Tuesday Tidbits

We'll find out tonight who wins the Mirrorball Trophy on Dancing with the Stars - and then I won't have anything I need to watch on Tuesday nights!  (then what?)

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I was thankful for the digital books on my tablet this evening.  About half an hour before DWTS was supposed to come on, the power went out, and we were thrown into darkness.  The tablet gave off a nice glow!  And, I could still read, even without power.  Way better than a book and a flashlight!

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I found this on Pinterest today - how to get rid of that awful gap in the back of jeans - right after I had posted my solution - wear guy jeans.  I might have to try this.  Surely even I can sew this much, right?  I think it's definitely worth a try.

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Dancing with the Stars is over, and J.R. won!  It turned out the way I thought it should - J.R., Rob, then Ricki.  I originally thought Ricki would come in 2nd, but Rob really put it together last night and has steadily improved.  His timing was right!  But J.R. was just plain awesome - a good dancer who just had that extra something special.

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I think the whole Black Friday thing is absolutely ridiculous, and it's getting worse.  Many stores are opening at midnight Friday morning.  I remember working at Kohl's years ago, and we thought it was crazy that we were opening at 7 or 7:30am - and couldn't believe the people who lined up outside the doors waiting for us to open.  Well, they just interviewed some people who are already lined up for those Black Friday sales.  Already!  They are planning to camp out in the parking lot for the next couple days so they can be first in line for those sales.  Really?  Is there anything they can possibly need that much? I'm sure those televisions, game systems, or sexy school girl outfits will go on sale again - or even better, on clearance later after this whole retail orgy called Christmas is over.

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I got an email today asking me to sign a petition to "Stop Wisconsin's discriminatory voter ID law" - which I am not going to sign.  I can't for the life of me figure out what the big deal is.  It actually surprises me that we haven't always had to provide an ID to vote.  Really, not a big deal but there are so many people - on both sides of every issue - who have to make a big deal out of everything.  It's enough to drive you crazy.

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Another thing that drives me crazy - things like this:

I could agree.  Often it's something that I would agree with, would even like - except I just can't, not when they can't even bother to get the words right.  It's not even like they typed it into a blog post or an email - they took the time to create a graphic!  And, if that's not bad enough, other people actually like it and share it and pass it around the Internet.

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OK, my Tuesday is over.  It's time for bed.  Tune in next week!!

Tuesday Tidbits

It's Tuesday again -

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First - I have some friends who lost their only daughter in June.  Now they're oldest son is in the hospital with bacterial meningitis.  The infection has spread to his heart, and he will need surgery to repair or replace a couple valves in his heart - which is very risky combined with the meningitis.  He could really use a miracle!  So, if you believe in prayer, please say some for this family.  

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We went to the high school this weekend to see the musical - they did The King and I.  This was the first year Jeffrey didn't run sound in years.  He did it all the time Cory was in the high school plays, and he even did it last year after Cory wasn't in it any more.  This year he just didn't have time.  It's a shame really, because even though there was supposedly some kind of sound system and mics set up, it was still really hard to hear what they were saying.

It also just isn't the same to see a play without Cory in it.  The kids who were in it did an OK job, they knew their lines and such, but they're not actors.  It's a high school production in a school without a real drama department.  They do the best they can with what they have.  Actually, that's not true - they could do a lot better if they'd involve more parents and families instead of relying on the same few to do everything every time - which is partly why they didn't have a decent sound system or anybody to run it.  The boy who played the King has an uncle who could have run the sound - he's done it for several schools and would probably have been happy to do it for his nephew's play - but they didn't know he was needed.  Oh well...

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I got my hair cut today.  It was just getting a bit unruly and needed trimmed back up. I'm really liking these layers and still trying to figure out where the curls came from.  Oh well, I guess it doesn't really matter.

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I put the flannel sheets on the bed yesterday - just in time, it sounds like.  It's been fairly mild, so much that I wore a sweatshirt today and didn't even need a jacket.  But things are gonna change.  They're talking cold and wind chill starting tomorrow, and a high of 36° on Thursday.  I guess it is that time of year...

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I heard somewhere the other day that if you're not hungry enough to eat an apple, then you're not really hungry.  It really didn't make sense to me.  Anybody?  Speaking of apples, I bought some really good ones today - crisp and tart.  Apples make really good snacks!

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There's this whole 'Recall the Governor' thing happening in Wisconsin right now.  I really don't understand it.  It just seems like all people want to do is complain these days.  They don't like the governor?  When his term is up, they have the opportunity to vote someone else in.  But no, they can't wait, and it just seems ridiculous and a huge waste of time and money.  Seems like there are a lot of childish people in this state.

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Tune in next week. There are probably things I will remember as soon as I hit 'Publish' but I can't think of them now.

Tuesday Tidbits

It's Tuesday again - time to see if I can come up with some random stuff that's been going through my head.  Last week I actually started my post earlier and added little bits of this and that for several days.  This week, I was sitting here watching Dancing with the Stars to see who would get eliminated - and it suddenly hit me that it's Tuesday, and I should post something.  Oh, these weeks, this time - it goes so fast!

