screaming like a bat out of hell.  My mother, however, preferred the horror movie route.  She stayed in the house and addressed the ghost. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Mr. Santos (she previously found out that he died in the house from a heart attack), I know that you are not tring to scare us.  You are just watching over us.  My mother, Alice, knew you from the Portuguese American Club and always spoke very fondly of you.  (My mother has always had a tendency to go on and on and on...) But I am scared, Mr. Santos.  And I need you to go to the light.  We\'re o.k.  You don\'t need to watch over us anymore.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The indentation disappeared.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And nothing ghostly happened after that.   </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Until Mom and I found ourselves shopping in Spring, TX circa 2005.  In Spring, quaint old homes are converted into quaint shops filled with knickknacks.  In an effort to escape the clutter of one such shop, I traveled upstairs where the bathrooms and bedrooms displayed lines, vintage clothing, and the like.  Everything was fine until I entered a bedroom where I immediately became dizzy and nauseated.  There was also a terrible musty smell and the feeling of intense \"energy\".  I escaped the room gasping, \"Mom?!  Dad?!\"  I was 36 years-old and crying out for my mom and dad. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Mom and Dad were climbing the stairs at that point and asked what was wrong.  I threw out a nonchalant, \"Oh, nothing.  I just think that this place might be haunted.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Michelle, don\'t be ridiculous!  This is a lovely shop!  Larry, look at these linens.  Aren\'t they gorgeous?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mother then entered THE ROOM.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"LARRY!!!!  Oh, my god!  I feel so sick.  I feel like I\'m going to pass out!  I\'m so dizzy!!!  THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED!!!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I always rise to the chance to egg my mother on, so I sacrificed myself to reenter the room as she exited. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"MICHELLE!!!!  GET OUT OF THERE!!!  WHAT\'S THE MATTER WITH YOU???  LARRY, TELL HER TO GET OUT OF THERE!!!\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Michelle, why are you purposely upsetting your mother?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Do you turn into a 5 year-old when you return home for visits?  heh heh heh</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The joke turned out to be on me when I felt even sicker the 2nd time around. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anywho, as were leaving the shop, my mother said, \"Wait a minute\".  She went back in and marched up to the counter.  She used her calmest, sweetest voice to ask the shopkeeper, \"Excuse me, but is this place haunted?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Did you SEE her?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And that\'s when we were told of the resident ghost who of the teenager who died in the upstairs bedroom.  Since teens didn\'t have much in the way of entertainment back in the homestead days, they jumped off the barn roofs for kicks. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I don\'t remember her name, so let\'s say \"Lucy\" broke her leg and convalesced in the upstairs bedroom where she died of gangrene.  Thus the incredible stench that made mom and I want to puke. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And then there was the time when I entered the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver.  While setting my suitcases on the bed, I had a sense.  A 6th sense.  Nothing perceptable, but I wasn\'t about to tolerate any funny business.  Like a crazy women, I announced out loud, \"I don\'t want to see you.  I don\'t want to smell you.  I don\'t want any part of you.  STAY AWAY.  GO TO THE BLOODY LIGHT!!!!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>A friend picked me up for dinner, and on the drive back to the hotel, I asked, \"Can I ask you a crazy question?  Is the Sylvia Hotel haunted?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My friend burst out laughing.  \"Why of course, Michelle!!!  That\'s why people stay there!  They hope to experience something!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He slept in the other room that night.  (It was a weird little hotel room comprised of 3 separate rooms.)  I popped a sleeping pill and slept with earplugs and an eye mask. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Thankfully, no funny business to report. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>So there you hae it.  Jerome Ghosthunter #2 has seen and smelled dead people. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I introduce to you Christy Jo who posed for a photo with a Mexican ghost.  If you look closely, you\'ll see the bottom of his face including his moustache!!!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1948\" title=\"mexicanghost\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp\" alt=\"\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ghosthunter #3 is none other than the lovely and talented Rebecca aka Becky Jo (her actual birthname which she legally changed, god bless her).  Becky Jo sees dead peeps frequently.  IN HER CURRENT ABODE!!!!  Now, this is one of the most intelligent and \"together\" women I know.  i.e. She\'s not a looney tune. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Becky Jo routinely encounters a guy in a 70s tuxedo sitting on her stairs.  This isn\'t an actual photo, but I once posted this to her Facebook wall to freak her out. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://arniesvintagecostumers.com\"><img title=\"bluetux\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bluetux-129x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"129\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ghosthunter #4 is Sarah, our token Paranormal Virgin.  