Departing From Gate ‘06

Greetings blog nation! Yes, once again the annual cycle has completed its customary circuit and we close turbulent 2006. I believe I mentioned that I rarely write down resolutions anymore but I most certainly keep an aspiration list in my head. As usual, it contains both spiritual and physical goals and finishes up with the heartfelt desire to become a kinder, gentler human being who treats others as she wishes to be treated. Musing and contemplation are good, right? I try to forgive the past and look forward to the future so that is what I shall do. I hope to keep each and every one of you abreast of sorrows and joys in the coming year and always be there for you, our precious readers, should the need arise. My favorite part of this time of year is not the remembrance past but the clean slate and fresh start. My new calendars are ready to launch and a sparkling, pristine planner awaits the anticipated jump into 2007. My fervent prayer is all of you share it with me. So let’s start these new beginnings by sharing my delicious zucchini appetizers and chilled Chardonnay, shall we? ;)

Love always,
Circe

May All the Blah blah blah... blah blah

Happy New Year!

Everyone be safe and I hope your start for the New Year is a good one!

I'm nursing a cold (what I thought was allergies is now a cold) but I'm tough and we're heading out with some friends. Best wishes to y'all!

Sit and Spin My Friend

Ever since I've known Richard he's had a squeakie computer desk chair. The back on it was loose or something and it would wobble around and made noises that drove me (and him) nuts. He's never really made a big scene about wanting to replace it, but he did mention one time that he'd like a new one - he'd had this chair for many moons... ever since college. When we moved this summer, he did suggest that maybe one day he would get a new chair.

Considering his computer is in our bedroom, I found the nicest most comfortable brown leather chair that works with our decor and is comfy on the ole hiney when spending hours writing code and/or surfing. He was completely surprised! His gift was one of the first ones under the tree, and everyone was baffled as to what it could have been. (I think at one point they might have thought I got them an Xbox 360. HAHAHAH)

I think he was and is happy with his chair... he had big smiles while putting it together!
Here I was testing the timer on my camera. It works.
After it was all complete, I sat down and took the chair for a spin. Literally. Richard snapped glamour shots while I played.
I couldn't think of a title for this post and the first thing that came to mind was Rosie saying "Donald, sit and spin my friend... sit and spin". lol

Informed Decisions

Brown's fan vs Steelers' fan









Ker sent me this one...
Browns vs. Steelers - You make the decision!

First Christmas Story

After all of our gifts were open, Richard handed me my stocking. I began digging things out of it... opening and inspecting each item. You know how you do when you think something is empty, but you shove your hand down into it just to make sure you got it all... well I did that... and found a piece of paper.

I unfolded it and found this note:
So I run to inspect the TV... nothing... so I slide the doors open to reveal the top and there is a package wrapped in bright red paper.
Baby girl got a new digital camera!!! whooohooo! Mine went completely belly up a few weeks ago and i've been shopping around. Santa brought me a new one!
I've been testing out the different options and settings so bare with me if the pictures might not be so great. I'm testing. If they are wonderful, I definitely took them with my new camera!

The story is... a week or so before Christmas, Richard and I looked at camera's and he took notes on which one(s) I liked. That very day he ran out and purchased it for me. He knew (because I am so extremely smart) that if he wrapped it and put it under the tree, i'd know immediately what I got. So he and C plotted and planned against me. C told him to hide it on the shelf above the tv... because i'd never look there. If I watch tv, the doors will be open which will hide the package - and the odds of me dusting are dang near zero... so it was safe.

My Santa present had been looking at me for an entire week before the big day! Richard sat down at his computer to come up with something creative to get me to the gift... and he came up with 'On the last day of Christmas my true love gave to me... something above the tv'.

He rocks!

MIA Culpa

Yes my darlings, I’m alive and well in Okiedokieville! Sorry for the lack of posts but being home this past 1 ½ weeks has meant a) intensive cleaning b) excessive cooking/baking and c) fam, fam, and more fam visits and d) rare fleeting moments of computer time as TBC is always underfoot and my preshus shared online journal is our dirty little secret. (shhh!)

Though very much enjoying my time off from Chaos College the down side has been eating, A LOT of eating and fear of hopping on the scales as I shudder to think of the extra poundage I have recklessly incurred in my wild orgiastic munchfests. It doesn’t help having a broken treadmill sitting forlornly gathering dust in the utility room of all places. I really must either get it fixed or replaced as this situation is downright intolerable in my book. I know I have many tales to regale you with but it’s late and I heard an alarming crash in the kitchen. I think Oreo or Snickers has sent some dinnerware to a splintery death. However, I did want to stop in and say hi, give you my Circe love, and promise some sappy New Year’s post where I tell you how appreciative I am of your supportive patronage and regular reading. And I/we very much am/are. :) Hope your holiday was everything you hoped for and more and I’ll post again later this week, k?

hugs and eggnog kisses,
circe

One Special Picture

I'm going through all the pictures we took over Christmas... and I notice this picture. I'm all into the boys opening their gifts... HE is all into my butt bent over the coffee table.

More on Britney

SPEARS TO LEAK HER OWN SEX TAPE?

