Mmmmm. Cake.

BTW, I've been trying to get my butt to Target (necessarily), but now I'm not so sure I wanna.

Apparently, the guvment is not the only one watching. . . or taking pictures.

What about Kai Goldberg?

Sorry - KAJ (pronounced "Kai") Goldberg (http://cbs2.com/bios/local_bio_158193148.html)

I love LA.

Gosh, good thing you have me to post dumb comments. Otherwise, people might think you were unpopular. HAH.

And I'm not even on cold medicine. Where is Psychomom?!

Laurie(too)??

You are killing me, lady!!!

Anna-Liza??

:) I'm trying to avoid doing filing. This is the most stimulation I've gotten all morning.

Perhaps I should eat something.

Hey, am I the first non-MonkeyGurrl commenter? :)

Love the "Ban Bold Graphics" shirt - I so would have worn that! I probably still would now, let's face it. I was just listening to "Faith" today (the whole album, not just the one song) so I'm in a real George Michael sort of mood. I don't want your freee-eee-dom! I don't want to plaaay around!

I always loved how people wore those "Frankie Says Relax" shirts and probably never knew just how dirty that song really was! You know, "when you want to come!"

I was at my B & N this morning and they had a huge stack of your books in the craft aisle! They must have ordered more because of the demand! Have you heard any numbers from your publisher as to how sales are going??

Monkey are you coming on Thursday with WMG?

Oh, and I know I'm singing songs from a whole different album than the one I mentioned. That is just how I roll, if I may quote Laurie. But you can't make me sing "Careless Whisper" - that's where I draw the line!

:)

I'll be there. WMG may or may not; but she's definitely on for dia de los muertos.

My boyfriend in 8th grade was sent home from school for wearing a shirt that said "I don't give a damn what Frankie says" in response to all of the "Frankie says Relax" shirts!!

Poor Bob - tell him he has competition. I took one of my cats to the vet last Saturday and was told that he weighs 18.5 pounds. He has a brother who is not much smaller. The worst part is that they may have to put him on steroids to treat his quote-the-vet "unusual condition" and apparently they have the side effect of making him even chunkier! And no, their not anabolic steroids so we shouldn't see him stutting around the house saying "woof."
Sigh.

I could read that as either "be glad your government is protecting you" or "worry about being arrested for not smiling."

I heart Bob.

I would just like the fashion industry to realize that my waist and my hips are not the same size.

I am not MonkeyGurrl. Nor am I Francisco.

Hey Laurie, I just had to say that I have been fighting the urge to take a picture of your book with my fabulous framed photo of the ballet shoes with the striped legwarmers! (That was a parental gift for good grades back in middle school.) I am just a bit concerned that a photo all of that together could create some kind of wormhole.

Anyhoo - I love the book! I went first to knitting, then to humor, then to self-help, and finally to the info desk. Ha! It was in knitting the whole time!

:) Neva

Paul Magers--quite the hunk! When he left Minnesota, it was like a month long salute to Paul Magers on the NBC afflialite here. Really, here the news is almost exclusively about the weather. So it was a nice change.

Can't wait to see you at the Mall of America. Save your pennies. Lots of good shopping and no sales tax on clothes here!

Paul Magers--quite the hunk! When he left Minnesota, it was like a month long salute to Paul Magers on the NBC afflialite here. Really, here the news is almost exclusively about the weather. So it was a nice change.

Can't wait to see you at the Mall of America. Save your pennies. Lots of good shopping and no sales tax on clothes here!

Liz-- I know! That song was so dirty and I never knew what it meant, not until I was much older. Then I was scandalized for my 14-year-old self LOL

I haven't thought about the sales info, I should probably ask someone!! I've been so worried about finding pants that make me look 40 pounds thinner in front of a crowd that all I have been focusing on is that part. heheheh. p.s. have not found those magic pants yet.

Did you see that your cute pumpkin hat from last Friday made the craft magazine blog today???

what is Bob reading? Is he planning on shaving sometime soon?
I had the Frankie tshirt, which just makes me laugh and think of 'Friends'

I'm here, I'm here, MonkeyGurrl!

Silly me, eating lunch and paying bills instead of monitoring the blogosphere.

