Thursday Thirteen #24

13 Things On, Under or Near My Desk At Work

1. Cat #1 - Nelson. This usually happens in the morning: he'll wait for me to finish my cereal so that he can lick the bowl. When he is done, it's nap time!


2. Cat #2 - Admiral. He's just taking a nap on my desk. Probably taking advantage of the rare occasion that there is a clean spot. Earlier, I had three cats, but Wingdat left. Working in an office with pets is the greatest!


3. Dog #1 - Yep, that's right. I also have dogs under my desk. Retro, a golden retriever, usually sleeps on the vent under my desk. I'm glad, because I don't like the cold air blowing on me.


4. Dog #2 - I'm not kidding. I have yet a fourth animal on, under, or near my desk. This dog, Bryce, hides under my desk. I only know he's there when he growls at an approaching cat. NOTE: To answer the question: Is it hard to work with animals on or under your desk? The answer is NO. I love it. It's sometimes hard to move my chair for fear of rolling over a dog. The cats are easily tossed if they get in the way!


5. Small wooden carving of the Buddha. No, not the fat, happy Chinese guy that people call Buddha. An actual Buddhist Buddha that my husband brought back to me from Singapore a few years ago.


6. Two Robots. A side-effect of the company I work for. Without giving away too much of my actual identity, I help sell robot kits to kids. I have a couple on my desk. One I decorated around Christmas to look like Rudolph.


7. iPod #1 - My new video iPod. I bring it to work every day so that I can update my podcasts, download videos and TV shows, and charge. I love my video iPod. I don't think I could live without it now.


8. iPod #2 - My old U2 iPod. It is broken and sad. Literally! When it started to break down, it showed an icon of a sick iPod. I'm trying to sell it for parts. $50 bucks and it's yours!


9. Turd - I don't know what else to call it. It's a piece off of a sculpture a friend was making. It looks like an abstract, polished turd pile.


10. Rattle - It's a square, ceramic, American-Indian rattle that is supposed to ward off evil spirits.


11. Extra CPU - This computer is devoted to running a security camera for the front reception area. We can see real-time video of the front door over the network. Unfortunately, our programmer named this program "Gay Cam."


12. Goddess KALI magnet - This is an Indian (India) magnet titled Goddess KALI trampling on her husband, Lord Shiva. She has several heads, arms and legs. Her husband seems to be enjoying it.


13. Mannequin. He's still there. You can read more about him in my post, "Behind the Behind."

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

5 Weird Things About Myself

I was Tagged by Spawn of Satan to write 5 weird things about myself:

1. I can always remember a pet's name, but I almost always forget a person's name when I'm first introduced.


2. I seem to occasionally put out streetlights when I'm driving down the street. I usually say, "Sorry," to the streetlight.
3. I'm afraid of Bigfoot. Hope I never see one!
   
4. I am a member of the "Church of the Psychic Forklift," a Church of the SubGenius group. We haven't had a meeting since a friend of mine, an Ordained Minister of SubGenius, had an X-Day party on July 5th, 1998. But I still hold J.R. "Bob" Dobbs close to my pink heart.
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_SubGenius
   
5. I have double-jointed elbows that allow me to twist my arms in ways that seem unnatural.

Other Weird Bloggers - aka Who I Tagged and Participated:

Fondofsnape - Her 5 things are up!

The Shrone - Her 5 things are up too!

Does She or Doesn't She? - She's wierd too!

Colleen - Who knew?

Nicole - Allergic to herself?

Thursday Thirteen #23

13 Things I Did This Week.

1. I finished weeding the garden that I have been neglecting. I found a huge zucchini, some beans, a jalapeno, and a cucumber. Now that the weeds are gone and I can see the garden, I hope to see more things grow.



2. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I got stung 10 times by yellow jackets. The stings only hurt for a few minutes, but itched really bad for a few days.



3. I ratted on the yellow jackets, and now the nest is destroyed. I pointed to them, like in a bad courtroom television show, and said, “There they are!”



4. I went to Louisville, KY for a tradeshow. Nothing exciting to report. The drive was nice!



5. Finished listening to the book “Twisted” by Jonathan Kellerman. Took three weeks, but I finally did it. You always have to finish a murder-mystery book, just to see if my guess of who did it was right. I was right.



6. Finally got “Lost,” Season 2 on my new video iPod. Awesome show.



7. On a related item, I got the cables so that I can watch my video iPod on the TV.



8. Saved a dog. A friend of mine was about ready to give up his dog because she showed aggressive behavior towards his son. I told him to give the dog another chance, and to get her fixed. She was in heat at the time. All females get grouchy when they are in heat! Besides, his son can annoy anyone!



