Costco Will Take Over the World

I'm halfway tempted to make a Costco tag for my blog.

Anyway, found something interesting at Costco when we went this weekend.

Kirkland Signature Beer

That's right. Costco beer. Once we got it, Dan's comment was "I feel like I just bought a pair of Kirkland jeans."

But aside from Kirkland jeans, Costco brand stuff seems to be pretty cool. So we had hope.

Dan decided to bust one out today for a test taste.

Survey says...?

Apparently, buying Costco beer is pretty much like buying Costco jeans.

Oh well. I suppose Costco's plans for world domination will not be accomplished through beer.

New Linky Link

Check out the column over to the right... I've got a new link in the Links section there. It's a link to my Steepster.com journal. Basically, Steepster is a tea-centered Twitter-esque site (but without the character limit). I totally love it - I'm following lots of people and finding out all about what teas they are drinking and how they stack up.

I'm such a tea nerd.

What Am I?

Last Sunday, Dan and I had a visitor. He was huddled up against the house next to the front door, I assume trying to stay warm since it was one of the first cold nights we'd had.

I wanted to bring him inside but I'm pretty sure the cats would have tried to eat him. So I put a little box with a face cloth in it and poked the little visitor into it so he could stay warm.

But the question is: what the heck is it?

???

It's obviously a rodent of some sort so I'm thinking mouse? But his nose seems short so I'm not 100%.

I feel kind of dumb saying that, but hey maybe it is a mouse with a good plastic surgeon which is leading to my confusion...

Some Days...

Some days you know are going to be bad. Things just don't fall together right and you know it's setting you up for a horrible day, right?

But sometimes, the day starts out that way, then you see something like this:

After laughing that long and that hard, how can my day be bad?

Miscellaneous Sharing

The other day I took a picture of a bug with my phone (it was huge and attacking me - I had to have proof so my whining email to Dan had solid evidence) and I remembered that I had taken some pictures on our Georgia trip with my phone. Nothing overly spectacular but I wanted to share.

I don't think I got any pictures of the super-cool Whale Shark beasties that the Georgia Aquarium is so famous for. Or if I did, I don't think it was as clear as this one.

Land, I mean, Whale Shark

It's hard to tell scale in this picture, but these puppies are pretty big! And, I thought, pretty cool.

Of course, I can't talk about coolness at the Georgia Aquarium without mentioning the jellies.

Jellies

They were just amazing. I could have watched them for hours.

And lastly, this one is just kind of mind boggling to me. I've never seen it before and it certainly caught my eye.

Wha???

Yeah, that's sweet tea flavored vodka. I didn't get any (though I thought about) because it sorta scared me. But now I think I'm going to have to get some. Just because it is so weird.

More Kitty + Water = Awesome

So funny!

From Cute Overload

I Wanna See This

I think it might make me feel a bit sick, but I really want to see this movie.

I can't get the preview to embed properly so go here and check on the preview.

My Daddy Said I Could

Check out this picture my dad emailed me of him at Circle Ranch in Van Horn, Texas:

By the way, my dad's the one on the left.

This is what he said about the llamas and ranch he visited:

The Llamas are rescued (about 40 of them).... The ranch has limited grazing of cattle, with huntable populations of Mule Deer, Gambles and Blue Quail, Desert Big Horn Sheep and Pronghorn Antelope. The do not hunt the Elk that inhabit the ranch. D Rollins is Dr. Dale Rollins the advisor to our Quail Masters Class and Dr. Quail to many who read his work and rely on his research.

Dude, I so want a llama. Yay for rescue llamas!

Dan is a Freak

Every so often, Dan proves that he is... well, odd. He'll get a sharp pain in his foot and look to see what it is and, lo and behold, he's been stabbed with kitty hair.

Yes, kitty hair. Stabbing into his foot.

Cat Hair Stuck in Dan's Foot

We have no idea how this happens. Kitty hair isn't sharp. And yet, Dan can have it stab through several layers of his foot and get stuck there. And when I say stuck, I mean it. You have to give it a good tug to get it out.

This has happened at least three or four times.

Dan has freaky foot skin.

Cuteness!

The cuteness begins at about :38. Look at the little lips!!!!

Because it is cute...

The article isn't as cute but if you want to read it, it is here

I want one!

...but I think the cats would eat it.

Kind of looks a post-yurking like a hairball, doesn't it? In a cute way.

Entertain me?

The internet is no longer able to entertain me. What's up with that? Seriously, this is how I feel.

James Surls

When Miho and Kei were here, we went to the Grace Museum in Abilene. They had an exhibit room in which was work by James Surls. The lady at the museum said you either love his stuff or hate it. Well, I'm firmly in the love category. Which is weird because I typically don't like abstract art. But this is very clean and organic, simultaneously mathematical and floral. I enjoy the organic aspect but I think it is the repetition and cleaner mathematical nature of the work that makes me enjoy it so.

After going through his website, I've discovered I like his more recent stuff best - specifically his sculpture done between 2005 and 2008 - and I pretty much am creeped out by any of his work with eyes. Anyway, below are a few pics from his website of my favs (particularly the last one).

So where do you fall? "Love it" or "hate it"?

Resistance is Futile

A recent picture of Dan's desk (the only staging of the picture was to wake up one of the computers that had a black screen).

Count the Screens

Each screen represents a computer (or laptop) that he has and uses regularly. In our house, we also have my laptop, our media laptop, a laptop we'll be giving to Dan's sister, a server we don't have hooked up to anything and a computer in the garage.

Yes, that's a total of 11 computers in the house. (Well, 12 if you count our home server).

I think we are becoming Borg.

Throwdown: Mac vs. Windows 7

Okay, there will be no pretty pictures with this post because I'm using a Mac to do it and I don't know my way around. So deal.

Dan's currently got a MacBook and a Dell with the release candidate of Windows 7 on it and he's letting me play with both because he rocks like that.

Can I confess something here? I've used Windows since Windows 3.0 (so a long time). But the prettiness of the Mac tempts me oh so very very much. Before Dan and I owned iPods, we had a Dell Digital Jukebox and I had such issues with that hunk of metal that I abandon the idea of having an MP3 player all together. Then I had to download iTunes to do the whole podcast thing and I fell in love. iTunes was so easy to use and then I got an iPod and it worked together so well.... Bliss! I was completely in love. So much in love that I wanted to love Macs, not just iTunes and my iPod. Dan and I had been talking about getting me a new laptop so we went to the Apple store to play with Macs to see if I wanted one of those.

Five minutes with a Mac and I was ready to kill it.

But the Apple people would frowned on that being as it was, you know, theirs and not mine.

I never gave up the desire to love Macs, though. I want to like them. I want to play with the pretty. But yeah. So I'm playing with this one and some things are cool - how "option"+"arrow" take you to the beginning (or end, depending on the arrow key) of the next word while "command"+"arrow" take you to the beginning (or end) of the line. But some other things are not so cool. Like not having a real delete key because the Mac "delete" key is really a backspace key. And Safari is telling me that I have some misspellings in this post (with the red squiggly underline) but I can't for the life of me figure out how to pop up a dictionary to give me the options of what the proper spelling is because there is NO FREAKING RIGHT CLICK!! And I just tried to do "command"+"delete" to see if it would delete instead of backspace and it deleted the whole line. AUGH!

I really would like to become adept - or at least competent - with Macs. But right now Windows 7 winning because it has the pretty and I know how to freaking use it.

.....

Woo hoo - Dan looked it up online and so now I'm able to get a right click menu to show up "control"+"click". But seriously, he had to look it up. I keep hearing how intuitive Macs are but I guess that is only for those that have never used a computer before? Because I've used Windows for so long that Windows functions are intuitive for me.

And seriously, how can you not have a proper delete key??????

When I Was Younger...

I have a somewhat obsessive personality. If I like something, I tend to dive in and everything is about that one interest... at least until I get bored and move on to another one. Because of that, I tend to collect things. I don't remember a time that I haven't been collecting something, even unintentionally. When I was younger, it was stickers and novelty erasers (and hotel toiletries oddly enough). I've also collected cows, crochet patterns, crochet hooks, Japanese language learning books, Japanese TV dramas, scrapbooking goodies... it can be argued that I currently collect tea....

Anyway, I've been trying to temper this trait lately and be a little more sane when it comes to my hobbies. I don't let myself get too much tea, I haven't scrapbooked in a while but I haven't given it up (lack of creativity is the main reason I haven't right now), I'm trying to slowly brush up and relearn Japanese (vs. trying to do it all RIGHT NOW), I even have a little crocheting going on (but that is suffering from the same lack of creativity scrapbooking is).

However, if I still collected erasers, this tempered obsessiveness would never survive. I was looking for Japanese office supplies (I love their organizational stuff) on eBay and stumbled upon this:

Multicolored Hamsters!

(BTW, I know nothing about this seller so if you decide you need multicolored hamster erasers, it's at your own risk, blah blah blah).

Anyway, apparently there are a TON of fun Japanese novelty erasers on eBay. Thankfully, I no longer collect novelty erasers because if I did, this would be too much to resist. Sadly, I have searched for a cute monkey eraser and they don't have one. Because if they did, I would totally have to get it.

I have no idea what I'd do with it, but I'd still have to get it.

Not quite a puppy pile...

From Cute Overload

I'm Way Too Into Pens

I'm spending too much time online looking at specialty pens. Not super-expensive pens, just fun colors, fine points, things you can't get in the typical US office supply store (and oh how I do love office supplies).

