Thursday Thirteen #37

My 6 year old son is here at work with me today. So I thought I’d ask him to list
13 Things I Like About Christmas

1. Our tree.



2. Presents.



3. Lights.



4. Toys.



5. Parties



6. Cookies.



7. Candy.



8. Getting together with family.



9. Snow.



10. Christmas music.



11. Santa.



12. Christmas movies.



13. My son is insisting that #13 be “What do YOU like about Christmas?”

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Thursday Thirteen #36

13 Things That Made This Morning Suck

1. I awoke to the dog barking at the garbage men. He was barking from our front porch. But when I went out to grab the dog so that they could work in peace, Bandit got “heroic” and ran towards the guys. He got kicked. Don’t worry, he’s alright. He deserved it!



2. My hair was not cooperating, but I managed to make it look okay, somehow.
   



3. I drew a bath for the kids. My son was enthusiastic, but my two-year-old daughter was screaming and giving me dirty looks.
   



4. I spilled a bunch of dog food on the porch while trying to pour it into his dish. Oh well, he’ll eat it.
   



5. My front tire was flat. At least it happened at home and not down the road in the middle of the forest.
   



6. I had to clean out my trunk so that I could get to the spare. The trunk had Christmas presents that I was hiding from the kids.
   



7. The trunk also contained two bags of dog food. The smaller bag was purchased by my husband on sale at Big Lots. The dog refused to eat this food. Then, the other day, I went to the store and got a very large bag of dog food. Stupid me, I purchased the VERY SAME BRAND. I’m going to donate them to the dog shelter.
   



8. My husband is home on break, so I had to wake him up to help change the tire. He was not very happy since he was up until 5 working on a project.
   



9. My son started crying because he thought he was going to miss his class field trip. They were going to a retirement home to sing carols.
   



10. I went in to call the school to see if the field trip bus could wait for us. The phone didn’t work. It took me a few minutes to realize that my husband had taken the cord out of the phone and put it into the computer so that he could use the Internet.
    



11. The “doughnut” (spare tire) is not full size, so driving was slower then normal.
    



12. I got passed on the road. I hate to get passed. I’m usually driving fast enough that they don’t have to.
    



13. Now I have to buy new tires. You can’t buy just one. That means I have to drive to the tire store and beg someone here at work to pick me up and then drop me off when they are ready. Ugh!

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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!

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Poison or Plastic?

I have never had a live Christmas tree. As a young child, I remember helping my father sort through the branches of our plastic tree. As I moved onto my own, I acquired used Christmas trees. Some better then others.

Our plastic tree was being stored under the house. That’s where our dog, Bandit, found it. I noticed him playing with a branch about a month ago. So much for our old plastic Christmas tree. Perhaps this would be the opportunity I’ve been waiting for! I could get a real tree.

You would think that by living out in a forest we could have an abundance of free Christmas trees just waiting to fulfill their holiday destiny. But we live in a deciduous forest—one that does not feature many conifers (pine trees). And after some discussion, it was decided to buy another plastic tree.

Right now, in my unfinished living room, I have they typical Wal*Mart, pre-lit Christmas tree. $29.95. The kids love it. It was hassle-free.

My friend, Aimee the Red, got a live tree grown by her Aunt. She said it was beautiful and she paid very little for it. At least, she paid little for the tree. Unknown to her at the time that she lovingly decorated it, it had poison ivy. The next day, she started itching. Now the rash has spread all over her body and even around her eyes. She has to get a shot to stop the spread of the rash.

Her cat has knocked over the tree. No one wants to set it back up again.

My $30 plastic tree doesn’t look so bad right now!

Thursday Thirteen #35

1. Las Vegas vacation, with gambling money and tickets to see Penn & Teller and a Cirque du Soleil show.







2. New couch and loveseat.







3. An LG Washer/Dryer Combo. Yes, put the dirty clothes in, clean, dry clothes come out! .







4. Macbook (Laptop) – A Macintosh Dual-Core (able to run Windows and Mac programs!) .







5. An LG 2 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave.







6. iHome Under Kitchen Cabinet iPod® & Shuffle Stereo Player with FM/TV/Weather Band and Remote Control.







7. Sirius Satellite Radio Receiver and Service for my car and home.







8. Satellite Internet.







9. A pocket home theater system: View-Video Eyewear. I could watch videos from my iPod that look like it’s on a 42’ screen!








10. DidjLIGHT – “It’s a floor lamp,” “NO, it’s a didgeridoo!” “It’s BOTH!”







11. Nintendo Wii – Why not, everyone else is getting one!







12. Black velvet Celtic Druid Cloak with hood, perhaps lined with purple satin lining!

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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

Interpret This!

Last night, I had a strange dream. Any help interpreting it would be greatly appreciated!

