Off the DL

Bet you didn't think there was a disabled list in the baseball off-season. Well, you are WRONG. Not only could I not play baseball for the last few weeks (not that I was planning to, what with the snow and ice), I couldn't TYPE. For a writer and computer addict, this is a big deal. No responding to e-mail. No blogging. No working on my current manuscript. No googling phrases like "Kylie Minogue fashion don't."



Or searching for videos like "Kathy Griffin New Year's Eve hecklers." (Caution: Some of you may find content in this video objectionable. I think Kathy's hysterical, but she is NOT kid-friendly.)



So how did I end up on the typing DL, you wonder? Long story short: My big Christmas gift this year was a new set of kitchen knives.

Long story long: I've been using the same hand-me-downs since I moved into my first apartment during college, so after this Thanksgiving (and another round of heavy-duty cooking with dull, unsightly knives), I decided it was high time I acquired a grown-up set. I spent forever online researching, then went into the kitchen store to try out a few. I settled on a nifty set from Wüsthof, since they felt good in my hand, and talked my husband into letting me open them before Christmas so I'd have them for Christmas entertaining.

The kicker? Those suckers are SHARP.

I opened the box and started washing them one by one, all jazzed to cut a tomato, a green pepper, whatever. Just as I was daydreaming about speed-chopping celery, I slipped. Steak knife + new edge + right index finger = trip to the ER and stitches. Then I had to have my fingers taped together so I wouldn't bend the right index finger. You don't realize how much you use your hands until you whack them with sharp objects.

On the bright side, I did get to watch a lot of TV. Loved the Boston Legal series finale, though I can't see Justice Scalia marrying anyone, let alone Denny and Alan, during his fishing vacation in Canada (leaving aside the fact that no one had a marriage license.) Maybe this will be addressed if, say, NBC, CBS, or even HBO pick up the series? One can only hope.

Also loved the Survivor finale. Very happy Bob Crowley won, though I thought Sugar played a great strategic game (I wish she'd gotten the $100,000 fan fave money.)

But now the stitches are out, so I'm off the typing DL. If anyone has tips on scar prevention (other than the usual advice to keep the wound covered and use sunscreen), let me know. I don't want to look like I was in a fight and lost!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good: Tonight's episode of Survivor. I cannot WAIT. Last week's ouster of Randy was the most hysterical tribal council of all time. (Crystal is not my fave, but I was rolling when she intentionally made her "confessional" comments so loud that everyone at tribal council and on the jury could hear.)

I'm hoping that Sugar, Matty, Bob, or Kenny win it all. Susie wouldn't be so bad. Crystal would garner an eyeroll and heavy sighs. A Corinne victory would constitute a crime against humanity.

The Bad: Only one more episode left of my beloved Boston Legal. Last week's episode was laugh-aloud funny, so if you've ever seen this show and enjoyed it, do NOT miss the finale next week. Carl Sack and Shirley Schmidt are getting married! Denny and Alan are going to the Supreme Court! Jerry and Katie may actually go on a date! What more could you want? (Aside from another season, of course.)



If you want to catch up before the finale, check out online episodes right here.

The Ugly: Sadly, the "ugly" is my MacBook. I was online when the AOL froze. Couldn't force quit. Clicked over to iCal, which I also had open. No dice quitting iCal, either. So I shut down the MacBook and waited awhile. Went to turn it back on, and got a flashing gray file folder with a question mark on it. Not. A. Good. Sign. If you ever see this, know that it's quite possible your hard drive is dead:



I took my MacBook to the Apple store Genius Bar, where the guys tested it and concluded that yep, it was fried, and yes, it can happen to any computer with no warning whatsoever. They couldn't tell me how it happened (or, more importantly, how to prevent it from happening again.) However, since I wisely purchased AppleCare when I bought the MacBook, they're replacing the hard drive for free.

While having a hard drive crash is a major catastrophe for most writers, I am lucky enough to also have a desktop computer. Though I use it far less than the laptop, I had about 95% of my laptop info backed up to the desktop (and, being neurotic, I then have my desktop backed up to BOTH the Apple .mac server and an external hard drive every night.) Lesson of the week, kids: BACK UP YOUR WORK. Daily. Even when everything is working wonderfully. You never know when an ugly crash will happen.

Boca Insanity

No, I'm not talking about Boca Raton or anyone living there. Nor am I saying that people who eat Boca products are insane. It's the folks at Boca who decided to discontinue my favorite breakfast wraps who are insane. Don't they know I need these things to get through the morning?

