Happy 50th Michael Jackson

I heard on the radio today that Michael Jackson turned 50 years old on the 29th of August. I also heard that some British magazine (okay...tabloid) pulled together a computer generated picture of what Michael would have looked like if he'd just left well-enough alone:

Look how good looking he is (or would have been). Just goes to show, cosmetic surgery isn't always a blessing, espeically when you just. can't. stop.

But THIS is what he really looks like:

Oh, Michael. You done jack(son)ed yourself all up.

A Total Must Have...

I so need this:

Wonder Woman belt buckle!! I wonder (no pun intended) if you can also buy the bracelets and lasso...?

The Great Bicycle Debacle of 2008

My oldest son, Ryan, is in Cub Scouts. A few weeks ago they did a family bike ride so the boys could earn a bicycling belt loop. We all 'decided' (read: cajoled the hubby and the youngest kid) to go as a family. It was really fun except....

As I was riding along on my snazzy purple bike, I noticed I was having a hard time turning because something kept hitting my front wheel.

Turns out it was my foot.

WTF?

The front tire was SUPER close to the pedals and every time I turned, my sneaker got caught on it. (No, my feet aren't just really ginormous.)

I figured in my haste to buy a bike about a year ago, I must have grabbed a frame that was too small for me. I got it at Target and they don't really let you test drive a bike before you buy it. Before it hits the pavement, you gotta fork out the mula for it. I hadn't ridden the bike much in the past year so I never noticed the pedal issue before.

In the meantime, after the foot-tire debacle, I went out and bought another bike because now we are taking (coerced) family bike rides a lot. (Okay and because I suffer from retailaholism). I offered my other bike to my niece, Jordan, because it is purple there is no way in hell either of my boys will be caught dead on it. (Wimps.)

Jordan's dad, Paul, was checking the bike out the other day and about flipped off the bike when HIS foot caught on the pedal. He ended up with a big scrape down his shin.

We all got to looking at the bike and realized the pedals actually TOUCH the front tire.

Okay, I'm no bike expert but that seems, well, dangerous.

As we were heatedly discussing what a horrible manufacturing defect this was, and how could there not be some sort of recall on this bike, blah blah, blah...Paul flipped the front wheel around.

Low and behold.

The a$$hats at Target put the handle bars on THE WRONG WAY ROUND when they assembled the bike.

Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb...mystery solved.

So now Jordan has a new purple bike. And I have a new blue bike with a BIG seat and higher handle bars. Aching butts and backs are no good at all.

Amazing Olympics

I didn't watch all of the different Olympic events but of the ones that I did, these are the moments that were truly amazing to me.

• US Men's Volleyball winning over Brazil. I was literally on pins and needles!! It was so exciting!







• Michael Phelps winning the 100 meter Butterfly. He deserves every one of those 8 golds.




(Nice photo there, Michael!!)






• Matthew Mitcham of Australia kicking butt on his last 10 meter platform dive to miraculously take the gold from China's Zhou Luxin. WOW!!!

• 41 year old Dara Torres....showing the world that a woman in her 40s is someone to be reckoned with!
  
  
  
  


• Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh....those girls so ROCK! 107 wins in a row and counting.

Every single one of the Olympic athletes truly amaze me. I am oh-so-proud of myself if I take the dog for a walk or ride my bike. Or am able to hold Warrior pose in yoga for 30 seconds. (Woo hoo! I am being physical!) But these people put me to shame...their speed, grace, strength, teamwork, dedication...

There are no words.

Online Bargain Basement Sale

Okay so technically we don't have a basement but we do have a lot of great rain boot bargains right now. Gotta make room in our warehouse for incoming inventory so our 'closet cleaning' equals some really good deals for you!

Various styles of Capelli, Jeffrey Campbell, Sperry, Chooka, Emilio Pucci, Marc Jacobs, DKNY, Western Chief, Hatley, L'Atitude and Tamara Henriques boots and rain shoes are on sale. With 70 different styles, colors and brands, you are bound to find a pair (or two!) to keep your feet warm and dry.

Here are just a few examples:

Tamara Henriques - Women's Black Parasol Loafer: Reg. $74.95 On sale for $34.95!!

