It's Tardsday!

That 1 Guy at Drunken Wisdom educated us on the origin of Thursdays a while back. Thursdays are actually derived from Tardsday.

Thursday is actually derived from "Tardsday." This is the day in which all of the idiots come out to celebrate by doing as many stupid things as possible. How else does one explain leaving for work 5 minutes earlier than usual, but arriving at work 10 minutes later than normal?

So, in honor of Tardsday, we will be commemorating individuals who improve our gene pool...by removing themselves from it - known as the Darwin Awards.

Every Thursday, I will post either a winner from the Darwin Awards or my own Tardsday Award Honorary Mention. Feel free to participate by posting your own Tardsday Honorary Mentions.

Need an example...

Clement Vallandigham was a well-known Northern Democrat who campaigned for states' rights during the Civil War. In 1863 Vallandigham was convicted of treason for his speeches attacking the administration of President Lincoln. He was banished to the South, where he continued to voice his political views.

After the war Vallandigham became a lawyer. In his last appearance in the courtroom he represented a client on trial for murder. The accused man's defense was that the victim had drawn his own gun in a fashion that caused it to fire, killing himself. To prove the defense argument, Vallandigham demonstrated the victim's method of drawing a gun -- using the loaded evidence gun as his prop. The firearm went off, and he lost his life -- but proved his case!!

Happy Birthday Christina

Apple Cake

What You Need:

2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
1 cup of oil
3 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda
4-5 Granny Smith or Macintosh Apples (chopped in small cubes - should make about 4 cups chopped)
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts are optional (and not allowed in Sissy's kitchen - but I hear Tammi likes nuts. ;-)

Directions:

Put all ingredients in large mixing bowl with wooden spoon mix until all are blended. Batter will be stiff. Divide in 2 round foil cake pans or 1 regular cake pan.

Sprinkle 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tblsp sugar on top. Bake on 350 for 45-50 minutes until browned.

Has It Been THAT Long?

After living here for 8 months, I have finally made a Dentist Appointment. It has been 3 years since my last one. I know I know, that's not good. But I've moved 4 times in the past 3 years and it's kind of hard to find a fricken dentist when you are moving. Get off my back!

*breath*

Ok, so I found this dentist. I was dreading this appointment. Thinking of any excuse to get out of it. I dread going to the dentist more than the doctor. I rather have the YEARLY appointment at the doctor than go to the dentist. That says a lot!

Something about pointed hooks poking at my teeth and gums, miniature drills sanding my teeth, a sharp needle entering my gums, and string running back and forth in-between my teeth until my gums cry out in pain with blood....just doesn't sound like something I want to do twice a year.

Let's rewind on my dental history. When I was 10, I was climbing up a slide, turned my head and fell and broke my front tooth. Yes...half of it was gone. Talk about redneck! Got a root canal. It's been fixed...but if you look really close, you can see where the real tooth turns to fake tooth.

I have also had braces and still have a permanent retainer on the back of my lower teeth, and I have had my wisdom teeth pulled.

So back to today. The first thing they have to do is x-rays. I hate these. They put this gigantic piece of cardboard with film in your mouth that cuts the roof of your mouth. Meanwhile, you have the choice of drooling your saliva out your mouth or choking on it since you can't swallow. Your mouth is put in every position possible except for natural!

I was surprised this time. No cardboard. Just a piece of plastic that sticks out the mouth. The lady had to fight with my tongue some. It has a mind of its own and was fighting her when she'd try and make me bite down on this thing. Too many bad past experiences. The lady says, "Man, you have a small mouth" She is not the first person in a dentist office to say this. I have heard otherwise elsewhere.

What is cool, is that after the "beep" of the picture being taken, the x-ray showed up immediately on the TV screen. WOW! Has it been like this for awhile? Because she looked at me like I was stupid when I was amazed by this technology. No more waiting for the film to develop and trying to read them on those crappy lights?

Also on this screen, I can view the services they are doing that today. The lady pushes a few buttons and it tells me how much I will be paying out of pocket that day. Wow! I said, "That's a whole lot better than getting a surprising bill in the mail in a few weeks" She again acted surprised by my excitement.

The hygienist comes in to do the cleaning. Nothing too fancy here. Still sucks! The cleaning stuff doesn't taste as bad as it used to. She did turn on a Soap Opera while doing the cleaning. I thought she was being nice and doing it for me. But, she then asks "Do you watch soap operas?" Nope! Yea, she kept it there. She was trying to catch her Young and the Restless. Only time on TV I have looked forward to seeing commercials!

Afterward, the dentist comes in, takes a look, and says everything looks good. I have two areas for potential problems, but if they are not bothering me, not to worry about it.

He then asks about my front tooth. I explain the situation. He said he would suggest Veneers. I said, ok. Thinking it was some procedure to fix that tooth better. Afterward, he takes me to some chic sitting at a computer where she shows me a video and a sales pitch on Veneers. I am listening as it is hard for me to interrupt a sales pitch. She then starts to go over pricing and in the computer it comes up as $850 a tooth. She apologizes and said that's an old price, changes it to $1200 and tells me I should get six of them.

WTF? My parents spent a lot of money on braces to make my teeth straight and I do everything I can to keep them clean, white and pretty. I've never had any complaints about my smile so how the hell are you going to tell me that I need six f*cking veneers? I don't think so!

So is this what has happened to the dentist in the past 3 years? Technology and sales pitches?

My New Diet...

Today has been full of errands. Worked out this morning, went to the dentist (separate post), got a pedicure, went to work for a little bit, went to piano lessons (separate post) and went to dinner with someone from work that was here on business. Busy Busy Day.

At dinner, we both ordered pasta with a white wine sauce. Very yummy. Mine had chicken and hers had shrimp. We got to go boxes and were on our way. Mine started leaking out the side on to me and my purse. Yuck. So I run back inside to get napkins to clean up.

We walk across the street to the hotel where hers starts to leak sauce on her. We get in the hotel to get napkins and clean up. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to take both of these home so I can bring her hers the next day at work since there is not a fridge in her room. They still have paper plates left over from breakfast so I figure those will catch any drippings and will keep them from tipping in my truck.

I get home drip free! So I put as much as I can into my little bag I got from the dentist. I'm carrying my piano book, my purse, these two containers of pasta, and my keys. Everything is fine and dandy until I get to my door and there is a huge ass moth on it!

My first instinct is that I need a rock or a stick. That very well isn't going to happen since my hands are full. I try kicking the door, disgusted that I am this close to it, trying to get it to fly away. No such luck. So then I take my bag and try and hit it...no such luck. As I'm kicking at my door, Kiki is barking inside, and one of the containers of food slips off the plate because of the sauce and falls to the ground...splattering in front of my door and on it. F*CK ME seemed liked the only expletive that fit at that moment. Now that my hands are free because of the fallen dinner, I take off my shoe and beat the hell out of the moth. He didn't deserve to die that painfully, but I was pissed! Now I'm thinking, how the hell am I going to clean up this pasta? Vacuum? Hmm..probably not a good idea. Paper Towels? Hmmm...forgot to buy some more. I knew it was going to attract every bug known to man.

I get my door open...pasta still on the ground, and Kiki runs outside to greet me and is interrupted by the chicken pasta. She starts eating it. For a second I wonder if I should stop her. Screw it! I leave the door open so I can see her as I put my stuff away and go to the restroom. She's chowing away.

She's got most of it gone when I decide I need to wash it away. Grab two cups of water and just pour them on the remembrance of tonight’s dinner. Kiki was mad at me...she wasn't done.

I take her to go potty, she goes, comes in, and waits for her treat she always gets. I told her she already got her treat. She then goes to lie down on the couch and pout.

Meanwhile, the left overs that didn't hit the ground went in the trash and are now making my apartment reek of shrimp. Eck! I've lit every candle in the place!!

So I hope the girl at work isn't really looking forward to her pasta for dinner.

Support Our Troops

Contagion is rallying up support for our troops.

Go over and leave comments that Contagion will forward to them. Leave a donation for items to be sent to the troops. Leave ideas of things to send.

Or, send your own care package. You can contact your local military base public relations contact, a recruiting office, USO office, or local Military Veterans groups.

To see a list of suggest items to send and not to send, go here or here. Includes stuff like:

Baby wipes Mouth Wash Eye Drops Chapstick Sunblock Phone cards Foam balls Batteries Magazines Playing Cards Books

Go see Contagion and be a part of a great cause.

Damn Reality TV

Oh no oh no oh no.

I anxiously await 8pm and 11pm on Mondays, Wednesdays from 8pm - 11pm and Tuesdays at 10pm.

Why? On Mondays and Wednesdays, those are the times of Law and Order SVU reruns. On Tuesdays, hopefully a new episode, if not a rerun.

I've seen them all, and yes, I am addicted. It's the only show I keep up with 100%. I do other stuff while they are on, so I'm not constantly staring at my TV. But the show is on in my home often.

So tonight, I go to turn to NBC to watch my show, and there is this red head standing out in the sand staring at a bus.

Then, these freakish characters walk off the bus to meet this beautiful girl.

I left it, thinking it was a commercial and continued blog surfing.

It goes to a commercial and I find out the show is Average Joe. I would never, ever, ever watch this type of show. These things annoy me.

I mean, these guys are crying after not being picked to stay after an initial meeting.

Eventually, these guys are going to go through surgeries to look better.

It's sickening.

What makes me more sick??? Now I'm going to want to know what the hell happens since I saw the first episode! I think I'll just catch the last episode at the end of the season.

So warning, when you see something strange on TV, turn it, change it, don't wait!

Sis #2 on TV

My dad goes to the movies EVERY WEEKEND practically. They have the refillable cups and the shirt that get's them free popcorn. My stepmom brings a little chocolate in her purse and my dad is a happy man!

Sis #2 loves to see movies too, but can't always see the ones daddy wants to see. But she loves the theater's day care.

They go to this theater so much, that the day care called my stepmom to see if Sis #2 wanted to be in a news clip about it.

Watch this video about the theaters day care. My sister is the first kid that speaks in the light green sleeveless sweater, and she is also at the very end of the clip. She's such a ham!

