Cory was fixing hot chocolate in the kitchen, when he said he really wanted to hear that song from The Sound of Music about a few of my favorite things. Apparently a girl in his class keeps singing it over and over. We love that song, so Jeffrey and I start trying to 'sing' it - no, we can't sing in any way shape or form, but we were trying to remember the words. We got stuck after 'whiskers on kittens' so I looked the lyrics up. Then I went searching YouTube so I could watch that scene from the movie and hear the song. We have the movie, but I didn't want to go find it and stick it in, and, besides Jeffrey is listening to music on the TV. These SIRIUS channels on the satellite are really great. I found all kinds of different versions of this song on YouTube, but not the actual scene from the movie. What I did find was a video with Julie Andrews singing and pictures to complement the song. The person who put this together did a really good job.
I love this song.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Friday's Feast #170
Friday's Feast is a meme of 5 questions cooked up by the chef every week. Enjoy!Appetizer
What is your favorite carnival/amusement park ride? I love roller coasters!
Soup
How do you react in uncomfortable social situations? Oftentimes I pretend I don't know what is going on and just ignore the whole thing. Other times I find something to be busy with so I don't have to interact.
Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy discussing deep, philosophical topics? 5 - how's that for a cop out? Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.
Main Course
Did you get a flu shot this year? If not, do you plan to? No, I've never had a flu shot. Jeffrey gets them at work. They'd rather pay to get all the employees shot than have people get sick and miss work.
Dessert
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend watching television? Define 'watching' - because the television is usually on, but most of the time I am out of the room and just listening to it, or on the computer and kind of paying attention to what's on TV, but not really.
Visit other Friday's Feast participants.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Her Boyfriend's Back
Beth has been pretty stressed out for the past couple weeks. Has it been that long? Yeah, I guess it has. The week before Thanksgiving, the kids didn't have school on Friday because of parent/teacher conferences, so Beth spent the night with her friend Kayla on Thursday. Her boyfriend, Tim was over here the night before. And that's the last time she saw him until tonight. He called her Thursday night at Kayla's, but then he just disappeared. He was supposed to call Friday after work, and he never did. Beth started trying to track him down, ended up calling the family he is living with, and they hadn't seen him since sometime Thursday. He hadn't gone to school. He hadn't gone to work. No one knew where he was or what was going on.
Eventually they did talk to some people who had seen him, so they knew he was around somewhere, but no one had talked to him. Finally, yesterday he called Beth and sent her some messages on MySpace. I have no idea what was up with him, but he came over tonight. He and Beth were going to go over to where he's been living and talk to the parents, Jim & Randi. They're the parents of his best friend Jesse, who let him live there and gave him a job because he's had issues at home with his dad. Instead of leaving, they ended up sitting in the car talking - even though it's like 25° outside. Finallywe convinced them to come in they got too cold and came in. So they're in the basement talking. I'm not sure when he's planning to go home and talk to Jim & Randi or what the whole deal was.
Beth thinks she loves this guy, but if he can just run off like this, she's really going to have to decide if she can live with that. She does not deserve to be treated that way. Or he's going to have to learn a better way of dealing with his problems than running off. He did the same thing not too long after they first met, though she didn't really know him that well then. He was having problems with his dad, and that's how he ended up living with Jim & Randi. They've been really good to him, and they certainly don't deserve to be treated this way, either.
Eventually they did talk to some people who had seen him, so they knew he was around somewhere, but no one had talked to him. Finally, yesterday he called Beth and sent her some messages on MySpace. I have no idea what was up with him, but he came over tonight. He and Beth were going to go over to where he's been living and talk to the parents, Jim & Randi. They're the parents of his best friend Jesse, who let him live there and gave him a job because he's had issues at home with his dad. Instead of leaving, they ended up sitting in the car talking - even though it's like 25° outside. Finally
Beth thinks she loves this guy, but if he can just run off like this, she's really going to have to decide if she can live with that. She does not deserve to be treated that way. Or he's going to have to learn a better way of dealing with his problems than running off. He did the same thing not too long after they first met, though she didn't really know him that well then. He was having problems with his dad, and that's how he ended up living with Jim & Randi. They've been really good to him, and they certainly don't deserve to be treated this way, either.
What Do These Words Have in Common?
See if you can figure out what these words have in common.
Banana
Dresser
Grammar
Potato
Revive
Uneven
Assess
Are you peeking or have you already given up?
Give it another try . . .
You will kick yourself when you discover the answer.
Go back and look at them again; think hard.
OK . . Here You Go . . . Hope You Didn't Cheat.
This Is Cool.
Answer: No, it is not that they all have at least 2 double letters. (Thought I had the answer, but I did not go far enough.)
In all of the words listed, if you take the first letter, place it at the end of the word, and then spell the word backwards, it will be the same word.
Did you figure it out? Even if you didn't, don't worry. Just send it to more people and stump them; then, you'll feel better, too.
Banana
Dresser
Grammar
Potato
Revive
Uneven
Assess
Are you peeking or have you already given up?
Give it another try . . .
You will kick yourself when you discover the answer.
Go back and look at them again; think hard.
OK . . Here You Go . . . Hope You Didn't Cheat.
This Is Cool.
Answer: No, it is not that they all have at least 2 double letters. (Thought I had the answer, but I did not go far enough.)
In all of the words listed, if you take the first letter, place it at the end of the word, and then spell the word backwards, it will be the same word.
Did you figure it out? Even if you didn't, don't worry. Just send it to more people and stump them; then, you'll feel better, too.
Starbucks Contest Update
Remember how I said I was entering the contest to win a $25 Starbucks gift card? The contest is still going on - until December 8 - so, for those of you who have been clicking that coffee in the sidebar, thanks! For those of you who haven't, won't you consider a click or two? Just click on over and visit Tina's blog.
Google Analytics will only show the top ten, and the referrals above 7 are mainly search engines. Here's the leader board posted by Tina, showing 7-10. I dropped from 8 to 10 this week, so I need some clicks if I'm going to catch Rachel.
Google Analytics will only show the top ten, and the referrals above 7 are mainly search engines. Here's the leader board posted by Tina, showing 7-10. I dropped from 8 to 10 this week, so I need some clicks if I'm going to catch Rachel.
Never Forget
Who can forget Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies? If you haven't seen them, you should. My favorite one is still the first, though the other two are pretty good too. I think the first one was just such a surprise, at least to me. I didn't know what to expect. We went to see it because Jeffrey loves tall ships, and pirates have ships, so it seemed to be a movie made just for him. I would have a hard time picking a favorite scene from that movie, but I still cheer, no matter how many times I've seen it, when Captain Jack is sword fighting with Will in the blacksmith's shop, and he throws the ashes into Will's face. Will says, "You cheated!" and Captain Jack says, "Pirate" with a little shrug of his shoulders. It's just a "duh, what did you expect?" moment.
I also really enjoyed Johnny Depp in Finding Neverland. Yes, Johnny Depp can be a serious actor, but there's still the fun in this movie. It's sweet, and it made me cry. I love the interaction between Depp, as J.M. Barrie, and the Davies brothers, especially Peter who took everything so seriously and had forgotten how to be a kid. J.M. Barrie gives Peter a journal and encourages him to use his imagination:
I also really enjoyed Johnny Depp in Finding Neverland. Yes, Johnny Depp can be a serious actor, but there's still the fun in this movie. It's sweet, and it made me cry. I love the interaction between Depp, as J.M. Barrie, and the Davies brothers, especially Peter who took everything so seriously and had forgotten how to be a kid. J.M. Barrie gives Peter a journal and encourages him to use his imagination:
J.M. Barrie: Write about your family, Write about the talking Whale.Pirates of the Caribbean is the movie that brought Johnny Depp to my attention, and I really believe that Captain Jack Sparrow will always be my favorite Johnny Depp character. I love how he's so flamboyant. He's just darn good, and so much fun! Now, whenever a new Johnny Depp movie comes out, I'm ready to check it out. Coming this Christmas, Johnny Depp stars in the new Tim Burton movie Sweeney Todd . Be sure to visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site to find out more, and visit Sweeney Todd on MySpace to enter for a chance to meet Johnny Depp. I never really understood the whole thing about screaming fans, but I'm screaming now - even though it's only on the inside. OMG! Johnny Depp! I am so going to win, well, at least enter and hope to win.