Chooka - Women's Black w/White Dots Rain Boots Reg. $59.95 On sale: $39.95

Capelli - Women's Pink Hearts Rain Boots: Reg. $49.95 On sale: $24.95

DKNY - Women's White Knickerbocker Rain Boots: Reg. $124.95 On Sale: $99.95

See? Lots of really good stuff! Go check it out at DLL Rainwear. Don't get stuck in a rainstorm without some kick a$$ rain boots. Especially when the prices are this good!

Oh So Funny

Oops. Not such a good name to make into an acronym.

Do you even think anyone at that magazine realizes what OMFG even stands for?

My guess?

Is no.

Save on Back To School with Chooka and Western Chief

Summer is soon to be a distant memory as kids everywhere head back to school. If you are like me, you are a little sad to see the summer end so soon but yet oh-so-ready for your kids to be sitting snug behind a desk again. (Okay, so the homework battle is no fun but ya gotta give some to get some, right)?

One of my favorite parts of back to school is, of course, the shopping! Gotta love retail therapy.

And you know your kids love the new backpacks, new shoes, new outfits, new lunchboxes and loads of school supplies. Cool new stuff always helps make school a little more bearable.

Be sure to put a new rain coat, umbrella and a new pair of Western Chief or Chooka rain boots on that shopping list as well. And who knows? You may just find a pair or two for you as well.

To help ease that credit card bill a bit, DLL Rainwear has two special offers good through October 1, 2008.

All Chooka and Western Chief Kid's items are on sale using the coupon codes below.

For all Chooka items, get 10% off using coupon code CHOOKA upon checkout.

Chooka Fat Bird Dots: $59.95 and Chooka Croco Riding Boots: $89.95

For all Western Chief Kid's items, get 10% off using coupon code BTSWCK upon checkout.

Western Chief Pink Camo: $24.95 and 343 Fireman: $24.95

With these great offers and all of the great items to choose from, Chooka and Western Chief will have your whole family Puddle Stomping in Style!

So take a seat on the couch, grab your laptop and head on over to DLL Rainwear to do a little back to school shopping.

Boutique Cafe Review of DLL Rainwear

Here is a nice review of DLL Rainwear at http://www.boutiquecafe.com/ I thought I would share:




DLL Rainwear lets you ‘puddle stomp in style’August 20th, 2008



It’s been almost two years since we reviewed a pair of fashionable rain boots (Plueys back in October 2006) and it’s about time we did another one especially with fall weather around the corner–the same corner around which school projects are hiding. The wait has been worth it when you see the downpour of designs from DLL Rainwear.



DLL Rainwear offers more stylish puddle stompers than the weatherman has cold fronts, From the cutest styles for women (check out the Jeffrey Campbell Rainbow Gray ballet flat) to dashing pairs for men (Chooka’s Dueling Skulls could take on any size puddle) to a seemingly endless selection for children. We received DLL’s own Raining Cats and Dogs pair for kids and though my littlest is too young to give them an official test drive–or jump–I did give them a thorough going-over. Besides loving the playful unisex design, I found the 100% waterproof natural rubber boots to be super sturdy. The non-slip sole was a big plus (when you’re jumping in water this is an important feature!) and the pull handles are perfect for little hands. With boots as cute as these you know your little one is going to wear them 24/7 so they better be easy to take on and off!



DLL Rainwear even has a few “Mommy & Me” sets, my favorite being the Orange Squiggle set. Of course you’ll want to protect more than your feet when it rains and DLL has you covered with their line of rain coats for both adults and children. And their prices are just as “sunny” as their designs with boots and coats starting around $30. DLL Rainwear lets you puddle jump in style–and on a budget! –Emily



* Promotion! DLL Rainwear is offering Daily Dish readers 15% off their purchase. Enter code BCAFE15 at checkout. Offer expires October 31, 2008.



Here is the direct link: http://www.boutiquecafe.com/home/index.php

Hello Kitty!!

For all of you Hello Kitty collectors out there, we have big news! DLL Rainwear has Hello Kitty by Sanrio rain boots in stock!

The company that makes Western Chief and Chooka rain boots has a license with Sanrio and they have come up with two children's and two women's Hello Kitty rain boot designs.

