Quickie

(from here)

Don't read ahead, just do it in order. It takes about 3 minutes. First, get a pen and paper. When you actually choose names, make sure it's people you actually know, and go with your first instincts! Scroll down one line at a time - don't read ahead or you'll ruin the fun!

1. First, write the numbers 1 through to 11 in a column.

1) 16
2) 4
3) Beast
4) Cindy S.
5) Cindy D.
6) Amy
7) Terry
8) The Sweetest Thing
9) Fuckin' Perfect
10) Scarecrow
11) Amazing Grace

2. Then, beside numbers 1 and 2, write down any two numbers you want.

3. Beside the 3 and 7, write down the names of members of the opposite sex.

4. Write anyone's name (like friends or family...) in the 4th, 5th and 6th spots.

5. Write down four song titles in 8, 9, 10 and 11.

6. Finally make a wish. [pah!]

And here is the key for the game...
1. You must tell (the number in space 2) people about this game.

Surely, surely there are four people out there who'll read this and do it. Right?

2. The person in space 3 is the one that you love.

As the person from whom I stole this said, "[W]ell of course it is."

3. The person in 7 is one you like but can't work out.

Uh, no: he was our best man at our wedding. He's a good guy, but...yeah, I literally haven't seen him for about 20 years--though we are friends on Facebook.

4. You care most about the person you put in 4.

Well, she is on my mind right now. She's on her way to see her dad for the last time.

5. The person you name in number 5 is the one who knows you very well.

She was Sparky's and my savior one night last summer, and she's just a superb person. I don't know about knowing me particularly well, but she knows some stuff that lots of others don't.

6. The person you name in 6 is your lucky star.

Heh. I'm sure she just snorted very loudly as she read that, but it just might be true.

7. The song in 8 is the song that matches with the person in number 3.

Yup. Indeed it is.

8. The title in 9 is the song for the person in 7.

No. Dead wrong. If anyone, he's the only one that song is NOT about.

9. The tenth space is the song that tells you most about your mind.

Really?

I can't forget hard as I try / This silhouette against the sky
Scarecrow crying / Waiting to die wondering why / Scarecrow trying / Angels will hold carry your soul away

I'm not convinced, and I'm not sure what it means that this "tells me about my mind."

10. And 11 is the song telling how you feel about life.

I hope so. I really, truly, hope this one is right.

I'm an idiot

In all the kerfuffle around Google Reader going belly up, I managed to lose the feed for the comments for this blog. So I haven't been reading them, nor have I been responding to them. My abject and sincere apologies to those who have been ignored for the past month. I have resolved the problem (I hope).

Next problem is figuring out how to recreate the Memeroll, which is currently linked to GReader and will die in about 6 weeks. ...sigh

Blogthings Explosion

You Are Open to Experience

You are open and ready for whatever life has to offer you - the good, the bad, and the ugly. You try to live without defensiveness, judgment, or expectations. You'll just take it all as it comes. You accept your feelings and let yourself react to things. But you don't let your feelings cloud your thoughts. By cultivating this openness and courage, you're able to experience so much of what life has to offer. You are generally unafraid. You are able to deal with reality and see the picture clearly. It may not always be pretty, but you're willing to work on that. You are both practical and flexible. You believe that problems can be fixed, and you're open to any solutions!

How Do You Live the Good Life?

Well, ok, some of this is right on. I try to take things as they come, but I also do get emotional sometimes. Let's put it this way: this is a goal I aspire to, but regularly fail at achieving.

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You Are a Salty Snacker

You prefer you snacks to have a bit of an edge to them, and they've got to have some saltiness to complete their flavor. Besides salty snacks, it's also likely that you go for something with a bit of crunch, zest, and or spice. Unlike sweet snackers, you aren't the most agreeable person in the world. You know what you like and go for it. We tend to crave salt when times are tense, and that describes you as well. You dig the comfy oxytocin salt brings on. If you want a healthier salt fix, try salting your food yourself - you'll probably eat less of it that way. Consider healthy options like veggies and hummus or air popped popcorn. There's still plenty of salt in them to keep you munching.

Are You a Sweet or Salty Snacker?

This is pretty much dead wrong. Everyone who reads this blogs knows I'm a sugar fiend. {{shrug}} Oh well.

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Your Heart is Cautious

You want love as much as the next person, but you're a bit shy. You've been hurt before. You need to be sure that you've found the right person before you make the leap. And you're willing to take your time. You tend to be a perfectionist in all aspects of your life, and this includes love. You are the type to have a checklist. You may have high standards for your partner, but you also have high standards for yourself. You make sure that you are quality relationship material. You can even be a bit of a relationship expert at times. You've thought long and hard what it takes to make one work. Deep down, all you want is a love that will last a lifetime. And you're willing to work hard to make that happen.