I dreamt that I was back working at a company that I worked for several years ago. The place had been remodeled and barely resembled what it was when I left. But I could still tell that it was the same place. (Have I lost you yet?)

We were having a department “game,” or meeting, or team-building exercise that was facilitated by an outside company. This outside company was made up of non-violent criminals that were still in prison, but were allowed to travel to help facilitate these training sessions. After a while of being uncomfortable with these prisoners, I realized that I knew one of them! I used to work with him at this company. He was in prison for doing some kind of illegal pornography. His crime also involved him being naked. I think his name was Tony, but I don’t remember working with a Tony.

Anyway, the dream could be a result of stumbling across following picture yesterday. I mean, who wouldn’t find this traumatic?

Things you may not have known about me

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Deliver projectors and TVs for Media Services in college
2. Monitor a computer lab at college
3. Secretary for a bioscience company’s sales and marketing department
4. Marketing Manager/Coordinator

Four movies I have watched over and over:
1. Pulp Fiction
2. Star Wars, especially Episode IV - A New Hope
3. JFK
4. Lord of the Rings, especially The Fellowship of the Ring

Four Places I have lived:
1. Omaha, NE
2. Milford, OH
3. Cincinnati, OH
4. “Creekistan”, OH

Four TV shows I enjoy Watching:
1. The Sopranos
2. Lost
3. Battlestar Galactica
4. old episodes of ER

Four places I have visited:
1. Paris
2. Amsterdam
3. Las Vegas
4. New York, NY

Four of my favorite foods:
1. The Asiago Cheese Dip from Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
2. Chocolate, especially Godiva chocolate truffles
3. Sun-dried tomato and alfredo sauce on pasta
4. Ice cream, especially from Graeters

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Las Vegas
2. In bed watching movies
3. In a hot tub with candles in Las Vegas
4. Getting a massage in Las Vegas

Thursday Thirteen #34

Eleven T-Shirts I Designed for CafePress Plus Two Extras!

Make great gifts for the Holidays!

Shirt #1 - A quote from Coretta Scott King’s memorial service by the Rev. Joseph Lowery: “ . . . for war billions more, but no more for the poor.”

Shirt #2 Moo Disorder

Shirt #3You are Outside the Circle of Trust

Shirt #4 “I got your Badonkadonk right here!”

Shirt #5 “I auditioned for Godot and they gave me the title role!” - Waiting for Godot

Shirt #6 “Happy Birthday Mozart.” Celebrates his 250th birthday.

Shirt #7 Think Outside Uranus

Shirt #8 Ho3 (in case you don’t get it, it means “Ho Ho Ho”

Shirt #9 Jingle All The Way

Shirt #10 "Noel"

Shirt #11 “You’ll shoot your eye out kid!”

Shirt #12 Thirteen - Not such an unlucky number after all.


Shirt #13 “Thursday Thirteen - It's more than a meme, it's a microcosm.”

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!

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The Things I've Done

Found this list at Blue Star Chronicles

Simple rules. Copy and paste the list below. Highlight the things you have done.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink

02. Swam with wild dolphins

03. Climbed a mountain

04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive

05. Been inside the Great Pyramid

06. Held a tarantula

07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone

08. Said “I love you” and meant it

09. Hugged a tree

10. Bungee jumped

11. Visited Paris

12. Watched a lightning storm at sea

13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise

14. Seen the Northern Lights

15. Gone to a huge sports game

16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa

17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

18. Touched an iceberg

19. Slept under the stars

20. Changed a baby’s diaper

21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon

22. Watched a meteor shower

23. Gotten drunk on champagne

24. Given more than you can afford to charity

25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

27. Had a food fight

28. Bet on a winning horse

29. Asked out a stranger

30. Had a snowball fight

31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can

32. Held a lamb

33. Seen a total eclipse

34. Ridden a roller coaster

35. Hit a home run

36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking

37. Adopted an accent for an entire day

38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment

39. Had two hard drives for your computer

40. Visited all 50 states

41. Taken care of someone who was drunk

42. Had amazing friends

43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country

44. Watched wild whales

45. Stolen a sign

46. Backpacked in Europe

47. Taken a road-trip

48. Gone rock climbing

49. Midnight walk on the beach

50. Gone sky diving

51. Visited Ireland

52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love

53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them

54. Visited Japan

55. Milked a cow

56. Alphabetized your CDs

57. Pretended to be a superhero

58. Sung karaoke

59. Lounged around in bed all day

60. Played touch football

61. Gone scuba diving

62. Kissed in the rain

63. Played in the mud

64. Played in the rain

65. Gone to a drive-in theater

66. Visited the Great Wall of China

67. Started a business

68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken

69. Toured ancient sites

70. Taken a martial arts class

71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight

72. Gotten married

73. Been in a movie

74. Crashed a party

75. Gotten divorced

76. Gone without food for 5 days

77. Made cookies from scratch

78. Won first prize in a costume contest

79. Ridden a gondola in Venice

80. Gotten a tattoo

81. Rafted the Snake River

82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”

