dimberly: (n.) Kimberly, but not so bright.

Updating

2009-12-10T16:33:00.000-06:00

While I love to update my status on Facebook daily, and often I'll also tweet multiple times a day... I refrain for over-updating. To me, over-updating would be more than 2 times a day on Facebook and with Twitter it just varies... it depends on the person and what they're tweeting, me personally I don't think I'm much more interesting generally than up to 4 tweets per day, maybe 5 at most.

And like my blog posts, I try to make sure there's some content, of some value in there. I keep thinking about this book title about blogging I've always remembered, it's title is "I don't care what you had for lunch" ...that kind of content just really isn't interesting. Now, I think I'm clever enough to be able to put a fun twist on what you had for lunch.

I've even thought about how much fun it would be to be a professional personal tweeter/updater. For people who want good, original content, I have a friend or two on Facebook that have some automatic updating with one-liners, clean or not-so-clean themed. I would keep myself in touch with that person, with the understanding of how often they wanted an update done on them, and I would call them up at random times and just ask. I think I could put a fun spin on it, regardless. This would be the coolest. I wonder if people actually do this for other people.

Anyhow... back to over-updating, today I thought about what I would update if I were inclined to over update.

8:something - Golden Retrievers are beautiful and smart dogs, the one across the street I can't blame for barking so much, it's his stupid freakin' owners.
ACTUALLY on my Facebook: (!!!!! shocking! Facebook is down! !!!!!!!)
10:something - huh... so the Mediterranean Sea was flooded about 5 million years ago http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8404363.stm
1:20 - yeah, the mini-van doing 78 in an 70 is just freakin' unbearable to be behind isn't it buddy?
2:30 - Wearing my hair down and with lipgloss... tomorrow, tights and a skirt... yes, I'm going to be so sexy. ha!
2:50 - I'm fed up with myself for not knowing this woman's name and I have such fun conversations with her! I'm calling somebody to find out (I did, she's Stacy)
3:35 why the hell can't either of my children hurry and hustle?

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I am currently at 412 Tweets... I'm thinking about making it a goal to get to 500 by the end of the year. Let's see... there's 21 days left... I just need to tweet 4-5 times a day and I'll get there. While that seems to be a bit much... I have a road trip coming up soon, and that is always a fun reason to tweet. I think if I do 2-3 everyday plus somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-12 on road days, of which I will have 5... that should take care my goal.

Oh... today counts, I should tweet something.

http://twitter.com/kimbogle

Tempting Thai Peanut Chicken

2009-12-03T20:05:00.005-06:00

SPICY PEANUT SAUCE:
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper (more if you like it hot!)

CHICKEN MIXTURE:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/3 lbs) cut into ½” slices
2 tsp vegetable oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced/pressed
1 tbsp bottled chopped ginger (I use the ginger in a tube)
1-2 bunches scallions for 3/4 cup chopped
1 can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1/3 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped up
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dry sherry
1 tsp sugar

Spicy Peanut sauce

Serve over Steamed Rice (steamed broccoli very good with this)

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat. Cut the chicken into short strips about 1/2 inch wide, adding them to the skillet as you cut. Add the chicken, garlic and ginger and cook until the chicken is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. While the chicken cooks, cut the scallions into 1/4-inch slices, using the white and enough of the tender green tops to make 3/4 cup; drain the bamboo shoots, and chop the peanuts. Set each aside.

3. Make the Peanut Sauce

5. When the chicken is no longer pink, add the scallions, bamboo shoots, peanuts, soy sauce, sherry, and sugar. Stir well, then add the Peanut Sauce and stir well again. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve over rice and steamed broccoli.

[for more vegetables I’ve added sliced red pepper, carrots, onion successfully before]

Recipe adapted from Desperation Dinners! A syndicated newspaper column, and their cookbook was one of the first cookbooks I requested as a gift – about 13-14 years ago. And now their website is http://kitchenscoop.com/ and with what little I’ve looked around… I need to spend some more time there… I like their recipes and what they write about!

This is gooooooood! The kids now love peanut sauce - the next step is for them to love broccoli with peanut sauce. Peanut Sauce is really one of those things that can make just about ANYTHING taste better.

It's easy to make, much of what is needed I already have in the pantry. My shopping list this afternoon only needed the chicken, broccoli, and green onion - I checked and already had an extra can of the bamboo shoots on hand. It comes together quickly, with not too much slicing and dicing...

This was originally written as a 20-minute recipe. Even when I don't have the time, I take the time... I don't like instant "minute' rice and I don't like garlic in a jar. Ginger in a tube is great thing. The broccoli I cut up, it goes into the microwave, sealed up with a bit of water - 2 minutes is all it takes to be crisp-tender... there's nothing wrong with the broccoli in a bag either, but a few fresh crowns of broccoli is cheaper.

Pile on to your plate in this order - rice, broccoli and the chicken peanut mixture and YUM YUM! You will have a great meal.

[this blog writer does hereby declare she is not a food photographer nor a food writer]

Kidnap me

2009-11-21T13:53:00.003-06:00

I just had the idea to post on Facebook - taking applications to kidnap me. I would like an escape, please set the ransom too high to realistically be met.

On one of those Facebook questionaire type things that gets passed from friend to friend, one of my most favorite questions to answer was "Someone is knocking on your bedroom window at 2am, who do you want it to be?" I replied... Season 5 Sawyer from Lost coming to kidnap me to the island. Season 5 Sawyer had matured, was kinder and nicer, he was in love. If I got to the island on Lost, I would probably have to consider Sawyer taken... but wait, Juliet is probably dead. But then, WHEN and HOW are they going to show up in time when the new season starts? Would there be a place for me to cozy up with Sawyer? He would be my first pick of the men of Lost.

Jack is a mess, and he's all mixed up in his head about the island.

Locke is just too intense for me.

Desmond would be dreamy, but he's pretty well coupled up as well. Its been very nice seeing him and Penny together.

Charlie is dead.

Faraday died.

Boone died quite a while ago and he was never my type at all.

Michael could have had potential, but he blew up.

Jin is a total HUNK, and I would drool over him every time I saw him, but he's taken as well.

Sayid..... why didn't he come to mind right away? This actor has made me drool since I saw him in The English Patient. On Lost, he lost the love of his life Nadia, but the since then he's been an assassin, I'm just going to have to consider him a bit "damaged".

Miles could have potential, but he's just coming out of his "angry and with issues" phase, and this communicating with the dead is a little creepy.

Maybe I'll need a different island, and a different cast of characters.

Blogging More

2009-11-15T14:36:00.000-06:00

How many times in a month do I tell myself I want to blog more? I want to WRITE more. I want to write BETTER. Heck! I've even changed my major in school to WRITING. I really don't aspire to write a novel but who knows! Maybe I do have it in me.

In the meantime though... I firmly believe in the advice - to improve at writing you need to write! Write as much as you can. At each bit you will improve. So... I need to write more. I will write more. What else is writing but telling a story?

I have a story I haven't told too many people. I'm a bit sensitive to being called a snoop or a busy-body. I think that if information is out there, it's mean to be found. I'm not uncovering any secrets here.

I first made mention of my ex-husband being remarried and two kids here We were friends in high school, fell in love a few years after high school, had a brief marriage (11 months) and that's how I came to live in Tennessee all the way from the Northwest. I guess it was just over a year ago I saw his profile on the high school reunion website and learned he had a spouse/partner by the name of Jennifer and I wasn't sure to contact him or not.

I did contact him in February. I wrote to him, a day later he wrote back to me... general catching up with our lives kind of chit-chat. I didn't write back to him though... my life got really messed up in February... and now, it just seems so long ago - why bother.

Back then though... I typed into Facebook, his wife's name! and what a surprise THAT WAS! He is married to his ex-girlfriend from before when he and I were a couple. They first met and dated that summer he and I were roommates. I think they met through a friend of mine, Jennifer W. came over one time with her friend Jennifer E. and Jennifer E. and Daniel really really liked each other. They dated for I don't know how long - I didn't pay much attention to his love life.

So sure enough, there she is Jennifer E. now His-Last Name. and there's a pic of the 4 of them, him, her and two kids.

This made me grin grin grin... I couldn't stop grinning... even though this has been MONTHS I've had to ponder this... it still has a grin factor. I find it interesting now that I looked over that email he wrote in February that he made no mention of his wife and kids. Especially since I would know who his wife is.

Part of our marriage splitting up had to do with hidden letters and hidden phone bills that had to do with a former girlfriend. I don't know if it was her. I don't know if I knew then when we were married. I knew facts were being hidden and to me THAT's where the problem was - I didn't need to know WHO it was.

He did not attend the 20 year high school reunion. I had heard he was at the 10 year, which I missed. I had this "stick it to them" fantasy where he would be there with Jennifer. I'd be very nice and gracious and really, that would have flowed out of me naturally - I simply don't have hard feelings. But it would have been devilishly fun to monopolize his time some. Somehow get away with insisting I needed to see him for several hours the next day. And just hold him hostage with incessant chatter! Keep him in my company long enough to make Jennifer squirm a bit.

This didn't happen, it would have been fun. I'm pretty sure I would have been capable of it. Of all the things I did do after the reunion that night was spend about 2 hours with Daniel's on-and-off high school girlfriend, Toni. Her and I had been friends, and we REALLY had a great time talking until about 3:45am that night. and I wasn't holding her captive, and as far as I know it made no one insecure or jealous. Well, maybe Toni's dog missed her that night.... but that's just a dog.

New Motto!

2009-10-13T09:55:00.000-05:00

This new motto is going to be at the top of this blog... I'm just now absolutely struck by it, I love it! Of course as I'm writing this, it isn't up there yet... but as you are reading this, you have likely already noticed it.

NEVER STOP LEARNING

I love learning. This world is grand and beautiful and there will never be a mortal who will ever run out of things to learn.

I've just finished up studying for my Pre-Calculus midterm... and in just a short while I'm going to run up to the testing center at my school to take this exam - it's proctored (supervised) as it is a major exam for an online class. I finished the review - well, all but the last question and I'm just cranky at it and I'm relying on THE TOUGHEST question to not be on the test. So, I'm re-doing problems and none of them are stressing me out.

So my original plan was to leave the house around 10:30, get up to Nashville by 11, at which time my favorite chimichanga place should be open for a "treat-myself-well" brunch before my test. Well, it's 9:45 now... way too early for a lunch place... well, actually, I bet this place is open and would make me a chimichanga at 10:30... I bet I bet...

Anyways, I thought about what else I wanted to do today... and that was swing by a yarn store where the owner was super nice and invited me to come back for simple knitting instuctions... for example I said I didn't understand increases and decreases, she commented 'oh that's easy... if your youtube videos don't help you with that, just come on in and I can show you in less than 5 minutes.' So, I'm working on a scarf, and I've dropped a stitch or two in different areas... but I have never been able to truly figure out how to fix this, it's a simple repair once you know how... So, on Sunday I set this aside for Tuesday when the store would be open... it was my plan to go there on my way home this afternoon after my test.

But since I had this extra time this morning... I thought! I can go there now and learn this before I go take my mid-term! and then I thought, whoa whoa whoa! ONE THING AT A TIME. I mean really! I really need to reign myself in, learn one thing at at time! So... I will wait until after my mid-term for this mini-knitting lesson.

And this is exactly when and where the inspiration for NEVER STOP LEARNING came to my mind... I love learning. I need to make a point this mid-term break to re-learn Hiragana and Katakana. I've learned most of it before... I just need to make a point to work on just a little bit every day.

So my plan now is to leave here in about 10 minutes, with my knitting, current lucky pencil and graphing calculator - go get that chimichanga I've been craving through this mid-term studying, go take the midterm, visit the yarn store, stop at the grocery store for dinner, and be home by 3:30. I can do it!

Vegetables

2009-10-01T20:29:00.002-05:00

So, today was a moderately busy day for me. I had the kids in the afterschool program and stopped at the store for a quick and easy dinner before getting them about 5:30. I decided on burgers and a fresh salad of cucumbers and tomatoes. The kids of course won't eat THOSE vegetables, so I knew the carrots in the 'fridge would be just fine for them.

As we're walking into the house, the son is asking me if we have cheese to go on his burger.

"Yes".

"You know I like it MELTED on my burger, right? So you will put it in the microwave if you have to, right? Because that's the way I like cheese on my burger"

"Got it, I know - I like mine the same way, no big deal"

"Do we have bacon?"

"Yes"

"oooooo, can I have a bacon cheeseburger?"

I consider this, and while he's way too slender and I would LOVE to fatten him up just SOME, I say no. Then I quickly reconsider.

"If you eat the same vegetables as me and Daddy I'll let you have a bacon cheeseburger"

"NO!"

"Fine, but I'm tellin' ya... tomatoes and cucumber are REALLY EASY to like. Especially with Ranch dressing - it's good!"

"No way!"

"fine"

This is a favorite, simple, easy salad to prepare - perfect in the summer. Sometimes I'll sprinkle feta cheese on it. More often though I will have it with Ranch dressing. This night though, my husband sprinkled Montreal Steak Seasoning on it. I know the kids would actually LIKE this if they gave it a chance.

Another thing... I recently learned this "trick". Keep bacon in the freezer, well wrapped up. When you just need a little bit - a little does add plenty of flavors, you just need to take it out of the freezer and slice off a few small strips that would equal an inch or so... that would equal about 1-2 slices. and the rest goes right back into the freezer. These little pieces of bacon are called lardons a French word for... little strips of fat ! and I thank Melissa D'Arabian for sharing this tip on her show. I'm curious to know whether she is getting a 2nd season for her show - which I like A LOT. I like HER. Her recipes are good and exactly as good as they appear.

Confronting my Jr. High School Bully at the High School Reunion

2009-09-30T19:21:00.000-05:00

Very recently I went to my 20 year high school reunion. I had an absolutely great time talking with so many people. It was just awesome! I was moving around a lot, talking to a lot of different people. I was even told I wasn't “Where's Waldo” I was “Where's Kim” because I was very much everywhere.

At a certain point in the middle of the reunion I saw a familiar face. He's actually the person in the room I had the longest history with as we were even in the same preschool together. We could even walk to each other’s houses in elementary school by cutting through the woods. I can remember being in tiffs with him as a kid. Once I threw a rock at him from my front porch and hit him on the head (!!!) as he was riding his bike on the street. He told on me and I remember my dad lecturing us both about getting along better.

So – there he is. I recognize him and there's recognition in his face too. I approach him with a big smile because IT IS FUN to run into people from your past.

“Hey I'm Kim Cushman, remember me?” He replies he does and he's somewhere between a real smile and a grin. The chit-chat is only going one way as he’s not really saying much. So I asked him, “do you want to hear about who you were to me?” My eyebrows go up, I want to give him an out. I even tell him this isn’t a good story. If someone doesn’t want to hear it, they don’t need to have it forced on them. He says he does.

I begin by informing him that I absolutely do not think he is the same person NOW that he was 25+ years ago. I just don’t. I almost see that as impossible. And so I remind him of when he assaulted me in the 8th grade.

Back then, even at 13 years old I had boobs. I sat next to him in a Math class and I can remember him harassing me every day before class began. He would tease me that my boobs weren’t real, that I was stuffing my bra. He went further with claiming I used water balloons in my bra. He called me ‘Water Balloons’. Then the day he went too far he said he was going to pop one of the water balloons and he JABBED me HARD in the breast with a sharp pencil. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can clearly see this as a form of assault now, but then… I just don’t remember what happened next. I know it hurt. I was stunned. I was embarrassed because his taunts always drew attention. But I have no memory of what happened after that. I suspect he got in trouble because he absolutely did not bother me again in junior high. In high school I don’t recall even being in the same room as him. This incident wasn’t forgotten but I didn’t think much of it either. It generally comes to mind when I hear about kids tormenting other kids, and just how awful junior high school can be (I think I have a good story to support that!)

So, here we are face to face at the reunion. We are in our late 30’s now and while I’m not seeking an apology or anything from him… I’m thinking he can and will at least ACKNOWLEDGE THIS HAPPENED! And he’s not acknowledging it; he’s saying he doesn’t remember. But his eyes and his grin absolutely say otherwise. I tell him “bullshit, you remember” but again he grins and says he doesn’t.

I am so not buying this from him, and while I’m expecting nothing from him – I presumed he would at least acknowledge what he did. And he wasn’t acknowledging anything.

I, gently but firmly, punch him in the chest “I owe you a pencil jab HERE” and I’m hitting him with every word. Again, this isn’t hard, just firm. He kinda laughs. I repeat it, still hitting him in his upper chest, “THIS is what I owe you”. He’s not going to say a thing. I do this a third time “I fucking owe you a fucking pencil jab HERE” with every word I’m hitting him. (Have I stressed enough, I’m not clobbering him, but I firmly have my fist on his chest). He’s grinning, this is amusing to him. I realized this whole pseudo-conversation was for the birds, it absolutely wasn’t going anywhere… I think I said something to that effect and I walked away from him.

WHAT AN AMAZING FEELING AFTERWARDS!!!!! OMG! I was absolutely high on this story for the next 36 hours. The phrase “living well is the best revenge” came to mind and it sums up this story for me. I am ONE THOUSAND TIMES the better person than him. I approached him with friendliness. My spirit was light the entire time, I knew I was strong and powerful, totally confident. I was kind to him. I gave him a chance to not even hear this from me. If he had something to say to me, I have no idea how I could have made it easier for him. Yet he didn’t. He is just a small person, probably just the same small person he was 25 years ago that felt he had to harass and assault someone else just so he could feel bigger and better about himself. I can’t help but think I showed the exact opposite of that, and that makes me the bigger person.

Ooo! la la...

2009-09-30T10:22:00.000-05:00

I absolutely want to, NEED to, HAVE TO

BLOG MORE!

I just have too much stuff rolling around in my head that I want to get OUT of my head and have it firmly land someplace else. I guess this is what "needing an outlet" is about. I never thought of myself in terms like that before, but here I am.

So to start this blog (again, for the 27th time... ) an Ooooo la la kind of post. I won't say anything directly but I will let your mind wander.

I had a most shitty night of sleep last night. I was simply wide awake from 3:15 until 5-ish something. Last night I wasn't feeling too well and easily could have fallen asleep at 8pm. But noooooo... I stayed up until 11, and didn't exactly fall RIGHT asleep. And then this business with being so awake for so long. Ugh. It just sucked. There were and ARE things I want to do today that being ALERT and PERKY is all but mandatory. I have a quiz for a math class and I wanted to go rollerblading inline skating. No skating today, I will just take it easy and NOT nap. I want to be sure that I get a good night sleep tonight.

It was the chilliest it has been this fall, definitely time to put an extra blanket on the bed. The big thick extra blanket, and only on MY side of the bed, I don't know how The Husband does it. Oh well.

So, as I'm first up with the kids getting them ready for school, I'm wearing my morning dress. But I don't wear that out of the house. I knew I wanted lounge wear for the morning. So I dug out my flannel pajamas to walk to the bus stop in. My neighbors wear long pajamas to the bus stop, so why can't I (finally?) So I did.

And as I was getting dressed I couldn't help but think - it seems a little bit weird to get out of bed and THEN put on pajamas...
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do you see the ooo la la factor there?

How's this for a bad day?