What Kind of Wings Does Your Heart Have?

I suppose the end of this is pretty true, but keep in mind I've had 26+ years to work on and think about one person/relationship. I'm not so sure this was remotely accurate prior to getting married. ;-)

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You Are Somewhat Eccentric

You have always felt that you're a bit outside the mainstream. You're not as normal as most people. In fact, while you may fit in just fine, you feel a bit like you're passing for someone you're not. Deep down, you're very different. You can't help but notice that you think and react differently to the world. You are on your own wavelength. You have your own thing going on, and you're cool with that. You fit in where you can and go your own way where you can't. You are quite comfortable in your weirdness and probably have a well cultivated collection of dear misfit friends. You may not understand normal people, but you're good at finding those who accept you for who you are... and aren't!

Are You Eccentric?

I'm really not all that different, I suppose, but I've always felt a little weird, a little off-kilter, a little out of the clique. I like it there, watching the weirdness of "normal."

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You Are Sincerely

You're the type of person who puts manners first. You always act appropriately. You are conscientious and responsible. You don't like the feeling of procrastinating or shirking. While you don't always sign your emails 'Sincerely,' you make sure that they are well composed. Whether you're emailing a friend or a business associate, you take the time to double check your words. More than any other type, you make sure email doesn't pile up for you. You know it's important to reply quickly. Some may say that email is going out of style, but you still consider it an art form. And you couldn't imagine living without it.

What Email Sign-Off Are You?

I never use a sign-off in email. But I do try to write coherent and timely responses.

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You Are Coke

You best fit the demographics of a Coke drinker. You are cultured, sophisticated, and well traveled. You probably score a bit higher on openness and conscientiousness scales than most people. You like to live the good life. You are more likely than Pepsi drinkers to have taken a vacation in the past six months. And you probably love to travel internationally. You have sophisticated taste, and you don't shy away from unusual delicacies. You're also more likely to have tried caviar. You are urban and artistic. You are likely to enjoy visiting art galleries and participating in other cultural activities. You are well educated and probably quite intellectual. You are more likely than a Pepsi drinker to have finished college.

Are You Coke or Pepsi?

OK, this just makes me laugh. Coke drinkers are more cultured and sophisticated?? smh I don't know where they get this sort of thing, but aside from that, most of this is vaguely appropriate, except the whole caviar thing. {{SHUDDER}}

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
The Fairy Tale Meme

Snow White: Do you consider yourself pretty? Name the part of your body you think is the most beautiful!

I have good hair. And my feet are ok too. In between...meh....

Cinderella: What is your shoe size?

9.5 or 10. Depends on the shoe.

Sleeping Beauty: How many hours do you sleep each night?

I try for 7.

Little Red Riding Hood: What is your favorite food?

Anything related to carbs or sugar. ...sigh

The Frog Prince: What do you find disgusting?

Pure, hard-hearted, stupid meanness.

Jack and the Beanstalk: What plants are in your room?

There are no plants in my bedroom. I've got some houseplants in the dining room though.

Puss in Boots: Do you have a pet? Do you want one?

We have two guinea pigs. I'm allergic to most other furry critters.

Rumpelstiltskin: What is the meaning of your url?

It's not all that hard to figure out, as long as you remember my very first (non-meme) blog title was "Sweet Dreams."

The Little Mermaid: Can you sing?

Yes. ... Well? Not alone, not publicly.

Pinocchio: What is your greatest wish?

For Sparky to do well in life, and to be worthy of being his mom.

Peter Pan: What is your (mental) age?

Today it's right about on target. Some days I'm more of a 16-year-old.

The Star Money: What is your most prized possession?

Things from my grandparents and parents, mostly: family Bibles and pictures.

Unconscious Mutterings

(Link in meme-roll)

1. Arrow :: Pointer
2. Hum :: Sing
3. Cornerstone :: Foundation
4. Flight :: Take-off
5. Music :: Singing
6. Determine :: Decide
7. Analysis :: Depth
8. Better day :: Tomorrow
9. Audio :: -Video
10. Meditation :: Thought

Patrick's Place

(Link in meme-roll)
Saturday Six

1. How many different blogging platforms (i.e., Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr, etc.) have you used since you started blogging?