So add to your Kitty collection and be ready for the rain all at the same time.

Western Chief Hello Kitty by Sanrio Puppies rain boots: $36.95

Hello Kitty by Sanrio Polka Dots rain boots: $36.95

Chooka Women's Hello Kitty by Sanrio Punk Buttons Rain Boots: $69.95

Chooka Women's Hello Kitty by Sanrio Retrospective Rain Boots: $69.95

Saturday Night Dead or Drunk Drivers Suck

I was coming home from a friend's surprise party Saturday night at about 10:30pm. There were a fair number of people on the freeway and amazingly everyone was driving the speed limit (or close to it) and there was no tailgating, a common occurrence in our area.

I was in the second lane from the right on a four lane freeway. All of a sudden, a little two door car FLIES past me in the right lane going at least 95 miles an hour.

Being the safe driver that he obviously is, he decides he is going to pass a car on the right hand shoulder. As he begins passing, he realizes, "Hey, that ain't gonna work", brakes and swerves behind the car and then veers across all the other lanes of traffic.

Still going way too flipping fast.

Apparently he ended up being a tad too close (ya think??) to the car in the far left lane because he then slammed on his brakes, hit the cement median wall and spun a 180.

Amazingly, no other car was hit by him or by another car due to his idiocy.

At this point about 25 cars are all stopped in the middle of the freeway. We are all collectively getting over freaking out and thinking is, "Please don't let me get rear ended" and "Do I need to stick around since I witnessed what happened?" I guess we all came to the same conclusion because after about 2 minutes, everyone just kept on driving.

As I was driving past the area where the guy hit the wall, I looked over to where he should have been. His car was gone.

I think he drove off too!

About 15 minutes later, I saw the aftermath of another accident where a guy rolled his pick up truck. The roof was completely flat. But I think they got out in one piece.

Saturday nights are very dangerous times to be out on the road.

Damn drunk drivers.

I sure wish I had gotten that first guy's license plate number. That guy could have seriously injured or killed an awful lot of people because he was too stupid to stay off the road.

Here is an interesting link to drunk driving info and statistics.

• 41% of all traffic fatalities in 2006 caused by drunk drivers.


• 1.5 million drivers in the USA were arrested in 2006 for DUIs.
  
• Every 30 minutes there is an alcohol-related fatality.

Here is another link to a website that shows photos of car crashes. Look at some of the pictures and read some of the stories. If these don't make you feel your mortality and maybe think twice before getting behind the wheel with a few drinks under your belt, I don't know what will.

Maybe a swift kick in the arse with the DLL Poop boot.

I Like Food And All But Damn!!

I read an article today that says swimmer Michael Phelps, the winner of 11 (so far) Olympic gold medals in his career eats 12,000 calories a day.

12 hundred calories.

A day.

Um....holy crap!

This is what he typically eats:

Breakfast: 3 fried egg sandwiches, 2 cups coffee, 5-egg omelet, bowl of grits, 3 pieces of french toast, 3 chocolate chip pancakes

Lunch: 1 pound pasta, 2 ham and cheese sandwiches, energy drink (1,000 calorie)

Dinner: 1 pound pasta, 1 large pizza, energy drink (1,000 calorie)

My stomach hurts just reading that menu. And I think my arteries just clogged up as well.

Notice the lack of any fruits and veggies on Michael's menu?

What's up with that?

I guess when you are trying to maximize your calories and carbs, those just don't make the cut.

But chocolate should make the cut, right? I mean it has calories, fat, and carbs.

And it is magically delicious. (Oh wait. That is Lucky Charms....)

Autumn is Right Around the Corner

Summer is just about over.

My kids only have a week and a half left of school which is my (un)official end of summer. That got me thinking about fall. Which I love.

And that got me thinking about these cool Autumn Leaves rain boots, umbrella and rain hat by Esschert Design. The boots even come with a matching bag!

Since we don't have fall foliage in California that looks anything like this, these rainwear items might just be a great alternative!

Alas, in California, we don't get gorgeous seasonal colors like this.

But we can make our own with these!!!

Esschert Design Autumn Leaves items

Talk About Being Nickeled and Dimed

I found this article on Yahoo's home page. My sister and I always did this when we were little although we never bought anything this expensive. Apparently some people never out grow it. And I guess it also pays to toss your extra change into a jar. Or two. Or 16.