These lovely little wraps microwave in two minutes, are vegetarian, have a decent amount of fiber, and are DELICIOUS! What more could anyone want on a cold morning? (Well, coffee. But that's a given.) But now, not only has Boca discontinued their completely fabulous wraps, they have the gall to try to satisfy wrap addicts by posting a link to this recipe for a breakfast wrap on their breakfast products page.

Here's the thing: If I wanted to make my own breakfast wrap from scratch, I would. I bought the Boca wraps because I am LAZY. Not because I don't know how to make one. And I assume that's also the case for others who bought the wraps--they're either disinclined to cook in the morning or are simply too busy. So it's kind of insulting to come out with a yummy wrap, then yank it away and say, "You consumers could make these yourselves. Just be sure to use Boca meatless patties and chop 'em up first!"

Well, duh.

I am going to have to console myself in the mornings by watching TJ Holmes on CNN while I drink my coffee and eat cold Kashi. (Yes, I like Betty Nguyen, too. The woman rocks. But in the morning, sans Boca wrap, I'm going to need eye candy if there's any hope of being awake enough to write.)



In the meantime, if anyone knows of a store in metro Boston that still has Boca wraps on the freezer shelves, drop me a note. I'll add 'em to my stash.

The Big Day

If you're an American over the age of 18, today's the big day. Please, please, get out and vote. If you haven't already, take a few minutes to read through the issues pages on the websites of both John McCain and Barack Obama. Think through your own opinions on who can best accomplish what our country needs: Intelligent foreign policy, first-class public education, a strong health care system with access for all, long-term support for our veterans, and a clean, forward-thinking energy plan. A president who'll make reasonable Supreme Court nominations is also vital.

(If you're curious, I've already cast an enthusiastic vote for this guy, because I think he's far better for our country on all counts. And if you don't want to know about how I voted, that's fine, too. A lot of people don't want to know how their fave authors voted. In that case, don't click!)

But...that being said, I do urge you to ignore the ads, ignore what the pundits say, even ignore what someone says you "should" do when you get in the booth. But do read up about the issues so you can make a thoroughly informed choice.

On a completely different note, guess who else is having a big day? Jaime and Erik of Survivor: China! I was soooo sure that Jaime was playing Erik during that season--even blogged about it--but I am happy to report that I was wrong. And apparently the two of them won an $80,000 wedding. Nifty, huh? Love those happy endings!

Cheerleaders in Baseball

So I haven't blogged since the Red Sox lost to the Devil Rays--okay, okay, the RAYS, which I think is a silly name change--in the ALCS championship. Mostly because I had knee surgery last week (more on that later), which I think is a valid excuse. In the meantime, I've gotten a few e-mails asking me who I support in the World Series, or if I'm even watching.

I am watching. And I'm cheering for the Phillies. Not that I'm a Phillies fan or a Rays hater, it's simply that I have an aversion to this:



No, not the guy's Homer Simpson shirt, which is really not something to be worn in public (though it's very 1990 of him, so I'll be kind and call it retro.) It's the whole concept of cheerleaders in baseball. If you watch the Rays' games, you'll see their cheerleaders dancing on top of the dugout between innings or when the Rays get a home run.

Am I the only one who finds this disturbing? I would NOT want to pay for primo, behind-the-dugout seats only to have to watch the game by constantly shifting in my seat to see around someone's knee socks.

Just as bad: Check out the Marlins' cheerleaders here:


And worse, on the field here:


WHY? Who came up with this?? Is it a Florida phenomenon? If you're a Marlins or Rays fan, what do you think? Are you more likely to buy a ticket to the game if there are cheerleaders? I really want to know if I'm the only one who's anti-baseball cheerleader. (Not anti-cheerleader, just anti-cheerleaders-in-baseball. There IS a difference.)

As to that knee surgery: this was an arthoscopic surgery to fix a torn meniscus. As much as I'd love to blame it on the marathon (therefore making me look like I toughed out 26.2 miles through injury), it wasn't marathon-related. I've had knee problems since I tore my ACL playing softball while I was in law school. This is knee surgery #4 for me (three arthroscopic surgeries plus the ACL repair, which thankfully turned out better than Tom Brady's ACL surgery has so far.) And this time, I don't even know how I injured myself. However, I am probably paying for a very talented and kind orthopedic surgeon's children to go to college, so all is not lost!