Where in the US am I today?

Yeah! I'm in Atlanta! We made it here safely, and thought I'd share some of the images. More to come as I can figure out the interent access! UGH!!!

Anywho....

This is the view from our room -- Exciting!

More views from the 20th floor:

OK - who can tell me why '201' is on the roof?

You'll get the full story of this one on the way back.

Hmm... At first I thought it must be a pro-life sign, but I guess they are just warning about not touching the sprinkler.

I'm welcome in Tennessee!

What a cool name for a city!

And for Design:
"Everywhere I look, I'm reminded of her."

It's been quite a trip so far! I'll give more updates as they are available... And to Chad, you'd better clear out the bookshelf. The conference has only just begun, and I'm up to about 25 books (most FREE!)

Miss you Izzy!

Love - Ma!

rainbow and lightning

Check out these photos!

Life and What-nots

Well, been a busy week -- I know I've been naughty in not posting, but in the fickle world of the Internet, I've found a new thing... now, I'm still going to be doing blogs of course, but it's one of those things that are terribly addicting in the universe of the internet... Every so often, I'll find something, and I can't let it go... usually games... this one is better..... Yahoo Answers... Eek -- I've been on it a week, and I'm already a level 2 (hmm... almost like that cult religion I don't want to name for fear of being accused of slander) I have no Idea what the level 2 will get you, but we'll see I guess...
Yahoo! Answers - Home

Hope everyone had a good time over 4th of July! Gareth, hope your day was well, as well... Hmmm.. I wonder, do other countries celebrate the 4th, like we do Cinco de Mayo or St. Patrick's Day? I don't know -- would be a good question for Yahoo Answers!

We did hear our Daily Led Zeppelin on the way up to our family reunion, but we'll have to ask Chad what that was, cause I can't remember.

Toodles everyone! Hope you have a good weekend!

Daily Led Zep

Heard today coming back from lunch:

Going to California

la la la laaa

Daily Led Zep

Heard yesterday while we were eating:

Ramble On

Kings Island

You know you are in for a good day, when your daughter holds up her deli round sandwich roll at Subway and shouts (yes, shouts) "My buns are big!"

Chad had the day off, and I did as well, we went to King's Island yesterday. It was a blast. Izzy and I rode several rollercoasters...can't wait until she is 48 inches and can go on the big rides! We even got Chad on the "Beastie" - which is now called The Fairly Odd Coaster.

It was hot, but thanks to my SPF 50 sunblock, we didn't get burned. Izzy made it the whole day without throwing a fit (Thank you!)

It's been ages since I've been there, and many things have changed, but some have stayed the same: The Eiffel Tower was cool, although it freaked Chad and Izzy out a little, being up so high; the Beast is still one of the best roller coasters in the world (You dinna' think I'd take a trip to KI and NOT ride the Beast, now did you?); LaRosa's pizza tastes the same; and everything costs about 250% more than it did 7 years ago.

Our favorites of the day, the Viking Fury - the ship that rocks back and forth, the Fairly Odd Coaster - oh, Izzy walked right past the little Kiddie rollercoaster - Backyardigans' themed, I think, and headed straight for the "big" one, and some of the older "carnival" style spinning rides.

More details as I remember them coming soon... I just can't wait to go back!

Friday Friday Friday

Howdy - It's Friday and the weather is beautiful, the air is fresh and I'm outside working on our new laptop - whoo hoo! The freedom! Now, hopfully, I can get motivated enough to keep up my writing.

I won't go into too much detail here, but for those that heard my "vent" last week at this time, let me assure you - all is taken care of, and things are back to normal, at least for this year. Whew!

I think tonight, we are going to the town's movie night in the park - free movies, bring your own lawn chair, like a drive in, but before cars!

And Now for Pickerington's Place New Feature!

You already know about the Daily Led Zeppelin, and What's on My Desktop.(Which does need updating - come to think of it.) The new one is partially inspired by an email I got this week; you know, one of those, answer the questions and send along so others can get to know you. It's also partially inspired by "Heather's Lunchtime Poll" made popular by the classic - Heathers.

So, here it is - The question of the week (I must admit, the braincells are not up to par today, so I'll have to ponder on another catchy title.)

What's the most exciting and the most boring thing you think you'll do this summer?

