Monday Melee

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1. The Misanthtropic: Name something (about humanity) you absolutely hate.

I'm listening to Jasper Fforde's Something Rotten right now (on CD) and revisiting the Neanderthal Nation right now. One of the things that struck home today in the description of the difference between Neanderthals and humans (in the story) is that humans are always about hurrying and getting things done. This is one of my failings, I know. We shouldn't worry so much about what gets done, and more about how it's done.

2. The Meretricious: Expose something or someone that’s phony, fraudulent or bogus.

All of us. Every single one of us. At times. Something to keep in mind when we get all uppity about other people's failings.

3. The Malcontent: Name something you’re unhappy with.

I'm rather annoyed that I haven't heard any cicadas yet. We're in the 17th year, so we should be getting serenaded.
On the other hand, today was the first day of Frog Season in the pond across the street. Man, those dudes can SING when they want a girlfriend!

4. The Meritorious: Give someone credit for something and name it if you can.

The local Sheriff's Department, or at least the one criminalist who took time at the end of his day at 6 p.m. to talk to my twerpy son for said boy's Ginormous Project. He didn't have to do it, but he was a very good sport about it.

5. The Mirror: See something good about yourself and name it

I'm not always cranky...though you wouldn't necessarily agree with that if you only knew me from my blogs. Sometimes I'm a big gooey dork. :-)

6. The Make-Believe: Name something you wish for.

I wish I could feel as relaxed and contented as I do tonight more often.

Curious as a Cat

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Which one entertainer would you like to have attend your funeral?

It would be very cool to have Billy Joel sing at my funeral. Not sure how that would work with my requested bagpipes, but that's not my problem to solve, is it? :-)

Think back to your childhood. What was something you were looking forward to doing/being as an adult? Have you done/been it?

I wanted to be confident and fearless, being chronically shy and scared as a kid. I think I've done ok in getting there...sometimes.

What team would you like to have season tickets for? Where would you want to sit?

The Packers would be fun, but only if I could have a skybox; watching football at -5 degrees sucks. Second choice would be the Broncos, same deal. If there were a closer AAA baseball team, or if I had fewer commitments, I wouldn't mind season tickets for something like that. Then again, it wouldn't be awful to work those games as a concessionaire, either.

Manic Monday

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What new course would you like to see added to the nation's school curriculum?

"Peace, Love, and Understanding" [oh, that Elvis Costello could teach it, too!]

Where is your favorite place to sit when at home?

On the right end of the sofa.

Do you buy anything in bulk? If so, what?

We do shop at Sam's Club, so a lot of what we buy is in bulk. What I insist on buying in bulk is paper products, and cleaning supplies. SO much cheaper that way! We also regularly stock up on bagels, bread, cheese, and pop there.

Monday's a Bitch

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Game On

1. What's your favourite system to play video games on?

I'm too old-school for the new game controllers, can't quite master the two-handed, 5 buttons maneuvering. I'll stick with Pac-Man and anything on the PC.

2. Have you tried a Nintendo Wii yet? What did you think?

Uh, no. Not likely to happen anytime soon. I haven't even tried an XBox!

3. If you were to star in your own video game, what would your quest be?

The way my life has been lately, it would be a quest for a comfy bed and a full night's sleep!

4. Would you rather date Mario or Luigi? Lara Croft or Princess Toadstool?

Truthfully, if the sound could be turned off, I'd rather be Luigi and/or Princess Toadstool. Silly games, but I loathe the 'soundtrack.'

5. What's your favourite movie based on a video game?

I can't think of any movies I've seen based on games, except Clue. Which wasn't a video game.

Mundane Monday

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So, what are your Top 5 Tips? Have cooking tips? Gardening? Software Development? Write 5 tips that you think would be useful to at least one other blogger in the blogsphere. Surely there’s someone out there who needs this help.

5 Ways to Survive a Relentlessly Busy Day

1. Make a list of what MUST get done. Keep it short. Eliminate stuff that can wait. And then do those must-do things as fast as you can so they aren't hanging over your head.
2. Stop for a full minute (or longer) outside. Find something in nature to examine closely: look at the sky, listen to a bird singing....
3. Think about how much worse it would be to be bored: imagine standing in line at the grocery store for 20 minutes, or sitting in an airport for 24 hours. Delight in the excitement of your life.
4. If you have the opportunity to be near a small child or baby, focus on trying to make her (or him) laugh, or at least smile. Lose yourself in the sound of a giggle.
5. Try the same thing as #4 on an adult. If it really is a horrendous day, you're allowed to pick an 'easy' person, someone you know laughs and smiles with little prodding.

By the Way Sunday

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~Today~

By the way...
What's the weather like today?

Be-yoo-tiful! Absolutely gorgeous! It's clouding up a little now, but the majority of the day was lovely.

Are there any special meal plans for today?

Nope. We scrounged for lunch and ate at Applebee's tonight.

What one thing do you hope to accomplish today?

At this point, the only thing that's left is to convince Beast to ORDER THE F#%^ing CAMERA ALREADY, G-DDAMMIT!!

What are you thankful for today?

Good weather, Youth Sunday going well, and my boys.

Patrick's Weekender

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Sunday Seven

Name seven photo topics you would suggest for future editions of the Round Robin (or any other) photo challenge! (It doesn’t matter if it’s a topic that has been used before: just pick seven you’d like to see.)