2009-09-16T12:24:00.000-05:00

So I missed class today. I have never missed class for a bullshit reason before, but it's a very rainy day here in Middle Tennessee, POURING actually more than just raining. So I swung by the kids school to drop off (what else... money) and I make my way to my school. I have a choice of 2 routes, I chose one and head north.

Why is there traffic on this road at this time of day in this direction? It really made no sense until you realize that the dump truck in the middle turn lane with his dumper thing mid-way in the air has pulled down power lines which are laying in the road and people are driving across them. So just as I'm realizing this situation, the fire truck comes up behind me. I stop where I am to let him get to where he's going. The car in front of me goes past, over the wires... the fire truck then COMPLETELY BLOCKS the road right in front of me. I dont' have time for this. I just quickly turn myself around to get myself back on the other route I could have been on! On THAT route I get stuck in FUNERAL traffic. It's pouring down rain, traffic is heavy for 9:40 in the morning!!!

I realize I'm going to be late, so late it isn't even worth going, I can make better use of my time AT HOME... and then I come across another traffic jam in the form of a stalled vehicle blocking the road.

FATE! I CAN TAKE THE HINT.

but then I get home... and the home network is being an asshole again. So I do the sure thing as advised by the Comcast guy late yesterday, I unplug the router from the modem and directly connect my desktop to the modem. ITS A SURE THING. yeah right. Then nasty messages showed up that are beyond me in my networking knowledge. and I have NO connection whatsoever. So I reboot... and even more nasty messages and still no connection.

So I **finally** get on the phone for a conversation that includes the phrase "I need help, come to my house"... they're coming out this afternoon.

Well, I'm slob. A REAL SLOB. So I start cleaning up the computer area so I'm not embarassed. I ended up unplugging EVERYTHING, vacuuming around and under everything in that area. I plug everything back in. And VOILA! Things are working again. no error messages. But I'm still not trusting anything and will still have someone come out this afternoon.

O

M

G

I am a college student

2009-08-15T21:07:00.002-05:00

I really am. I'm at a state community college before I transfer to the state university. I live at home.. ha ha... I'm married with two kids, of course I live at home!

So, the other day I was leaving the grocery store and I let the young guy carry my groceries to my car. Yes, Shopping Is A Pleasure at Publix. I'm a chatty person, so I blathered on about yay - the kids are back in school, we had a fun summer... blah blah blah...

Then I mentioned how joyful it was going to be to tell the kids that I was playing MarioKart during the day. That kind of news burns them up to a mild degree, and its just fun to rub it in slightly.

Then this young guy and I start talking about MarioKart. I'm really talking up the game with him and we're each sharing playing tips, comparing goals (mine is currently to get a One Star Ranking in all 50cc Class races, his is to get THE BEST possible time for each race). I mentioned watching MarioKart races on Youtube helps a lot and he totally reiterated this and heavily reccommended watching World Records... I gotta remember to do that, he said it was just CRAZY, INSANE crazy at how fast they go. Cool.

I asked if he was in college because he was totally the age to be in college and he totally had the this-is-a-summer-job kind of vibe about him. Yes, he goes to a private university not far from my community college. So then we compared start of class dates, cuz I knew the start dates of other schools in the area. We talked some about what we were studying for... but I can't remember what, or even if he said what he was studying. When I said I was going for a Math degree, he was quick to ask if I was going to teach. Not too many people actually get a Math degree and not teach with it.

Through all this conversation this guy DID seem to be into the topics we were discussing and it would have totally have been a blast to keep talking with him... but alas, he was at work and I had groceries sitting in a warm vehicle.

I couldn't help be think afterwards - I AM SOOOOO VERY MUCH A COLLEGE STUDENT. I'm 38, married, two kids... and I play Wii and I'm really looking forward to my two pre-calculus classes this fall.

Thought Processes

2009-08-14T12:33:00.003-05:00

Often enough I come across ideas and things that I just don't understand... I assume these things have a purpose but the thought process behind them is what eludes me.

For one, on Twitter about once a week I get an email letting me know that so-and-so is now following me on Twitter. Yay, I think because I have a whole whopping 8 people following me so any increase is exciting. But then I go see who this is and it's a chick who on her Twitter has something like "I want you to rip my pants off and bend me over and fuck me hard" yeahhh like that's going to happen. But then I wonder about the 700 followers she has and she only has THAT ONE tweet. I presume these are all male. So, the thought process I'm thinking here is... "oh yeah... I'm cool, she wrote that to ME, she wants me, I'd do her in a second." ... is this the thought process that this wanna-be Twitter porn star relying on? is this what losers really think? If so, I wonder how much money they've lost to those emails that promise to increase their manhood - guaranteed.

And then after blocking that unsolicited Twitter follower, I started thinking about various thought processes. I was reminded of this little-itty-bitty chapel near Lebanon, KS where the Geographic Center of the lower 48 States. I was there this summer and there's a stacked stone monument with a flagpole on top. It's in a tiny park-like setting and there's a little chapel there. I had read something about it before going there - it's been there since the begining and was destroyed not too long ago (a few years ago at most? and goodness! I did a search to find out more about this and holy smokes! There are A LOT of tiny tiny churches... I had no idea this was a 'thing' - tiny churches link ).

So, to get back on topic here... so there's this chapel at the location of the Geographic Center of the lower 48.... WHY? Is the thought process behind the organization that put the church there and maintains it this.... "people will be so moved by their location, or perhaps this feeling can happen anywhere at anytime - it's God calling you - that they want THEIR church there to be the first to guide you into what is presumably their Christian beliefs." This makes a little more sense or at least is a bit more palatable than the Twitter porn.

I admit I have plenty of my own personal screwed up thought processes. My family has fun making up other thought processes for odd things we see. Lately we've gone on an odd-ball angle with things just to REALLY get a good laugh out of this game.

Summer Begins

2009-05-21T21:20:00.003-05:00

I really need to get this blog going again. I have so many thoughts run through my head throughout the day - THOSE THOUGHTS just need to go somewhere.

So, I just placed an order on Amazon.com - some scribble/drawing/activity books for the kids (and me) plus ANOTHER Calculus book and I got Infinite Jest.

I'm going to do the Infinite Summer online book club - here. Infinite Jest is supposed to be a mother of book (around 1,000 pages) but really really good reading. The Infinite Summer is supposed to be from June 21 to September 22 and at the number of pages divided by 93 days, that's only 75 pages a week. So... we'll see. I know I've read about this book before and was intrigued - so this summer will be it. I'll have a group to do it with. Again, we'll see.

I'm totally the pessimist lately. ugh.

Ticketmaster is a freakin' joke. Good Lord!!! It's been years and years since I actually went to any kind of show held at a Ticketmaster place - the service fees were nearly 44% of the total ticket price! Give me a fucking break! Internet sales are supposed to be cheaper. Yeah, its not entirely cheap to run an internet operation - but I am disgusted by what they charge.

If this wasn't for an artist I've been listening to for 10+ years, and never caught her when she was in town playing smaller venues... I would have skipped this. But Neko Case is playing the Ryman ... I really should have caught her earlier.

Oh! Summer has started because the kids are out of school now. I miss my freedom. I need a babysitter. Everything I say to the kids during the day gets argued about. Then in the early evening they come around and realize I actually made some sense... and by this point I'm totally worn down from the arguing, I don't give a damn at this point. But then as I'm going downhill, the kids are having a marvelous time because of the wonderful things they just realized about their day they can now take advantage of... ain't life grand? I hope my kids can look back on this time and NOT wonder why mommy left the country when they both become young adults.

Crankiness

2009-01-17T12:14:00.002-06:00

I really have no idea what is wrong with me - other than not being on a beach with margaritas being poured for me and nachos or any kind of cheesy chip dish is all aplenty and I don't have to share any of it.

I think I was fine when I woke up. As we were getting ready to take the daughter to cheerleading this morning, she pissed me off when she wouldn't let me FIX her skirt. She's actually trying to button it while I'm trying to unbutton it so I can re-secure a pin that HAD been in place, because I bought her skit about 1 size too big so that I wouldn't have to buy another $40 skirt the NEXT year. I got mad and yelled her and said that the skirt was HER PROBLEM if she wasn't going to let me fix it and I was no longer interested in fixing her skirt. Why does that child insist so much on looking raggedy? ugh

At the basketball game - the ref's ALWAYS blow their whistle louder than what is REALLY NEEDED. ugh - but then there were these 2 little girls who where allowed to sit up on the top row of the bleachers, mom and dad were to our left and 2 rows down from us. These girls did nothing but go up and down. and up and down, and up and down, and down and up and down and up again. Over and Over and Over and Over. It was driving me nuts!!!! At one point before the game even started - The Son starts talking to me about SimCity, and then at the same time The Husband starts talking to me about the teams that are playing. WTF!!!!! I can not and will not listen to two people talk to me at the same time, so I stop them. And of course I manage to offend The Husband because he feels that I should have KNOWN he didn't know I was listening to The Son... as if WHY wouldn't he hear The Son talking, he's right there on my other side!!!!!!!!!! Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Then at the basketball game some electronic device started beeping. It wasn't me, it seemed to be coming from the guy one row down and to our right. It just kept beeping. No one looked for it, so no one found it and it just kept beeping. There was a foul shot and the crowd seriously hushed, and at that point a few people looked around for the beeping. Because it was still beeping. Even as the game was over and we're getting up to leave - it was still beeping. Ugh, That was actually a bit milder kind of aggravation.

The son kept making noises... groaning repetitive sounds - I told him people who are mentally disturbed make sounds like that and should I worry that he is mentally disturbed? He wouldn't quit doing it!!! And then he started laying down on the bleacher row and doing that... ugh!! So I had to get really cranky at him so he would stop doing that!

We get home, and the husband is annoyed because he had to open the door for me. He was heading right out to get his haircut and I didn't bring my keys. Hell, I don't even bring a purse, a wallet or anything other than my cell phone which I like to play with .

Then the daughter calls a friend of hers - and OF ALL THE ROOMS IN THE HOUSE why does she have to have this conversion in the room I'm in??? There's no reason. So I chased her out. And then her friends mom is going to come pick her up. They live about a 4 minute walk away just up the street a wee-little bit. Ugh. So we're waiting waiting waiting, "when did she say she was coming?" "in 10 minutes" so about 20 minutes later they're here, and The Daughter still doesn't have her shoes on which I had suggested she do, so she would be ready to walk out the door. So of course she kept her friend and friends mom waiting. So freakin' lame! There was no reason for that waiting to occur.

Then the Son gets pissed off at me and whiny because I'm not giving him Wii-time. I explained to him that he needs to DO something, DO something ACTIVE - because playing with the Wii is something to do AFTER you've done something with your day. Your day is NOT going to be about playing on the Wii - SO GO DO SOMETHING!!!!!!!

I finally have a chance to sit down and take a closer look at my online classes, and one of the systems is moving MASSIVELY SLOW. Really, I would nearly forget what I was going to look at on a page by the time it finished loading up. It was so slow!!!! It still is. and I'm mad at it. So I'm venting away here on blogger. And I've also scrolled through other blogs too. Too many weren't in English, and so many others were done by people who feel compelled to blog everyday whether there was something worthwhile to write about or not. I am not one of those kinds of bloggers. I make sure I have a POINT in what I write. THIS posting is just a bitch session, I understand. The Husband is home now and I will go to the gym in a little while. I should eat something first, then wait about 30 minutes - then go. The rest of the family and just freakin' figure out what to do without me.

Cha-ching! Cha-ching! It's OUT-GO!

2009-01-15T11:12:00.003-06:00

The first two weeks in this household have just been fabulous.

The Husbands car starts stalling out, its overdue for a few maintenance things, so he takes it into the dealership for service. Something with what used to be the carburetor but this is a turbo engine, so whatever that is called now, that plus the maintenance servicing - over $1000.

Then a tube under the kitchen sink develops a tiny tiny hole and it sprays out a fine mist in the cabinent under the sink. We turn off the cold water to remedy the problem until the weekend when The Husband replaces that pipe-like thing. In the meantime, no cold water. Then the day after that pipe-thing-tube-thing is replaced, the Husband BREAKS off the handle to the faucet. It's been drippy drippy for months, and you can kind of tighten it back up by hand, and I guess he got a little ambitious with his tightening, and broke the damned thing off. So - YAY! We got a new faucet - $80 and a few scraped knuckles as he's inexeperienced with these things.

Then the desktop computer in the living room gets infected with a trojan. There's no restore points on the thing - so it needs to get rebuilt. I was referred to a great guy who was able to take care of this for us. He rebuilt the machine and loaded all sorts of good stuff on to it. Nice! That was $136.42 ($30/hour plus new restore disks from HP for $16.42, as the previously partioned recovery drive was wiped away by a PREVIOUS rebuild)

Then, thinking bad luck comes in 3's (hahahahahahhah) the HVAC people come out for the previously (months ago) scheduled heating unit maintenance check. And this is basically the FIRST time this has ever happened. It was always only looked at when something wasn't working, and so that is where the attention would go. Probably never before were the heat exchangers checked. And one is VERY RUSTY. No sign of holes or cracks, but they're coming. And we now have a Carbon Monoxide Detector in the house because that heat exchanger is in very VERY IFFY condition. So, the Husband decided a new furnace is in our future, it's 20 years old. And we'll take care of the 31 year old air conditioning unit as well. Yee-haw! We know how to spend money! That'll be in the THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

I feel like I'm missing something.... and there is something... its just not coming to mind quite yet.

Classes started today for me. I've fired up the Back to School Kim blog so that should be fun. I really really hope I don't get any asswipe instructors this semester.

Kim's Texas Caviar

2009-01-12T08:48:00.009-06:00

I have never ever ever posted a recipe on my blog before. Since I'm doing alright so far this year with eating more healthfully... I thought I would share a favorite nosh of mine. This is snack material for me, and its been part of my breakfast before also (I really detest most breakfast foods that aren't omelets with bacon, cheese, sausage and more bacon and cheese). I've been working out pretty good this year so far as well, and I've even started up my losekimlose blog again. Yay me.

Kim's Texas Caviar

adapted from epicurious.com and The Cowgirl Hall of Fame Restaurant

3 16-oz cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed of all juice
1 small jar chopped pimentos, juice included
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, green part only
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce or other hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
3 fresh jalapeño chiles, chopped
1 firm, ripe, chopped tomato
2/3 cup Newman's Own Olive Oil Vinegar (or your vinaigrette of choice)
1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, pressed or minced

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. You'll love this on a tortilla chip as soon as its made - but it only gets better with time as things marinate. I've heard some people run this through the food processor and make this a smooth dip for chips, and eating this with saltine crackers is suggested in the original recipe.

I deviate from the original in that I used dried oregano, I swap parsley for cilantro and I cut WAAAYYY back on the amount of vinaigrette.

Enjoy. All two of you that read my blog semi-regularly. Thanks Liam and Jazzy.

What's all that crap in my hair?

2009-01-04T17:56:00.001-06:00

Is what I asked myself as I washed my hands in the bathroom. There was serious glinty stuff in the front of my hairline...

I changed the angle of how I was holding my head, and OMG...

That's just a bunch of silver hair.

Calm Focused Determination

2009-01-03T11:39:00.004-06:00

Calm Focused Determination is my mantra for 2009. My words to live by and guide me through this year.

I don't make New Years Resolutions on New Years Day. I make resolutions on my birthday, for some reason it just felt more right that way. I'll do resolutions for ME for a year, I'm not doing resolutions for a year for me just to be doing them. There is just a slight difference in the order of those words... but really, it comes down to me making resolutions for ME and my year begins on my birthday.

For the new year, I've created a mantra... and this year is Calm Focused Determination.

Calm, because everyone can benefit from more calmness in their life. I've been experiencing some anxiety lately (although NOT since I left NJ). Meditation has many many benefits including boosting your immune system, sleeping better, decrease stress, boost creativity, improve mood and will help me study. (Jeeze... listing these all out, makes me want to go get my headphones and listen to a program NOW). But anyhow. This year I want to make a point to do this at least once a day. It really does makes a difference - a BIG difference and will completely help me with the other two elements of my manta.

Focused - What I'm setting out to do this year will definitely involve multi-tasking. I'm a mom, a wife, a student, a friend, a volunteer - and I'm rather selfish about doing things FOR ME as well. I totally have to be organized with my time to accomplish everything and it really isn't that hard AS LONG AS I REMAIN FOCUSED. I can not afford to be scatterbrained, I must remain focused and calm. I always had this picture in my head as to what multitasking met. I imagine a shooting game at a carnival, or I guess skeet shooting would work as well. You have your gun, and you follow your target (task) in the sights, and you focus focus focus on that and BAM! you pull the trigger and its that easy (task is done). And you can do this one right after another, Bam! Bam! Bam! Knocking out tasks is JUST LIKE THIS. It really can be done. And as I've read in a book about overcoming procrastinating, very often the tasks we put off are the one we don't like - but they don't take nearly as long as we think they will. So, anyways... there are many aspects to being Focused.

Determination - I have numerous things I intend on achieving this year. I'm a student, I intend on continuing to be a kick-ass student - that will take determination. I want to lose weight this year and get kick-ass fit so I can go climb a mountain 14,410 feet high someday. Determination involves setting goals and breaking those goals down into smaller steps to conquer. I guess I'm an optimist, I really do think anything is possible, you just have to be determined enough to go out and make it happen. I have that fire within me, I CAN MAKE THE LIFE I WANT HAPPEN. Waiting for it to happen to me isn't the way to get it. You have to happen to IT.

My Blog so far

2008-12-30T20:03:00.002-06:00

from http://www.wordle.net/

Notes from the Road

2008-12-28T20:10:00.003-06:00

Today's travel from Grandma's house in North Jersey will take us 560 miles to Baboursville West Virginia. Ugh... long day. I'm not entirely sure why The Husband has us going so far today. This is more than just a little bit more than halfway. The going has been going fine. We've taken 78 out of New Jersey, then down 81 to 68 which took us all along through Maryland to West Virginia.

West Virginia really blows - especially at this time of day. West Virginia if you didn't know is all mountains - all except for 2 counties in the very east. So mountains mean the roads won't be straight. And its late in the afternoon, and the sun is low. So about every 3 seconds the sun is in your eyes from a new angle. This is in my top ten pet peeves for sure.

Other things to note:

Road Kill. and I'm not looking. Up until recently I've always looked. and looked hard. I wanted to see what I could identify. Now (in the last few months) I think its just gross and I won't look at all.

I think this will be the fourth time I've spent the night in West Virginia. We've stayed in Charleston once before. And I think we've stayed in Wheeling twice.

Intense cravings for Mexican Food. This occurs just about every time I return from New Jersey. I don't know why. Certainly I've spent other weeks away from home and I don't crave Mexican nearly as much as I do when leaving New Jersey. Maybe Italian is the opposite of Mexican food for me? I dunno... so we're having Mexican for dinner tonight. Yay. The Husband doesn't really care for Mexican dinner out but he's obliging me. If today were just a few notches stressful, then I would actually allow myself to have NACHOS for DINNER. I don't think I'll do that tonight. But we'll see. Who knows? there's 59.6 miles left to go. Things could really go downhill for us.