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Speaking of how fast time is going - Jason will be 6 months old on Thursday.  6 months!  How did that happen?  How did he get so old and so big so fast?  He's going to be crawling before we know it, and then watch out!  He's got the Army crawl thing down already, so he can get someplace if he wants to.  And he's still just the sweetest most easy-going little precious boy.  Yep, we love him.  It would be hard not to.

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Beth & Tim and Jason were in a car accident this weekend.  Thankfully nobody was hurt, but Tim's car and the other guy's car got messed up pretty good.  Thankfully, they have insurance to cover the damage to the other guy's car.

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The WeRead app on facebook is finally working again!  I did find that I could access my book list on the WeRead website, but it's nice to have it all in one place with facebook.  Now I need to get busy listing and counting all the books I've read this year, since somehow this year is almost over.  Again, that thing with time going by so fast....

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Come back next week for another edition.

Tuesday Tidbits

It's Tuesday, the first of November.  November!  And I spent time outside today without socks or a sweatshirt.  It was so warm.  I was thinking about getting some ironing done, but since that's a job I always do in the basement, I decided to put it off and do something outside.  I did a bit of clean-up in the garden, taking down tomato cages and pulling some of the dead plants.  Then I attacked some of the plants out front.  I planted some perennials years ago and then basically ignored them, and they've pretty much taken over.  So I hacked at them, and I'm thinking it's time to dig the whole bed up and start over - or see what we get when we dig it all up.  Anyway, I cut everything back quite a bit.  Then I cut some mint and brought it inside to dry.  I'm thinking I can have my own mint tea this winter.

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I changed the sheets yesterday.  I wondered if it might be time for flannel sheets, but we decided not yet.  I did, however, put the electric blanket back on the bed.  I hope we don't have to actually turn it on anytime soon, but for now it's an extra layer.  Like every year, I had to go looking for my old post so I could put the electric blanket on the bed properly.  So, when we do have to turn it on, I'll be in control of my side and Jeffrey will be in control of his.

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I'm trying to figure out how the ShopAtHome toolbar got installed on my browser.  I never downloaded anything from their site or installed the toolbar.  I haven't even been there for ages - because I haven't done any online shopping.  And then today I notice this new toolbar.  Not that it's probably a bad thing for me to have it, because I've gotten plenty of cash back credited to my account since I signed up, but there have been other times I bought stuff only to remember later that I should have checked first - and been extremely frustrated when I realized I could have gotten quite a bit of cash back.  Maybe the toolbar will remind me...

Still, I really really hate that it got installed without my permission.  How do they do that?

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We're watching Dancing with the Stars the results show.  Derek Hough is smokin'!  We missed the show last night because we went out - to see Derek's sister Julianne in Footloose - so I'm not sure how things are going to go tonight.  I did vote a couple times for J.R. and Karina when we got home last night, just because, though I usually like to vote based on who I think deserves the votes because of their dancing.  Based on what I'm seeing, I think it's time for Nancy Grace to go home.  Now I'm going to have to go read my DWTS prediction post and see who I expected to go home this week.  Also, I wish they'd sent Justin Beiber home at the beginning of the show.  In what world does this kid have any talent whatsoever?

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I think that's enough for this Tuesday.  Tune in next week...

Tuesday Tidbits

I missed last Tuesday because I was out of town, and I was busy.  We celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles in Iowa with some wonderful friends - friends that have become like family.  I was just too busy spending time with people and attending seminars, services, etc. to blog much.  There were a few posts that I just had to do, but that was it.

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My brother and sister-in-law and their three girls were in Iowa with us.  It was nice finally getting to meet those precious girls.  Why do they have to live so far away?  Did I ask that question already?

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While we were in Iowa, we had a get-together with a bunch of friends, and we started playing with Google Earth, visiting everybody's house.  Oh, if we could only travel that fast!  We could get together all the time.  As it is, our time together is always too short.  Years ago we celebrated the Feast with a large, organized church, sometimes with thousands of people.  Now we get close to 300 people, and we think the group is getting too big.  The emphasis is more on building relationships and spending time together.  We eat together, we play together, we study and pray together.  Sure, years ago we all went to church together, in those huge buildings, with those thousands of people - but there were so many people there wasn't much chance of building lasting relationships, and everyone was always in such a hurry to rush out the door after services to go and do something.  It's really nice to go to somewhere-in-the-middle-of-nowhere, Iowa where's there's really nothing to do - and nobody cares! And it's just so hard to say good-bye when it's over...

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I had some things going through my head, and then I sat down to do this post.  Where did those things go?  Sometimes it's just a matter of sitting down and seeing what comes up - and sometimes that's what it takes to get me going.  It seems the longer I go between posts, the harder it is to get back to it.  It's like total writer's block!  Or something like that. 

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Watching Dancing with the Stars and hoping that Chaz goes home - it's way past time.