BRITNEY SPEARS is reportedly planning to leak a tape of her having sex with KEVIN FEDERLINE in a bid to stop her estranged husband from profiting from their Honeymoon movie. Celebrity porn merchant DAVID HANS SCHMIDT has already offered $100 million (GBP55 million) to a man claiming to have a digital copy of the sex tape. But the TOXIC singer is considering leaking the 45-minute film on the internet in a move which would make all copies worthless. Her close friend and confidante NYLA PRICE tells British newspaper the Daily Star, "Brit figures she'll beat that sucker to the punch. Half of nothing is nothing, and that's what her lying skank of a husband will get if she gives that video away before he can find some sleazeball to buy it."

Way to go, Brit! Beat him to his own punch. If there is one (movie), it's going to get out one way or another... so you might as well throw it out there before scumballnastysmellyskank has an opportunity to make a dime from it. Even if he does sell it, she can make it available prior to when 'whoever buys it' can get it released and make any mooolah from it.

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas!

I hope Santa brings you everything that was on your list.... and be safe!

The Sweetest Things

I love this man...

This morning, he leaned over the side of the couch, told me I was beautiful, gave me a kiss and headed off to work. I peeled my butt up and staggered to the kitchen for a glass of water and then to our bathroom to pee where I noticed this note.

One of the greatest things I've ever done is marry him..... its these little things that make me melt for him all over again.

You're Fired!

I have never really been a fan of Rosie O nor have I particularly liked Donald Trump... however he fascinates me and he does say/do some good things and you gotta hand it to him.... he makes shitloads of mooolah!

I was heartbroken when I heard that she was joining The View. I didn't think she was the right mix for the show and then when all the crap went down with Star Jones... and Barbara choosing Rosie over Star... well then I really got to paying attention. Not because I like them... but because I wanted to see the fur fly when the time came. The whole time Rosie has been on the show, she has caused problems with the cute little blonde and then last week I saw a blip where she peeved Barbara off over some comments concerning Barbara's lifestyle and luxury apartment. Now, she's tackling Donald.

Who does she think she is? She thinks that she is over and above everyone... and to even think she can tango with him is assinine. I hope he chews her up and spits her out. I watched the video on CNN this morning and heard it all over the radio... the slams that each of them were making. He made some good points. She was out of line to say what she said on the show about any bankrupcy and about his appearance.. and to attack him personally was uncalled for very unprofessional.

Did she really expect him not to come back at her personally? Her show was a flop and she isnt a pretty person at all. Inside or out. Anyone who would attack like she does (and not just him) isn't a nice person...

He can be very cutting also. I've watched many many many of The Apprentice, but he is by far more professional than she ever dreamed of!

A Car Haunting

You aren't going to believe this story... but it's true!

Here goes....

It was in the forecast for our area to get quite a bit of rain yesterday and possibly today. As luck would have it, it didnt start pouring until about 5 o'clock rush. After work, I had to rush home (rush means go about 1/2 the speed because everyone tends to drive slower and crazier when the weather is weathering) get Richard, C and P and head south about 50 miles for a little Christmas visit.

By the time we grabbed some dinner and loaded up in the MM, it was dark and the rain was dumping on us pretty good. It was hard enough to use the embarrassingly fast wiper speed! I toodled along... making my way through the residential areas to get to the highway. I followed a few cars through the stop light and onto the entrance ramp to the 8 lane highway where we should have been picking up speed so we could all get on this raceway.... but we were toodling along at a snails pace. Regardless of the rain, we can still reach a decent driving speed - there was no need to creep! The car in front of me refused to accelerate and proceeded to enter the highway at a whopping 40mph or so. A speed that could prove to be deadly because the traffic is sailing at double that (on a normal day).

On this rainy night, everyone was cruising about 60-65mph. When I had access to another lane, I accelerated into the next lane and went around the doh-doh head that was holding everyone back.

Richard said... (and I am not making this up, Egan!) "look, its a black Lexus"!!!

Sure enough! It wasn't the same one that stalks the mall... but it was a black Lexus.

AND I dreamed about Pythons last night. What is up with all that!?

7 Undies for 7 Days

I've been thinking about stocking stuffers for the boys. Richard in particular has been really hard for me to find things for.... for some strange reason. Well, I can think of things... but nothing I want him to open in front of other people!

At lunch I heard something on the radio and it hit me! I can get him Days of the Week undies! I remember those from when I was a iddy bitty wittle girl. They didn't make undies that said 'hot' or 'precious' or 'delicious' when I was a kid. They made Days of the Week undies or we wore under-roos... or just plain ol pink or white ones.

Now....... to find said item will be a chore. I'm pretty positive they arent at the mall!

Parking Lot Rage

Avoid the mall at all cost.

People are everywhere and that one chick driving the black Lexus with her unruley blonde pony tail, screaming kid in the back, and clueless mother/in-law riding shotgun will totally piss you off because she can't drive worth crap. Obviously got her driver's license at a second hand store where they teach (or dont) you to not understand the proper use of a stop sign and when you should be done stopping and finally GO already! and then to take your own flipping sweet time to turn the corner only to straddle both lanes - keeping everyone from being able to go and make the next light!

Yes, she will piss you off.

Melons of all Sizes

I never thought I'd be the mom that would ever suggest Hooters for dinner, but It sounded like the best deal considering our situation last night.

Richard scored all four of us tickets to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Ford Center so right after work we headed off to Bricktown for dinner at Crabtown before the concert. The traffic was a bit of a pain, but to be expected (somewhat) considering there was also some function going on at the Cox Convention center and also the concert had been sold out so there would be 80,000+ people heading for the area within a few hours.