We just tried our first attempt at a "book on tape" of course its actually an mp3. It was something about the science of Christmas from Audible. I have numerous episodes of This American Life. There's a few I would like to play tomorrow.

________________________________________________

Final mental image for tonight: after dinner (Los Mariachis, chimichangas) we all went to the pool. I cut out early and went to the room to shower. I got there though and realized the toiletries bag is in the van. What to do what to do what to do... ? So over my wet swimsuit I put on my new Lands End fleece jacket and on my feet are my Ugg-knockoff boots. :D and I went outside, it's 41 degrees out and my swimsuit is wet. I didn't see anyone... so I'm reasonably certain no one saw chubby me. Even the front desk guy wasn't there - he was probably in the back and probably was watching a security camera... oh well. He seemed like a laid back dude. Me in boots and my swimsuit is probably NOT the most exciting or odd thing he's ever seen working the front desk. He really needs to get out of West Virginia if that is the case.

I might go back out there to get my vodka. I've got cups, ice and cranberry juice here in the room.... we'll see... it'll be bra-less me in my pj's and boots and fleece jacket and wet hair...

Anxiety

2008-12-27T15:44:00.001-06:00

What. the. Hell?

and

WHY?

For the better part of the last 3 days I've been experiencing anxiety. I feel it in my upper chester/lower throat area. It almost feels difficult to breath. I'm coughing more because I feel like I need to clear my airway more.

This is so not fun.

If I knew where my headphones were I'd go try a self hypnosis relaxation program. In fact, I should go look for an anti-anxiety program specifically.

Anxiety isn't a complete stranger to me. But three days in a row of this feeling isn't fun. I think I can honestly say I *might* have 3 incidents of this feeling in a YEAR. and I had a round of this feeling a few weeks ago for an afternoon. Ugh...

I can totally understand A DRINKING PROBLEM. A cocktail (or two) would totally take the edge off this feeling.

For now, I'm just going to DEAL WITH IT. I'll make some attempts at relaxing more, becoming aware of what could be triggering this. If not, I dunno... I'll call my doc and ask for some advice. Jumping into therapy seems to be more than what I need. Meds I'm not too cool on... but what the hell? I can not keep living life with this GIGANTIC LUMP OF PRESSURE BELOW MY THROAT.

Christmas 2008 Travels Day One

2008-12-19T20:23:00.003-06:00

By 10 am: I’m bored. The husband doesn’t want to listen to music too loudly. He’s probably said at least 20 times so far “not so loud please” when and if I touch a volume knob. There’s more State Troopers out than I can recall seeing in past years. My seat feels warm for some reason. The kids have only bickered mildly ONCE at this point. We’ve been driving now for 2 hours and 18 minutes. Gary (GPS) has been doing his job. Our average moving speed at this point is 65.5 and max is 81.7 – better watch out honey!!! Hahah.

Lunch was at a Subway. Lila suggested Subway, the rest of us agreed to it. I’m seriously considering an attempt at a NO FRENCH FRY ROAD TRIP. We’ll see how it goes. If I simply don’t go to fast food restaurants that serve fries it’ll be no problem. We can do Subway, Quizno’s and Taco Time. The kids haven’t been bickering at all still. OMG! I rewarded them with some Jelly Belly’s. The Son decided he didn’t like them – too many weird flavors for him – so I had some leftover Dove bars from Halloween still in my backpack. I gave one to him with the warning “it’s been in my backpack for nearly 2 months..." The Husband asked for one as well and neither of them complained. I’m here with my laptop as I’ve just attempted to set up a Bluetooth connection with my phone to use it as a modem for my laptop. It didn’t work. I quit trying before I really got stressed – I’ll troubleshoot this issue at the hotel tonight (certainly the hotel will have free internet… dang… I’m not sure I brought a network cable… so it better be wi-fi.)

Evening: well this afternoon the car radio died. It was actually on a radio station and it went out. The whole stereo is just deader than dead. It did eject the CD and the cassette adapter for the mp3 player. We checked the fuses (well The Husband did) and that didn’t seem to help anything. The Husband wanted me to call a dealership and ask them all his questions. Ugh. THAT scenario never goes well. And he refused to talk to them himself, even if I put my phone on speakerphone. Ugh. So I sulked for while, he sulked for a while and then he suggested I call and find out how late they will be open as it was 4pm local time at this point. I called, talked to a very nice receptionist and she thought it would be better to have me talk to a technician. He was very nice also and since the eject button worked that indicated that there was power and thus not an electrical problem. It is likely a stereo problem and he’d be happy to order me a new radio which would be there in 3-4 days - thanks but no thanks. Sooo… we’ll deal with this when we get to NJ.

Despite my fervent hope that staying at our hotel tonight would be a service van that did mobile audio repair work – and they were feeling guilty about something, and WANTED to fix my stereo and COULD and they would do it for FREE… this didn’t happen. In fact the hotel parking lot seemed almost eerily sparse… it is seemingly very new… but still. Their wi-fi doesn’t work like they said it would and I’m too lazy to ask the front desk – so I’m on another free network, belonging to Ramada.

Rainy Day Lemonade

2008-12-11T12:18:00.002-06:00

It's cold, it's wet, snow/rain/mix is the forecast, the wind is blowing. It is definitely a stay inside kind of day. So what do you do when life hands you lemons? You make lemonade!

I decided last night I would make a beef stew for dinner - good ole hearty American beef stew - carrots, potato, onion, chunks of falling apart beef, delicious broth... mmm!!! and it would totally make my kitchen smell great. I got this all together and in the crock pot by 10am this morning.

By 8am, I had a starter going for rolls. I made these rolls for Thanksgiving and they are OMG good. I promised myself that when classes were out I would make bread at least once a week. So here I am... making Rose Levy Beranbaum's Butter Dipper Rolls from The Bread Bible cookbook. A starter is really THE way to go with yeast breads. It gives more flavor, its so easy to make - it only really requires some planning/thinking ahead. It will be worth it - believe me.

The Husband really doesn't like artificial scents - it has stopped me from wearing perfume, but it hasn't stopped me from burning scented candles when he's not home. So the living room smells like something holiday related, Peppermint Swirl from Yankee Candle. Later this afternoon the candle will go away so as the bread gets going, THAT aroma will fill the house.

I've started reading Wally Lamb's new book, The Hour I First Believed and so far I'm enjoying it. I'm curled up on the couch with a blanket, sipping my creamy hazelnut coffee, reading a good book, seeing a candle dance in the corner of my eye. I know I have a super yummy dinner basically already made....

THIS is what cold wet days are supposed to be like. What's NOT to like?

Smiling Big - Smiling Proud

2008-12-09T17:37:00.005-06:00

Sooooo... this afternoon was my last final. It was for photography and expected to be a relatively light-weight final. I had totally paid attention in class and made sure I listened to every word the instructor said about the final. I ended up with a 97. Not too bad. As this was 30% of my grade, and I'm probably at 90% for 50% of my grade, and the other misc. I'm probably at a high 90's kind of grade. I'm CERTAIN I'm getting an A in that class.

I got a surprise A in my literature class. This was a total, OMG kind of moment. First, on our final - it was all essay - I got a 100!!!! OMG!!!!! This was completely unexpected. I also got more points on the discussion part of our grade than anticipated. So I went to work adding up all my points. OMG! For an A, I needed something above 900 points... and the final tally for my points for this class? 903. Yessiree! I'm getting an A in that class.

My Precalc class will be a nail biter. I only needed a 75 on the final to get an A in the class. Overconfident of my abilities I didn't study as well I as I should have. I didn't bomb my final, but I didn't do as well as I hoped I would. I'm trying not to think about it much. I need to email the instructor to find out how I did on the final. I almost want to tell him, "if its below 74, don't let me know - I can just pretend you didn't get my email"... ugh. I should just face this tomorrow. I will.

So, I was expecting 2 B's and 2 A's a few weeks ago according to early number crunching and realistic expectations... but that still maybe the case (if there's a flip flop with the previously anticipated grades between Precalc and Literature), but I'm hoping HOPING that I'll have 3 A's and 1 B. I hate this waiting.

Since Finals are now ALL OVER for me. I am feeling so relieved and it shows on my face, I can't stop smiling!!!! We're having beer and pizza for dinner - and spinach salad. I was at the grocery store earlier and I overheard a woman asking two guys who work there where the beer was. I actually butted in... "I'm sorry, did I hear you say BEER? I'm headed to the beer aisle right now!!! Follow me!!" and I couldn't have smiled more. And I told her all about my dinner tonight that will be pizza and beer - since I'm a college student. Finals are over, so beer and pizza is how I'm celebrating, beer and pizza this and beer and pizza that - I was a regular motor mouth.

Oh! and I also got wine to go with the pizza. And I got cranberry/pomegranate juice to go with the Vodka I bought the other week. And I already have premade Mojito mix in the fridge. I could very well drink myself into a coma tonight!!!

Nope - can't do that! I'm 5 days away from the next Survivor Finale... then I can drink myself into a coma. ;)

5 things

2008-12-02T21:25:00.004-06:00

What were you doing 10 years ago?

I had my first child, who was about 1 month old at this point. Things were going fine, sure I was tired but before the tough time was really over, I grew used to being sleep deprived and I actually missed that feeling when it was gone. I got Comcast internet - we've been high-speed for 10 years now! (wow) and I remember discovering Epicurious.com - my absolute favorite source for recipes, 10 years ago this month also - it was just a day or two after I got Comcast internet.

What were you doing 1 year ago?

I was down to my last week and a half at the Symphony. I actually gave a months notice - I so did not want to be a jerk as I left. It was probably finals time about a year ago also, but I only had 2 classes going. OH!!!!!! I scored a 100% on my Math final. Yeah, it was a remedial class and I actually tested into a higher level class... but this really was the absolute highpoint of my "1 year ago"

Five Snacks You Enjoy

low salt Triscuits with cheddar cheese
tortilla chips
peanuts
Payday candy bar
Fritos - if I've allowed them in the house

Five Songs That You Know All The Lyrics

just about anything by Robbie Fulks
just about anything by Lyle Lovett
"Material Girl" Madonna
"I'm Too Sexy" Right Said Fred
"Operate" Peaches

* last three on gym mp3 playlist

Five Things You Would Do If You were a Millionaire

Assuming this was the after-tax amount,

I would no longer go into debt for school, and very possibly BUY my way into Vanderbilt University (or whatever it takes)
Have several extremely cool vacations per year (I'm seeing the world baby!!)
Get that Nissan Murano I've had my eye on for years now
Possibly buy a new house
Invest so that I have a pile of "fun" money for the rest of my life, but I would still work (this is only a million dollars... )

Five Bad Habits

eating junk food when stressed
procrastinating what I really hate to do
tuning out my husband and kids sometimes
not returning emails
checking bank account online obsessively because I otherwise don't balance my account

Five Things You Would Never Wear

anything less than a C-cup bra (even when I do lose the weight I need to!)
weird-ass bright colors as eye makeup
my husbands underwear
a Christmas sweater
a dress with a lace collar - think "going to church" dress

Five Favorite Toys

My laptop
My Cell Phone
My Camera
My DVR - looking for shows, watching shows... Comcast OnDemand...
my cat - he amuses me, he's so playful!!

As I don't understand the "tagging" part of meme's and I certainly don't have enough friends to pester with this sort of thing, I'm not tagging anyone... I find these, I love reading others, so I do them myself. (If you would like to be tagged, just ask - I'll add the tag - but you have to ask, in writing)

I know - total loser who has nothing else to post on her blog right? Well, tonight that is true.

Bogle vs. Boggle

2008-11-28T19:40:00.008-06:00

My last name is Bogle. That's pronounced like B-OHHHH-gul ...long O sound folks, and there really isn't an emphasis on anything but maybe the "Bo", and only slightly at that. It's a Scotch-Irish surname, and the word OGRE and Bogle have similar origins. I married into the name, my ancestry is just about ALL English. (I probably couldn't BE more white).

I have a few friends on Facebook who I play a regular game of Scramble with. Kent H. is my favorite because neither one of us clobbers the other person; we pretty much take turns politely beating the other person. It's very pleasant.

So I'm playing Kent - these are timed rounds. I have about 15 seconds left in my turn and THE Husband comes in to pour me more wine (isn't he the greatest?). He asks what I'm doing. I reply:

"I'm playing Scramble, it's like Boggle... or wait, I should call it Bogle since when telemarketers call, they call me Mrs. Boggle. So from now on I'll call Boggle, Bogle"

My Mr. Bogle thought that this is entirely appropriate.

"Anything out of a Box or Can"

2008-11-27T14:24:00.005-06:00

That used to be my motto when it came to cooking. This was when I was in my early 20's, very early 20's. I didn't really start to cook well until I was 27 and became a stay-at-home mom. It wasn't the copious amounts of time I had - it was because we didn't have a babysitter and I sorely missed eating out at nice places. So I learned to prepare super tasty meals at home.

As I did my Thanksgiving shopping earlier this week and I noticed all the things in boxes or cans or pre-made that I used to rely on, and a lot I had while growing up.

I realized just how much I make from scratch now - just about all of it!!! Wow! Most of what is in a box or can is no longer appealing to me anymore. The process of making everything is a highlight of my day as well.

Here's a run-down of all that I'm making.

Cranberry sauce - I make my own now. It's made with ginger and curry powder and red wine -super yum!

Stuffing - this always came out of box before. And yes, all other times of the year stuffing comes out of a box, but for Thanksgiving I make my own.

Potatoes - I would mash my own potatoes, well actually I like smashed red potatoes, a little on the chunky side and with the skins still on. I'm not making regular potatoes this year as there are plenty of other starches already being made.

Sweet Potatoes - growing up I really thought these things ONLY came in a can. The first few Thanksgivings I prepared, I used canned sweet potatoes. No thank you now. This year I'm making a Sweet Potato Casserole from a southern cookbook.

Rolls - why wouldn't you have store bought rolls? Ugh... because I bake, and I bake some pretty damned good bread. I'm making rolls today from scratch - I was up at 6:30 getting my dough to ferment. Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Bread Bible is my favorite bread baking cookbook.

Pumpkin Pie - well, even cooking people will tell you to use canned pumpkin - its just easier, better and what you get is more consistent. But I don't make Libby's Pumpkin Pie recipe anymore. Now I kick it up several notches and make a Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake. Even my kids will ask me throughout the year... "you're going to make that cheesecake again for Thanksgiving again, right?" there's a whole whopping 1/2 an ounce of bourbon in it, just enough for a hint of bourbon flavor.

Green Beans - last Christmas I made this spectacular Green Beans with Mushroom Madeira Cream Sauce and OMG! it was goooooooooooooooood! I was going to make that again this year, but silly me forgot to check to see if we had Madeira in the house. We don't, so it'll be green beans with sauteed mushrooms and shallots. More simple, and The Husband will thank me for skipping any cream sauce. He can take all the fun out of eating for Thanksgiving sometimes! and of course these are fresh green beans, nothing out of can.

The Turkey - I have downsized over the years and I just roast a breast - a big one! It's just the four of us for Thanksgiving, so a whole bird is a bit much. I've done my first brine - and I'm a bit nervous. My fingers are crossed - I guess this is the one new thing I'm doing this year.

The only things coming out of a can would be the pumpkin and chicken broth. I need to sample a GOOD homemade chicken broth - mine I'm never impressed with, so I stick with canned. Homemade broths like that... I wonder, just how much flavor is supposed to be in them?? Like I said, I'm just never impressed with own homemade broths.

Well, its time for me to shape my rolls as they should be finished rising for a second time. MMMM!!! These are just going to be fantastic!

Beliefs

2008-11-16T15:04:00.004-06:00

So, as a docent at The Parthenon in Nashville, I do tours for school kids that have a field trip after studying Greek history or whatnot. As I tell the story of the east pediment, The Birth of Athena...

Athena is born from Zeus' head, fully grown and in her armor - prior to this, Zeus swallowed Athena's mother, Metis to get rid of her, but then poor old Zeus came down with a headache after doing this and had his son, Hephaestus, whack him in the head with an ax to relieve the headache pain. This is when Athena popped out... fully grown and wearing her armor...

As you can imagine, the kids eyeballs are about to pop out because this is such weirdness. So I further explain - THIS IS JUST A STORY. A story can be about anything you want it to be, you can write a story where your character defies gravity and only walks on ceilings... IT'S JUST A STORY, anything can happen in a story. And the kids generally understand that and accept this weirdness in Greek mythology. People are not coming to the Parthenon for the deepest understanding of Greek mythology - heck, especially if they see me! I'm still learning, but I've got a lot of the basics down.

So, did the Greeks really BELIEVE this or was this just an explanation they liked very much?

I have my own made up story, that works for me very well because it works - just like the story of Athena's birth very likely worked for the ancient Greeks.

My story and belief is that Gravity is stronger on Mondays. This is why it's harder to get out of bed Monday morning's - gravity is pulling on you more, so it's easier to stay in a reclined position. This is why its harder to move on Monday's - gravity is pulling on you more. Things fall down more on Monday's - because gravity pulls on everything more on Mondays.

I know this isn't true - but it feels very true and I'll keep this as a belief.

Scary Goth Chick

2008-11-09T20:11:00.007-06:00

What you are looking at is a partial screen shot of one of my favorite applications on Facebook. I love Facebook and My City is one of my favorite things to do on Facebook. You build your city by adding various types of citizens to it, and those citizens will add various qualities to your city. You can only add one citizen to each city per day, so in order to grow your city you will need other people to add citizens to your city. The best way to get other people to add to your city is to add to their city.

So here we are, Scary Goth Chick has added to my city. and her add gives my city it's 666th citizen.

WHAT ARE THE ODDS? Is it possible this person really truly has nothing better to do but search for people who are at 665 citizens? So she can be 666?

If you'd like to add to my city :D .... you may do so here http://apps.facebook.com/virtualcity/1502850672/default.aspx but I think you might need to be a part of Facebook already. You do NOT need to be a My City user to add to cities.

"You're one of those who Bagged my class..."

2008-11-07T16:27:00.004-06:00

So about a month ago I dropped a class. I had started the semester with 17 credit hours and a fairly busy schedule outside of school. 17 was probably pushing it a little bit - but that's how I like life to be. Well, one of my classes has a god-awful instructor who is so awful and frustrating to be around (even if it is an online class), HE was sucking up ALL my emotional energy. I would cry weekly, sob every other week because of this guy. Ugh... something had to give in my schedule because too much of me was going to this class.

So I decided to drop another class, Ethics. The online instructor for that class even emailed me after the class to say he was sorry I had to drop, I was doing well in the class. OK.

A week after I drop this class, I get an invitation to join Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) the Honor Society for 2 year colleges. Yay! Yes, officially my GPA is 3.899. And the faculty person in charge of this organization is the instructor whose class I just dropped. I updated my Facebook with something along the lines of "practicing my sheepish grin" because of this scenario.

Well, today was a meeting for PTK, and of course he was there. It was basically a question and answer session - I didn't realize it was for people who hadn't joined yet. Oh well. One of the things I asked about was the PTK website - I personally have only had trouble with it. He immediately went to a computer and said he would check it out, and he asked if I had my member number yet. I said yes, but it was in my email which I didn't have access to. About 10 seconds after I said that I remembered I did in fact have my laptop with me (but in my vehicle). So as things wound down I excused myself from the meeting and went to get my laptop. People were leaving as I was re-entering the building, but Mr. Turner was still there and ready for me to give him my number. He was already at the same login page I had been at, and even for him with my number, he ended up getting nowhere at that site. So he emailed himself a reminder to email someone else in the organization about this issue. He then asked me for my email.