I too am in love with our weather dude Mr. Steve Stucker who is silly (like me) and dresses up as Elvis or Mother Stucker for Halloween and he brings his dogs to work on Friday and my favorite thing is the kids from different schools each week that read the lunch menu. It always ends with "AND DON'T FORGET YOUR MILK!"

http://kob.com/article/532/

Good advice for all us women who need strong bones (or perhaps, just one strong bone).

CAP - wear the cleavage top with the argyle shoes. Instantly 40 lbs thinnner (not that you need it).

That was very exciting, I love craftzine.com!

Also -- a few people had questions about the hat. Yes, it is adult-sized. And yes, you could probably sub in Wool Ease (not the bulky weight but the lighter weight) and still use the same amount of stitches, but be sure that if you are a normal knitter, not a ridiculously tight knitter like me, you use a size 8 needle.

Bob managed to knock the mail off the little side table so he could conveniently flop down on it. Why on earth they want to lay on the one scrap of paper on the floor is a mystery. I think that shaving pic was on the back of the Sharper Image catalog.

psychomom... one strong bone. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

The eighties...I thought they were bad the first time. I will be joining you (I hope) in NOT bringing back the she-mullet (in my case peroxide orange on top)...although I'm not philosophically opposed to high-heeled, pointy-toed cowboy boots (just not with a ruffled mini-skirt...I have that calf-ankle thing going on too). mmmm. cake.

Can you tell it's been a while. :o

OMG - Thanks for taking a picture of Paul Magers. Man, the news in Minneapolis was always so much easier to take gazing into those eyes and that smile meant everything was going to be okay. Sigh. Yikes - I've been single too long - you made me drool over a photo of a man on TV!

You are right. The 80s revival must be stopped. I was in college when "Relax" came out so I fully understood the meaning. Kind of like "Erotic City." Yep, I have no problem with 80s music, just the clothes. And I am sure that I personally am responsible for a great deal of the damage to the ozone layer during those years with my excessive use of Aquanet Superhold.

If you ever find those magic pants, Laurie, let me know. I'll order a couple dozen!! I lost 10 pounds in the past 6 weeks on my no-carb/no beer/massive-suffering diet. My doctor was proud of me yesterday!! My glee was quite dampened by the news that he wants me to stay on it for six more months. Arggggggggggggg!!!

I used to work with a girl who loved her some George Michael. She brought a cake to work on his birthday each year so we could celebrate. For real.

My cat somehow managed to lift her fat belly up and into my suitcase this weekend and pee all over my clothes before I left on a trip. Unfortunately I didn't realize it until I went to put on my pajamas after I was at my destination (thank goodness for brothers who own large tee shirts they can loan you to sleep in). I was perhaps a bit angry. She was perhaps telling me how angry she was that I was leaving her alone for a couple of days.

And love those avocado appliances. We had those in our kitchen and a harvest gold washer and dryer in the laundry room.

I, too, was scandalized when I realized exactly what I'd been singing along with Frankie. And when somebody clued me into what Cyndi Lauper was talking about in "she-bop", I didn't believe them at first. I never owned one of those shirts, though. Looks like I just might get a chance after all.

Good job on the 10 pounds Liz!
I may be tough (no beer?) but, You can do it!

It may be tough...

I may be tough too?

Oh dear, the 80's. My head hurts. I'm glad to know who's watching. However, since I don't put on lipstick for my boss, I can't justify it for them either.

I am a goob. A big goob. My cat, Creepy, who has a tummy bulge to rival even the lusciousness of the Bobsters, thinks I'm a goob and is now in hiding after being whirled around the house in a crazed happy-dance ... Laurie, THANK YOU for such a nice comment on my Halloweenie Beanie! I feel like I've been tapped on the head by royalty. If your tour ever brought you to this area (North Carolina) I'd probably end up standing there gawking at you, cheeks beet red, and yes, inappropriately ask if I could hug you!

Just so ya' know, I'm in with you in the Supatight Knitter Club. I used size 9 needles instead of 8's. Did you cuss a lot when you first started knitting and every third stitch leaped like a Lemming off your needles 'cause you lived so dangerously close to the edge? The husband sat and marveled at my swearing, yet all the while grinning like a fool because I was actually making a hat.