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Tune in next week to see if I catch Tuesday before it gets away from me...

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Tuesday Tidbits

Here's a tidbit for you - last week there was no Tuesday!  OK, there actually was a Tuesday in the week, but I missed it, or ran out of time and didn't post.  I'll have to go back now and count how many weeks I actually did the Tuesday Tidbits thing without skipping.  Any guesses?

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I don't really have a lot to talk about today either - or more like there are plenty of things to talk about, but they fly out of my head when I sit down at the computer.  There are too many other things calling to me, like that kitchen full of dishes!  How do we always end up with so many dishes?  And, no I don't have a dishwasher or really want one.  I don't even really understand what you're supposed to do with one.  Besides, I don't want to give up any of my cabinet space in order to have one.  Maybe someday when I have a much bigger kitchen?

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Our little grandson is 5 months old now.  The time really flies.  It seems that only the other day he was a tiny new baby.  Here's a picture his mommy just posted to facebook.  He's trying to become a big boy!  He can roll over now - from his back to his tummy and back again.  Pretty soon he'll figure out how to go places by rolling over and over.  And it won't be long 'til he learns to crawl.  It really is amazing how much these little people grow and how much they learn in such a short time.  And, of course, he's the cutest, sweetest little thing!  At least we think so.  He's a happy easy-to-get-along-with guy.

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I picked a few tomatoes and hot peppers from the garden today.  I think it's mostly finished.  I covered the plants up a couple evenings - a few weeks ago when they said there was a possibility of frost - to extend the life of the plants a bit, but I think they got frosted somewhere along the line when I wasn't expecting it.  At least they got touches of frost - kinda killing the tomatoes and some of the peppers.  I still got quite a bit of stuff from the garden this summer.  That's another thing that always amazes me - how you can plant a little bitty seed in the ground and end up with FOOD!

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Did you see what I did with my jalapenos?  These Jalapeno Poppers are so good.  Once I made them and froze them, I was hoping to get more jalapenos from the garden so I could make more, but I didn't really get enough to bother.  Next year I might just have to plant more.

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Besides those dishes that are still calling my name, I have a ton of other things I have to get done, so that's it for now.  Hopefully I can catch hold of Tuesday next week and not let it pass me by.  These weeks are just so fast and slippery any more - they get away so quickly!

Tuesday Tidbits

I'm trying not to let Tuesday get away from me again - but Tuesday is doing a really good job of it anyway.

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We had a good weekend.  Saturday was the annual Barn Party our friends host at their house/barn.  We get to see lots of people we don't get to see very often.  We have church in the barn - unfortunately we can't cybercast for or Skype with our friends who can't be there because there's not enough bandwidth, but thankfully we'll see you soon, Mary!!  After church there's always lots of food - chili, hot dogs, cornbread, chips, etc.  And, of course, the desserts.  So many desserts!  Then there's the bonfire and the hayrides and talking to people....  We had lots of fun.

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Cory had to leave for a while in the evening/night to go to rehearsal.  He's understudy for 2 plays, with rehearsals for both going on, and he has to learn 3 parts for one play and 10 parts for the other - that's 13 people in his head, besides his own self.  I think he's the only person in the universe who could do it, but it's certainly going to be quite a semester!

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It's been cool and rainy the last several days.  Yes, this post has degenerated to the point of talking about the weather.  Good, huh?  That's what I get for waiting until the end of the day/night to post.  And what did I actually do today? Recycled papers, cut out coupons, worked on updating the nametags we're getting printed for the Feast, baked bread, washed towels, etc., etc., etc.  Always so much to do, and I put off the posting until the end.

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Tune in next week...

Tuesday Tidbits

These weeks, they go so fast!  How is it Tuesday again already?  I'm sitting here watching the Dancing with the Stars elimination show and realizing it's almost 9:00!  Tuesday is almost over...

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The weekend was mostly spent hanging out with a little guy.  In case you missed it - Jason spent the night Saturday night.  You should go read that post, because there are some cute pics there!

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And, since I wrote that whole post about the weekend, I can't really think of much else to say.  I went and got my hair cut today.  The ladies at Cost Cutters were awesome.  I took a picture in, and the girl cutting my hair gave me her opinion and suggestions about what would work and what I'd be happiest with - and it turned out really well.  I haven't played with it yet, but she put some product in it and styled it a bit, and it just feels so good - so much lighter, and bouncier!  I'm also wondering where all these curls came from.  We'll see what it looks like when I do it.  She said it should be really easy to take care of, which is perfect for me.   I took a few pictures with my phone, but they didn't turn out too well.  Blurry!  But at least you can get an idea.  Way shorter than it was.

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After the haircut, which I didn't get to until 3:30 because I was waiting to get in on the Dr. Oz Nuttzo giveaway - which went totally Nuttzo and crashed their server so that I didn't get one anyway - I came home and mowed the yard.  It looks pretty now.  Cut hair, cut grass - it's all good.