Peter Llewelyn Davies: What Whale?
J.M. Barrie: The one that is trapped in your imagination, desperate to get out.
Trip of a Lifetime
I'm really not sure why, but every time I see this commercial I just have to laugh.
The thing about commercials is that I usually don't watch them at all. There are times when I actually pay attention to a commercial, and when I start laughing at it, Jeffrey usually looks at me funny and asks, "Is that the first time you've seen that?" Well, yeah. Why? Has it been on a lot?
Of course, after I notice a commercial, it seems that I start seeing it all. the. time. I still don't usually know what it is they are advertising, though. Commercials as entertainment. Sometimes they're pretty good. Commercials for selling me stuff? Not so much.
The thing about commercials is that I usually don't watch them at all. There are times when I actually pay attention to a commercial, and when I start laughing at it, Jeffrey usually looks at me funny and asks, "Is that the first time you've seen that?" Well, yeah. Why? Has it been on a lot?
Of course, after I notice a commercial, it seems that I start seeing it all. the. time. I still don't usually know what it is they are advertising, though. Commercials as entertainment. Sometimes they're pretty good. Commercials for selling me stuff? Not so much.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Personalized Flash Drives
Remember floppy disks? We still have some of those around here, but new computers don't even come with a floppy drive any more. It's easy to see why. They were so big, and they really didn't hold all that much data. I remember backing up my Quicken file to disk and needing 3 or 4 of them for the file. Now, I just back it up to a flash drive.I love flash drives. They're so small and convenient, and they hold so much data. Even my smallest one (64MB) holds more data than a whole stack of those floppy disks! Yes, I said my smallest one. I have several, because I think they're so convenient and cute. I even thought the plain ones were cute, but these Personalized Flash Drives are so much cuter. They come in 14 different colors, with 32 different themes to choose from. I really like the tattoos selections - butterflies, camouflage, snowflakes, and more. Engraving is FREE on both sides. You get the design of your choice, and you can personalize the 2nd side with up to two lines of text.
I can see this being a great gift for the kids. They can use them to transport schoolwork back and forth between school and home, and with the personalization, there will be no question who the cool flash drive belongs to. Believe me, that's important at school.
brought to you by pexagon
Where Did Those Darn Keys Go?
The other day when Beth was getting ready to leave for work, she looked everywhere for her keys. When I asked her where she had seen them last, she said they were on the couch, like always. Never mind that her keys do not belong on the couch.
The night before, when she came home from work, she had gone into her room to check her MySpace or her email or something on the computer, so I told her she should look in there. Now, if you've ever seen her room, you know that the chances of finding anything in there when you need it are next to nil. I really don't know how she lives like that. Anyway, after much searching and still no keys, she really did need to leave for work so she wouldn't be late. So I gave her my set and told her that she better not lose them because there would be nothing we could do then. And she better find her own keys when she got home from work.
She walked out the door. A minute later, she walked back in. She found her car keys. They were on the front seat of the car. Yes, the car was locked, so no one could have driven away with it. It's a good thing that, if she was going to lock the keys in the car, at least she was in her own driveway and hadn't locked them in at work.
The night before, when she came home from work, she had gone into her room to check her MySpace or her email or something on the computer, so I told her she should look in there. Now, if you've ever seen her room, you know that the chances of finding anything in there when you need it are next to nil. I really don't know how she lives like that. Anyway, after much searching and still no keys, she really did need to leave for work so she wouldn't be late. So I gave her my set and told her that she better not lose them because there would be nothing we could do then. And she better find her own keys when she got home from work.
She walked out the door. A minute later, she walked back in. She found her car keys. They were on the front seat of the car. Yes, the car was locked, so no one could have driven away with it. It's a good thing that, if she was going to lock the keys in the car, at least she was in her own driveway and hadn't locked them in at work.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
I Want to Go Hiking
I was browsing MetBoots.com, when Jeffrey looked over and asked me if I was going to get him some boots. That's what I get for sitting so he can see my computer screen. Anyway, I asked him if I get him some hiking boots will he go hiking with me. We have some really nice trails around here, and we don't use them nearly enough. I guess we're still not going to use them, because he said no. He won't go hiking with me. No sense in buying him a gift he doesn't want to use. I guess if I want to buy some hiking boots, I'll have to get some for myself. They have some really nice boots here, and shipping is free on all orders over $100.
I can go hiking by myself.
I can go hiking by myself.
What Was He Wearing on His Feet?
Monday mornings when I wake the kids up for school, I remind them that I need all their laundry. I do laundry every Monday. They shouldn't need to be reminded, but still I remind them. Then, if something doesn't get put in the laundry, it doesn't get washed. It's not my job to go around collecting stuff.
Yesterday, Cory told me that he had found a 'stash' of socks so he had put a bunch of them in the laundry. When I sorted the laundry, I did indeed find a bunch of socks. Who knew the boy had so many socks? But, with so many of them collecting in a dirty pile in his room, what in the world has he been wearing on his feet?
Maybe that's what that smell was - stinky teenage boy feet in dirty socks!
Yesterday, Cory told me that he had found a 'stash' of socks so he had put a bunch of them in the laundry. When I sorted the laundry, I did indeed find a bunch of socks. Who knew the boy had so many socks? But, with so many of them collecting in a dirty pile in his room, what in the world has he been wearing on his feet?
Maybe that's what that smell was - stinky teenage boy feet in dirty socks!
Tours, Attractions, Things to Do
The last time I was in San Diego was when I was going to college in Pasadena. A group of us drove down one day. Being poor college students, we didn't do much except check out the beach. Of course, I love the beach, but if I ever get a chance to go back, I see that there is plenty to do in San Diego. There's the San Diego Zoo, Old Town Trolley tours, the San Diego Air and Space Museum, Harbor Cruises, and the place I bet Cory will be most interested in - San Diego Legoland.
While I'm no longer a poor college student, I still hate to spend more money on anything than I absolutely have to. That's why I'm interested in Trusted Tours and Attractions. They offer discount tickets to the best attractions and tours in San Diego, and many other cities. They also offer important visitor information such as pictures, weather, city maps, and recommendations of things to do, so planning a vacation is that much easier.
Sign up now to get the Trusted Travel eNewsletter. You'll get interesting stories and travel tips, informative and useful articles, and money saving deals delivered to your inbox each month. Plus, when you sign up now, you’re automatically entered to win 4 free tickets to attractions and tours in one of 21 different cities.
Where will you go? I'm having a hard time deciding whether I want to win tickets for San Diego, or one of the other cities.
While I'm no longer a poor college student, I still hate to spend more money on anything than I absolutely have to. That's why I'm interested in Trusted Tours and Attractions. They offer discount tickets to the best attractions and tours in San Diego, and many other cities. They also offer important visitor information such as pictures, weather, city maps, and recommendations of things to do, so planning a vacation is that much easier.
Sign up now to get the Trusted Travel eNewsletter. You'll get interesting stories and travel tips, informative and useful articles, and money saving deals delivered to your inbox each month. Plus, when you sign up now, you’re automatically entered to win 4 free tickets to attractions and tours in one of 21 different cities.
Where will you go? I'm having a hard time deciding whether I want to win tickets for San Diego, or one of the other cities.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Heads or Tails - Mark
Barb over at Skittles' Place has started a fun meme called Heads or Tails. Every week she calls heads or tails - HEADS we get to write or post whatever we want about her chosen topic - TAILS we have to do just what it says.Today it's HEADS - Mark
Since my brother Mark just came for Thanksgiving and spent the weekend with us, I thought I'd post a picture.
It's very obvious that he wanted his picture taken, isn't it? I'm sure he will love knowing I posted it on my blog! Jeffrey says Mark is looking a lot like my dad these days . I guess I could post a picture of dad so we could compare, but since his name is Garry...Mark is my oldest brother. He's about 18 months younger than I am. He's also the only brother who lives remotely close - actually he still lives in Illinois, and all the rest of us moved away. I just didn't move as far as the rest of them.
It was nice having him and his daughter here for the weekend. We really should do it more often. I know, let's mark our calendars!
Be sure to check out other Heads or Tails participants.
Give Me Five Monday - Shopping
Becca over at BeccAa's Buzz has started a new meme. Here's what it's all about:The 'Give Me Five' Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here's how it works. Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.