83. Got flowers for no reason

84. Performed on stage

85. Been to Las Vegas

86. Recorded music

87. Eaten shark

88. Kissed on the first date

89. Gone to Thailand

90. Bought a house

91. Been in a combat zone

92. Buried one/both of your parents

93. Been on a cruise ship

94. Spoken more than one language fluently

95. Performed in Rocky Horror

96. Raised children

97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour

99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country

100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking

103. Had plastic surgery

104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived

105. Wrote articles for a large publication

106. Lost over 100 pounds

107. Held someone while they were having a flashback

108. Piloted an airplane

109. Touched a stingray

110. Broken someone’s heart

111. Helped an animal give birth

112. Won money on a T.V. game show

113. Broken a bone

114. Gone on an African photo safari

115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears

116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol

117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild

118. Ridden a horse

119. Had major surgery

120. Had a snake as a pet

121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours

123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states

124. Visited all 7 continents

125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

126. Eaten kangaroo meat

127. Eaten sushi

128. Had your picture in the newspaper

129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about

130. Gone back to school

131. Parasailed

132. Touched a cockroach

133. Eaten fried green tomatoes

134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey

135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read

136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

137. Skipped all your school reunions

138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

139. Been elected to public office

140. Written your own computer language

141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream

142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

143. Built your own PC from parts

144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you

145. Had a booth at a street fair

146. Dyed your hair

147. Been a DJ

148. Shaved your head

149. Caused a car accident

150. Saved someone’s life

The Return of the Dead Squirrel

Our dog, Bandit, has found a new toy: A dead squirrel. I don't think he killed it--it was probably roadkill. We noticed it the a week ago when my son was about to get in the car.

"Uh, Mom, there's a dead thing here."

So I backed up the car so he could get in without stepping on the dead thing.

Then it was on the porch. Then it was not. Then it was back on the porch. I almost stepped on it. Then it was gone. A few days later, it appeared on the back porch. No one wants to pick it up and throw it away or bury it.

It might as well be a pink elephant. Granted, a small, dead pink elephant. But on nonetheless.

We're going to have a big bomb fire tonight. We'll make it into a funeral pyre, as long as we can find the dead squirrel.

Snow Day #1

Today was the first official snow day of the 2006-2007 school year. Pretty weak, actually, since there wasn't much accumulation. It never even occurred to me to listen to the (yucky, country) radio station to check for school closings. But when we got to the school, it was obvious the school was closed.

By noon, the snow was completely gone. Will they call off school tomorrow? Why not! It's probably snowing somewhere. Besides, why ruin a perfectly good week with one day of school?

Where I've Been (In the US)

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Thursday Thirteen #33

Earlier this week, I saw Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. It was hilarious! It inspired this listing of:

My Favorite 13 Funny Movies

1. A Christmas Story “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!”
   


2. A Mighty Wind “There was abuse in my family, but it was mostly musical in nature.”






3. Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery “Yeah, baby, yeah”



4. Best in Show Hotel Manager: “We have you down for a queen.” Scott: “What are you suggesting... my dear man.”



5. Borat “He insist we not fly, in case the Jews repeated their attack of 9/11.”



6. It’s Pat Chris: “I find everything about you... endlessly fascinating.” Pat: “Join the club!”



7. Napolian Dynamite “Napoleon, give me some of your tots.”



8. Old School “We’re streaking to the Quad!”



9. American Pie “I would like to make an announcement. There is a beautiful woman masturbating on my bed.”



10. The Holy Grail King Arthur: “On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. It is a silly place.”



11. South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut Satan: “The time of prophecy is upon us!” Saddam Hussein: “I love when you get all biblical, Satan! You know exactly how to turn my crank.” Satan: “No, I'm being serious!”



12. This Is Spinal Tap Nigel: “It's part of a trilogy, a musical trilogy I'm working on in D minor which is the saddest of all keys, I find. People weep instantly when they hear it, and I don't know why. . . . Well, this piece is called ‘Lick My Love Pump’.”



13. Waiting for Guffman “Some people find it ironical that although we run a travel agency, we've never been outside of Blaine.”

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

Thursday 13 Google Graphic

Thursday 13 Addendum

I thought it was very important to get my message across, so I'm leaving my Thursday Thirteen from last week up. Besides, since I was out of the office and didn't have a computer last Thursday, I wasn't able to "officially" post. Enjoy!

