Thursday Thirteen #26

Just to be weird, I thought I'd list my

13 Favorite Palindromes.

In case you don't know, a palindrome is something that is the same forwards and backwards. The word OTTO is one. But in this case, I like phrases that are spelled the same forwards and backwards. Yes, most of these are in the weird Al Yankovic song, "Bob."

1. Ah, Satan sees Natasha.
2. A dog, a panic, in a pagoda!
3. I prefer Pi.
4. Redrum, sir, is murder.
5. Was it a cat I saw?
6. UFO tofu
7. Madam, I'm Adam
8. Rise to vote, sir
9. Oh no! Don Ho!
10. A Man, A Plan, A Canal: Panama
11. Go hang a salami; I'm a lasagna hog!
12. Do geese see God?
13. May a moody baby doom a yam?

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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. 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!
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9/11 Tribute: For Peter Gyulavary

REBUILD

In memory of Peter Mark Gyulavary, 44, victim of the September 11th attacks.

A little over a year ago, me and my family moved out to a rundown house in the forest, far from the city that we had grown used to. The house wasn’t livable, at first, and needed massive work. But we were determined to make it our home—and a nice home—because we wanted to rebuild our life in an area that is safe. Or at the very least, safer.

You see, in 2001, two things happened to make me and my husband re-think how we were living, where we were living, and how we would want our children to grow up. The first was the April riots in Cincinnati, Ohio following the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old black male, Timothy Thomas, by a white police officer. The second was September 11th. Both events shook us, shook our foundation. We decided, at that time, that we would find a way to escape the urban violence. To rebuild somewhere else.

Don’t get me wrong, we understand the lure of the big city. How the city hums with activity and thought, and you can get coffee or beer late at night and hear jazz playing on the corner.

Peter Mark Gyulavary understood this too. Peter grew up in Geelong, Victoria, Australia and moved to New York City and married an American wife. According to Paul, Peter’s twin brother, Peter always described New York as a place of extremes. I understand what he was saying. If you’ve ever visited New York, you’d know too. That is perhaps what lured Peter to make his home there.

Peter wasn’t content to just make his home in New York, he wanted to rebuild—to make homes better. Peter and his wife, Jane, restored a Victorian house in Warwick, NY. In order to be closer to the city, they purchased a condominium in Weehawken, N.J., and Peter began refurbishing an apartment in Manhattan.

Peter worked on many building and rebuilding projects in the public sector as well. His curriculum vitae is impressive. Peter’s final position as environmental engineer for Washington Group International had him working on light rail projects. He worked from the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

Peter was working on a big project on the morning of September 11, 2001. When a plane hit the North tower, he, like so many other people, started to evacuate the building. He even called his wife. But he was sure that he was safe. He went back to work, even when his wife told him to leave.

He was last seen on the 78th floor minutes before the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.

His body was recovered in the wreckage of the buildings, and is now buried in Warwick, NY. His twin brother, Paul, was in attendance.

There are many things we can do to remember Peter: We can eat at Outback Steakhouse and drink Fosters beer. We can wear yellow and gold in honor of his homeland. We can walk and do things backward in order to “put the evil behind us,” as his brother puts it. We can point to Australia on the map and say “That’s were Peter was from.”

But I don’t think that would be quite right. Peter liked America. He had rebuilt his life here. I think, in honor of Peter Mark Gyulavary, we should revel in our American culture and spirit.

When I get home from work on September 11th 2006, five years after the tragic event that took Peter’s life, I will drink Pete’s Wicked Ale, read Psalm 91, and listen to Bob Dylan’s song, “Forever Young”. And I’ll continue to rebuild our Creekistan home, and I will teach my children that although terrible things happen, we need to look forward to the future and rebuild.

Peter worked on the 91st floor of the South Tower. Psalm 91 is especially symbolic

The Bob Dylan song, “Forever Young” was dedicated to Peter at his memorial service.

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Thursday Thirteen #25

13 Things I Like About Myself

1. I have an eclectic sense of humor.



2. I’m pretty easy going. Not too much stresses me. I usually have the attitude that as long as no one is dieing or will die, it’s probably okay. For example, being late to a party isn’t a matter of life-or-death.