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So that basketball player I never heard of with the new weird name got kicked off Dancing with the Stars.  I agree.  He was the worst.  Also, what's with the weird name?  If you have a normal name like scott kay or john smith or whatever his name was, why would you change it to a non-name like Metta World Peace?  *shakes head and rolls eyes*   My early favorites are J.R. Martinez and Chynna Phillips, and they both did well with the judges too.  I look forward to seeing how they do.  Jeffrey's pet peeve is that, no matter how they do, it seems that they put Cheryl Burke and her partner 'in jeopardy' on every elimination show.  Like we're supposed to believe they're really going home!  Also, nice to see Derek Hough back.

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OK, Tuesday is officially over.  Or almost.  Tune in next week.

Tuesday Tidbits

It's Tuesday, it's Tuesday - Looky there, it's Tuesday.  Yeah, just ignore me...

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My toes are cold.  I'm wondering if I should go find some socks - or close the window.  We had some warm weather this weekend, but it has really cooled down, and they're even saying we could have a touch of frost tomorrow night.  Frost?  I'm not ready!  I guess that means I'm picking most of the tomatoes and peppers from the garden tomorrow, and then I'm going to have to figure out what I'm supposed to do with all those hot peppers.  Somebody remind me to take some pictures of the cute little Tabasco peppers on their plants before I pick them.  They are adorable - and hot.

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We went for a motorcycle ride Sunday.  We didn't really go far - first to Walgreens where we bought toothpaste and tissues and collected a couple Register Rewards, which I still do not really like.  I liked the rebates better, but the lady at Walgreens said that people used to rip them off all the time by buying stuff, getting their rebates, then returning all the stuff.  That is just plain rude and wrong, and I'm pretty sure those people knew that.  If they'd just change the Register Rewards to load onto a Walgreens card - like I used to get for my rebates - instead of being coupons that expire in two weeks, I think I'd be happier with the program.   But enough of that - if you take the motorcycle to go shopping, you can only buy what you can fit in the saddlebags.

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After Walgreens we went to Beth & Tim's where we got to hang out with them and Jason.  Can you believe that little guy is 4 months old now?  Tim grilled burgers and chicken and fixed hot chicken legs (like hot wings, only legs)  Speaking of hot - they stopped at our house while we were at Walgreens and picked some tomatoes and hot peppers - and Tim ate one of those cute little innocent looking Tabasco peppers.  Oh yeah - definitely hot.  I ate one a couple weeks ago, so I know.  One little pepper smaller than your pinky, and it required 3 glasses of milk and a slice of bread, and... 
Dinner was nice.  Beth put together a nice salad to go with the burgers, and Tim's dad, step-mom, brother and brother's girlfriend were there too.  So it was just really nice.

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Cory was sort of home this weekend.  He had me pick him up Friday evening and had dinner with us and spent some time with us Friday night.  Then Saturday he ran off and spent the day with some friends.  When he finally came home that evening, he wanted somebody to take him back to campus because he had stuff he needed to get done on Sunday and then rehearsal for the play he's understudy for.  He's got 3 parts to learn for that one.  So, we saw him a bit, which is good because it doesn't sound like he'll be coming home on the weekend for a while.  He's got rehearsals every Sunday, and then last night he had auditions for two other plays.  He's hoping to be cast in one of those, and then they'll probably start rehearsals for that one too.  Which means he's going to have to learn the lines for 4 parts all at the same time, which sounds totally impossible to me, but it's definitely something Cory can do - and he'll enjoy doing it.

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I finally updated Firefox to Firefox 6.  For some reason my Google Toolbar isn't compatible, which is why I kept putting it off, skipping right through Firefox 5.  I miss my Google Toolbar.  Also, I'm still trying to get used to the new Blogger interface.  I don't like the way Zemanta hugs itself up against the side of the browser so that I can't scroll through the images or related articles anymore.  Has anybody else noticed that?  That's part of the reason I finally updated Firefox, thinking maybe that would help, but it didn't.

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OK, tune in next week - same day of the week, whenever I sit my butt down and get to it.

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Tuesday Tidbits

It's Tuesday again.  These weeks just seem to fly by.  I'm wondering if that's because 'time flies when you're having fun' or because time seems to move faster the older you get.  Well, whatever reason...

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I realized last Tuesday that my post was actually all about Tuesday, and really nothing random at all - except random Tuesdayness.  Until I bolded that Tuesday up there, I hadn't even connected my Tuesdays with Cory's Tuesdays - or at least Tuesdays Cory used to have.  He was part of a channel on YouTube and had to post a video every Tuesday.  Each of the members had their own day, and they were really quite fun to watch.  At least I thought so.  Unfortunately, life got busy, and they stopped posting.  I was amazed they did it as long as they did.