As soon as I said my email (which is my name with a DOT in it) he recognized my name. And he turned around and said "you're one of those who bagged my class... ethics, wasn't it?" and I'm laughing, and then he's horrified that he said BAGGED MY CLASS. and he's trying to apologize and explain the word BAGGED slipped out, and he didn't mean to say it like that. but I'm only laughing and pointing at him.

So explained that yes, I had to drop his class. I explained what I've already explained in this posting. He understood. He even admitted that when he was in school he would always sign up for one more class than he knew he could do, and would then drop the class that bored him the most. And then he said he thought Ethics was tough to do online because there's no class lecture that really helps with the understanding.

For the Spring semester I'm looking at 17 credit hours again. I'll be doing "Art Appreciation" for a Humanities credit rather than Ethics. Yes, I'm expecting that to be a fairly lightweight course... but that will balance well with Calculus I and Chemistry. Both heavy-weight courses.

Parthenon Pictures

2008-10-17T17:14:00.007-05:00

I'm a docent at Nashville's Parthenon. I have a 4 hour shift every other week and I thoroughly enjoy my time there. Well, to be more honest, I love talking to people there. I love giving tours and I only continue to improve with the more tours I do. My last shift there I had 4 tours for a total of about 117 people!! I survived and people give me great feedback and are very appreciative. The last group I had showed up without prior arrangements for a tour and they were so appreciative the person in charge tipped me! Very cool and unexpected, I had actually told him not 5 seconds before he shook my hand with a $10 bill folded into his palm, that I love doing what I do.

OK, I just wanted to illustrate that I spend plenty of time at Nashville's Parthenon, 4 hours every other week. So when my photography class was meeting off-campus for a "field trip" at the Parthenon I was luke-warm about the idea. I was able to make arrangements to get my class inside for free and that was a nice treat for everyone. Once I was in there though, UGH!!!! I couldn't stand looking at Athena anymore!! I took a few pics and moved on. Even the outside I didn't enjoy very much because I just didn't have any creative energy going on at the time. I was also being hyper-critical about all the shots I was taking; if they were less than the quality than would be made into a postcard, then I just wasn't happy with it (no high standards there, huh?).

For my class I had to submit 5 pictures from our time there and I had 3 I really liked and 2 that were more than okay. Surprise to me when three of those pics were very well received by the class!! The instructor had good things to say about 2/3 the three, but 3 of them were strongly liked by other people in the class.

One thing to know about me in this class. I was very intimidated with this class to begin with. About half are after the Photography Certificate offered at Nashville State and are young typical college age and most of those are funky artistic types with one having big hunks of metal in his earlobes. I'm in my 30's and so NOT funky or driven by my artistic drive.

I was especially pleased when the class as a whole liked these pics. The next time I was at the Parthenon I showed one person my pic of Athena that people really liked. And she liked it too! I mean she REALLY liked it. She kept looking at it and looking at it and marveling over the details she was able to see that she hadn't really noticed before. And then she forwarded that Athena pic to everyone in the office!! While I was there another person saw it and really marveled also.

The time after that time I was there, Susan the Parthenon's art museum curator complimented me on two of the pics. Athena and the outside of the Parthenon shot. Linda the receptionist had mentioned to me that Susan had asked for my email address. Dang!! I could have had this in writing!! The curator, someone who knows plenty about the visual arts, liked my pics enough to compliment me on them 2 weeks after the fact. I really think she was sincere.

A non-Parthenon pic but is on the grounds of Centennial Park is this third pic. This face is on a statue nearby the Parthenon.

Last Night's Dream Involving McCain

2008-10-16T11:30:00.000-05:00

This was literally one of those wacky dreams that occur once in a while and it involved John McCain. Several things to know first, I'm surrounded by Republicans where I live and increasingly I'm believing them to be members of "Party of the Stupids". Also I've been married for over 10 years.

So, in my dream I was engaged to a son of John McCain. I'm pretty sure I was in my 20's (which I haven't actually been in my 20's since the early half of 2001). My super bitchy public speaking instructor from spring semester was already a daughter-in-law of his, and here I was joining the family. I talked to John McCain on the phone and I asked him if I could call him "John" I guess I had been calling him Senator McCain. Well, he laughed and said yes, I could call him John. Then he asked to talk to his son and as I went to get him (he was a faceless nobody like they can be in dreams) and the phone died. And I thought, oh great! John will think I did something to disconnect the call. I seem to remember looking at the phone in my hand and it was an Iphone, which I've never held and I'm kind of an anti-I-everything kind of person.

Other than the McCain angle and me asking to call him John, the really weird part of this dream was about the phone not working. The phones here at my house are dying or dead - one phone currently works. Two new phones have been ordered and should be here on Monday. I got the tracking number from Fedex. I love Ebay. :D And I love weird dreams like this.

MP3 Player Randomness

2008-10-10T15:51:00.005-05:00

OK - I saw this on a friends posting on Facebook. It looked fun so I've done it myself. Lots of Robbie Fulks came up, as well as a few tracks I'm not familiar with (at least by name). I have Rhapsody To Go - and it rocks!!! unlimited downloads and all I have to pay is $15 a month to keep the license refreshed, I'm otherwise just renting the music. I have the house desktop computer hooked up to the house stereo system so it'll like the most fabulous juke box for us. Totally worth it!!! They have playlists I can download I've gotten into lately for exposure to new music I otherwise wouldn't find. I really wonder what that Buffy Sainte-Marie song is, I saw in the details (no headphones though) that that song is from 1966. I'll have to check it out. And you'll have to do this MP3 Player Randomness as well!!

1. Put your iTunes/Ruckus/Napster/etc on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing this as well as the person you got it from.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Where There's A Road - Robbie Fulks

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Your Country - Gogol Bordello

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Sing a Song - Donavan Frankenreiter

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Symphony No. 3 - Beethoven

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
The Lucky One - Alison Krauss

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Hiphopopotamus vs. the Rhymenoceros - Flight of the Conchords

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Mad at a Girl - Robbie Fulks

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
You and Me Together - Miley Cyrus (the daughter listens to her, not me, just clarifying)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
No, No, No, Cha, Cha, Cha - Brave Combo

WHAT IS 2+2?
Distant Green Valley - Yo-Yo Ma

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Goodbye, Good Lookin' - Robbie Fulks

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Hevliz havolim - The Klezmatics

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
The Only Flame in Town - Elvis Costello

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Little Wheel Spin and Spin - Buffy Sainte-Marie

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Gravity - Alison Krauss

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Eres Para Mi - Julieta Venegas

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Hosa Dyna - Brave Combo (Absolutely! You Bet! One of my Favorite Songs!!)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Mexico City - Jolie Holland

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Pretty Bird - Jenny Lewis

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Your Kind Of Freedom - Les Thugs

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Bluebirds Are Singing For Me - Robbie Fulks

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Walk in Beauty's Way - Lisa Gerrard

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Como Se - Julieta Venegas

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Hey! Sexy - Robbie Fulks

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Secret World - Peter Gabriel

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
The Hokey Pokey - Brave Combo

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Lover's Rock - The Clash

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Dance Cadaverous - Wayne Shorter

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
I'm Gonna Take You Home And Make You Like Me - Robbie Fulks

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Against the Nature - Gogol Bordello

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
The French Open - Foals

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
MP3 Player Randomness

The Ex's

2008-10-08T14:13:00.004-05:00

Last week was slightly wild for me in that I had an ex-crush from high school friend me on Facebook (I actually sent the invite); I read about how my ex-husband has two little kids and a spouse/partner by the name of Jennifer; and online I found an old boyfriend from college who was from Saudi Arabia (and is apparently still there).

The Facebook thing with a former crush had a thrill factor that lasted for about 7 minutes. So, it really wasn't that big of a deal. I saw that he was friends with several other people I was friends with so it wasn't a really forward of me to friend him. And it still isn't that big of a deal - he's funny and smart and updates his status often - an enjoyable friend to have on Facebook.
Seeing what my ex-husband wrote about himself on our graduating high schools website was interesting. I was last in touch with him nearly 6 years ago. I guess that's plenty of time to get married and have babies!! I'm on there too and he hasn't contacted me. Maybe I'll write to him to let him know my cat died two years ago. HA! He and her didn't really get along, but they knew each other... so **maybe** I'll contact him.
Also, for reasons I can't recall, I also searched for a boyfriend I had in college way back when, when I was a ding-a-ling 18-19 year old). He was from Saudi Arabia. He was doing poorly in school and his father yanked him back home. He taught me how to play pool and I've never played as well since. Adbulaziz S. Al-Sharif can be seen here... I'm certain that is him, I wasn't 100% at first. But that IS HIM in the pic, and the playing pool totally removes any doubt for me. I wrote to that email he has there and I have not yet heard from him, its been several days now. I searched for the email address and found it elsewhere that was dated last year. So... he was using that address at least a year ago. I'll wait a bit more before looking further. I have found another email address that is likely his. I just want to say hi. (And I put his name and web address here so if he googles himself or something, there's a chance he'll find me that way!)

All in all though, 3 ex's - having any kind of knowledge about them all land in my lap in one week was a bit much. How and why did I bring this about all in one week? Just slightly weird, but not in a major way. Except for the 7 minutes of giddiness with the ex-crush, probably 2 hours of "wow, he's married and has two little kids now" regarding the ex-husband, and I've probably been actively curious about the ex-boyfriend for a total of 25 minutes. None of this is substantial. But for all of it to occur in the same week is a trip!

Phone Drama

2008-10-05T12:24:00.009-05:00

So, my fancy PDA smart phone died a few weeks ago and it went on an all-expenses paid trip to Texas for repairs (aka warranty work). I was overjoyed this past Friday morning when I saw that it was coming back to me.

I even told the DHL guy how I had updated my Facebook with the words Hallelujah because I was so very much looking forward to getting my phone back! Wooo!

As soon as I unwrapped it and put the battery in I realized – It wouldn’t turn on. This is exactly the condition it was in before I sent it away. Well, okay, let it charge up more. Still nothing. These steps were reflected on my Facebook status updates.

I go to school and let it charge up in the van the whole time, figuring that if it doesn’t work THEN, then I’ve really got problems. In my class is a dude, Carlos, who it turns out works at Radio Shack and sells these phones. I talked to him about my troubles fairly early on. He has the exact same model of phone that I have and he always has it out on his desk – so that’s why I initially approached him about my phone trouble. He said I just should have come to his store and he would have swapped out my phone with a different one. At that point though I had already gone the warranty route.

So, this past Friday with my still-not-working-phone-that-has-been-REPAIRED, I asked Carlos if his store would still be interested in swapping out my phone for a new one and I update him on the latest. He said to come by his store that afternoon; he was going there right from class himself.

I get there and the first thing Carlos does is take the battery out of his phone and puts it into mine which IMMEDIATELY comes to life. WOW! So now we know it’s the battery of my phone and not the phone itself. The battery has been charging for over 2 hours at this point, so we can also determine that the battery has something wrong with it. We decide I need to hassle Sprint first for a new battery and then hassle Palm for a new battery. Ughh… I really REALLY want my phone working NOW. It just needs a new battery. So I think about where I might possibly find a new battery for it. The Sprint store is an option, but I hate that place with a passion.

I had to swing by Wal-mart because I knew they had a vending machine that engraved metal tags. I thought I’d swing by electronics there and see if they also had batteries. No they didn’t, but talkative me told my cell phone story to the girl that was working the counter. And she asks me if I have the phone with me, I said no, it’s out in the van. She tells me to go get it and be quick!! She’ll swap me a good battery with my bad battery!! WOOOOO-HOOOOOO! I scurry out to the parking lot and get my phone. She does as she said she would and tells me DON’T TELL ANYONE ABOUT THIS. (So, of course I’m telling the internet). She asks that the next time I upgrade my phone I do it at Walmart in return for this favor, I say sure, but I’m 21 months away from my next upgrade cuz I just did it an upgrade.

Joy and Relief!!! I have my phone working and I get the battery all charged up. Whew!! It’s charging up for real now!! I get in touch with Sprint and they walk me through reprogramming the phone and viola! I’m there. I successfully sync-ed it the first try and all my information is back on it! WOW!

This whole journey was a lot of ups and downs – bad luck and extremely good luck. I hope to never go through that again. That chick at Walmart really turned this story around for me. I wish there was some way I could repay her. I don’t know, maybe I’ll get a gift certificate to somewhere and go back there until I find her to give it to her. I really do appreciate what she did.

Feeling Shunned

2008-09-29T09:21:00.002-05:00

Ever so slightly by my nice neighbors.

Their kids are the same ages as my kids; the kids play together all the time. We catch the school bus in their driveway so I make chit chat with them every morning and afternoon that we're riding the bus. They're regular church goers; as wild and crazy as the Mr. gets is how he only drinks beer on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I'm quite certain in their eyes I'm a heathen, and that only God can take mercy on my soul. To refer to them as my Goody-Two-Shoes Neighbors would be a little bit much, but I could say with fairness, they would be over the moon if Ned Flanders lived next door.

Last May they got a dog; Koda was 7 months old then. The Mr. of the family always had dogs when he was growing up and the kids loved the idea of having a dog. The Mrs. grew up on a farm and she simply doesn't emotionally attach herself to animals. The Mr. seems to have forgotten that well behaved dogs happen because of training, not because they're naturally nice dogs. Koda has too much damned energy and he does not obey.

I swear, I will kick the dog in the head if he sticks his snout up my skirt one more time.

So, last week my Daughter had something nasty smelling in her backpack - something leftover from lunch she finally decided to bring home. Of course Koda smells this and he's ALL OVER US. I'm trying to figure out what and where this mystery item is in her backpack, and the damned dog keeps putting his snout right into where I'm looking. I turned away from him no less than 6 times, and I'd push him away, I'd tell him to beat it, get lost, leave me alone... etc. The Mrs of this dog was in the middle of arguing with her very cranky 6 year old and she was completely oblivious to me struggling with her damned dog. I'm a mom too, I know how those cranky/crying child arguments can go. I wasn't going to holler for her help with their family dog right then, but perhaps I should have.

I finally lost patience with Koda and I yelled "DAMMIT DOG!!! GET AWAY FROM ME" Annie (not her real name) their 9 year old daughter then tried to get her dog away from me and I was able to get done what I needed to.

The next several days following that they've held on to Koda every morning and they wouldn't let him near me. Hallelujah! And then I noticed they weren't talking to us they would only talk amongst themselves, and they were sitting on their benches differently, they had different expressions on they faces when we walked over there in the mornings.

I theorize that my yelling of dammit was among the first times their children have heard cussing.

Well they haven't seen or heard anything of what can come out of my mouth. Especially as it relates to that dog of theirs. The animal seriously needs obedience training - they can't get him to do or stop doing anything. He runs around wildly, he will charge into you, he'll jump on you, he sticks his nose where it doesn't belong, he barks, and he just doesn't listen. He gets so wild with his play he barks and growls and snaps at you. It's starting to make me nervous. I'm thinking about where else we can catch the bus, or hell, maybe I'll drive the kids to school in the mornings.

Maybe I can really endear myself to them by giving them some dog obedience training brochures or flyers. Won't they really love me then?

Looking for Advice?

2008-09-27T13:08:00.008-05:00

I admit it. I am addicted to advice columns. I can remember starting to read Dear Abby in the daily paper when I was about 10 years old. I wrote to her only once when I was 12, and I was dumb enough to ask my mom to put the letter in the mail for me. I'm pretty sure she read it and didn't mail it.

I have no intentions of writing away for advice - I can't really fully figure out what my problem is or what advice I would seek from someone else. Plus, I read so much other advice to other people I feel that I have a very reasonable sense of what would be told to me if I did write in.

There's still this nagging feeling though, that I must continue to read all the advice columns I can, because SOMEDAY THE ANSWERS TO ALL MY TROUBLES WILL BE THERE. I feel that some sort of magic awaits me, and like a fairy tale, life will become perfect. So I very dutifully read my daily columns everyday and the weekly columns every week and someday that magical life will be mine. Even though I'm skeptical of this idea, I can't entirely shake the idea that it is in fact true.

Daily Columns with links

Dear Abby: she's still in my daily newspaper but sometimes my newspaper edits her down to one question so I also read her online. Dear Abby is now Jeanne Phillips, the original Dear Abby's daughter. Dear Abby
Annie's Mailbox: this used to be Ann Landers column, but when she passed away several years ago, her two editors took over the column and named it Annie's Mailbox. Annie's Mailbox
Ask Amy is somewhat new for me and I've only been reading her regularly for the past year or so. She's out of Chicago and she's just great - I fully expect her to be syndicated much more widely. In fact, if I had to recommend just one column to read, it would be Amy. Ask Amy
Carolyn Hax, Tell Me About It is very cool. She's out of Washington DC and most of the time she has great cartoons that go along with the advice she gives. She's recently gone to 7 days a week (yay Carolyn!) and so to churn up topics, her columns are sometimes modified from weekly chats she does. Tell Me About It

Not quite Daily, but more often than Weekly

Cheryl Lavin, Tales from the Front is great to read as it really satisfies the voyeur in me that enjoys reading about other peoples trouble. Maybe only half the time is it set up in typical question-answer format. Very often it tells somebody's story... so if you're into reading other peoples business, this is good. I'm not certain of her publishing schedule, its something like 2-3 times a week. Tales From The Front

Weekly Columns

Dear Margo is my favorite favorite favorite, and she is published twice a week, on Thursdays and Fridays. She is Margo Howard, she used to be Dear Prudence until about a year or two ago and she is Ann Landers daughter. Dear Margo
Dear Prudence is still around, when Margo Howard left, Emily Yoffe took it over. It is still a very fine column and they've added Dear Prudence videos in which Emily answers questions that have been animated in a very cute way. And not cute as in puppy dogs and lollipops, but clever and enjoyable. Dear Prudence
Ethnically Speaking by Larry Meeks is a great column dealing with issues of race, or seemingly of race (I don't really think they are sometimes). Larry and I seem to be on the same page and view things much the same way. He's a black dude in his late 50's I would guess at least and he just has a good solid head on his shoulders. Some real knuckle-heads will write to him sometimes. He's published every Saturday. Ethnically Speaking
On Ethics by Randy Cohen originates in the New York Times magazine every Sunday. It's a slightly brain-ier advice column - kind of. Sometimes the questions seem to get pretty darn petty, but he breaks down the issue fairly well into what is right and wrong. On Ethics
On Computers usually covers a topic I'm interested in. I learned about Facebook from them and now I'm addicted! It's written by a husband-wife team that seem to be in their 50's, so they've been working with computers since the early early days and they've seen a lot. I just about always learn something from Bob and Joy. On Computers

Well, those are all the columns I HAVE TO read every day or every week. It sure seems like a lot as I've written all this down.