3. I love kids and kids love me. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t forgotten what it’s like. My daughter’s daycare class all huddle around me when I arrive because they want to see my “bubble”—a small level I have on my keychain. I spend at least 5 minutes every morning showing it to them. Plus, my 10-year-old goddaughter wants to have me at all her sleepovers—her friends said that Aunt Amy is really cool!



4. Whenever I ask someone to guess my age, they usually say 27. I’m not 27 anymore!



5. I’m a tomboy—I don’t fit the traditional “girl” mold. I like sci-fi and computers. I like to put Lego kits together and can fix things.



6. Although I’m overweight, I don’t let it stop me from buying sexy lingerie. But it is harder to find.



7. I love to introduce people to new things—to get them out of their “sphere of comfort.” I usually insist people try Indian food at least once. I also tell people that Sushi doesn’t mean “raw fish,” and although a lot of sushi has fish, there are vegetarian options as well.



8. I can play many musical instruments, but not at a professional level. I can usually figure out a new instrument within a few minutes.



9. I enjoy diversity and am sensitive to other people’s believes and traditions. I will hang out with anyone.



10. I love animals and appreciate what they bring to our lives. I swear that sometimes they communicate with me. Okay, call me crazy, but who do the work dogs come to when they want to go out? Me!




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11. I am not easily offended—which makes it really nice when I’m in mixed company. I can enjoy all the jokes—even the dirty ones!



12. I love to learn new things. It never hurts to know things.



13. I like to break routines and try new things. I don’t go the same way home everyday, and I don’t eat the same things all the time.
    
    
    

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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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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."

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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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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!

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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.

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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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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

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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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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!

Delayed – Thursday Thirteen #20

13 Things About Being Stuck in Chicago O’Hare

When I flew up to Chicago for a quick business meeting on Thursday, I didn’t realize that getting home from the meeting would be such a problem. But Thursday afternoon my flight was delayed and then cancelled and I was stuck in Chicago for at least another day.

#1 The thrill of rushing back to the airport and thinking that I could possibility get standby on an earlier flight quickly faded.

#2 Beer costs too much at the airport. Three bottles of beer cost me about $16. The buzz didn’t last long enough.

#3 Not many restaurants in O’Hare. Actual RESTaurants, where you can sit down and have a comfortable meal.

#4 Because of the uncertainty of whether or not you’re staying or going, you can’t go back into town and see some cool things.

#5 We waited hours to find out that our delayed flight was cancelled. So much for getting to the airport early!

#6 We waited for 1 ½ hours in line and still didn’t speak with a customer service agent. We used cell phones to get a discounted hotel room and seats on the next flight. It was hard to leave the line.

#7 Our next fight wasn’t until Saturday night at 10 pm. Mind you, this was Thursday.

#8 They couldn’t/wouldn’t get our checked luggage. I had only what I was carrying.

#9 Being stuck with my co-worker, Aimee the Red, was great. Misery loves company.

#10 We met lots of interesting people who were in the same situation as us. “Hello” to the mother and two teen-age sons trying to get to Virginia. “Hello” to the guy trying to get to Salt Lake City. I’m glad you got a direct flight instead of having to go through Fargo, ND.

#11 The Exel Inn wasn’t as bad as it initially sounded. Our first thought was that we hoped it was better then a cot in the baggage. It was nice, even though we had to wait another hour or so to get checked in.

#12 Thank goodness there was a Family Dollar near our hotel. Even though they didn’t open until an HOUR after their posted opening time, we were able to get cheap clothes and underwear. Yep—we couldn’t even go to a store without having to wait.

#13 Getting patted down in security was actually a highlight. After all the waiting and standing and stress, a little massage was nice!

PS: We eventually got a flight out on Friday afternoon. It felt like getting called down on the Price is Right or winning the lottery. The flight was delayed, but we still got home Friday night.

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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Bee Gone!

Looks like the Bees in The Bee House are moving into their new home. We had a beekeeper come out to take the bees. It was a very interesting project. My husband actually got to put on a complete bee suit and help.

They tore up the floorboards and found a large hive. They cut sections of the honeycomb and placed them into the box--their new home. Then they grabbed handfuls of bees and put them into the box as well. The whole time they hoped that they got the queen. She is the key to moving the hive.

Seems that they did get the queen and the new hive is getting settled. Soon, the beekeeper will retrieve the box and take them to their new location. I hope they like the ride!