TTFN:

Give Me One Moment In Time

Our story begins today, but goes back many years. Today, my mother found a picture of the one "semi-formal" dance I went to my freshie year - turnabout, where the girls ask the guys. Join us on a trip down memory lane to visit places, places best left in the hidden recesses of memory.

Time: Sometime in March 1990
The Event: Turnabout

Dramatis Personae

Lisa
Michelle
Deeann
Dave, Lisa's escort
Scott, Michelle's escort
Bill, Deeann's escort

Lisa and Dave before the dance, Lisa is wearing Gunne Sax, while Dave sports the sweater and tie ensemble.




Michelle and Scott (AKA He, as his name was too vile to speak.) Again, sweaters were very popular for dances (in hickville, not our school!)



Bill and Deeann - the organizers of the evening (insert evil master laugh!)



The obligatory pinning of the flower. Hair professionally rolled to look "old-fashioned."


The cast of 90210 (what a bunch of wannabes)



Cheesy guy shot -- they must be plotting something!



Mullett-man speaks, and reveals the plan to hit the road...



So into the '86 Chevy Astro we go!



"Stan, what a fine mess you got us into!"




Ahhh, the paparazzi won't leave us alone!




"So Beavis, where are we headed tonight?"

"Heh-heh-heh - your boobs look big in your sister's dress!"




Time to pose for the famous dance photo! (Wallet and 8X10 avaliable!)

Aaaannnnddddd SCENE!

New fashion statement

I've been known to make some fashion goofs before... but even I know that it's very Tacky, with a captital T, to wear halter tops, wait -- backless halter tops with a black bra.

Click here for video

Brittany - I know you just had a baby, but your body changes! Go with the changes honey -- you can't wear the same clothes you wore way back when....

FREE!!!

Howdy!

Somehow, we got on the mailing list for these courses... Anyway - the lectures from Ivy League profs are on CD or DVD, but not without a significant investment. The lectures are from: The Great Courses - The Teaching Company : Educational Courses on DVD, Audio CD, Tape, and Cassette - Lecture Series by College/University Professors

So, in order to save everyone money - I've found some free online course for those that just love learning. Here you go:

Course Topics at Free-Ed.Net

Barnes & Noble.com - Barnes & Noble University

OpenUW Free Courses

Berklee Shares: free music lessons, mp3, quicktime and pdf files download

Open Learning Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University

Writers.com: Online Creative Writing, Nonfiction, Screen Writing, Genre Classes & More

http://u.about.com/

Happy learning!

Saturday

Howdy!

Today is turning out pretty well - had a crazy week with work last week, and I'm looking forward to the weekend.

DG came down - Yeah! - so we are ready to rock the town. Last night we saw the DaVinci code. It's fiction people. But I was impressed with how much of the storyline they followed, considering most book to movie creates leave soooo much out. Yes, some was still left out, but it was an OK movie - it was neat to see some of the images described in the book.

Today, we are hitting the gym and going to COSI -- not sure what is the plan for tonight.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's day! I hope every mother enjoyed the day today!

This morning, I went out with my mother in law and some of her friends -- we had a great lunch!

When I got back home, hubby had a bunch of flowers waiting for me, along with a DVD of one of my favorite movies - Bend it like Beckham. (I think I like it because of the accents!)

It was great!


Also - my conference went very well -- we only had a few hitches, but for the first conference my writing group put on - it went very well! We have big plans for next year, and it should be even better!

I'm jazzed about my writing, for the first time, last night I dreamed of signing books at my first booksigning - great feeling! I can't wait to go to the national conference this July!

Happy Mothers day!

Happy May

Just wanted to say happy may to everyone - hope the weather is nice -- don't have much time for blogging updates but should have plenty of time after next week!

Laters!

Daily Led Zep

Good Times Bad Times

Update

Howdy folks --

Few topics for today:

Raining Cats...
I found the code from here
But since it's spring and not winter, I found an image that I could replace the snowflakes.

I've been looking for new "goodies" to add to the blog - I like playing around with html code, and I'm actually learning quite a bit! My next venture is CSS, so we'll see what I can add with this.

Here's a good tutorial I've been using: http://www.w3schools.com/default.asp

Ahh... Young River...
I found the movie Exlporers on TV and TIVO'ed it for Izzy - she loves it! I like it too if only to see young River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke. River is soooo adorable!




American Idol:
Last night - what was up with Paula? Did anyone see how much Simon had to control her to keep her looking good?