I darted in the doors at Crabtown to put our name on the waiting list but there was a 55 minute wait! We didn't have 55 minutes to spare because we'd spent any extra time we had sitting thru stoplights 5 and 6 times. We decided to head down the street to Bricktown Brewery where we find a nice comfortable 1 1/2 hours wait. I laughed at the little greeter girl... she apologized, but not her fault! Debating on where to try next... I mentioned that everyone is trying to eat at the bigger more touristy kinds of restaurants, so let's try going somewhere off the beaten path. That's when I looked up and it was like Heavens gates had opened and bright lights beemed... I saw the Hooters sign. It was off the beaten path... and surely people weren't making mad dashes to eat there!

I stated my case, and with zero complaints from the men, we headed to Hooters. We waited our 5 minute wait and was promptly seated by Megan or Gretchen (whatever her name was). Courtney came over to take our drink order as we looked over the menu. I'd never eaten there... I'd had take-out from there... but not actually gone in and sat to eat. We sized up the waitresses and determined that the clothes that they wear have got to be the worst getup we have ever seen. It is so not attractive nor pleasing to the eye. They make what is a cute girl look like an out of shape Michelin Man stay-puff marshmallow. They have to wear hose, which are tight and cut them off at the waist, but the shorts ride lower than the hose, so you see their roll because the shirt is so dang tight. The shorts are pulled way up, so there is massive camel toe going on... and its not attractive.

Anyways, we scarfed and headed off to the see the concert. It was the most amazing thing! They were as much and way more than what I expected. The show was amazing! They use tons of lights and lasers... and fire and fireworks... you name it, they use it. The entire first half of the concert was their Christmas music which they arranged with a narrator who told a Christmas story. It was beautifully arranged! The second half, we rocked like rockstars. The whole group is fantastic at entertaining and humor! It was just so much better than I had ever imagined. They were a very personal group... full of energy and excitment. They could sing and boy could they ever play instruments!!!

If you ever get the chance to see them... go! We have some of their CD's... and they are good and we like to listen to the music, but it is incredible to see them in concert! We will definitely do that again!!

Blog Crush '06

Da Rules:

A) You can't wait to read what they post next.
B) You want to be friends with them.
C) You think they are the cat's meow. Meow!
D) You might find them attractive- physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, whatever floats your boat.
E) If you met them in person, blushing might occur.

First off, I must convey to all how much I enjoy reading each and every one on our blog list and how difficult it is to award two lucky recipients my Blog Crush '06. The amount of sheer writing talent is overwhelming and regularly immobilizes me in my tracks as I compare my most humble offerings to others far more talented. In the 1 ½ years I’ve been blogging, our blogroll has periodically changed as some fade into the twilight and fresh discoveries are made. There are several we read regularly but simply haven’t gotten around to adding. Before announcing the winners, I wanted to express a few thoughts regarding several of our special compadres. :)

Ms. Sizzle—no one has the knack for baring her heart and soul to her faithful and many readers quite like our beloved Ms Sizzle. She is a total joy to read and we all love her in return. You are a treasured find, sweetie. (((hugs)))

Bone—he has got to be the sweetest, most likable Southern guy on the blog planet and has a tremendous talent for turning a phrase or posting a poem.

Trouble—wins the Sexiest Male Blogger award. Our hedonistic island guy is a pleasure to read when he shares his frolicking adventures with his avid fans.

Stacey—always entertaining, our Canadian gal brings both laughter and tears as she courageously marches her way across the daunting obstacles life has thrown in her path. And pics of her most famous feline, Yoshi, are icing on the cake.

Twisted Panties—our Texas gal wears her redneck trappings with pizzazz and flair and we love hearing about life in the Lone Star State.

OC Gal—winning the Sexiest Female Blogger award, she is currently in transition as she embarks on a fresh blog start.

The Daily Dump—another male blogger switching blog gears who manages to totally blow me away with his amazing genius for writing.

Discombobulating Grant—our favorite twisted psychopath is currently on permanent hiatus. His look at life through sinister, jaded lenses holds all transfixed with his pithy tirades and dissimilar introspection. Grant, we miss your biting wit. Come back soon.

Without further ado, would the Blog Pixie please hand me the coveted envelopes declaring the victors? *drumroll*

In accordance with the rules stipulated in regards to Blog Crush Day, I hereby award my Female Crush to: Traveling Chica and Male Crush to Wombat from Kiss & Blog!

Dear TC is sweet, friendly, and extremely talented and the first female blogger I check each day. One of our newest additions, our Wisconsin gal became my girl blog crush immediately and I would relish clinking glasses with her. Though far more traveled than I, we share a mutual love of the Outer Banks, and I must say this may have tipped the scales in her favor. Smooches Amanda!

Joining the large crowd of jostling female admirers, I cast my male vote for the ever suave, debonair and exquisitely mysterious, Wombat. Clever and outspoken yet always a model of diplomatic tact, it would be a rare female to not succumb to Mr. Wombat’s delicious Aussie charms. Always an entertaining read, he (along with darling Aspen) is first and foremost in my male blog reading pastimes and their thoughts on various topics are a pleasure to peruse.