CINCINNATI - An Ohio man who says he doesn't trust paper money has delivered enough coins to cover half the price of a brand new pickup truck.

Employees at a dealership in the Cincinnati suburb of Springdale say 70-year-old James Jones plunked down 16 coffee cans full of coins Tuesday for a new Chevrolet Silverado.

Salesman David Crisswell says employees spent 90 minutes counting the collection of dimes, quarters, half-dollars and dollar coins, which covered half the $16,000 price of the pickup.

Jones and his wife, Betty, wrote a check for the other half of the cost.

Jones' son says his dad has always preferred to pay with coins. Dennis Jones says he's most amazed that his penny-pinching father decided to replace his 1981 pickup, which struck his father when its parking brake failed last year, putting him in a hospital.

You go, James!!

Technical Frustration

This picture is kinda mean (and yet fricken funny as hell) but right now, I really don't care. I am pissed off.



Here is why.

A few weeks ago I upgraded the software on my iPhone.

I should have known better.

Never, ever mess with something that works.

Moment of much regretted weakness on my part.

Since then, my email has been all messed up. It works for a few days..then suddenly it doesn't.

It won't send. It won't receive. It won't do a damn thing.

Other than get me really, really mad.

I have restored and reset and resynched numerous times.

I have been to the Apple Store twice and called the tech support line twice.

Today I called and got DISCONNECTED after 20 minutes on hold.

I called AT&T today as well to ask about my online account. I can't log in. I got an email that my password had changed. I didn't change it. I am concerned....

So I call them. Their systems are down (they must have gotten the same systems as the USPS).

I am highly frustrated. And annoyed. Being an impatient person by nature, I am in awe of myself that I haven't flipped out yet in a big way.

I did eat some chocolate however. Something had to give.

I just want my iPhone to work.

I want to know someone hasn't stolen my AT&T account info.

I want to call a Tech Support line and get some fricken help without being on hold for 20 minutes and getting disconnected or told "Our systems are down."

Is that really too much to ask?

Really??

Really??????

The U.S.P.S. Drives Me N.U.T.S.

We use the United States Postal Service to ship things internationally, to states like Hawaii and Alaska as well as to PO Boxes and military addresses.

You would think that for such a huge 'business' they would have their act together.

You'd think that.

But you would be wrong.

If a package appears to be lost in transit, we have to call their 800# to file an investigation.

First of all, they have hands down the worst and oh-so-infuriating automated phone menu. Inevitably, I end up screaming at the computerized woman to "Just give me a %$#& live person, dammit!"

After about 5 minutes of screaming, swearing and random button pushing (I am so not kidding), I either get disconnected or if I am lucky, get a real person.

Not that a live person is much help because...

Almost 95% of the time when we call to file an investigation this is their response :

"Please call back later. Our systems are down."

Seriously??

SERIOUSLY??

What the hell are they doing with all those extra pennies they keep getting from us by raising the price of stamps every five minutes? Obviously they are NOT upgrading their PCs.

I honestly think this is their 'system':

I like the steering wheel.

But they still piss me off.

So now I make poor Jessica call them.

I owe her therapy and lots of chocolate.

Former Olympians on my Street

We have been watching the Olympics this past week, like I am sure most people have been. I always enjoy watching swimming, maybe because I sink like a rock in any water deeper than 6 feet. Okay, 3 feet. I am truly amazed at how fast and effortlessly people can swim. My mom used to swim competively in high school (the butterfly) and you'd think some of that would rub off. Nope.



But here is a cool little tidbit. I actually know a former Olympic swimmer! He and his wife live just 4 houses down from me.

His name is Sergey Mariniuk and he competed in the 400 meter IM (the same event Michael Phelps just won a gold for a few days ago). Sergey is from Moldavia (I think that is how it is spelled...at least that is how Blogger suggested I spell it). He trained in the USA and met his wife, Eve, who is also a swimmer, while training in California. Eve also made the Olympic trials back in the late 70s. She placed 6th in the US in her event but since the US boycotted the 1980 Olympics she never got to compete.