The topic of today's list is - 5 pet peeves or dislikes associated with shopping.
- I don't like shopping in a crowded store. I feel like I can't move, and I hate that. Somehow I always seem to manage getting behind someone in a crowded aisle, someone who is moving at roughly the speed of a turtle. How is it possible to move that slowly? Why would you want to move that slowly? How long until I can get around?
- I don't like buying something at one store and then finding the exact same thing for a better price at the next store I go to. Then I wonder - is it worth going back and returning the first item so I can buy it at the 2nd store?
- I hate getting to the store and finding that they are completely out of the advertised item(s) that I really wanted.
- I don't like shopping without all of my coupons - because, if I don't have them, I am guaranteed to find something I need them for.
- I just don't like how much money it seems to cost!
So Many Pictures
Ever since I got a digital camera several years ago, I have been taking pictures, pictures, and more pictures. I have pictures on my computer. I use pictures for my screensaver, and I upload pictures to the Internet, to sites like Flickr and Tabblo, to share them. What I don't seem to do is print them. Before my digital camera, I used to take quite a few pictures, and those pictures had to be printed. Then I organized them and put them into photo albums, and we can sit down and go through those photo albums any time we want. It really is fun to see how much my kids have grown and changed. They were so cute.
If I order by December 10 and pay with PayPal, I can even get 20% cash back.
Here's a scanned photo from my pre-digital days: 
Because I don't usually print my pictures, a digital picture frame might be nice. All I'd have to do is load the camera's memory card into the frame, and we could all enjoy a slideshow of recent pictures. Some of these frames can even connect to our wireless network, so I could send pictures from my laptop to the frame without having to connect any cables or mess with the memory card.If I order by December 10 and pay with PayPal, I can even get 20% cash back.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Army vs. Navy
The 108th annual Army-Navy game will be played in Baltimore on December 1. No, I really don't care about football, but I do have a few good memories of the 1983 Army-Navy game. That year it was held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. I was in college in Pasadena, and we sold programs at the game as a fund raiser. I remember roaming the stands throughout the game, selling or at least trying to sell programs to the cadets and midshipmen. I don't remember who won that year. I do remember that I was cheering for Navy just because the Navy midshipmen were nicer to those of us who were selling the programs. They were so well-behaved and polite. Now, of course, I have a cousin in the Navy, so I guess it would only be right to cheer for Navy!
This weekend's USA Weekend featured some memories of the Army-Navy game from men and women who attended the service academies. Here's one of those stories:
This weekend's USA Weekend featured some memories of the Army-Navy game from men and women who attended the service academies. Here's one of those stories:
Friends Never ForgottenI read this one with tears in my eyes. Read more at USA Weekend and at Military Times.
Pat Mangin
Annville, Pa.
Army Class of 1990
I played on the Army teams from 1986 to 1989. My best memory? During my last game, CBS caught me on camera butting helmets with my best friend. My other close friend, Ken Nadermann, didn't play football, but he was in the same F4 Fighting Frogs Company with me. We got through all four years together, and it wasn't easy. We started with 35 Frogs. In the end, about 20 graduated.
Ken served in Desert Storm, and by 1994, we found out that he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS, or Lou Gehrigs disease. Today, a number of the Frogs and I make it a tradition to watch the Army-Navy game with him at his home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He can't talk to us anymore. His nurses read his lips for us. But he starts preparing for the game about eight weeks in advance, and you should see his house when hes done, all decked out with Army paraphernalia and chow, sodas and beer.
Last year, I got back from Iraq in November and went directly to Cedar Rapids so I could watch with Ken and the guys. My wife and 7-year-old son, Clay, actually got tickets to the game, so they were sending us cellphone images live from there. Thats right: I went to Cedar Rapids before I saw my family, after being gone for 16 months. Thats how important this tradition is.
I'm now stationed in Pennsylvania, and I'll be close to the stadium in Baltimore. So Ken had his nurse call me a while back, and he mouthed these words: "Tell Pat that I want him at the game this year with his wife and son." He knows my son loves Army football. But I wouldn't hear of it.
I said to him, "No way, dude. Not until you're gone. Then I'll get a sideline pass, look up at the sky during the flyover and think of you."
Another Tag and Some Obsessing
I was also tagged for that last meme - list seven random or weird things - by Jenn @ Enjoying the Ride. I'm not going to do it again. Even though Cory is always telling me that I'm random, I think I would have a hard time coming up with seven more random things right now. Now, read that sentence and tell me if I mean seven more things that just happen to be random or seven things that are even more random than the first seven. Hmmm.... I wonder.
But, since Jenn tagged me, I thought the best thing I could do was run over and check out her list. How could I resist? I was reading the first item on her list where she said, "I am shy. I never know what to say to people, so I tend to say nothing. That's why I like to blog...I can edit!" and that reminded me of something I was thinking about earlier. Not necessarily the shy part, though I'm right there with Jenn on that. I'm a total introvert, but somehow blogging helps us to come out of that and reach out and connect with people in ways we never could in real life. What I was thinking about was the editing.
I tend to be a perfectionist - always have been; probably always will be. Do you know how hard that is with teenagers in the house who just really don't care? That's beside the point. What I was thinking about was my tendency to make everything perfect, so I do tend to edit my blog posts - over and over and over, until they are just the way I want them. I think that's OK at the time - before anyone has really had a chance to read them - unless some of you are lurking on my blog, constantly refreshing the page, just waiting for that next post, I'm usually safe in believing that no one will read the post until I'm mostly satisfied with it. But what about a post that I've already written, and the next day I feel that I could have said that better?
For instance, on the Need a Snow Day? post - why didn't I mention something like, "remember how much fun it was making cut paper snowflakes when you were a kid? Now you can do the same thing with your computer." So, when I think of that a few days later, should I edit the post and make the original post 'better' - even though no one will probably even notice or read the new improved post? Should I just ignore it and move on? (of course, because I'm a perfectionist, this is the hardest one for me) Or should I write a new post and say what I really meant to say in the first place - and probably have people wondering why I'm repeating myself?
What do you do?
But, since Jenn tagged me, I thought the best thing I could do was run over and check out her list. How could I resist? I was reading the first item on her list where she said, "I am shy. I never know what to say to people, so I tend to say nothing. That's why I like to blog...I can edit!" and that reminded me of something I was thinking about earlier. Not necessarily the shy part, though I'm right there with Jenn on that. I'm a total introvert, but somehow blogging helps us to come out of that and reach out and connect with people in ways we never could in real life. What I was thinking about was the editing.
I tend to be a perfectionist - always have been; probably always will be. Do you know how hard that is with teenagers in the house who just really don't care? That's beside the point. What I was thinking about was my tendency to make everything perfect, so I do tend to edit my blog posts - over and over and over, until they are just the way I want them. I think that's OK at the time - before anyone has really had a chance to read them - unless some of you are lurking on my blog, constantly refreshing the page, just waiting for that next post, I'm usually safe in believing that no one will read the post until I'm mostly satisfied with it. But what about a post that I've already written, and the next day I feel that I could have said that better?For instance, on the Need a Snow Day? post - why didn't I mention something like, "remember how much fun it was making cut paper snowflakes when you were a kid? Now you can do the same thing with your computer." So, when I think of that a few days later, should I edit the post and make the original post 'better' - even though no one will probably even notice or read the new improved post? Should I just ignore it and move on? (of course, because I'm a perfectionist, this is the hardest one for me) Or should I write a new post and say what I really meant to say in the first place - and probably have people wondering why I'm repeating myself?
What do you do?
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Seven Plus One More
I was tagged by Tammy (Mom Knows Everything) for a meme several days ago. For this meme, I'm supposed to list eight random things about myself. Then, today, I was tagged by Carrie (Rantings of a Woman) and Diana (Lady Banana) for a meme where I'm supposed to list seven random or weird things about myself. So, if I go ahead and do Tammy's meme, I will have the seven things for the other meme, with a bonus one thrown in for good measure. How do you like that logic?
Alright let's start with the rules: once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list eight (or seven, depending) random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to eight other people. (or seven, or some other random number)
Alright let's start with the rules: once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list eight (or seven, depending) random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to eight other people. (or seven, or some other random number)
- I always wanted a sister, but my parents kept having boys, so I have 3 younger brothers and no sister at all.