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Jeffrey and I went shopping Sunday because there was a comforter set in the JC Penney ad that I thought I might like.  Jeffrey decided to go to a different mall than the one we 'usually' go to.  I say 'usually' because, when it comes to going to malls, there is no usually for us.  But, anyway, going to a different mall turned out in our favor, I think - because we found a comforter set we liked better, on clearance for less than half the price.  And, yes, they may have had the same comforter at another Penney's, but you never know.  I also got a couple tops and a swimsuit (well, a top and a bottom - though they don't actually match each other), because we had to spend at least another $10 so we could use the coupon on the front of the ad and save $10 - so pretty much a free $10.  After a bit more shopping and dinner at Red Robin, we came home and, of course, put our new comforter on the bed.  Gorgeous!  I love it.  I really should take a picture, huh?  I'll also have to get a picture of Weasley lying on the back-side.  It wasn't until the next day when I was sorting the laundry - and Weasley was 'helping' by hanging out with me - that I realized he goes with it perfectly!  Yep, that's how we choose our bedding - must match cat.

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Holiday?  What holiday?  I heard yesterday was some kind of holiday, but it was pretty much a normal day around here.  Jeffrey and Cory both had to work, and I did laundry.  Then, when Cory got off work, he put the rest of his stuff together, loaded up the van, and we took him to campus.  A couple trips up those 4 flights of stairs, and he's all moved in.  Well, he has quite a bit of putting away and organizing to do, and he still needs a 50-foot internet cable to get his desktop computer hooked up to the internet, but the tv's hooked up to cable, and all the stuff is in the room.  It's hard to believe how much stuff they think they need.  I suppose they'd live with less if they lived further from campus and had to make do with one trip to get it all there, but they don't have to worry about that.  Also, cable television in the dorm room, cable television.  Back when I was in college, I know there was a television or two on campus, in a lounge somewhere, but watching television wasn't something we did, at least not regularly.  Students nowadays bring their own televisions to college and have cable tv, with HBO added this year, in their dorm rooms.  Add to that the video game systems and internet access, and I find myself wondering when they actually have time to study.  I guess studying is over-rated.

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Image via WikipediaI spent the day with bees and spiders.  Hard to believe, I know.  Some really wonderful friends of ours offered to let me come pick raspberries, so that's what I did today.  The bees buzzed around me, and the spiders sat in their webs, and I was very thankful for a day that was cool enough to comfortably wear jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.  As it is, I still have some marks on my forearms from all the prickles - but I also have yummy raspberries.  By the time I got home, I was so tired that I took a shower, threw towels in the washer, and crashed.  Yes, I know I need to take care of all those raspberries, but I put them in the fridge and asked them nicely to wait until morning.

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And everything else is going to have to wait, too.  I think I'm done.  Tune in next week for another edition.

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Can You Lick Your Elbow?

How many of you remember this email that went around?  It was a list of random 'facts' with one of the first ones being that it is impossible to lick your elbow.  Then the list continues until finally coming to the end and declaring that 90% (or some other random number) of people who read this email will try to lick their elbows.

Did you get it?  Did you try to lick your elbow?  I admit it - I tried, because really - impossible?  Nope, not impossible.  But I hadn't really thought about it for a while, until yesterday when a friend posted on facebook that she'd seen a lady stand up on Regis and Kelly and lick her elbow.  She was amazed!

A discussion ensued wherein another friend told her that I can do it, and the first friend said she wanted a video to prove it.  So, I posted a video:



See - not impossible at all.  I do have my talents...

Tuesday Tidbits

Image via Wikipedia

Another Tuesday almost gone.  I keep meaning to do these posts earlier in the day, but today I really had an excuse - I was gone all day.  I went with Beth and the kids to Old World Wisconsin again.  We had fun walking around - it is definitely good exercise pushing those strollers up the hills!  This time we rode the tram for a while, but it's almost more trouble than it's worth to unload everyone and everything from the strollers so they can be folded and stashed in the front of the tram.  The kids got to pet some horses, and see some chickens, pigs, sheep, and a calf, so that was fun.  (We did not see the oxen pictured here.  That was a picture I took on another visit.)

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After we left OWW, I went with Beth back to the house where she works, and while she got the kids down for naps, I took her vehicle and went and picked up my new glasses (the expensive ones).  I like the way they look, but I think it's going to take me a while to learn how to look out of them.  She said it would take a while to get used to them, so we'll see.  And, because I went to the fancy in-plan optical shop, besides the glasses I also got a fancy gift bag that contained, get this - a bottle of cleaner, a cleaning cloth, and a miniature candy bar.  Yep, definitely worth the extra money!  NOT.  Also, we just picked up Jeffrey's new glasses at Walmart Friday evening, and they were much more thorough there making sure his glasses fit right and the bifocals were right than the place where I got mine.  Makes me wonder what I was paying for...

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Anyway, after picking up the glasses I also stopped at Walgreens and Aldi and grabbed some stuff and then went back to get Beth and Jason.  I finally got to meet the people she works for.  She talks about them all the time, and they're really nice people.  They really appreciate the way Beth takes care of their kids and seem to like her quite a bit.  So it was after 5:00 when we left there, almost 6:00 when I got home and in the house and started putting stuff away.  And then I had to figure out what to have for dinner.  By the time dinner was over - mostly leftovers I pulled out of the fridge - I decided to skip washing the dishes.  I can certainly see how nothing would ever get done if I was gone on a regular basis.  How do people do it?  There's enough stuff I'd like to get done but can never seem to get to as it is.