Creators.com is an AWESOME source for syndicated columns - there are many more advice columns there as well as humor columns I enjoy. W. Bruce Cameron, Peter McKay, Classic Ann Landers, the Single File, Inside Relationships, At Work, Ask Joe Weidner and Energy Express are all other columns I read - just not obsessively-as-often-as-I-can-like-the-others I provided links for. Uexpress.com is also quite good, they host Dear Abby.

OK - time for me to get back to some schoolwork. I have a lot to do. Advice to myself for future semesters, DO NOT EVER EVER EVER take a M-F class when you have a 27 mile drive each way from that class. This is too much driving, it takes time I otherwise wish I could be using to study, and plus 5 days a week is just A LOT. Ugh.... oh well, at least I can figure out my own problem with this semester. No need to write away for an answer.

So, How is School Going?

2008-09-18T14:20:00.002-05:00

I don't get asked how school is going for me as much as I would like. Ever since I can remember I've always wanted my own personal cheerleading squad. Well maybe not a squad, but a solid group of people that would cheer me on all the time. It's something I've always felt missing in my life. It'd be nice if I grew out of this feeling, but it's not happening yet. I'm pretty certain I can recall having this same thought "I want my own personal cheerleading squad" in my mind for over 17 years now. I can remember being around 20 and thinking that.

So.... I'll tell the internet how school is going since I have a few summary thoughts going through my head right now.

Photography is going well. I'm a bit cranky at having to learn how to manually focus (I need glasses, I'm more than convinced now). Also, the more I'm learning, and I'm just starting really, the more complicated a picture is becoming. I'm think about taking a picture of The Daughter and her Friend, and I'm thinking about the F-stop I'll use, and where the nicest light will be... ugh.... I think just simply pressing the shutter release (hahaha, the button) won't be happening any more. There's so much to think about and consider. It almost isn't fun anymore.

Math is going well. I'm positively tickled with myself for finding online resources from my textbook. I started off with online math classes, so I really like doing homework, practicing problems on the computer. I've numbed my mind with Trigonomic Functions for the past hour. I should have STARTED with a Red Bull. Oh well, the Red Bull will carry me through schoolwork for the second half of the day.

Fiction: I tried reading last night. 2 of the 3 short stories were truly short. By the third one though I was barely comprehending what I was reading. I'm good on time, so no worries

Ethics: I haven't even LOOKED at the reading for this week much less the discussion questions I'll need to answer. I hope to read what I need to tonight.

Geography: I need to read what's left of Chapter 3 and start gearing up to write the next report which will be due next Wednesday. I met with my instructor yesterday, he seems to be human, which is big of me to admit because I was SO LIVID with him last week. I got a 100% on the Europe map quiz - yay me.

So, I think that's about it. Just now, this week, the fourth week of classes, do I feel like I'm settling into my schedule and getting work done. Lordy lordy lordy... I really don't like this schedule. I will NEVER EVER sign up for a M-F class EVER EVER again. And with gas being back up to $4 a gallon, and it takes me a gallon of gas each way to and from school - that's $8 everyday times 5 days a week, that's $40 a week it costs me just to go to class. Plus the childcare I need one day a week, that's another $16.

I don't know why I'm letting this bother me now. I need to finish figuring out what to make for dinner. Something with canned tuna and white beans. The kids will have fish sticks.

Tahhhhh!

Worn Out

2008-09-12T17:56:00.003-05:00

It's been a week now that I came down with a cold. It was a doozy of a cold and really knocked me on my ass all of last weekend. I improved much by Monday but Tuesday I worked too hard at the gym and I'm certain I set myself back 3 steps. This whole week I've had sniffles, a slight cough and have just been run down.

I'm completely stressing out over fall semester. I actually sobbed last night because I got another mediocre grade on a Geography assignment - I probably strained some fingers in my hand giving my computer screen The Finger I was so mad at the instructor (it's an online class). I'm getting behind in Ethics and Fiction, and I'm not where I should be with my work for Pre-Calc and Photography. I'm really in the shit. Dammit!!!!!!!!!!

I really need to pull myself together this weekend and get lots done. I need for this cold to be gone entirely. I realized this week I've become sensitive to Sudafed with the nervousness - and boy o boy, you should have seen me when I had a Red Bull on top of a 12 hour Sudafed!! I was literally pacing, couldn't sit still and I couldn't stop talking (the poor dad of my daughters friend!! I talked his ear off for about 15 minutes on the phone for a call that should have lasted 1 minute and that's WITH a bit of friendly chatting... !!!) I'm quitting Sudafed. The Husband told me to get a different kind of decongestant, which I should have done earlier today - I'm out of cough drops too!

My body feels tired, my mind is tired, I'm stressed out, I'm emotional because of the all of the above because I'm just simply not used to feeling this way as intensely or for as long as I have this week.

I'm a wimp - I admit it.

Recently Funny

2008-09-07T15:37:00.004-05:00

I've often commented that if The Husband and I were to attempt any form of do-it-yourself home remodeling, it would take an Olympic Team of Marriage Counselors before, during and after... and even then, it would be dicey at best. I otherwise don't have much drama in my life to really identify with this cartoon, but I love this just the same.

This is from Carolyn Hax, an advice columnist with the Washington Post and is syndicated. Her ex-husband is the cartoonist, Nick Galifianakis.

________________________________________

This cartoon is actually a t-shirt design from Threadless.com I wouldn't wear this, and the whole thought makes me cringe, but my son (almost 10 years old) saw this and he nearly fell over laughing, and then he couldn't stop laughing because he kept thinking of it. He's otherwise not twisted yet - or maybe this is how and when becoming twisted begins. The design is called "Adorable Disaster" and you can buy it here

It's shown two-toned because the shirt actually comes in two colors to choose from.

When to start, even if you're quitting

2008-09-04T21:40:00.004-05:00

I've recently quit smoking without a whole lot of thought to it. I came close to quitting a week earlier as I had "over-smoked" the night before and didn't even want to THINK about a cigarette the entire next day. But I gradually worked my way back to my normal level of smoking of the course of the next 3 days.

This past Sunday I knew I was low on cigarettes but let it slip my mind. Sunday night I ran out... I seem to remember I would have liked to have had one more but there was none. This was Sunday, day before Labor Day. We went out to breakfast the next morning and then did some hiking on Labor Day. A cigarette didn't cross my mind until about 8pm and I was too lazy to go out and get some. So I decided to not get any more for as long as possible. And I'm kind a taking the "one day at a time" approach. I only need to worry about today. Today I'm not smoking. Tomorrow is something else to worry about, but today it's decided. I'm not smoking.

A large part of this quitting thing also has to do with the fact that was a Monday. I always like to start things on a Monday. It just seems wrong to start on any other day of the week. Ya gotta start on Monday. And sure enough, this Monday we just had was also the first of the month!!! Another super-great day to start something, Monday the first! The next Monday the first is December... okay, not as far off as I thought. But the one after that one is June... so there aren't too many chances to start something on the first day of the month which is also a Monday.

I seem to remember there was a New Years Day on a Monday somewhat recently... yup, 2007 started on a Monday. And damn!! The next Monday January 1st is 2018!!! I really feel like I should have started something in 2007!! Now I'll have to wait 9.5 years until I get that chance. I'm a dork - I'll start planning now what that might be. :D

Not Smoking today

2008-09-02T10:03:00.002-05:00

Yes, that's my new mantra... today I'm not smoking. Tomorrow I may, but today I am not. I'm pretty sure 12 steppers have a similar mantra.

This is going to suck. I'll go to the gym more, as exercise seems to kill any desires to smoke.

Last time I attempted to quit smoking, I started a new blog. What's Dumb... because I thought quitting smoking was just dumb dumb dumb... none of the reasons I thought were good reasons to quit stayed in my mind. It was just dumb. And then I ran into this guy who worked at the fish counter at my grocery store. I asked for 2/3's of a pound of something, shrimp I think it was. He started grabbing handfuls of shrimp and putting them on the scale. He got up to 1.4 pounds and I say 'whoaa! only 2/3's dude!' and he laughed. He thought it was quite funny that he didn't have a clue what 2/3's meant. He admitted he didn't know. So I simply told him "point 66" duhhhhh.... he appeared to be in his mid-late 20's. And what a moron!!!

I can't wait (said sarcastically) what is in store for me this week. I'm getting cranky at my Geography instructor. It's an online class. Every week there's discussion/essay questions we'll need to turn in. and one other source other than our text book must be used AND ONLINE SOURCES ARE NOT ALLOWED. That just irritates the crap out of me... an online class and we're not to use online sources??!!!??? He's pointed us to an online librarian, I'll find out what non-online sources he/she can come up with for us. I'm hoping databases with articles in regular print periodicals will count. It's got to. The mofo-instuctor really shouldn't limit that!!!

Every semester I seem to have a mofo-instructor. The one who pisses me off with just about every policy and word he says. Mofo!

Summer 2008

2008-08-30T11:21:00.004-05:00

I would almost describe myself as DESPERATE to travel the world, I really really really want to from the depths of my heart. Seeing the world is something I definitely want to do while I'm still part of this earth. But since I'm raising kids right now with a husband that only wants to take me to restaurants in the town we live in (and not the big town 20 miles north of us), my options for world travel are very much limited now. Soon enough though the kids will be grown, I'll be 48 years old when my daughter finishes high school... and you can BET I will be traveling somewhere kick-ass that summer! I have a trip around the world in mind. Why not?

To counteract this whimpering about having to wait to see the world, I've decided to work on visiting each of the 50 states. This past summer was a good one for me. I was in 20 different states. Pretty damned good if you ask me for one summer.

End of May I was in Alabama on my way to Florida.

June I took the kids to see Grandma in New Jersey in which we went though Viriginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

From New Jersey we did a loop through New England in which we went through New York, Vermont, New Hamshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

We went to Georgia for a weekend.

Another weekend in Indiana, and we stayed a night in Kentucky as well.

I finished up last weekend with a visit to Missouri and Illinois.

A pretty well traveled summer if you ask me. :) I'll add another map of all the states I've already visited another time.

Flickr Meme

2008-08-29T17:22:00.003-05:00

I'm probably the dorkiest dork out there in blogging... but I love meme's. I don't entirely understand them, like "calling" someone, or tagging or how they're exactly supposed to get passed around... but I like doing them and as far as I'm concerned, that's what counts!!! So here it is... You do it too and be sure to share with me.

A) Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.

B) Using only the first page, pick an image.

C) Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

Here are the questions:
1. What is your first name? Kim
2. What is your favorite food? Pasta Carbonara
3. What high school did you go to? Bothell
4. What is your favorite color? Violet
5. Who is your celebrity crush? John Cusack
6. Favorite drink? Mojito
7. Dream vacation? around the world
8. Favorite dessert? Cheesecake
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Math Teacher
10. What do you love most in life? my kids
11. One Word to describe you. Fun (I try at least!)
12. Your flickr name. dimberly (only one mediocre pic of a black cat showed up!!)

The weekend away

2008-08-25T14:12:00.005-05:00

Well, this weekend away was planned about a month ago. I was feeling burnt out from summer with the kids, I just wanted a break for a weekend from EVERYTHING I had experienced over the summer with no let up. So I found the schedule of a band I like and a date for them fell on a weekend somewhere I could drive to, so it worked out well.

I love driving into St. Louis, I love the Arch... but I get SO mixed up with where I'm driving there it isn't even funny. If you blindfolded me and spun me around and then asked me to point to North... I would likely do better than how I do in St. Louis. My van has a compass, and I guess it's mostly right but it often tells me the exact opposite of what I expect. I had the same thing happen to me in Highland Illinois which is about 35 miles east of St. Louis; Every time I left my hotel to go into town, Gary (my Garmin GPS unit) would tell me to take a left... and OMG, let me tell you, it felt so weird to do that. I was just so sure I was supposed to take a right. I did this at least 4 times and that feeling never left me.

Friday I enjoyed the St. Louis Art Museum (without kids!!! what a treat!!) and then I had a very yummy dinner at Monarch Restaurant in Maplewood. Michelle took great care of me and the place just very comfortable for me to hang out by myself. I really was afraid of the bar filling up and getting a little zainy, but it didn't happen while I was there for about 2.5 hours. I drove out to Highland in the dark, which wouldn't help anyone with a poor sense of direction learn their way around.

Saturday morning I had breakfast at Kirchenfest, a Bavarian breakfast... made on these 500 pound skillets, simple scrambled eggs, sausage and potatoes. Starbucks coffee though! I computed back at the hotel for a while and then took a nap. The pool was great and I had it all by myself. It was so hot though, I was having to dip myself in the pool every 10 minutes to cool down - so for a while, I just sat on the steps in the pool reading my book. I'm sure I looked like a dork doing that.

I headed to Kirchenfest around 5:40, had a gyro and a Stag beer. I had never heard of Stag, and I was told it is brewed locally. How neat!! I've now had a beer that The Husband hasn't. Of course when I told him about this beer he asked if I brought any back, and duh... no, I didn't even think of that. Oh well. I probably had a total of 4 or 5 Stag beers over a 5 hour time period. I know 4-5 sounds like a lot, but one an hour is not a lot.

I played bingo for the first time in real life and for real money. I didn't win, but it was kinda fun. I literally sat with little old ladies as I played.

Brave Combo started right at 830 and they sounded about as good as I hoped they would!! The selection of songs wasn't quite what I was hoping for. They seemed to really gear themselves to songs for folks to dance to. And while I like plenty of their dancing tunes, they otherwise kept it a little too generic for me for the first set.

At the first break I started talking with Arjuna the drummer and he bought me a beer (the next break after that I got him a beer!). He's quite new to the band (4 months) and was just a nice guy to chat with. I made no secret of the fact that I was a big fan and my first time and he seemed to like that about me. He made sure to introduce me to everyone in the band which was very thoughtful of him.

The second set finished with a lot of rock and heavy guitar playing by Carl. There was a pretty good sized crowd dancing and simply enjoy the music up to this point. After the break, there was maybe 15% of the people still there. I joked with Arjuna later that all that guitar likely scared people away. Perhaps because there weren't nearly as many people there for the third set, and I was sitting right next to the dance floor... me tapping my feet and swaying to the music likely got noticed more. Sure enough, the second to last song, I was asked to dance by this younger guy. He couldn't dance to save his life, he mostly just bounced up and down. We moved around the dance floor some, a few swings here and there... it was okay (at least his crappy "dancing" made my "dancing" not look as bad).

As the show was over, I went to the table to buy my t-shirt... and this young dude wanted to give me his number. I said no, I wasn't interested but he REALLY wanted me to take his number, so I relented. I enter in his number into my phone, his name is Adam I learn. And I mention to him that I live 5 hours away. And he's blown away by this fact, really? and he now starts thinking that 'yeah, this won't work out'... so I add to his base of knowledge... "I'm married and have kids" and I kind of wave my wedding ring at him... and he's really down now... oh man!!! I always wear my wedding band, I probably couldn't take it off right now even if it were an emergency. I can remember though being much much younger and really developing an interest in someone and later realizing the wedding band they were wearing. It's definitely a learning experience as a young person out there "looking" so I chalked it up to that for Adam.

And it was a total plus for me to know that I've still got it. Hahahahahahah... really. I wonder why he would come after me. I'm 37 and a little overweight, he was cute as a button and 22. Only in some other universe could I imagine ME being his type. His dad was there, and every time I looked his way he, the dad, had this BIG grin on his face. I couldn't help but think Adam's dad had strongly urged him to ask me to dance. A little odd. Now I just need to figure out how to delete this number in my new phone!!

I was there until the very end, watched the band pack up and went with Arjuna to a Denny's near where he was staying. He was zonked, a very tired guy. I went into chatty mode, it could have been much much worse, on a scale of 1-10 for chattiness... I was probably about a 7... anything over 8 would have been embarassing... so yes, while I was close, I don't think I overdid it. It was a late night and I got back to my hotel just after 3am.

The next day I drove 326 miles to get home, and you could even look at the whole weekend, I did over 600 miles, maybe even closer to 700 miles... and I'm less than 2 miles from home and I nearly get hit by another driver. It had just rained, the roads where wet and this man just drifts over into my lane. I hit the horn, I slam on the brakes and I swerve some... UGHHHHHHHHH!! I really don't know how he missed me. I hit my brakes so hard I felt the anti-lock brakes kick in. My heart was racing, it took about 20 minutes to feel normal after that and I was pissed.

I've probably driven 4,000 miles this summer... and this was the day before school started for me, and I was so close to home and I would have been completely innocent if this guy had hit me. I would have been beyond furious. Ugh, not a good way to finish my summer break.

At least I didn't get a speeding ticket. I was so convinced that I would get one at some point this summer. In New York early this summer, I went under a highway overpass, and noticed a state trooper hiding behind the bridge. I looked down at my spedometer and I was doing 20mph over the limit. I had really lost track of what I was doing at that moment. I have NO IDEA how I missed a ticket there. I was busted.... but for whatever reason, he didn't have his radar or even his attention on me as I drove by. Talk about luck!

No, No, No, Cha, Cha, Cha

2008-08-23T17:25:00.005-05:00

It's the name of the song that titles an album by Brave Combo who I'm going to be seeing in a few hours. Wooo-hooo! I found these guys about 4 years ago, it was a Polka Christmas album that they did a number of years before I found them and it just rocked!!! I've been in love with their music ever since. Their album "Polka's for a Gloomy World" is aptly titled; it never fails to perk me up.

I'm being a dork and I'm looking up images of the band members. I plan on getting there 2 hours before the music starts so I might see them walking around the festival. And it just might turn into a fabulous conversation. And I might admit how its a major fantasy of mine to be able to play with them. And they think its a great idea. So they hand me a clarinet... and somehow I know just what to do with it and I sound great. And they ask me to go tour with them. And I accept and have the time of my life.

HA!

Dimberly

2008-08-19T11:10:00.005-05:00

Dimberly.com and www.dimberly.com are now redirected to dimberly.blogspot.com.

I attempted to publish my dimberly.blogspot.com to dimberly.com but that turned into a gigantic mess and I feel fortunate to get things back the way they were. I may try again at a later date. ugh... what a pain in the butt that was!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_________________________________________

In case you've ever been curious... my dad used to call me Dimberly when I did dumb stuff as a kid. I'm not saying I was extra dumb or that he was mean at all. I did typical dumb kid things, like stick a bent paperclip into a wall outlet to see what would happen (I remember getting zapped, duh). Specifically I can remember getting called Dimberly when I took apart a ballpoint ink pen and got ink allover my hands, my clothes and the carpet (duh)... but really, I don't look back on these things as being extra-special dumb, just typical kid dumb. My dad would catch me doing things like this and would mutter under his breath... "dimberly, dimberly, dimberly" which is sooooo much better than having a screaming-type parent.

I've never jumped off a rooftop, my BODY has never hung out of a moving vehicle, I've never fallen out of tree, never had stitches, I shoplifted once when I was in the 2nd grade and I still feel guilty about that even though I never got caught, I was probably 10 when I attempted to smoke my first cigarette and I tried WAY TOO HARD to fit in with the wrong kids in the 7th grade (and cutting your own bangs that year DOES NOT HELP).