Watch the Clip

*You will need Real Audio to view the clip

Hiring!!!

An Executive Assistant:

Possible long, late night meetings with The Team

Meet The Team

If you think you would be interested in working with The Team, please contact us at...

email: InYourDreams@UWish.com

Posted by Sissy at 06:49 PM | Comments (11)

Rules of Engagement

US Marine Corps Rules
1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
2. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
3. Have a plan.
4. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won't work.
5. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
6. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber does not
start with a "4."
7. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is
cheap. Life is expensive.
8. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend.
(Lateral & diagonal preferred.)
9. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
10. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber,
stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
13. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating your intention to shoot.

Navy SEALS Rules
1. Look very cool in sunglasses.
2. Kill every living thing within view.
3. Adjust speedo.
4. Check hair in mirror.

US Army Rangers Rules
1. Walk in 50 miles wearing 75 pound rucksack while starving.
2. Locate individuals requiring killing.
3. Request permission via radio from "Higher" to perform killing.
4. Curse bitterly when mission is aborted.
5. Walk out 50 miles wearing a 75 pound rucksack while starving.

US Army Rules
1. Select a new beret to wear.
2. Sew combat patch on right shoulder.
3. Change the color of beret you decide to wear.

US Air Force Rules
1. Have a cocktail.
2. Adjust temperature on air-conditioner.
3. See what's on HBO.
4. Ask "what is a gunfight?"
5. Request more funding from Congress with a "killer" PowerPoint
presentation.
6. Wine & dine 'key' Congressmen, invite DOD & defense industry
executives.
7. Receive funding, set up new command and assemble assets.
8. Declare the assets "strategic" and never deploy them operationally.
9. Hurry to make 1345 tee-time.

US Navy Rules
1. Go to Sea.
2. Drink Coffee.
3. Watch porn.
4. Deploy the Marines

Fortune Cookies

I love good Chinese food. But it is oh so hard to find.

But one of my favorite things about Chinese food is the fortune cookies!

GEVIV posted his fortune from this weekend.

But he missed the most important part.

After reading your fortune, you should follow it with the phrase in bed.

So let's use GEBIV's for example:

Your emotional nature is strong and sensitive...in bed.

My fortune from my first night in my first apartment after ordering Chinese (that still hangs on my fridge):

Wishing you the very best of luck in the many years to come...in bed.

Here are a few more I googled:

To be mature is to accept imperfections...in bed.

All your hard work will not pay off...in bed.

Find release from your cares have a good time...in bed.

Your future is as boundless as the lofty heaven...in bed.

Someone is speaking well of you...in bed.

Do you remember any of your fortunes?

The Competition

Bou is kicking butt at aerobics, VW is trying the new "No Sleep" diet, Amy is doing Weight Watchers.

I need to get back on track. I was kicking butt before vacation. I didn't go to Curves while I was on vacation for 2 weeks. Then I hurt my back carrying that digital piano in the house and attempted working out and it just didn't work. So I finally went back today...this morning...bright and early.

I drank TONS of water today and lowered my calorie intake to 1000-1200. I've had 900 so far today so I am looking forward to my watermelon desert!

I made a big salad to last me a couple of days. Iceburg lettuce, sliced cucumbers, diced tomatos, green onions, diced slices of turkey, a little bit of shredded cheese and real bacon bits (just enough to give flavor) and it's very yummy! I don't eat dressing, so that makes salad even better for cutting calories!

Thursday is my weigh-in at Curves! I have to make sure I at least hasn't gained this past month! Meanwhile, wish the other gals luck! They are kicking butt!

Jewelry for the Girls

For many years, for special occasions, I would get jewelry from my dad.

When I was 10, my dad was away at jump school. When he returned, he had a gold ring that had a heart on it with a small small small small little diamond. I LOVED that ring! I had it and wore it until I was 20 where I lost it when I was babysitting.

My dad gave me my Irish Claddagh ring when I was 12. We were sitting at a restaurant for my birthday and dad offered to go get me some ice cream for desert. He came back with vanilla ice cream in a cup with rainbow sprinkles. In the ice cream was a Claddagh ring and earrings. My little sister thought they were candy and wanted them! I still have the ring and still wear it. The earrings I have but are put away in my jewelry box as they are too small.

I was 16 when my dad came back from Congo, Africa after 2 years, and brought back an intertwined tri-band ring (very fun!) that is red, white, and yellow gold that was made by a child in Africa. And I still wear it!

My dad went to Mexico for work and came back with a gold key and said it was the key to his heart. Still have it...still wear it.

For my high school graduation, I got a beautiful gold bracelet with rubies (my birthstone) and little diamonds. I still have it too.

Everything I wear means something and has a story behind it. Everything my dad gave me had a talk with it. A talk about his unconditional love, how proud he was, how he'd always be there. So these things act as reminders for these great memories.

Well, the bracelet lost a ruby a couple of years ago. I was so upset! But I finally got it replaced. Then, last December, I broke one of the links. I was even more upset! I got it fixed about 2 months ago. They told me that there were some more links that needed secured and that a lot of the prongs were loose. I thought they were just trying to make money!

Well today, I saw that I lost a ruby. I was sad as I took off the bracelet. I know I'll get it fixed. But for some reason, I felt funny being without it. Not for the look or for others to see....I just didn't like being without it.

It's always been a big joke that we were impressed that my dad remembered these occasions AND that the jewelry had to be real gold. I'm allergic to anything else. Hell, even the button on my jeans makes me break out. I can't even wear a watch because the back of it and the buckle make me break out like some mutant.

Jewelry is great...but I treasure the thought and memory behind it even more!

The Hall of Pee

I love Kiki! With all my heart. I'm mean, just look at that face in the top left of the page!

Well, she's a little priss! Throughout the 2 1/2 years I have had her, we have moved a bit. So, potty training has been interesting.

She knows she needs to go outside. But mommy has such an odd schedule, that's not always possible. So, since she was very young, we have used puppy pads. They're like flat diapers that she does her business on.

Sure, it's not the most attractive thing, but it's better than on the carpet! And I don't have these out when I have company.

She'll usually try to tell me when she has to go. She basically just irritates the hell out of me and won't leave me alone until I let her out. But there are sometimes, she just doesn't bug me enough to where I realize what she wants.

The puppy pads are in the living room, in front of the wall unit. She WILL.NOT use the bathroom in front of me. So, if I don't let her out, she finds a place to go!

And it's a specific place! It's the hallway in front of my bedroom and bathroom door. This is her private bathroom sanctuary.

Meanwhile, when I get up to go to the other room, guess what I run into??

Needless to say, some carpet cleaning needs to be done. That will be done this week. Meanwhile, I put up a baby gate to the hallway. So Kiki is going to have to jump the gate or make sure she let's me know!

The worst thing about having a dog....you can't train them to use the toilet!

Day of Carnivals

Today, the Karnival of Kids turns a big 10 over at Prochein Amy's. She tells us what boys and girls are made of!

And we have a fairly new carnival; the Carnival of Music!! How could I not get involved with this one? This week, Owlish Mutterings is hosting.

So grab your cotton candy and go perusing through the carnivals.

Word of the Week #9

Linky Lovin' VIII

It's been 8 weeks and the Word of the Week is still going strong!

Let's take a look at how we were all able to use hegira this past week.

Harvey was "undergoing an employment-related hegira" and found this week's word suitable. Go check out his employment update.

David talks about who he'd like to make a hejira to escape "persecution"...

Bou uses this week word in her synopsis of the 25 Word Challenge.

Contagion gives us his excuse for posting quizzes.

VW need's a vacation every once in a while.

ArmyWifeToddlerMom went from having fun with Dash and Pink Ninja in the makeshift waterpark to running to safety from the wasp.

And I'm a dork and missed this one.

Michele of Letters from NYC brings us along for her ride from one job to another. All I can say Michele is, DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE!!

25 Years for This?

My mom got married at 16, the same time my dad was enlisting in the Marine Corps. She was married to my dad for about 12 years. They divorced and she married my stepdad. They've now been married for 13 years. He's also a marine.

So, my mom has been a Marine Corps spouse for 25 years. That's all she knows. 25 years of moving, deployments, and living by the Corps' ways.

Before getting married, my mom lived in a small town. Her family was very poor. I've seen the house they used to live in. No indoor bathroom facilities, in the woods...it looked like a junk yard.

Since then, she has always lived in base housing or rented an apartment until they could get into base housing. She has never had the opportunity to own a house...until now.

My mom, stepdad and Sis #1 have orders to MCAS Beaufort, SC. They were very excited to get off of Recruiters Duty, get out of Chicago, and buy a house where there was a good chance they were going to retire. You see, stepdad only has 3 more years until he hits 20!

They looked online for houses, got a realtor, and went through the stresses of house hunting. I advised for them to come down for a week, take their time to look at houses and get to know the area, before making a decision. Mom is tired of traveling and making 1000 mile trips, and decided to let stepdad go on his own.

Let me explain her roll in the family. She makes all the big decisions. She pays all the bills, deals with all the finances, keeps all the records. So this was big for her to let him take care of it all.

He went down there for a weekend, looked at a lot of crappy houses, and decided on one on Lady's Island. He told my mom they would love it and it was spotless.

For the first time, they let TMO pack them up and more them. They were very excited about this move. My mom and sis left Chicago yesterday at 4pm and arrived to the new house this morning at about 5 am.

I called her this morning at about 9am and she couldn't talk. My sister had to talk to me because she was crying so much. The house is horrific! After 25 years in the Marine Corps, she has to live in a place that is worse than anything she's lived in, other than when she was a kid.

I finally got to talk to her. She was very upset. I decided to drive the 2 hours down there to try and help make the place suitable.

I arrived and I couldn't believe what I saw. They paid $188,000 for this house and it didn't look like it wasn't even worth $100,000. My mom has worked so hard to keep financial matters straight. They now have a house payment that takes up all their BAH that she absolutely hates. She's going to have to write a check for the mortgage every month that is going to make her sick.