*hee*

you know what other 80s trend I hate? Tapered leg, skinny pants! They didn't look good then, they don't look good now... unless you're like 6 ft tall and weigh 50 lbs.

I don't know who Frankie is (I think I slept through part of the 80's) but I didn't go in much for the 80's fashion style at the time and I surely don't now! Your cute 80's self, though, looks adorable!

Hey, my Teddy Bear has the same kind of muscle tummy as Bob! His vet was not amused. I must measure out poor Teddy's food now!

Thanks for the Paul Magers photo. I grew up in a mainly WCCO family but KARE 11 was our backup news for when something like golf or college football delayed the 6 or 10 o'clock news.

mmmm...Bob fluffy tummy.

Monkeygurrl - you maybe should cut down on the caffiene?

Laurie, I'm taking your book to therapy with me next week. Many, many, juicy discussion topics there that apply to my brand of crazy.

Okay, compared to Carol (she of Art Magic fame)? I'm normal, not caffinated!

You gotta move into the big leagues girl- JIM CANTORE all the way. Forget those local boys.

Carol is both caffinated AND sugared -- southern -- sweet tea -- need I say more?

Besides, y'all are just jealous I getta see me some CAP in her INAUGURAL PERFORMANCE. Woo-hoo!!

Laurie, I've been reading your blog here for a while and I've never commented before.

I just got your book and it's so great (I'm about half way through). I admire your strength and because of it, I'm going to get myself out of my own self-imposed hermit cave and go to my first SnB next Thursday. Wish me luck.

Best wishes with the book and the rest of your life. I'll be here reading.

Okay, yes, veeeeeerrrry jealous. (snif snif) Now I'm depressed.

OMG do not get me started on Jim Cantore!! I swear I have talked to my mom more about Jim Cantore than actual real men I have dated. I am so so in love with his meteorological hotness!!!!

My mom and I were at the stores this weekend and saw 90's shirts returning with a vengance. Not only bold graphics but long sleeve t's with tiny hearts or stars printed all over them.

Cantore's hot, but doesn't have the pizzazz of a Raines or a Majors. But I'd let him play with my blue screen. I'm just sayin'...

God Bless your boyfriend Al and his innerwebs.

Smokey, I will be thinking of you on Thursday ... it's so funny, we'll both be breaking out of our comfort zones at the same time!!! I am going to be doing something really terrifying, too, I mean I avoid crowds at all possible costs and here I am standing in front and even talking, I cannot tell you how anxious I have been and so I will be thinking of you specifically, and wishing you all the good vibes, I know how crazy hard it is to go to that first snb! You'll do great. Also, in your honor, I will try hard not to barf at my event LOL. Because you know people will be there with camera phones, damn you technology!!

You'll do great. You have to let me know how it went!!

How pathetic is this....

46 yr old woman goes to her mailbox and sees a flat box with that "amazon smile" on it and immediately starts whooping and hollerin' like she just found out the rabbit didn't die?
PA-THE-TIC. Because then, I had to explain to my husband who Laurie aka CAP was, show him your blog and that you ACTUALLY commented on something I said.....several times and that you wrote a thome worthy of a pulizer. (although, he is a newspaper reporter and he poo-poo'ed such "fluff" and screw him)
Got my book, finished my book, now I know Mr. X real name and may he have some kind of seeping rash that there is no ointment for. BUT. Take comfort in this........if he did it to you, he WILL do it to her and all the hers after her. And believe it or not, someday, you'll feel sorry for her. I didn't. But, you might.

My fat cat weighs 20.5lbs. We refer to her as "big pussy"....... you know, from the Sopranos (gutter minds)

Lordy I sure could use "one strong bone"! Love it. And I am so happy to know that I am not the only one who has a thing for weathermen. Heck, I think I've got the hots for the whole Weather Channel.

And CAP, please advise if you ever do locate the mysterious Magic Pants. Much needed here.

Good grief, that t-shirt! Where does it say "Graphics," on your feet?

Who cares if the government is watching? We should be more concerned about some idiot with a camera phone posting a video on UTube.

Annika, it was huge! The shirt came to my knees! I belted it and wore it over leggings..arrrgh...

amen, cindy!