9. Tried the beer, Burnin' Helles, from Anheuser-Busch. http://www.anheuser-busch.com/news/hometown_brews_050506.htm It’s only available on tap in Ohio. Great beer. Too bad they don’t plan on bottling it. Too bad that I only had one glass!



10. Got Indian food for dinner one night. I used to live near 5 Indian restaurants and I miss it. It was really good. I don’t take it for granted any more.



11. My son started first grade. I got all his school shopping done just a couple of days before. But I did it!



12. I had to pick up the body and guts of a dead mouse that our new cat, Gracie, caught. While I was proud of her for getting a mouse after living with us for about a week, I didn’t like waking up to a dead mouse in my bedroom.



13. I got tagged by Spawn of Satan , http://human-oddity.blogspot.com/ so now I have to write 5 weird things and tag 5 other people. Don’t be surprised if I tag you!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

The Yellow Jackets

I used to like a jazz/fusion band in the 80's called the Yellowjackets. I don't like them anymore. Probably because they attacked me. Okay, it was the wasp-version that attacked me.

I was innocently weeding the garden and using a thrasher to cut down some tall weeds. I was taking out a lot of aggression when suddenly I started to feel a bunch of pricks on my arm and stomach. I looked down to see a few yellow jackets on me.

I had the kids with me. Fortunately, the yellow jackets were not after them. I told my son to run, which he did. But I had to grab the baby and football-carry her while I ran to the house. Once I got the kids inside, I had to still deal with the angry wasps. I went back outside because I was afraid they were still on me and I didn't want them in the house. I think they were waiting for me. So I quickly took my shirt off and managed to get back into the house. As far as I know, only three got into the house.

I sustained 10 stings on my arms, stomach, legs, back, and face. They really weren't that bad, and I didn't have any reaction. But I drank a lot of beer--just in case!

Today the sting sites are swollen and itchy.

Tonight, the yellow jackets are doomed. My husband is getting a spray. Bye Bye!

Thursday 13 #22

Parts of My Body That Have Been Altered or Fixed

1. Eyes #1 – I guess I had blocked tear ducts when I was a baby. They did a procedure on me when I was about 6 months old. To this day I don’t like other people messing with my eyes.

2. Pierced ears #1. When I was 11, I finally talked my Mother into letting me get my ears pierced. She got hers done at the same time.

3. Right ear #1. I guess getting my ears pierced caused a large cyst to grow on my right ear. It had to be surgically removed when I was 15. It closed my pierced ear, so that I could only wear an earring in my left ear.

4. Pierced ears #2. I was too traumatized by not having my right ear pierced that I went and did it again. But this time I had to get the piercing higher up on my ear. This allowed me to wear three earrings: one in my right and two in my left. Great for those long, dangly earrings they liked in the 80s.

5. Eyes #2 – Contacts and glasses. I didn’t like the glasses much, so I almost immediately went to contacts. But at the time, contacts were expensive, fragile, and needed the be “heated” every night. Thank goodness for disposables and for all-purpose solution!

6. Knee – I was in a car accident when I was 19. My right knee went through the dash board (or visa versa). I received a double-compound fracture. This means that my kneecap was shattered and exposed. I never looked at it. My knee was mended with wires and screws.

7. Left Pinky finger #1 and #2 – In that same auto accident, I also nearly severed a pinky finger. It’s been repaired but is not quite normal, either. About 15 years later, I started having problems with my finger again! Seems that they left a stitch in and it wanted to get out. Quick little procedure and it was removed.

8. Right Ear #2 – The cyst is back! I had to go for another surgery to remove it. I remember hearing the stitches go through my skin. Very unnerving sound.

9. Right Ear #3 - Okay, they never got all of the cysts! So I had another surgery. This time, we made sure to remove all cysts and their “roots.” So far so good!

10. Left Big Toe – As a consequence for having a bum right knee, I developed a bunion on my left foot. I think I was over compensating for my right leg. I had to have my toe broken, some bone removed, and screws put in to keep the toe straight. Seems okay now.

11. Stomach – Okay, C-sections. Two of them. My husband remembers peeking around the surgical drape to see my intestines being held up by a doctor. Glad I didn’t see!

12. Nose – My Boy, aka Wreckingball Head, caused damage to my nose. So I had to have surgery to correct my deviated septum. After a weeks worth of uncomfortable stuff up my nose, I can breathe a lot easier.

13. My “Bum” – Yep! I’m not ashamed or embarrassed to tell you about my surgery to remove a large thrombosed hemorrhoid. I should have known, when a nun at the hospital prayed really hard over me before the surgery, what I was getting into. The worst surgery ever! Very uncomfortable and very painful. My first bowel movement after the surgery was comparable to childbirth.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

The Cat, Mouse, and Bat Games

Just days before his scheduled neutering, Nicky (the cat) ran away. This was not so unusual for him. Except that after a month, his has not returned. We are sad that he has decided to go away. However, our mice celebrated! Oh, and the spiders were rejoicing too.