- When I was 12, I went to summer camp. In cheerleading class they showed us how to stretch so we could do the splits. I started stretching and working at it until I could do the splits - and I still can.
- One of my favorite movies is Dirty Dancing, with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.
- I think Sean Connery is amazingly sexy. He's the best James Bond ever, and he's on my TV screen right now in Hunt for Red October.
- My youngest cousin is named Anna, too. She gets a kick out of that. She's almost 9. My mom is the oldest sister. The other Anna's mom is the youngest sister, and then she got remarried and had Anna. So there's quite an age difference. She lives in Texas. I've never met her, but we 'talk' on MSN Messenger once in a while. It's fun.
- My dad named me after a country song.
- I don't like playing Monopoly because it takes too long.
- I started collecting frogs not too long ago, and I'm still not sure why. I think they're adorable, but it's not something I've liked all my life.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Need a Snow Day?
It snowed Wednesday night, and we woke up to a white world yesterday morning. There really wasn't much accumulation, just enough to make things pretty. However, there was an icy layer underneath so it wasn't much fun to walk in. I took my camera out for my walk and got a few pictures, but my fingers were freezing and I had to walk very carefully to avoid falling on my butt, so I came back early. I had plenty of cooking to do, anyway.
I was just going through my email and found a folder I had forgotten. It reminded me of this fun site where you can catch some snowflakes and create your own. To catch one, just mouse over one that you like, and it will stop and zoom in so you can see it. To create your own, just click where it says 'Create our own Snowflake' and follow the instructions. It's easy, and if you mess up, you can undo it back as many steps as you need, or reset the whole thing and start over again. Once you're happy with it, you can save it, send it to your friends, and print it. When other people catch your snowflake, they can respond to it and send you a message. This is so much fun! You just have to try it.
I really can't 'cut' straight, but here's my first snowflake of the winter. I'm sure I'll be making more, and when I remind Cory of this site, he'll be doing it, too. He's really good at it.
I was just going through my email and found a folder I had forgotten. It reminded me of this fun site where you can catch some snowflakes and create your own. To catch one, just mouse over one that you like, and it will stop and zoom in so you can see it. To create your own, just click where it says 'Create our own Snowflake' and follow the instructions. It's easy, and if you mess up, you can undo it back as many steps as you need, or reset the whole thing and start over again. Once you're happy with it, you can save it, send it to your friends, and print it. When other people catch your snowflake, they can respond to it and send you a message. This is so much fun! You just have to try it.I really can't 'cut' straight, but here's my first snowflake of the winter. I'm sure I'll be making more, and when I remind Cory of this site, he'll be doing it, too. He's really good at it.
St. Augustine Artwalk
America's oldest city certainly doesn't sit back on her laurels and enjoy old age. She's got it goin' on. The first weekend of every month in St. Augustine, Florida is all about music and art. It's the First Friday Weekend Art Walk, and it's FREE. From 5-9pm, the art galleries offer free self-guided tours of their exhibits. Admission is free. Parking is free, and the St. Augustine Sightseeing Trains and Old Town Trolleys offer complimentary shuttle service to most of the galleries.
Due to the cold weather setting in here in Wisconsin, my first attraction to the St. Augustine Artwalk was that it is in Florida, where it's warm. But then I started visiting some of the web pages of featured St. Augustine artists to see what kind of artwork will be on display. This is some nice artwork. No, I don't really understand art. I just know what I like to look at, and this sounds like it would be a great way to check out some artwork in a fun and relaxed setting. With over 20 galleries participating, you can enjoy not only the latest exhibits, but also music, entertainment and refreshments.
Did I mention that it's FREE?
Due to the cold weather setting in here in Wisconsin, my first attraction to the St. Augustine Artwalk was that it is in Florida, where it's warm. But then I started visiting some of the web pages of featured St. Augustine artists to see what kind of artwork will be on display. This is some nice artwork. No, I don't really understand art. I just know what I like to look at, and this sounds like it would be a great way to check out some artwork in a fun and relaxed setting. With over 20 galleries participating, you can enjoy not only the latest exhibits, but also music, entertainment and refreshments.
Did I mention that it's FREE?
Conversation with my Niece
Tana (to me): Know what my daddy calls you?
Me: No, what does he call me?
Tana: Aunt Banana!
Oh, yeah. I guess I did know that. Brothers! Gotta love 'em. Well, I certainly like them better now that we're all grown up.
It was nice to have Mark and Tana here for Thanksgiving. Mark had to work today, but Tana didn't want to go home. She told her daddy he could come back and pick her up on Sunday. He left her here. He's just going to work today and then come back today, so he can spend some more time with us, too.
Me: No, what does he call me?
Tana: Aunt Banana!
Oh, yeah. I guess I did know that. Brothers! Gotta love 'em. Well, I certainly like them better now that we're all grown up.
It was nice to have Mark and Tana here for Thanksgiving. Mark had to work today, but Tana didn't want to go home. She told her daddy he could come back and pick her up on Sunday. He left her here. He's just going to work today and then come back today, so he can spend some more time with us, too.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Car Repairs
Jeffrey and Beth went to court yesterday because of her speeding ticket. Because they went in, the ticket was changed to "defective speedometer" instead of speeding. Beth still had to pay the $77 fine and got 2 points on her license, but at least it doesn't count as a moving violation, and her insurance shouldn't go up because of it. Of course, the speedometer isn't defective and it doesn't need fixed, but the car does need to go into the shop because the gas gauge is broken. Right now Beth has to keep track of how many miles she has driven since she filled the car up last. When she gets to a certain number of miles, she has to remember to get gas, because the car is not going to tell her.
Jeffrey has taken that car to a little garage in North Prairie for most of the work he has had done on it, so it will probably go back there for the gas gauge. I don't know if it's the best deal, but it is convenient. The last time he had it there, it was to get the transmission replaced. He had it replaced once, and Buick paid for it because of some recall or something. So that was good. Then the check engine light kept coming on, and after getting the car checked, we found out that the transmission had to be replaced again. Unfortunately, we could not find the paperwork to see if it was still under warranty or not, so we had to pay. Then, after driving the car for a few days, the check engine light came one again. Jeffrey had the car into the garage several times, and they couldn't figure out why that light was on. Finally they ended up replacing the transmission again, and that solved the problem. We could have used this coupon from AAMCO. Right now they are offering to check your check engine light for free. I think if a different garage had checked to see why the check engine light was on, they might have diagnosed the problem sooner and saved us some time and money. The garage that had just put in a new transmission knew they had done that, so that couldn't possibly have been the problem. Therefore, they were looking for something else, and there was nothing else. They just got a bad transmission from the manufacturer.
If you don't need your check engine light checked, you can get $25 off any service, or have the transmission fluid in your vehicle changed for $29.95. Check out these additional savings and see how you can enter for a chance to win a trip for 2 to Hollywood.
Jeffrey has taken that car to a little garage in North Prairie for most of the work he has had done on it, so it will probably go back there for the gas gauge. I don't know if it's the best deal, but it is convenient. The last time he had it there, it was to get the transmission replaced. He had it replaced once, and Buick paid for it because of some recall or something. So that was good. Then the check engine light kept coming on, and after getting the car checked, we found out that the transmission had to be replaced again. Unfortunately, we could not find the paperwork to see if it was still under warranty or not, so we had to pay. Then, after driving the car for a few days, the check engine light came one again. Jeffrey had the car into the garage several times, and they couldn't figure out why that light was on. Finally they ended up replacing the transmission again, and that solved the problem. We could have used this coupon from AAMCO. Right now they are offering to check your check engine light for free. I think if a different garage had checked to see why the check engine light was on, they might have diagnosed the problem sooner and saved us some time and money. The garage that had just put in a new transmission knew they had done that, so that couldn't possibly have been the problem. Therefore, they were looking for something else, and there was nothing else. They just got a bad transmission from the manufacturer.
If you don't need your check engine light checked, you can get $25 off any service, or have the transmission fluid in your vehicle changed for $29.95. Check out these additional savings and see how you can enter for a chance to win a trip for 2 to Hollywood.
Happy Thanksgiving
In honor of Thanksgiving, I'd like to share a few quotes I liked:
Quotes from Thinkexist.com
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I am thankful for all of you.