No, we won't be getting any honey. I'm not taking any chances with questionable honey made in an old, abandoned house.

Yet Another Reason I Left The City

I just checked the news in the city I lived in just a year ago. Directly across the street from my old apartment there was a mysterious double homicide. They were found in their apartment, shot dead.

When I lived there, that apartment building was always suspect. The people who lived there usually seemed iffy. We used to sit on our front porch and talk with our upstairs neighbor. We'd watch the activity across the street and make up stories about what they were doing. Mostly they were dealing drugs, having affairs, and getting really drunk.

But to hear about something like a double homicide, makes me feel a lot better about our move to Creekistan. The most tragic thing that's happened in Creekistan is that a dog died after being bitten by a copperhead snake.

No place is 100% safe. But it's nice to know that my children will be safer where we are.

Thursday Thirteen #19

13 Monty Python Quotes that Me and My Family Use

1. It’s . . .



2. And now for something completely different.



3. I wave my private parts at your aunties.



4. It’s only a flesh wound.



5. I didn't know we had a king. I thought we were an autonomous collective.



6. Ni!



7. The messiah can’t come out today, so Piss Off!



8. The only reason that it had been sitting on its perch in the first place was that it had been nailed there.



9. I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition



10. Spam, spam, spam, spam, eggs and spam.



11. “She turned me into a newt!” “A newt?” “I got better. . .”



12. Oh! Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Help, help! I'm being repressed!



13. “An argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of any statement the other person makes.” “No it isn't.”

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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Thursday Thirteen #18: 13 Things that I Do Not Apologize For

This is one of the topics that I’ve been wanting to do for a while . So I’m sorry if it seems a little bitchy. Really, I apologize! Oh wait, I’m not supposed to apologize. Sorry!

1. I will not go to any Tupperware-type parties. Especially when the purpose is less in trying to sell you a product and more in trying to sell you a distributorship into their pyramid scheme. Or at the very least, they pressure the attendees to have their own party. But, if you leave me a catalog, I just might buy a product!
2. Yes, my car is a mess. I can’t seem to spend as much time in my car as I do and be able to keep it clean. Especially with two kids who drag in toys, etc. On the flip side, if you need anything, it just may be in my car! Besides, with a 40 minute trip from/to home one-way, I don’t want to forget anything.
3. Oh, and yes, I have a car and not an SUV or mini-van. So it may be a little cramped. I don’t normally take extra passengers. But it saves on gas, and that’s good for my pocketbook and, in the long-run, good for the world.
4. Sometimes I put off housework in order to pay attention to my family. Since I work full time, my evenings with the children are precious. I don’t really care to spend it doing dishes. I’ll try to do it after they go to bed, but then my husband likes to take over!
5. I like good beer, not American beer. That means I drink the dark stuff. Give me a Becks Dark or a Warsteiner Dunkel! But given the choice between a Budweiser and water, I may choose water.
6. Jello is a dessert and not a salad. It should never be used as a salad, and I won’t eat it if it is.
7. Coffee is best when it’s strong. I make strong coffee. If you don’t like your coffee strong, add water to it.
8. I don’t send out Christmas cards. I send out cards that wish people Happy Holidays. That is because I don’t like it when people assume that everyone believes in the same thing that they do. I’m always trying to remind people that not everyone celebrates Christmas.
9. I don’t really like professional sports, and I think it’s a waste of time. I don’t follow what’s going on in the sports world. I’ll watch the Superbowl for the commercials and I’ll cheer for the team with the best colors or mascot if I have to. Leave the playing of games to kids and stop taking it so seriously!
10. When going to the symphony or opera, I don’t get completely formally dressed. I mean, I won’t look like I’m going to the prom. If you go often enough, you’ll notice that the people who really enjoy classical music are there for the music and not just to be seen.
11. I will not say Grace or pray out loud. I don’t like the pressure.
12. We can't get any TV stations and we don’t have cable or satellite. If you come to our house, we won’t sit around and watch it. We can only watch DVDs.
13. I don’t answer the phone every time it rings. I stopped killing myself to get to the phone a long time ago—about the same time that we got voice mail and caller ID. People forget that answering the phone is not mandatory.

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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One Red Paperclip = One House

Congratulations to Kyle MacDonald for realizing his dream of trading his red paperclip for items that eventually included a house. Exactly one year ago today he posted his intension to trade his red paperclip to try and get a house.