There you have it. The Circe Blog Crushers of 2006. In all honesty, there isn’t one of our fellow blog buds I wouldn’t look forward to meeting and sharing stimulating companionship and in my humble opinion, every one of you is a fabulous winner. ;)

kisses,
circe

Always Brush and Floss

Tonight I went to my POWER class (it's a form of weight training by doing lighter weights but massive amounts of repetition) and I was greeted with some girl I'd never seen before. She bounced around the room and obviously was preparing to teach the next hour. She asked if we wanted to do new material or stick with the old favorites... we all kind of muttered underneath our breath. It really made no difference... pain is pain regardless of what music you're using. lol

She proceeded to go over techniques and how to bend, twist, flip your body and your weights (as if we'd never done this before)... and then we started. Our warmup was complete and we headed into squats. Before each segment she went thru this whole 'i've got to tell you guys every little thing to do and not to do because, heaven forbid you point your elbows the wrong way or have your feet too far apart'... it was driving me nuts!

But it was during shoulders that I noticed something. I'd been checking her out the entire time (that's what you're supposed to do, right!?!?) and I'd determined that she must have been a gymnist at one time - but was now into retirement and eating. She was by no means thin. She wasn't fat... but certainly wasn't thin. She was thick. Not blubbery thick... but thick like muscle with a little fat on top... just thick. Thru this whole hour she kept telling all of us to pack on more weight. The entire time i'm thinking 'no way... i dont want to be thick like that!' I'd checked out her butt alot during this time together... it was in my face most of the time so I had no choice. When we sat down to do some shoulders.... plop! there it was.... a big ol white pair of thong undies, not peeking, but hanging out of her tight black workout pants.

I focused on her butt floss the rest of the shoulder segment and tried with everything I had to forget about the visual during lunges and situps. I'll probably dream about white butt floss tonight... I just hope they are clean and not sweaty and ... well this could just get bad really fast!!

And Finally...

I promise I'll quit after this... ;)

Toys Pt 2

Christmas Bells Are Ringing

This past weekend Richard and I along with C, P and my sis, headed out to the lake to take some christmas pictures to send to family. Well, let me back up. We first stopped at the mall to take some pictures inside. There is a little mall just down the street and around the corner that is pretty quiet on Sunday's, so we thought we'd do some pics using their decor. Here's a sneak peek of some of our Glamour Shots.

Tuesday Tidbits

TOYS YOU WON'T FIND SOLD IN STORES

In National News Highlights:

IRVINE, CA—Local house cat Tibbles woke up, arched his back, took five steps, fell asleep, woke up, shat in a box, brushed up against the television, fell asleep, woke up, killed a small thing, and fell asleep.

Aquarius (January 20 - February 18)

You'll be torn a new asshole this week by some of the top reconstructive surgeons in the country.

A Few Hours to Vegas

Sometimes my job is so hard and demanding.

Last night, my company treated me and my sweet little hubby - along with about 14 other employees - to an outstanding dinner at the Iron Star restaurant (drinks included). For months, our financial software package has been in a 'upgrade and testing' mode and it's been very stressful and taxing. Not so much for me and our department as it has been for people in Accounting, but nonetheless, we're still involved.

The project is up and running full force... and live! So, we got to celebrate the completion and the fact that now, the finance department and some of the I.S. staff will get to work more normal hours - leave and depart at regular times.

The food was scrumptious. For the first time in my life I tried Quail. It came as an appetizer and wrapped in some honey flavored bacon. I'm not one to eat odd birds, but I tried it so as not to be a stick-in-the-mud. It was pretty good. The salad was a hunk of lettuce topped with candied pecans and some sort of sauce (sweet).... which i devoured! Richard didn't touch his (said he was saving room for the real food. lol) and I wanted to gobble his salad too. Had we not been with the rest of the group I would have grabbed his plate and finished off his hunk of lettuce.

I got the Prime Rib... Richard got the Chicken and both were very yummy! There wasn't much there we didn't like... except the green beans. I'm not a fan of buttery, crunchy green beans. I kind of like mine more mushy out of the can. haha

We had a good time.... its fun to socialize with co-workers outside of the office. I got to see some of them in a whole new light! People are different when they are at work.... and obviously some of us stress alot more at work.. and relax a ton when we're out! (not referring to myself or Richard either)

There is always so much I leave out when I try to tell these kinds of stories.... but, our waitor was a drummer in a rock band! I spotted him... I knew he was a drummer because of the way he rolled his ink pen in his fingers while he was taking our orders.

There was no way he was a twirler....! lol

Richard made a phone call... got his name... and I asked him. Yep... that dude is a drummer in a local rock band. Sweet! I called it right!

Dark December

The disturbing call came while I was at work on that cold, clear, sunny Saturday afternoon. “Your mother has been in a bad car accident, is comatose, suffering from severe head injuries, and her survival is uncertain.” My safe little world came crashing down around me. These are not the words an 18-year old daughter ever hopes to hear, even if your rancorous relationship is far from ideal. Mothers are supposed to be there for loving guidance, needed counsel and profound wisdom. They should fearlessly maneuver you through the frightening obstacles of serious illness and give their unwavering assurance that things will turn out just fine. In shock and disbelief, I called my dad who was also at work and we raced up the beach heading north into Virginia for the two-hour ride to the hospital. This life-altering occurrence affected me in several ways; I grieved, I grew up, and learned to rely on a power greater than myself.

Initially I experienced all the normal stages of grief—the denial, the anger, and finally acceptance. The intense grief was overwhelming, and the sense of loss unbearable. Then the anger and outrage reared its ugly head. How dare this have happened to my mother? How could that bus have obliviously been unaware of their presence and plowed right into them? Why couldn’t she have been wearing her protective seatbelt like my sister? I thought the lump in my throat would never dissolve. She remained comatose for a month and when she slowly emerged from her dreamlike cocoon, she was severely brain-damaged needing skilled, professional care.