Now I'm off to get the turkey in the oven, peel the potatoes and make the dressing. We'll eat when the food is ready. We're real scheduled around here.
"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new."-Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!”-Amanda Bradley
“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”-Frederick Keonig
“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.”-W. T. Purkiser
Quotes from Thinkexist.com
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I am thankful for all of you.
Now I'm off to get the turkey in the oven, peel the potatoes and make the dressing. We'll eat when the food is ready. We're real scheduled around here.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Comparing Internet Providers
We've had high speed Internet for so long that I forget some people still have a dial up ISP. I almost forget what that is like. Sometimes dial up is the only type of Internet access available so people have to make due with what they have. Sometimes it's a matter of how much they can afford to pay for Internet access. GetISP.info is a site that helps users compare the different types of Internet access, Cable Internet, DSL, Satellite Internet, and even Dial Up, to find what will work best for them. Once they decide that Cable Internet is best, for instance, they can compare different cable internet service providers. Another option with high speed Internet access is to use Voice Over IP or VOIP for phone service. GetISP.info lists and compares several VOIP providers, too.
If high speed Internet is available in your area, it's worth checking out. It makes surfing the web so much faster and nicer. The VOIP is nice, too - especially if you make a lot of long-distance phone calls. We don't really make that many calls, but the phone service is cheaper than what we were paying before, and we couldn't make any long-distance calls.
If high speed Internet is available in your area, it's worth checking out. It makes surfing the web so much faster and nicer. The VOIP is nice, too - especially if you make a lot of long-distance phone calls. We don't really make that many calls, but the phone service is cheaper than what we were paying before, and we couldn't make any long-distance calls.
Thankful for My Friends
My friend Misty Dawn @ My Dogs Keep Me Sane passed out some adorable awards today - the Best Blogging Buddies award and the same adorable Thank You For Being my Friend puppies I awarded her last night! It seems I wasn't the only one who is glad to have Misty as a friend - and knows she loves animals. Yeah, the animal thing is real hard to figure out, isn't it?
Having received many awards I have decided that it was time I created one for ALL my Blogging Buddies. You are ALL awesome and contribute to the wonderful global communities that we have all created. Thank you!I'd like to pass these on to some of my friends:
- Jaye @ Just a Mom
- Deb @ Mom of 3 Girls
- Diana @ Lady Banana
- Bradley @ The Egel Nest
A Bunch of 3's
At 1:33pm my time, I used TNT Screen Capture, a nifty little program I snagged from Giveaway of the Day (love them!) to capture this from my PayPerPost dashboard. I thought it was interesting the way there were so many 3's. OK, I cheated and refreshed the page so I could get the time right. I just wish I had checked at 1:33 PPP Time - but it was 1:33 my time.
Also, it looks like they're doing a good job of reviewing posts, because all the posts taken have been approved.
How Not to Gain Weight During the Holidays
I've been busy cooking for Thanksgiving. I made two pies and then that cranberry dessert, which overflowed the baking dish again. We'll be having turkey and all the fixings, and I keep wondering what I'm forgetting. So much food for one day, and Jeffrey's asking for deviled eggs. Why do we think we need so much food for one day? Do we just eat because the food is there, or are there other reasons?
Dr. Roger Gould, one of the country's leading authorities on emotional eating, and the author of Shrink Yourself, has just launched an interactive Holiday Survival Guide . Dr. Gould says that the key to losing weight is not watching WHAT you eat, it's about discovering WHY you eat. Two free tools on the site, 7 ways your family makes you fat and what you can do about it, and Take Charge: Don't let anyone spoil your season, will help you understand why you are tempted to overeat during the holidays and what you can do about it. These interactive tools utilize a question and answer format, and provide customized recommendations for each person. This personalized information can help you combat emotional overeating and avoid holiday weight gain.
I'm wondering if my problem isn't emotional overeating, but emotional over-cooking. And if I cook it, they will eat it. Except for Beth. She hates everything.
Dr. Roger Gould, one of the country's leading authorities on emotional eating, and the author of Shrink Yourself, has just launched an interactive Holiday Survival Guide . Dr. Gould says that the key to losing weight is not watching WHAT you eat, it's about discovering WHY you eat. Two free tools on the site, 7 ways your family makes you fat and what you can do about it, and Take Charge: Don't let anyone spoil your season, will help you understand why you are tempted to overeat during the holidays and what you can do about it. These interactive tools utilize a question and answer format, and provide customized recommendations for each person. This personalized information can help you combat emotional overeating and avoid holiday weight gain.
I'm wondering if my problem isn't emotional overeating, but emotional over-cooking. And if I cook it, they will eat it. Except for Beth. She hates everything.
I Will Get This Right
I love anything with cranberries, and when I saw the recipe for this Cranberry-Orange Almond Pudding, I just had to try it. I made it once, and, as you can see from the pictures, it was a real mess. Still, it tasted wonderful, so I decided to try it again today. This time, I put it in a 1-1/2 quart casserole, so hopefully it won't overflow. Not leaving anything to chance - my oven is messy enough - I placed the baking dish on a rack on a cookie sheet, so I can at least catch the mess. I got it in the oven and started baking, looked at the recipe again, and noticed the word Almond in the recipe title. Guess what? I forgot to sprinkle the almonds on top. I went ahead an pulled it out and added some, but the top is already kind of hard, so I don't think they will work the way they are supposed to. Oh well. This stuff tastes so good that I will definitely be trying it again, and one of these days I will get it right!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
What to Do When the Family is Home
No school for the rest of the week, so the kids will be home. Jeffrey took tomorrow and Friday off work, too. You know what that means. I can put them to work! I really am going to need them to help me around here some to get things ready for Thanksgiving. I know it doesn't have to be perfect. It's just my brother. Still, I'd like things to be halfway decent around here - floor vacuumed, bathroom cleaned, stuff like that. Also, Jeffrey said something about inviting a guy from work whose wife is out of town. Considering I don't know this guy at all, well, I can't have him seeing a big mess, right?
Jeffrey and Beth are going to traffic court in the morning, and then they might stop by the store on the way back, if there's anything I need. I haven't thought of anything, but Jeffrey thinks he needs sweet gherkins, and we don't have any of those. So he'll probably stop and get those. He thought he needed deviled eggs, too, but he's not getting any!
Jeffrey and Beth are going to traffic court in the morning, and then they might stop by the store on the way back, if there's anything I need. I haven't thought of anything, but Jeffrey thinks he needs sweet gherkins, and we don't have any of those. So he'll probably stop and get those. He thought he needed deviled eggs, too, but he's not getting any!
Fabulous Friends
Look what I got today! From my FRIENDS!
Carrie @ Rantings of a Woman gave me these cute puppies to thank me for being her friend. Carrie's a sweetie, and I'd like to thank her for being my friend, too.
I also got this Totally Fabulous award from my totally fabulous friend Elizabeth @ Table for Five. Elizabeth isn't feeling too fabulous right now because she's fighting a cold, but she still manages to make her friends feel fabulous, too.
I'd like to pass this on to the ever-fabulous Barb, and the oh-so-fabulous Mama Pajama.
I love blogging! I have made so many fabulously friendly people.
Carrie @ Rantings of a Woman gave me these cute puppies to thank me for being her friend. Carrie's a sweetie, and I'd like to thank her for being my friend, too.
I'd like to pass this on to my always-there friend, Tammy, and her dog-loving, incredibly talented BBFF Misty.
I also got this Totally Fabulous award from my totally fabulous friend Elizabeth @ Table for Five. Elizabeth isn't feeling too fabulous right now because she's fighting a cold, but she still manages to make her friends feel fabulous, too. I'd like to pass this on to the ever-fabulous Barb, and the oh-so-fabulous Mama Pajama.
I love blogging! I have made so many fabulously friendly people.
Cheap Flights to Christchurch
One of these days I really want to see some of the world I've never seen. I love the Internet, because I can take a virtual vacation any time I want. There is so much information, and there are so many pictures, that I almost feel like I'm there. Who am I kidding? I don't feel like I'm there. I just start reading about a place, and I want to go there.DialAFlight is a great site for finding good deals on flights to Christchurch and planning a New Zealand holiday. You can, not only search for cheap flights, but you can also look for hotels and rental cars all in one place. Browse the site to find out what the current deals are, and then talk to their travel consultants and they will help you tailor your holiday to your specific needs.