Not only am I spending too much time shopping on JetPens, I've also found a pen blog or two. And I've run into this: pen spinning. I'm simultaneously amazed and a bit dumbfounded that people have spent so much time to get this good.

Part of me wants to be as cool as these folks. The other part of me realizes how big of a nerd this makes me.

Does Anyone Eat the Bananas?

Banana Runts

So, my coworker has a Sam's membership and, while typically I fully believe that Costco is the best warehouse store ever, Sam's is the one that can boasts of having 5lb bags of Runts candies for less than six dollars.

That's right. A Five Pound Bag of Runts. Five Pounds. Five. FIVE!

It's a big bag. Seriously. Full, it is bigger than about half of our cats. (Apparently the cats are denser because they still weight more).

My coworker, being cool like that, bought me a bag.

I've had so much sugar the past few days that my teeth ache.

But it does make me wonder: does anyone eat the banana Runts? I mean, they keep swapping out flavors (this bag has neither of the "new" flavors of blueberry or mango (and no cherry - what's up with that?! And now the strawberry is red instead of pink) and has added grape (awesome) and green apple (give me back my watermelon)) but they never seem to swap out the banana. Are they under the mistaken impression that there are is a large group of people out there that love the banana ones?

Because I'm thinking there isn't. I mean, Dan'll eat almost anything and even he won't eat the bananas.

My perfect bag of Runts would contain the following: red (cherry), pink (strawberry), orange (uhm, orange), green (watermelon), blue (raspberry), and purple (grape).

Though I could not eat that perfect bag currently because my teeth ache.

And I've barely made a dent in my five pounds.

Oh yeah.

*pets*

Oh the pretty

Though one must wonder: where did they get the blue cows from?

Internat'l Stuttering Awareness Day

... is not today, but I found (well, was told about) this really cool podcast so I wanted to share:

Not only is it interesting, it's a good way to be entertained on my morning commute since I am audio book-less.

Don't Ask...

Alright, don't ask why I'm watching this, but I'm watching the Winter Dew Tour's snowboarding and it was pretty cool to see the runs a few of the guys on there (and it was the first time I've ever seen Shawn White on something not a TV ad). But seriously, the chicks suck. The guys are so much better. And then the chick that won squealed and said she wanted to cry. I mean, yay for her for winning, but why aren't the girls good snowboarders? Well, let me rephrase that because sure, they are good, but why are they as good as the guys? Or even closer to the guys? I mean, the guys were doing 1080s and even a 1260 and the winning girl only managed like a 540 or something and the announcers were all "Oh, awesome! She's going to break the top three with that!" And why oh why are the girls so darn girlie? It's kind of embarrassing.

/mini-rant

Anyway, I'm going to bed now.

Mmm

Okay, those that know me know that I really don't drink that much. Those that don't know me, why on earth are you reading my blog? I seriously don't think I am that entertaining.

Anyway, I have recently discovered a yummy. Kahlua French Vanilla.

Kahlua French Vanilla

It tastes like my perfect cup of coffee. With a little extra. Of course, my perfect cup of coffee has lots of sugar and a decent bit of milk. Or even better, one of those nifty little flavored creamers. So yeah, I would imagine that this Kahlua isn't for everyone. It is pretty darn sweet. But that's why I like it, I think.

Mind you, I'm such a lightweight nowadays that a couple of tablespoons makes my head a little light. That just means this bottle will last forever. Nothing wrong with that.

Weirdness

Yes, yes, I know. I haven't posted for a week and this is what I give you. But this is possibly the weirdest quiz thingy I've seen, so I had to share.

I could survive for 22 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Yep, apparently dinos look at me and see lunch.

Which is really just fair since last night I had some of Dan's dino nuggets. I got to look at them and go "Mmm, dinner" and bite their little heads off. Of course, that could be because no one was chained to a bunk bed.

Or because they were breaded chicken, but whatever.

I'm Snape!

Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.

Explanation of the Results:
This type of personality test uses four indexes of personality and the combination of the four is your personality type. The first index relates to how you interact with other people and can be Extroverted (E), meaning you're more outgoing or Introverted (I), meaning you keep more to yourself. The second relates to how you make decisions; whether you're Intuitive (N), getting answers from within, or you rely on Sensing (S) information from your surroundings, using your five senses. The third relates to whether you're more emotional and Feeling (F) or rational and Thinking (T). The fourth relates to whether you prefer things to be organized, meaning you're Judging (J), or you prefer things to be more unbound, meaning you're Perceiving (P).

Wait, does this mean I get killed by a giant snake?

I've actually done this type of personality test before (but without the Harry Potter character thing) in a job coaching book years ago. Anyway, I had to do a huge long test that took almost half an hour and got the same results as this little quick test. AND the book didn't even tell me what Harry Potter character I was! Geez. I think that job coaching book was a rip off.

AHRG!

Today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day, uh, ye mateys.

Pirate Monkey!

In honor of today, I took a test to see what my Pirate Monkey Aptitude was. Uh, yar. Sadly, this is my result:

No pirate monkey, but sadly true. Well, except for the "children" thing. And the "being on TV" thing. But you know, whatever.

Avast, me hearties (what does that mean anyway?) I was tickled to find a plethora of pirate monkey things online. YES! (Seriously, go Google - the Google Image search is much fun).

Another Pirate Monkey!

I could get into this whole "pirate" thing!

AHRG!!!!!

Where To Go?

Yeah, so I've decided it is time for Dan and I to do another big vacation. When did I decide this? About 10 minutes ago.

Anyway, our last big international trip was Japan in 2004. Okay, so we went to Hawaii in 2006 and earlier this year. Oh yeah, and we went on a Baja cruise that hit Mexico in 2005.

Alright, alright. So we don't need to go on a big vacation. But I still need a vacation. How about a little vacation? Maybe this fall.... But that brings up the big question: Where should we go?

Earlier this year, Dan and I tossed around the ideas of Vegas, Florida, and Hawaii (specifically Oahu). Actually, Dan's voting for Vegas, I'm thinking Florida (or Caribbean or something) and we've both thought Hawaii (in the off season) would be nifty. Of course, I'm not against Vegas and Dan isn't against Florida.

So, where should we go?

Or should we just stay home and pay off the house?

A New Look

Alrighty, I've been kind of less than thrilled with the look of my blog lately. So I change it. And boy, what a job it was. The new look is actually based on Google's Minima layout. Which has no pink, so yeah, that wouldn't do.

Dan had to help a little bit, in particular finding where I needed to change the background color for the posts. But once he gave me a refresher on style sheets, I was able to run with it. Two hours later....

I think it looks purty. Whee!

ETA: In the spirit of new and shiny, I even updated some of my other webpages, such as the Main Page, Children, and Books. Mind you, the updates aren't that big and I have lots more to do, but hey, it still counts.

I want!

Okay, I know nothing about this teapot. Someone just posted a picture on a chat board I go to. But I so want one!

KitTEA Pot

Look at the little feet! I love the feet! And the little face! Yeah, it's a rough looking pot, but the roughness is what makes the feet and face so cute!

Pitter Patter

Because I can

Yet again not sleeping so thought I'd do something productive. Okay, this is by no stretch of the imagination even remotely productive. But I'm doing it anyway.

I did this a little over a year ago (with My Soundtrack, Take 2) so I figure it is okay to do again, and even if it isn't - my blog, my rules. Deal.

My Soundtrack, Take 3
So, I wanted to do this with my "Top Rated" playlist, which is one of the top playlists if I'm not listing to my "Moody" playlist or my "Current Favs" one. Our of 400 some songs, lets see what we get.

If my life were a movie, what would the soundtrack be?

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle, for every question, type the song that's playing
3. Press play
4. When you go to a new question, press the next button
5. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool...


Opening Credits: Rock n' Me by the Steve Miller Band. Okay, cool song. Not really sure how this works for opening credits music but who cares. SMB rocks.

Waking Up: I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by the Proclaimers. Hey, it starts "When I wake up" so rock on! But then it says "I'm gonna be the man" so we have a little problem with that. Gender issues already and this is just the credits. This could get ugly.

First Day At School: White Sandy Beach of Hawaii by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. Um, okay. Maybe I see the really cute popular guy and go straight into a little fantasy sequence that takes place on the beach. Or else I go to beach bum school. Okay, that's kinda cool.

Falling In Love: Amish Paradise by Weird Al Yankovic. Why do I always have such weird falling-in-love songs? The last one was Beer for My Horses by Toby Keith. This time I'm falling in love with an Amish guy? Cause you know, those outfits are so sexy. And a man that can drive a buggy, oh yeah....

Fight Song: Business by Emenim. Dude, I'm a superhero! To the Rap-mobile! Or else my fight is a little freestyle rapping. Because yeah, that's so me.

Breaking Up: Right Now by SR-71. Okay, this kind of works. I see a montage with break-ups and make-ups over and over ending in an ultimate break up. Though why does my break up song have "She may not be Miss Right" and "You know I used to be such a nice boy". More gender issues? Ugh.

Prom: Show Me Your Glory by Third Day. Christian school prom? Or perhaps slow dancing with Jesus? Why do I always have weird prom songs? Of course, not like the rest of this has been normal.

Life is good: Let's Get It Started by Black Eyed Pea. Why is this song on my Top Rated? Oh wait, good beat. Lordy, I have such crap taste in music.