My prediction: Paris and Kellie in bottom 2, Kellie going home!

I hope they get back to singing some songs that we liked them for at the beginning.

My favorite: Chris -- HOTTIE!

Daily Led Zep

Forgot to put this with the last post


Heard on the way back home:

Heartbreaker

Fun day

Today was cool -- we went to COSI - had a blast! The place is different from what I remember - It sort of looks like the same building, but I don't remember the river -- anyway - they had some really cool exhibits. A STAR WARS exhibit is opening in June - that should be a blast. One cool perk of being a teacher is the discount... we were only there for a little over two hours, and I was worn out! Izzy had so much fun, especially in the Ocean.

Our next stop: JumpBounceBoing!

Ahhh Childhood....

I don't know whether to be disturbed by this or not.... I found this site while looking for clapping rhymes to teach Izzy.Probably won't be using any of them with her.

I know when we were in school (yes, Catholic school where everything goes!) we said some raunchy rhymes... but nothing like this.

After digging around the site - it does appear to have some value; a collection of folk lore around Australia - stories, songs, chants and the like. Certainly - playground chants are part of that - I get that!

Now it could be a cultural thing - different things may be accepted in other countries - I don't know. It could also be a decade thing -- kids are exposed to more today then 20 years ago when I was a youngin'. (But let's face it, Miss Suzy and her Steamboat will be around for a while!) But If I heard my 11 year old daughter saying "I'm Sexy, I'm cute" I think we'd have a problem. (Damn the "ever-increasing influence of American hip-hop culture")

To quote the site:
Being year six this is usually the last year girls participate in playground games, especially singing and clapping games, as they become self-conscious and also
preoccupied with boys. All three of the girls were told of the background to the video session, what was expected and that it was being done at home (rather than school) so there would be no censorship of the more ribald material.


Now, I'm not sure if Year Six is the same as our year six, or a Hogwarts year six... but in any case, I think the censorship thing is a little backward. Personally I wouldn't say "cock..... roaches" "whores" "piss" or even the F bomb in front of my parents. Now at school, that's a different story.

Yes, I know how clapping games work: they play on word sounds, puns, syllables and double-meanings. I get that.

What I don't get is how the kids can do these in front of their parents. More importantly - why the parents aren't more concerned!?!


You are warned:
Clapping Rhymes

Yet, I am amused at some of the rhymes... I wish we knew them back then! (The soldier one is amusing.)

So... what were some rhymes said on your playground?

Interesting Blogs

???????????

Life in Moscow

Oh, We Get it
(Caution - poo poo words on this site, but some hilarious videos)

Lost and Found on Easter

Happy Easter everyone -- whether or not you celebrate the day, I hope your day was full of nice weather and happiness.

Here are the highlights of our day... with pictures (Apologizing in advance if the page takes a while to load)

1) Had family over for a lovely pot luck lunch - the food was great, but more importantly, the company was wonderful! We had great weather, and it's a good thing they left when they did -- the clouds came in not long after they left.

2) Here is a pic of Izzy's flower from her Papaw -- isn't it cute!
3) And while I was taking the picture of the bunny flower, I took one of my table as well. I have always wanted a table that I could decorate with cool and interesting place settings. Yeah! Now I have one -- If only I can stay away from Bed Bath and Beyond long enough to save my wallet from spontaniously opening to pay for new settings!

4) And yes, that's Izzy spinning in the background with her singing and dancing bunny, here's a better view.

5.) BUNNY BREAD! Way overpriced, but how could I pass up such a cute bunny!

OK, so he's missing a leg here.

Izzy re-enacting a scene from Night of the Living Dead, above.

Yummy! Brains!

6.) And last - I am convinced of Karma (or Carma, as Earl Hickey calls it.) I lost my purse on Friday. I thought I had it with me - Chad was diligent about searching for it - we looked everywhere! I even called the places I had been on Friday, hoping someone must have turned it in. The only thing I was really concerned about was my rosary -- everything else could be replaced (well, except for my metal case I use as my wallet - DG, you know what I mean - I liked that thing as well, and have yet to see another like it.)