The house is small! It is 3 bedrooms and 2 baths...but it is small! And the neighbors are close...very close. I walked in their backyard and saw their redneck neighbors through the fence on a slip n slide. The yards are not taken care of! (And my mom is big into gardening and yardwork)

Inside, the house was covered in this indoor/outdoor type carpet. The ceilings were that popcorn texture. The fireplace was cheap and had cracks all down it. The baseboards were cracked. The dining room floor had a dip toward the middle. My mom went to unplug the ADT alarm and the outlet plate just fell off. She went to pull down the blinds and they just fell. There are no dead bolts on the doors and the back doors to the backyard...I could bump my hips against it and open it if I wanted.

The paint jobs are shitty! There is dirt all over the walls. The garage is small. The toilets are stained. The tile in one room is mismatched. The cabinets in the kitchen are cheap and poorly done. The house is just very cheaply made!

I could go on. My mom is so upset and disapointed. She doesn't understand what my stepdad could have been thinking.

I tried to get her motivated to get the place fixed up. She wants nothing to do with it. She feels that working on the place still won't improve it. She has no desire to touch anything in there.

And to top it off, the town is small and there is nothing there! They are going to miserable there for the next 3 years! And then, how are they going to resell this place? They got royally screwed on this one.

I don't know what to do and I don't know how to help. I just can't imagine that disapointment right now! I tried to find benefits of the place. Things we could do to make it better. She wasn't hearing it.

The movers get their tomorrow at 8am with their stuff. Maybe she'll feel a little better then. My stepdad doesn't get here until Friday. That's probably a good thing. She needs a little time to cool off...

Karnival of Kidz - Karaoke

While on vacation to see Sis #1 graduate high school, we celebrated afterward at my mom's house.

Sis #2 (7) loves to sing Karaoke! In this picture, she was singing "I Wanna Talk About Me" by Toby Keith! (Yes, she knew ALL the words)

Later, my stepdad is singing "Redneck Woman", and he get's to the part where everyone screams "Hell Yeah!" and he says "Heck Yeah!" instead.

Sis #2's response?

It's not "heck yeah" it's HELL yeah"

A Celebration - Bad Example Style

Let the celebration commence!! Spurs' place is ready for their return!

Go on and take the tour!

Ladies Night!

(warning: if you are eating, stop here and come back later!)

That would make you quit drinking and sober up in a hurry!!

What I'm Looking For....EVENTUALLY!!!

I wrote about What I'm Looking For and wanted to clarify.

I am in absolutely no rush to find this person. And there's a reason for that.

I found this person 5 years ago this 4th of July weekend. I was working two jobs and going to school. He was a Marine of course. But what I wrote in that post is what I felt for him.

If I would have been just a little bit stupider, I would have stuck it through and probably ended up marrying this guy. (After he got divorced of course. I had no idea while we were together, he was married)

And if I would have married him, I wouldn't be where I am today. Of course, that's a given! But I mean personally, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I like who I am now a hell of a lot better than who I was then.

I'm not done with myself yet. I still have things I want to learn, things I want to better about myself, things I want to do before I dedicate myself to someone.

By writing that, I was reminding myself of a couple of things. One, not to settle! I know what I want and what will make me happy, and that is what I will find. And if for some odd reason I don't find that, I've spent this time learning to enjoy being with myself (shush Harvey!) and I'm ok with that too!

Second, to ground myself. To remind myself that it isn't money, belongings, and status that are going to make me happy. Not just a man's, but my own. I can get caught up in my status at work, how much money I'm making, what's the next thing I can by. But by reminding myself of what truly makes me happy with another person, I can ground myself to find happiness in other things.

My blog has turned from just posting on crazy, wacky things that happen, to a window into my own self discovery. It's like watching your child have growth spurts. But even better, it helps me sit down and confront these new discoveries and make sure I learn from things that have happened and celebrate the small milestones.

Redecorating at Pull My Finger

So I thought I would do something nice for my dear son Spurs while he's away getting hitched. A wedding present from his blog family.

But, this won't come without some torture first!

I'm going to be working on his site to help him with blogrolling, a banner, and anything else you all might thing would be nice to add. He's been wanting stuff and I've been a lazy blog mom!

I'll save the template so he can have it when he get's back. However, the published template will be a different story! Some others have already left some comments at his place of how we should redecorate.

Machelle has suggested pink curtains and a gay weather pixie. Do you mean more gay than the one he already has up there?

Harvey has suggested a background color that's sure to shock.

So, here's your mission, if you choose to accept it! Leave comments here or there on what we should do to the joint.

We'll consider this like tying cans to the back of his car, writing stuff in soap, condoms on the gear shift and toilet paper wrapping his car.

Pest Control

I saw this on my counter when I came home yesterday:

Your apartment has been serviced by Home Pest Control, Inc. You can help control roaches by disposing of all grocery bags and cardboard boxes. Important: Also disposes of any dead roaches. Roaches may be carrying eggs or capsules. One capsule contains a minimum of 24 roaches and a maximum of 48 roaches. Thank you, we appreciate your business.

Now this ticks me off for a couple of reasons. I did call and leave a message to the main office of the apartments that I needed my place sprayed. I specified that I especially needed my pack patio and storage area sprayed.

They never told me when they were coming which pisses me off. First of all, my place is a complete mess! No joke! I would be embarassed for my best friend to walk in here right now. I still haven't unpacked from vacation, I have boxes scattered of stuff I'm trying to go through, haven't taken out the trash. I'd like to clean up before someone comes in going through my place.

Secondly, and most importantly, I have a dog. A small dog. I want to be here if you are entering my home. First because she doesn't know you. You are some weird person entering her home. I will not be held responsible for anything she does to your dumb ass. Second, and again most important. SHE IS A SMALL DOG. If she happens to sniff or lick the shit your spraying and get sick or die, I will hunt you down and make you consume the nastiness you are spraying in my home!

And this note?? Don't they have a follow up service to come take care of the dead carcasses? Now mind you, the problem I'm having is not roaches, or "Palmetto Bugs" as they are called here. I'm having other critters. I don't know what they are and I don't know what they do, but they are coming into my home and freaking me the f*ck out!

And this note acts like I'm going to have no problem cleaning up a dead roach. Wrong answer! They scare me just as much when they are dead, then when they are alive! I'll be pulling out the trusty vacuum if I see anything. And if I start growing a farm of bugs in there, the thing will go in the trash. I don't care. I need a new one anyway!

Anyone can come spray a house! But can they clean up the mess they left behind??

Spurs & Napster Wedding Update

Check out the Spurs & Napster Wedding Update #1 at Pull My Finger!!

This Just Isn't Funny!!

I think there is something wrong. And I should probably go see a doctor, but I don't know what kind of doctor to go to for this.

I think I'm allergic to shopping!!! :-(

I know ladies! Pick up your jaws; stop yelling at your computer screens.

But seriously...

Whenever I walk into a mall, target and sometimes even smaller little stores (although not as often), I break into cold sweats. It can be freezing cold in the place and my skin will be cool to the touch, but I'll be just covered in sweat. I can be wearing a tank top, shorts and flip flops with my hair up and away from me and I still look like I've stepped out of a sauna.

I don't get it. It happens the moment I walk in. It usually goes away anywhere between 30 min - 1 hour.

It's very embarrassing! I went to the mall here today and you would have thought their AC was broken the way I looked! I went to the same mall the other day with a girl from work, and the same thing happened.

I went shopping last weekend with a friend and it happened. It happened while I was in Chicago, it happened while I was in Phoenix.

It happens all the time in malls and then sometimes in Target's, Wal-Mart’s, and other stores.

So the only thing I have come up with is that I'm allergic to shopping...which would be a total tragedy!

I drink 1-3 liters of water a day so it shouldn't be anything with dehydration (although I'm not sure why shopping would trigger that). There is no over exertion. I just casually walk through; occasionally stop to look at something. That's it!

Geez...I'm going to have to start wearing freaking sweat bands and a towel to shop in!

Taco Rice

There are only a few meals I can make. Blogmeet Burritos were submitted last week. This week is Taco Rice. After this, I'm going to have to learn something new! :-)

Ingredients:

1 lb lean hamburger meat
1 packet of prefered taco seasoning
2 cups of uncooked white rice
Slices of American Cheese (or shredded cheese of your choice)

Optional:

Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onions, sour cream
Tortilla Chips

Prepare the Taco Meat and cook your rice as you would normally do.

Spread about a cup of cooked rice on a plate. Place a slice of american cheese or some shredded cheese of choice on top of the rice. Then pour 1/2 - 3/4 cup of taco meet on top of the cheese. This should start to melt the cheese, however the plate can be microwaved for about 15 sec to melt the cheese more if necessary.

Add toppings of choice. Great served with tortilla chips. Even better with a margarita!

The Weather

I remember thinking it was funny when my Grandpa used to make casual conversation by talking about the weather. Even at a young age, if I were to talk to him on the phone, he would ask about the weather.

When he used to pump gas at the gas station and I would go there to hang out with him, he would talk to customers about the weather.

I found it funny. Something so simple. Something, at the time, seemed boring.

I was reminded of his use of the topic of weather to break the ice today while I was training.

I was training on the internet over VoIP. It is important to build some type of report with your group when training. This is hard enough to do while training live, let alone training over the internet. So I attempt to bring out my best humor and stories. We were waiting for everyone to join the class, when I started to make casual conversation....about the weather!

I made a joke about being out in the humidity and they should have pitty on me. Everyone joined in discussing weather in their areas, other places they had been, dry heat vs. humidity.

Well...it opened the doors!

So, it seems, that everyone has weather in common. You can't really offend anyone talking about weather. There's really no room for conflict or debate when it comes to weather.

My grandpa was a wise man! He knew just what talking about the weather could do! He was a good man!

Sissy & Politics

There is one thing that you have never seen on my blog and you may never see it again; me talking about politics. And there is a reason for it.

I will not talk about politics or debate unless I feel like I am fully educated on the subject. That will not keep me from asking questions, because I am at times interested. But other than that, it is not a subject that leaves these lips very often.