Mental Breakdown: Check by Teddybears STHLM. Okay, really like this song, but how would this be mental breakdown. Unless one must have electronica/dance to truly get the most out of a breakdown. I picture manic crying. Running mascara. And bubbles.

Driving: Punk Rock 101 by Bowling for Soup. Hmm. Okay, I do tend to have delusions of grandeur when I am driving down the highway, windows down and music blaring. But under no way am I even close to punk.

Flashback: Looks by Mike Doughty. I'm flashing back to people giving me funny looks? Of course, if I push every button on the elevator when someone is in there with me, I'd be giving me a look too.

Getting Back Together: Why Don't You Get a Job by the Offspring. Yeah, so not a "get back together" song unless I'm in a very unhappy relationship. I'll get back together with Amish guy so I don't have to work but he wants me to get a job? Maybe I can learn to quilt?

Wedding: Sexyback by Justin Timberlake. Wow, Amish guy is more progressive than I thought if this is our wedding song. Apparently, Amish guy is sexy. Woo hoo! It's the big ole beard that does it, I bet.

Birth of Child: I'm a Believer by Smashmouth. Okay, I now believe in love because I had a baby girl and the red, wrinkly face of a newborn hairless monkey, uh, baby, makes me believe in fairy tales. Yeah, this works not so great even though it can be twisted. This whole thing is twisted.

Final Battle: Indian Reservation by Paul Revere and the Raiders. Apparently, I am fighting THE MAN. And I'm part Native American. Who knew? I think I'd rather go back to the fight scene where I got to be a superhero and have a Rap-mobile.

Death Scene: Tsuki Ga Naiteru by Ayano. Aw, yay, the moon is crying for me because I'm so gentle and cute. We'll ignore that this is a love song and concentrate on the crying thing and the rain and wind. Very sweet death song. Sigh.

Funeral Song: Where'd You Go by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Dude, that ultimate question at this time. Though a little peppier than I would anticipate given the fact that, you know, it's my FUNERAL!

End Credits: Honky Tonk Badonkadonk by Trace Atkins. Oh. My. Lord. Why? Why? I'm seeing credits rolling over my butt. This. Is. So. Wrong.

Well boys and girls, what have we learned today? I think basically what I've learned is that my playlist has some of the most random songs and I should be very embarrassed to admit what is on there. Yep, that's my lesson.

I would love to see the travesties of soundtracks people come up with, so do this, post it on your blog so I can go and laugh and feel better about my iTunes playlist. Please?

Smile for the Day

I've been less than happy lately but I found something that has yet to fail to put a smile on my face when I see it, so I thought I'd share to give others a little grin.

Kill Me

I spent way too much time looking at icanhascheezburger.com, which I shouldn't do because the awful spelling and general crackness of the site hurts my head like crazy. But I did find this and it cracked me up, so I'm sharing:

For My Husband...

Because I love my husband:

Sugar Glider!

Have you ever...?

Have you ever seen a baby panda sneeze?

Go ahead, watch it a few times. I did!

Verri Intahresting

Who knew Gateway made Macs?

Looks, it's a MacWay!

Not something you see everyday, huh? A Gateway running the MacOS.

Hmm.

Huh?

Dan actually got this error message yesterday from one of his clients' email server. Check out the reason for the error in the Description box.

"...which failed to start because of the following error:
The operation completed successfully."

Uh oh!

Come on, don't tell me we were the only ones that found that hilarious!

Why is the Rum Gone?

Okay, so I'm not a big PotC fan or anything, but this video always makes me smile.

I have this thing...

I have this thing, this "touch of death", if you will, when it comes to kitchen thermometers.

First, I killed Dan's electronic fork meat thermometer. I put it in the dishwasher. Yes, yes, I know. I'm an idiot. But I would have sworn that I saw it being removed from the dishwasher one time, so I just popped it right in there.

Didn't even take the batteries out.

So anyway, Dan's new handy-dandy electronic fork meat thermometer has removable tines that are dishwasher safe.

The next one I killed was my mom's candy thermometer. It was a big ole mess and I managed to dunk it in oil and, surprise surprise, it was NOT airtight so hot oil got all in it, destroying the cardboard temp readout card beside the thermometer among other things. All in all, that one died a torturous death. It managed to live like 20 years with my mom and I kill it in a matter of days.

So I got mom a new one and picked up one for myself, too. Just the little cheapy ones you can get at WalMart. I was hoping for something better, but candy/oil thermometers are hard to find.

Turns out that mom, being the kind soul that she is, had already bought herself another one with the plans to let me keep her other one which she didn't know had been boiled in oil. Literally. After keeping the now spare thermometer around for literally months, I managed to finally get my act in gear last weekend to return the darn thing. Because no one needs two candy thermometers around.

Well, until you break the first one. Yep, I broke another thermometer. I was measuring the hot water in my mug because I wanted to see what I needed to do to get the 195-degree water that comes out of my awesome hot water dispenser to 175-degrees (perfect for green tea - the dispenser can also be set for 175 (and 208, too) but Dan and I figured to keep it on 195 since that is for black tea, knowing we could cool it easily to 175-ish for green tea). Where was I? Oh yeah, I went to measure the water and I dropped the thermometer. Not much, just maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch in the cup (filled with water so even more of a cushion, right? Wrong).

Can you see it coming? Can you?

Yep, it broke. The glass around the tip shattered. *sigh*

So now I'm going to buy me a new thermometer with an Amazon gift card I have. This is the one I'm getting:

It's a "professional" one so I figure it should last more than a few weeks at my house.

I hope.

Hehe.

Yeah, I know I've been posting a lot of random (hopefully funny) stuff. But it is just a portion of what I run in to. And lately Dan has been on a Chuck Norris kick (Every night before the boogeyman goes to bed, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris) so be thankful I haven't made a "Chuck Norris" label for my posts.

This? Is Funny!

The Nature Boy Ric Flair has also endorsed Huckabee. I can't figure out if that's something that will help or hurt him in the primary!

w00t!

60%

(Some weirdness with the alignment in IE (though Firefox is okay), but it says 60 - go me! Better than 50/50!)

Uhm, Merry Christmas?

Okay, so this is a little late (or really early, take your pick) but it is too fun not to post.

Picture-less News

No fun pictures for this blog update (which automatically rules out yet another scrapbook page - aren't you thrilled?).

Anyway, the update for today is after my first real day at work. It was fun. Yes, work was fun. Crazy, huh? I'm working from 8:15(ish) to 4:15(ish). It's not going to a super-challenging job but it looks like it will be filled with all the goodies that I like doing so I think it will be a job I really enjoy. And it helps that the people there seem to be a good group that will be nice to work with.

Of course, the biggest thing that I'm dealing with now is the fact that I have to do it all again tomorrow. My schedule has been so different from day to day since October, but now a big part of my schedule will now be fixed, so that'll be a bit weird.

Yeah, so that's my news today. Woo hoo! Job=fun. I think that's way post-worthy.

Okay, so I felt the need to put in a picture. Couldn't help it. I was going to put a picture of a chicken, but when I found this, I had to post it. I don't know whether to laugh or run away screaming. Who thought this up?

A Chicken Purse

Seriously - someone is selling this. Want one? You can get it here. You're going to get one, aren't you? Don't lie, I know you are itching to carry one of these puppies, uh, chickens, around.

Manda-ology

Got this from Amy aka Blu and since I had nothing better to do while I wait to cut Dan's hair....

Let others know a little bit more about yourself; repost this with your name and "ology" at the end.

MOUTHOLOGY
Q. What is your salad dressing of choice?
A. Lately Anne's Parmesan Artichoke dressing. Normally honey mustard.

Q. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
A. Sonic. Maybe Arbys.

Q. What is your favorite sit down restaurant?
A. Los Amigos - unless their salsa continues to use canned tomatoes like the last time we went there. Then I'll need to find somewhere else.

Q. On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
A. 20 to 25% for good service, 15% for okay. Hey, I've been there - that job can suck.

Q. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
A. Cape Cod potato chips most likely (my new Costco find). Probably toast, too.

Q. What are your pizza toppings of choice?
A. Cheese if sharing. Pineapple if I get it all to myself (no one else typically likes it)

Q. What do you like to put on your toast?
A. Nothing.

TECHNOLOGY
Q. What is your wallpaper on your computer?
A. Currently an abstract painting by Diana Ong - I have Webshots so it changes to different pics every hour.

Q. How many televisions are in your house?
A. 2 but only one hooked up to the dish. The other is for DVDs until our little signal rely thinger shows up in the mail.

BIOLOGY
Q. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
A. Right

Q. Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
A. Wisdom teeth.

Q. When was the last time you had a cavity?
A. Uhm, 3 years ago? No wait, 4 years ago.

Q. What is the last heavy item you lifted?
A. A 16 pound land whale, aka Cocoa.

Q. Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
A. Yes, I think so. I was hit in the face with a baseball - I remember seeing the ball coming at me, then I remember being on the ground look up at people around me. It wasn't long, but pretty sure I was out.

BULLCRAPOLOGY
Q. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
A. No thanks - too nerve-wracking, I think.

Q. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
A. Sigh - can't believe I'm saying this, but I would probably start going by Mandy again (I switched to Amanda at 6 because it was "more grown up" - but now I realize the attraction to not growing up! (: )

Q. What color do you think looks best on you?
A. Light blue and light pink, in that order.

Q. Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake?
A. Pretty sure I've swallowed a bug before and that is so non-food.