Sergey competed in three Olympics: Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney and he placed 7th at one of them. They also have (at least) one friend, Val Kilmikovs, that also competed in the Olympics in swimming. I recently met Val and his wife, Joy, who is also a swimmer from Australia. Maybe all these amazing swimming skills might rub off on me and my kids. Stones...all of us. Stones.

Sergey and his business partner (I am not sure if he was a former Olympian or not) own a company that manages the timing systems at a variety of different swimming events. I believe they are in charge of timing some of the swim events at the Beijing Olympics.

Pretty cool.

Shattered Reverie

I was over at my friend, MeiLei's, house the other day, August 6th to be exact. Her three girls, ages 8, 6 and 4, were running through the house fighting, yelling, making demands and the 4 year old was eating her peanut butter and jelly sandwich (open-faced with her fingers) while getting the peanut butter all over her mom's MacBook. Add to this chaos the fact that they are living in their house during a major kitchen/living space remodel.

Mess, stress and 3 kids out of school. I could literally see MeiLei's hair turning grey and the steam starting to pour from her ears.




She turns to me with the look only harried stay-at-home mom's get and says, "I can't wait until school starts. Only 9 more days. Thank GOD!"



"What day do you guys start school?" (Our kids are in different school and often have different start dates.)


"Monday August 25th," she replied.



"Um.... I really hate to tell you this, but you have way more than 9 days left."

Edvard Munch's The Scream

I swear, this was TOTALLY how she looked when she figured out she really had 19 days left to survive.

Sorry, MeiLei. I should have left you in your T-9 and counting reverie.

Fabulous Women's Raincoats for Fall

A few days ago, we attended a Fashionmart and found some spec-fricken-tacular new women's raincoats!!

Although I don't have any pictures yet, here are a few words to describe the wide variety of coats we will be getting over the next 4 to 6 months. Note: not all of these descriptions belong with each coat. Otherwise.....yuck!

Floor length
Quilted
Iridescent
Plaid
Metallic
Packable
Hooded
Paisley
Wrinkle-proof
Shimmery
Knee length
Conservative
Super Hip
Solids
Reversible
Trench
Belted
Stripes
Flowing
Elegant
Stain-proof

We found coats in various lengths, materials, colors, patterns, price ranges and styles. They are all fantastic and we are thrilled to finally be able to expand our women's raincoat selection!!

I believe the first batch arrives late September. I am sure Virtual Barbie will be trying some on in her blog but keep checking the website as well, just in case Barbie is slow.

Someone Needs Anger Management Classes

I think my puppy dog needs therapy.

Need to Take My Ginko

Last night I fell asleep on the couch watching a rerun of "Whose Line Is It Anyway". When I woke up it was time for bed so I went about my normal bedtime routine...brushing teeth, taking out my contacts, letting the dog out. The last thing I normally do is put lotion on my hands. I must have still been half asleep because instead of lotion, I squeezed a bunch of Crest into my palm. Thankfully I figured it out before I started rubbing it into my hands.

In my defense, the tubes do kinda look the same. Same shape and size. But still...DUH!

Pretty Funny

I thought this was pretty darn funny. At some point in everyone's life, we all believe this is the way things are. Hopefully we outgrow it by the time we are 10. Brief vacations back to Narcissist Land are bound to happen but some people....

Just never leave....

Ugly and Expensive

When I went to my Yahoo homepage today I scrolled down and saw a list of 'most expensive homes for sale'. Intrigued, I clicked on a couple.

There is a house in Los Angeles being sold for $40,000,000. Here are some interesting facts:

• The property tax on this place alone would be $60,000 a year.
• The down payment you would need to buy this house is $8,000,000.
• The monthly mortgage payment would be $191,856.

OMG!!!!

When I look at photos for a home for that amount of money, I expect to see something truly amazing. What I normally discover is gaudy and over-the-top. Has anyone ever seen Donald Trump's penthouse on TV? The huge gold door? The gold staircase banister? The fugliest and most uncomfortable looking couches ever? In gold of course.

The thing that struck me most about this $40 mill house, besides the price and ugly decor, was the number of bedrooms and bathrooms.


Drum roll please...