I don't talk about what I don't know about. And I refuse to act like I do know what I'm talking about when I don't. If I haven't taken the time to look into a particular subject, then I don't get to act like I know anything about it.

An example might clear this up:

One of my sales reps, back when I was a manager, started talking to me and some others about the war. Now, I may not talk politics, but I will not tolerate ignorance from others either.

She started talking about how stupid Bush was, that it was stupid for us to be at war just for oil, and our troops were wrong for being there. I just about went balistic, but had to bite my toungue as she was my employee. But I did not let the situation go. I explained to her the actual reason why we were at war and that supporting our troops does not have to mean you support the war. You can support the men and women over there fighting for your right to your expression of your opinion without agreeing or even knowing why they are there.

My thought afterward was that she was not educated on the subject. If you are going to make a statement, support it with facts. If you want to disagree with what's going on, support it with facts of why. Don't jump on the bandwagon of other ignorant people that sound good because they are passionate. Listen for facts and truth and make your opinions off that.

I digress. What made me think of this is today, as I was driving by the South Carolina Capitol building, there were protesters outside. Not unusual. But one young, white, scruffy, dope head had a sign that sayd "Free Sadaam"

I didn't even know this was a topic up for debate! I thought this was something most American's agreed upon. But again, I don't know details and I don't know facts.

So I'm asking to be educated....why would someone want Sadaam free? What have I not seen on the news and in the newspaper.

Great Things

I was going to post only a couple of "Great Things" and the list ended up getting too long. Just some fun things that make day to day things easier or better someway. (No, I'm not usually this materialistic!)

Neosporin - heals everything quickly! And great for blemishes!

Light Ruffles, Doritos, & Tostidos - 1/2 the calories! However, they do deceive you with only half the bag is full of chips and rest is air. So don't feel bad when you eat the whole bag because you are really only eating half and you are already getting 1/2 the calories. ;-)

(*Warning* Do not eat the whole bag. A whole bag contains about a 1000 calories and you will shit for a week. You have been warned!)

Absorbine Jr - This is mainly for sore muscles, but is great for bug bites! Especially chigger bites! I will tell you this, if your bug bite is open, it'll burn like a bitch! But the itch will be gone!

Campho Phenique - My dad lives by this! He keeps it in the truck, the table next to his "command chair", in the computer room, next to the bed, and in his office desk drawer. Gets rid of a cold sore in an instant!

Arm & Hammer Pet Fresh Carpet & Room Deodorizer - Have pets? This is great for making your place smell fresh again!

Henri Bendel Fig Candle - Or any of the Henri Bendel candles. They smell absolutely great and last forever!

L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream - this will make the hardest hands feel so soft! Careful, it's addicting!

Frederic Fekkai Hair Mask with Shea Butter - My hair has never been so soft!

Lean Cuisine Personal Pan Pizzas - Don't taste like diet food!

Mesh Pockets Shower Curtain - Great for tons of things in the shower!

XM Radio - The cure for crappy local radio! And right now they are having a Buy One Get One Free special. It's even better now with Major League Baseball! And comedy channel makes long distance travel a lot easier!

What are some things that you think are great?

What I'm Looking For

I often joke, as I believe many women do, about what I want in a male companion.

All fun and games, but honestly wouldn't make me all that happy. There are a few qualities that are a must for my eternal happiness in the opposite sex, but there is one in particular that is a must!

*Waiting for minds to roll out of the gutter*

I'm talking when push comes to shove, and we are at the shitty end of all the vows (sick, poor, etc), that he can still make the best of it. I've described this before as being happy living in a refrigerator box with this person.

The kind of guy that can make the most boring, miserable experience worthy and less miserable.

The kind of guy that you don't have to plan big outings or events with to make the relationship great. You look forward to doing yard work, laundry, working on the car, grocery shopping, sitting in the ER waiting room, sitting in a cramped airplane, watching paint dry...just because you LOVE being around this person.

What makes this person like this? I don't know. I have a few ideas, but I don’t have the formula just right yet. But if I were asked exactly who I want to share the rest of my life with....it would be that. Because after that, for better and for worse takes care of itself.

If I were to add a few more characteristics? They would be...

Update:

My lower back is asking me to add, "Lift Heavy Things". Someone pass me a muscle relaxer!

Toys for Harvey

Bloggrandpa Harvey is celebrating his 2 year blogiversary and asked for toys!

Happy Blogiversary Harvey!

I'm sure Harvey is on some toy of the month club, so I was having a hard time finding something he didn't have.

I kept the receipts Harvey....but they've gotta be unused!

Unwrap 'em...

25 Word Challenge

I'm hosting Christina of Feisty Repartee's 25 Word Challenge this week. I figured the Bad Example Family could really have some fun with this one!

It's simple! The challenge is to continue the story in the comments using only twenty-five words...

They were quiet; lost in each other’s eyes as she waited in sweet anticipation for what he might say next. He was thinking to himself...

Songs of 2004

Blame Contagion.

This Love by Maroon 5

"I was so high I did not recognize The fire burning in her eyes The chaos that controlled my mind" You were so great in 2004 that you make everyone a little bit sick!

Back on the Piano

I bought a digital piano this weekend. I've been anxiously awaiting this purchase! I want to freshen up on my skills!

Some things I've noticed:

I forget EVERYTHING when playing the piano. I don't think about work, things I need to do, planning for the next day...I can't. Playing takes my whole brain and I love it!

I remember more things than I thought I would. I can still go through scales and chord progressions. Could I tell you what kind they were? Only for a few. Why do I remember these? Because it's all spatial and audible. I can close my eyes and remember how that chord is supposed to feel at my fingers and I can hear when I am wrong. I learned this stuff over 10 years ago! It's amazing how the brain works and remembers things.

I enjoy playing a lot more now that I know it's not going to be my career. When I was younger and thought I was going to be a music educator, I put too much pressure on myself to be perfect. Now it's fun! Kind of like blogging! Writing before, knowing I was going to be graded, not so fun. Writing now! Fun!

So here's to having my passion of music back as a hobby and not as another form of stress.

Back to Bed

Do you ever wake up in the morning so tired that you think, "As soon as I get home from work, I'm going straight to bed" ?

I do this a lot.

Do I ever go straight to bed when I get home?

No!

But I'm so very tired!

She Still Loves Me

When I said goodbye to Sis #2 in Phoenix, it wasn't the same and I was worried I had done something wrong or our relationship was changing.

Tonight, those worries were squashed!

I called my stepmom, and I hear Sis #2 in the background, "who are you talking to mom?"

"Sissy"

"Oh oh oh, I want to talk to Sissy!! Can I talk to Sissy? Pleeeaaasee!"

What a way to make an older sister smile!

Here's what's funny! I ask her what she's up to, expecting to hear about her piano lessons, drama class, girl scouts, church, or swimming. Nope! She said she's writing 3 reports.

Me: 3 reports? I thought you were on summer break.

Sis #2: I am *giggle*

Me: Then why are you writing reports? What are you writing them on?

Sis #2: On history books that I got from the library. I got 7 books but some are similar so I'm making 3 reports out of them. Maybe I can email them to you when I'm done.

Me: Wow! That's awesome! I can't wait to read them! What books are they on?

Sis #2: Two of them are on the 13 Colonies and two of them are on our country's presidents and first ladies. (Then she said something about 3 other books...I didn't understand...must have been over my head)

Me: Oh wow!

Sis #2: Here, let me read you part of it (as she reads me about part of the 13 colonies)

Stepmom takes the phone and I ask her if Sis #2 is being punished for something. She laughs and says no...that she chose those books at the library. All her friends are reading popular 2nd and 3rd grade books, and she chooses history books.

I'm very proud of her! But even more so, I'm glad nothing has changed!

Karnival of Kidz is UP

The Karnival of Kidz is up over at Science and Politics.

Go check out all the great stories and pictures HERE!

Spurs Wants Our Nicknames

Blogson Spurs is asking us about our past nicknames

I thought about mine and decided not to use up his comments and just to put it in a seperate post. But be sure to go over there to give your past nicknames.

Sissy is one from my family, my mom's side. My whole family on that side calls me Sis or Sissy. Uncles, Aunts, Mom, Stepdad, Sisters, Cousins...they all call me Sis or Sissy. It's a very country, old time, redneck kind of thing. That will probably be with me forever.

Quality was my nickname in high school and was given to me by my perverted US History teacher. I had mentioned innocently, when planning a project with my group for that weekend, that I had to have time to spend with my then boyfriend (because that was oh so more important than studying of course). Then the teacher spoke up with, "quality time of course". He went on throughout the class asking, "How often do you have quality time" and "I sure hope he appreciates your quality time" Passing through the halls, he would ask about my "quality time".

His wife was my gym teacher and my track and field coach. So needless to say, that nickname got spread around quickly and I was known as Quality by not only the students, but the teachers too!

After 2 1/2 years of that, I moved to California and picked up a new nickname. I was the drum major of the high school band and was the target for many pranks, dumped coolers of gatorade, and jokes. Somehow, they found out my initials spelled SIR. So when giving commands during practice or shows, they got the whole band, including the teacher, to call me sir. I about shit myself when we were on the field, I was up on the podium getting ready to start the show and after the first command, they responded with "Sir yes Sir!" It was all out of fun and love...but I hated it!

Make sure you go over to Pull My Finger and tell Spurs your nicknames.

The Box

When I came home from Chicago last weekend, there was a large box in the back of my truck that my mom snuck in there before I left.

I found stuff that I thought was lost forever or had forgotten about. Some of it trash and some of it treasure.

My dad's old camera from the 70's - a Polaroid Square Shooter 2. Worth like $5 on eBay (yes I checked), but it's something my dad was into at one time.

3 trophies One of two firemen at the top for 1st place in a poster contest in 1st grade. Maybe that's where my, uh, admiration of firemen came from ;-)

The second and third for playing basketball in 1990 and 1992. I don't remember playing much in 1990, but I remember the team in 1992 because I was one of two girls on the whole league and the only white kid on the league. I was also the tallest and wasn't any good. Yea, that was a sucky year in kids sports!