Q. Have you ever saved someone’s life?
A. Do kitties count? If yes, then probably. If no, then no.

Q. Has someone ever saved yours?
A. Not to the best of my knowledge.

DAREOLOGY
Q. Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100?
A. No. Of course, I wouldn't kiss anyone other than my hubby for $100 so the gender doesn't matter.

Q. Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000?
A. No, I'm quite fond of them all.

Q. Would you never blog again for $50,000?
A. Uhm, can I still update my webpage but just not use a blogging program?

Q. Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000?
A. No. Oh so very no.

Q. Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
A. No - still have traumatic memories of thinking it was a smart idea to dip spaghetti into Dad's Tabasco.

Q. Would you, without fear of punishment, take a human life for $1,000,000?
A. No. I would maybe knee-cap someone for that amount if I got to pick the person. But then, no, I don't think so.

DUMBOLOGY
Q. What is in your left pocket?
A. I have no pockets currently. But even if I did, I hate using pants pockets. Though I did just find a dead flower bud in my right jacket pocket. What's up with that?

Q. Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie?
A. Oh so very no. Couldn't finish it - it actually caused me pain.

Q. Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house?
A. Carpet and tile.

Q. Do you sit or stand in the shower?
A. Stand. Even if I had a seat in there, I'd still stand. My behind would get cold otherwise.

Q. Would you live with roommates?
A. I can see myself living with my mom, but anyone other than that (well, and my husband, but he ranks over a mere roomie), I'd have to say only if in financial need.

Q. How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
A. 6 I think. 4 of them are my Reefs which are wonderful.

Q. Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
A. Valentine's Day 2002 when I got a ticket for passing on the right. Bad me.

Q. Who is number 1 on your Top 8?
A. I'm assuming this is a MySpace question... and I can't remember. Either my cousin Cindy or my SIL Leah.

LASTOLOGY
Q: Last Friend you talked to?
A: My mom. She totally counts.

Q: Last person who called you?
A: My mom.

Q: Last person you hugged?
A: My hubby. Well, actually, Gidget, but human - Dan.

Q: Last person to stick their foot in your face?
A: Nibby - he was pawing at my face for attention earlier when I was laying on the floor post ironing.

FAVORITOLOGY
Q: Number?
A: 7

Q: Season?
A: Summer, baby.

CURRENTOLOGY
Q: Missing someone?
A: Uhm, I'm good actually.

Q: Mood?
A: Little headache and somewhat tired (very busy day) but satisfied.

Q: Listening to?
A: HOCKEY, BABY! GO DUCKS! Stars at Ducks - currently 0-0.

Q: Watching?
A: Aforementioned hockey game, but really just out of the corner of my eye.

Q: Worrying about?
A: Dang it, the goal the Stars just got. Sigh. Other than that, probably just the need to adjust my schedule when I start my job - how much I'll still be able to do at home. But not too worried. Just contemplating.

RANDOMOLOGY
Q: First place you went this morning?
A: Well, I didn't leave the house except to take the garbage out, so the curb. Inside the house, though, first thing I did was go to the kitchen to make tea.

Q: What can you not wait to do?
A: Start my new job - I'm actually really excited!

Q: What's the last movie you saw in theater?
A: Uhm, I think Harry Potter 4. Yes, 4. Though I think I might have seen something in Graham with my mom but can't think of what.

Q: Do you smile often?
A: Dunno. I'm a bit goofy so probably.

Q: Are you a friendly person?
A: I think so. Sometimes I'm standoffish because I'm shy so maybe I don't always come across as friendly.

If you'd like to give this meme a try, let me know-- I'd love to come read your answers!

And because I really like posting pictures with my blog:

Wake Up Kitty

For the cat lovers:

Habby Nuw Yeah

Who knew you could type with a cold. *sigh* I'm sick. I have a cold. And I think it is currently trying to turn into either a sinus infection or bronchitis. Or both. I blame St. Louis. Because it was cold there. *sigh*

Spent New Year's at my parents where we had our Christmas. That was fun. It was good to see them. My aunt Grace was there, too. It was a good, relaxing family time. We even took family Christmas pictures.

Dad, Mom, Gracie, Me and Dan

And now, on to something completely random... With all the St. Louis hockey I've been seeing, I just had to comment on this. The Blues goalie's mask. Toivonnen's mask has ears painted on.

Check out the EARS. Freaky.

Every time I mention how those painted on ears freak me out, Dan has to comment on the fact that it is modeled after the mask that a very well known Blues goalie used to wear and so those ears are that famous goalie's ears. But still. Freaks me out.

And now for something fun, not freaky, to end this babbling, cold medicine-induced post:

Attack Moneky

My mom sent me this. My mom rocks.

And oh yeah, happy 2008!

I Have Returned!

YAY! I have returned from the arctic north (though Dan still insists it is call the mid-west... whatever, it is so totally the arctic north) and no frostbite to be found. Of course, it is still winter in Texas, but our lows are St. Louis' highs.

So, let's see what all I have to share:

December 24, cont.
After opening presents (Dan got a whopping 15lbs of gummy worms - he's thrilled and would have liked to have gotten even more, the nut), we finished up Christmas Eve by going to the Zimmermann's church for not quite Midnight Mass (since it started at 11:00pm and the church is Episcopal). The choir, including mother- and father-in-law, sang some lovely songs. It was very neat. Though I do think that our church's Jesus cookie tastes better. And yes, I realize calling a communion wafer a Jesus cookie is not church-sanctioned. But that's what it is in my little world.

December 25
Yeah, so after five years of marriage, Dan never thought to tell me of the Zimmermann tradition of all the women-folk getting aprons and taking a group picture for Christmas. Now, it's an odd tradition, but Dan's aunt makes the aprons and she is an awesome quilter, so that's pretty nifty.

Group Apron Shot

Still, you would think Dan would mention something about it. Sigh. I guess it is because he isn't the one that gets to wear the pretty apron.

Anyway, we spent Christmas day with the extended Zimmermann horde, had some good food and a fun white elephant gift exchange. Quite a change from my regular Christmas experience which is just immediate family. It was also the first time in 11 years that I hadn't been with my parents for Christmas so I missed my mommy. But we are going to do Christmas in Graham New Year's Eve, so I get to see them then.

December 26
Okay, today was a busy day. We went to the City Museum and a Blues hockey game. The City Museum is... insane. There is no other way to describe it. It's not so much a museum as an urban playground with stairways, underground and overhead tunnels, hidden pathways, and just a whole bunch of weird stuff - including the World's Largest Pair of Underpants!

Tunnels!


Isn't My Hubby Cute?


Underpants! And Sister-In-Law!


Yeah, it was a weird place. I wanna know if they really need this warning.

There was also an aquarium and there was a box fish there that was totally flirting with me.

It's hard to focus when the subject is less than one inch from the camera

Anyway, after the City Museum, we went to the Blues game against Detroit. OMG. Total blow-out. The Blues lost 5-0. Ouch. I'm pretty sure the Blues were still on Christmas vacation. But, total bonus, I got to boo the home team along with all the other fans! Woo hoo! Dan even said they deserved it. And, double bonus - I got to camera-stalk former Duck center, Andy McDonald. Go Andy Mac!

Dan and Me at the Game (and I'm wearing my nifty Western Conference Champs hat from SIL - way cute, no?)


This fight was pretty much the most positive excitement the game generated - the Blues player won.


Andy Mac!

December 27
Well, we came home the 27th. It was about an 11 hour drive and there was a lot of fog, but it was really good to get home. The kitties missed us greatly. Of course, before we left on our road trip, I had to get one last kitty cuddle from my favorite furry sister.

Me and Simone (yeah, I look crumby, but it was early!)

Merry Christmas and Stuff

Well, I have been out of pocket for a little bit. Travel is a grand thing, no? Don't know when I'll get to post this (composing in Notepad, don't cha know) so I'll just compile and post when able.

December 22
First and foremost, something I should have posted before when I still had my home network available and didn't have to depend on "the kindness of strangers":
I have officially been terminated from my job. I guess I should explain. Since it was up in the air, I haven't really posted anything about it. But on October 2, I was told that I had to go back on leave - no choice - since I still wasn't 100% from after my surgery (I wasn't able to walk the miles required by a portion of my job duties). So, long story short, I went out on leave, spent almost two months on short-term disability healing, then when I was ready to go back, was told that there was no job available for me since my job had already been filled (by the temp that I had been working with - I knew that would happen since my job was no longer protected due to the total amount of time on leave I had already used this year). Anyway, things hung out at that point - neither employed nor jobless, until I spoke to someone on Wednesday that let me know that paperwork would be put in to terminate me.

So now I am jobless officially now. I'm not too upset about it and neither is Dan. He's been looking forward to rolling over my 401k for ages now. Silly boy. But now I need to see if there is any chance of getting unemployment. Hmm. Get some of my tax dollars back.

In other fun news, I was complaining to Dan about not having any Ducks stuff with the new logo. Well, Super Mother-in-Law comes through! Faster than a speeding bullet (though maybe just with a charge card (: )! Anyway, now I have a way cute Duck's t-shirt and Duck's sleep pants. Oh, and an obnoxious orange practice jersey that is surprisingly and way cute. Now if only Dan would get me Giguere for Christmas... I promise to feed him and walk him and brush him and water him every day! Anyway, Dan also got some nifty Blues goodies, but honestly, it's the Blues so who cares? (:

. . . . .

Randomly, I've been getting random headaches lately and can't figure out why. Sigh. So far it seems that Splenda and tater tots in almost any form do it. Odd, yes? I'm sure there is something (like a preservative or something) that is doing it. Can't figure out what yet.