So we looked and we looked, and our friend, bless his heart, dug through our icky garbage even to look for it (yes, I'm a bit of a scatterbrain, and may have thrown it away!) So he drives by Kroger on the way home, and goes in to ask for it. Mind you, I did call earlier and they didn't have it in the lost and found. He asked if it could have been anyplace else, and it was turned in to the safe. I couldn't believe they even gave it to him. (He did describe the my metal case and gave my name on the ID). Yeah! I know have the purse and everything was intact. I'm guessing that since I don't put my SSN on my driver's license, it would be harder to commit Identity theft. But anyway, it's back, and I'm convinced that whoever turned it in, will have good Karma coming their way! Now it's my turn to do a kindess for someone else!

Hope everyone has a good week!

Things on my mind at the moment.

1. Ducks don't land in trees. It would be pretty interesting to see a duck in a tree, though.

(This after seeing our ducks, nicknamed Seven and Thirty, since they show up around 7:30 pm each evening.)

2. I've always been confused by the terms "layers" and "one length" in reference to ladies getting hari styles. I would always mix them up, since cutting in layers, actually gives the hair a consistent length per strand, hence - one length. While one-length cut, does give a nice trim line at the bottom of the hair, there really are layers to the hair. Didn't anyone take into consideration the fact that a head is typically curved, and therefor the hair strands will have different lengths depending on where the hair is located on the noggin?

OK -- I think I think too much. Maybe I better get Jonathan to explain it to me.

American Idol

Why do I keep watching this show? I must say, after last nights episode, I was almost ready to blind myself after seeing Ace in (faux)leather pants. It was scary.

I'm glad of some of the song choices, but Kelly's Bohemeian Rhapsody - what was that! ?! Take the story of a 8 minute song and condense it to about 2 minutes -- it loses something. Personally, if I were performing the song, I'd do a more Wayne's World performance.

I must say, the show did get better at the end... Chris is still my favorite!

My prediction - Bucky

Chad's prediction: Bucky

Izzy's prediction: Ace

What's on my mind at this point:::

OK - since it's been so long since I've posted, (sorry about that folks) so here goes:

1) After seeing this, I'm glad I work at home!

2) Are we really saving time during Daylight Saving Time? After all, we are using more daylight each day, so what are we saving? If it's energy because we are doing more during daylight hours when the sun is free, why not call it Energy Saving Time?

3) There is an image of William Shakespeare on our wall. We are thinking of having an auction to raise money.


OK - thought I had more, but it must be too early in the AM for me..

Newsie News

Well today was a Frisch's Big Boy day... Lunch at Big Boy after we signed the Izzmonster up for kindergarten at the Pickerington Elementary School... It's about 2 minutes from the house but she will be in the afternoon class and will be riding the bus. She will have school from 12:45 to 3:45 M-F. Just a half day K class... They gave us a list of things she should be able to do before she arrives like count to 10 and know her alphabet and all this stuff that she' s been doing for 2 years now. Thank goodness for Holy Family pre school and our wonderful parenting it looks like she's way ahead of the game.... She is SO EXCITED I think she wants to go now... Well have to go just a quick update on the life here in Picktown.... Adios amigos...

No more Life on Delaware

FINALLY!!! I have an internet connection and more than 5 seconds free to post a little entry... As you all probably know by now we have recently moved to Pickerington, Ohio. 2 1/2 hours from Lawrence County and the only place I've ever known as home. I will be the first to tell you I don't have any idea why I stayed there for so long. It's a different world here and it is home. My job is about 10,000 times better because I'm not working 7 straight days without a day off and most of the administrative BS is gone. It's back to basics, how it was when I first came on. One of my Sgts. however did speak to my former Lt. who was promoted to S/Lt. and my Sgt. informed me he will be giving me a few more duties because he heard from my former Lt. that "I'm very good and what I do and I can handle it." So who knows how long before the BS admin stuff comes back to me. It is nice to hear a superior say you're good at what you do I suppose for what it's worth. Of course no more 4 day weekends but it's worth it just to have to work five days. It seems like you come off time off and in no time you're ready for more time off. Who wouldve thought a five day work week would be such a blessing. So till the middle of May I have Sunday and Monday off and I'm working 3-11 pm shift. After that I'll be going to a 7A and 3P fill shift. On that one I will work Th/Fri/Sat day shift 7a to 3p and Su/Mo 3p to 11p then have Tu and Wed off. Not too bad will get to go out on the weekends in the evenings and stuff....