I would have offered him the Bee House, but I don't think it's worth one red paperclip. Besides, I'm not sure I'd like this weirdo as a neighbor. ;-)

Check it out!

One Year Down. The rest of my life to go!

We’ve hit the One Year mark. On July 8th, we closed on the Creekistan home and property. I remember, because it was the day after the 7/7 London Train bombings. Not a good way to remember the anniversary, but effective nonetheless.

The day also makes one year ago that I was offered my current job. Yep, I got a new home and a new job on the same day. I guess it was meant to be.

I remember, on the two-hour drive home after signing the papers and reading the e-mail that gave me the perfect job offer, that I was anxious and excited. I’ll have to get ready to move. I’ll have to get my son signed up for Kindergarten. I’ll have to find daycare. I’ll have to resign from my current job. We’ll have to figure out where to live until we can get the house habitable. But I’ll be leaving the city and starting a new life in the beautiful country.

This past year had speed by. But this blog has helped chronicle the time, and for that I am grateful.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why do you have a broken gerbil cage under your desk?
A: At one time I did, but I recently threw it away in order to present a more tidy workplace environment. The cage had once held two gerbils that I acquired for my son’s kindergarten class. The gerbils were doing fine, until around Halloween when they both died under mysterious circumstances. I expect foul play. But until they come up with CSI: Elementary School or Cold Case: K-12, we won’t know what really happened.

Q: What have you planted in your “Spring” garden?
A: We are keeping the garden basic this year, just to see how things go. Right now I have a lot of green beans, some Jalapeño peppers, sweet bell peppers, squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes. I’ve also planted herb seeds, and some are sprouting. Those include parsley and cilantro.
PS: Deer are trying to eat the bean plants. We’ve instructed the dog, as best we can, to keep an eye on the garden. But I’ve also put some fencing to deter pests.

Q: Why do you write on your walls?
A: We are only writing on the walls that will soon be removed or re-covered. We also have written things on exposed boards and old wallpaper. All of which will eventually be removed or covered. Once the construction is done, we will not allow writing on the walls, unless it’s the Hand of God.

Q: Do you have a washing machine and dryer?
A: Not right now. I’m having to go to Laundromats to get clean clothes. This is due to the fact that we do not have city or county water and rely on filling our own cistern with water. We get water from a well across the street. Until we have the water tested and get a better idea about the reliability of the well, we don’t want to hook up a washer. But I’m very hopeful that this fall I will get a new, stackable, washer and dryer. I will probably continue to use the Laundromats because it’s nice to get 10 loads done in under 2 hours.

Any other questions about my life in Creekistan? Just let me know!

Thursday 13: 13 Things Written On The Walls In My Creekistan Home.

1. It’s an ant – your dream doll. The origin of this phrase has dubious beginnings that I no longer remember, but we continue to use it on occasions.
2. Where’s Gesualdo? Gesualdo is a long-dead composer. We thought it was a funny parody of the Where’s Waldo craze.
3. Eat at Ron’s – buy one squirrel git one free. Ron is helping with the construction. He actually eats squirrel, freshly killed.
4. 4 rounds of 5 throws Before the floor was installed, we created a game in the living room we called Rat Tail. It was a tennis ball with a rope stuck into it. We tried to throw it into a box. We had drawn boundaries and points on the floor and the rules on the wall.
5. 3 of 5 for extra throw
6. String worth ½ For times when the ball missed but the string got into the box.
7. Cat worth 100 Nicky didn’t like this game, so it was very difficult to score on this.
8. Divide your flatulence into two partials and you will find great satisfaction Perhaps in the future I will finish this line of “Fortune Cookie Messages You Will Never Receive.”
9. An electric jolt ripped through my whole clavicle I said that and my husband wrote it down.
10. For a good time call Amy at 765-4567. $0.99 per minute. Ron said that it should only take a couple of minutes anyway.
11. What’s under here? Written on a wall with questionable durability. We are almost afraid to look because we may not like what we find. Termites?
12. Carolina’s Room One of the former residents had marked her territory.
13. Wow! A quote from my daughter that we wrote on the wall.

NOTE: These are walls that are unfinished, have old wallpaper, or otherwise will be replaced. We don't normally go around writing on our GOOD walls.

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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