Also, St. Louis is cold. There is still snow on the ground in some places, particularly parking lots where it had been shoveled into a pile that was so large, the recent rains haven't been able to melt it. I have no idea how on earth I survived four years in Iowa, spending whole winters there (well, aside a short break to go home for Christmas). Of course, during those four years, I had to deal with lots of seasonal depression. Man, and now I remember why. Not only is it cold here, but it gets dark at like 4:30pm. And even when it isn't dark, it has been so overcast and not bright. Makes me cold and grumpy just thinking about it.

But, bonus for being in the arctic north in the dead of winter - I get to play with my in-laws kitties. Dan's parents have Simone and Max. Max is kind of a Princess-like kitty (evil to all save those he loves) so he's not so great with the cuddles, but Simone is a doll. She makes me think of Gidgie. She's got a bi-colored nose and a nice square muzzle. She's also colored kind of like the negative version of Gidgie. And did I mention that she's a total doll. She's so sweet, soft and cuddly. She doesn't cuddle up like the Gidgie does, but she'll let me pick her up and hug her and I just adore loving on her. And then my sister-in-law has Duncan and Molly, both of who are sweet and adorable. Dunkie is a chunkmiester and Molly is a fuffy little girl. Sigh. They make me miss my babies.

December 23
I don't operate well in the cold. I think my body is trying to hibernate. 27 degrees this morning. Brr. Not cool. Well, actually, yes, very very very cool.

. . . . .

Dan went to a hockey game tonight with his dad. I stayed home to hibernate. Seriously. We've got another game on the 26th which I am going to, regardless of hibernation need. So tonight, I will nap, cuddle kitties, play on the computer, nap, and nap some more.

. . . . .

December 24
Not much to say other than MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Or, as my uncle's email stated it:

To All My Democrat Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To My Republican Friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Shoes!!!

My hubby spoils me. We went to DSW to get him a new pair of tennis shoes (got him a cute pair of Asics to replace his oh so very old New Balance - I think he got the New Balance when we were dating). Anyway, Dan bullied me into getting three, yes three pair of shoes! Of course, he really didn't have to twist my arm very hard. I love shoes, after all. And my casual shoes were needing to be replaced. And somehow all three pairs ended up being Pumas. Hmm.

Two pair are Puma Replicats. One of them is exactly like this pair:

Tan and Pink!

The other pair of Replicats is a chocolate brown with teal accents. Way cute.

The third pair is more sneaker-like. Black with silver accents and also way cute. Dunno why it is so hard to find them online. Sigh. But I'm still very excited about them.

Shoes make me happy!

I'm Obsessed

Okay, I have become obsessed with teas. And what do I do when I become obsessed with something? As we learned with the chocolate covered honeycomb post, I Google! So what did I do but Google teas! And now I'm going to pass some of that internet learning onto you, my loyal(?) reader - yes, all three of you!

First, types of tea:

All tea comes from the "Camellia sinensis", an evergreen shrub that may grow up to 60 feet in the wild... There are over 3000 varieties of tea each with its own specific characteristics. The naming and growing of teas has many similarities to wine... Like wine, tea comes from one bush, and where the tea is grown, the climate, soil conditions, and how the tea is processed, determines the flavor characteristics of the tea.

Tea is harvested after each flush - the sprouting of the top two leaves and bud. The top two leaves and bud are hand plucked and then processed into any of the four types of tea, which are Black, Green, Oolong, and White.

Black tea is withered, fully oxidized and dried. Black tea yields a hearty, amber-colored brew...
Green tea skips the oxidizing step. It is simply withered and then dried. It has a more delicate taste and is pale green / golden in color...
Oolong tea..., is withered, partially oxidized, and dried. Oolong is a cross between black and green tea in color and taste.
White tea is the least processed. A very rare tea from China, White tea is not oxidized or rolled, but simply withered and dried by steaming.
-from Stash Teas

Okay, maybe I'm just a dork (well, that's a given, isn't it?) but I had no idea all teas came from the same plant. I guess I never thought about it. So it really seems that the main difference between teas is the oxidization step. Which means I had to figure out what exactly that was:

Tea leaves become oxidized when they are spread out in a cool area and left to absorb oxygen. The longer the leaves are left to wither, the more oxygen they absorb and the darker their color becomes. Hence, black tea is fully oxidized.
-from planet tea

That article goes on to talk about rolling tea and the quality of leaves, etc. Full leaves, obviously, are better than the "tea dust" that tends to make up bagged tea.

It also says that oxidizing the tea is the same as fermentation. This may be a stupid question (I'm good at those), but if black tea is more "fermented" than white tea, why don't you get a buzz or something off it? I mean, I'm pretty sure tea has no alcohol content, yes?

Anyway, I have also learned that herbal teas aren't really. They are herbal infusions that are "packaged like tea, infused like tea, and enjoyed like tea, however the herbs do not come from the camellia sinensis bush and therefore are not teas. Herbal infusions are made of grasses like lemongrass, barks like cinnamon, fruits like orange peel, flowers like chamomile and hibiscus, and many other botanicals." (from Stash Teas)

Now, I have fallen in love with white teas since our last trip to Japan where I had some iced white jasmine tea. Since then, I've been trying a lot of white teas and just love them. Which made this bit (also from from Stash Teas) rather interesting:

White tea is a very rare, expensive connoisseurs tea that is mainly produced in China in Fukien (Fujian) Province. Once harvested, white tea is not oxidized or rolled, but simply withered and dried by steaming. White tea requires an experienced palate already initiated into the exquisite, subtle flavors of green and oolong teas. Its name, a literal translation from the Chinese, probably comes from the very pale color of its liquor. This tea has a very mellow taste and a hint of sweetness.

The weird thing is, I don't really like many green teas because I can't find the one with the right taste. None of them taste like what is served in Japan. Don't know why and it drives me nuts.

I also really enjoy Darjeeling tea (one of the few black teas I really enjoy). "[Darjeeling tea r]efers to tea grown in this mountain area of India. The mountain altitude and gentle misting rains of the region, produce a unique full bodied but light flavor with a subtly lingering aroma reminiscent of Muscatel."

So seems like I like "subtle, "mellow" and "delicate" teas.

I gotta tell ya, I'm thisclose to ordering all the samplers of white and green teas that Stash Teas has to offer. Seriously. I also have the urge to start browsing for loose teas. Though I have nothing to steep them in... I have the lid of the little steeper basket (or whatever it is called) but not the actual basket. Don't think that will help me much.

I also found a book I want: The Tea Companion. Yeah, obsessed.

Anyway, there is my little obsession for today. Can't promise you that I'm done with this topic, but I'm done for today at least.

Look! No Posts Today!

Oh, wait....



(Sorry, couldn't resist)

Now THIS has redeeming social value!

Because this is funny, and funny = social value.

I just love this. *snort*

Is This Thing On?

Yeah, so even though I get 25+ hits a week, I don't think anyone is actually reading this. So that makes me feel less silly for posting all the scrapbooking stuff. So if someone is actually reading this, comment and I might actually post content instead of pretty scrapbook layouts.

Okay, I'll probably post content AND pretty scrapbook layouts.

Baptism

The text is Mat 3:16-17, REB version.

And since no one is reading, cute pictures of mini-Dan.

Little Dan

Leah (Dan's sister) & Dan with a neighborhood kitty

*giggle*

Dan and I see this commercial all the time while watching Ducks games on NHL Center Ice. It makes me laugh every time.

2008 Election

Okay, I haven't blogged too recently, though there are lots of things going on. I'll post soon and share about what happened last weekend, which include some wild cow milking and also let folks know about being made to go out on leave.

Until then, occupy yourself with the below link and see who you should vote for in the 08 election. Then share your results by posting in the comments. Please? You know you want to. Find Your Candidate for the 2008 Election

I had a 95.45% match with Colorado Rep Tom Tancredo. I've heard of him, but that's it.

Your turn!

Study of Electrodes

Recently, I have learned way too much about the little electrodes they stick on you to monitor your heart. Just since Monday I've got to experience 3 different ones. I have so much residual sticky from them, I'm starting to feel like the human post-it note.

What I have learned is that the ones from the ER that they put on your hips are the most difficult to take off. Lots of residual sticky and dude, taking them off HURTS. The ones they put on you in the ambulance are by far the best. Soft and very easy to come off with almost no residual sticky. The stress test ones are right in the middle - somewhat painful to take off and a decent amount of residual sticky.

From left to right: Electrodes from the stress test, ambulance and ER

I've also noticed a bothersome trend with electrodes lately. They keep increasing. The first heart monitor I had (horrible residual sticky) was made up of only 2 electrodes. The 24-hour monitor I had (decent residual sticky but oh so ouch to take off) had 4 electrodes. The stress test had 10 electrodes. The ambulance had only 6 but once those were combined with what the ER put on me, I had a total of 12. With that pattern, if this problem keeps on, one day I will just be covered from head to toe with electrodes.

And let's not even discuss the insane amounts of residual sticky from the little foam tapes they used to take the IV line to my arm.

Oh yeah, I went to the emergency room yesterday. I'm guessing you caught that? Yeah, had a little (okay, big) thing at work and got the ambulance called. I just LOVE embarrassing myself at work like that. Anyway, I took today off to try to hunt down some doctors and follow up but so far I'm not having any luck. My GP doc is out sick and the cardiologist's office isn't open yet.