Stuff with signatures and messages all over it. For whatever reason, whenever I left a school, I had to have them sign sometime. I have a couple of t-shirts and a bike helmet, all covered in signatures, messages and silly catch phrases from then.

Some posters, tour guides, and post cards from my 2 week tour of Europe. Can't read any of it, don't know what any of it says, but hey, it's from Europe.

Do you remember Caboodles? Well, there's one in there. But not the fun colorful ones with many compartments. This is an old one from the late 60's. I decorated the top with "Sissy's Traveling Case" and pictures drawn all over it, trying to make it look cool. It later became a place to store pictures, post cards, letters from friends and stuff I wrote.

And folders. Many many folders of English assignments. Essays, stories, reports, and poetry. I read through all of them. I had to force myself through it. I was embarassed reading it all in the privacy of my own home. Wow, what a writer I thought I was at the time.

But the most prized possession of them all that I found was something I kept going back to throughout my teenage years. My 8th grade English teacher had us all write a poem and submit it to get published. None of us succeeded, but I was the only one to get a "positive" response; asking me to resubmit it after a few changes.

I would leave it alone, and come back several months later to play with it some more. I was determined to make it perfect. Finally, about 18 months later, I resubmitted it, and it was published. I don't know if the publication just felt sorry for me after trying so hard or what, but I was so proud. My parents don't know about it because I thought it was so cool to be a secret writer.

So that everyone can share in my humiliation of sitting back, with proof in my hands of the silly things I did, said and thought, I thought I would share what was published. And for the record, my poetry days are well over. Thank God!

Walking along the water,
with a thunderstorm in my mind;
making it so confusing
to follow how I feel inside.

I have so many memories here,
like sitting with the shore;
and when I questioned, like a friend,
its waves whispered, "Worry no more,"

I can't forget that summer wind,
or when thunder spoke my name.
Now memories come down and I feel,
as if I'm drowning in the rain.

And as I walk along the beach,
the earth begins to tremble.
Yet it says leaving is not the end;
but can it really be that simple?

Then the clouds smile and say
to head straight for my dreams;
and the suns warmth assures me
of what this challenge can truly mean.

Walking along the water,
a wave of questions in my mind.
Gently being calmed by answers,
helping me through life's changes with time.

Word of the Week #8

Linky Lovin' VII

The past 2 week's word ('cause I'm a loser and forgot about my own Word of the Week), was cat's-paw.

I was pretty much boycotted on this one. And I admit, IT SUCKED! I didn't get a good selection to pick from for that week.

But let's give some acknowledgement to those who were able to use it!

ArmyWife, first to use the word, had many tomatoes thrown at her with her bad pun, "Sharif don't like it. Rock the Cat's Paw, Rock the Cat's Paw". I love it!

David of third world county was able to go over my head, talking about Osama bin Laden's cat's-paw scores yet another big propaganda coup for al Qaeda.

I was on vacation for this part of Word of the Week, so I may have missed some people as my blog surfing was minimized! I think Blogmom Bou is a little miffed that I chose such a crappy word. This week will be better, I promise!

As always, if I missed anyone, let me know! However, I doubt it with a word like "cat's-paw"! :-)

Father's Day

ArmyWife wrote a great post, Lessons My Father Taught Me.

She reminded me about a lot of the lessons my dad has taught me, plus some things you might hear him say.

Your name is the most valuable and most important thing you have.

The day I got my driver's license, we spent hours outside, learning where all the fluids went, how to change a tire, and other responsibilities of a licensed driver.

Never let your tank go below a quarter of a tank.

Never make a deal on the sales floor of the dealership.

Attention to detail!

Pack your Skivvies.

I'm going to the head.

Consider the source.

I love you sweetie, but you are just not any good with money!

Stay away from those punks.

Gotta get Sit-e-ated (situated)

Communist!

I'm very proud of you!

I will always be your daddy.

I love my girls. (there are 3 of us)

You can always come home.

There are only two good guys in this world; me, and one other guy out there for you.

Oh there's more...so many more! I'm sure I'll be updating throughout the day as I think of them. Meanwhile, what are some things your dad has said?

Carnival of Recipes!

I'm hungry, so very hungry after checking out this week's Carnival of Recipes at Meanderings.

There's a buffet of recipes, go check it out!

Birthday Surprise - Really!

I get a call bright and early this morning, from my Grandma. I let it go to voice mail!

And what did the voicemail say?

"Hi sweetie. Just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. Did you get your check? Love ya"

Well...she got the day right, just not the month! It's next month! Those damn J months!

And as for the check, here's the funny story. We usually get $20 for our birthday and $20 for Christmas. Graduation? $20 Marriage? I don't know...but probably $20. Well, once you turn 18, you are dumped off the Christmas check list.

What's funny is, I send her $150 a month. I almost want to tell her to just keep the checks....but I know she looks forward to sending them.

So...does this mean I can have cake and ice cream today AND in a month? Hmmm...

Birth Control

Some of my favorite reads, ArmyWife and VW, have been posting about their adorable kids again. It's a popular topic for both of them. I can't relate to a lot of it, not being a mother, but I love to hear their stories and see pictures of their smoochable babies!

I've made a couple of comments saying something about my "daily dose of birth control" as a simple attempt at humor. I sat back and thought about it, and thought, that could be taken as rude or particularly about their kids.

That's in no way what I intend if anyone has thought that.

This is my thought on things. I love kids! I love their innocence, their mischief, when they discover something for the first time, the way they give hugs...and I love giving them back to the parents when they begin to get smelly or ornery.

And in that sense, I think mothers are amazing women that have a truly hard job that is rewarding in its own way. So when you mothers post about not being able to sleep through the night, sick kids, trips to the ER, etc....I just sit back in amazement and wonder if I could ever do that! Right now?...I couldn't!

My parents told me a couple of years ago that they were working on their will, and that if something were to happen to both of them, that I would have custody of Sis #2 (now age 7).

Wow! When they told me this, I was 20. My dad has 3 brothers and my stepmom has 7 brothers and sisters. All with families. And out of all the people they know (and they know a lot), they chose me.

To be in charge of another life. To have the responsibility of molding them into a good human being with morals, values, love in their heart, care for others and add something to this world. That's just so intimidating to me! It's a responsibility that I never want to take lightly.

So to you amazing women, thank you for your reminders of how you have to be ready to dedicate your life to molding these lives and that it is not a simple job and not a job to be taken lightly, although one of the most rewarding.

They Grow Up So Fast!!

Blogson Spurs and one of my dearest friends, Napster, are going to Vegas next weekend to get hitched by Elvis.

I'm so jealous! I'm jealous that they are going to have a great time and so many memories. I'm jealous that they are going to be in Vegas. I'm jealous that Spurs doesn't have to come to work for a couple of days. I'm jealous that there is a slight possibility that they may hit the mega jackpot where Spurs may start doing this at work!

And most of all, I'm jealous that they have found two of the most wonderful people in each other that I have ever met.

Ok, cut all the jealousy...now seriously...

If you could see Spurs and Napster together, they are a great example of what love is. You can tell just how much they enjoy just being around eachother...even in Kill Me, TX! :-) I love Spurs' way of life...work to live, don't live to work. He's dedicated to making Napster very happy! And she, the same!

And on a less serious note, I'm impressed that Napster is dedicated to put up with all of Spur's crazy antics...which is why she has set up ground rules for their trip to Texas.

I'm sure we'll see video floating around the internet!

So go over and wish Spurs and Napster fun, luck, love and happiness and I'm taking bets on how many of her rules for Vegas Spurs will break!

A New Business and I Want Stock

So I'm reading the new updated Bad Example Family Tree that Andrew of Custos Honor made so beautifully, when I decide to peruse the comments. Most of the comments were old, until I saw this...

Respected Sir,

We operate a pharmaceutical website offering medications to people world wide at 40-90% off the rates currently charged by local pharmacies. Because of our incredible rates, we have thousands of customers ordering and re-ordering from us daily, and believe it or not the majority of our success comes from website owners just like you.

And it continues on for about 5 paragraphs. Yes ladies and gentlemen, it's a fucking spammer.

But then, I see that Silent Warrior of Ramblings of an Ordinary has started a new business operating an "all-American asskick website".

Go check out the comments, it's quite funny and I want to be an affiliate of Silent Warrior's new entrepreneurship.

Word of the Week Screw Up

Wow, my vacation totally screwed me up. I didn't do a Word of the Week or some Linky Lovin' on Sunday. Damn!

So, here are 3 more days to use this week's (and last week's) Word of the Week.

Blogmeet Burritos

This is the recipe for the burritos that I brought to the blogmeet. This has never been written down before, just passed verbally, so excuse my poor directions

Ingredients:

Tortilla (flour) 10
1lb lean hamburger meat
Mozzerella Cheese 2 1/2 cups
3/4 can of tomato sauce
salt, pepper, basil, Adobo
Vegetable or Olive Oil

Scramble the hamburger meat while cooking it until done. Meat should be in smaller pieces, like when making spaghetti.

Add the tomato sauce, salt, pepper, basil and Adobo. There are really no specific amounts, it's all to taste. However, the key ingredient is the Adobo.

Once the meat is to your desired taste, pour 1-3 heaping spoonfulls onto the tortilla, about 1/4 away in from the edge. Add your desired amount of mozzerella cheese (no more than 3 tablespoons, and even that is pretty cheesy!)

Fold the tortilla over to cover the meat and cheese, fold in the sides, and finish rolling to the end (like you would wrap a burrito). Place the burrito on aluminum foil or plate where it can't unwrap.

Option 1 - Fry

Fill a pan with oil about 3/4 of an inch. Heat it on medium to medium-high. Once hot enough, place the burrito in the oil. After a couple of minutes, the side in the oil will be a light golden brown and you can flip to fry the other side. You may fry as many burritos at one time as you can fit in the pan.

After the burrito is fried, place it on paper towels to soak up any extra oil.