Ponderings

2008-08-17T15:28:00.007-05:00

Today the main thing to ponder has been Sigma Alpha Pi, the National Society of Leadership and Success. Here's a link to their organization. I've received an invitation from my school to join. I'm really wondering whether to do it or not. It's $75 to join and I'm thinking I could very possibly get something out of it. I wish I knew how to research this more or ask more questions. And then, there's me... a 37 year old student... do I really have a place in such an organization? Ugh. I have to decide by August 28th. When am I going to get that invitation to the Honor Society? I'm pretty damned sure I qualify for that now. If my school didn't compute my GPA 6 different ways, I'd tell you what it was... I guess it ranges from 3.3 to 4.0. I have classes from two different schools there, and classes that don't count towards a degree. So I'm not sure how that actually works. As far as the classes for a degree I've taken through Nashville State, I'm a 4.0 student!!! and yes, I think I'm hot stuff for that! :)

I LOVE lazy Sundays. Quite often I don't even brush my hair on Sundays as I avoid going anywhere or doing much. The kids thoroughly annoyed me earlier so I've been hiding in the bedroom with my laptop.

I should probably mix up some Mojito mix. I'm saving the pre-made mix (Tripps?) for the weekends as it's just under $10 a bottle which is about 5 drinks for me and that's not including the rum. This past weekend I've switched back to Margarita's. I just like drinks on ice. I have a fantasy of having quite a collection of liquors... currently I've got rum and tequila going, I would like to discover some drinks I like involving vodka and gin. I used to drink gin and tonics when I was much much younger.

There was just some stupid ass yelling in this house. I'm in the bedroom, The Son comes in to ask me something and the Husband, who's up in the laundry room above the garage, hollers to everyone... WHO LEFT THE DOOR OPEN? I so hate it when people talk or even yell to people who aren't even in the same room, much less same floor of the house. I really can't stand it. And by the way dear husband, both the kids have something wrong with them, they are both incapable of shutting doors behind them.

Time to go put clothes in the dryer, and I'll make the Mojito mix for later while I'm up. Then I think I ought to close the laptop and read an actual book. I must have at least 6 books I've picked up and started reading this summer. I swear, its some kind of ADD for me to hit these phases of not reading much; I love to read!

Miscellaneous-ness

2008-08-15T17:41:00.004-05:00

Just a list of random things for you to know...

Kiba, my new kitten, is driven mad by the scent of Ham. The kids had ham last night in a quiche I put together and I had leftovers for brunch late this morning. Last night we got obnoxious behavior from Kiba just as we sat down for dinner, he kept trying to get on the table which he had never attempted before. When I had leftovers this morning I got similar nutty behavior from him. I suspect its the ham, it smells more than the eggs and cheese do.
No new neighbors across the street, the cars yesterday must have just been looking. I still hope for complete jerks. They can hate me for nothing and flip me off every morning as long as they beat the crap out of the Ass-wipe behind them who plays his music. There's so much possible with new neighbors in that location... it's been a nice fantasy lately.
There's a new exhibit at the Parthenon in Nashville. Kathy Girder Engler is from Augusta, Georgia and her forms are made from paper pulp and found objects, for the most part they all take human form and they are very very cool. The body forms are lovely, very calm and serene, and how she jazzes them up with a variety of objects. I'll find out from the Parthenon folks tomorrow if I can take pictures (maybe). Or maybe I'll find some pics of her stuff. Good stuff. I'll be docenting tomorrow at the Parthenon and then I will begin a schedule of every other Thursday afternoon there.
I figured out a work around for the issue I had with my new cell phone and stupid Windows Vista. I will only be able to sync my Centro with the desktop in the living room (it runs XP). So, I've installed Outlook on the desktop and with a synchronization program I bought today, it will keep the Outlook files on both my laptop and desk synch-ed and then I can get and keep current information on my Centro and my Centro can update information on the laptop. So far, it's the best workaround I could put together. I could have swapped my operating system, but I finally got a version of Vista that doesn't completely suck, so I was very hesitant to change that.

New Neighbors?

2008-08-14T15:29:00.002-05:00

The house not quite directly across the street has been for rent for a few weeks now. My nemesis, HL, the Ass-Wipe neighbor who plays his music too loud is directly behind this rental house. The previous renters were wacko. People actually suggested to me that the woman had a drinking problem (or drugs) because whenever I asked her about the annoying music coming from the Ass-Wipe behind her, she claimed she loved it!!! and she would dance to it all the time. Her husband though claimed he wanted to put a brink through Ass-Wipe's window.

So there's people in the driveway right now... I hope they're the new renters and that they are complete assholes with hot tempers. And they will be unrelenting with Ass-wipe!! Woo-hooo!

Mr. Cuteness

2008-08-14T15:18:00.004-05:00

It's been so hard to get a decent picture of Kiba (aka, Mr. Cuteness, or Mr. Cute-Stuff, or Kitty). He really is adorable. I'll try harder this afternoon after I get dinner underway.

Kiba really likes to cuddle. Last night he kept trying to position himself right under my chin as I relaxed on the couch. Sooooo nice!!! I hope he remains a cuddler.

He's still checking out every nook and cranny in the house. He's not allowed in our bedroom, and its easy enough to keep the door closed (but then that shuts me away from him if I want to compute in my Fabulous Chair which is in the bedroom, so here I am in the living room with laptop literally in my lap). He also wants access to the refridgerator, but I'm not letting him look around in there either.

One of his favorite games is to go into full attack mode for a speck of something (real or imagine). He's so cute!!! He loves playing with the kids as well. He went right to "bed" in the cat room (bonus room above the garage) last night.

He likes to follow me around the house and watch what I'm doing - pure adorableness!! Kiba is seemingly the most fabulous cat I could have got!! If only he did housecleaning...

The Ugly and the Adorable

2008-08-12T21:12:00.005-05:00

Today was "New Cell Phone" Day for me... and it was also "get a cat" day.

First I got a new cell phone. It's a Palm Centro - my first smartphone, woo-hooo!! Those things don't cost $400 anymore!! And I've had my eye on this one for quite a while, and I researched it thoroughly (almost). I read it works with Windows Vista... because my stupid laptop is Vista and I use it for just about everything lately. So I get the stupid phone home, I adjust to the teeny-tiny buttons (I wanted a qwerty keyboard phone) and I think all will be alright. Well, its not. Stupid-freakin' Palm now works with Windows Vista, but only the 32 bit version of Vista. Mother-f#ckers!!! I'm running a 64 bit version. I'm debating now whether to downgrade my version of Vista (which I'm not so keen to do since this one has been working just fine for me except for this Palm issue).... or I think I may be clever enough to figure out a work-around. I really just want Palm to sync with my schedule and tasks that I run on Outlook, which is on my laptop... but there may be some way I can have that info networked on the house desktop machine that runs XP and should be just fine... I'll have some decisions to make, much research to do and very likely I'll need a networking person to set this all up for me once I verify it can actually be done. I have 30 days to change my mind on this phone and I really don't want to give up on the phone. Whereas, if I had $1500 free cash in my hand I just might smash my laptop against a concrete floor and start over with a non-Vista laptop.

In other news... The Adorable...

This afternoon, the kids and I went to the local animal shelter and we found us a cat. He's a kitten, but a big kitten, about 3 months old. He's going to grow up to be a big cat. Awesome!! He's a very pale orange and quite fluffy. I'll be bringing him home tomorrow and pics will be posted. For awhile his name was going to be Crookshanks, but once we looked up pics of the movie Crookshanks (who has a very smushed face) I had a real change of heart on that name (even though our Crookshanks would be a very handsome Crookshanks). I really wanted a Japanese name for my next cat, and so we started looking up words in Japanese. The Husband suggested "Fang" (he's always liked that name for a pet) and in Japanese it is 'Kiba'... and so our big fluffy orange cat will be named Kiba.... he's a great looking kitty and I look forward to getting to know him. It's been over 2 years since my first cat, Babe-girl, died. Everyone here still misses her, and I'm probably the last person in this house to be ready for a new cat. Kiba is different enough; he'll be big, he's a he and he'll grow up with kids (and not just me! as Babe-girl did).

Two nights of wacko weird Dreams

2008-08-11T08:24:00.005-05:00

Two nights ago I dreamt that I saw the Gosselin's on display at a zoo. The Gosselin's are Jon and Kate Plus 8, a show the kids and I love watching but The Husband can't even be in the same room if that's on. But in this dream they were just sitting around; I wasn't even sure at first they were on display because they were like zombies... just totally wacked out. They looked rough, patches of gray in their hair, and even their skin color was gray-like. They totally made me think of serious drug addicts. I hung out with them for a while but they weren't all that peppy. Just plain weird... even the kids were strung out! The more I think about it, the weirder it is.

Last night, I was obsessed with going to The French Laundry which is among the best top restaurants in the country, if not world. I woke up from that dream and I still had this place in my mind. I was truly obsessed with going and couldn't think of anything else. I know little about this place except that it exists, some of its reputation and roughly where it is. I even had to go to the couch at 3:27am just to try and change something.... why in the world would that restaurant be in my head? I have no plans to visit Napa... and even if I did, it is extremely unlikely I would be going there for dinner... the 9 course prix fixe menu is $240. I'm sure its fabulous and I would love it... but I can't help but think about the $80 bottle of wine we've tried... it wasn't THAT much better than an $18 bottle! And sure, The Husband and I have had some pretty nice dinners that cost plenty, but even with tip, we haven't gotten up to $240 for the both of us... well... I take that back... maybe we have once... but that was both of us and was wine and desert and appetizers and salad....

Santa Claus, Indiana

2008-08-08T22:16:00.002-05:00

The day started with a hearty breakfast of leftover pizza of all things!!

As we sat in traffic for about 15 minutes just to park, I really started to doubt I would enjoy this place, Holiday World and Splashin' Safari. We get in, the Husband has to orient himself, and we begin to tackle some rides.

The Daughter and I did the swings and a roller coaster - The Son didn't want to... he doesn't like G-forces he says. He still wouldn't go on a ride when The Daughter and I did a third ride. Ugh!!! We're waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting in line for an 80 second thrill - this is so not worth it to me. The Husband and Son won't ride on any rides... this is just not fun for me. I decided that just like a chain is as strong as its weakest link... a group can only have as much fun as its least amused member. And I definitely perceived The Husband and Son as being bored out of their minds, standing around waiting for The Daughter and I to be done with our rides. I just really disliked the whole experience with the rides.

The Daughter and I did a Log Jam kind of ride, Frightful Falls. We were in line for at least 45 minutes and the ride was about 60 seconds long. YUCK. But even worse was this kid about 11 or 12 years old behind me, he kept bumping into me. I would turn around and give him a look, but it kept happening. Then it started with the feet, he would bump my feet with his feet. Jesus Christ!! Why does he need to be so close to me that he's bumping into me??? He was with a friend or two, no adults with them. After the feet bumping started I would turn around and ask him to watch it. I did this 2 times. Then when it happened again I just reacted strongly - I knew I couldn't punch him in the face - but I stomped my feet down hard behind me, and I did this several times. And I wear those big sturdy Birkenstocks. And after I stomped my feet behind me several times, I turned around and loudly said... YOU'VE GOT TO STOP BUMPING INTO ME, I'VE ASKED YOU SEVERAL TIMES. PLEASE STOP AND JUST DON'T GET SO CLOSE TO ME!! I'm surrounded by kids and families, I just knew the sympathies would go to the kid if I cussed him out. But Holy Fuck!!! Just what would it take to get this kid to back off? I knew I would kick him hard if he did it again. We were getting close to the ride at this point. The kid did not touch me one more time and I acted as though he didn't exist.

We had some lunch - The Son did his slow-motion eating routine. I'm so sick of that I'm ready to just have him not eat, or leave him sitting somewhere and he can take his sweet time. We're way too patient waiting for him.

We get ready for the water park. The Husband got two lockers for our things. Every freakin' time of the two times I asked him if I could help or hold something since he was trying so hard to do everything himself... he would bark at me "I'm trying really hard here, ok? I'm trying.. I know I'm not doing very good, but I'm trying... so you will you please just let me do this?" O. K. We'll just continue to stand here patiently while you work yourself into a frenzy over getting shoes and the towels into the locker. I'm not a pest... I wasn't continually asking 'let me help, I'll get that, here I've got it'... nothing of the sort. If I see a situation in which I can directly see that my help would actually help, that extra pair of hands kind of help, then I offer. Who knows what was up his butt that he reacted so strongly to my offer of help. Yay... we're having more fun now! I couldn't help but be sarcastic in my mind.

The Husband refuses to lead us to a ride, so fine, I do. I just walk to the nearest thing and approach the line. And then the Husband is backing away while looking up, "I can't do this... do you see how high this is? I can't do this one. I can't go up that high.... do you see how high this is?" and he's backing away as he says this. So fine. I tell him 'YOU choose the slide we all can do." I mean really... its after 2:30 and we've yet to do anything together. He chooses a slide we can pair up on with tubes. The Husband had the locker keys in his pocket and lost them in the pool at the end of the first slide. Yay honey. If I had done that there would be no end to hearing about it... you better get those keys, we need those keys, the keys to the car are in there we can't leave until we get those locker keys... blah blah blah... but he did it, and he learned they shut the slide down at the top of every hour to search for lost keys and the like... and it was currently 3:15. So I took the kids to a play area where there was no line - yay! - and they were happy to play there for a long while, and I was happy to just sit on the sidelines with my feet getting wet NOT standing in a line. The Husband was able to retrieve the keys during this time.

We had to talk the kids into leaving that play area for a different play area... the wave pool. They both liked this a lot as they are both experienced with the waves of the Gulf of Mexico and they always have fun with the waves. We did this for maybe not quite an hour. Both kids were getting so chilled from the water, their lips would turn blue and the would be shivering. The refused to sit in the sun to warm up... It was starting to get late in the day, so we began to wrap it up.

The kids and I finished with the lazy river kind of float course that was fine. For some reason people not floating annoyed me. Kids were swimming it, moms were walking it... ugh.. it's a FLOAT river people!!! Oh well, Kim, just chill out. The Daughter and I finished with two waterslides that had very short lines (omg!!!). The first one we each did solo, and as soon as I hit the pool at the end, my tube flipped over and into the water I went. I hit the water pretty good, but no big deal. My hat and sunglasses came off and I was able to get my hat as it was floating, but I lost my sunglasses. Pair #2 donated this summer (#1 was donated to the Gulf of Mexico)... I'm not too upset about it, those glasses got on my nerves. I just need to replace them with new sunglasses now.

The Husband had us stay in Owensboro, KY that night - he choose that town because of a BBQ place he had found... they have Mutton BBQ... not for me, but he couldn't wait. Moonlight BBQ is really really good, I definitely reccommend you try it if you're in the area. There was even autographed poster from Alison Kraus and an autographed pic of Ricky Skaggs. The Daughter had a BBQ sandwhich and the Son had a burger (he is adverturous, just like my own dad... a burger works everytime). I had the buffet... and totally loaded up on sides. Duh... Oh well, mashed potatoes and gravy hit the spot, several corn muffins were awesome, green beans and mac and cheese just totally made it fabulous. I had some pork BBQ, some beef BBQ, went back for some ribs and some fried shrimp... I think every other bite was cornbread. I was eating some much I wasn't even drinking my beer. The buffet came with a huge selection of deserts. All those pies really caught my eye... I decided on a big slice of rhubarb pie with ice cream. The pie itself was room temp... I asked the attendant to heat it up for me in the microwave in the back and she obliged me. While she did that I got some soft serve ice cream in a bowl to add to my pie. Ummmmmmmmm Ummmmmmmmm, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! is all I can say.

Later that night I was too full to really enjoy another beer. I finished up my history class completely - woooo-hoooo! That was over OVER and DONE with! Yay! Tomorrow will be Denny's for breakfast and the drive home. I wonder why there aren't Denny's in Nashville? I think there used to be 2... but are those even around anymore?

Evansville, Indiana

2008-08-07T22:29:00.003-05:00

Well, The Husband wanted to take the kids and I to someplace that was unlike HIM - and he came up with Holiday World and Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus Indiana - an amusement park and water slide park about 2.5 hours from us.

He planned our trip up there to visit Evansville and then spend all of the next day at Holiday World. It sounded like a pretty full day for us!! We both slept a little bit late. I hadn't really packed the night before so I planned to be up by 6am. I think we both slept until a little after 7.... but he knew I was relying on HIS alarm, so when he ignored it, that meant I got to ignore it too.

The drive up 24, through Hopkinsville and further to Henderson, KY was uneventful. I even snoozed a bit between Hop-town and Henderson.

First stop, John James Audubon State Park in Henderson, KY. We primarily visited the Museum and Nature Center. Audubon was an extremely spoiled child, even by his own words.
Then we taught the kids how to gamble at Ellis Park Race Course. We just wanted to check it out more than anything. We were there for 2 races. I bet a total of $8 and won a total of $5.80. The Son was our big winner, he picked a horse to Place and it did and with pretty good odds going in. The one of the first horses I bet on, I bet without a program, just going by the favorite and odds. When I got a program I was tickled to learn that a horse I bet on had my name, it was "Back Up Kim" - that horse certainly would have gotten my bet.
Then we headed into Evansville for the Evansville Museum where the art museum was most memorable. They even had a Rodin exhibit available. I generally don't like too much modern art, but WOW! The stuff they had there I REALLY REALLY liked. The Husband felt the same way. We both want to go back there... hmmmmm... how can we do this without the kids?
THEN, the day wasn't over yet... we went to the Mesker Park Zoo. I highly recommend if you are a family that gets around or wants to get around, get a membership at your local zoo and science center, they have reciprocal memberships with zoo's allover the place. The Mesker Zoo in Evansville was a pretty good zoo, it is one of the oldest zoos in Indiana and among the first in the nation to use moats to give the animals a more natural setting while on display. We first checked out the very new Amazonia exhibit, and that was quite good. The whole grounds were nice and enjoyable to walk around.

I had the most fun with two Amazon birds, we were quite a distance away from them and there was this HUGE screeching sound, and the sound of people reacting. We raised our eyebrows and were soon looking for whatever it was that made that sound. And we found 'em, these two yellow Amazon birds, who looked happy and unstressed and they hollered at us. I read the sign that went along with them and it mentioned how social they were would screech a hello to you. Well, yes, that's what they were doing. So I talked to them, and they screeched back. I asked them to to use an inside voice, and I just kept talking to them in a soft sing-song kind of voice, and they stopped screeching, they would tilt their head from side to side and they even coo-ed at me. The kids were almost mortified with me for talking to the birds, and they just wouldn't appreciate the reaction I was getting from the birds. They did not screech again while I was within earshot. Such nice birds.

Dinner was at Turoni's Pizzery and Brewery - yum! Our pizza was good and The Husband just looved their beer. We ended up with two pitchers, the IPA which I liked best was right on and The Husband was just amazed by the Black Light Lager; it was soo fresh!!! I like IPA's much better, I like the hops and bitterness they provide. The Black Light Lager almost didn't taste like beer to me, the roasted flavor was good but I needed that bitter flavor to go with it. It almost tasted like roasted flavored water to me. Not what I consider beer.

I realized as we were driving up there, that this would be the first time that The Husband ever went out to eat for pizza. Sure, we bring pizza home for dinner 3-4 times a year and I will make pizza myself about that often too. But he's never taken us out to pizza. He found the brewery online and the pizza menu must have impressed him to, because that's what we had for dinner earlier. I am so full.