So needless to say I"M VERY HAPPY with where we are as a family, the house we're in, the community we live in and Lisa and Izzy seem pretty happy too. We made the right move and there is no doubt about that. I have my friend Jim here but I really miss all my friends in Ironton plus all the people I worked with. One of the guys at work and I went out on St Patty's day after work and hung out a little bit. He's a great guy and if I had to guess I'd say we'll probably be hanging out a lot.

SO that's the "skinny" on Picktown. The only thing left to do I suppose is rename the blog... We are no longer on Delaware so we need a new name. I figured we could rip off the Disney channel and call it "Pickleytown Heroes" or something... I do however think we need some input from our 3 faithful readers... You guys know who you are so give us some ideas on a new name...

Thats all for now.........

Forget college for Izzy, I'm getting a Grill

'Grillz' by Nelly

For some reason, I am just fascinated at the possibilities.

Here are some images

Here, I can open my own gold teeth business: http://www.goldteeth.com/

We get a group discount here: http://www.moegrillz.tripod.com/

by the way, what woman in her right mind would say the things the women in Nelly's songs say?

Brief Update

Let me tell you, it's been a crazy 10 days, and it's going to get even zanier in the next 10. So much is going on right now, and we'll fill you in later once everything is settled, but I did want to take a few moments to share what I've been reading to keep my sanity. Finished two of them over the weekend, and one today.

1) I Do (But I Don't) by Cara Lockwood. OK. I'm not really a big fan of chick lit. I don't know why I grabbed this one at the library( it was there and I needed a read). It was very hard to get into (especially if you don't always read first person.) A few things annoyed me, like how the heroine's hair was always bothering her (too curly and unruly). Well get it cut, girl! Also, what I don't like about most chick-lit stories (and this one is definitely chick-lit) is that the guy's point of view is never known. I hate that (especially when there is so much the guy could react to. ( It's fun to see their reactions. And if your wondering why I am including so many parentheticals, it's because the whole book is that way (OK, well, except for about 25 pages, out of 320 or so) there were parentheticals throughout - tough to read. However, the final wedding scene is quite amusing! Drunk mother of the brides, groomsmen in fisticuffs, and a wedding planner with a magic flask do make for good comedy. As for the chick-lit genre, I have yet to see a good American author do this... I like reading the Brit-chick-lit so much better (Bridget Jones, Shopaholic, and a few others come to mind.) Damn, did the parenthesis again... OK next book:


2) Tender is the Storm -Johanna Lindsey. Now, if you were to go to your local bookstore today, you would not be able to buy the bodice-ripper cover you see here. But you gotta love it! I've always like Lindsey, she can create worlds that take you away and forget where you are. There is danger, excitement, intrigue, sex, and tender moments in her stories. This is a historical, set in the West and also in New York City. Great read if you want to get away from reality!











3. And last, Lost in Your Arms by Christina Dodd. I've recently discovered Dodd... her stories are magical. Set in England and Scotland, this one keeps you guessing as you turn the pages. What's terrific about this story is what the hero says to his one true love (even though she hated her husband the first time she married him.) Both Enid and MacLean are strong spirited, and will say and do what they have to to save their love. Men take note: it's never a bad thing when you can make your woman's knees weak with a few well placed words! Especially if you say what's on page 228!

Deep Blue

This is the one I had that got lost in bloggy land, so I'll post again...

Deep Blue by Suzanne McMinn is not the type of book I normally read. However, I did spot it in the store and picked it up.

Very good story! It's a romantic suspense. The hero, Cade, has the ability to stay underwater for long periods due to a chemical accident in his childhood. He meets our heroine, Sienna, through a case of mistaken identity, and together they face demons from the past as they race on a treasure hunt to literally save the world. It's set on the Keys - a perfect get-a-way for the winter blahs!

Good Girls Do

Well - I did have another post about a book I finished but it somehow disappeared, so I'll start with this one...

Good Girls Do by Cathie Linzj

This book is a great read! Once I started I couldn't put it down. Very fresh, funny and the dialogue is zingy. I laughed I cried - one of the best I've read in a while. Bad boy Luke comes to back to his hometown where he runs into the prim librarian - watch out!

She has a sequel -- can't wait for that one to come out!

So -- what have you in bloggy land been reading?

Wanna go to a wedding?

http://teeshadarren.blogspot.com/

We can RSVP online!

Ladies, If you were a teen in the 70s or 80s, you know what I'm talkin about

We must, we must, we must increase our bust.