After the grieving, anger, and passage of time, I got my act together. Before the accident, had you looked up "rebellious" in the dictionary, you would have seen my picture. But this 18-year old rebel was forced to grow up, face reality, and see life in a new, harsh light. I was no longer the carefree teenager just a few months out of graduation. I was no longer the defiant firstborn who placed her self-centered needs ahead of all others. I no longer champed at the bit to leave home and be out on my own. I quit my job to take care of things and my sister returned to high school. My family needed cohesiveness and we pulled together to return to a semblance of normalcy. Probably the most profound change was drawing closer to God. I had prayed off and on before, but it now became a regular daily habit. I poured my heart out to my heavenly Father, begging him to make her well again. I tried to bargain and made a lot of promises, and while my prayers weren’t answered as I hoped, His loving care and critical comfort sustained me through this dark period so long ago.

Life has thrown a lot of obstacles in my path since that December day and I’ve had to learn lessons without an experienced maternal presence. She languished in a distant nursing home for about a year before pneumonia ended her existence. She missed the good and bad times in my life; however, all was not lost. Positive changes occurred as I grew as a person and I gained a close relationship with the best friend a mortal could ever have: our loving heavenly Father. Out of the broken shards of my shattered life rose a deep, abiding, and forever renewing living faith that has continued to console and comfort through these past decades. I love you, mom.

50 Cent

Is it "FIFTEE" Cent?

or.... is it "FIDY" Cent?

How do you say it?

Only in Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The store owner shot during a robbery earlier this week spoke with Eyewitness News 5 about her ordeal.

Rose Yeary was robbed by two women in her store -- called Rose's Fashion Place. One of the women shot her in the knee before escaping while wearing a wedding dress. "(The robber) said, 'I've got to do this. I've got to do it. I've got to do it for my kids,'" Yeary said. Yeary said she then fought back, wrestling with one of the robbers, who then pulled out a gun. The culprits have not been found, authorities said. Yeary is recovering at home.

*sigh*

Let There Be Light

I came in to work today to find a light in the ceiling out and my desk area in semidarkness. While I pretty much enjoyed the subdued illumination and cozy atmosphere, this is a busy office and I knew a call to the hardworking *cough* boys sporting the tan Dickies (aka maintenance) would be the first order of business. At 8:15 am I dialed their dept. requesting someone to come replace the two blown tubes. All morning I sat hunched over my desk, peering quizzically at my computer as colleagues filed past my door, stopping briefly to inform me I was ‘in the dark.’ I am? Really? OMG!!! Whew! I thought my eyesight was going. So it’s not me then. *breathes sigh of relief* I came back from lunch to find nothing had changed so I dialed up their gal Friday and once again pleasantly requested assistance. I was informed D was on his way and would be alleviating this problem shortly. Within the hour, D arrived with trusty ladder in tow and proceeded to tell me I would not need to vacate the premises as he could handle it without disturbing me. Um, ok. So I’m sitting here BSing with Patrick on MSN, er, working, while our infamous bumbling resident electrician with the chilling reputation for sending the entire institution into unscheduled blackouts as he merrily cuts wires, blows fuses, and occasionally sends massive volts of electricity coursing through his body, works directly over me as I warily glance up in search of falling objects. I told him I hoped no one desperately needed me as there was no avenue to escape. Immediately the phone rings and GFR in the next office seductively whispers into the phone that he "desperately needs me" and hangs up. I laughed so hard I about startled Mr. Klutz, but in the end he accomplished his task without incident. Ah, radiance reigns supreme once again. :)

The Topfive.com’s 5 Important Questions to Ask at a Job Interview

5> "Who's that hot little beyotch with the humongous rack in the picture?"

4> "Will I get time off for the national Dungeons and Dragons finals?"

3> "Is the drug test multiple choice or essay?"

2> "Is there someone who can watch my cats while I'm at lunch?"

1> "Do the chicks here get all bent out of shape about that sexual harassment crap?"



Heinz Field
Thursday, December 7, 2006
8:00 PM - WMMS / NFL Network

The Browns are headed to Pittsburgh and preparing for another shot to do something they haven't done since 2003.
(what, win for a change?)

GO BROWNS!!!

Just a Little Diddy About My Day

It's been a rough week and it's only Wednesday!

I still find the time to build a car , hit the gym, do some Christmas shopping, a kabillion loads of laundry, remodel a bedroom, type this, tinker with Christmas lights, cook dinner, clean up the mess, gather a couple hours of sleep... and its all done with a smile!

Actually, the bedroom remodeling project consisted of me buying P a new futon and Richard breaking down his full size bed, hauling it off, vacuming the room, assembling the new futon and getting it all set up for P to use. *kisses to you babe*

Anyways, you can read about my car project on the other site. Laundry awaits me!