She is a valuable asset to our team, as she doesn\'t have \"the sense\".  So, if something happens to Sarah, then we are all officially ghost magnets.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p> With our good looks and personalities, we will surely sign on for our own TV show. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Saturday, we start this escapade fully equipped. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I am not making this up:  Apple has a ghosthunting app. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>???</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Becky Jo has already installed it on her iPhone, and Christy Jo has back-up on the iPad.   </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">From an actual email correspondence between Christy Jo and Michelle:</span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  Apparently there is a spirit in my house. According to the iPad app ,it just said my brother’s name, Marc. This thing is creeping me out!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!  I don\'t want that thing near my house!!  :-)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  According to Yahoo, EMF meters or any other devices really don’t work. Electromagnetic fields are everywhere and are not good indicators of paranormal activity. “Serious investigators do not use gadgets,” one website says. “Most often they use Patron.”</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  I have heard that as well. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">Countdown:  3 days until the Ghosthunting begins!  </span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','inherit','open','open','','1933-revision-11','','','2010-11-16 22:21:14','2010-11-17 05:21:14','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1933-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(1953,1,'2010-11-16 22:22:07','2010-11-17 05:22:07','<p><a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1945\" title=\"hallway_3\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hallway_3-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places on the planet.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they were all crazy enough to accept.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Haunted Destination:  <a href=\"http://www.jeromegrandhotel.net/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Jerome Grand Hotel</strong></a> in Jerome, Arizona. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">\"What makes the Jerome Grand Hotel a worthwhile place to stay, is the fact that this is probably one of the most active haunted locations in the world,\" according to ghostlyfavorites.com. \"Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it is a quite popular destination for amateur ghost hunters.\"</span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>If you go to the hotel website, <a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>you will find photos of misty orbs, ghosts, and even ectoplasm</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ectoplasm???</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>That was the slime in <em>Ghostbusters</em>, right? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">3 of us have seen dead people before.  1 of us is a paranormal virgin.</span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Which is why I needed to use this \"blog day\" to share some backstory. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I lived in a haunted house in New York when I was in 1st and 2nd grade.  I was old enough to etch a very vivid image into my memory banks.  And what was that image, you are wondering?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The ghost of Mr. Santos.  Although it certainly wasn\'t the traditional image of a ghostly white apparition. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>One summer night my sister and I were sent to bed early for being naughty.  Since this was New York, at 7:30 ish, it was still light outside. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I were talking as I layed on my side and stared out to the hallway.  I saw a shadow of a man wearing what I now know as a fedora hat on the hallway wall.  I felt no fear at the time.  I simply called out, \"Daddy?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mom was downstairs dusting and yelled up, \"Go to sleep!  Your dad is outside cleaning the pool.\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The shadow then moved away.  In my child\'s mind, I believed that it was my father\'s shadow.  Which I now know is an impossibility, as shadows are not cast up two stories and baseball caps are not magically transformed into fedora hats. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>It wasn\'t until we moved to Houston that I learned the identity of the shadow.</strong></span> </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My cousins were visiting, and they were talking in hushed tones with my mother. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Mary Elizabeth swore up, down and sideways that she heard the broken player piano play in the basement every time she babysat and entered the kitchen alone to fetch us popcorn and Cokes.  She quickly discovered that when my sister or I went into kitchen with her, the piano did not play.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I distinctly remember Mary Elizabeth asking us to go into the kitchen with her to get the popcorn.  I distinctly remember her resorting to \"if you don\'t come with me, you don\'t get anymore popcorn\".</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now I started to feel scared.  I told my cousins and my mother about the shadow.  (I was in 4th grade by this time.)  I also told them about the Wednesdays. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Wednesdays, my mother wasn\'t always home from her bowling league when the school bus dropped us off.  