Frank has a whole routine with Entropy the cat where he puts down the mail on "her" couch when he comes home so she can inspect it. She actually paws through everything, then sits next to it, waiting for me to come home and go through it. She also likes to rub her paws against the edge of the newspaper (LA Daily News, natch!) in the morning.

Ganache, our big fat diva cat, actually has this apron of fat on her tummy that swings back and forth when she runs! It's a bit smaller nowadays, since she now lives in a condo with stairs and has Frank to play with her every day.

I remember laughing as a 12-year-old at "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and then seeing it years later and realizing all the sex jokes had just sailed right over my head....

I spent all day Sunday being mad at your Mr. X, too. What a complete coward! Not only does he abandon the cat who loved him, he couldn't even admit to you that he was cheating on you! (Did your dad offer to beat him up for you? I bet he did!)

Finished your book, Laurie -- am looking forward to the 2nd. Am also looking forward to seeing you in Peoria. So keep drinking those fluids, getting that rest, and thinking those good thoughts, cause you got to be well for Central Illinois(ians).

I still have my favorite bold graphic T - it was given to me in college, when I was a geology major. It says: Stop Plate Tectonics.

Most of the people who read it didn't "get" it.

I would always tell them I was a sucker for a hopeless cause...

Thinking of 1980s - what about Fido Dido and his everywhereness?

Thanks, Clara!!!

Hmm, taking Laurie's book with me to therapy... that would probably speed things up considerably; my therapist thanks you, Marilyn.

Wish I could be there Thursday, but it looks like my body has other plans (of the "curling up on the couch and moaning in agony" variety", I only wish my body had the plans ya'll thought I was talking about!) But I digress...

Hey, pretty soon, we'll be able to say "Crazy Aunt Purl - she sure plays in Peoria!" Sorry, inside theater joke.

Thanks for the hotness of Mr. Paul Magers. I needed that. I will totally read his teleprompter every day.

*snaps out of it*

Apparently Target & I need to have a talk....

I just want you know that my family had exactly that same avacado coloured refrigerator. My parents got it shortly before I was born. My mother *hated* it. My father convinced her that they should buy it because it was, 1) on sale, and, 2) since she didn't like the colour he could paint it for her. Oh my! Fortunately, my father was too lame to actually attempt said painting.

So, we all lived with the avacado fridge until I was 19 and my mother finally left the marraige. She did not take the fridge. Weirdly, my dad got rid of it and purchased himself a nice, new white fridge just a few weeks after she left. I never asked what that was about. Some things we are not meant to know.

Our cat Reggie is 12 months old and weighs 12 lbs. Given his dedicated fitness regimen, alternating lolling and shoveling grub, we expect he'll weigh 60 lbs. by the time he reaches 60 months.

LA may have taken away the Twin Cities' Paul Magers, but when you're here you might catch a glimpse of our new weatherdoll, Sven Sundgard. He's a cutie, despite his Prince-like stature.

*sigh* Paul Magers....he was a part of my news-viewing life for many many years. I was actually very sad when he left. The new guy is alright but he is no Paul. Thanks for the photo. He is not only hunky, he is quite funny and (I have it on good authority--my dad) is very nice in person.
I finished reading your book this weekend and am going to lend it to a friend. I already have away my other copy to a traveling musician friend of mine who saw it sitting on a table at my house and thought the title was hilarious. I know she will love it.
Also I don't know about going back to leg-warmers, but I did knit myself some arm warmers. So sexy! So 80s.

Best Paul Magers Moment, Ever (Minneapolis-St. Paul Edition:

In a quick report about the Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? debacle/show on FOX, Paulie said: "Darva Conger has announced she is seeking an annullment of the marriage, claiming Rockwell misrepresented himself. Meanwhile, Rockwell announced he's just a moron. Coming up after the break...."

I laughed through the rest of the broadcast.

Hey Monkeygurrl, here I am!
Lessee, first off, I want in on the secret of the Magic Pants too, when you find it, Laurie. My middle section is totally out of proportion to my top section these days--ick.
Second, I never wore those tshirts in the 80s and won't be wearing them now, TYVM. I might wear legwarmers, even over heels, but not the tshirts.
The only advice I can give you on the public speaking is to speak slightly louder and slightly slower than you think you should, and you'll be fine. Believe me, it really helps.
And thanks for commenting on my blog! I am hoping to have pics of the beanie(s) in the next couple of days--I'll let you know when they're posted. I'll post them at Ravelry, too.
Have you been to Ravelry lately? Do you know you have a group of "Crazy Aunt Purl Fans"? There are more than 100 people in it.