33 bedrooms

41 FULL bathrooms



It would take you a month to sleep in each bedroom just once and over a month to bathe in each of the bathrooms. Seriously, why do you need THAT many bathrooms?? Maybe it is an exercise program. Every time the owner has to use the facilities, they have to go to a different bathroom. In a place that is probably 25,000 square feet, can you imagine the cardio workout????

Just one of the 33 poorly decorated bedrooms in the $40m LA house.

Think I'll stick with my little old ranch house, thank you very much.

What? No Walkies?

I have been trying to be a good pet owner and walk my dog at least once a day for 30 minutes. Every time I grab my sneakers, Holly is practically putting on her harness and leash herself.

Yesterday I took her out for a morning walk and an evening walk. We walk at a good pace and despite her wanting to sniff and snarf at every little thing (OOOOO!! OOO! Cheetos on the ground!! OOOO! Trash! OOOO! OOO! Poop!)

So this morning I grab my sneakers and head into the kitchen to get her walking gear. Holly was sitting about 3 feet from me. Not. Moving. An. Inch.

She TOTALLY didn't want to go on a walk.

What is up with THAT!?

I think I over-walked her yesterday.

But I dragged her out anyway. It is good for her. Right?

This is her immediately post-walk. She hasn't moved. And she is snoring.

We'll see what happens tonight and if she runs off and hides when I whip out the sneakers again.

(Wait a minute! I think she is seriously trying to sprain my ankles. Her doggie tennis balls are strategically placed throughout the house. I just tripped on one. Devious. Very devious.)

Virtual Barbie---All in Blue

Pasotti Green Floral Umbrella: $84.95

Rainforest Navy Belted Rain Coat: $225

Western Chief Navy Rain Skimmers: $30

The Rain Boots That Will Not Die

DLL Owner, Diane, sporting her rain boots and showing off her gardening handiwork.

This photo is a picture of the owner of DLL Rainwear in HER trusty rain boots. She sent me this photo after reading my blog about wanting pictures of people wearing their boots.

She has had these boots for years (Western Chief Dots) and admits to poor rain boot TLC etiquette. Leaves them on her front porch, in the sun and heat. Somehow they continue to survive (although I wouldn't recommend any of our customers take the same route in caring for their boots). This is what she wrote about them:

I use these guys for doing yard work (digging holes, watering, and mowing the lawn). These things will not DIE!!! I have several other pair that are lined up to take their place but these just keep taking a beating.

Thanks, Di, for sending the photo. Do I owe you a $10 DLL gift certificate??

Anyone else want your 15 mminutes of fame on the blog? Come on, you guys!!!!

Them Be Some Pricey Undies

I just found this article online. Talk about (pricey) granny panties. Whoa.

The actual undies being modeled by someone named Samantha Rhodes. Bet she is glad they don't fit.

LONDON - A pair of Queen Victoria's bloomers, with a 50-inch waist (OMG!*), were snapped up for $9,000 by a Canadian buyer at a central England auction Wednesday.

Auctioneer Charles Hanson said Queen Victoria's underpants belonged to "a very big lady of quite small stature with a very wide girth." She was said to be 5 feet tall. (*)

The handmade knickers — which date back to the 1890s — bear the monogram "VR" for Victoria Regina. They are open-crotch style (Queen Vicky, you little tramp, you), with separate legs joined by a drawstring at the waist, a popular style in the late Victorian era.

The royal drawers belonged to a family in western England whose ancestor was a lady-in-waiting for the queen.

"These pants, considering their provenance and pedigree (underwear have a pedigree?), are very exciting," Hanson said. "They are monogrammed and crested (this word could have been very, very wrong) and we know that they are hers."

Also up for auction was Queen Victoria's chemise, with a 66-inch bust (OMG AGAIN), sold for $8,000. Her nightgown sold for $11,000.

Before the auction, Hanson valued the underwear at $1,000, while the chemise and nightgown were valued at $600 each.

Queen Victoria lived from 1819 to 1901. She became queen at age 18 and was the U.K.'s longest-reigning monarch. Her reign is noted for both imperial expansion (and her own obviously..see undie size above!) and the decreasing political power of the monarch.

So this begs the question:

Who would spend THAT much money on some super duper big underpants? And why?