To quote a friend, “not saying ‘I told you so’ is extremely overrated. I think we should be able to say it as often as we like. It's like a polite smack upside the head.”

So when I saw The Dallas Morning News quoted this LA Times online feature about the yuckiness that is Dr. Phil, I felt free to holler “I told you so” at my morning paper.

I’m pleased the LA Times mentions our book, however I did write to the paper pointing out that we did not say Dr. Phil had an affair with a 19-year-old patient, as alleged in this feature. In fact, we stuck to the official story, that the unethical dual relationship was because Phil hired this young woman to work in his biofeedback lab. Allegations of sexual impropriety were made by the tabloids, quoting unnamed sources.

Here’s a sobering thought—this Wall Street Journal financial columnist says these days, we’re better off investing in food than in investments. He suggests stockpiling non-perishables, since the cost of food is rising so fast. Woe is me, the sky is falling…

But not that fast, according to another WSJ writer, who points out that as much as we whine about poverty, we do all have iPods, DVD players and flat-screen TVs. (Actually, we don’t have a flat-screen TV and our iPods are second generation clunkers, though they work reasonably well.)

I read this WSJ article, The Do-It-Yourself Tax Cut, with interest. Here the writer suggests numerous ways you can save money with lifestyle changes. I got to be both smug and bummed, since Tom and I do most of the things suggested here and still, as Tom likes to say, we can’t afford our modest lifestyle. At least it’s reassuring that the rest of the country is catching up to us. We don’t feel like have-nots anymore. We feel like everybody else.

Apropos to nothing, we gave stinky Jack a bath in the driveway last night. What a crazy ordeal that was. We tranquilized him (it's gotta be done) and muzzled him and he still went apeshit. He didn’t mind the soap and water as much as the brushing (attempts) of his hairy ass. We finally had to give up on the brushing. He smells a lot better but his hair is a mess. World’s most exhausting canine….

And now, I must whine. Inappropriately. Much as I’m enjoying my adventures in blogging, I admit to being a tad discouraged these days. My readership numbers are stagnant. The freewheeling discussions we enjoyed in MySpace don’t happen here. Many of my frequent commenters have fallen silent, even those who complained about MySpace. Sigh. I still enjoy the exercise but it was more fun when I didn’t feel like I was talking to three people.

The most successful blogs in the blogosphere focus on one topic and I’m considering that—although I haven’t yet decided what that topic should be. Writing? Jack? Money or lack thereof?

Labels: blogging, blogs, celebrities, dog training, dogs, dr. phil, eating, economy, food, griping, headlines, money, whining, writing

Here comes high-maintenance season, and I don’t just mean yard work. (Though we did finally clear the leaves from the yard and the Garden Bed of Death is showing encouraging signs of life.

But more than that, the months of shaggy legs and toes au naturel are waning. Body parts must be toned and exfoliated, pits must be pristine. It was warm enough for shorts or a summer skirt this weekend but my legs were in no shape to expose and so I sweated it out in jeans.

A young woman in one of my yoga classes is toned and fit and hairy-legged as a little boy. I envy her insouciance. I can’t do that and never could—the stereotype of the hairy feminist is just bigotry. Most feminists I know are as vigilant about body hair as any beauty queen.

So, it’s time to get out the wax and start ripping hair out by its roots. It’s a dreary, not to mention painful, and unending chore. Shaving is no better because it must be done more often.

And time to start booking pedicures, which are pleasant but ultimately pricey, by the end of our long spring and summer.

But a gal’s gotta do what a gal’s gotta do.

I read in the paper this morning that the London Tech Music School named Smoke on the Water the greatest guitar riff of all time. So naturally, that’s been on a maddening tape loop in my head all morning. Maybe I can exorcise it by passing it on to you.

This recipe for garlicky garbanzo burgers sounds yummy to me. The DMN Taste section consistently has great recipes, I plan to try this one soon.

I like today’s Dilbert. (April 9, if you’re coming to this blog another day.) Hostility is fun!


I got blogrolled by Poopouri and it’s getting a lot of clicks. I’m sure people are disappointed when they get there to find me just mocking rather than reviewing. But evidently, a lot of people are worried about bathroom odors. Maybe I could ask for a review sample …

I always mean to link to my articles when they run but don’t always remember. So, here’s one about ADD that ran in December.

And another about Earthwatch that ran in October, I think.

Black and Blue has two more gigs booked at the AllGood—May 3 and May 23. Mark your calendars and come have fun!

Labels: beauty, cartoon, food, humor, music, recipes