You're on craftzine.com! Go look!

Ah...1980s bold graphics!

I had a "Frankie Say" t-shirt I bought in London in 1984. My mother put it in the washer and it shrank. Shrank!!!!! I have yet to recover from the inhumanity of it all! ;-D

My friend and I both bought giagantic hot pink button down shirts that went down to our ankles and belts that were wide enough to strap a 2-ton load of crap down onto a flat bed truck... in the 90s. Yeah. We were HOT.

Payton also takes pictures worthy of Star magazine's fattest cat alive headlines, you'd never know he's only 15 pounds.

Another 80's fashion I wish had never happened...parachute pants. I saw someone wearing a pair just last week, and immediately thought of you! I don't usually, well, ever, comment but this seemed so CAP-worthy. Love your blog!

I actually WAS wondering if Paul Magers was still gracing your airwaves! Thanks for filling me in. :-) I think his colorful shirts and ties give your weather guy a run for his money any day.

I never thought I would say it, but here it goes....

"I am jealous of Monkeygurrl" and all the other Califa' gurrls who will be at the INAUGURAL PERFORMANCE!

I was asking my son last night for his blessing to run away from home and fly to Houston this weekend to be a "CAP Groopie". I told him "The Crochet Dude will be there too".

He wasn't impressed.

Just wanted you to know that the last few times I tried to access your website I got hijacked by some ad thingy. Now I ain't to tech savvy so I can't say if that's a problem with my computer or the site. But I thought that you might want to know in case it's an issue w/your site.

Love you and everything about you Laurie!

Is anyone else experiencing that issue? I haven't had that problem, Elizabeth ... but what internet browser are you using? Anfd are you typing in the link directly?

My 80s shirt said "Who CARE what FRANKIE say?"

Fashion is for a season. Geekdom is forever.

MonkeyGurll,

Better late than never?? (busyday, busyday)

A friend just accused me of being "very nineties" because I still use aol for my personal email. Little does he know of my legwarmers....

I got hijacked too. I am using firefox and the page it took me to was some performance optimizer page.

Bossy's favorite 80s t-shirt and her general advice, "Relax."

really? That is disturbing! I am using firefox and I haven't had a problem -- are you typing in the URL directly? or is it a bookmark?

I was hijacked earier but didn't realize it was your site, that performance opimizer page sounds familiar.

I used some pepper spray and got away from the bastard.

I have no idea how that is even possible. And it isn't happening to me so this is crazy.

Can you look at your browser, under the Help tab at the very very top and look for "About Mozilla Firefox" and tell me what version of Firefox you are on? I am on Version 2.0.0.7.

Also, can you tell me if you're typing the URL into the address bar, or are you getting to it through a bookmark or link?

I'm using firefox and had no problems. my crazy weather crush: Garth Kemp. I'm probably the only one old enough to remember when he was a DJ on KLOS. It always kills me when he has the pound pet segment, holding the cute puppy. OMG.
that is all.

It looks like this site sent out some crap
newbieadguide.com

I don't know much about this crap but I found something over here http://savannahnow.com/node/359375
and here
http://www.surfingoc.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=9229

Laurie,

I got hijacked also! I am using Internet Explorer, Version 7. I got hijacked when I clicked on your "comments" link to read the comments for this post. It was for a performance optimizer, and when I tried to get out of it, it started to send me to a different website. I had to shut down Explorer to stop it.

Hope this helps . . .

Garth was on last night, he's so cute!

I'm on the phone with tech support now but it would help if I knew *how* the folks getting hijacked are getting here.. are you typing the URL into the address bar, or are you getting to it through a bookmark or link?

Laurie,

I got hijacked also! I am using Internet Explorer, Version 7. I got hijacked when I clicked on your "comments" link to read the comments for this post. It was for a performance optimizer, and when I tried to get out of it, it started to send me to a different website. I had to shut down Explorer to stop it.

Hope this helps . . .

Laurie, I am looking forward to meeting you in Nashville. I am taking a day off from work to come, my Mom & I are driving from Kingston TN and staying overnight.
I am waiting to buy the book there, can't wait!
See you in the Volunteer State!