My friends, Dorothy and Theresa, would wait at the end of my driveway while I knocked on my front door.  If my mom were home, I would wave goodbye to them.  If mom wasn\'t home, I would walk around the corner with them and stay at Dorothy\'s house. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>EVERY time my mother wasn\'t home yet, I would return to them in the driveway while they asked, \"Why did you come back?  Your uncle waved at us from the upstairs window.\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My Uncle Johnny lived in MANHATTAN, and this was Mineola -- a small village on Long Island!!! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mother experienced run of the mill ghostly stuff.  Jewelry winding up in different areas of the house.  A ghost sitting on the bed at night when she was home all alone. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Yep.  My mom was in bed reading a book at bedtime when the mattress creaked and an indentation as though someone was sitting there appeared. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Holy Sh#%&amp;balls!!!!  </strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I personally would have grabbed the nearest crucifix and fled from the house screaming like a bat out of hell.  My mother, however, preferred the horror movie route.  She stayed in the house and addressed the ghost. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Mr. Santos (she previously found out that he died in the house from a heart attack), I know that you are not tring to scare us.  You are just watching over us.  My mother, Alice, knew you from the Portuguese American Club and always spoke very fondly of you.  (My mother has always had a tendency to go on and on and on...) But I am scared, Mr. Santos.  And I need you to go to the light.  We\'re o.k.  You don\'t need to watch over us anymore.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The indentation disappeared.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And nothing ghostly happened after that.   </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Until Mom and I found ourselves shopping in Spring, TX circa 2005.  In Spring, quaint old homes are converted into quaint shops filled with knickknacks.  In an effort to escape the clutter of one such shop, I traveled upstairs where the bathrooms and bedrooms displayed lines, vintage clothing, and the like.  Everything was fine until I entered a bedroom where I immediately became dizzy and nauseated.  There was also a terrible musty smell and the feeling of intense \"energy\".  I escaped the room gasping, \"Mom?!  Dad?!\"  I was 36 years-old and crying out for my mom and dad. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Mom and Dad were climbing the stairs at that point and asked what was wrong.  I threw out a nonchalant, \"Oh, nothing.  I just think that this place might be haunted.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Michelle, don\'t be ridiculous!  This is a lovely shop!  Larry, look at these linens.  Aren\'t they gorgeous?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mother then entered THE ROOM.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"LARRY!!!!  Oh, my god!  I feel so sick.  I feel like I\'m going to pass out!  I\'m so dizzy!!!  THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED!!!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I always rise to the chance to egg my mother on, so I sacrificed myself to reenter the room as she exited. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"MICHELLE!!!!  GET OUT OF THERE!!!  WHAT\'S THE MATTER WITH YOU???  LARRY, TELL HER TO GET OUT OF THERE!!!\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Michelle, why are you purposely upsetting your mother?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Do you turn into a 5 year-old when you return home for visits?  heh heh heh</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The joke turned out to be on me when I felt even sicker the 2nd time around. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anywho, as were leaving the shop, my mother said, \"Wait a minute\".  She went back in and marched up to the counter.  She used her calmest, sweetest voice to ask the shopkeeper, \"Excuse me, but is this place haunted?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Did you SEE her?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And that\'s when we were told of the resident ghost who of the teenager who died in the upstairs bedroom.  Since teens didn\'t have much in the way of entertainment back in the homestead days, they jumped off the barn roofs for kicks. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I don\'t remember her name, so let\'s say \"Lucy\" broke her leg and convalesced in the upstairs bedroom where she died of gangrene.  Thus the incredible stench that made mom and I want to puke. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And then there was the time when I entered the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver.  While setting my suitcases on the bed, I had a sense.  A 6th sense.  Nothing perceptable, but I wasn\'t about to tolerate any funny business.  Like a crazy women, I announced out loud, \"I don\'t want to see you.  I don\'t want to smell you.  I don\'t want any part of you.  STAY AWAY.  GO TO THE BLOODY LIGHT!!!!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>A friend picked me up for dinner, and on the drive back to the hotel, I asked, \"Can I ask you a crazy question?  Is the Sylvia Hotel haunted?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My friend burst out laughing.  \"Why of course, Michelle!!!  That\'s why people stay there!  They hope to experience something!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He slept in the other room that night.  (It was a weird little hotel room comprised of 3 separate rooms.)  I popped a sleeping pill and slept with earplugs and an eye mask. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Thankfully, no funny business to report. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>So there you hae it.  Jerome Ghosthunter #2 has seen and smelled dead people. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I introduce to you Christy Jo who posed for a photo with a Mexican ghost.  If you look closely, you\'ll see the bottom of his face including his moustache!!!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1948\" title=\"mexicanghost\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp\" alt=\"\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ghosthunter #3 is none other than the lovely and talented Rebecca aka Becky Jo (her actual birthname which she legally changed, god bless her).  Becky Jo sees dead peeps frequently.  IN HER CURRENT ABODE!!!!  Now, this is one of the most intelligent and \"together\" women I know.  i.e. She\'s not a looney tune. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Becky Jo routinely encounters a guy in a 70s tuxedo sitting on her stairs.  This isn\'t an actual photo, but I once posted this to her Facebook wall to freak her out. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://arniesvintagecostumers.com\"><img title=\"bluetux\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bluetux-129x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"129\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ghosthunter #4 is Sarah, our token Paranormal Virgin.  She is a valuable asset to our team, as she doesn\'t have \"the sense\".  So, if something happens to Sarah, then we are all officially ghost magnets.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p> With our good looks and personalities, we will surely sign on for our own TV show. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Saturday, we start this escapade fully equipped. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I am not making this up:  Apple has a ghosthunting app. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>???</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Becky Jo has already installed it on her iPhone, and Christy Jo has back-up on the iPad.   </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">From an actual email correspondence between Christy Jo and Michelle:</span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  Apparently there is a spirit in my house. According to the iPad app ,it just said my brother’s name, Marc. This thing is creeping me out!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!  I don\'t want that thing near my house!!  :-)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  According to Yahoo, EMF meters or any other devices really don’t work. Electromagnetic fields are everywhere and are not good indicators of paranormal activity. “Serious investigators do not use gadgets,” one website says. “Most often they use Patron.”</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  I have heard that as well. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">Countdown:  3 days until the Ghosthunting begins!  </span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','inherit','open','open','','1933-revision-12','','','2010-11-16 22:22:07','2010-11-17 05:22:07','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1933-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(1955,1,'2010-11-16 22:24:48','2010-11-17 05:24:48','<p><a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1945\" title=\"hallway_3\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hallway_3-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places on the planet.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they were all crazy enough to accept.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Haunted Destination:  <a href=\"http://www.jeromegrandhotel.net/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Jerome Grand Hotel</strong></a> in Jerome, Arizona. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">\"What makes the Jerome Grand Hotel a worthwhile place to stay, is the fact that this is probably one of the most active haunted locations in the world,\" according to ghostlyfavorites.com. \"Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it is a quite popular destination for amateur ghost hunters.\"</span></strong></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>If you go to the hotel website, <a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>you will find photos of misty orbs, ghosts, and even ectoplasm</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>Ectoplasm???</strong></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>That was the slime in <em>Ghostbusters</em>, right? </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">3 of us have seen dead people before.  1 of us is a paranormal virgin.</span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Which is why I needed to use this \"blog day\" to share some backstory. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I lived in a haunted house in New York when I was in 1st and 2nd grade.  I was old enough to etch a very vivid image into my memory banks.  And what is that image, you are wondering?</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The ghost of Mr. Santos.  Although it certainly wasn\'t the traditional image of a ghostly white apparition. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>One summer night my sister and I were sent to bed early for being naughty.  Since this was New York, at 7:30 ish, it was still light outside. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I were talking as I layed on my side and stared out to the hallway.  I saw a shadow of a man wearing what I now know as a fedora hat on the hallway wall.  I felt no fear at the time.  I simply called out, \"Daddy?\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mom was downstairs dusting and yelled up, \"Go to sleep!  Your dad is outside cleaning the pool.\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The shadow then moved away.  In my child\'s mind, I believed that it was my father\'s shadow.  Which I now know is an impossibility, as shadows are not cast up two stories and baseball caps are not magically transformed into fedora hats. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>It wasn\'t until we moved to Houston that I learned the identity of the shadow.</strong></span> </span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My cousins were visiting, and they were talking in hushed tones with my mother. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Mary Elizabeth swore up, down and sideways that she heard the broken player piano play in the basement every time she babysat and entered the kitchen alone to fetch us popcorn and Cokes.  She quickly discovered that when my sister or I went into kitchen with her, the piano did not play.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I distinctly remember Mary Elizabeth asking us to go into the kitchen with her to get the popcorn.  I distinctly remember her resorting to \"if you don\'t come with me, you don\'t get anymore popcorn\".</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Now I started to feel scared.  I told my cousins and my mother about the shadow.  (I was in 4th grade by this time.)  I also told them about the Wednesdays. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>On Wednesdays, my mother wasn\'t always home from her bowling league when the school bus dropped us off.  My friends, Dorothy and Theresa, would wait at the end of my driveway while I knocked on my front door.  If my mom were home, I would wave goodbye to them.  If mom wasn\'t home, I would walk around the corner with them and stay at Dorothy\'s house. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>EVERY time my mother wasn\'t home yet, I would return to them in the driveway while they asked, \"Why did you come back?  Your uncle waved at us from the upstairs window.\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My Uncle Johnny lived in MANHATTAN, and this was Mineola -- a small village on Long Island!!! </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mother experienced run of the mill ghostly stuff.  Jewelry winding up in different areas of the house.  A ghost sitting on the bed at night when she was home all alone. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Yep.  My mom was in bed reading a book at bedtime when the mattress creaked and an indentation as though someone was sitting there appeared. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Holy Sh#%&amp;balls!!!!  </strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I personally would have grabbed the nearest crucifix and fled from the house screaming like a bat out of hell.  My mother, however, preferred the horror movie route.  She stayed in the house and addressed the ghost. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Mr. Santos (she previously found out that he died in the house from a heart attack), I know that you are not tring to scare us.  You are just watching over us.  My mother, Alice, knew you from the Portuguese American Club and always spoke very fondly of you.  (My mother has always had a tendency to go on and on and on...) But I am scared, Mr. Santos.  And I need you to go to the light.  We\'re o.k.  You don\'t need to watch over us anymore.\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The indentation disappeared.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And nothing ghostly happened after that.   </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Until Mom and I found ourselves shopping in Spring, TX circa 2005.  In Spring, quaint old homes are converted into quaint shops filled with knickknacks.  In an effort to escape the clutter of one such shop, I traveled upstairs where the bathrooms and bedrooms displayed lines, vintage clothing, and the like.  Everything was fine until I entered a bedroom where I immediately became dizzy and nauseated.  There was also a terrible musty smell and the feeling of intense \"energy\".  I escaped the room gasping, \"Mom?!  Dad?!\"  I was 36 years-old and crying out for my mom and dad. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Mom and Dad were climbing the stairs at that point and asked what was wrong.  I threw out a nonchalant, \"Oh, nothing.  I just think that this place might be haunted.\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Michelle, don\'t be ridiculous!  This is a lovely shop!  Larry, look at these linens.  Aren\'t they gorgeous?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My mother then entered THE ROOM.</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"LARRY!!!!  Oh, my god!  I feel so sick.  I feel like I\'m going to pass out!  I\'m so dizzy!!!  THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED!!!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My sister and I always rise to the chance to egg my mother on, so I sacrificed myself to reenter the room as she exited. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"MICHELLE!!!!  GET OUT OF THERE!!!  WHAT\'S THE MATTER WITH YOU???  LARRY, TELL HER TO GET OUT OF THERE!!!\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Michelle, why are you purposely upsetting your mother?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Do you turn into a 5 year-old when you return home for visits?  heh heh heh</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>The joke turned out to be on me when I felt even sicker the 2nd time around. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Anywho, as were leaving the shop, my mother said, \"Wait a minute\".  She went back in and marched up to the counter.  She used her calmest, sweetest voice to ask the shopkeeper, \"Excuse me, but is this place haunted?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>\"Did you SEE her?\"</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And that\'s when we were told of the resident ghost who of the teenager who died in the upstairs bedroom.  Since teens didn\'t have much in the way of entertainment back in the homestead days, they jumped off the barn roofs for kicks. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I don\'t remember her name, so let\'s say \"Lucy\" broke her leg and convalesced in the upstairs bedroom where she died of gangrene.  Thus the incredible stench that made mom and I want to puke. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>And then there was the time when I entered the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver.  While setting my suitcases on the bed, I had a sense.  A 6th sense.  Nothing perceptable, but I wasn\'t about to tolerate any funny business.  Like a crazy women, I announced out loud, \"I don\'t want to see you.  I don\'t want to smell you.  I don\'t want any part of you.  STAY AWAY.  GO TO THE BLOODY LIGHT!!!!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>A friend picked me up for dinner, and on the drive back to the hotel, I asked, \"Can I ask you a crazy question?  Is the Sylvia Hotel haunted?\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>My friend burst out laughing.  \"Why of course, Michelle!!!  That\'s why people stay there!  They hope to experience something!\" </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>He slept in the other room that night.  (It was a weird little hotel room comprised of 3 separate rooms.)  I popped a sleeping pill and slept with earplugs and an eye mask. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Thankfully, no funny business to report. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>So there you hae it.  Jerome Ghosthunter #2 has seen and smelled dead people. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I introduce to you Christy Jo who posed for a photo with a Mexican ghost.  If you look closely, you\'ll see the bottom of his face including his moustache!!!</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1948\" title=\"mexicanghost\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp\" alt=\"\" /></a></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ghosthunter #3 is none other than the lovely and talented Rebecca aka Becky Jo (her actual birthname which she legally changed, god bless her).  Becky Jo sees dead peeps frequently.  IN HER CURRENT ABODE!!!!  Now, this is one of the most intelligent and \"together\" women I know.  i.e. She\'s not a looney tune. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Becky Jo routinely encounters a guy in a 70s tuxedo sitting on her stairs.  This isn\'t an actual photo, but I once posted this to her Facebook wall to freak her out. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://arniesvintagecostumers.com\"><img title=\"bluetux\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bluetux-129x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"129\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Ghosthunter #4 is Sarah, our token Paranormal Virgin.  She is a valuable asset to our team, as she doesn\'t have \"the sense\".  So, if something happens to Sarah, then we are all officially ghost magnets.  </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p> With our good looks and personalities, we will surely sign on for our own TV show. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>On Saturday, we start this escapade fully equipped. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>I am not making this up:  Apple has a ghosthunting app. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>???</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p>Becky Jo has already installed it on her iPhone, and Christy Jo has back-up on the iPad.   </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">From an actual email correspondence between Christy Jo and Michelle:</span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  Apparently there is a spirit in my house. According to the iPad app ,it just said my brother’s name, Marc. This thing is creeping me out!</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!  I don\'t want that thing near my house!!  :-)</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  According to Yahoo, EMF meters or any other devices really don’t work. Electromagnetic fields are everywhere and are not good indicators of paranormal activity. “Serious investigators do not use gadgets,” one website says. “Most often they use Patron.”</p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  I have heard that as well. </p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">Countdown:  3 days until the Ghosthunting begins!  </span></strong></span></span></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\n\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','inherit','open','open','','1933-revision-14','','','2010-11-16 22:24:48','2010-11-17 05:24:48','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1933-revision-14/',0,'revision','',0),(1954,1,'2010-11-16 22:22:48','2010-11-17 05:22:48','<p><a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1945\" title=\"hallway_3\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hallway_3-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>I have really lost my mind this time. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>This Saturday, I am checking into a hotel known as one of the most haunted places on the planet.  I challenged 3 girlfriends to join me, and they were all crazy enough to accept.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Haunted Destination:  <a href=\"http://www.jeromegrandhotel.net/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Jerome Grand Hotel</strong></a> in Jerome, Arizona. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">\"What makes the Jerome Grand Hotel a worthwhile place to stay, is the fact that this is probably one of the most active haunted locations in the world,\" according to ghostlyfavorites.com. \"Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it is a quite popular destination for amateur ghost hunters.\"</span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>If you go to the hotel website, <a href=\"http://www.jeromeghosthunting.com/Ghost%20Hunt%20Photos.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>you will find photos of misty orbs, ghosts, and even ectoplasm</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Ectoplasm???</strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>That was the slime in <em>Ghostbusters</em>, right? </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">3 of us have seen dead people before.  