tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-235085032011-10-02T22:37:43.570-04:00Exile On Main Streettopazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.comBlogger251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-7756598270915045032007-05-20T09:30:00.001-04:002008-11-17T18:52:25.998-05:00

Haven't done this for a long time...but I'm about to take the plunge once again. Yes folks, I'm about to take a graceful swan dive into the swirling vortex of online dating, and it remains to be seen whether I'll end up making a smacking belly flop. Later this week I'm going to meet a fascinating man I've been corresponding with for the past month through the Onion. Yup, that's right - The Onion

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-90732373400178728602007-05-14T09:20:00.000-04:002007-05-18T07:58:24.220-04:00

Girl, where did all that R.E.S.P.E.C.T. go?!?

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-72127589879313827292007-05-01T18:39:00.000-04:002007-05-02T10:46:39.328-04:00

Recently, I was honored to be chosen for a mano-on-womano interview, with the esteemed Grant Miller, of Grant Miller Media:GM: You have two blogs, topazz (with a zz) and another called WikiFray. How verbose are you that you require two blogs? topazz: CUT! Don't you dare call me verbose, Grant Miller. And quit focusing that camera on you the whole time.GM: You work in a college admissions

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-22010743497571419612007-04-24T19:59:00.000-04:002007-04-25T09:16:28.576-04:00

A Gorgeous Looking Man.A Great Black DressA Breathtaking ViewThat's all I got, for now.

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-24520724455746925062007-03-18T00:06:00.000-04:002007-04-05T09:25:48.247-04:00

They say when you’re drowning, your life flashes before your eyes. I think “they” got it terribly wrong. For 3 successive evenings this week, I went swimming in a beautiful brand new pool, one of the enticements of a gym I’m considering joining. I was never in any danger of drowning, but I had these same kinds of flashes, little vignettes of my life, from the moment I first slipped beneath the

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-80820459946506686292007-03-11T18:05:00.000-04:002007-03-11T21:12:02.272-04:00

I'm not a gym person. Oh I've tried them, even joined several times - and I always get intimidated by all the equipment, especially that obscene open-your-thighs-wide contraption which inevitably has me facing some sweaty guy on a treadmill. I get annoyed by all the people hanging out and perspiring to be workout professionals, flexing whilst guzzling their fancy-schmancy bottled water. Makes

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-55141189234437454042007-02-25T22:26:00.000-05:002007-03-02T21:26:41.627-05:00

God, but I love this picture. I guess because you can use it over and over for any number of causes. For example: "Mimes Protesting Geoff Not Returning My Star After a More-Than-Reasonable/Actually Harsher Than Needed 90 Day Disciplinary Period" and so on.Off-topic stuff: Grey Goose La Poire Vodka. It is to die for. As I discovered when I went out just this past Saturday night. I'd seen a

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-22072263703562460772007-02-21T08:40:00.000-05:002007-02-22T20:32:34.159-05:00

My 16 year old son Michael sprints down the court like a gazelle. He's fluid tonight, loose and aggressive, he's on his game. The ball gets passed to him from a teammate on the left, Michael dribbles from midcourt looking for an opening, sees none, whips the ball to his right. Immediately it gets returned to him, he shoots and sinks a perfect 3 pointer.Here comes Johnny singing oldies,

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-81190018494202002762007-02-18T18:06:00.000-05:002007-02-18T21:44:43.147-05:00

Okay, I wasn't really surprised yesterday morning, when I saw the rental truck sitting in the driveway next door. I knew Old Lady K-----'s house had finally sold after almost 11 months on the market; I knew the jig was up on my carefree days of letting the dog do her business over on their lawn instead of ours.Even when our quiet little street became lined with cars by 10 AM, I thought: "Wow,

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-9436300058081399722007-02-14T02:33:00.000-05:002007-02-14T03:50:45.902-05:00

For far too long now, I've held on to my house much like I held on to my marriage; because of my kids. Right now it's the middle of the night as I write this, the teenagers are all snug in their beds, but I'm the one with the sugarplum visions of shiny new condominiums with granite kitchen counters dancing in my head. I remember when we first moved here 14 years ago - "moving up" from a twin in

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-70778242746844826932007-02-09T22:07:00.000-05:002007-02-11T21:28:41.505-05:00

For as long as I can remember, whenever I've been seriously troubled by something, I've always been able to find tangible relief and comfort simply through the moon or the ocean. There is something that draws me toward these natural life forces in times of stress, something that connects me to their ancient pull of cycles and tides. Within their very perpetuality there exudes a calmness, a way

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-13900448334617986982007-02-01T10:15:00.000-05:002007-02-09T19:13:53.608-05:00

I've always gotten a real kick out of listening (and dancing to) En Vogue. To me, they epitomize the classic heart and soul of an all girl group, a sexier, more sophisticated take on both the Supremes and the whole girl group era in general - but with just a little bit more fabulousness. None of the 4 women who made up EnVogue were classified as official "Lead Singer" and this was unique in

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-67309880250656913042007-01-28T21:55:00.000-05:002007-05-03T19:37:39.837-04:00

Prince Charles, in Philadelphia this weekend ostensibly to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Academy of Music, left mouths agape when he suddenly darted behind the stately Liberty Bell in a sick and sordid game of Hide and Seek with shocked reporters. Meanwhile on the other side of The Bell, his adulteress-cum-second wife Camilla, lewdly ran her finger up and down the famed "crack" while