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But for now?  I'm thinking the only thing I'm getting to is bed.  I can wash dishes tomorrow.  And fold towels.  And pick beans. And...  I need to vacuum, clean bathrooms, catch up on receipts, write some posts, etc., etc., etc.

Tuesday Tidbits

Another Tuesday come and gone.  Well, almost gone, and I'm just now sitting down to see what kind of random things come out.  Yep, that's how I work. 

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So, this weekend - Saturday we attended a funeral for the mother of one of our long-time friends.  It was nice getting to see some people we don't see regularly and sharing in some memories.  She was quite a lady, and I know the family will miss her.

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Sunday we went to Walmart, and Jeffrey picked out and ordered some glasses.  His total before insurance reimbursement?  Less than my total after insurance.  It's just not fair!  I sent in the reimbursement form today.  They say they cover up to $70 on frames and up to $75 on the lenses, so I'm interested to find out if they actually cover what we paid, or if it's some percentage they have.  Anyone ever used VSP for out-of-network glasses?

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Does anyone else have to fight the urge to correct people on facebook?  Spelling, grammar, use of words, there are so many things that are wrong.  Would it really take that much longer to read comments over before submitting them to make sure there are no mistakes?  Of course, that would mean people actually have to know a mistake when they see one.

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Cory will be going back to college soon.  He and his roommate are planning to move in on the 2nd, and classes start the 6th.  After that I probably won't see him much because he'll be busy with classes and rehearsals, and all that college stuff.  He was going to be home on the weekends so he could work, but he's an understudy for a play, and they have Sunday rehearsals scheduled - so there goes his only day to work, and he has to quit.  His last day is the 5th.  He can go back next summer, but during the school year he'll need something closer that he can schedule around classes and rehearsals.

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Once he's back in school, I'll get my van back.  Not that I really have a need or desire to go anywhere most of the time, but it might be nice to get to the grocery store once in a while.  Eventually.  I've had Jeffrey pick up a few things on his way home from work, and had Cory pick up a few things at work or on his way home, and grabbed a few quick things whenever we happened to be out, and there's really nothing we desperately need.  So it can wait.  Also, I have things that need done around here, and when I'm not home they don't get done.  Sometimes (way too often) they don't get done when I am home, but it's worse when I'm not.

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I think that's it for now.  Enough, anyway.  I'm sure there will be plenty more random things run through my brain as soon as I publish this post.  Oh well!  Join me next week...

Tuesday Tidbits

 Here I am at the end of another Tuesday and now that I sit down, everything has flown out of my head.  I'm sure it was all there before!

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I already mentioned that we went to the State Fair on Sunday, and Jeffrey got a new cell phone.  Cory got one too, even though he wasn't with us.  The boys had already picked out the phones they wanted, so we knew which one to get him.  Then Monday before work he stopped by US Cellular to get his activated and pick out a protective case.  I think he's liking it quite a bit.  I'm the only one left without a Smart Phone, but I guess I'll survive.  I still like my phone, and I can check facebook, twitter, and email from my phone, so what else do I really need?  And, besides, I'm usually home where I can use an actual computer to do all that.

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I've been wanting to use this picture for a while.  It made me think of Beth & Tim when I first downloaded it - and then I just never needed it.  They found out they were going to be parents and cut down on the drama.  Or maybe they just kept it to themselves.  Until now.  Hopefully they'll get their stuff figured out.  They have a son.  They need to grow up.

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Speaking of that adorable son, I got to go hang out with him today.  Beth had a dentist's appointment and didn't figure Jason would be happy to sit in his car seat the whole time, so she had me meet her there and watch him for her.  Yeah, it was tough, but somebody's gotta do it, right?  Thankfully Cory didn't have to work today, so I had a way to get there.  I still would have gotten to hang out with Jason.  Beth just would have had to leave work early enough to swing by here and drop him off first.  Tomorrow I get to see him again, because she wants to take all three kids to Old World Wisconsin, and she doesn't think she wants to do that all by herself.  Probably a good decision.  Also, I really do need to see that little guy regularly, because he just keeps growing and changing, and I might miss something.

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I guess that's it for now.  Nice to see there were at least a few things in my head, huh?  Tune in next Tuesday for another edition - episode? rambling list? - something.

Tuesday Tidbits

Somehow, Tuesday  is almost over for this week, but if I get this posted, it will be 3 weeks in a row - and that's gotta be a record or something.  Actually, I posted Camera Critters posts almost every week for at least a year, so that's a real record.  Unfortunately, I've gotten away from it, and I just can't find my way back.  I miss all the cute critters, too.

