What is this world coming to? My father told me about a situation that occurred very close by us on Wednesday. A young woman called her father and threatened suicide. He heard a shot ring out and he called police. The police arrived at her home and found her hiding in a closet. They fired a mace pellet into the closet to get her to come out. Instead of coming out, she stayed in the closet and fired a shot from her gun. The policeman then fired three shots into the closet, killing her.

The father of the woman who called the police is Jim McCaffrey, owner of a local Supermarket chain. I knew him in passing having worked at the bakery in one of his supermarkets back when I was in High School. I can’t imagine what this man is going through. He called the police, trying to protect his daughter and instead he called her executioners. What were the police doing going into the house like a SWAT team? This was a 30-year-old woman! This wasn’t an ex-con or a terrorist! This was a woman who was in pain and in desperate need of help. And they killed her.

I am reminded of what recently happened to Mayor Cheye Calvo. Police raided his home, killed his two dogs, tied up him and his mother-in-law and interrogated them regarding a package that was delivered to their house.

It’s chilling. It’s frightening. This is not my country. Mr. McCaffrey, his family, and especially his daughter, are in my thoughts and prayers.

I want everyone reading to know I am actually crying at this very moment. Tears are rolling down my face. I AM SO FRUSTRATED BY THIS NEW OFFICE 2007 THAT I AM CRYING! All my quick key shortcuts are GONE! I customized the quick keys myself and they were apparently not ported over when the upgrade was performed. I WANT MY QUICK KEY SHORTCUTS BACK! I don’t even know where to find the spot where you create them. I CAN’T FIND ANYTHING!

And let me just say this… I HATE THOSE STUPID MOHAVE EXPERIMENT COMMERCIALS! I HATE THEM! Reminds me of the Folgers’ Crystals commercials from the 70’s. We replaced this man’s coffee with elephant piss…. I’ve tried Vista and it sucks… even worse than instant coffee.

I know I left you guys with a pretty weird picture a couple weeks ago and honestly, I was worried myself. Celine Dion? What’s going on in this world? Well, things are back to normal and in fact a little bit better! Today I was told I look just like Cher. And later, someone asked if I was a Pharmaceutical sales rep! Cher is a normal comparison; I especially like it when people then say, “You know, right before she got her nose and teeth fixed!” Stop! You flatter me! Although I have to say that the Pharmaceutical rep is one of the nicest compliments ever! As much as I find the Pharmaceutical industry repugnant, they do hire some of the sharpest looking people as sales reps. All I can say is I am sooooo glad I bought that Brooks Brothers’ gray, a-line, shift dress! Note to self: Must buy more Brooks Brothers clothes!

And are you wondering how I respond to the Cher comparison? I always say, “Heh, you should see me in my electrical tape bathing suit, that’s when I really look like Cher!”

Just teasing!

I should be writing proposals and taking care of the items that keep me from prospecting for new business during the day. And I did some of it. Not as much as I should have but I did something. And I wrote my speech for my next big event coming up in October. I really wish I had a speech writer to help me out. I just suck at writing. It’s horrible. The reason I wrote the speech so early is I plan on giving it at the sales meeting tomorrow as practice and to get some feedback to make it better. I think that’s a good plan. We shall see.

Today I went out to dinner with my mom and dad and Lisa. Poor little Bo stayed home and waited for the leftovers. Why did we go out to dinner? BECAUSE MY PARENTS FORGOT MY BIRTHDAY LAST WEEK! Well, not really. They remembered I was turning another year older, they just forgot to sing Happy Birthday and get a cake with candles. Believe me, I didn’t mind one bit. I did think it was odd but I figured that’s what happens when you turn 34 and I wasn’t bothered at all. I’m not sure when it struck my father but he and my mom were really upset that the tradition was forgotten and they told me that they would make it up to me on Sunday. And so we went to Sweet Lucy’s and ate too much BBQ and then we went home and I got a cake with candles and they sang Happy Birthday. It was really sweet.

This has been a really nice birthday. Thank you everyone!

I have two words for you: Bare Escentuals.

Lisa bought me the Get Started Kit for my birthday and although you have to use a lot more than what the instructional DVD says, it really works amazingly well. What I like the most about it is that it’s very gentle on my skin– I am not pulling or tugging at it– it’s just goes on very lightly. And it looks very natural. My mother just gave me the Get Started Eyes Kit which I have yet to play with but I feel very confident it will be just as wonderful as the foundation/blush.

So that’s a plug. Give it a go if you are looking for something different for your face. But here’s the thing– I wasn’t looking for anything different, I was totally happy with my normal routine– it was Lisa who just kept gushing about these women at work and how the difference in their faces was like night and day and we had to try it out. So maybe give it a go if you can afford it. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Here are the top 7 songs I listen to according to Rhapsody. I know you really don’t give a crap but I found this funny since it is completely true. I listen to these 7 songs over and over again.

1. Ace Frehley – New York Groove
2. Katie Melua – I Cried For You
3. Katie Melua – Just Like Heaven
4. Rainbow – Since You Been Gone
5. Cher – I Found Someone
6. Katie Melua – Nine Million Bicycles
7. Chris Norman – Stumblin’ In

AND GUESS WHAT??? Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are coming to Philadelphia!!!! Yes, I have tickets. Lisa bought them and I am already feeling tingly inside! If you don’t know Nick Cave and you tend to enjoy deep-voiced, kinda melancholy music that explores death, religion, love and violence, I would suggest you check him out on YouTube.

I just submitted probably around 5 recipes to Rosemont College’s upcoming Rosie in the Kitchen cookbook. I am trying my darnedest to forgive Rosemont and I am trying to support them but dammit, I have problems with the name of the cookbook. 1. It sounds like that cookbook Oprah did back a bunch of years ago when she lost weight the 32nd time. 2. Why not ROSEMONSTER in the Kitchen? I really don’t know why they refuse to embrace that nickname. Probably the same reason they forgot why they were a woman’s college and how they refuse to embrace their history, tradition and founder’s ideas and philosophy.

Somewhere along the way, they lost it. Makes me sad.

I am so crotchety in my old age! I called up Acme’s Customer Service department and complained how their Acme Rice and Wheat Flakes with Strawberries HAS NO STRAWBERRIES! At least in this one box I recently bought. Of course I was real nice about it. That’s why they are sending me a 10.00 gift certificate!!!!!!!

I am 33-years-old. Tomorrow I will be 34. My Rolling Rock Year has come to an end. 10 years and 1 day ago, I turned 24. In 10 years and 1 day from now, I will be 44. I’m sorry. I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around this milestone. 34 used to seem so old. I am not now what I used to think of as a 34-year-old woman. In my mind I pictured a soccer mom with short feathered hair and a bedazzled sweatshirt driving a minivan. Maybe this is why I feel like a robot chanting, “Does not compute! Does not compute!” Whatever, it’s a number. I have spent 34 years on this earth. It’s been a good ride for me and I feel like I’ve come a long way but I still got a lot more to accomplish. I need to sit down and figure out what else I want and get moving on it. I’m beginning to realize this crazy world just keeps on spinning and these birthdays just keep on hitting. And it sure as heck ain’t slowing down.