The Husband asked if I was ready for the water slides tomorrow. My response: yes but no way in hell with my stomach as full as it is.... ugh... I was stuffed!!!! How do I justify this? Shame shame shame... This just can't fly if I'm trying to LOSE weight!!!

You F-UH-Hing moron - YIELD!!

2008-08-06T11:02:00.004-05:00

My new pal, Liam, who's blog I've been reading for a whole two days now HATES it when people stop their vehicle forward of the stop line. This really isn't a complex traffic thing to figure out and I can understand his aggravation.

My traffic situation isn't as simple - I don't think. Because this happens over and over and over, I've begun to question my own sense of what is right. PLEASE comment to this if you have any opinion whatsoever. I really need to know.

So here we are in Franklin, Tennessee at the intersection of Mack Hatcher and Lewisburg Pike.

This picture is looking north, and I am most often approaching this intersection from the south, so this is my view. I am turning to the right about 96% of the time and this is where my issue is.

The oncoming traffic, and you can see someone in the left turn lane across the intersection. More often than not, those people turning left DO NOT YIELD to the traffic across from them that are turning right, such as me.

So here I am turning right, and this pic is my view... as I'm turning right, that jerk across from me will turn in front of me and make his left turn cutting me off from my right turn.

My logic is this. These jerks don't cut off traffic that is going straight through the intersection because that's oncoming traffic on on a simple green light, YOU DON'T DO THAT! If this jerk has a protected green light with the snazzy green left arrow, then I would have a red light and I would know to yield to other traffic.

But when it's just a simple green light those people just go in front of people turning, no yield at all. How is this much different to not yielding to people going straight? ITS NOT. And I'm tired tired tired of these jerks doing this. My latest thought has been to get in touch with the city and see if they could put up a sign to the morons who don't yield when turning left, somehow instructing them that they MUST yield. At the least, I should look up accident reports for that intersection.

Oh boy... 5 more days until school starts. Cussing at other drivers will be a great outlet. The kids were actually aware of me flipping somebody off yesterday at this instersection; they found it HIGHLY amusing to say the least. Whoops, I don't want to be doing that... and I think I spoke too... it went something like this... "you F-UH-Hing moron - YIELD!!"

K2 climbers

2008-08-05T11:05:00.003-05:00

Jeeze... how is it, I'm nearly complete with setting a goal for a YEAR from now of climbing a mountain... that at this same time I get this great idea, that a horrible horrible accident occurs on the world's second highest peak, K2, and 11 climbers are dead.

I will be aiming for climbing Mt. Rainer in the summer of 2009. I have a lot of work to do to get in shape for this - but this is the kind of goal that will get me out of bed and otherwise make getting in shape a priority.

And then there was this story, the most deadly mountaineering accident in the US took place in June of 1981 on Mt. Rainer. I'm not the type to get nervous or be scared... but jeeze... talk about a confluence of events here for me the last few days in terms of people dying on mountain tops. Seracs scare me now!!! and I refuse to be looking above me all the time... I can simply not hang out where seracs are! simple enough.

But I still want to do this. I just need to learn more about safety and the dangers.

New Goals

2008-08-03T12:32:00.000-05:00

I've just posted to my Lose Kim Lose blog new fitness goals. These will be big. I'm about 90% committed to the first goal and maybe 50% committed to the first goal. We'll see how it goes.

Read about them here.

This Lack of Energy

2008-08-02T12:11:00.003-05:00

I've been dragging for several weeks now, not a lot of energy. I'm just rambling with my thoughts here about the reasons why and what I can do about it.

Yes, I'll be honest and I haven't been to the gym in about that much time as well. The Husband just told me he'll take the kids out later this afternoon, I will make a point of going to the gym then. It'll be good for me, and I think I'll do a simple strength training workout too. I still want to loose 30 pounds by the end of the year. Maybe get a neglected other blog of mine fired up, losekimlose.blogspot.com

Yesterday morning I taught The Son how to make coffee for me in the morning. He's 9.5 years old, he can handle it. It'll be neat to see how it goes Monday morning, he's really looking forward to it.

I have a self-hypnosis program for energy boosts, perhaps I'll try that this afternoon as well. Maybe download the 10 minute nap program as well. I've tried the one I have once or twice and it seemed to have a mild effect on me. My expectation for it though was that once the program was done, I would spring up and be nearly hyper I would have so much energy. And since this didn't happen, I was let down. Maybe if I changed my expectations, my results would be different.

I need to eat better... I haven't been eating pure junk lately, but I could eat better and more regularly. I can feel that my blood sugar level dips too low and that of course send me into a funk. Eating what I feed the kids seems to do that trick, but ugh.... sometimes that's too healthy for me, I do like JUNK too much.

I'm sleeping pretty well. I am probably staying up a bit too late, which is a stupid paradox because I'm so tired during the day. But that 'so tired' feeling often translates into a mini-nap in the afternoon and that charges me up enough to stay up past 11pm. I need to cut the naps and get to bed at a reasonable time.

I haven't been drinking as much coffee as I normally do and I don't know why. I should really make a point and drink two cups of the stuff. Just make myself. I have my favorite creamer, there's nothing wrong with it. I just get distracted by other things going on, and I ignore my coffee... then part of the pattern is I'm so tired around 4pm, and I realize I've only drank half a cup of coffee from the morning. !!!!! duh! This would be a major factor in why I'm so tired also.

So, the game plan is: exercise regularly, eat better and more regularly, maintain regular night time sleep pattern, drink adequate amount of coffee.

Cosmonaut soon to leave the Solar System

2008-07-31T18:32:00.008-05:00

This had to have been a dream. I'll explain.

Last night at dinner, The Husband and The Kids were talking about something to do with the size of the solar system (yes, we're all a bunch of wanna-be geeks) and I chirped into the conversation with this...

"I read today that the first human will be leaving the solar system soon" The Husband asks me what piece of fiction I had read. "No, really, it was an article online, probably from Kottke... but before Gagarin, there was a Soviet Cosmonaut that went up, but never came back down, he's been drifting ever since, and now he's about to leave the solar system... the article even mentioned how cold he was... something like -270 degrees, so he's perfectly preserved."

Well, The Husband was skeptical about this.... how would they track him, and how would something so small have enough mass to travel that far, how did he not get pulled into the gravity of another planet... Yes, all reasonable questions to me (but I didn't entirely understand the mass question). I had only quickly read the article; it was interesting but I didn't feel compelled to read every word of it.

Well, dinner was finishing up and I excused myself from the table to go to the computer to find that article again. It wasn't in the history of the desktop computer... so I looked on the websites I usually visit during the day that would have had this story. I couldn't find it. So I went to my laptop and again looked in the history... nothing was there that could even remotely be this story. So I started searching news stories... and still nothing.

The best I could come up with was in the Top 10 Space Conspiracy Theories (link). Yeah right... this little tidbit was not the article I thought I had read, it didn't even have the details I thought I had read. I searched and searched online still... and nothing.

I had to have dreamed it; I've completely made up a very interesting science fiction story without realizing it. This is still a very weird feeling to have dreamed that I read something and it was so believable... how in the world can I trust my memory anymore? I'll be spouting little known conspiracy theories without knowing it. And lord knows how much I dislike uninformed people going on and on as if they were actually informed on the topic. Oh boy.

Update: I found this story on Kottke last night. Duh... duh duh. But at least I'm not having false memories. Kim 08/02/08
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Succulents are for me

2008-07-29T11:05:00.007-05:00

I have a jade tree plant that actually hasn't been doing too well. (Please note: this is NOT mine pictured) I've just given it more dirt and watered it thoroughly. Yesterday a branch broke and today while adding dirt two smaller branches broke off. They all looked healthy and my first thought was to stick them in water so they would propagate. Yee-haw! More jade tree plants!!!

Well, this morning I got the bright idea (finally) of looking up information on these plants. They're succulents, they don't need a lot of water, although the jade plant does need a bit more water than the standard succulent.

A cutting (or broken branch) is to form a callous over a week or two, then you dip it in a rooting enzyme and then you plant it, and then as it grows roots, you water a little bit, a little bit and a little bit more. Oh boy... we'll see how I do with this. This will require attention on my end.

I'm otherwise thrilled with my jade tree plant. Its schedule of watering goes right with mine. It needs to dry out completely (neglect) and then it needs to be watered thoroughly (feel like you're catching up). A plant totally for me... who knew there could be such a match?

A weekend away

2008-07-28T09:28:00.004-05:00

I got the go-ahead from The Husband for a 3 day weekend away in August. I've been with the kids so much this summer, I just want some downtime to myself. Last December I won $1,000 in airfare on American Airlines, so I was thinking I would use that.

Well, I'm being Miss-Fussy-Pants about where I might go and what I might do, it can't be too much fun like Vegas - that would make The Husband jealous and that would not be a good thing. But I've found just THE thing for me....

Kirchenfest in Highland, IL and I can drive there! It's a church German Festival and my favorite polka band is playing. Yes, I like polka, especially when it comes from Brave Combo. It would just be too cool to be able to catch these guys. Woooo-hoooooo! Highland, Illinois here I come!!

The Procrastinator's Handbook

2008-07-27T18:31:00.003-05:00

I've had this book, The Procrastinator's Handbook, as an e-book on my Palm PDA for almost 4 years and I still haven't finished reading it.

What I have read of it, I have learned much about procrastinating. I've enjoyed reading this book so much that I've even brought it up in conversations and more than a few people have a had a very strong reaction to my comments.

"Yeah... there's this book I keep meaning to finish about procrastinating and it says... blah blah blah" and the other person is nearly doubled over in laughter trying to speak.

"You're kidding right?"

"uh... no, really I've had it for along time but I just haven't finished it yet"

"OH!!! That is positively the funniest thing I've ever heard... " and they laugh and laugh and laugh.

But really. I will read this book in its entirety someday... hopefully someday soon.

I've recently fired up my PDA and I'm currently updating it with various book titles I want to read and re-read. Somehow a LOT of duplicates have shown up, I don't know how that happened. E-reader doesn't exactly make it a simple process to delete titles.

I'm really looking into a new cell phone, a smartphone, the Palm Centro... I'll have my PDA and cell phone in one device. But I need to take a closer look at the plan I'll need to upgrade to.... yikes! How much more do I want to pay for cell phone service? So, like I said, I need to take a closer look at it all. It might not actually be much more than what I'm paying now... but there's weird restrictions on corporate discounts on certain plans... and I'm a corporate discount person - 20% is sweet!

I wonder how long I will procrastinate the new cell phone... ugh!!!! It's been 22 months... I quality for the juicy discount on a new phone. I don't think I'll delay this much. But... maybe when the kids head back to school in about two weeks.

Losing Things... you're getting sleepy, very sleepy...

2008-06-09T21:08:00.008-05:00

Good Lord!!! I lose so many things... I lose 'em quickly, sometimes standing or sitting in one spot I can manage to lose something. I can forget where something is that I had in my hands not 2 minutes prior. It's aggravating, in a major way. I've just found what may become the solution to my problems. But first, let me tell you about the latest thing I've misplaced.

The most recently "lost" item is the memory card and card reader for my camera. It's plenty big enough for how I use it, so I am very much against the idea of running out and buying a new one, even though I've read that is a reasonable idea (having more than one card). That would be okay, but the card itself is in the card reader, which I will need with a new card - and I'm just not willing to run out and buy a replacement (yet, if ever). I know these things are just under my nose somewhere near. But I just can't find them.

Last seen: last week, Wednesday I think it was. I installed Simcity on the broken laptop (its hooked up to a monitor) for my son to play but then had to transfer his regions from MY laptop, onto the broken laptop. So I took the memory card out of my camera, and copied the files I wanted onto it, and then PROMTPLY went right over to the broken laptop and copied those files over. I think I even deleted those files - the job was done. And at that point, I remember doing this... I PROMPTLY walked my card right over to the place on the kitchen counter where my camera tends to reside when it's at home. I remember setting it down, the card still sitting in the reader thing-a-ma-bob... and I set it there. I remember chastising myself *some* because I should have just popped the card back into the camera... but I didn't...

and now I can't find anything - the card or the reader. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I've even offered cash to the child who can find it. Please help me!

For nearly a year now I've been a fan of Hypnosis Downloads - http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com. I fully believe in the power of what self-hypnosis can do you for you. Before I even truly learned about it, I was able to use it. Pain medication just makes me violently ill, so I've learned how to skip it - even post-root canal. I've even delivered an 11 pound baby with no drugs whatsoever using self-hypnosis (but if I had the slightest clue she was going to be that big I would NOT have attempted such a thing) and it works, it really truly works.

So I notice that my source for hypnosis mp3's now has a new program... Find Lost Things I will download it tonight and post back here in a few days. It could very possibly reduce my aggravation in life by maybe... 80%! I drive myself insane with continuing to think "special" places actually work. Why can't I get it through my thick skull that putting things in the same place every time works much better?

Yellow is Unhealthy

2008-05-16T21:07:00.009-05:00

So... I wanted to be different with my latest pedicure. Different as in NO PINK and NO RED. I'm really just plain TIRED of those shades. I have worn those colors just too much lately on my toes, and as much I like OPI Red and OPI's Pompeii Pink... I just gotta branch out and do something different once in a while.

The morning of my pedicure I thought yellow would be a fun color. Just the right shade, a bit of the bright side, but not day-glo yellow, not soft and pastel yellow either... had to be a bold yellow.

And this is the yellow that I got. It's a nice yellow... I really do like it. One of the first things Chris says is, "don't people take medicine to not have yellow toe nails?" yessssssssssss, but this is a pretty yellow. "well, okay... if you say so... " and ever since I have not been able to glance at my toes and think, this is not a sign of good health. I do like this color but it just isn't for MY toe nails. Maybe if I had a dark skin tone, yellow would contrast quite well.... but I'm pale, and yellow just looks unhealthy.

I warned the lady at the shop I always visit, to not be surprised if she saw me again in the next week for a color change. I just wasn't sure if it was a keeper. So when I walked in this afternoon and she saw me she laughed heartily... but I warned her!!! I basically zeroed right in on GREEN shades. And found this nice turquoise/teal green. It's nice and bright, its a pretty shade...

1001 Books

2008-05-13T15:22:00.001-05:00

Through the kottke.org website (I highly recommend if you're not a regular reader) I learned of this list/book of 1,001 books you should read before you die.

This just looks GREAT. I love this list. I want to make a point of reading a lot of these books. And looking at the details of this book, I want this book as well! It's a 900-some page hard cover, so it ain't cheap. We'll see though.. there's still the Barnes and Noble gift cards my parents sent at Christmas. :D

I love reading and I've always struggled with finding good fiction to read. I like newer more modern fiction but even that's a huge field to narrow down to one book when you're just wanting SOMETHING to read. This list will help A LOT.

http://www.amazon.com/1001-Books-Must-Read-Before/dp/0789313707/ref=cm_lmf_tit_12_rsrsrs0

Tiffany

2008-05-11T15:56:00.005-05:00

I love love love Tiffany glass! I just visited the Frist Center for Visual Arts in Nashville and I love love love Tiffany glass.

I think it is is truly one of THE most beautiful styles in the visual arts. I really can't think of anything else that strikes me as more beautiful every single time I see it. I even got into stained glass work years ago because, yes, I really think its so beautiful but (surprise surprise) it's harder than it looks.

The actual DOING it isn't that tricky to learn or do, and with any new skill it does take some time and practice to really get it down. But that's the EASY thing to learn. After that you must really become an artist and I am not an artist. You have to decide on a pattern, what are you going to make? Can you really consider yourself to be a stained glass artist if you're only making patterns from books? And then to choose the glass.

Choosing glass is truly the most difficult part. First its difficult to just decide, then its difficult to choose well. And Tiffany was the master in choosing well. Hell, I even found out he made his own glass! and then I learned about layering glass on top of glass.... !!!! I don't have those kinds of resources!!! No wonder my pieces would never look as good as his!
.
It really takes an artist to choose glass. What glass you choose will definitely make or break your piece (no pun intended).

So here's a nice example of Tiffany and then an example of something I've made (from a book pattern).

It's the little things....

2008-05-01T18:04:00.003-05:00

Like the last 90 minutes....

WHY did I think it would be a good idea to set the timer in three minute increments because I wanted to make sure nothing got overdone? and WHY would my computer decide to be freakin' stupid during this as well? and Why can't my son just FREAKIN' wait for the computer to work properly before he can have his computer time? and there goes the timer AGAIN!!!

WHY is it that ONLY after I've come back to my math homework, and ONLY after I've actually focussed my eyes on a problem does the phone ring? and then it has to be in another room.

Yes, I'm a bit irritable... but these little things are driving me freakin' insane!!!!!

Babies and Movie Theaters

2007-11-24T16:54:00.000-06:00

Why on Earth would someone bring a BABY to a movie? Because they can't stand to have Jr. with a babysitter, because they're too lazy, too cheap, too something....

Even though it may be a movie aimed for young people... a baby has no place there!!! I just went and saw Enchanted, which I enjoyed very much, but there were about 3 babies there that at various times cried and screamed. WTF? I hope you paid admission for that little bundle of joy to ruin my movie experience!!

Pulp Fiction Fucking Short Version

2007-08-12T15:54:00.001-05:00

This is fucking great!!!! Pulp Fiction is one of my most favorite movies... but to put together all the f-words in the movie in order and little else? It's hilarious!!!! (and of course **I've** never wanted to spew out NOTHING but the f-word before.. ha ha, yeah right!!!)

Summer Vacation with the Kids Day One

2007-08-06T22:14:00.000-05:00

Well, things started off nicely... Lila slept until 7:45, so that meant I did too. Very very nice (thank you Lila!)

We had breakfast, Matthew had more breakfast. I called Comcast to ask them what the heck was wrong with my DVR, nothing I recorded would play. They told me how to re-set the thing and sure enough it worked!

Lila had an appointment for a reading test at 9:30 we needed to leave at 9:25. With my DVR working again I fired up an episode of Good Eats where Alton Brown taught us how to make gyro meat. I had seen the episode before, but missed the recipe and the initial steps in putting it together. I sat down at the tv with a paper and pen and took notes. I was ready! But time ran out before I could completely wrap up my meal planning for the evening.

We went to Oak View Elementary... Lila did her testing, we went by Matthew's new class twice but the teacher wasn't there. I checked with the office about the class lists being posted and was told, "not until Thursday", why not? jeeze, I did my best not to get cranky about THAT.

We were home for about 30 minutes where I made out my shopping list and we went to the store. I got everything I needed (plus more sausage biscuits!!!) and went home to discover that I forgot tomatoes! grrrrrrrrr... later on I discovered we didn't have any bread either.... grrrrrrrrrr.... well, I knew we were going out later anyhow.

The kids did a lot of bickering while I was cooking in the kitchen (gyro meat), they did okay with their lunches. I just wanted some quiet time (for me and for them). That worked pretty well. Matthew read and I worked on my essay which was due late that night. Lila was in my room. The first time I found her she was laying on my chair and ottoman at an odd angle. I told her that if she wanted to lay down she could do so in my bed. About twenty minutes later I checked on her and she was sound asleep in my bed. So I put the tv on for Matthew and I laid down on the couch and closed my eyes. Lila woke me up a little before 4 and we got into high gear to get ready to go to the pool.