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Cory left on Thursday and went to Michigan for the weekend.  He had a great time with a whole bunch of friends, pushing cars out of the mud, canoeing, going to the beach, getting majorly sunburned, etc.  Thankfully he didn't have to drive all the way by himself.  He drove about an hour from home, met up with some friends from Minnesota, and they all rode together.  And, thankfully, he's old enough to drive now so I didn't have to drop him off and then have to be back and pick him up Sunday night - because he didn't get home until after midnight.  Then, he had to be up the next morning so he could go to work at 7am - the earliest he's had to work since he started at Walmart.  But, he survived.

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We went to the bank Friday afternoon and signed a bunch of papers.  Beth needed a new vehicle because she couldn't get 3 car seats in the Regal she was driving.  For work she watches two kids, and now she has one of her own, so she needs to be able to get all three of those car seats in.  So, she got a Buick Rendezvous, which is nice, and most importantly to her it's not a mini van.  I'm not sure what the deal is with mini vans, but whatever.  She got a decent deal on it, all three cars seats fit, and she's happy - and now that all the papers are signed, she's got her very own car payment to make every month.

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Jeffrey and I went to a church conference in the Chicago area for the weekend.  We left Saturday morning and didn't get back until Sunday evening.  We had a great time with some great people, heard some good presentations, ate lots of wonderful food, and just had a really good weekend.  I had my first Lemon Drop Martini thanks to my friend Trisha, and it was yummy!  And our friends Paul and Laureen opened up their home and gave us a bed to sleep in Saturday night - which was really nice, because they're always so busy when they host one of these things, so staying with them actually gave us some time to spend with them we wouldn't have had otherwise.

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I mowed the yard Monday morning.  I can't remember when I mowed it last, and the boys hadn't mowed it for a while either because it's been so dry.  But we got some rain recently, and things have started to grow, the grass included - or at least all the weeds/extra plants in the yard - so it needed done.  It was a bit hot, but there was a breeze and clouds, and I drank plenty of water.  Then Jeffrey called late afternoon and said not to worry about it.  Too late!  Yes, I could have waited until tomorrow when it's supposed to be much cooler, but it's done now. 

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Today it was hotter, or at least that's what they said.  I was inside, freezing in the air conditioning.  For some reason it seemed colder than it has been, even though the thermostat was set the same.  I went outside to warm up several times.  By tomorrow, I should be able to turn the air off and open the windows because it's supposed to be nice for a while.  Looking forward to that!

Image via Wikipedia

And now, Tuesday is basically over, so this post must come to an end.  A gold star to you if you made it all the way to the end!

Tune in next Tuesday....

Tuesday Tidbits

It's Tuesday again!

I'm loving this Cranberry Daiquiri Slush recipe so much that I made another batch today.  Only I used some Cranberry Apple juice instead of the cranberry juice cocktail, and I used some Mojito Mix I had - which is basically lime juice, sugar, and mint - because I don't have any limes.  I'm not sure how the mint is going to be in it, but it smelled good, and I'm just loving the slushy tartness of the whole thing.

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I opened the windows this morning.  I wasn't going to because it's just supposed to get hot again, but it was so nice that I just couldn't help myself.  But then, of course, today was the day they decided to do some work on the street.  They went by once with something that stirred up a ton of dust, so I had to hurry and shut all the windows to keep it from coming in.  Then, about the time I'd opened the windows again, they came through again - once again time to close the windows.  The rest of the day was pretty good, until they came through again doing something dust-free but smelly.  Really?  They couldn't do this on a day when my windows are all closed?  I think it's a conspiracy.

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Cory doesn't have to work tomorrow so I'm thinking of running to the grocery store.  After all, I need limes!  And bananas, and...  Well, if I'm going to the store, I better get busy and make a list.

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I'm re-reading the Harry Potter books.  I've been wanting to for a long time, but I always end up reading something else.  Finally, I decided to just do it.  I'm a little over half-way through the second one - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - and I'm just going to read them straight through. I've only read them once, and seen all the movies, of course - so it's about time.  Cory has read them countless times, but he's a really fast reader.  I wish I could read as fast as he does, and remember everything too.

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I've been putting horizontal lines between all these tidbits.  I can't remember if they'll actually be visible with this blog template.  I'm thinking I need to come up with some kind of special divider/graphic for Tuesday Tidbits - just because.

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Oh, the weekend?  We were pretty much bums and didn't do anything.  Well, church on Saturday, but then we came home early because Cory had a thing at the library.  And then Sunday Cory had to work, and Jeffrey and I just stayed home and did stuff around the house.  I finished the first Harry Potter book and started the second.  Well, I didn't actually start.  I just pulled it off the shelf and put my bookmark in the front - ready to start.

I think that's enough for this edition.  Tune in next week for a random list of stuff happening in my life and going through my head.