Option 2 - Bake

You may also bake the burritos in the oven if you'd like to avoid the oil. Be sure to either spray a cake pan and place them in there or place the burritos on a sheet of aluminum foil, so that the sauce of the burrito doesn't drip in your oven. The burritos should be baked at 400F for about 10 minutes on each side (check while baking for them to turn a light golden brown)

These are great served with white rice.

I Don't Want to Grow Up!!!

So today I'm filling out my transfer student application for University of South Carolina and I come to the section where I must select my major. And I can only select ONE! And I cannot choose undecided...that is only for freshmen. DAMN!

So I'm supposed to choose what I want to do with the rest of my life right this second? I can't do that!

So I go through each major, one by one. Some sound interesting, but don't fit me 100%. Some I would rather go to the dentist then pick that major. I don't want a major that's so specific since I don't know what I want to do.

And then, under the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management...I see Interdisciplinary Studies. Hmmm...let's look at this.

The concept of interdisciplinary studies is used in a variety of contexts. There is no single, widely accepted definition of the term. The meaning of the concept must be derived from the context in which it is used. In the case of the BAIS program in the College of HRSM, the concept of interdisciplinarity may be played out either in a single theme such as Environmental Studies or it may refer to the juxtaposition of two or more complementary disciplinary areas of concentration such as management, psychology and government.

I circled that thing quick!! And the cool thing about it, the majority of the students with this major are people already employed, trying to move up in their career, have lived in the real world, etc. Stuff that I feel like I can apply to my life and career like I did with University of Phoenix.

What do I want to do? Have no clue! Maybe going back to school will help. I have taken the Strengths Quest poll through Gallup that has helped me a lot lately realize what direction I need to go in to find the right job fit and to satisfy me. I have a couple of great mentors that help quide me in the right direction, and I always have my gut! (which helps me avoid bad decisions)

But at least I've figured out a major now! That's a step in the right direction! - I hope! :-)

Something Constant

So, when you move every two years - or less, you don't get something constant like some others do.

I have never been able to go to the same doctor or dentist for a long period of time.

I have never had the same person do my hair or my nails.

I have never had a place where "Everybody knows your name"

I have never had a good mechanic that I could continue to go to.

Until now!

After this incident with my truck, I knew I was going to have to trade the sucker in or get the starter fixed.

I have learned that when my truck won't start, I just put my foot on the driver's side tire and shake it real hard. I get back in my truck, and it starts right up!

It did this on my way back from Chicago at a gas station. It did it the other night when I was going to get dinner, Monday morning before work until I said screw it and took it to Ford to look at trading it in. They wanted to take a look at it and check the condition, I gave them the key and he left. He comes back and says, "Is there something special I have to do with the alarm to start your truck?"

I say, "Yea, you have to kick the shit out of it!"

Well, do to trying to be smarter when it comes to finances, I decided not to trade it in. So, off to find someone to fix the damn thing.

I look in the phonebook for a place near by, find one, and decide to give it a shot. I call and ask for an approximate estimate for the starter, and he tells me around $300 and can get me in at 1:30. Damn, quick service. That's a plus. I ask if they could do an oil change and general check up and he says no problem.

So I bring it over, and this guy probably in his 50's, Frank, tells me he's going to run a test to make sure it's the starter and won't perform any work until he calls me to tell me what's up. He get's me a ride to work and tells me it should be ready by 4:30.

I get a call and he tells me it's the starter and the exact cost. I then get a call again around 4:00 that's it's ready. damn again...that's quick! They come pick me up, I come back, and my total for the starter, the labor, and the oil change/service was $370. A lot better than I thought!! I told him how much I appreciated his honesty, service and not treating me like an idiot. He says no problem, he has to, that women run 90% of the country. He tells me that I have a 1 Year warranty on the service he just completed, and if anything ever does happen, I get bumped to the top of the list...no waiting. He says he knows he'll get more customers with service like this.

And he's right! I've already told some people in my office about this service. And I do have a couple of local readers here in Columbia...so any of you needing a good, honest mechanic, go to Suddeth Automotive Service. I was very impressed.

Interviewing Jacko's Supporters

I found this at Amy's. Oh my gosh, My stomach is hurting from laughing so hard.

A clip of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog talking to Jacko supporters at the trial.

A quote from the clip:

Triumph: On a scale from one to ten.....how old is Michael's boyfriend?

It's That Time Again...

...time to enjoy or dread (depending on your body, your self esteem, and your mirror) to start wearing and/or shopping for swimsuits.

Phin has his top 12 rules in The Right to Bare Arms.

I roared on this one! One excerpt:

If you're comfortable wearing it, your friends aren't doubled over laughing and the family pet isn't gnawing at the draino bottle when you walk around the house in it, go for it.

Go get a good laugh and maybe even a few pointers!

Home Makeover in Gilbert

I've mentioned before that I'm a big fan of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

When I was in Phoenix, we drove by the house they made over in Gilbert, AZ.

Their story:

Kassandra Okvath, who lives with her family in Gilbert, Arizona, has battled cancer since doctors discovered a tumor in her kidney in 2003. While Kassandra was fighting for her life, her mother, Nichol, moved from their home to be nearer her daughter. Meanwhile Kassandra's father, Bryan, lost his truck-driving job for missing work during his daughter's illness. Other Okvath family members include Gabby, six, Levi, five, two-year-old twins Josiah & Tobiah and six-month-old Jonathan.

In the video she sent to the show's producers, Kassandra's simple, selfless request was that she wished that the children struggling with illness at the University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona -- where she has been receiving treatment -- might be given something very special. She asked if the walls of the hospital could be painted for sick kids because, as she said, "Sometimes that's the last things they see."

See the pictures in the extended entry...

Our American Flag

I have a pet peeve. It's driving by a home, building or anywhere else the flag may be displayed and seeing it displayed incorrectly.

Flags displayed at homes, left up over night. Flags on tall poles that are tattered, torn and hardly recognizeable. Flags displayed in an incorrect fashion. Flags that are worn as clothing (i.e. Kid Rock Super Bowl 1994).

Often times, people are quick to buy patriotic symbols (a good post from Sarah the Penguin). I would hope that these purchases are meant to show patriotism. However, they sometimes lack serious thought and consideration.

My only concrete, not budging opinion on all of this is - respect! And in particular to this situation, know the rules before you take on the privelage that comes with personal responsibility when flying our flag.

I was going to post the rules I was taught growing up, when displaying the flag. But then I found a few cool websites that gave even more information, and some reasons for the rules. You can see these in the extended entry.

It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.

Take your flag down when the sun goes down!

The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all weather flag is displayed.

Please take your flag down when the weather gets bad. Would you leave any of your prized possesions out in the rain? Then don't leave our flag out there.)

The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on New Year's Day, January 1; Inauguration Day, January 20; Lincoln's Birthday, February- 12; Washington's Birthday, third Monday in February; Easter Sunday (variable); Mother's Day, second Sunday in May; Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May; Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May; Flag Day, June 14; Independence Day, July 4; Labor Day, first Monday in September; Constitution Day, September 17; Columbus Day, second Monday in October; Navy Day, October 27; Veterans Day, November 11; Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November; Christmas Day, December 25; and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States; The birthdays of States (date of admission); and on State holidays.

The flag of the United States of America, when it is displayed with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, should be on the right, the flag's own right, and its staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag.

The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.

When flags of states, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United States, the latter should always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be placed above the flag of the United States or to the United States Flag's right.

When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.

(This next section is what is frequently done incorrectly)

SEC. 4 That no disrespect should be shown to the flag the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water,

(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.

(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.

(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying or delivering anything.

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.

(k) The Flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.

Your local VFW, Elks Lodge and even sometimes the Boy Scounts or Girl Scouts can assist in this. A small donation is nice to help in this service they offer for free.

Great information on displaying our flag can be found HERE, HERE, and HERE.

A Funny Little Memory

My family is full of game and sport enthusiast. We play cards (and yes for money), board games, basketball, pool, darts, volleyball and softball.

When playing softball, we use anything we can find for bases. This past time we played, a Marine Corps issues mesh laundry bag was home plate. Playing softball with my family while on vacation brought back a very funny memory.

When I was 10, I was living with my Grandma for a few months. My uncle, the most stubborn, competitive and hot headed man I've ever met, played softball on a local team. One day, he brought me with him to the batting cages.

He was watching me, trying to instruct me on how to hit the balls hurling toward me. I wasn't doing very well. Actually, I didn't hit a damn thing.

I was frustrated...and embarassed!

I then thought to myself, "Oh, duh! I'm not hitting anything because I'm not standing on the base!"

I took a step forward, positioning myself on the base. And then all of a sudden....UH! Softball right into the gut! I couldn't breathe. I could hardly move!

My uncle? Um yes, he was cracking up!

I still think about this each time I step up to the plate.

Weird Stuff

Driving back to South Carolina, I saw some interesting stuff that I thought I would share.

And then I possibly saw Ogre towing his llamas. (Picture is a little blurry as he was speeding down the mountain)

Nothing like keeping me entertained on my 830 mile drive home...75% of it rain!! And, I must say, I was quite impressed with my 12 hour time! I was ready to get back to the south!

Posted by Sissy at 09:22 PM | Comments (6)

Saying Goodbye

As much as I have to say goodbye, it never gets easier.

Growing up, I said goodbye a lot; sometimes daily when attending a DOD (Department of Defense) school. Classmates, friends, teachers, neighbors and even my family.

I got used to it. Realizing after a while that if I truly missed them enough, I would keep in touch with them; and I did.

I wrote letters to anyone I felt I needed to keep in touch with. I called weekly and visited many people on my own vacations. And when email came about, I was sure to have everyones email address. I took it to the extreme. I was able to send my Kindergarten teacher a graduation announcement, still keep in touch with a friend that was born a week before me in the same hospital and have kept in touch with more friends that are out of state than I have in state!

So goodbye was hard, but not the end of the world.

However, saying goodbye to my family never gets easier. Waking up and loading the truck - knowing I only have a few more moments with them. The silent ride to the airport, thinking about if I could live in AZ again. Getting to the airport and dad taking charge, checking me in, making sure my luggage is secure and tagged, despite the many times I have flown before.