I think it was when I clicked the comments too.

Internet Explorer, you are bookmarked (favorited).

I wouldn't worry about it. You have much more important things to be preparing for.

Ok, I was on the phone with tech support (freaking out, since I am surely not one who can fix these things) and they think it's coming from the ads so I removed them all until the blogads folks can address this.

I am SO SORRY, I profusely apologize, that is totally unacceptable. Why on earth do people do malicious shit like that? It makes me insane!

Cathy, I am looking forward to meeting you!

Ok, sorry I am all freaked out by this but what a terrible thing, I would never want malicious code or pop-ups to be on anyone's site, so I think removing the ads will solve the issue but can anyone verify that the stupid bug is no longer happening for them?

Thank you so much for alerting me to this, it's horrifying! Like I do not have enough to fixate on, Lord have mercy@!! I hate these internet weirdos who do this crap.

Thank you again for alerting me so soon.

Ok, I think it is fixed. I am so sorry again, I would never in a million years knowingly host such garbage. I am rather upset at the ad network!

Hahahaha loved the kitty photos! And the fat furry kitty tummy!

I know what your next book needs to be: just go back to the blog-inning (get it? blog beginning ... yeah) and just print off everything you've ever written about the kitties, every photo-shopped photo with every cute caption, and put it all into one Kitty Expose: The Cats of Crazy Aunt Purl! Best Seller no. 2!

Do you think the cats would charge me? Demand royalties? Get fancypants agents? The Soba might get out of control....

I got the last 2 books on the shelf at B&N Encino Friday night, and stayed up all night to finish! One of the cats got upset when I was laughing at 4:30am - hey, if the human is UP at this hour, why isn't she FEEDING ME???? (and he looks so cute in his sweater, pale green to match his eyes!)

I'll be trying to nerve myself up to get into that horrible parking at the Grove this Thursday, and face biiig crowds of strangers....

(BTW, Bob is merely, as the vet said about a former cat, Well Nourished.)

oh and no weird hijacking things happened - all copasetic here, clicking on your comments was all normal-like.

Don't sweat it. I thought it was due to some gaming site my friend's son was on.

Also, if it helps, I was getting the pop-up from a bookmarked link to your site.

Oh yeah: And good luck book-touring ! (Ever the tourist, eh ?) I really enjoyed reading your book. Funnily (Is that a word ?) enough, the date on the price label (2007/09/12) would have been my 15th wedding anniversary. I noticed just after finishing the book. I went into immediate hysterics due to the irony.

Now...

Where in the SAM HELL is MY "Robert"?... Dammit !!!

Cheers !

eeyore -- that encino B&N is my hometown bookshop!!! I am there all the time, if you bump into me getting my crazy on in the self-help aisle say hey :)

I am so looking forward to meeting an eeyore :) I hope I don't horribly mess up or anything. No, wait, I am supposed to be thinking positive. "I hope I manage to conceal the sweating enough so as not to offend people." hee.

Margaritavillian ... are you still getting the pop-up???? It should be fixed, please please let me know. I am afraid to go home now that some weird awful internet thing is doing malicious popping up. Bleh.

Also, may your Robert arrive soon :)

Nope. Just checked. All gone !

Now, be gone with thee, wench. And get thee to thy castle and thy varmints.

; )

Bless you, CAP. And may your wine glass runneth over.

Thank you so much for checking! I can go home now! LOL

People keep talking about avocado. That's it. I need to take a photo of my mother's living room furniture -- that she's had since 1971. Need I say more? I have spent over ten years begging her to get rid of the stuff. At least I was able to make her get rid of the burnt orange sectional in the family room.

Dagny, now *that* is a picture I want to see!!!

Hey Laurie - I didn't realize it until I was reading through your comments, but the first time I opened your page this morning it was halfway through loading when it sent me to the optimizer page, too. I just closed my browser and tried again and it worked so I didn't think anything of it. I use Internet Explorer.

Rayleen -- thank you. As soon as Elizabeth posted (thank you!!) and someone else confirmed it, I was on the phone with tech support. It really upset me, I mean it's the most frustrating when that stuff happens because I know it's way out of my ability to fix it.