But on a funner note, while spending 6 hours in the ER yesterday, Dan took a picture of me eating a boiled egg.

Eating a Boiled Egg in the ER

It was a good boiled egg.

Post About Nothing

You Should Drive a DeLorean

You don't take yourself too seriously, and you prefer a fun, unusual car... like this Back to the Future gem!

What Sports Car Should You Drive?

*snort* Yeah, I'll get right on buying one. Hehe!

You Are 50% Normal

While some of your behavior is quite normal... Other things you do are downright strange You've got a little of your freak going on But you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself

How Normal Are You?

You Are a Night Person

For you, there's nothing worse than having to get up and moving early. In fact, you probably don't hit your peak until well after the sun has set. So if your struggling to make it on a normal schedule, realize it's not your fault. You just weren't meant to do anything during the day!

Are You a Morning Person or Night Person?

Yep, not a surprise there!

What Amanda Means

A is for Almond M is for Monkey Butt A is for Adorable N is for Num Nums D is for Ducky A is for Adorable

What's Your Pet Name?

I had to put this one on since it says Monkey Butt. Hehe! Amanda "Monkey Butt" Zimmermann!

And on that note, I'm done. This is Monkey Butt Zimmermann, signing off!

Scattegories

Use the 1st letter of your name (real name or screen name) to answer each of the following. They MUST be real places, names, things -- NOTHING made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Your Name: Amanda (or Auggy or some variation on other sites)

Famous Music Artist/Group: AC/DC

3 letter word: Uhm, it's a bad word. Do you really want me to type it? You know, that thing you sit on. I know there's got to be something else, but that's what my mind keeps going to... Oh, wait! Age, arc, art, are, ace, act!!! There are a ton of them. Whew! I just had to get my mind back in G-rated vocabulary. Shame on me.

Color: Amethyst (that's a color, right?)

Gifts/Presents: Amethyst. Hehe. Okay, is using it twice cheating? Yes? Okay.... Uhm. Alpaca? Not a good gift? I'd like one, so I'm using it.

Vehicle: Acura

TV Show: Alias

Boy Name: Andre

Girl Name: Ashley

Alcoholic Drink: Apple Martini

Occupation: Astronaut

Flower: Azalea

Animal: Armadillo

Celebrity: Ansel Adams - he's a celebrity, right?

Food: Apple

Something found in a kitchen: Almonds (hey, they are in my kitchen!)

Reason for Being Late: Accident

Something You Shout: AUGH!

Randomness Abounds

Kitty Terms
Ailurophile - A person who likes cats
I am a definite ailurophile.
Anurous - A term used to describe a tail-less cat
Happy is an anurous.
Clowder - A group of cats; also known as a clutter
Dan and I have a clowder of cats.
Flehmen Reaction - The look a cat has when it savors an unusual or evocative scent - the head is raised and the mouth is held slightly open
Chloe loves showing off her cute little "Flehmen reaction" face after smelling another kitty's butt.
Kindle - A group of kittens
Gidget's kindle always sounded like they were rolling bowling balls in the tub when they would play in there. So of course they did it at 3am.

To People Who Visit & Like to Complain About My Pets
1. They live here. You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, it's is an adopted child who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

Why Pets Are Better Than Kids
1. They eat less
2. They don't ask for money all the time
3. They are easier to train
4. They usually come when called
5. They never drive your car
6. They don't hang out with drug-using friends
7. They don't smoke or drink
8. They don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions
9. They don't wear your clothes (though Nibby does try)
10. They don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and
11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children

Dear Pets
To My Pets,
The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate of food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years --canine or feline attendance is not mandatory.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!

Love,
Your human

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

An Irish priest is driving down to New York and gets stopped for speeding in Connecticut . The state trooper smells alcohol on the priest's breath and then sees an empty wine bottle on the floor of the car.

He says, "Sir, have you been drinking?"

"Just water," says the priest.

The trooper says, "Then why do I smell wine?"

The priest looks at the bottle and says, "Good Lord! He's done it again!"

Boys and Girls - or Why My Husband Rocks

Dan had his review yesterday. The general consensus was the boy done good. He got a nice little bonus and a nice not-so-little raise. 11%! Holy smoking monkeys, Batman! Go Dan!

Exactly what I said - holy smoking monkeys.
Well, I actually don't think it is holy and it is just a monkey. But still.

In less exciting news, my annual review was last week and I got a bonus and a raise, too. Dan's bonus was a bit better and his raise was way better - I only got a 3.65% raise. But hey, money's money, right? All that means is that we are that much closer to paying off the car.

Speaking of paying off the car, we've got like 52 months left on the loan but we are so going to pay that puppy off this year. Amazing how quickly the principle goes down when you are paying five times your monthly payment. Go Dave Ramsey. You are my hero.

Anyway, back to topic (sort of). You wanna know what's with my post title, right? Well, Dan got a raise and the first song on my playlist today was Good Charlotte's "Boys and Girls" which I thought was timely in a funny way.
___

"Boys and Girls" by Good Charlotte
Educated With Money
He's well dressed, not funny
And not much to say in most conversations
But he'll foot the bill in all situations
'Cause he pays for everything

Chorus:
Girls don't like boys
Girls like cars and money
Boys will laugh at girls when they're not funny

Paper or plastic
Don't matter, she'll have it
Vacations and shopping sprees
These are a few of her favorite things
She'll get what she wants if she is willing to plead .
His type of girl always comes with a fee,
Hey now there's nothing for free

(chorus)

And these girls like these boys, like these boys like these girls
The girls with the bodies like boys with Ferraris

(chorus)

And these girls like these boys, like these boys like these girls The girls with the bodies like boys with Ferraris

(chorus)
_____

Hey! I never said it was a classic song or anything. Just that it was ironically timely.

(And no, for the record, I am so not with Dan for his money. Because he has no money. Marriage law #3: What's yours is mine, what's mine is mine. Just kidding! Well, sort of. Hehe.)

Now, briefly back to the important topic of smoking monkey. Can I just say that this is so wrong:

This? This is just oh so very, very wrong

My Soundtrack, Take 2

So I decided to redo this now that I have my playlist down from 1200 songs to just under 400 of the "good" ones. This could definitely be more embarrassing.

If my life were a movie, what would the soundtrack be?

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle, for every question, type the song that's playing
3. Press play
4. When you go to a new question, press the next button
5. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool...


Opening Credits: How To Save A Life by The Fray Kind of slow and depressing as far as credits go - at least since I'm not a paramedic

Waking Up: Stars by Switchfoot I'm good waking up to this song.

First Day At School: So Jealous by Tegan and Sarah Hmm. Sounds like I'm having some drama at school.

Falling In Love: Beer For My Horses by Toby Keith Ooh, I falling in love with a classy guy. Or else a horse.

Fight Song: Gravity/Falling Down Again by Alejandro Escovedo This seems more like a wandering-around-the-city-post-fight song. Well, the first part at least. The whole laughing children later in the track not so much. I mope-wander past a park?

Breaking Up: Pretty Fly for a White Guy Who on earth was I dating? The cowboy guy from "Falling In Love"? Was he a total tool? Thinking about this makes my head hurt.

Prom: Twisting by They Might Be Giants Actually, I have been to a dance (though not prom) where TMBG music was featured. Yep, total nerd.

Life is good: Luv Me, Luv Me by Shaggy Life is good = gettin' some love?

Mental Breakdown: Tap That by Megan McCauley Oh. Dear. Lord. I just... It's so... *hangs head in shame*

Driving: Don't Cha by the Pussycat Dolls Uhm, okay?

Flashback: No Diggity by Blackstreet Apparently I am flashing back to the late 90's. Of course, I wasn't cool in the 90's either.

Getting Back Together: What If I Stumble by dcTalk Apparently I am getting back together with Jesus. Or else I'm totally getting set up for screwing up and getting dumped.

Wedding: Never Been To Spain by Three Dog Night I'm guessing that this is my first marriage - at least that's the only way I can make this song fit even remotely. (By the way, does anyone else think the lines "I've never been to Heaven / But I've been to Oklahoma" speak more towards "I've never been to Heaven / but I've been to Hell" instead of calling Oklahoma Heaven-like?)

Birth of Child: Oye Como Va by Santana Well, I guess considering my wedding music, this is appropriate. Huh?

Final Battle: Can't Get Enough of You Baby by Smashmouth What on earth am I fighting? I'm thinking giant gummy worms but I have no musical support for that statement other than this is just a cracked out final battle song. Way too cheerful. So the battle must happen in a cracked out reality where giant gummy worms could devour me. And no, I have not had caffeine or sugar today. I'm thinking bananas give a bit of a high, though. Seriously.

Death Scene: Canadian Idiot by Weird Al Yankovic Uhm? I'm really happy to be an American as I die? The gummy worms are Canadian hockey players?

Funeral Song: Something To Talk About by Bonnie Raitt Maybe my husband is cozying up to someone at my funeral? Because no one should be cozying up to me. Corpse, you know. But apparently people will be talkin' 'bout love at my funeral. The squick factor could be high in this scene.

End Credits: Joy by B'z I might have problems with this song as the end credits if I knew what they were saying but since I don't, I'm good.

And now everyone know how totally uncool my playlist is and thus I am.

Booooo to you, Veronica Mars! Booooo!

(Don't read this non-specific Veronica Mars rant if you haven't seen Episode 14 - Mars, Bars).

Booooo Veronica Mars! Boooo Rob Thomas! Booooo! Booooooo!