The hugs at the security checkpoint. Sis #1 was easy as she will be living only 150 miles away from me in just a few short weeks.

Then there's my stepmom. We hug tight, exchange I love yous and I thank her for making this such a wonderful visit. She works so hard to make sure we have a great time.

Next is what is usually so hard. I hug Sis #2 and tell her I love her and how much I enjoyed seeing her. Something was different this time. Usually, she cries and sobs to the point that I just can't take - uttering between sobs "Why can't you live here?" "Other girls have their sisters with them" "Why do you always have to go" I hate it! I want to cry just thinking about what's going through that 7 year old brain - how her heart must feel.

But this time, she didn't do that. No tears, no sobs. I held her and told her I loved her. She said, "I love you Sissy" in her usual sweet way and hugged me lightly.

What caused the change? Did I not spend enough time with her this time? Is she just getting older? Was it just too early in the morning? (she did say last night that she wanted Dad to take me to the airport so her and stepmom could sleep in) Who knows! But it has scared me. Has she gotten used to goodbyes?

And then there is the goodbye with dad. This one is the hardest. He hugs me so tight, I wonder if he will let go. He says, "I love you so much and I am very proud of you" Then he always throws in that I can always come home and that there is (the company that I work for) in Phoenix. He asks again if I have everything, tells me to be cautious and aware of my surroundings and makes me promise to wave when I get to the other side of security.

I smile at everyone one more time, mouth I love you and make my way through the security line. I never look back while in line. I can't. I already have the sore throat and shaky voice - fighting back the tears. I make it through, turn and wave (it's so easy to spot my dad - the tall Marine). Everyone waves back and my dad mouths I love you. I turn and start my return to my life. My life 2500 miles away from my family.

I wonder while waiting to board, if I should move back. I do this every time. I even plan how I would do it - job wise, financially and the physical move.

I don't know what I'll do, but I have to figure out something, because goodbye never gets any easier.

The End of My Vacation

I'm tired! This has been a long 2 weeks! I need to rest up tonight to drive back to South Carolina bright and early tomorrow morning. I'm hoping I can avoid as much rain as possible. However, it's not looking too likely as they are calling for lots of rain and thunderstorms through eastern TN and KY.

I didn't get to post from my dad's but we still had a great time. We spent a lot of time in the pool in that Phoenix heat. We did some shopping, saw a Diamondbacks game (best ballpark so far!), celebrated my dad's 43rd birthday and had fun just playing games, swimming and hanging out. We went to see The Longest Yard. Hilarious! You must see it!

Dad gave me $100 in one's (what a sense of humor) for my birthday that's in July. I think they had fun just watching me try and pay for things with all ones. I'd love to know what the cashiers thought!

Overall, I have had a great time but am very drained. I didn't get any time to just sit around on my ass and just chill. So I am looking forward to getting home, catching up on my TV shows that were Tivo'd, and sitting on my rump reading some blogs. I can't wait to be back in my bed, sit on my couch, watch my TV, use my shower, and just chill in silence for a little bit.

Childhood Meme

My blog son Spurs tagged me with this Childhood Meme. Him and I need to go over a few rules on tagging the person that gives you your allowance! ;-)

We're also supposed to remove item #1 from this list, bump everyone up one place and add your blog to the 5 spot applying links to all. (Huh? What for? Whatever...okay)

1. Villainous Company
2. Riehlworldview
3. Third World County
4. Pull My Finger
5. And What Next...

Then tag 4 bloggers you just adore or feel they need something to do...

1. Tammi - I thinks she'll have some great ones
2. Blog mom Bou - Memories of a military child are always good.
3. Little Joe - The dude hasn't posted in over a week!
4. ArmyWife - She tells great stories!

1. Dressing in daddy's Cammies, eating his MRE's, going to play on the tanks, going to Jane Wayne Day, etc. I thought it was so cool my daddy was a Marine!

2. Music Music Music. I remember my first tape - Cyndi Lauper, the first tape I bought myself - Celine Dion, Colour of My Love, the first CD I bought - Reba McEntire, It's Your Call, the first tape I listened to after I was able to break away from country music - New Kids on the Block, and when I started to get into older (to me) music in Jr. High, such as Fleetwood Mac, Def Leppard, Journey, Styx, Pat Benetar, etc.

3. Christmas when I was 13. It was right before my dad and stepmom were stationed in Africa, and the first year I had lived with them. We had a HUGE Christmas. It was the most homey Christmas I've ever had. Huge Christmas tree and the presents came out about 6 feet from the tree. The opened ones were "from Santa" (too lazy to wrap :-) ) And I got EVERYTHING I had asked for. Some of those things: Rollerblades, a Cowgirl outfit (I loved to ride horses) and tons of other stuff.

4. Going to carnivals in Okinawa Japan. I had long blonde hair and blue eyes. Japanese women would just come behind me and run there fingers through it. Freaked me out! But the carnivals were different but cool! I remember going through a human maze that took hours, eating Yakitori (chicken on a stick, yum!) and jumping in the moonwalk until I couldn't walk anymore.

5. Telling my sister she wasn't American (or that she was Japanese) because she was born in Okinawa, Japan! I had her so upset about that until she hit about 13 and she figured me out! I think she's still mad at me!

Word of the Week #7

Linky Lovin' VI

Aperçu was this week's Word of the Week

This week was a slow one. I think it was because everyone refused to use a "french" word! I wasn't around this week as much as I would like to have supported the Word of the Week or browse blogs for their use of the word for people that still lack the capability of doing trackbacks to make my life easier :-)

David of Third World County remembered his college French to use this week's word in his Approach to Assimilating the French into the Ozarkian Borg: a brief outline of the basic principles"

Mama Bou has used the word captioning a picture of her son so well dressed.

Sis VW explains how she butchers words, including this weeks word.

Bruncle Contagion explains his challenges of many decisions in re-enacting.

Ok, I promise, no more French!

This week's word will be fun! And again, if I've missed anyone, send me a note....I'll be back to regularly scheduled blog reading in about a week!

UPDATE: I'm a Moron! Here's one more!

Michele from Letters from NYC actually speaks and understand French. So she was able to use this week's word with ease when posting on friendships.

Day 7 of Vacation - THE BLOG MEET!!!

I've been thinking about what I wanted to say about the blog meet all day long. My ride home from Tammi's, I was reviewing the previous night's/morning's events, trying to plan how I was going to report it back.

It's hard. It's hard to write about something so different and bizarre. It's something that has to be experienced.

Tammi was a doll and hosted the event. Everyone had told me what a great hostess she was. I didn't care, I just really wanted to meet her! Tammi's World is the ultimate vacation spot; full of laughs, friends, good food, and worry free.

Tammi had a menu of mild and spicy BBQ pork. All I can say is YUM! And I'm a picky eater! She had baked beans, corn, a fruit salad and a bar full of alcohol. She's know what makes people happy!

As I walk in, I am determined to help her get ready as some of us surprised her a little early. I was actually working in the kitchen! I know, gasp! I'm surprised no one got a picture, as that it something that is not seen very often.

I made the mistake of asking, "What else can I do?" Tammi had a plan! She put a recipe in front of me for Chocolate Turtle Cake. I think I probably stared at it like I was reading Chinese. She had faith in me, for whatever reason.

I had also brought burritos and pico de gallo (some of the few things I can make). I was worried that the pico, the burritos and the cake would not get eaten if everyone knew I made them after all the kitchen fiascos I've posted. But Tammi was hell-bent on teaching me some stuff in the kitchen!

The rest of the evening was full of great food (only 3 out of 20 of my burritos were left! :-) ), great drinks (and shots!) and great company! I observed a lot. I was soaking everything in! There were so many great conversations going on and so many new and great personalities to know, I was almost overwhelmed.

After eating, we started a fire in Tammi's fire pit, and all sat around playing with Cody and Kiki, joking, talking and just enjoying the company. Cody got drunk, Little Joe and Grau entertained us by keeping the fire doing. We were desperate to keep the fire going, begging Tammi to give us more stuff to throw in the fire. Her landlord is now missing some pallets, she's missing a blanket and a bookcase. BTW, when you burn a bookcase, you get green flames and a really weird smell ;-)

So let me break it down now. Here's a little inside look into each blogger:

Harvey was a lot different then I thought he would be. He didn't come in wearing a crown and cape. He wasn't carried in on a blogging thrown and he didn't have a computer tied to him (which I thought he might since he seems to have time to comment and post EVERYWHERE!) :-) He observed a lot also, getting in his zingers when he knew he could. Harvey even did a tequila shot with me. That's a good way to earn my admiration. As we said our goodbye's for the evening, he gave me a big hug and said I was "cuddly". Damn, I hope that's a good thing. Or should I look that word up in the thesauraus?

TNT was a take charge kind of gal! Luckily, I had her on my side most of the night! We won the fight to not include pecans on half of the Chocolate Turtle Cake and she got to burn the blanket she wanted to burn. She did a lot of note taking with the legendary Quote Pen. I imagined this huge, gold, shimmering pen...no, not so much. I think it's a pen they swiped from a gas station on the way there :-) But she was a busy gal. I told her that we needed to just get her a recorder, as there were a lot of great quotes being said all night!

That 1 Guy was pretty close to how I pictured him. I've been around the Marine Corps so much, I knew some of the personality attributes to expect. I had the privelage of sitting by him for the majority of the night. Man is this guy funny! People would be having their own conversations, and he'd say something that unfortunately not everyone else could here, and it would just crack me up! And he had my back whenever I tried to throw something in there slightly amusing, being sure to be the gentleman and laugh at my corny jokes. He really just reminded me of some of the cool guys my dad would bring home from work every once in a while. Kiki loved him and would not leave him alone. I think she was jealous that he shared his beverage with Cody and not her. :-) You can read his review of the night HERE!

Teresa was a doll. I had heard so much about her through Tammi. She saved the day with her fruit salad and tried to save us from the chemical release from the burning of the bookcase. Unfortunately, she had to leave early so we didn't get as much time with her as we would have liked. And what did you expect to happen after she left? Yes, of course, the bookcase went straight into the fire.