I hadn't really thought about it before, but Christchurch looks like another one of those places I want to visit. I looked it up and found out that Christchurch is known as 'the Garden City' with many expansive parks and botanical gardens. The Floral Festival held every February is one of the most popular festivals of the year, but Christchurch is known as New Zealand's foremost festival city, so there are plenty of other festivals throughout the year. Then I started looking at the pictures, and now I'm dreaming of a New Zealand vacation. I know DialAFlight wants to help.
Thanksgiving Just Has to Have...
I'm baking today - pies for Thanksgiving. I only have one oven, so I needed to get started today, and pies will keep for a couple days. Tomorrow I have to make the rolls. Actually, I probably could have baked pies tomorrow, too, because I can't think of what else needs to go in the oven. I usually cook the turkey the day before Thanksgiving, but I decided to wait and cook it Thursday. I'll let Jeffrey carve it at the table, since he went and opened his mouth and said he wanted it that way. We'll see how that works.
Anyway, the pies. I made a German Chocolate pie for my darling husband. That's what he always wants because that's what his mom made for special occasions. My mom always made cheesecake, so I didn't think his chocolate pie was all that special. That's why my mom has probably made it more often for him than I have - in 21 years of marriage. Yes, Jeffrey is so deprived. But, I made one for him today, and I'm sure he will appreciate it. I've got a pumpkin pie in the oven now, because it's just not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie.
My question for you is: What is something that you just have to have for Thanksgiving? Something, without which, Thanksgiving would just be incomplete? I would say turkey is a given, but I know some people don't eat turkey, so I'll say besides the turkey. And, if you don't eat turkey, what do you have?
Anyway, the pies. I made a German Chocolate pie for my darling husband. That's what he always wants because that's what his mom made for special occasions. My mom always made cheesecake, so I didn't think his chocolate pie was all that special. That's why my mom has probably made it more often for him than I have - in 21 years of marriage. Yes, Jeffrey is so deprived. But, I made one for him today, and I'm sure he will appreciate it. I've got a pumpkin pie in the oven now, because it's just not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie.
My question for you is: What is something that you just have to have for Thanksgiving? Something, without which, Thanksgiving would just be incomplete? I would say turkey is a given, but I know some people don't eat turkey, so I'll say besides the turkey. And, if you don't eat turkey, what do you have?
Save Money on Car Insurance
Beth has to go to court tomorrow because of her speeding ticket. Actually, she could have just paid it, but we're hoping that, by showing up, she can get things changed so that this doesn't affect her insurance rates. It sounds like we've got a pretty good insurance rate, compared to what she says some of her friends have to pay, but, if she doesn't get her grades up, it's going to go up anyway. A speeding ticket on her record will just make it worse.
We do wonder why her friends and their parents don't look for better insurance rates. As much as insurance for teen drivers costs, it's important to find the best rates possible. They should look for a local insurance group like Cost-U-Less Insurance Center in California. They offer friendly customer service and quick online quotes to help save money on car insurance nbi (no better insurance?). One of their customers saved $4000!
We do wonder why her friends and their parents don't look for better insurance rates. As much as insurance for teen drivers costs, it's important to find the best rates possible. They should look for a local insurance group like Cost-U-Less Insurance Center in California. They offer friendly customer service and quick online quotes to help save money on car insurance nbi (no better insurance?). One of their customers saved $4000!
Heads or Tails - Never Say Never
Barb over at Skittles' Place has started a fun meme called Heads or Tails. Every week she calls heads or tails - HEADS we get to write or post whatever we want about her chosen topic - TAILS we have to do just what it says.Today it's TAILS - Never Say Never (What is something you thought you'd never do or say, but now you do?)
I said I'd never have an animal in the house again. Then, after much begging by the kids, I finally agreed to let Beth bring a kitten home. I never expected to actually like this little kitten, but somehow she has managed to make me like her. She is such a sweet thing, it's hard not to. There's just something about that little furry purry kitty body. She comes and jumps in my lap and tries to get between me and my computer, and I let her. 
I just don't like her on the computer. I want to get up and go do something, and she comes and curls up on my lap, and I just can't put her down and go do what I was going to do. No, I have to sit there and pet her, until she decides that she is done. Then I can get on with my life. Sometimes just petting her isn't enough, and she has to get right up in my face as if to say, "Remember me? Love me." It would be very hard not to love her. She's currently curled up next to me purring her little heart out. I have to stop typing every once in a while just to pet her.
Yes, I've been replaced by a kitty. I have boxes and sacks and various little things lying around on the floor, because Tillie likes playing with them. One of her favorites is a Coke box - and empty fridge pack - though she's gotten big enough that it's a tight fit for her to get inside. She still manages, though. 
My furniture has snags that weren't there before, thanks to kitty claws. Still, I love her.Now, about that litter box...
Be sure and check out other Heads or Tails participants.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Give Me Five Monday - Birthday
Becca over at BeccAa's Buzz has started a new meme. Here's what it's all about:The 'Give Me Five' Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here's how it works. Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.
Because today is Becca's birthday,
(Happy Birthday, Becca!)
the list is birthday related. Becca said to list 5 things you like/dislike about your birthday.Since we never really did much for birthdays when I was growing up, I'm not really in the habit of paying much attention to my birthday. Coming up with a list? Let's see...
- I like that I don't pay much attention to my birthday, because I don't really pay that much attention to getting older.
- I dislike that I don't pay much attention to my birthday, because that means no one else really does either. On the other hand, I don't really like being the center of attention, anyway. Maybe someone else could just cook dinner?
- I like that, every year on my birthday, and every other day too, Jeffrey is still older than I am.
- I like that one of our friends, Don, and I share the same birthday.
- I would probably like presents, if we did that. But then it would bother me because we spent money on something that we didn't need.
Check out other Give Me Five participants.
4 am?
I just saw a commercial on TV that said Kohl's is opening at 4am on the day after Thanksgiving. 4am? I remember when I worked at Kohl's we opened at 7am on the day after Thanksgiving, and we thought that was early. Compared to our normal opening of 9:30am, I suppose it was. Even then I thought people were crazy to be waiting outside the doors to shop at 7am. I think they're even crazier if they're willing to be out shopping at 4am. Cory says there are some stores that are opening at 3am.
You couldn't pay me to go shopping at that time in the morning or pretty much any time on that day. There is absolutely nothing I need or want that bad. I don't care how great a deal they say it is.
You couldn't pay me to go shopping at that time in the morning or pretty much any time on that day. There is absolutely nothing I need or want that bad. I don't care how great a deal they say it is.
How About Oregon for a Family Reunion?
I was talking to my brother Mark yesterday, and we were talking about how the rest of our family all moved away from him. He's the only one left in Illinois. We moved to Wisconsin. Our baby brother moved to Oregon, and the parents and our other brother Darryl moved to Kentucky. We really need to find a way to get the family together one of these days. My brother Darryl has a daughter I've never met. My brother Craig in Oregon has two daughters I've never met. He does a pretty good job of posting pictures and keeping us up to date on what is going on with them, but still, I've never gotten to meet them and squeeze their little girl bodies!
I was thinking we needed to find some kind of central location so we could all get together, but I'm not sure there is a central location. We'd end up going out toward Oregon and meeting up in the middle anyway, so why not just go all the way? I'd love to spend some time on the Oregon coast. It would be wonderful to rent a big house somewhere on the beach, so we could all stay together and hang out together. We can cook our own meals, do laundry if we need to, and let the kids run. Staying in the hotel in the Dells wasn't horrible, but it always seems wrong to pay that money for so much less than I have at home. I don't care if there's a pool! Though the kids seem to think that's important. Some of these homes have hot tubs. That would be good enough.
I love the beach in any form, and I especially would love at least one stormy day because I want to watch those waves crash in. The Oregon coast is supposed to be a great place for whale watching, and I'd love a chance to get some pictures, as well as getting pictures of those nieces I've never met. I'm not sure when a good time for whale watching is, but an Oregon Christmas vacation offers plenty of other things to do, plenty of great scenery, and an opportunity to just relax and be together. If not this year, then maybe next year?