I have accounts on Blogger, WordPress, LiveJournal, and probably another two or three platforms, but I mostly use Blogger. It's easy to write, it's fairly simple to manipulate (or it used to be--it's gotten less friendly in the past few years), and it's comfortable. WordPress is too complicated for me, LiveJournal didn't have any layouts I liked when I was seriously shopping, and the others are mostly defunct. Never could figure out the point of Tumblr.

2. What's the biggest reason you chose the platform you're currently on?

See above. I considered moving things about 4 years ago, but it was WAY too much effort for something that's supposed to be fun as far as I'm concerned.

3. What do you like most about your current blog?

I have, like, 6 functional blogs, but overall what I like is how easy it is to change the layout and add/delete widgets.

4. How confident are you in your ability make changes to the code of your site (i.e., HTML or CSS) if you wanted to make a design or functionality adjustment?

I was more confident about 5 years ago. Google has made it more complicated in order to increase the ease of use for people who want to plug and play. But the basic coding I can do for design adjustments.

5. What would you most like to change about your current blogging platform?

Google killed off the auto-fill function for titles and labels, which continues to annoy me to this day. I send in a request for it periodically, but after this many years I'm not real hopeful. It would be fabulous if I could change the access to specific posts rather than the whole blog, too; sometimes I'd like to rant on about a very specific situation that I don't want people to see at the point I'm ranting. I'd also like more access to minor font and spacing changes.

6. What blogging-related topic would you most like to see discussed?

I don't participate in any blogging forums. The blogging I do is purely for fun, to get my writing ya-yas out, to relax, and in some cases, to keep track of what I've been up to in my life; ergo, I can't think of a single topic of interest beyond pure tech stuff. By that I meant, answering questions like "how to add a [specific kind of thing] to my blog."

Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)
Greased Lightnin'

1) Greased Lightnin' was the name of a car. Have you ever given your car a name?

My parents did this. Dad pretty much called every car "Betsy." Mom's Toyota was "Tillie." We have not kept up the tradition.

2) Could your vehicle use a trip to the car wash this weekend?

Well, it's not filthy, but I suppose a rinse couldn't hurt. Then again, it might rain tomorrow, so why bother?

3) This song is from the soundtrack of the movie Grease, the biggest money-making movie musical of all time. Have you ever seen it?

Yes. I saw it in the theater when it was first released and I've seen it a few times since on TV and DVD. I also know most of the words of most of the songs by heart. ;-)

4) John Travolta's astrological sign is Aquarius. What's yours?

I'm a Scorpio.

5) In addition to being John Travolta's birthplace, Englewood, New Jersey, played a significant role in telecommunications history. In 1951, Englewood's mayor made the first-ever direct dial long-distance call in the United States. Now it's your turn. Tell us something about your birthplace.

Many of the streets in Denver were originally laid out and named in alphabetical order. So if someone lives on Acoma, you know they are one block west of Broadway, while Delaware is 4 blocks west of Broadway. You just need to know the radials (like Broadway) to find things. Of course, now they've re-engineered a lot of the old areas, and the newer parts of the area are as ridiculously named as anywhere else.

6) Travolta is an excellent dancer. How are you on the dance floor?

Not good.

7) Grease is an upbeat musical about the students of Rydell High. Another Travolta movie is Carrie, which features the worst prom night imaginable. Grease or Carrie -- which is closer to your high school experience?

Both, though not to the extreme in either case. Of course, I would like to remember only the Grease memories, but there were plenty of Carrie moments too.

8) What was your best subject in high school? What was your worst?

I did well across the board, but I didn't have much interest in the hard sciences. I liked physiology, but really didn't like plain biology. Or gym, primarily because of the post-gym sweat factor.

9) Sam made good use of the bus ride to school, using that time to complete her homework. What do you remember about getting to or from school?

I walked as did most people; there were only 1 or 2 buses. Occasionally, once I was older, I got rides from friends, but mostly I walked until I graduated: seven blocks west to high school, 6 blocks northwest to junior high.

WHAT THE HELL?! Where are Olivia Newton-John and the rest of the cast?! :-)

Thursday 13

(Link in meme-roll)
Star Trek: Enterprise Trivia

1. This was the first series in the Star Trek canon to have a theme song with lyrics. [I'm not at all a fan of it.]


2. John Billingsley, who played Dr. Phlox, was earlier on a Stargate SG-1 episode where he played a character  who was a big Star Trek fan.


3. One of the earliest roles played by Scott Bakula--who played Commander Jonathan Archer--   was Joe DiMaggio on Broadway in 1976.


4. This is the only Star Trek series on which there is a recurring animal character: Porthos, Commander Archer's beagle.


5. Commander Tucker's original nickname was going to be "Spike"...until the name was picked up in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His nickname was then changed to "Trip" because he is the third generation in his family with the same name.