We got ready in pretty quick order. I brought a small cooler with some ice in it. Before the pool we stopped at Publix (the second time that day) and got some tomatoes. Now, I know cold ruins the taste of tomatoes but it was nearly 100 degrees outside and I just didn't want to think what that heat would do to my tomatoes INSIDE my van after 90 minutes.

The pool was good. Lila who really took to going underwater yesterday, took to SWIMMING underwater today. She made me nervous by swimming towards deeper water. What would happen if she came up for air and couldn't stay up? Sheesh, I just wanted her to stay where she could stand up.

We got home at 6pm and I started slicing and dicing. My gyro meat turned out well, but I still had to prepare the tomatoes (chop), cucumber (peel and slice), feta cheese (chop), olives (pit and slice) and of couse slice the meat and heat up the flat bread. I loaded up my plate well with a nice platter-like selection (there was also bagged salad). YUM YUM!! Even the kids liked what they had!!

The after dinner routine was nothing special. Got the kids to bed, Chris was watching the Simpsons - when I decided I would become Marge for Halloween. I bought a blue beehive wig on Ebay this evening. I found a dress pattern I may have someone make for me if nothing similar turns up on Ebay in the next month or so. There's a totally cool necklace that costs 7 dollars but they want 20 dollars to ship it from China... I think I will look for similar beads myself before paying THAT much... but maybe not... I think I could wear that necklace with other outfits. :)

I got my essay sent off at 9:50pm (due at 11) :) I'm proud of it. Hopefully it will get a good grade. I'm taking my final tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Christmas in July

2007-07-29T18:29:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally did it - I bought Christmas items in July. I was always someone you could count on to roll my eyes at Christmas gear any sooner than November.... and now I've succumbed. I was at Hobby Lobby with my daughter yesterday for some beading supplies and I couldn't help but notice all the freshly stocked aisles of Christmas ornaments. For years I've been frustrated and annoyed at my selection of ornaments after Thanksgiving. Now I feel like I got my first choice with everything - so there! You snooze you loose.... And I've bought Christmas doo-dads in July.

7-7-07, could this be MY lucky day?

2007-07-07T20:15:00.000-05:00

Call me morbid, or other names for going to far with this thought but when I read a similar headline I couldn't help but think... yeah, my lucky day... the day the police try to identify my neighbors body. Since there was no police activity at their home, it would be a car accident, in their little tiny BMW convertible. Such a car accident, so horrible would make it difficult to identify them.

Now wouldn't that be my lucky day!!!!!?????

I'm otherwise hoping MORE for winning the lottery... I would buy them out of their home and draw up a contract that they couldn't move within 20 miles of me. Money can buy things... I would buy them out of my life.

Noisy Neighbor Saga

2007-07-03T22:35:00.001-05:00

For years and years and years (at least the 11 years I've been living here) "HL" across the street from me has played his music loud. And he plays his guitar along with it. In all these years his guitar playing has not gotten any better - lucky us. The cops won't do anything about it (no noise ordinance until 10pm), and we've learned over the years they won't do anything about it.

Well, this past spring I've decided enough is enough... I returned to work after nearly 8 years, I guess you could say I value my time spent relaxing even more highly than I used to. Relaxing out on my porch before during or after dinner and into the evening will no longer be tolerated with the Beatles or Jethro Tull blasting away from across the street.

Yes, it's the Beatles primarily... HL is well into his forties... kinda young for the Beatles prime days, but hey... I don't even start to understand him. You'd just think that a noisy neighbor would be the dude who is in his early 20's... not a grown man with grown children. @%#@$^#%!

So, this has been an introduction to this story, but before we get to what happened tonight, I'm going to back up a little earlier this spring. Fed up with the music and getting no where with phone calls; I researched the issue some online and decided to fight noise with noise.

For $30 on eBay, I bought a bull-horn and I would go out to his property line and SING along to his music (he's always out on his porch playing along with his guitar). I can't sing well to save my life (in fact I characterize my singing voice as making dogs howl three counties over) Certainly that would make HL not want to give me something to sing to.

On the evening of July 3rd, HL started to play loudly after we had had dinner. I called and left a message - a waste of time, this had never done a thing before. Then I got my bull-horn and I went over there. I walked down the driveway he shares with his neighbor and I took about 2 steps into what I assumed was his property. He was looking right at me as I was doing this. I asked him to turn his music down, it was too loud. He asked me to leave his property. I ignored him and again asked him to turn his music down. He warned me he was only going to ask a second time and only responded with my request that I not hear his music from over 500 feet away (yes, I've measured it).

He got up, went inside, was there for awhile and then came out on the phone - yay! I was sure he was calling the cops. I even yelled to him/them while he was on the phone describing the situation. How fun! He had turned his music off but was still playing his guitar fairly loudly while we waited. After I while of throwing mild insults his way I told him this was boring and that he knew where I lived. I walked back up the driveway and sure enough, he's a jerk enough for this... as I went passed the trees, he cranked his music back up. So I turned right around and went back to where I had been and continued to be obnoxious and throw insults his way. His wife came home at one point, she tried to ignore me and she sure couldn't suppress her smile at the fucking ridiculousness that I'm sure was ME.

Again this got boring and I walked back up the driveway. As I was walking I thought I heard my husbands voice near the road, and sure enough when I got up there, my husband was talking to one of TWO sheriffs that had came! As soon as the one not talking to my husband saw me he came zooming up to talk to me! LOL

I explained the situation both past and present and how I decided to use the bullhorn to get his attention due to the lack of any response to phone calls and requests in person to turn his music down. I even asked the sheriff on a scale of one to ten, how obnoxious was it for me in a legal sense use my bullhorn on my noisy noisy neighbor. He replied ZERO, absolutely none. He even explained that yes, even though there is no noise ordinance in the county, he could get charged with disorderly conduct. We chatted a bit more, and then the two sheriffs went down the driveway to HL's house. Hubby and I went inside the house and waited.

Maybe it was 15 minutes later the sheriff I had talked to, came to our door and we invited him and he sat at our kitchen table with us. He explained that from then on, we are to call the Sheriffs department when we hear HL's music. We are not to call them or go over there again. If we call it it, and they, the sheriff's department hears the music from the road (about 300 feet away) then he can file a charge with the magistrate court and we would have to come down there and sign on it as well. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How fun!!! Dear HL with a disorderly conduct charge .... how wonderfly perfect!

I just love how HL called the cops on ME, and the cops gave HIM the warning about a possible disorderly conduct charge!!! I love it love it love it!!! This was the first time in my 36 years of life that someone called the cops on ME! and they gave the jerk the warning!!! How much better could it have gotten?

Little Money (in my pocket)

2007-06-29T15:05:00.000-05:00

I started this week with $5 in my wallet. It's easy enough to swing by the ATM, I live and work near several branches of my bank... but I didn't.

I stop at my local Mapco mart for coffee nearly every morning. A large (24oz) cup costs $1.41 (if I ever brought home my travel mug, it would cost me 84 cents). I hit some kind of fast food on Sunday or Monday, I forget now... that took my $5, and I got about 70 cents in change.

Tuesday I took a dollar that was floating around in the center console of my van. It was easy enough to dig up 41 cents.

Wednesday, I actually thought of my lack of cash before I left the house. As I got the kids in the van, I went up to the laundry room... I knew there were two laundered dollar bills up there.

Thursday, I went back up to the laundry room and scooped up all the large silver change I could find. $3!!

Friday, I didn't want to use all change again... I bought several packs of cigarettes (even though I didn't need them) to get my total up to $10 which is my personal rule for using plastic (nothing less than $10).

Later Friday morning, I had to renew the tags on my car. Part of the process is the emissions testing, which costs $10 cash no exceptions. I actually get there, the line was LONG, and I see the sign reminding us that they only take cash. @$#$^@#$! So before I even get in line, I leave to (finally) go to the ATM for cash. I come back 20 minutes later with my cash, and of all the good luck I could possibly have... the line was about 1/3 of what it was at first. :)

Little Money (on the road)

2007-06-27T20:55:00.000-05:00

Traffic was really bad on the way home this afternoon. Nothing had apparently happened, it was just very slow, heavy volume as the radio traffic guy likes to say.

Well, I have a dish of change that is(was) quite full. I picked out all but a few pennies (some of them were sticking together) and counted them. There were 19 pennies.

Every time I stopped, I would throw one out the window. And yes, I ran out of them. And I didn't exactly THROW them out, I hoped I was slyly dropping them out my window. I was in the far left lane (screw HOV, they don't enforce it in my part of the woods, and NO traffic was moving much PERIOD), just next to me was the concrete barrier to the opposite lanes of traffic. I worried that the person behind me would notice me throwing something out the window, so I carefully dropped them. I've seen street sweepers, they actually clean this part of the highway... maybe the guy who cleans out the bucket will give the money to his kid... or maybe he already has quite a collection of coins.

2004-06-30T17:14:00.000-05:00

I'm not old yet - but I am realizing I'm getting too old for certain things. Short skirts are one of those things. Women of a certain age just shouldn't wear short mini skirts. I'm afraid I'm nearing that age. I just feel that I look silly.

I've also realized I probably shouldn't be wearing tight shirts anymore either. Again, it's too young and the attention it brings isn't something I think I should be getting. When I was younger - sure, why not? But nowadays, it's just not right.

I will still wear short skirts, not exactly mini-skirts though. I will still wear tops that HINT at something. I don't intend on dressing like I joined a convent, but I do need to make some changes.

2004-06-29T19:24:00.000-05:00

I've always considered myself smart, tough and strong enough for most jobs. Today I got an opportunity to prove all of the above true, and I failed.

I got a flat tire. I thought "no problem, I can change this". I tried and tried, cut myself numerous times, tried more and more, I had no problem laying on my back underneath the van on the gravel trying to set free the spare tire..... and I still couldn't do it all. I had to call Chris for help.

I feel somewhat a failure. This is something I also assumed I could do, and it turns out I couldn't. I think I'll run myself through a flat tire drill in a few months. THEN I'll succeed.

2004-04-19T12:33:00.000-05:00

I've finally got myself into the gym again. It's been a long time since I've been and it's been a REALLY LONG time since I've been regular about going. I think since about November!! I've been sick, the kids have been sick, I've had an injury and I've also simply just not felt like going. I've let my diet go also, eating lots of crap too often. So.... last night was my last Cheeto for a long while. I'll have to come up with some kind of reward and have the remaining Frito's as my treat. Maybe if I go to the gym 4 days this week, I can have Frito's with a movie Friday or Saturday night. :-)

Today I hope to come up with my new rules and a schedule of rewards so that I can have something other than a nice body to work towards. I'll get that up on my website on it's own page.

Also, at the gym today was this lady I've seen often. She has fake boobs, and she totally doesn't strike me as the type who would have them. But she has the WEIRDEST workout I've ever seen. Just absolutely bizarro. I first noticed her at least a year ago, working out with two friends. They were in the free weights area, all doing bicep curls. They were talking, and talking and doing bicep curls. I swear, they stood there for 10-15 minutes JUST DOING BICEP CURLS. I've only seen her do bicep curls, that's the only strength training she does. Although I did see her do something with her triceps, but only after about 20 minutes of working her biceps.

2004-04-17T13:34:00.000-05:00

What a busy busy, lots of things going on kind of day.

There was a soccer game; Chris did lots of work in the yard; I got the hammock set up, and I went to a product sales pitch party. I bought stuff, I know I know.... that's just what was expected of me. But it is a class of products I'm always willing to try - skin care. Maybe these will end up the "product of my dreams". I'm just never entirely happy with any of the products I've tried so far.

I keep thinking about the lady who did the presentation. The more I think about her, it's hard not to think that upon first seeing her, you'd think you were at a costume party, an 80's themed party. She totally had that New Wave look going. Lots of permed hair with an extreme side part, so it partly covered half her face. A serious number of earrings on one earlobe, bright red lipstick and a bright red jacket. Ewwww!!! This was her look, her everyday "I haven't changed a thing since 1986 and it's the only style I've ever wear" look. Ugh!!! And she READ from a script, didn't elaborate on anything, made some statements that were completely misleading. She is not a candidate for being successful in this line of work. No Way.

2004-02-12T11:23:00.000-06:00

Well, on Tuesday I started a new anti-depressant. It's called Luvox. I'm supposed to take it at bedtime. The first night was great, I slept solidly through the night (and I think I even had Starbucks late in the afternoon). But last night, the second night of taking this.... ARGHHHHHH! What an awful night. I didn't get to sleep until 12:30, I woke up at 4 got back to sleep around 5:30 and then woke up again at 6:45. The doctor said if this new medication keeps me up at night I can go ahead and take it in the morning. I'll take it late this afternoon when I get home for the day. Who knows how this drug will make me feel. When I first started Lexapro, it made me dizzy and nauseous. So far with this drug I'm feeling the dry mouth and some jitteriness I guess you'd call it. My hands feel shaky like they might if I had just consumed 8+ cups of coffee or so.... oh! wouldn't I love to have the energy that would provide! I'm so tired. And I wanted to get a bunch of things done today. :-( whimper whimper whine whine

2004-02-08T14:44:00.000-06:00

I'm starting a new weight loss chart for 2004. My goal is about 18lbs by the beginning of June. I'm gonna really have to work this time, I'm sure the second half won't be nearly as easy as the first. :-(

2004-01-05T14:59:00.000-06:00

Books Books Books
Shelves Shelves Shelves

Agh! As if my body isn't tired enough from the gym, I moved a heavy bookcase down a set of stairs and up an even larger set of stairs. Then made about 10 trips to bring the books to the new location. I probably won't have time tomorrow to do the second bookcase, so maybe on Wednesday. I also purchased bookcases for each of the kids rooms, at least those were made of pine and were lightweight. I did alot of clearing out of Lila's room - a bunch of stuff going to the Goodwill. Matthew's room just had some re-arranging. Hopefully by the end of the week I'll get most of what I want done DONE.

and then, next will be trying to figure out when I can paint those new bookshelves....

2004-01-04T14:54:00.000-06:00

What a busy day. Got lots done though. I did all the laundry and ironing and got everything put away today! Amazing for me. I did the menu planning for the week like I always dream of, and I got to do the shopping for the week today also. That's something Chris usually does, but he's very much under the weather so I insisted on him staying home.

2004-01-03T16:47:00.000-06:00

Today has been a pretty easy day. Slept a bit late, went to the gym on a rare Saturday morning. There were a lot of people at the gym this morning. And before I left I saw this woman that really got my mind wondering.

There's a number of women at the gym like this and I really wonder what their lives are like. These are the women who have obviously fake boobs. They're GIGANTIC, and these women have teeny-tine frames. Nature just does not build anyone quite like this. Yes, petite women can have large breasts, but they're not the size of NFL regulated footballs.

This morning I saw yet another woman like this and I really wonder... what do they do for a living? If a woman has large breasts because she wants large breasts, I can't imagine going for the extra-super-monster size! I can only imagine breasts that size are done for professional reasons. Are these women exotic dancers? hookers? cheerleaders? adult film stars? Penthouse magazine models? These are the professions I think of when I think of GIGANTIC breasts being a good thing. All other aspects of any kind of life, I would really think that GIGANTIC breasts would just be a hassle and get in the way.

They can't be THAT much fun... they're just boobs, and fake ones at that.

2004-01-02T20:35:00.000-06:00

The other day Matthew actually cried when he realized he wouldn't be going to KidStop, a local dropin child care center. He has lots of fun playing there, so he was greatly disappointed he wasn't going. But today he did get to go. I didn't really NEED care for the kids (the other day I was able to get a doctors appointment in the evening when Chris could watch the kids), but I decided a few hours wouldn't be a bad thing and that they would enjoy it. They were there for 3 hours and I went to the library, the gym and a quick trip to the grocery store. It's so nice to be able to go to places like the library and store and not have to hassle with kids that make things difficult. Other, more experienced parents tell me that things do get easier as they get older.... I suppose if I saw more improvement at anytime I'd believe that, but it just seems like they bicker with each other more and whine and complain about more and more things.

2004-01-01T23:13:00.000-06:00

This was a very low-key, quiet kind of day. I slept late, woke up a little bit hung over (rehydrating myself cured that though). I made my New Years Day soup - black-eyed peas, ham and turnip greens are the chief ingredients. If you're not from the South you might not know about this New Years Day custom. I didn't, and only learned about it from Chris who enjoys following local customs. :-) But its a very healthy dish and despite how it may sound, it's quite good.

2003-08-25T16:14:00.000-05:00

I came to the realization that if there were no teenage boys, the injury rate to free standing mailboxes would be nil. Ours has fallen down again. Chris is certain the teenage boy who was seeing "hitting things" that day, hit our mailbox which was already on the verge of falling. But as I drove down the street this morning and really looked at the other boxes, I realized that teenage boys were probably behind 99% of the damage!

2002-07-06T17:51:00.000-05:00

Installing a new kitchen faucet can be a real bitch. The installing part was simple, but removing the old was extremely difficult. I had to give up (after cutting one finger and banging up the rest of my hand, calling Chris and crying). He got home shortly after that (he was already ready to leave work anyhow) and he was able to get the last nut unscrewed for me (took him about 90 seconds). Installing the new sink was a snap, as I expected it to be. And it works great!!! A sucess in my becoming a do-it-yourselfer quest!!

2002-07-05T17:18:00.000-05:00

I sure wish I could put an invisible sheild of sorts to keep Lila from climbing up on the fireplace. trying to get the house picked up and she keeps climbing up there. There's stupid frosted mini-wheats all over the house. If they literally did sprinkle them around the house on purpose, I don't think they could have done a better job. Maybe I need an invisible sheild to keep food in the kitchen. That shouldn't be hard to enforce, just gotta do it more often.

2002-06-27T20:41:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been dinking around with the template... hopefully it will work for me... I'm making this all much more complicated than it needs to be right now. Just the other day I wanted to see if I could get it to work, and that was too easy. Now I really need to torment myself... good god!

2002-06-26T11:58:00.000-05:00

Here's an attempt at getting this blog thing going again. It was kind of fun to re-read my previous two blogs. Let's see if we can get this baby to work! Cross your fingers! dimberly.com here we come!!!!!!

2002-03-13T14:31:00.000-06:00

Had lunch with my friend Becky at the semi-new Chik-fil-a in Cool Springs. Holy Cow!! What a ZOO! just tons and tons of people, people being retarded in the parking lot - the line for the drive through literally started where it ended, it literallly went all around the building. We got there at 11:00 and it was pretty zany, left at noon and it truly was insane. And its not like they opened up last week!

2002-03-06T20:35:00.000-06:00

A very stressful day. Matthew just will not use the potty, I'm really getting fed up with him making messes in his pants. I think I'm going to take all his toys away tomorrow. And I'm going to try and refine the idea of keeping him in his room until he uses the potty, or maybe send him to to his room for THE DAY if he makes a mess in his pants... something! Something to inconvenience him, something to motivate him and make HIS life uncomfortable. I've thought about keeping the wipes in the refridgerator... THAT should be memorable!

Chris is still sick. He's just so out of it, I wish he would stay home. He runs such a high fever he gets the shakes. Just not good.

I'm tired and stressed out, I want to go lay out on the couch.