I'm seriously not happy with my so-called "favorite" tv show. What are they doing to my show??? Why are they doing this to my show?

Booo! I say BOOOOOOOO!

Who will be around to snark with Veronica now? Dick??? And there is no one nearly as pretty as Michael Muhney on that show. I mean, come on! Look at him!

So purty

I am so disappointed. Michael Muhney was just signed as a series regular for this season. And now this. BOO! BOOOOOO! I'm so unhappy.

I am so going to miss my Lamb.

Lovely Lamb

Because the idea tickled me...

There is zero point to this but it struck me as fun/silly and I'm hyped up on Nutella (apparently I had enough that the caffeine in the chocolate has made me obnoxious. WOOO!)

If my life were a movie, what would the soundtrack be?

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle, for every question, type the song that's playing
3. Press play
4. When you go to a new question, press the next button
5. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool...


Opening Credits: Slide by Goo Goo Dolls

Waking Up: Friend II by Ayumi Hamsaki (please don't ever make me wake up to this song. I think my head would explode).

First Day At School: It Wasn't Me by Shaggy (not sure what I think about that one!)

Falling In Love: Letterbomb by Green Day

Fight Song: Rock on by David Essex (what kind of fights am I getting in??)

Breaking Up: Songs about Texas by Pat Green (break up = country music?)

Prom: Awesome God by dc Talk (hmmmmmm. I'm trying to picture the prom that would go with that and all I can think of is this play I saw in high school where the guy playing Christ wore a Superman shirt. Anyway....)

Life is good: Rock 'n' Roll High School by the Ramones (my life turns into a Grease wannabe?)

Mental Breakdown: Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day

Driving: All The Things I Wanted by the Clarks (angry driving? Groundhog's Day anyone? "Don't drive angrgy!")

Flashback: La La La Love Song by Kubota Toshinobu

Getting Back Together: Start Me Up by the Rolling Stones

Wedding: Brass Monkey by the Beastie Boys (Oh my dear goodness. What kind of wedding did I have?)

Birth of Child: Who Needs Sleep by Barenaked Ladies (ah, how appropriate!)

Final Battle: That's the Beat of a Heart by Warren Brothers (Me: "What am I battling? Cancer?!?!" Dan: "I don't know but you're probably losing").

Death Scene: Rock'n Roll by The Brilliant Green (wow, cool death scene! I think it would somehow involve seeing my soul leave my body or something because it is too fun for anything else. Or else I'd die at a concert.)

Funeral Song: California by Hawk Nelson (I'm buried in California? Yeah, no clue).

End Credits: My Hump by Black Eyed Peas (Honestly, I'm surprised this is the only really embarrassing song to come up during this. Thank goodness Da Dip by Freak Nasty wasn't my wedding song or something).

You need to know this....

Okay, first off, I have delayed posting about Dan's surgery from last Friday because I have no pictures. I am disappointed that I forgot my camera and thus missed out on the classic picture of Dan's feet pre-op. His right foot had "No" written on it and his left had "Yes". It was really funny to see, but on paper, not so much. *Sigh*

The docs removed the bone spur and cut out the ganglion thing, which actually turns out not to be a ganglion but rather gout. They sent it to a lab to check so we'll know soon (I guess). And yes, I laughed when the doctor told me. I mean, come on! It's GOUT, people! It's still funny!

The Gout

Anyway, Dan is doing good. His toe is all wrapped up and he's wearing a little boot thing which looks really uncomfortable but better than closed-toed shoes. He's got a check up on Monday so maybe the boot can come off (though maybe not). Until then, his new name is Gimpy. He even answers to it.

But now on to the important stuff - something to make you smile. And before you ask, yes, I am a dork and that is why I'm posting these (number 7 and 8 are my favs).

Now on to the funnies:

1. How Do You Catch a Unique Rabbit?
Unique Up On It.

2. How Do You Catch a Tame Rabbit?
Tame Way.

3. How Do Crazy People Go Through The Forest ?
They Take The Psycho Path

4. How Do You Get Holy Water?
You Boil The Hell Out Of It

5. What Do Fish Say When They Hit a Concrete Wall?
Dam!

6. What Do Eskimos Get From Sitting On The Ice too Long?
Polaroid's

7. What Do You Call a Boomerang That Doesn't Work?
A Stick

8. What Do You Call Cheese That Isn't Yours?
Nacho Cheese.

9. What Do You Call Santa's Helpers?
Subordinate Clauses.

10. What Do You Call Four Bullfighters In Quicksand?
Quattro Sinko.

11. What Do You Get From a Pampered Cow?
Spoiled Milk.

12. What Do You Get When You Cross a Snowman With a Vampire?
Frostbite.

13. What Lies At The Bottom Of The Ocean And Twitches?
A Nervous Wreck.

14. What's The Difference Between Roast Beef And Pea Soup?
Anyone Can Roast Beef.

15. Where Do You Find a Dog With No Legs?
Right Where You Left Him.

16. Why Do Gorillas Have Big Nostrils?
Because They Have Big Fingers

17. Why Don't Blind People Like To Sky Dive?
Because It Scares The Dog

18. What Kind of Coffee Was Served On The Titanic?
Sanka

20. Why Did Pilgrims' Pants Always Fall Down?
Because They Wore Their Belt Buckle On Their Hat

21. What's The Difference Between a Bad Golfer And a Bad Skydiver?
A Bad Golfer Goes, Whack, Dang!
A Bad Skydiver Goes Dang! Whack

22. How Are a Texas Tornado And a Tennessee Divorce The Same?
Somebody's Gonna Lose A Trailer

And just so you can't say I never taught you anything, did you know that there are more chickens than people in the world?

Yep, now you know.

Updates - on another site

Okay, it took me a year and a half, but I actually did some updates on the Crook Family Webpage. I've still got a lot of blanks to fill in, but hey, at least it is progress.

Crook Family Website

Are You Disturbed?

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed to close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst for the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope and love.

- Sir Francis Drake, 1577

Dan Needs His Own Blog

Then he could brag to everyone about how he finally beat Minesweeper on it's most difficult setting.

Dan finally defeats the little smiley face

Hey Dan, check out Blogger and get your own blog -and maybe your webpage will be updated more than every 2 years!

Cuttlefish Education

Cuttlefish Cuteness

Hello boys and girls. Today we are going to learn more about the cute and adorable cuddle-fish. No wait, that's cuttlefish.

Cuttlefish are marine animals of the order Sepiida belonging to the Cephalopoda class (which also include squids, octopuses and nautilus). Although the name suggests it, cuttlefish are not fish, but molluscs.

Cuttlefish have an internal shell, large eyes, and eight arms and two tentacles furnished with denticulated suckers, by means of which they secure their prey.
(From Wikipedia's Cuttlefish page)

Okay, my question was: what is the difference between the arms and the tentacles? Well, apparently when a cuttlefish is close enough to his prey, "it opens apart its eight arms and out shoots two deceptively long feeding tentacle. On the end of each is a pad covered in suckers that grasp hold of the prey and quickly pull it close to the cuttlefish's mouth that looks like a parrot's beak." (From Tonmo.com)

A tame cuttlefish taking food with its tentacles

Also, "the cuttlefish quite often assumes a stance in which it holds two of its arms up above its head" when it is going after prey. (from Birch Aquarium) Now that sounds pretty funky, huh?

[Cuddlefish] are also known for the amazing chromatophores, leucophores and iridophores that change the color of their skin. At any time, half of their body may be one pattern, while the other is completely different pattern. The patterns aren’t necessarily static either, they move, like animation on a TV screen; one pattern is referred to as ‘passing clouds’ because it seems to mimic the shadows of clouds passing overhead – although the pattern is also thought to mesmerize prey. (from Tonmo.com)

In my researching of cuttlefish, I've learned that there are lots of different types, some of which grow to be measured in feet! Yikes! My cuttlefish of choice, however, is the Sepia pharaonis, also known as the Pharaoh cuttlefish. They are found from the Red Sea to Japan and also Australia - so basically I like the Japanese cuttlefish.

Pharaoh cuttlefish

So there is your educational segment for today, boys and girls. I'm sure we will be learning more about the adorable cuttlefish in the future, as well. Especially now that I've found Tonmo.com - the online OctopusNews Magazine.

Hug a Sea Creature

The Zimmermanns are visiting from St. Louis this week and we all went to the Dallas World Aquarium today. Oh my goodness - so cool!

The aquarium had a lot of neat animals - not just fish and fish related ones. After all, when is the last time you saw a monkey in a fish tank?

Emperor Tamarin

Okay, you probably have seen some frogs in fish tanks, but the DWA had some neat colorful (read: poisonous) ones.

A poisonous froggie

But don't get the idea that there weren't any fish-like things at the aquarium. There were a good number of them!

Dan insists he did not tell me this fish was called a Chocolate Chiclet, but that's what I heard, so that's what it is to me.


The only kind of jellyfish I like - one that is behind glass


This scorpion fish kept posing for me - he couldn't decide which side was his best so he kept offering me both


These seadragons were probably the most amazing creatures I had ever seen - simply awe-inspiring

But none of these beauties compare to the one animal that I fell totally in love with while at the aquarium. (Of course, I do feel immensely guilty for having eaten one of its young cousins (pickled, even... it wasn't very good) a decade ago.) But the little guys didn't seem to mind that I had eaten their kin. There was even one that kept flirting with me each time I went to the tank. The cutest little sea animal I have ever had the pleasure of meeting:

The Cuttlefish


Showing off for the camera


How can you not love that little tentacled face?