1 of us is a paranormal virgin.</span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Which is why I needed to use this \"blog day\" to share some backstory. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I lived in a haunted house in New York when I was in 1st and 2nd grade.  I was old enough to etch a very vivid image into my memory banks.  And what was that image, you are wondering?</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The ghost of Mr. Santos.  Although it certainly wasn\'t the traditional image of a ghostly white apparition. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>One summer night my sister and I were sent to bed early for being naughty.  Since this was New York, at 7:30 ish, it was still light outside. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I were talking as I layed on my side and stared out to the hallway.  I saw a shadow of a man wearing what I now know as a fedora hat on the hallway wall.  I felt no fear at the time.  I simply called out, \"Daddy?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mom was downstairs dusting and yelled up, \"Go to sleep!  Your dad is outside cleaning the pool.\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The shadow then moved away.  In my child\'s mind, I believed that it was my father\'s shadow.  Which I now know is an impossibility, as shadows are not cast up two stories and baseball caps are not magically transformed into fedora hats. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>It wasn\'t until we moved to Houston that I learned the identity of the shadow.</strong></span> </span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My cousins were visiting, and they were talking in hushed tones with my mother. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Mary Elizabeth swore up, down and sideways that she heard the broken player piano play in the basement every time she babysat and entered the kitchen alone to fetch us popcorn and Cokes.  She quickly discovered that when my sister or I went into kitchen with her, the piano did not play.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I distinctly remember Mary Elizabeth asking us to go into the kitchen with her to get the popcorn.  I distinctly remember her resorting to \"if you don\'t come with me, you don\'t get anymore popcorn\".</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now I started to feel scared.  I told my cousins and my mother about the shadow.  (I was in 4th grade by this time.)  I also told them about the Wednesdays. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Wednesdays, my mother wasn\'t always home from her bowling league when the school bus dropped us off.  My friends, Dorothy and Theresa, would wait at the end of my driveway while I knocked on my front door.  If my mom were home, I would wave goodbye to them.  If mom wasn\'t home, I would walk around the corner with them and stay at Dorothy\'s house. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>EVERY time my mother wasn\'t home yet, I would return to them in the driveway while they asked, \"Why did you come back?  Your uncle waved at us from the upstairs window.\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My Uncle Johnny lived in MANHATTAN, and this was Mineola -- a small village on Long Island!!! </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mother experienced run of the mill ghostly stuff.  Jewelry winding up in different areas of the house.  A ghost sitting on the bed at night when she was home all alone. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Yep.  My mom was in bed reading a book at bedtime when the mattress creaked and an indentation as though someone was sitting there appeared. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Holy Sh#%&amp;balls!!!!  </strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I personally would have grabbed the nearest crucifix and fled from the house screaming like a bat out of hell.  My mother, however, preferred the horror movie route.  She stayed in the house and addressed the ghost. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Mr. Santos (she previously found out that he died in the house from a heart attack), I know that you are not tring to scare us.  You are just watching over us.  My mother, Alice, knew you from the Portuguese American Club and always spoke very fondly of you.  (My mother has always had a tendency to go on and on and on...) But I am scared, Mr. Santos.  And I need you to go to the light.  We\'re o.k.  You don\'t need to watch over us anymore.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The indentation disappeared.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And nothing ghostly happened after that.   </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Until Mom and I found ourselves shopping in Spring, TX circa 2005.  In Spring, quaint old homes are converted into quaint shops filled with knickknacks.  In an effort to escape the clutter of one such shop, I traveled upstairs where the bathrooms and bedrooms displayed lines, vintage clothing, and the like.  Everything was fine until I entered a bedroom where I immediately became dizzy and nauseated.  There was also a terrible musty smell and the feeling of intense \"energy\".  I escaped the room gasping, \"Mom?!  Dad?!\"  I was 36 years-old and crying out for my mom and dad. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Mom and Dad were climbing the stairs at that point and asked what was wrong.  I threw out a nonchalant, \"Oh, nothing.  I just think that this place might be haunted.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Michelle, don\'t be ridiculous!  This is a lovely shop!  Larry, look at these linens.  Aren\'t they gorgeous?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My mother then entered THE ROOM.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"LARRY!!!!  Oh, my god!  I feel so sick.  I feel like I\'m going to pass out!  I\'m so dizzy!!!  THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED!!!