Tuesday Tidbits

I was visiting Freaky Frugalite yesterday and noticed she does a weekly meme called "Friday Fragments" - except that she didn't actually post this week until Monday.  But never mind that... It's just a post of random thoughts, happenings, pictures, etc. - the stuff that didn't make it into another post and might get lost or forgotten if it isn't jotted down, or typed into a blog post.  At least that's what I got out of it, and I'm thinking it's an idea I can use.  Except I'm thinking I'll do it on Tuesdays and call it "Tuesday Tidbits" - because I always seem to have a hard time getting back into blogging after the weekend, and lots of times don't get around to it until Tuesday or later.  Something like this might be just what I need to get me going at the beginning of a new week.

Plus, it's a good place to catch you up on what happened over the weekend - not that I think you're hanging on the edge of your seats waiting to hear about my weekends, but I'd just like to have things somewhere so I can remember.  That's one of the reasons I started blogging in the first place, and so often I don't have time for a 'real' blog post - or I don't make time - at the beginning of the week, and then time gets away from me, and I never post anything.  So a few 'Tidbits' is better than nothing, right?  And I can always write a 'better' blog post later if/when I have time, right?

So, now that I've taken all that time to tell you what I'm doing, here are a few Tidbits from this weekend:

• I got new jeans - Levis.  The weird thing is that one pair is a size 10 and the other is a size 6, and they both fit really well.  Same brand, different sizes - is it any wonder it's so hard to find the perfect pair of jeans?  We were really at Kohl's so Jeffrey could buy a new watch, but there was clearance, and he had 20% off, and we needed to buy something else so we could earn some Kohl's Cash.
• We found some laminate flooring at Menards on closeout for 69¢/sq. ft. so we're going to replace the carpet in the kids' bedrooms with it.  Our usual Menards didn't have enough for both rooms, so Cory and I drove to another Menards on Monday to get 8 more boxes.  I used the rebate check we got when we bought all the 'free' stuff at the Crazy Days sale in March.  Was it really free?  Well, not exactly, but we did get to spend the same money twice!  Menards also has the underlayment free after rebate right now, so it's a really good time to get it - and we'll have more money to spend again.  
• Jeffrey and I had dinner at TGIFridays - because we were close, and because I had a $5 coupon from Discover.  I had a yummy salad, and almost froze while we were in there because the air conditioning was so cold.  I had a long-sleeved shirt in the car, but Jeffrey said I had to leave it in the car - because he's mean like that - and he thinks it's ridiculous to need a long-sleeved shirt in the summer.  And I wouldn't need it, if only these places didn't turn the air conditioning so cold!  Kohl's was freezing, too.  It always feels so good to walk back outside into the heat and sun!  So good!
• and, I reserve the right to add to this list because I'm having a hard time thinking of anything else right now.  I should probably shoot for posting these earlier on Tuesdays.

I'm a Pro at Procrastination

So, I'm sitting here with this keyword and this link, waiting for some inspiration to fill up the rest of the post. I'm having no luck, though, so I figured I'd just start typing. The news is on, and it's almost bedtime - so I don't have a lot of time to figure it out.

Are y'all tired of reading my posts today? It would help if I didn't wait until the last possible day to do stuff - but I do. It's not like I want to. It's just that there are always other things that need done. Or maybe it's just that the things that actually get done are the things that absolutely have to get done - and the other stuff can wait, until it absolutely has to get done. And until I have time to do it right.

Unfortunately, I can't really come up with the right way to mention apidexin - or even a good way for that matter. So I'm just going to do it and hope I can do a better job tomorrow - in between cleaning bathrooms, fixing food, and maybe picking up my son the college student. I'm only saying maybe about that last one because I haven't actually talked to him about that, but it is a long weekend, and he probably has more stuff he wants to pack up and take back to college with him - and probably has some laundry he wants done, too.

The Broken Ones

For some reason, when I'm eating tortilla chips, I just can't stop eating the broken ones.  It's like I'm trying to clean up the bucket of chips.  (We buy the big box of chips at Sam's Club and empty them into a big container)  I keep eating broken chips thinking I'll stop when there are no more broken ones.  Except, it seems, there are always more broken chips.  Who broke these chips, anyway?

Eventually I just have to make myself stop and put the lid on the container.  Sometimes, though, I take the lid off again and start picking broken chips out.  If I don't get over this obsession with the broken chips, I'm going to have to find a quick weight loss diet because even the broken ones have have calories.  And they definitely have a lot of salt.  Eating all these chips is making me thirsty.

Does anybody else have this problem?

(BTW - leftovers from this Southwestern Shepherd's Pie make a great dip for those chips)

Give Me 5 Monday - Random Things I've Never Done

Becca over at BeccA's Buzz has started the Give Me Five Monday meme back up! 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.

Today's topic is: Give me 5 Random Things you've never done before

1. I've never jumped out of an airplane (but I want to)
2. I've never crocheted a baby blanket (and since I never learned to crochet, I most likely never will)
3. I've never starred in a television show (like that would ever happen!)
4. I've never written a book (my dad has, though - it's all about his life, and I really, really, really need to stop reading all these library books and read that one)
5. I've never been part of a marching band (Cory is, though, and he loves it!)

If you'd like to participate in the Give Me Five Monday meme, post your list, visit BeccA's Buzz, and sign in.