Sinister Snowballs

Um, this seems totally justified, doesn’t it? :)

Since we are blessed with snow this week, I couldn’t help but think of a true-life experience that deeply scarred me during those tender, vulnerable years. It seems a certain Donna, who apparently had a huge, inexplicable grudge against me, took matters into her own hands and set me up. Let me explain. Donna and I were in the same first grade class together and though the elementary school years we shared were brief (abet memorable), she acquired the dubious reputation of being a notorious busybody. Having grown up in the frozen North, a cardinal rule we were taught practically from infancy was: "No throwing snowballs on the playground during recess." While icy spheres were great fun to hurl at friend and foe alike, this risky pastime was only deemed proper during non-school hours. In retrospect, this was a reasonable request considering the amount of damage a seemingly innocent snowball can cause. There were plenty of playground accidents as it was and they were no doubt attempting to cut down on excessive ambulance runs. But I digress. Always a rule-follower, I was well aware of the “no throwing snowballs” edict from the nanosecond I started school and never in my wildest dreams would obedient little Miss Circe have flaunted that concrete command. Little did I know mischief was afoot and that the gal with a personal vendetta against me would strike swiftly and mercilessly. Sure enough, while out on the playground one winter day, Donna, aka the pint-sized tattletale from hell, sidled up to me and asked that I pick up some snow from the ground. Not seeing where this was going and being the picture of naïveté and innocence, I meekly complied. Quick as a wink, this traitorous miniature harridan streaked over to the nearest teacher and loudly and sanctimoniously informed her I was throwing snowballs! LIES, FILTHY LIES!!! Sure enough, there I stood, dazed and confused, cradling the critical ingredient necessary for snowball manufacturing in my unmindful, mittened fingers. Yes, gang, circumstantial evidence was found in my possession and felony charges were brought against a blameless child. I was immediately sentenced to the principal’s office for flagrance disobedience to do penance for this grievous crime. I sat out the rest of recess tearful and disbelieving, a sadder, wiser view of my conniving fellowman. I’ll never know what prompted that unprovoked attack of yesteryear, but I’m a firm believer that what goes around, comes around so I have no doubt whatsoever there were equivalent psychic paybacks for her further down the road called Life.

Easy on The Price

I've actually been thinking about this for a couple of days, but this morning a friend of mine emailed me and we got to talking about Happy Hour which made me mention Sonic and their Happy Hour and how anymore, a person really can't afford to get their drinks if it's not during that half price special time.

Let me go back in time....

For the past 6 months I think my local Sonic has increased their drinks prices twice. I now pay $1.68 for a medium drink. I only pay $1.27 for a medium in my hometown and I can save about .10 cents if I drive two miles down the road to the next Sonic (which i've been known to do). I've cut back dramatically on my Sonic visits... and have been frequenting other places (7-11 still has awesome deal on monstrous drinks but you have to get out of the car and serve yourself and the ice isnt the same).

Last week, C and I stopped at Sonic and got Sonic Size cheese tots.

We got our order and pulled the tots out of the bag and we both sat there looking at them. The only thing Sonic Sized was the container that held the tots. They didn't put anymore tots in the Sonic Size than they do in the regular or large. They just change the size of the container! What is happening to this place!?

I love a Sonic diet coke, but this is ridiculous. I can stop by McDonald's and get a medium diet coke which is not packed full of ice (to cut down on the amount of coke they have to give up) so I really get more than two sips and I save about .50 cents in price.

Fluff Stuff

The grand total of white, fluffy stuff we were blessed with here in OkieDokieville last Thursday and Friday was pinned down to 8-12 inches. Woo hoo! (I am forever complaining I want feet not inches). ;) Chaos College officially dismissed at noon but those living out of town were shooed homeward at 9:30am and we did not return till today. There is nothing quite like 2 four-day weekends in a row. Trying for three would be excessive and quite useless as cold and sunny with a practically nil chance of precipitation are projected for the week. Oh well.

The main roads are cleared off nicely but those side roads are another story. I certainly saw a lot of people stuck and much like Kerbear’s vehicle, one hapless car with a very long, steep driveway had slid halfway into the street unbeknownst to its owners. To my knowledge no one plowed into it, but that must have been quite the rude awakening when they hoofed it down to their vehicle only to find it tantalizingly double dog daring others to smack it. Another strange phenomenon was discovering heaps of excess snow that the city shoved into the middle of the downtown thoroughfares. Guess we rarely receive enough snow to have a problem deciding where to put it. Just as I was about to jump in the SUV for a Friday trek through the winter wonderland, I experienced a 'Marcia Brady moment' when I distractedly turned my head and got clobbered in the nose by the passenger side door. OUCH! Though unable to frolic in the snowdrifts, I’m extremely hopeful this won’t be our first and last snowfall of the season and that the prospects are excellent for many snowballs/angels/men in my not-too-distant future. Yessssss...

The Ghost of Christmas Future

My thinking this Christmas holiday is that i'm going to get my shopping done early so that I don't have to mess with the mean shoppers, so Saturday my Sis and I hit the stores and Sunday, Richard and I shopped til we dropped.

Toys R Us was a nightmare. Ok, well it really wasn't a nightmare because i've seen it waaaay worse, but it wasn't a pleasant ordeal either. I don't see why there would be such a load of those little whipper snappers running around, but there was. Don't they need to stay home so mom and dad can actually shop, and purchase, the gifts!? We battled that store and got a few Christmas gifts there...

Then, we tackled the mall.

We did... we went to the mall - on a weekend! We had a mental list of who we need to buy for and some ideas on each. We hit the front door meaning business and with intentions of getting as close to finished as possible. About an hour into the adventure I get a call from C.

Mom, your car is sliding down the driveway.
WHAT? What is going on?
Your car is sliding. I think it's on ice.
C, are you lying to me?
No! you know how you usually park really close to the garage, but this time you didn't? Well it's sliding down.
Talk to Richard.

I pass the phone to Richard and I hear a little chit chat happening while I make a purchase. Richard hands the phone back to me and says 'you need to talk to him'.