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My sister and I always rise to the chance to egg my mother on, so I sacrificed myself to reenter the room as she exited. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"MICHELLE!!!!  GET OUT OF THERE!!!  WHAT\'S THE MATTER WITH YOU???  LARRY, TELL HER TO GET OUT OF THERE!!!\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Michelle, why are you purposely upsetting your mother?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Do you turn into a 5 year-old when you return home for visits?  heh heh heh</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>The joke turned out to be on me when I felt even sicker the 2nd time around. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anywho, as were leaving the shop, my mother said, \"Wait a minute\".  She went back in and marched up to the counter.  She used her calmest, sweetest voice to ask the shopkeeper, \"Excuse me, but is this place haunted?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"Did you SEE her?\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And that\'s when we were told of the resident ghost who of the teenager who died in the upstairs bedroom.  Since teens didn\'t have much in the way of entertainment back in the homestead days, they jumped off the barn roofs for kicks. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I don\'t remember her name, so let\'s say \"Lucy\" broke her leg and convalesced in the upstairs bedroom where she died of gangrene.  Thus the incredible stench that made mom and I want to puke. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>And then there was the time when I entered the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver.  While setting my suitcases on the bed, I had a sense.  A 6th sense.  Nothing perceptable, but I wasn\'t about to tolerate any funny business.  Like a crazy women, I announced out loud, \"I don\'t want to see you.  I don\'t want to smell you.  I don\'t want any part of you.  STAY AWAY.  GO TO THE BLOODY LIGHT!!!!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>A friend picked me up for dinner, and on the drive back to the hotel, I asked, \"Can I ask you a crazy question?  Is the Sylvia Hotel haunted?\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My friend burst out laughing.  \"Why of course, Michelle!!!  That\'s why people stay there!  They hope to experience something!\" </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>He slept in the other room that night.  (It was a weird little hotel room comprised of 3 separate rooms.)  I popped a sleeping pill and slept with earplugs and an eye mask. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Thankfully, no funny business to report. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>So there you hae it.  Jerome Ghosthunter #2 has seen and smelled dead people. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I introduce to you Christy Jo who posed for a photo with a Mexican ghost.  If you look closely, you\'ll see the bottom of his face including his moustache!!!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1948\" title=\"mexicanghost\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mexicanghost.bmp\" alt=\"\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ghosthunter #3 is none other than the lovely and talented Rebecca aka Becky Jo (her actual birthname which she legally changed, god bless her).  Becky Jo sees dead peeps frequently.  IN HER CURRENT ABODE!!!!  Now, this is one of the most intelligent and \"together\" women I know.  i.e. She\'s not a looney tune. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Becky Jo routinely encounters a guy in a 70s tuxedo sitting on her stairs.  This isn\'t an actual photo, but I once posted this to her Facebook wall to freak her out. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://arniesvintagecostumers.com\"><img title=\"bluetux\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bluetux-129x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"129\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ghosthunter #4 is Sarah, our token Paranormal Virgin.  She is a valuable asset to our team, as she doesn\'t have \"the sense\".  So, if something happens to Sarah, then we are all officially ghost magnets.  </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p> With our good looks and personalities, we will surely sign on for our own TV show. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Saturday, we start this escapade fully equipped. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I am not making this up:  Apple has a ghosthunting app. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>???</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Becky Jo has already installed it on her iPhone, and Christy Jo has back-up on the iPad.   </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">From an actual email correspondence between Christy Jo and Michelle:</span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  Apparently there is a spirit in my house. According to the iPad app ,it just said my brother’s name, Marc. This thing is creeping me out!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  Bwhahahahahahahaha!!!  I don\'t want that thing near my house!!  :-)</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>CJ:</strong>  According to Yahoo, EMF meters or any other devices really don’t work. Electromagnetic fields are everywhere and are not good indicators of paranormal activity. “Serious investigators do not use gadgets,” one website says. “Most often they use Patron.”</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Michelle:</strong>  I have heard that as well. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">Countdown:  3 days until the Ghosthunting begins!  </span></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>','Day 51:  We See Dead People ','','inherit','open','open','','1933-revision-13','','','2010-11-16 22:22:48','2010-11-17 05:22:48','',1933,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/1933-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0);