6. The actors from this series are among the few Star Trek actors who haven't become type-cast into their roles, which has allowed them more flexibility in finding roles since then.


7. This series and the original (Kirk/Spock) series are the only Star Trek shows that were cancelled by the networks.


8. There was discussion prior to the series launch of creating a gay or bisexual character in Lieutenant Malcolm Reed. This did not pan out, though it's unclear exactly why.


9. Linda Park, who played Hoshi, is a bronze-level international ballroom dancer.


10. Anthony Montgomery, who played Travis, was the last actor to audition for the role.


11. Enterprise was nominated and/or for multiple awards, including Saturn Awards, ASCAP Awards, Emmy Awards, and Hugo Awards.


12. The character of T'Pol was originally planned to be the younger T'Pau but there were licensing difficulties.


13. The series is available on DVD and via Netflix, Amazon, and CBS.

these sound running through my mind

(found here)

1. Do you have a cat? Nope, that would be crazy.

2. Does the state you live in start with a C? Nope. No C in sight.

3. Do you have a laptop? It's what I'm on right now.

4. How do you get to school? I drive there every Tuesday morning and shelve books for two hours in the library.

5. What's your favorite sport? To watch: football. To play: bocce.

6. Do you watch the Olympics? Sure.

7. Do you smoke cigarettes? Nope. That would be crazy, too.

8. Are you even allowed to legally smoke cigarettes? I'm clearly older than the person who wrote these questions, so yes.

9. What did you have for dinner last night? Paulie's.

10. What's your favorite thing to do in the pool? Dabble my feet and read and bake.

11. Do you believe that most people pee in the pool? "Most" no. "Some" yes.

12. Have you ever gone camping? {{shudder}} Yes. A few times.

13. Do you have anything that is your favorite color in your room? Three walls of my bedroom are my favorite color.

14. Do you drink a lot of water? Nope. Enough--not a lot.

15. What's your favorite TV show? Pick an cop-alphabet show: CSI, NCIS, NCIS:LA, L&O... Oh, and Criminal Minds.

16. Do you like steak? Sure.

17. Do you have an attic? Uh, yeahhhh? Almost all houses do. Ours isn't finished.

18. How much is the average price to rent an apartment in your area? Looks like a one bedroom runs a minimum of $750.

19. Have you ever used a flea comb? Yes. Yes, I have. {MAJOR {shudder}}

20. Do you like peanut butter? Yup.

21. Do you live in the "country"? Yes I do, though in a "house farm."

22. Did you ever have a babysitter? OF COURSE! Seriously, what a question.

23. What's your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving.

24. Are you looking forward to summer? Meh. I could live without the humidity, but I do like warm weather more than winter for sure.

25. Do you own binoculars? Hmm, yeah, though I have no idea where they are.

---------------------------------

1.] What age is your youngest aunt? I have no living aunts. The youngest would be close to 90, I expect. My oldest niece is 44.

2.] Do you miss someone right now? Well, it is Mother's Day, so yeah. A bit.

3.] What can you see North West to you?The kitchen. I'm actually facing more-or-less northwest right now.

4.] Do you like bowling? Once in awhile, yes.

5.] Can you pronounce Italian words? Sure. Most people can. Ironically, I was butchering the language this afternoon.

6.] Do you prefer black or beige coloured jackets? Black.

7.] Do you own a hoodie? Yes I do. A couple, even.

8.] Do you like roasting marshmallows on a bonfire? I don't really see the attraction, honestly. Mostly I just like plain chocolate and graham crackers.

9.] Do you like cheesy puffs? Yeah.

10.] What's your name without vowels? Unpronounceable by anyone.

11.] How many layers of clothing are you wearing? Underwear, capris and a T-shirt. So, is that two? Or just one?

12.] When was the last time you got a take away? What did you have? We had pizza delivered last night.

13.] If you could climb any mountain or range which would you choose? duh, the Rockies, duh

14.] Do you alphabetically arrange anything in your room? What? Nope. I do alphabetize the spices in the kitchen though.

15.] Have you ever visited fat-pie [dot] [com]? No, and based on that name I'm not going to.

16.] Do you prefer sweet or sour fruits? Sweet.

17.] Do you like Flo Rida? Which song of his? I don't know any titles, but he's ok.

18.] How are your dancing skills? In my head, they are outstanding. In reality, no one has seen them.

19.] What is your favourite number? 16.

20.] Describe your best friend to me? Awesome and patient and funny as hell.