I was thinking we needed to find some kind of central location so we could all get together, but I'm not sure there is a central location. We'd end up going out toward Oregon and meeting up in the middle anyway, so why not just go all the way? I'd love to spend some time on the Oregon coast. It would be wonderful to rent a big house somewhere on the beach, so we could all stay together and hang out together. We can cook our own meals, do laundry if we need to, and let the kids run. Staying in the hotel in the Dells wasn't horrible, but it always seems wrong to pay that money for so much less than I have at home. I don't care if there's a pool! Though the kids seem to think that's important. Some of these homes have hot tubs. That would be good enough.I love the beach in any form, and I especially would love at least one stormy day because I want to watch those waves crash in. The Oregon coast is supposed to be a great place for whale watching, and I'd love a chance to get some pictures, as well as getting pictures of those nieces I've never met. I'm not sure when a good time for whale watching is, but an Oregon Christmas vacation offers plenty of other things to do, plenty of great scenery, and an opportunity to just relax and be together. If not this year, then maybe next year?
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Turkey Recipe
Since Beth is working in retail and that means we can't go anywhere for Thanksgiving because of that whole day after Thanksgiving biggest shopping day of the year thing, I called my brother today. Well, actually I called him last night and left him a voice mail, and he called me back this morning. Anyway, he was wanting to go to Kentucky for Thanksgiving to visit the parents, but he can't really afford the gas right now, because he wasn't working much for a couple of weeks. I figured since we aren't going and he's not going, maybe he could at least afford to come up here for Thanksgiving, since we're much closer than the parents. So, he's coming for Thanksgiving and bringing his darling daughter. I know she will be so excited when she finds out - only he's going to make it a surprise and not tell her until they get here!
Now I have to plan the Thanksgiving meal. I took the turkey out of the freezer today. I also got this turkey recipe in an email. Do you think I should try it?
Now I have to plan the Thanksgiving meal. I took the turkey out of the freezer today. I also got this turkey recipe in an email. Do you think I should try it?
Your dinner will be the talk of the TOWN!! You should try this!
Here is a new way to prepare your Thanksgiving Turkey:
- Cut out aluminum foil in desired shapes.
- Arrange the turkey in the roasting pan, position the foil carefully.? (see attached picture for details)
- Roast according to your own recipe and serve.
- Watch your guests' faces...
Be the Blog Award
Bridget at .."And Miles to Go Before We Sleep.." awarded me with the "Be The Blog!" award. Thank you so much Bridget. What a great award!
Mark from Me And My Drum, who created this badge has this to say, "This badge is for bloggers who make their blogs their own, stay with it, interact with their readers, and have fun!"This is a great honor and I really appreciate it! I pass this wonderful award to the following bloggers:
- Holly @ Mama Pajama
- Vic Grace @ Cariboo Ponderer
- Carrie @ Rantings of a Woman
- Rachel @ Heart of Rachel
I've Got a Friend in You
Carrie @ Rantings of a Woman and Misty @ My Dogs Keep Me Sane both gave me this adorable "I've got a friend in you" award. Thank you, ladies! I feel the same way about you.I am so thankful for all my great blogging friends. I have really enjoyed getting to know all of you. You are all a big part of my day - reading your blogs, gushing over your kids and the cute things they do, enjoying your photography, drooling over your recipes, praying for your family members, and the list goes on.
It's my blog, and I can pass this on to as many friends as I want, but for now, I'll pass it on to:
It's my blog, and I can pass this on to as many friends as I want, but for now, I'll pass it on to:
- Tammy @ Mom Knows Everything
- Bridget @ .."And Miles to Go Before We Sleep.."
- Deb @ Mom of 3 Girls
- Elizabeth @ Table for 5
Curiously Awesome Products
I got a package in the mail Friday. It contained some fun things. One of them was an Ambient Fire Video Fireplace DVD, which is something I've been thinking about getting. When we built our house, we didn't put a fireplace in. We had to choose between the 9-foot ceilings and a fireplace. We figured it would be a whole lot more feasible to come back later and put a fireplace in than to raise the roof! We still don't have a fireplace 10 years later, but now we have this DVD. It's almost like having a real fireplace. Jeffrey and I took it into the bedroom, turned off all the lights, and watched the fire. It's nice. You can choose different fireplaces, choose music to play, or to just have the sounds of the fire. There is just something hypnotic about watching a fire burn, and it was kind of romantic, too!
Cory was mostly interested in the Insta Snow Fake Snow Powder, so I had to stop watching the fire burn and watch him turn this little bag of white powder into a bowl full of fake snow. This stuff is really amazing. It feels like snow. It's even cool to the touch, and it's been sitting on the table at room temperature since last night. I find myself playing with it just to feel it on my hands. The good thing is that it's cool, but not freezing, so I can play with 'snow' and not get frozen fingers. Actually, my usual 'playing' in the snow is shoveling the driveway. This is a whole lot easier, and warmer, than that! We are planning to put the insta snow in the freezer because it's supposed to act even more like real snow when it's frozen. Then maybe we can make a snowman.
Since I got these fun toys in the mail, I thought I'd check out the website where they can be ordered, and I found some other neat things. They have this Flying Alarm Clock that is supposed to be able to get anyone up. I wonder if they even mean teenagers? I also found this Cookbook Holder w/ storage that would be very handy in the kitchen. There are quite a few other things that look very interesting, so, if you're looking for some 'curiously awesome' products, why not give Vat19 a try? They even have videos of most of the products so that you can see them in action.
Cory was mostly interested in the Insta Snow Fake Snow Powder, so I had to stop watching the fire burn and watch him turn this little bag of white powder into a bowl full of fake snow. This stuff is really amazing. It feels like snow. It's even cool to the touch, and it's been sitting on the table at room temperature since last night. I find myself playing with it just to feel it on my hands. The good thing is that it's cool, but not freezing, so I can play with 'snow' and not get frozen fingers. Actually, my usual 'playing' in the snow is shoveling the driveway. This is a whole lot easier, and warmer, than that! We are planning to put the insta snow in the freezer because it's supposed to act even more like real snow when it's frozen. Then maybe we can make a snowman.Since I got these fun toys in the mail, I thought I'd check out the website where they can be ordered, and I found some other neat things. They have this Flying Alarm Clock that is supposed to be able to get anyone up. I wonder if they even mean teenagers? I also found this Cookbook Holder w/ storage that would be very handy in the kitchen. There are quite a few other things that look very interesting, so, if you're looking for some 'curiously awesome' products, why not give Vat19 a try? They even have videos of most of the products so that you can see them in action.
Volunteering at the Holiday Bazaar
I usually think that weekends are for sleeping in. All during the week, we all have to get up early. Jeffrey has to run off to work, and the kids have to run off to school, and I have plenty of things to do around here. So we really look forward to the weekends because we can sleep in a little later.
Not so yesterday. Well, Jeffrey and Beth got to stay in bed, but Cory and I volunteered to go help out with the Holiday Bazaar. I'd never been before, but every year crafters and vendors come in and set up booths in both gyms of the high school, and several school organizations set up in the hallways between. The Band Boosters sell concessions all day, and this is one of the biggest fund raisers of the year. I made the cinnamon rolls last year, but Cory and I weren't able to go and help out. This year I signed us up for the 7:30-10am shift. So we had to get up at normal time.
We took the cinnamon rolls and a box of each flavor of the candy bars we had delivered here the other day and went over to the school. Cory ended up working with his friend Julia and giving out and selling coffee. All the vendors get one coffee free. Everyone else has to pay. I made and took my own. I spent my time doing various things, setting up and getting things prepared for the lunch crowd. I served up a few hot dogs and chili dogs, but by the time the pizza got there and people started coming in for lunch (already at 10am) it was time for us to go.
It was really kind of fun working in a school kitchen again. I worked in the kitchen in college and really enjoyed that. I think we both would have enjoyed staying longer, but we had to get ready for church, and other people were arriving for the shifts they signed up for. We'll definitely have to help out again next year. So what if we miss a little sleep?
Not so yesterday. Well, Jeffrey and Beth got to stay in bed, but Cory and I volunteered to go help out with the Holiday Bazaar. I'd never been before, but every year crafters and vendors come in and set up booths in both gyms of the high school, and several school organizations set up in the hallways between. The Band Boosters sell concessions all day, and this is one of the biggest fund raisers of the year. I made the cinnamon rolls last year, but Cory and I weren't able to go and help out. This year I signed us up for the 7:30-10am shift. So we had to get up at normal time.