That line is from a book read many times in my youth. Can you guess which one?

Highlight the text here to see which one, unless you want to keep guessing: Are you There God, It's Me Margaret.

I found it at the library yesterday and couldn't resist getting it! I must have read it a thousand times when I was younger (OK, maybe 850, no joke). One of Judy Blume's books, reading it again wasn't quite the same, but it was still entertaining. Somehow, I didn't focus on the whole religion part of the book when I was younger -- I guess it was more the other thing (guys, I'll spare you) that my 9 year old mind was worried about.

Anyway, I found an old diary from a few years back where I kept track of my books read in a year, I only had about 210 (mind you, this was right after I had Izzy, so the number seems a bit low.) This year, I'm trying it again, to see how many I can get. Of course, writing down the books so I can actually remember to count them is another thing. I'll keep you posted on my progess with mini book reports (Yes, I'm a book nerd!) I've already read several this year, but I can't remember all of the titles, so I'll start fresh from today.

If Only

If only I could knock men out with my boobs and a hair flip like Fergie.....

Double Daily Led Zep

Had a double dose of Led :

Good Times Bad Times
Going to California

I wanna be a star!

And I can, too! While watching late, late night TV, an ad came on for something I just gotta have!

The Singing Coach, brought to you by Carry A Tune Technologies. I could learn to sing like a PRO! and guess what - If it works in 30 days, I'm going to try out for American Idol!

From the site:

Even if you’ve never been able to sing a note in your life, Singing Coach will have you singing any song with confidence as you learn to adjust your pitch and train your ear. Anyone can do it. As you progress through the lessons and exercises you’ll be astonished at your improvement.

This is ME! I've never been able to sing a tune. Just as Design! I want to be astonished!

However, I don't want to pay for it -- have other things that come first, so I'm accepting donations. Anyone who contributes to my singing career now, will be guaranteed a spot in my Posse when I am famous!

Now Accepting PayPal!

Today is a good day!

While chad has been working 12 hr days, I've been busy -- today, Izzy and I made cookies, fixed breakfast and lunch, I did the dishes and cleaned up most of the house!

My resolution to Simplify Simplify Simplify is going pretty well! Amazing!

Izzy now has a chore list, so we can now sanction child labor!
She is outside playing with chalk - now her once purple pants are multicolored. I'd add laundry to her chores, but she can't reach the controls yet.

I have a new pencil sharpener - it ROCKS! (Just part of my love of office supplies.)

I've had the XM on Lucy all day -- have yet to hear a bad song! (Cracker, Morrisey, Paul Westerburg on now, Pearl Jam, Adam Ant, The Presidents of the United States of America, Cake, but no Led.)

Hope everyone has a good day~

~Do I love you do I hate you I got a dyslexic heart~

shameless plug

I've been playing around with google video... here is one I did for a class last year... enjoy...

Finding Whitman

15 minutes and counting!

The taping went well. Here are a few picks of me on TV, thanks to a friend of my mom. Overall - being on TV was a cool experience, and somthing I don't think I'll forget soon!

Enjoy the photos!

Here is a picture of the first group of contestants.... I'm the one on the blue stand. Bill, the man next to me wanted to know if I knew how to jitterbug in case he won... I told him no. Louise, in the pink next to me, won by 100 stinking dollars!!!!!




Here are shots of me... boy the camera really does add weight!!!

DA FOOZBALL AND THE GREAT STEAK INCIDENT

Colts, Steelers, and the theives they called refs thats who played the game Sunday afternoon. The ref's tried to STEAL the game away but guess what... The RAT BASTARDS couldn't get it DONE!!! It was incredible and I think I scared Isabella as I was running around the house ranting and raving like a lunatic but hey it's football and it's MY TEAM DAMMIT!!!

The best part... I went to work and got paid to watch the 2nd half. That's right ladies and germs 17.50 / hr to watch da foozball. Mama says foozball is da devil... Anyway the OVERRATED Colts got beat and shouldve had their ASSES handed to them even worse if it weren't for the cheating referees. It was all over ESPN radio and even Boomer Esiason said "I don't care what the officials say you and I both know that was an interception and it would have been a travesty if the Steelers lost this game." Yep even a former Bengal admitted the refs tried to CHEAT! It was different when the refs just made sucky calls like they did the whole game for both sides but when they blatantly CHEAT for a team like they did on this call when it was obvious to everyone in the COUNTRY what the correct call was man that is just WRONG! OK that's my FOOZBALL RANT! Whew! It gets me stirred up just thinking about it

SO TO THE COLTS AND THE OFFICIALS WHO CHEATED FOR THEM I HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU! ENJOY IT! YOU DESERVE IT!