Anyway, tech support had a team looking into it and they determined it was the ads, so I immediately removed them. I am so sorry again, I just feel awful about that and I hope everyone's computers are ok!

CAP: No problem, Chickie. Have a great night.

Dagny: Avocado is NOTHING compared to the living room suite my dearly departed Mama had picked out in the mid-1970s. Count 'em, TWO Red crushed-velvet THRONE-like chairs with black buttons and huge black tassels (Yes, TASSELS !!). Oh, and a matching sofa. The curtains were ALSO red with black tassels (Victorian-ish) and GOLD TIE-BACKS with gold sheers behind them. It looked like I was growing up in a brothel. WAIT ! I forgot ! There's MORE !! On the walls: Crossed swords, a mace, and one each of a plaster-cast bull and matador. On the coffee table: A ceramic bull and matador, which she had painted herself. I distinctly remember she purposely painted the bull's eyeballs RED. She said it made him look ANGRY. Very scary. I still have flashbacks. Ugh. Elvis, who lived only 2 miles away with his 'jungle room', would have been proud. Thankyouverymuuuuuch.

Oh, and the walls ? Mustard yellow. Or would that be Harvest Gold ?... The horror !

Paul Majers! He is still quite the looker eh? I watched him when I lived in Minneapolis.

I'm still laughing about the photos of the weatherman on the tv. You have got it bad ladygirl!

Of course you have it bad for the weatherman .... you're a Southern girl. The weatherman rules.

I admit that I have it bad for Jim Cantore on the Weather Channel. I have no precise idea why ... maybe because nothing is sexier than a guy standing on the shore pointing at the hurricane?

Gawd I am such a dork.

The weatherman is part of the whole fisherman and fireman thing. Hot dudes in raincoats doing brave, crazy, dangerous things and getting wet....

Dez are you coming to Houston???? I would love to meet you! You can meet the whole family in fact!

Laurie,

I have not had any more hijacks - - everything seems to be working well!

Um, Bob's fangs do look a little scary there.

oh, come on! The 80's totally rocked! Ok, maybe not the leg warmers or acid washed jeans but everything else rocked. Miami Vice???? Don Johnson was so hot and cool!

You will be fine at these book signing thingies. How do I know? Because you're going to get there and at every single one, you're going to be among eleventy-nine FRIENDS and you'll be so busy meeting everyone in person you won't have time to be nervous.

So there!

I was just writing the same thing as OtherLisa -

You will just be talking to friends who all love you already! No need to be afraid of US, Laurie!

We will all be there and we will all be on your side (even those of us ho can't make it in person), so just HAVE FUN! No nerves.

I'm using Firefox 2.0.0.7 and got hijacked earlier today when using my bookmark. Tonight it was fine, so removing the ads seems to have worked.

Wanted to also tell you good luck with your book tour, and to enjoy yourself. You know, no matter what you wear you'll look back in 10 or 20 years and realize how great you looked, if you don't realize it now.

I'll be sending good thoughts your way!!

Dear Laurie.

Trader Joe's now has grits. Yummy good organic grits. Not instant. Premade! Go now. Also, get lite shredded cheese. Trust me.

Love, an ex-Southerner and now trapped in SoCal

Unfortunately House of Holland (http://www.houseofholland.co.uk/collection_groupies.html) has brought these back for the last 2 years! Sometimes I think they've clever, but most aren't that amusing!

Ban Bold Graphics?!? Lady, you rocked the 80's.

Laurie,

This morning, I too, got hijacked and had to shut down my computer. It had never happened before...it was powerful juju.

Now, after 10:00 p.m. tonight, nothing happened. It's totally cool.

You will be fine during your public speaking. If you get upset we will cheer loudly and very encouragingly and have someone hug you and it will all be good! It's like SnB but a bigger crowd is all. Show us your SupaTight knitting skills and we will be enthralled! Bring pictures of the cats to pass around. We'll be even more thrilled.

We are easy to please, us knitters. Don't worry!

Aww! Paul Magers! :) How we miss you. And you look... tired. Come home, Paul. You can rest in the bosom of your midwest where things are slower and more calm. ;)

Ahh, another Dallas Raines fan. My daughter thinks it is so creepy that I like him. Garth isn't bad either.