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-64982729620127734572007-01-01T18:23:00.000-05:002007-01-05T11:41:15.789-05:00

I've always hated it because for whatever reason - I always seem to dwell more on the "ending" aspect rather than the beginning. Especially true this year in particular, after finishing up all the loose ends of divorce, experiencing an in-law's Christmas week death (although at 86 he had a good run) and a long-awaited, bittersweet reunion with someone significant, one that likely won't come

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-70811708016335029102006-12-28T21:18:00.000-05:002006-12-28T21:53:08.123-05:00

Having just spent this entire week helping my ex-husband and his family deal with the handling of funeral arrangements (my father-in-law died Christmas Eve) I have to say I'm taken aback at the whole business and practical side of death. Cremation? Or Traditional Burial?What started out as plans for a simple funeral soon turned into a staggering bill, once the $3,600 mahogany casket was chosen

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-69792119832317406322006-12-22T16:00:00.000-05:002006-12-31T23:22:13.542-05:00

December 2006; a house near the ocean. Upon reflection, some things are just too precious to be written down at all, but they'll live on forever in our memories. This is one I'll keep safe within my dreams.

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-1164836358576233542006-11-29T16:03:00.000-05:002006-12-01T10:53:30.921-05:00

In light of a recent transgression, I've been doing a bit of reading lately on this subject. What I'm finding is that there are many different categories of collapse; the United States for example, has been experiencing a cataclysmic fall from grace, and on a worldwide stage to boot. Setbacks, scandals and slips are all too familiar within the corporate world, where every penny earned hinges on

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-1163212712239223062006-11-10T21:29:00.000-05:002006-11-10T21:38:32.250-05:00

Little Pink Houses...Or yellow, as the case may be. I'm thinking along the lines of khaki, with black shutters, to match our main house.Makes perfect economic sense. It's an ideal size for an in-law apartment, I can buy it at Lowe's, and with almost an acre on my existing property I have the lot space to build it. I could use it for my parents, for my kids when they need a transition space after

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-1160608937382337592006-10-11T22:17:00.000-04:002006-11-30T08:03:25.906-05:00

The excellent and superbly written review for Edna O'Brien's newest book (on Slate's Book Blitz) brought to mind another Irish woman...A cousin from Ireland, one I'd never met before, visited my family for two weeks this past summer. Isabel was her name, an attractive looking woman in her mid-40's, and we were happily prepared to entertain when she arrived on our doorstep in August with 3 of her

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-1158783573037409842006-09-20T16:17:00.000-04:002006-09-20T21:00:36.690-04:00

Funny how something as simple as diving can be so powerful.Last year, amidst all the sadness of going through a divorce, I decided it was high time my children got a fresh perspective, that a little fun was in order. My oldest daughter was away at college but it was my other three (triplets) who needed this more so than her. I wanted to take them somewhere they'd never been before, so I booked a

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-1158701541853809312006-09-19T17:29:00.000-04:002006-11-30T08:05:43.370-05:00

Grammar.You know, like the way he writes in his profile. (Perverts. What were you expecting?)Anyhoo, I caught a lot of flack last time I wrote about online dating, for saying how important good grammar was to me. Well I still say it. I can tell immediately if he reads and if he’s educated by the way he writes. By “educated” I’m not talking about university degrees. For example, if I get a

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-1158419920138970662006-09-16T08:48:00.000-04:002006-09-17T00:10:19.696-04:00

I made a pie all by myself for the first time, last night. Key words: all by myself. Over the years I've made dozens and dozens of pies, but they were always a collaborative effort; my husband always made the crust because he was excellent at it. He had a way of turning out pie crusts that were picture perfect and so flaky the first bite would melt in your mouth. I'd always do the easier

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-1157272516925889792006-09-03T04:02:00.000-04:002006-11-30T09:46:35.586-05:00

Actually, I was caught eating the goods outright, I wasn't concealing them. I was at Wegmans, a rather upscale grocery store that happens to have an unbelievable candy section, one that would bring out the kid in anyone, a candy section to die for. They've got all the penny candy from my childhood; atomic fireballs, red hot dollars, wax lips, wax bottles, fizzies, licorice snaps, candy

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-1157032331435840832006-08-31T09:47:00.000-04:002006-11-30T09:47:34.900-05:00

...at least not when a nationwide microphone is attached to you.CNN's Kyra Phillips was caught with her pants down on Tuesday, while taking a bathroom break during President Bush's televised Katrina Anniversary speech in New Orleans.From the New York Daily News:"The mortifying episode came when Phillips stepped away from her desk during coverage of President Bush's Hurricane Katrina anniversary

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23508503.post-1156378316719839662006-08-23T20:11:00.000-04:002006-08-24T18:56:00.986-04:00

Local Woman Starts Her Own Blog About Writing A BlogWell, the pressure is on. Yep, this here is the "Big Time" now. Instead of the two or three of you who may have glanced at my posts back on the good old fray, untold millions of you are now out there reading this, insatiable to know the sordid details of my personal life, and/or my recipes. Well this ain't going to be no ladie's kitchen blog,

topazzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379903935323340176noreply@blogger.com1