Thursday Thirteen #32

13 Things That I Want Everyone To Know

1. A rabid bat can bite you while you’re sleeping and you wouldn’t know until you die of rabies.



2. Accidentally putting metal in a microwave will not destroy the microwave. In the late ‘70s, I accidentally put a stick of margarine in the microwave, not thinking that the outside covering was foil. The light show was spectacular! As far as I know, that microwave is still running.



3. Curses or blessings cannot be passed through e-mail. How many times have you received an e-mail that says “pass this on to 5 people or you will . . . ?” I am not afraid of ignoring those sort-of things.



4. Elmo is voiced by Kevin Clash, a 46 year-old African American man. It always makes me feel good to know that there are some adults, just like me, who haven’t lost touch with their inner 4-year-old.



5. Gilbert Gottfried actually does the voice of the AFLAC duck.



6. Halloween does not have anything to do with Satan. Some people believe that Halloween is a prime recruiting season for Satanists and therefore poses a considerable chance for children to convert. If you look at it simply, it is a secular holiday where children dress in costumes and go door-to-door trick and treating for candy. I have never experienced a Satanist prostletizing Satanism. In fact, I have experienced the opposite: Christians prostletizing Christianity.



7. In the song, “Blinded By the Light,” by Manfred Mann (1976), the lyric that sounds like, “Wrapped up like a douche, you know the roamer in the night,” is actually “revved up like a deuce, Another runner in the night.” A “deuce” is a 1932 Ford Coupe, as in “Little Deuce Coupe.” Now you know.



8. Jell-O is not a salad. Sorry Mom! It’s a dessert.



9. Jesus was not born on December 25th. Starting about the eighth century, Christians began to discourage pagan or secular celebrations and to make up a Christian meaning for the celebration. The most common times for celebration are the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Christians then assimilated those celebrations into Christmas and Easter.



10. Podcasts do not require an iPod in order to listen to them.



11. Sushi does not mean “raw fish.” I don’t like fish. But I will eat sushi. That’s because I like sushi that does not include fish. Sushi is a type of food that has seaweed, rice, and an inside. While that inside is usually fish, it can be all kinds of other things. I love Inari: sushi rice filled into deep fried tofu bags.



12. When a kid says they are feeing sick, as in “going to throw up,” believe them and immediately act accordingly. As a child that was prone to car sickness, I can attest.



13. You do not need to stop when making a right turn. Unless there is a stop sign.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

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!

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GHOUL POOL

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Fortune Cookie

Your Fortune Is

Man who walk through airport door sideways is going to Bangkok.

The Wacky Fortune Cookie Generator

Thursday Thirteen #40

I have been participating in the Thursday Thirteen Forums. I posted a message on there with several ideas for topics or themes that people could steal if they were stuck. Well, here I am on Thursday, stuck for an idea of a topic. So I took a page from my own book:

13 Things About the 13-year-old Amy the Black

1. After watching The Outsiders, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086066/, I was inspired to color my hair with peroxide. My hair turned orange.






2. I was a huge Duran Duran fan. http://www.duranduran.com/






3. I watched so much MTV that I could name the artist, song, and album of a video before the text would appear in the bottom left-hand corner. It was a game I would play. But that was when MTV played Music Videos all the time.






4. I always had a VCR hooked up and ready to record. I still have a few tapes that capture MTV during it’s early days.






5. I was a good clarinet player. In fact, I was considered one of the best in my age group in the area.






6. I had a really nice 12-speed bike that was black, red and silver. I used to ride it everywhere I could. I kept the bike until about 5 years ago. I hadn’t used it in ages, but couldn’t part with it, either.






7. I collected unicorns. Anything with a unicorn on it was good enough for me: stickers, posters, figurines, purses, t-shirts, etc.






8. I was active in Girl Scouts. I belonged to a small, but close-knit troop. We weren’t into the uniforms and formal stuff. If we had to go to a city-wide event, we looked more like the Bad News Bears. But we didn’t care.






9. I wanted to play synthesizers in a Rock/Pop band, just like my idol, Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran.






10. I got a Yamaha keyboard for Christmas. I was thrilled, even though it wasn’t a large-scale keyboard. I still played it all the time.






11. I had started to collect LPs of the music I liked. You know, actual vinyl records. But I figured out a way to record them onto cassette so that I could play them on my Walkman.






12. I was 13 in 1983. Okay, so now do the math.






13. I was a fan of of the TV show, M*A*S*H*. I was 13 when the show ended with it’s record-breaking and haunting final episode. I cried. One scene in particular has stayed with me ever since. It is the scene where Hawkeye is in a bus filled with refugees trying to hide from an enemy patrol. Everyone on the bus knew that they had to be absolutely quiet or they might all be killed by the North Koreans. A mother was holding her baby, when it started to cry. She smothered her child.





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. ItÂ’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

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