i have strep throat, but i've mastered the four point Wonder Woman turn

Seriously?

Strep throat?

Really?

So all weekend long i had this ridiculous fever that kept me from doing things like getting my hair dyed pretty colors that aren't grey, checking out my friend's band, going grocery (or any other kind of) shopping, etc.

But you know what I did do? I discovered Wonder Woman full episodes on WB.com and watched the first half of season 2 in my feverish state.

It brought me back all of the amazingness that was my childhood heroine. God I love that Wonder Woman. I totally had the underoos, the large silver bracelets which were made of silver, but let's pretend it was feminum, mmmk?

I have to say I prefer seasons two and three over the first mostly because Diana has some great 70s fashions. She rocked that wrap dress - and only Linda Carter could really get away with those glasses.

But when was a turban ever a wise non-religious influenced fashion choice?

I have to say that all of these new web sites popping up with childhood classic shows are really bringing back some fond memories - and there are so many shows I've forgotten about. Like... Remington Steele, Fraggle Rock, Small Wonder....

Gosh I love the Internet.

We'll put this one squarely in the "better her than me" category

If you had the privilege of being an aunt to the cutest nephew in the world...

Would you do everything you could to convince your sister to have another child?

Would you pray that she would get knocked up so you could be the favorite aunt to not one, but two of the cutest nephews in the world? (or a nephew and a niece-- I'll take a cute niece!)

Would you hide her birth control when you went to visit in the hopes she'd throw caution to the wind?

Would you talk a lot about how Molly and Casey enjoy Peyton, but think it would be cool to have TWO cousins?

OK, I didn't do any of those things... and yet, kat's lil sis is giving me another niece or nephew anyway! Lil sis is knocked up, with child, has a bun in the oven, is expecting and is due at the very end of this year or the very beginning of next year.

She will be the proud (and probably very harried) mother of two children just 15 months apart in age. I'm not sure if I should be telling her "congratulations" or "good luck." But, either way, I must get to work on all the awesome (and totally inappropriate) Aunt Busty gifts in the quest to retain my title of favorite aunt.

He drew the line at actually getting on the bus...

Yesterday was a big day for the Pretend Husband. After about five years at his job, he decided to open his own office. So, we have spent the last few weeks procuring bank accounts (him), creating marketing materials (me), buying office equipment (him) and buying items to decorate said office (me).

Yesterday was his first day in operation and while I didn't want to make a huge deal out of it with balloons and cake or anything (partially because he would think it was silly, but mostly because we are poor until his office starts actually doing some business), I figured it had to be marked somehow. So I made him coffee and a Pop Tart (it's a special treat around here...), wrote a note that I hid in his new laptop and made him stand on the front step and pose for a photo.

It was a little surreal because it's the same step my mom made each of us pose on for the first day of school, capturing everything from the cute, I-can't-wait-start grin of the elementary years to the are-you-kidding-me,-Mom? eye-rolling smile of the high school years. The PH, with his laptop bag strapped across his body and toting a stack of folders in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other, fits right into that-- and I'm sure I don't have to tell you which pose I got from him.

My overdue recap of quotes after hanging out with KAT last weekend

So last weekend we got together for some awesomely not really planned until the last minute fun.

Which is always a good time.

And all we have for you, really, is this list of quotes. We think it defines what it's like to hang out with KAT, me, the PH and J just perfectly.

"Dude, your ten year old self would kick your own ass right now." -- J to the PH after the PH demanded KAT use the firepit to light off fireworks. (Note: Said fireworks pictured below.)

"You had to come down here and save me?" -- KAT.
"I'm coming down here to save the neighborhood." -- the PH to KAT, while standing immediately next to her with a hose in case that Roman Candle set the entire water-soaked lawn on fire.

"Stop pointing fireworks at my lawn and at the pine trees." -- PH to KAT (see above.)

"Are you offended I don't want to continue talking about your penis?" -- SJ to the PH.
"Whatever, just play." -- The PH responded sullenly. Note: To clarify, we were playing setback. Of course. Lots and lots of setback.

"Give the girl 3 martinis and she's 13." -- PH to KAT. which resulted in an:
"uhhhhhh...." from the rest of us and also for KAT to tell me:
"SJ, transcribe this entire conversation."

"That's fine. I'll take the PH home." J to me and KAT - I don't remember what prompted this, but I'm pretty sure it implied a romantic relationship between our spouses.

"When my wife doesn't work, she's going in the garbage." -- J (That's right, ladies. He's mine! Back off!)

"This is probably going on the blog." -- the PH

"If that's where I have to go to find love and support and people that don't pee on themselves..." -- KAT.

I had nothing recorded after that, as I had fallen into fits of laughter too hard to hold the pen.

Good news though. We're getting together again tomorrow night. Let the shenanigans rule!

If you're still sad about any of the celebrities that died last week, you should probably skip this post

I've gone back and forth on whether to write about this topic because of the whole don't-speak-ill-of-the-dead thing and all. But it keeps rewriting itself in my head and I figured the only way to get it to stop is to actually put it down. And I'm curious to hear if people agree, disagree, could care less, think I'm a terrible person, didn't hear this news until just this second, etc.

So, a bunch of celebrities passed away in the past week. It's too bad and it's always sad when someone loses their life. But, honestly? I don't really care. They weren't my friends, I'm in no way related to them and I'm about as far from the person who gives up their day to stand outside Michael Jackson's house and cry while laying flowers at the gate as you can get.

I'm absolutely fascinated by the MJ story in terms of how the media has covered it. I couldn't believe how many people said, "We will all always remember where we were when we heard Michael Jackson died." Really?!? That's how much he means to you? His death is a life-changing event for you? Because it's not for me. I will remember where I was on September 11, I still have a clear memory of watching the Challenger explode and I can recall even the most minute detail from my mom's last day alive. But a washed-up pop icon with a questionable criminal history? Eh.

One article I read last week was titled, "For Generation X, A Really Bad Day." And it quoted a 38-year-old man talking about how MJ's death is a defining moment for Generation X and the moment that finally turned that generation into adults. Really?!? He's 38 years old and just getting around to becoming an adult? His wife must be so proud.

Was Michael Jackson a star? Yup. He did a lot for the music industry in his day and he was a heck of an entertainer. Was he also just a person with a whole lot of issues? Yes he was, and that's the part that seems to be getting lost in the shuffle. His death is sad, yes, and particularly terrible for its effect on his children (although I also question the effect his apparently daily drug use had on them...) but it's not the end of the world, the worst thing that's ever happened to me or a reason for the media to hype it into more than what it is. Let's all keep it in perspective, shall we?