C, is the car in the road?
No, its at the end of the driveway. I think it slid until it ran out of ice and hit pavement.
Are you sure it's moved?
YES MOM! (obviously irritated with me because he's trying to tell the truth). P was outside playing and his friends told him it was moving so he came and told me!
Did you push it down the driveway?
NO! No one has been around it!
Well tell the kids not to play around it and i'll be right there.
Where are your keys and i'll take care of it?
I have the keys and NO you aren't driving it
Well, don't hurry... it's not that big of a deal
Are you telling me the truth!?!?
YES! It's sliding!
ok, i'll be right there

I was torn between running right home (I was having a visual of my MM being on the loose in the neighborhood) and continuing our shopping excursion because C loves to play practical jokes on me. We decided to wrap up a couple of other things and head to the house to check on the situation.

Sure enough! As we rounded the corner of our block I saw my MM sitting at the end of the driveway. It had in fact slid! I had parked it on a big patch of ice and I guess the right spot to start sliding. Our driveway isn't a big sloping driveway... but it's just enough to slide down - apparently! I hopped in it and pulled it up close to the garage. All the neighbor kids were standing around watching and so eagerly wanting to tell us the story.

There is no rock salt available in a 100 mile radius I don't think. Actually, we only looked at Wal-Mart... but that was enough.

Multimedia message

Snow city *happy dance*

Multimedia message

Snow monsters yesterday

Multimedia message

View from the patio yesterday

Multimedia message

Gorgeous!

Our Condition is...

This afternoon while zipping down the highway at a whopping 40mph, I managed to snap these pics to show driving conditions. Actually, the pictures don't really show how bad the roads really were. There is a nasty layer of ice all over the pavement... I think maybe the one photo kind of shows that ;)

Multimedia message

Blizzard warning today. (deja vu-I'm in Ohio again?)

Let it Snow, Let it Sleet, Let it Rain...

Our first winter storm of the season is upon us. Last night little spits of rain and sleet were coming down but this morning it was loud spits of sleet. The wind is blowing something fierce and its blistery cold! I toyed with the idea of whether to try to make it to work or not. My favorite weather guy and the OHP were all over the tv telling people to stay home and not to get out on the roads. After a few phone calls, I decided to try to make it to the office, but leave about an hour later... so hopefully the typical morning traffic would already be at work - if they were even going to work.

I made it without mishap - some other misfortunate people did not. I saw a few semi's, cars and trucks off the side of the highway. From what I hear, its supposed to get really bad this afternoon. We'll see how long I stick it out here.

What I saw when I opened the door this morning.... ice.

Cat Tales

This past weekend, sis and fam visited out of town and TBC and I agreed to feed the menagerie while they were gone. It currently consists of two rambunctious dogs, Ho Kitty, three half-grown kittens from her first batch and the five survivors from her latest litter who are currently confined to the bathroom nursery. TBC did the actual labor involved and Friday evening he brought their only ‘daughter’ back to enjoy a slumber party reunion with her two full brothers, Oreo and Snickers. When she wasn’t licking my bare feet she was biting my hands and her constant, restless movement resulted in me having a heck of a time snapping this slate blur of frenzied activity. I think she’s a strong candidate for kitty Ritalin. As you can see, she’s a real cutie but I’m sure she is now scarred for life after her horrendous experience with us. No doubt she tearfully related her forced overnighter at her relatives’ house with faltering meows. It seems dear Snickers thought she was quite fetching in her soft, gray-striped, fluffy coat and took quite the fancy to her, avidly pursuing her with lustful overtures which she bravely deflected. His virtuous brother, Oreo, did not mimic Snicker’s wayward behavior but treated his sis with the respect their familial relationship deserved. Though certain this predicament would rear its head (hehe) in the near future, I’m wondering if Mr. Amorous hit pussy puberty sooner than expected. After observing his relentless pursuit of, er, tail, I foresee somber snipping in his near future.


Ways Blogging is Like Sex

11. At first, you’re just blogging once every week or two, but it’s not long before you’re doing it a couple of times a day.

10. A lot of kids fool around with blogs in high school but the serious blogging doesn’t start until college.

9. People really only have one good entry at a time, but will often fake multiple entries because they think it makes their readers happy.

8. It hurts when you’ve blogged and the next day your readers pretend like it never happened.

7. You know better than to blog when you’re drunk, but it’s just more fun, even if you do it with topics you wouldn’t have touched when you were sober.

6. The day after you’ve blogged drunk, you’ve got a lot of explaining to do to your regular readers.

5. Men blog like they’ve got an audience, but women like to keep it intimate.

4. You have to vary your technique once in a while, otherwise your readers will lose interest and you’ll drift apart.

3. When you first start to blog, you don’t ever have any long term readers but all you can ever think about is blogging. After a while, you do find some regular readers, but then blogging becomes a chore and you start to feel guilty if it’s been a while.

2. Most people blog at night, in the privacy of their own homes, but there’s always some jackass strutting around bragging that he prefers to blog in the office at lunch or at the local park.

1. Everyone knows that if he ever did in fact blog in his office or in the park, he was alone and just blogging into his palm.

Gimme More!

You can see a few more Farm pictures here.

Green Acres We Are There!!!