We took the cinnamon rolls and a box of each flavor of the candy bars we had delivered here the other day and went over to the school. Cory ended up working with his friend Julia and giving out and selling coffee. All the vendors get one coffee free. Everyone else has to pay. I made and took my own. I spent my time doing various things, setting up and getting things prepared for the lunch crowd. I served up a few hot dogs and chili dogs, but by the time the pizza got there and people started coming in for lunch (already at 10am) it was time for us to go.
It was really kind of fun working in a school kitchen again. I worked in the kitchen in college and really enjoyed that. I think we both would have enjoyed staying longer, but we had to get ready for church, and other people were arriving for the shifts they signed up for. We'll definitely have to help out again next year. So what if we miss a little sleep?
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Biotene Sensitive Toothpaste
Jeffrey has been using sensitive toothpaste for a while now. So, when I received a sample in the mail, I knew just what to do with it. It was a sample of Biotene Sensitive, toothpaste for sensitive teeth, cavity protection, and dry mouth protection. I handed it to Jeffrey, and he agreed to give it a try and let me know what he thought.
He's been using the toothpaste for about a week now, and overall he likes it. He hasn't had problems with tooth pain. Unlike other sensitive toothpaste brands, Biotene works to resolve the problem rather than just mask it. Biotene combines potassium nitrate, the most effective active ingredient for protection against tooth sensitivity with their exclusive Enzyme LP3 Complex™ for the soothing treatment of dry mouth. Dry mouth is known to cause irritations and infections in the mouth. I never thought of it that way before, but there are times I tell Jeffrey that his breath isn't exactly pleasant and that I think he needs to drink more water. After he had been using Biotene for a few days, we realized that I hadn't told him that for a few days! Maybe it was a certain degree of dry mouth that not only caused the breath issues, but also contributed to his tooth sensitivity.
Biotene has a pleasant flavor, sweetened by Xylitol. I tried it myself a couple of times just to see, and it tastes kind of like bubble gum. I like minty toothpastes, because I have the idea that they freshen breath better. That's probably not true and just what the toothpaste makers want me to think, but a non-minty flavor is exactly what Jeffrey needs in a toothpaste. Mint causes him problems with his heartburn, and non-minty toothpastes are really hard to find. So the Biotene flavor is a real bonus.
The one thing he really doesn't like about the Biotene is the way that it doesn't really foam up when it's used. The low foaming formula will take some getting used to.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Post of the Day
I know it's only 3:20pm, and I'm sure to be reading many more blog posts today. I simply can't help it. I'm addicted, you know.
That being said, my favorite post today is: The thing about that thing by Elizabeth @ Table for Five. It's about that gigantic internet entity we all love to hate. You know the one I'm talking about. Is it really true that we shouldn't even mention said entity by name?
That being said, my favorite post today is: The thing about that thing by Elizabeth @ Table for Five. It's about that gigantic internet entity we all love to hate. You know the one I'm talking about. Is it really true that we shouldn't even mention said entity by name?
A Grandfather Clock Would be Nice
From my usual spot on the couch, I cannot see the clock on the wall. If I moved the candle on top of the shelf, I probably could, but I don't know where else to put the candle. Usually I just look at my computer to see what time it is, or else hit 'info' on the satellite remote. That clock on the wall is just a small, boring plastic clock, anyway. One of these days I really need to find a nice clock that will not only tell time, but look good, too. Then I'll move the candle, or else I'll put the clock in a better place, so I can always see it.
I started looking at some grandfather clocks, and, if I can find a good place to put one, I'd really enjoy one of these. I was reading that they have some new chimes added to the website - Schubert’s Ave Maria and Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. Find a grandfather clock you like, and you can listen to the chimes. I love a clock with chimes. Even if I couldn't see it, I'd still have an idea what time it is by listening to the chimes. It might take some rearranging, but I think this Howard Miller Brittany Grandfather Clock would fit into my living room nicely. It's pretty, sounds nice, and the black satin finish will fit in nicely with my decor. Over there, against the wall where I can see it would be nice.
I started looking at some grandfather clocks, and, if I can find a good place to put one, I'd really enjoy one of these. I was reading that they have some new chimes added to the website - Schubert’s Ave Maria and Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. Find a grandfather clock you like, and you can listen to the chimes. I love a clock with chimes. Even if I couldn't see it, I'd still have an idea what time it is by listening to the chimes. It might take some rearranging, but I think this Howard Miller Brittany Grandfather Clock would fit into my living room nicely. It's pretty, sounds nice, and the black satin finish will fit in nicely with my decor. Over there, against the wall where I can see it would be nice.
What is IZEA RealRank™?
PR keeps falling. None of it makes sense. Tammy was asking for someone to 'kick Mr. Google in the butt' yesterday. Well, it looks like Ted and the boys (and girls) over at IZEA had the same idea. IZEA RealRank is coming...
read more | digg story
Google giveth and Google taketh away. Do not despair if they've yanked the PR rug out from under you. The new IZEA RealRank will give you a measure of your site's real worth.
read more | digg story
Friday's Feast #169
Appetizer
What was your first “real” job? I de-tasseled corn a couple of summers, but I guess that wasn't a 'real' job. I guess it would be my freshman year in college when I worked in the kitchen doing food prep. I loved that job. We had so much fun, and I learned to use knives!
Soup
Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity? The Internet! Or a cookbook. I'm not crafty or anything, so I'm not creative that way, but I love to mess with stuff on the computer and I love to cook and find new recipes.
Salad
Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when… my husband uses poor grammar in front of other people. Yes, I love him, and I know he's a numbers guy, but still - should have gone NOT should of went. It makes him look likes he's not as smart as he really is. Never mind that a whole bunch of other people in the world talk exactly the same way, and they probably don't even notice.
Main Course
What values did your parents instill in you? Good Christian values - honor your parents, love your neighbor... and a good work ethic.
Dessert
Name 3 fads from your teenage years. This is hard. Those teenage years were so long ago! I ended looking this up and found this website called Crazyfads. They list all the crazy fads from the 1920s to the 2000s. Here are 3 I remember:
- Pet Rocks
- Neon
- Care Bears
Visit other Friday's Feast participants.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Why You Should NEVER Run With a Fork
My kids are old enough, I shouldn't need to tell them this, but you never know... I find myself reminding Beth to buckle her seat belt, and she's been doing that every single time we got in the car since she was a baby!
I got this in my email:
I got this in my email:
Show your kids, show your neighbor's kids, show your enemy's kids! Mommy and Daddy are NOT kidding when they say 'NEVER run with sharp objects!' See, this is what happens when you run with a fork!
I know, you're thinking the tip of the fork came DOWN on his nose, right?
Well, you won't believe the next picture.........
I bet the kid switches to a spoon!!!
Blog of the Month
Look what I got! Tammy from Mom Knows Everything gave me another wonderful award. She's so sweet!
- David @ authorblog
- Vic Grace @ Cariboo Ponderer
- Diana @ Lady Banana
- Misty @ My Dogs Keep Me Sane
Feel free to pass this award on!
Never Pay Full Price for a New Car
I've been reading about CarsBlvd.com on several blogs. You can get free quotes for the car you are interested in buying. When they say NEVER pay full price for a car again, that sounds good to me. Except for the fact that Jeffrey just bought his Honda Accord a couple of months ago. Now I am a little scared to look up a Honda Car Quote because I'm afraid I'll find a better deal - and it's too late to do anything about it. I wish I knew about this before he bought the car. Though I think we did get a good deal, it would have been nice to compare quotes of wholesale prices and let dealers compete for our business. Maybe we would have saved some money.
brought to you by CarsBlvd.com
Just Call Me Tech Support
My friend Carrie @ Rantings of a Woman, was having problems getting her Hamilton Beach® mixer video post approved by PPP. That's a $65 post, people! $65. We couldn't let her lose $65, now could we?
Luckily, I gave her a suggestion that seems to have worked, and her post was finally approved. So, she'll get her $65, and I get this great trophy as a token of her appreciation. Thanks, Carrie. I never got a trophy before.
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