Grau was probably one of my biggest surprises and he might hunt me down, hack into my blog or something for me saying this...but his bark is worse than his bite ;-) He was a lot of fun also. It was fun to watch him, Little Joe and Anathematized1 go back and forth; since that's his re-enactment crew. He told stories of his younger computer hacking days that remind me to be very very nice to him!

We owe Little Joe for keeping the fire going for us. That thing was going until 2:00 am. He did a great job. I had a great time picking on Little Joe. He's like the little brother I've never had that I can just make cracks on and he automatically knows it's all in fun. He took it well and even got a few good ones in there. I think he's just an all around fun guy that makes company even more fun by just being there. Upon his departure, he gave me a big hug and insisted on picking me up and turning around in a circle with me feet dangling. He should be out of the hospital soon, please send your get well wishes over to him :-)

Anathematized1 was full of zingers herself; sitting back and getting a few good ones in on her fellow re-enactors. I didn't have any expectations of her as I unfortunately had only read her comments before and not her blog. I can now say I have another place to go read whenever I need a good laugh.

And I had to save the best for last! Tammi was what I have read, what everyone has said and more. She was the ultimate hostess despite any obstacle, was able to cater to everyone, make everyone feel at home and she may even be able to stop a speeding bullet! She was so easy to talk to and I loved listening to her stories. Throughout the night, every so often she would say, "What can I get you Sissy?" Damnit woman! You worked all day and then prepared this whole meal and event for us, will you sit your ass down and enjoy it! :-) After a couple of appletinis, she was a happy girl! Oh trust me, I couldn't let her drink alone. We enjoyed a couple of shots around the fire along with our margaritas and appletinis and just enjoyed the company. After everyone left at about 2:00am, her and I stayed up until about 3:30am just chatting. Then the next morning, I had planned on leaving early as I had family waiting at home, but I just couldn't leave. I didn't leave until about 1pm and didn't want to leave - I was having such a great time just chatting with her. And Kiki absolutely loved her, hopping into her lap and giving tons of kisses. Tammi tried to switch her out with Cody, but I noticed :-)

All I can say to Tammi is a huge THANK YOU for putting this all together, inviting us all into your home and making this such a wonderful time. You are wonderful!

And to everyone else, thank you for making the trip to Tammi's to make it such a fun first blog meet for me. I loved getting to meet you all and spend such a wonderful evening with everyone. I look forward to the next time!

Picture of Sissy

Well, I figured since I was going to my first blog meet tonight, I should post a picture of myself so no one will be shocked.

I'm enclosing the one that was taken at Navy Pier of Sis #1 and me. I'm the one on the left with the big boobs! :-)

Day 6 of Vacation - The Good Times Had to End Sometime

Let me preface this with the first time I missed getting to see the Dave Matthews Band. After coming home from my freshman year in college, my roommate and schedule to see the Dave Matthews Band when we returned. My family lived in California and I was going to college in Missouri.

I didn't end up going back to college, so the tickets ended up going to my roommate and one of her friends. I missed the concert :-(

This concert was for my birthday in July. I was so excited to go...

I was dissapointed when I looked up the details of the concert. We had seats in the grass and it said we couldn't bring cameras or chairs.

Then, the day before the concert, we received an email from the head of the venue saying small chairs were ok and cameras without detachable lenses were ok. I was impressed...what great customer service. I planned on replying after the concert to let them know that I had never received an email from the venue so welcoming and helpful.

Now back to yesterday. Sis #1 and I drove 50 miles, which ended up being 3 hours, through Chicago traffic and rain to get to the venue. Parking opened at 5 and the concert started at 7. We got there right before 7, even though we left at 3:45.

We parked and then walked to the gate, about 1/4 of a mile, in the rain. We get to the gate...I'm holding an open umbrella, a jacket and my purse. The lady at the gate is patting me down and then asks to see my purse. I ask her to hold my umbrella so I could open up, and she says she's not allowed to hold anything. Fine! I get my purse open, and she says, "Is that a camera?" I reply yes and she tells me we have to walk to another gate to drop it off. I told her the email said we could have cameras without detachable lenses, and she said no.

So, in the rain, we walk to the next gate, around the pavillion, drop of the camera and get inside. The place is packed! There are booths of people advertising things, tons of beer, margaritas, etc. Nothing I could partake in since I was there with my 16 year old sister. Let me remind you, it's still raining.

We fight the crowds to get the the lawn. People are standing and have taken up any type of good seats. We finally find something and set up. Jurassic 5 is the preshow - nothing to write home about!

My sister is wearing a tank top, jeans and flip flops. She doesn't want her sweatshirt and doesn't want to share my umbrella, no matter how many times I ask her.

So we are waiting for the real show, sitting on a blanket in the rain...both of us our freezing. We are watching all these college kids running by with multiple cups of beer. Most running by are drunk or stoned. I'm hoping my sister doesn't notice....I think I was being naive. I saw down a little bit a group passing a pipe around, and just hoped that my sister didn't see it.

After an hour and a half of sitting in the rain, Dave Matthews finally starts. Everyone is standing up, so we can't see anything. Sis #1 says she doesn't want to stand up, she'll get tired. Finally, I get her to stand, and we still can't see...we are that far back. After a couple of songs (still raining and cold) Sis #1 is like, "What's that smell?" Great, I'm with her the first time she smells weed! That smell gives me a headache and makes me nauseous.

We are standing there, trying to see the concert, getting bumped by others, it's raining, we are both shivering, and my sister is covering her nose because of the smell.

After about the 4th song, and seeing how miserable my sister is, I ask her if she wants to leave, and she says yes. I'm dissapointed but don't want her to get sick since her graduation is Sunday.

We fight the crowd to get back, walk through mud and puddles to finally get to the main area. We find some security people to find where we can exit (because people are still coming through the entrances). The two security people are shocked that we want to leave and ask us why. We explain the rain, the cold, the people standing and the drunken and stoned fools going around. They say they are sorry and point us to the gate to exit.

We then begin our hour and a half trip back home in the rain, dissapointed that we missed a concert that our mom paid $100 for us to see.

What I don't get...one of my big pet peeves, is this:

I understand wanting to enjoy drinks. No problem. But why get drunk and stoned to see a concert? If you really like them and enjoy them, don't you want to remember the experience? Do you even like them enough to enjoy the even sober? I seriously felt like I was at a huge college frat party.

I'm still a little bitter. If I go again, I will make sure to get seats up close and not lawn seats.

Hopefully, our little blog meet tonight will be more fun and cure my bitterness. I know it will!

Day 5 of Vacation - Tour of Chicago

Today was, by far, my favorite day of vacation so far. I LOVED touring Chicago. What a neat city. So much history, great architecture, wonderful stories, rivers running through the city, so much to do...I just loved it!

I'd consider moving to Chicago.....if the winters weren't freaking 10 months long!

Sis #1 and I got on a Double Decker bus to tour Chicago. It has 14 stops that you could choose to get off and tour or not. If you did get off, another bus would be around every 20 minutes or so.

I do suggest, if you ever do this tour, take 2 days to do it. Sis #1 and I missed out on a few things that I really wanted to see.

My general opinions of what we saw:

The John Hancock Observatory - very cool except for all the rugrats running around on a field trip.

The Sears Tower - although taller, I didn't like it as much as the Hancock. Not as nice, hasn't been updated in it's information and tour. Not worth the $12 when you could go to Hancock. I think they get there money from just saying "I've been in the Sears Tower"

Hard Rock Cafe - very cool to see artists guitars, outfits, etc surrounding you.

Ed Debevic's - a must go

Navy Pier - Not what I expected. It was cool, but some of the the stands, attractions or rides were like a cheap carnival. But the view from the Ferris Wheel was absolutely breathtaking.

The Double Decker Tour - a definite!

Wanted to see the Museum of Natural Science and Industry, but they closed at 4pm.

Refused to pay $25 a person to see a bunch of fish in Shedd Aquarium. Otherwise we would have gone.

Would have liked to have seen the Planetarium...but again, ran out of time.

Millenium Park and the Buckingham Fountain were cool to drive past, and with more time might have been cool to have a picnic lunch at or something.

And most of all, I wanted to go to do the Westfield Shopping...73 Acres of shopping. Again, no time :-( Maybe I can sneak in there before I leave :-)

I have A LOT of gorgeous pictures that I am going to put in the extended entry. So if you have a slow computer, or just don't like pictures, skip this next part.

One of the beautiful views from one of the many bridges.

Some really cool buildings.

Another cool building.

Kinda of a gothic looking building...very cool.

Can you tell this building was built in the 60's? Check out the condos on the top and the parking garage on the bottom. Very retro!

The Chicago Tribune Building. They own the WGN station and radio station. WGN stands for "Worlds Greatest Newspaper" as they titled modestly :-P

Yet another cool building.

"The Magnificent Mile"

This picture was for Napster and Morrigan.

The view of pools on top of buildings from The John Hancock Observatory, the 4th largest skyscraper in the United States.

Beautiful view of the coast of Lake Michigan.

View of the Navy Pier from the Observatory.

We stopped at Ed Debevic's to eat. It's a 50's Diner where everyone is dressed up from the 50's, are sarcastic, rush to get you out of the joint, full of jokes, rude, and dance on the counter tops. We had a blast...and great food!

I took so many more beautiful pictures, especially on the water, but they are too large to upload.

Day 4 of Vacation - Game Day

Today was Game Day - White Sox vs. Angels.

Believe it or not, this was my first MLB game. I've been to Minor League Games, College Games, NFL Games, College Football Games...but never MLB.

I had a blast! I think I was amused just by all the stuff that was going on; all the monitors, different parts of the stands, the fans, how far my camera could zoom onto the field.

Mmmm...speaking of pictures of cuties, let me share with you what amused me for a good majority of the game.

White Sox Stadium

Um...look at the...uh...form, yea!

The field from our seats

This was the bull pin for the Angels. From the Patio Bar, you can see them warming up. Very cool!

White Sox and Angels were 4 - 4 in the last inning. Then the White Sox hit a home run to about 4 rows in front of us to win the game. Great end!