21.] What is your favourite alcoholic drink? LIIT or V&T.

22.] Do you do any sports or have you done any sport professionally? I played basketball and volleyball in junior high school.

23.] What is your ringtone? I have several based on who is calling.

24.] Do you like chilli flavoured chips/crisps? Fuuu...?! No!

25.] Do you curl or straighten your hair? Not anymore.

26.] What's the nicest smell of shampoo? "CLEAN"

27.] What smell turns you on? How about turns you off? There is no perfume/cologne that turns me on. Too much of ANY scent turns me right off.

28.] Who's your favourite comedian? Tonight, I'll say Eddie Izzard.

29.] RnB or Reggae? Depends on the song, but I'd lean toward reggae.

30.] What brand of batteries do you usually get? Duracell, I think.

31.] Are any of your friends pregnant or have kids? Yes. My niece is due in August, and I just found out my brother's going to be a grandpa for the first time in January! yay

32.] What is in your medicine cabinet? No medicine; that's in the cupboards or not in bathrooms at all.

33.] What's your favourite aspect of the natural world? Clean air and quiet.

34.] What's your favourite man made thing? The internet.

35.] Can you whistle properly? I can whistle musically. Is that "properly"?

36.] What song do you think is the most widely heard in the world? "Happy Birthday"?

37.] Where's the strangest place a fast food restaurant was located? That I've seen? I still think it's weird to think of American fast food chains in China.

38.] What countries surround your country? Or are you not land locked? Canada and Mexico of course. We're pretty close to Russia up there in Alaska, too. Cuba, and several other island nations.

39.] Do you own binoculars or nonoculars? What do you use them for? Haven't we covered this? Yes. Yes, we have.

40.] Do you ever wish you had a telescope on the roof or attic to stargaze? Nope. I can't get them to work with my glasses.

41.] What's your favourite chocolate bar? Butterfinger. Or Heath.

42.] Do you fall asleep easy in cars? How about planes, trains and boats? I can sleep anywhere.

43.] Would you rather live a year of your life in every major country or stay in the same place you live forever without vacations? Choice one. I can't live without vacations. I hope I get language tutoring.

44.] What will you not tolerate in a person? Physical violence toward me and/or my loved ones.

45.] Do you forgive others easier or yourself? Why is this? I'm pretty easygoing, but I have a fairly long memory.

46.] How was God made, if he exists? I think that's a question one should really never ask anyone, God or otherwise. But it's obviously one you should ask God, not me. I wasn't there, so it would be supposition or hearsay if I were to suggest anything.

47.] Have you ever done aqua aerobics or polo? Did aqua aerobics when I was pregnant with Sparky.

48.] What age were you when you learnt how to swim? I haven't yet accomplished this.

49.] What shows or characters scared you as a child? Every-damn-thing scared me when I was little. I'm still pretty much a wimp.

50.] Do you stay up all night on New Years Eve/Day or go to bed after 12am? I sometimes don't even make it to midnight! I'm always in bed by 12:30 though.

51.] What's currently in your fridge? We hit the store today, so we are packed. For a change!

52.] How about your freezer? Ditto. I need to restock the made-ahead meals, though.

53.] What could you be doing now that is more productive? Going to bed.

54.] Give me some lyrics from the song that's stuck in your head? "The sun'll come out tomorrow, betcher bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be sun."

55.] What's your favourite type of firework? The ones that sort of sprinkle all the way down.

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
Currently...

Thinking about: leaving for Mother's Day Dinner very shortly (can I finish this first??).

Feeling: hungry but content.

Reading: a book on the English language, a mystery (on CD in the car), and a couple of religion-y books that I've been plowing through slowly for awhile.

Listening to: at this moment, I can hear a lawn mower, and fingers on keyboards: mine and Sparky's.

Wondering: about whether Ham and Kate will have a boy or a girl.

Looking forward to: finding out the answer to above, and also the actual permanent arrival of spring (it's barely 50 out right now...brrr)

Missing: my mom and mother-in-law.

Watching: NOTHING! Just this screen.

Eating: I've had a mini-bagel, a handful of mini-rice cakes and about 3 cups of celery today. I'm ready for dinner!!

Making me happy: the fact that my son's home and the sun is shining and I have a (general) plan for the day.

Unconscious Mutterings

(Link in meme-roll)

1. 537 :: ...538, 539....
2. Horizon :: Edge
3. Episode :: Event
4. Character :: Personality
5. Crossed :: Xed
6. Shipping :: Sending
7. Jump :: Leap
8. Bowling :: ...Ball
9. Grumpy :: Crabby
10. Them :: They