I had a picture of a middle finger in the air for the colts and the refs in this spot but I have been censored by my FAIRY FREAKIN BLOGMOTHER!

OK on to bigger and better things... I noticed a few comments regarding the 2004 Great Steak Incident. When it comes to cooking let me preface this by saying there are MANY, MANY things I can do better. Cooking is just not one of my strong suits. Nonetheless I decided one day in 2004 I would attempt "BROILING". My thought process went something like this 1. I'm HUNGRY 2. I have steaks 3. BROILING is FAST 4. The grill is OUT OF GAS Now if you know anything at all about broiling it should be that the oven gets VERY VERY HOT as was the case on the day I decided to broil 2 lovely N.Y. strip steaks. Broiler hot? CHECK Steaks in the oven? CHECK Oven door closed? CHECK I can taste them already these babies should be ready in just a few short minutes. OK the steaks have cooked for 8 to 10 minutes and they are starting to sizzle. Steaks Sizzling? CHECK Time to take the steaks out of the oven. Oh really what's this? The oven door has apparently locked itself and will not open as the LATCH IS FRIGGIN BROKEN! Oven door won't open? CHECK Um, Lisa honey could you come in here for a minute while I try to burn the house down? At this point I have the entire kitchen full of smoke and in my infinite wisdom have forgotten to turn off the broiler. Steaks in the oven for 15 to 17 minutes and burning to a crisp while the entire house fills with smoke? CHECK OK Lisa comes in and immediately turns off the oven like any non-moronic person would have but at this point the oven is hot because the broiler has been on for 20 minutes that these steaks are about to char into oblivion. The latch is busted and WILL NOT OPEN. So if the latch won't open what should we do? Obtain butter knife and attempt to cut through metal slats in front of oven so that we can reach the latch to manually unlatch it? CHECK I spent the next (I'm guessing here) 2 plus hours attempting to BREAK / CUT the oven door open. At one point I seriously considered ripping the door off the hinges and buying a new oven. Instead I finally was able to "CUT" through the front of the door and reach the latch and get the oven door open to retrieve my "slightly" charred N.Y. strip steaks. Hence the duct tape. You know what they say kids? If you can't duct it F%&* IT! and that ladies and gentlemen for your reading pleasure was the Great Steak Incident of 2004.

Cook dinner? How 'bout if I do the dishes instead?

I made something for everyone!

Today, Izzy and I made cup cakes... they are delicious! In honor of it being Friday the 13 th * Everyone can have a cup cake -- enjoy!

And yes, that is Duct tape on our oven, thanks to the Great Steak Incident of 2004. Sorry folks.

* The only freaky thing that happened today -- for a while, my work computer would not type capital letters. Go figure!

Is this January???

This morning, a cool misy fog was floating across the fields as I started my car. Very serene. this is more like spring than January! Even my succulents are starting to bud already, and they should't be doing that for another two months. I like the snow, and I hope I get to see some here soon!

5 more days until the taping of Cash Explosion -- I am soooooo excited!

Well, off to enjoy the 40-50 degree spring-like weather!

I got the Clap

er

The Clapper, folks, I got The Clapper for Christmas.

I was so excited when I opened this -- I played with the tree lights for a good 20 minutes. The whole reason I wanted this: We have a king size bed (the best marriage saver in my opinion -- big enough for 2 bed hogs, a cat, wiggly 4 year old (sometimes) and several of her stuffed animals) and when it's time to turn out the lights, it's quite a stretch over to the night stand.

Clapper, you have saved me! Now, when I am ready for the lights to go out CLAP CLAP and poof - they are gone!

We are still working on the sensitivity level. For some reason, it responds very well to the high-pitched laughter from my daughter. She commands it with her voice. Other random noises (a-hem) turn it on as well.

Hooray for this "As Seen on TV" gadget!

And now for something completely different --> The Clapper

Information and Mis-information

On Monday, if you've been listening to the news, 13 miners were trapped in a mine in the coal fields of West Virginia. It's been all over the local news here, before the national news.