The mice have made nests all over the kitchen. One such nest took advantage of the fact that during this heat, I haven’t been doing much cooking. It made a nice, big nest right in the middle of my oven. I was very lucky that it didn’t catch fire, because I didn’t discover it until after I pre-heated the gas oven and was about to put something inside. Perhaps the mouse was smart, because I suspect it’s nest was made up of fire-resistant insulation. Another nest was discovered in a rarely-used drawer. This one was made up of stolen Swiffer sheets. Very cozy!

We decided that we needed another, more dependable cat. In comes Gracie. We discovered her at a pet store. According to her paperwork, a couple had divorced and neither one could (or would) take Gracie. My son was smitten. He took my husband to see this cat and he became smitten. We rescued her on the spot. She is a young adult calico female with beautiful eyes and gray, white and peach coloring.

She is great. Her first night with her new family, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that she is not only sweet with both children, will use the litter box, and would cuddle with my son while he sleeps, but that she also went right to work hunting for the mice. No confirmed catch yet, but we are encouraged with her willingness to work.

Last night, a bat got into the house. It’s a little unnerving to wake up during the night to have something swoop down close to your head. But Gracie was on the job! She was jumping all over my bed (and me) to try to catch this critter. And she did! However, in pure cat fashion, she let it go again. We were able to catch it ourselves and let it go outside.

Sorry Nearly-Tailless Nick, if you’re still around, but you’ve been replaced. And I have to say, it is nice to have a cat with a tail!

Thursday Thirteen #21

My Favorite Music Videos of the 80’s

They don’t make videos like they used to. Hell, they don’t ~play~ videos like they used to. Back in the day, they used to mean something. A group could be unknown, but if they had a good song and a good video, they could get played on MTV and they would get heard. I also heard someone say that in the 80s MTV days, everyone watched the same channel, listened to the same music, and saw the same videos. There was a wide range of music types that people saw and heard, and we liked it all.

1. Talking Heads “Burning Down the House” – Great song and interesting video. The simplicity of it—the projection of David’s head onto the road—is nice.



2. Michael Jackson “Thriller” – What a breakthrough video! 15 minutes long. For the first few days after it’s release, they played it every hour, on the hour. You couldn’t miss it. But I didn’t mind because it was good.



3. Peter Gabriel “Shock the Monkey” – Way, way, way ahead of it’s time. A little bit creapy, but defiantly ground breaking. Or ground “sinking.”



4. “Herbie Hancock” RockIt – You have to see it to believe it. Robotic arms, legs, heads, hands. Just about every part of the body but not a whole body. In sync with the music, it was innovative.



5. Neil Young “Wandering” – Even Neil Young got into the game. Not very many people saw or remember this video. But me and my husband did, and just couldn’t get it out of our mind. Seeing a disheveled Neil Young wandering the streets being shown in a disjointed way made a lasting impression on me.



6. The Cars “You Might Think” – Another innovative video. Mild to today’s standards, this video helped usher in computer animation.



7. A-Ha “Take On Me” – Just see the video and you’ll know why I like it. Very cool concept and very interesting art.



8. Duran Duran “Hungry Like A Wolf” – Okay, okay, not the most innovative, not the must interesting. But Duran Duran owe a lot to MTV and I used to love them a lot. So they are in this list. I chose Hungry Like A Wolf because of it’s edgy sexuality. But people who really know me would know that I like Rio!



9. Dire Straits “Money for Nothing” - The first computer animated video. Today it looks like a bunch of colored boxes with moving lips, but it was still very cool.



10. Genesis “Land of Confusion” – Who can resist a bunch of puppets parodying the group, Genesis, and famous world leaders like Ronald Reagan?



11. Frankie Goes to Hollywood “Two Tribes” – Another appearance of Ronald Reagan. This time, in a wrestling match with Gorbachev from Russia. Great story and great message.



12. Weird Al “Eat It” – Wonderful parody of Michael Jackson. We get to see how talented Weird Al is. I love seeing a music video making fun of a music video.



13. Peter Gabriel “Sledgehammer” – The stop motion animation in this video is awesome. It didn’t surprise me when I learned that Nick Parks, the Wallace and Gromit guy, helped with this video. The elaborate set-ups make sure you never get tired of watching.

Check out MTV's first hour! The commercials are a blast

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Happy Birthday MTV

I was not there when the channel switched on, but I was watching before their first birthday. I remember flipping channels on our cable box (before remote control) and seeing the video, "Harden My Heart" by Quarterflash.

Within a few months, I had watched so much MTV that I was able to name the Artist, Song, and Album before the credits flashed on the screen. But those were the days when they didn't have many videos.

I miss those days. But I can visit MTV's website and see some of the old videos. Click here!