Aren't they just the cutest things? I so want one. But Dan says "no". He's so mean. No chihuahua, no fish, no manatee, no ducks, no chickens, no cuttlefish... You'd think the man had to live with 8 cats or something.

But I digress. Cuttlefish are now officially the cutest aquatic animals ever. So go to your nearest aquarium and hug some sea creatures.

Or cuttlefish. Your choice.

Bored

This is what happens when I get bored at work:

You Are a Glazed Donut

Okay, you know that you're plain - and you're cool with that. You prefer not to let anything distract from your sweetness. Your appeal is understated yet universal. Everyone dig you. And in a pinch, you'll probably get eaten.

What Donut Are You?

You Should Rule Mercury

Close to sun, Mercury has very long days - and is rarely visible to the rest of the solar system. You are perfect to rule Mercury, because you live for the present - and can truly enjoy a day that goes on forever. Like Mercury, you are quick and elusive. Your wit is outstanding, and you can win any verbal sparring match. Some people see you as superficial, but in truth, you just play many roles and have many interests. A great manipulator, you usually get what you want from people. And they're happy to give it to you.

What Planet Should You Rule?

You Communicate With Your Ears

You love conversations, both as a listener and a talker. What people say is important to you, and you're often most affected by words, not actions. You love to hear complements from others. And when you're upset, you often talk to yourself. Music is very important to you. It's difficult to find you without your iPod.

How Do You Communicate?

You Are: 30% Dog, 70% Cat

You and cats have a lot in common. You're both smart and in charge - with a good amount of attitude. However, you do have a very playful side that occasionally comes out!

Are You More Cat or Dog?

You Are a Kinetic Learner

You learn best by doing, and you have a talent for complicated, physical tasks. You excel at athletics, drama, and fixing things. You would be an excellent Olympic athlete - or a Broadway star!

What's Your Learning Style?

You Are 30 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Caffe Vanilla Frappuccino

Smooth and sweet, you fit in to almost any crowd. No one would suspect you of being a coffee tweaker!

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?

You Are 1: The Reformer

You're a responsible person - with a clear sense of right and wrong. High standards are important to you, and you do everything to meet them. You are your own worst critic, feeling ashamed if you're not perfect. You have the highest integrity, and people expect you to be fair.

What Number Are You?

You Have Low Self Esteem 32% of the Time

Generally, you feel pretty darn great about who you are, even when you mess up or fail. Occasionally, a huge setback will make you question yourself, but you pick yourself up quickly.

How is Your Self Esteem?

Killing time

Your Linguistic Profile:

55% General American English

25% Dixie

5% Midwestern

5% Upper Midwestern

5% Yankee

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 90% Conservative, 10% Liberal

Social Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

Ethics: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

Veggie Pizza

Upscale and trendy. You're the most likely to go for a gourmet pizza. You have impeccable taste in everything. You truly enjoy the finer things in life.

What's Your Pizza Personality?

Your Aura is Blue

Spiritual and calm, you tend to live a quiet but enriching life. You are very giving of yourself. And it's hard for you to let go of relationships. The purpose of your life: showing love to other people Famous blues include: Angelina Jolie, the Dali Lama, Oprah Careers for you to try: Psychic, Peace Corps Volunteer, Counselor

What Color Is Your Aura?

Your Hawaiian Name is:

Kaili Okelani

What's your Hawaiian Name?

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have medium extroversion. You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party. Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences. But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time." Conscientiousness: You have medium conscientiousness. You're generally good at balancing work and play. When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done. But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it. Agreeableness: You have medium agreeableness. You're generally a friendly and trusting person. But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism. You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. Neuroticism: You have high neuroticism. It's easy for you to feel shaken, worried, or depressed. You often worry, and your worries prevent you from living life fully. You tend to be emotionally reactive and moody. Your either flying very high or feeling very low. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is medium. You are generally broad minded when it come to new things. But if something crosses a moral line, there's no way you'll approve of it. You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue.

The Five Factor Personality Test

Your Emoticon Is Smiling

Right now, you're feeling cheerful and content - without a care in the world.

What Emoticon Best Represents You Right Now?

Your Eyes Should Be Brown

Your eyes reflect: Depth and wisdom What's hidden behind your eyes: A tender heart

What Color Should Your Eyes Be?

You Are Japanese Food

Strange yet delicious. Contrary to popular belief, you're not always eaten raw.

What Kind of Food Are You?

You Are Periwinkle

You're very intuitive and sensitive. You often know other people better than they know themselves. You're also quite optimistic, and you think well of yourself and others. You know your dreams will come true.

What Color Blue Are You?

Your Personality Profile

You are dreamy, peaceful, and young at heart. Optimistic and caring, you tend to see the best in people. You tend to be always smiling - and making others smile. You are shy and intelligent... and a very hard worker. You're also funny, but many people don't see your funny side. Your subtle dry humor leaves your close friends in stitches.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Your Brain's Pattern

You're a simple thinker, and this is actually a very good thing. You don't complicate matters when you don't have to. You look for the simplest explanation or solution, and you go with that. As a result, your mind is uncluttered and free of stress.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

You Are a Frappacino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

You Are an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

On the surface, you're a little plain - but you have many subtle dimensions to your personality. Sometimes you're down to earth and crunchy. Other times, you're sweet and a little gooey.

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

You Are 28% Open Minded

You aren't exactly open minded, but you have been known to occasionally change your mind. You're tolerant enough to get along with others who are very different... But you may be quietly judgmental of things or people you think are wrong. You take your own values pretty seriously, and it would take a lot to change them.

How Open Minded Are You?

You Should Travel to Cambodia

While you might not go all Angelina Jolie and adopt a baby... You can still appreciate Cambodia's rich history and deserted beaches.

What Asian Country Should You Visit?

You Are Strawberry Ice Cream

A bit shy and sensitive, you are sweet to the core. You often find yourself on the outside looking in. Insightful and pensive, you really understand how the world works. You are most compatible with chocolate chip ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

Your Hidden Talent

Your natural talent is interpersonal relations and dealing with people. You communicate well and are able to bring disparate groups together. Your calming presence helps everything go more smoothly. People crave your praise and complements.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

You Are Scooter

Brainy and knowledgable, you are the perfect sidekick. You're always willing to lend a helping hand. In any big event or party, you're the one who keeps things going. "15 seconds to showtime!"

The Muppet Personality Test

You Are Dr. Pepper

You're very unique and funky, yet you still have a bit of traditionalism to you. People who like you think they have great taste... and they usually do. Your best soda match: Root Beer Stay away from: 7 Up

What Kind of Soda Are You?

You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits. Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle. Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it. You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

What Time Of Day Are You?

You Are a Chihuahua Puppy

Small, high strung, and loyal. You do best in the city with adults - young kids could crush you!

What Breed of Puppy Are You?

And while I don't necessarily agree with this one, I like the fact that it says I could get by with carrying around a little dog. Hehe!

Your Ideal Pet is a Little Dog

You're both high strung, hyper, and cute. You're one of the few people who can get away with carrying your little dog in a little bag.

What's Your Ideal Pet?

Thought of the Day

"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both."
- Dwight D. Eishenhower, 1953

Awww!

I found this picture while going through some of the junk in our guest room closet. Isn't it cute? I just had to share.

Why didn't I become a whaler?

New tax code for 2005:
"Certain whaling captains may be able to claim a charitable deduction for whale hunting expenses".

Why is whale hunting a charitable expense? Can anyone explain this to me?

Move over "Pimp My Ride"...

Dan is addicted to a new show (okay, I like it a lot, too). It's the CMT show "Trick My Truck".

A group of misfit-looking mechanics(?) from the Chrome Shop Mafia (fun name, huh?) pick a worthy trucker and "trick" their truck. It is the weirdest show. Mostly because it is for big trucks. Not big as in F-350 but as in semis big trucks.

Trick My Truck

They always (or at least they have in the 4 episodes we have seen) "surprise" the trucker at a Petro station in Joplin, Missiouri. It makes me want to go stake out the truck stop in Joplin to see if we can find any of the trucks!

History Lesson

Today at my Rotary meeting, I had the honor of meeting a gentleman, Albert Patterson, who had participated in the Great Raid at Cabanatuan in World War II.

He was a mule shoer in the 6th Rangers Battalion, which was a army mule pack artillery unit. He had spent time in New Guinea (even joked that he spent enough time on a boat getting there that he figured he almost qualified as a Navy man) and volunteered to go on the Raid at Cabanatuan. To read a little bit about what the 6th Rangers Battalion went through during that raid... well, it was just amazing to hear him talk about it and then even more amazing to read about it.

All in all, a moving and educational lunch. And now I'm going to have to read the book Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides and take Dan to see the movie The Great Raid. Both are about the Raid at Cabanatuan and Albert said that even the movie stayed very historically accurate. And I figure he's a guy that would know what he's talking about with that.

Ever have one of those days...

Hehe, my cousin Cindy sent me this. And after dealing with the insurance company and their two million different adjusters (okay, only three, but still!)I definitely feel like this!

Virtual Web Pet

Thanks to Tracy, I now have an alpaca! Okay, it isn't an alpaca - it's a llama. But isn't it cute? Look to the right and scroll down below my links and you can see my lla-paca. Pet it and it does a lla-paca purr. Very cute. Thanks Tracy!

If you want a web pet, you can go here:
Bunnyhero Labs