Ya know what? I'm totally wearing a FRANKIE SAY RELAX tshirt right now. I'm being serious. I'd take a photo if I weren't at work!

Laurie,
Due to the 'far ahead in the future time zone' that I live in- I was at work early and clicked on your site.. and I could see the beginning of your site and could see that 'there was a different posting' and suddenly.. I got the POP UP screen that we get at work when a site is blocked- so, clearly.. the site had taken me to a place that the FIREWALL at work doesn't accept as an appropriate place for me to visit. (I do work for the government and they are pretty pesky about that stuff.)

I had just clicked on your site in the 'pull down' menu.

AND.. speaking of big shirts w/ big words on them.. just a few months ago-- I got a storage shipment that had been in storage since 1989 (don't ask!) and in it.. I found one of those big shirts w/ big words on it and I'm using it as my sleeping 'outfit.' I had totally forgotten about it and boy was it a 'flashback'..

AND.. you have inspired me.. I (just 2 days ago) started a blog.. so, now I am at one w/ the masses. (Also, I have a tendon injury in my left hand- so, knitting has been banned by the doctor and I did try to see if I could knit: NOPE!)

Check it out-- if you have time. :D
AND, I sure do wish that I didn't live in Seoul, Korea.. so, I could come to one of your appearances. Just remember: WHEN you are in a location other than the south-- usually the 'non-southerns' are charmed by the southern accent and when you are around the southerners.. they'll be gracious and accepting. So, it's a WIN-WIN for you!

http://iwouldratherbeknitting.blogspot.com/

It's not just the tee shirts that are back, it's the badges (buttons to you) too. I just bought one with Miffy the Rabbit on it; I felt as if I had gone back in time. I had stacks of buttons and got one for a boyfriend once which said, in very small letters so that you had to go close up to read it, 'Boring Old Fart'. He was thrilled.

Laurie,

Could your cats be messing with your website. Maybe they are getting a kickback for the ads that highjack your audience. Perhaps Soba is experimenting to start the cat revolution.

Be sure to let us know when flourescent hits the malls!

Holy crap! I didn't know you had a birthday at my grandma's house!?!

Avocado-colored fridge? check!
"Wood" panel cabinets? check!
Bread box buried beneath countless snacks and containers? check!!

I was out at Cheeburger Cheeburger last week and had an 80's moment. The waitress had a ponytail on the left side of her head.

I thought immediately of you.

No one has noticed the Texas Til I Die magnet? Come on people. On the hated avocado green fridge?
The 80s rocked--totally: U2,ladies nights, which are illegal in many states, and big, big jewelry, which I totally rocked since my hair wouldn't do the big thing.

Jim Cantore came to our city when a monster winter storm was expected and one of our local eccentrics did an Indian Dance behind him on camera. Jim was pissed. How can you love a man with no sense of humor? Oh, and the storm? Never happened.

Were splatter painted t-shirts and sweatshirts big everywhere in the 80s, or was that a local thing? When I was in junior high I had the Coolest Sweatshirt Evah. It was black with pastel splatter paint and a big splatter painted bow that was pinned on like a corsage. EVERYONE in my town had one. My mom bought it for me at a craft fair, and I thought I was the shiznits. It was one of the few fad outfits I ever had.

I also had a Coke shirt, although that took much begging, pleading, and whining before my dad finally gave in. ("I'm not spending all that money for you to wear advertising!") And then the damn colors ran the first time I washed it.

Looking forward to seeing you in Houston this weekend!

You have a book baby!

Ads, you don't need no stinkin' ads!

Laurie - something that works GREAT for ebbing the terror tide at public speaking events? Bach Flower Remedies, Rescue Remedy. Seriously.

Someone way up there in the earlier comments mentioned the return of the skinny-leg pants - I'm right there with ya. My wide ass only looks wider in them. BUT...I am anxiously awaiting the return of *slightly* higher waisted pants, I am sick to death of low riders that show my muffin-top.

I was 25 before I realized what SHe Bop was about. ANd Careless whisper is my favorite awful phrase song. "ain't never gonna dance again, cause guilty feet ain't got no rythym". Yes, I know I spelled it wrong.

Good luck on the tour, Laurie, you will do fine. You wrote a whole book and it is good, and you will be fine.