'tis early...

getting cold outside. looks like we'll have some cooler weather for the next three days or so. guess the western slope is getting hammered with a winter storm that may dump up to a couple feet...better them than us. i'm still not ready for any 'real' accumulation of snow; that's what spring is for.

other than Mark (doing the right thing) and proposing to Nelle, did everyone have a good xmas? some interesting details in Derbs' and Rach's postings... i wonder if Dy has gotten through the '24' dvd season that papa murphy (not the pizza tosser) sent. what? did the wondrous cookie jar not captivate you for long heh

and i do NOT want that hulking piece of memorabilia for my b-day...or any other occasion. i just checked eBay and there are presently 8774 cookie jars up for auction. there's even a 'Wizard of Oz' set of 11 that has a bid for $1025... and of the 621 Beverly Hillbillies items, there isn't one single cookie jar among 'em. however, one lunch box is hovering around $55...some promise there. why not put the item up? of course, what would you tell yer mom the next time she came over and wanted to see her xmas piece de resistance? sure, "Emma broke it huh?" or is that the murder weapon used on Denny's art prof? you know, i bet it would make a phenomenal wedding present for someone ;) after all, she and her daughter are cookie baking fiends - so apropos for the occasion ;)

we broke down and went on a trip to Big Lots for marked down xmas items. of course, we went at 8PM and sifted through the dregs - mostly christmas tins and animal motif bags (pigs, cows, cats, oh my!). still, it's hard to pass up anything that's 75% off, especially if you're gonna use it next year anyway. may as well whack those two birds with one credit card, er, stone. it was some very well spent $15 for the three bags of things, full of .25 ribbon, .18 gift bags, and .25 wrapping tissue packs of 20 (nice designs and colors too).

looks like Big Lots has finally sold most of the bargain 39-cent pig ears for the dogs though...too bad. they're the best things to keep dogs distracted for almost an hour; you hear them slurp and gnaw...but at least they're out of the way ;)

ahhh, also got a manicure and pedicure at a new nail place about eight blocks away. lois had been there a couple times and wanted to get me a little treat even though we agreed on not getting any xmas stuff; i broke down too and got her a little novelty watch.

the shop, Nail Zone, hasn't been open for long though...less than six months. it's clean, well-lit, and spacious (if not a little starkly decorated). prices aren't the cheapest, but you still get a lot for the money. the four pedicure stations have massaging chairs and jet action foot tubs. the techs even give you calf massage/lotion and warm towels afterwards. if you get toenail polish, they give you some disposable zori sandals and lead you into a 'reading/waiting room' with a leather sofa, bar chairs, and a big, round magazine table.

it was a really relaxing 90 minutes. you know, pedicures are so good for de-stressing. i think people would go postal less often if they got more pedicures ;) that gun ain't gonna help anyone...howzabout some callous softener cream?

a nice gift though. it was my first manicure and it had been almost five years since my last pedicure. 'course, that was a memorable too - for the price. we got two pedicures, a haircut (for me) and some newly repainted and repaired nails (lois) for less than $9...only in Mexico. the three services today nabbed Lois for $70... oh well, self-indulgence is rarely affordable. whether it's that extra beer or two, boxa chocolates, or pedicure, we all pay for it in the end (sometimes it goes to yer end)...but it feels sooo good!

also went out to the newly renovated video store on 8th and Colorado. once a Blockbuster with extra shitty service, it has been transformed into an independently owned Corner Spotlight movie rental. prices are a bit cheaper and they have a more varied selection. not as nice as the Video One up on Colfax and Lafayette, but it's closer...

anyway, we rented 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' and 'The Italian Job,' which we watched first. it was good. just another heist/caper movie. basically, Mark Wahlberg and Donald Sutherland are thieves who are doing one last heist (for Sutherland) in Venice, Italy...they successfully bag $35 million in gold bars from the Italian Mafia...and are double crossed by Edward Norton. the plot? revenge, what else?

a good non-cerebral movie...just watch the action. best reason to watch the movie: the three souped up Mini Coopers! the speed and stunt driving was nice...but it was the rally package colors and styles that made us swoon. anyone got $25 K that they're not needing ;) sigh... 'course, with all the massivegasguzzling SUV models on the market, you'd need a periscope to see any oncoming traffic. i wonder how many Mini's it would take to match an Escalade in weight? heck, the SUV gas tank probably weighs as much as the Coop itself...

btw, another Edward Norton movie in which he plays another double crossing creep is 'The Score' (with Robert DeNiro and a Marlon Brando cameo). more suspense...better acting...more realistic story...and the revenge at the end of the movie is much more satisfying!