Tuesday night, I tuned in to get the latest updates... around 9 pm, word was that they found one miner, dead at the explosion.

Right before midnight, news arrived that the remaining 12 were alive (terrific news!!!!) however, no "official word" from the coal company.

I just tuned in at 3 am, and now the word is that only 1 survived, and is in serious condition at the hospital.

It was heartbreaking to see the press conference with the president of the coal company. He genuinely cared for his people and was torn apart. My prayers are with him and the 13 families.

After listening to him, I don't hold the company at fault for the miscommunication (They may be responsible for the accident, but we'll decide that later)... I do hold the media responsible though for acting too irresponsible. With the talking heads of the national news channels, so much speculation flew around. It's irresponsible. One of the reporters even had the gall to ask if one distraught family member held the governor responsible for all this. They supported the governor (I guess they were looking for a Hurricane scandal) However, within minutes of hearing the news that her dad had died in the mine she was going to sue. Now the blame game begins on all sides.

Now the Governor is facing a press conference, and having to put up with ridiculous questions, over and over again.

This area of West Virginia is the honest to goodness heart of America - God fearing, hard-working people. I just don't think that the national media has any idea what that means, or can appreciate it (how un-American to mention God and to praise Jesus on national TV) and to "report" on what is speculation is not to be counted upon.

What we can count on though, is Geraldo with stunning commentary. I heard him say he wanted to "wet his finger and lick the coal off of the faces and kiss them" because he was so happy to hear they were alive.

Please say a prayer for the families.

Whew

Hello folks - I'm back to blogging. Now that our computer is back and almost normal, I can use it now! Whoo Hoo!

Daughter is in the tub... so this'll be short...

December went by in a blur, especially with no computer. For a while, I thought I came down with Avian flu, but with no fever and a huge appetite, I thought it was a tape worm, but it was just a stomach virus...fun fun fun. Let me say, my commode and I are best friends now.

I did see lots of family, which was great - got lots of goodies for Christmas (Magic scarf, anyone!) gave lots of goodies for Christmas which was fun.

Work is going OK - was on break for the past week and half, so relaxing, and I did get lots of things done I don't normally have time for.

But the best thing happened Christmas Eve. I get a call from my mother with news that I can now cross one more thing off my "Things to do in Life list:" Be on a Game Show! Her ticket was pulled for Cash Explosion, the state lottery game. I'm so Excited!!!! More info to follow, and I'll be sure to tell you all about it (Well, as much as the confidentiality agreement will allow.)

I hope everyone has a good new year! May good tidings and blessings come your way.

Just another hottie

The Seahag commented on my last post about Thora Birch and I actually had to go look up who she was... Now the second I saw her I realized it but for some reason I air blanked on the name... Anyway for the Thora fans out there....

FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE HOW COULD I FORGET THIS ONE???

She's got to be all of what 24 or 25 by now???

What's The Use

If you're only going to post once every two weeks why do it at all. Are our lives REALLY that boring that we have nothing to say in over two weeks? Well everyone knows who won survivor I suppose... I was really disappointed as I usually am with all things that build up over a long period of time and then end suddenly... Kind of like going to a movie you've been waiting to see for several months, the time finally comes, you go and then it's nothing special just another movie... That's pretty much every movie I see these days... I'd say the last movie I was really excited about seeing and wasn't totally disappointed in was Interview With A Vampire or Pulp Fiction. It's been AT LEAST that long since I saw a REALLY good movie that wasn't totally overrated. Wait I take that back American Beauty, that was one that was awesome and MENA SUVARI, OH MENA!!!!

HOLY MENA BATMAN!

Yeah she kind of looks like a crack whore at times but who doesn't love that look anyway?

Since we're posting pics of crack whores we might as well take a look at one of my all time favorite TV actresses...

THE QUEEN OF THE MINI SKIRT!

So I've got O.A.R. blaring in my ears via the iPod and I've posted my once a month blog entry.

Oh I almost forgot I can't wait for "date night" on Wednesday. I'll teach the old lady to dump me... Miga I'm leaving it up to you to pick where you want to go! You know how I am with decisions. Oh yeah and I don't have a car cause Ski is taking it so pick me up at 6:00 babe... I don't know if you've seen Walk The Line yet but I'd love to see that... If not it's ok as you know I'd probably be disappointed with it anyway...

Let me know if 6:00 is good for you....

Adios folks! We'll see some of you later in the week....