On Thanksgiving we all packed up and headed to Cousin Tonya's house. She, the hubby and two darling kiddos live way out in timbuktu country side clear on the other side of the state. We cityfied folks had a grand ol time gettin' down and gettin' dirty. Sheri and I climbed into the cow pit and manhandled manuer (sp?) - cow poop.
We climbed on top of the huge bails of hay and ran across them. They are alot bigger than you think... and from the top they are even bigger!
Richard took his turn. Actually, we made him go first to make sure it was safe... before we got up there to mess around. All the kids had been playing on them all day...
Another Glamour Shot of us two standing high on the bails.
Us perched on the fence looking out over the countryside. I'll get more pictures posted and notice my hair is always a mess. Sheri's can blow and it's still picture perfect... I, on the otherhand, always appear to be eating mine.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

I’ve always been crazy about old pathways (and apparently I’m not alone) as they are filled with romance and mystique. I love to scrutinize where a road begins, or sadly, where it finishes its vital course. Route 66 played an enormous part in the history of American highways and much has been written about “The Mother Road.”

Two of my favorite personal reminisces are of Highway 12 on the Outer Banks. Parts of it are forever washing away and as the landscape plays hide and seek with the encroaching sand, the vista changes with each passing storm. Abrupt curves in the otherwise straight road tell the tale of the constant fight to keep the highway one step ahead of the hungry ocean. The bends are the result of rerouting the road after erosion and storms gobbled up dunes and pavement.

North Carolina Highway 12, which provides access to the Outer Banks and connects its communities, is another line in the sand. The state has spent tens of millions of dollars rebuilding, relocating and trying to protect the highway only to have sections of it continually washed away by the sea. Critics say it is an exercise in futility and a waste of state and federal tax dollars. To some, Highway 12 is a symbol, not only of the problem on the Outer Banks, but on most of the state’s barrier islands.

I also fondly remember the eastward development of Highway 64 back when the extension only got as far as east of Rocky Mount. As the years past, it morphed from a sleepy two-lane ribbon of pavement winding through every small town to a bustling four-lane bypass marching toward the welcoming beach.

It is only proper and fitting that I remain completely fascinated with these most famous stretches of ancient construction…

Hadrian's Wall (Latin: Vallum Hadriani) was a stone and turf fortification built by the Roman Empire across the width of Great Britain to prevent military raids by the tribes of Scotland to the north, to improve economic stability and provide peaceful conditions in the Roman province of Britannia to the south, to physically mark the frontier of the Empire, and to separate the unruly Selgovae tribe in the north from the Brigantes in the south and discourage them from uniting. The wall was the northern border of the Empire in Britain for much of the Roman Empire's rule, and also the most heavily fortified border in the Empire. In addition to its use as a military fortification, it is thought that the gates through the wall would also have served as customs posts to allow trade taxation.

Sections of Hadrian's Wall remain near Greenhead and along the route, though other large sections have been dismantled over the years to use the stones for various nearby construction projects.

Hadrian's Wall was 80 Roman miles long, its width and height dependent on the construction materials which were available nearby. It extended from the west from Wallsend on the River Tyne to the shore of the Solway Firth. TheA69 and B6318 roads follow the course of the wall as it starts in Newcastle upon Tyne to Carlisle, then on round the northern coast of Cumbria. The Wall is entirely in England and south of the border with Scotland by 15 kilometres (9 mi) in the west and 110 kilometres (68 mi) in the east.

In the months after Hadrian's death in 138, the new emperor, essentially abandoned the wall, though leaving it occupied in a support role, and began building a new wall in Scotland proper, about 160 kilometres (100 mi) north, the Antonine Wall. Antonine was unable to conquer the northern tribes and so when Marcus Aurelius became emperor, he abandoned the Antonine Wall and occupied Hadrian's Wall once again in 164. It remained occupied by Roman troops until their withdrawal from Britain. In the late 4th century, barbarian invasions, economic decline, and military coups loosened the Empire's hold on Britain. By 410, the Roman administration and its legions were gone, and Britain was left to look to its own defenses and government. The garrisons, by now probably made up mostly of local Britons who had nowhere else to go, probably lingered on in some form for generations. Archaeology is beginning to reveal that some parts of the Wall remained occupied well into the 5th century. But in time the wall was abandoned and fell into ruin. Over the centuries a large proportion of the stone was reused in other local building which continued until the 20th century. A significant portion of the wall still exists, particularly the mid-section, and for much of its length the wall can be followed on foot.

Appian Way

In ancient times, Roman roads were considered monuments. Over a period of centuries, the Romans built an efficient network that ultimately stretched for over 50,000 miles in an area than now belongs to more than 30 countries. The first important via publica, or highway as it would be called today, was the Via Appia, or Appian Way. Known as the queen of roads, it linked Rome with Brundisium, the port city that was the gateway to the East. This road took its name from Appius Claudius Caecus, the Roman official who started building it about 312 B.C.E.

Roman roads were carefully designed and were built to be solid, useful, and beautiful, with a destination by means of the shortest possible route, which explains why many have long straight stretches. Often, though, the roads had to follow the natural contours of the terrain. Where possible, in hilly and mountainous areas, Roman engineers built their roads halfway up the slopes, along the sunny side of the mountain. For road users, this position minimized any inconvenience that might be caused by adverse weather conditions. Roman roads, then, have proved to be extraordinary and lasting monuments that one may still view today.

And who can forget that mythical trail from childhood, the glorious Yellow Brick Road? Whatever the goal, it’s about the journey, not necessarily the destination. Here’s to wanderlust and adventure!! ;)