1. Book (well, it has to be in here somewhere!)
2. Flight
3. Gone
4. Glass
5. Winning
6. Balanced
7. Lend

Unconscious Mutterings

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1. Affair :: ...of the Heart
2. Mortician :: Smarmy
3. Determine :: Choose
4. Ignore :: "I'm not list-ning!"
5. Guy :: Gal
6. Crush :: Orange... [NOT the drink!]
7. Garlic :: Werewolves. Or is that vampires?
8. Wacky :: ...doodle
9. Parent :: Me!
10. Burning :: ...Man

Patrick's Weekender

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Saturday 6

1. What’s your favorite kind of bread?

I like almost any bread from whole-grain to Wonder bread, except rye.

2. As a kid, did you eat more warm sandwiches or cold ones?

Cold ones, by far. Not even much of a competition.

3. Which of the following side items do you most prefer with a sandwich: french fries, potato chips, or cole slaw?

None of the above. Although, if I have white bread and American cheese, I will occasionally put potato chips in the sandwich for a little extra crunchiness.

4. Take the quiz: What kind of sandwich are you?

I did earlier tonight, and turned out to be a ham sandwich. Whatever.

5. If you could only use one of the following condiments, are you more likely to use mayonnaise, ketchup or mustard on a sandwich?

It sort of depends on the sandwich, but of those three probably mayo, but I like good mustard too.

6. A question of deli etiquette: do you eat the dill pickle spear before, with or after your sandwich?

Uhm, generally at the end, I guess. Sometimes at the beginning. Never in the middle.

The Survey Place

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Think Fast Survey: answer with the first thing that pops into your head
DON'T CHEAT!!!

1. My ex is still... my ex. I'm not even sure to whom this would refer at this point!

2. I am listening to... Sparky play The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess. Also watching him.

3. Maybe I should... go to bed early tonight. Or make dinner now.

4. I love... rock 'n roll!

5. My best friends... don't live very nearby.

6. I don't understand... a lot of things. Lots and lots and lots.

7. I lost my respect for... Condi Rice.

9. The meaning of my screen name is... what screen name? My name here is based on my job. My gmail address is based on a section of the Bible I like. Another email address I use is Beast's and my initials + last name. My Yahoo! is similar to my reading blog. Work email was assigned and is my first name and last initial. I have a lot of aliases.

10. Love is... a many-splendored thing.

11. Somewhere, someone is... crying. Somewhere, someone else is laughing.

12. I will always... be Sparky's mom.

13. Forever seems like... an overused concept.

14. I never ever want to lose... my sense of wonder at nature.

15. My mobile phone is... charging.

16. When I wake up in the morning... I always have a list in my head.

17. I get annoyed when... people don't tell me about changes that affect me.

18. Parties are... not really my style.

19. My pet... is a stupid thing to call someone you love.

20. Kisses are... yummy.

21. Today I... didn't get much done at work. But I got more done than expected when I realized that I was going to be working more public desk hours than anticipated.

22. I really want... to have better control of my eating habits.

Sammich

You Are a Ham Sandwich

You are quiet, understated, and a great comfort to all of your friends. Over time, you have proven yourself as loyal and steadfast. And you are by no means boring. You do well in any situation - from fancy to laid back. Your best friend: The Turkey Sandwich Your mortal enemy: The Grilled Cheese Sandwich

What Kind of Sandwich Are You?

Rats: I wanted to be PBJ. And I love grilled cheese. Strikeout!

Innards

You Inner Gender is Female

You're sensitive, caring, and willing to connect with anyone who's open to you. You make friends easily, and you enjoy all sorts of conversations. You understand most people you meet - better than they understand themselves. You're totally a woman... or at the very least, your soul is female.

What's Your Inner Gender?

Happy to hear that my inside and outside match. Very timely in light of my reading right now. I'm totally NOT identifying if any of this is accurate, though. :-)

Hairy

None of these really looks like my hair, soooo....

What Guys Think of Your Pigtails or Braids...

Trendy, wild, and unconventional. You're a handful and it's hard to predict your behavior. But he loves that!

What Do Guys Think Of Your Hair?

Hmmm, my hair is in a messy braid, but I don't think that means I'm wild or unconventional. Lazy, yes!

Beast has pled the Fifth on this. He says, "I don't know what to say...that won't get me into trouble."

Saturday Special

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~Time Tells All (Fill In The Blanks)~

1. It's 9:00 AM Sunday & I'm usually getting ready for church or driving Sparky to his confirmation mentoring at this time.

2. It's Noon On Monday & I'm usually running errands, catching up on my life, or napping at this time.

3. It's 8:00 PM Wednesday & I'm usually at Bible Study, or more commonly of late, winding down at home at this time.

4. It's 5:30 PM Friday & I'm usually either on my way home from work, or planning/making dinner at this time.

One of my favorite series...

...is the Lyra series by Philip Pullman. I'm so excited: I now have a daemon.



And you can vote on whether it's the right one. So...VOTE! :-)

(I'm going to keep this at the top for awhile....)
OK, back to it's spot in the list: 5/5/07

T.G.I.F.

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Occasions

1. How many weddings have you been to in your life?

I can think of at least 10 off the top of my head.

2. How many funerals have you been to in your life?

Probably at least 10 of those too.

3. Have you ever had a huge birthday party? When was it?

Nope. Don't like "huge" parties.

4. What was the biggest bash you've ever attended?

See #3. I can't think of anything that was huge. I just don't do it. Really.

5. If money were no object, who would you throw a grand celebration for? Why?

Well, it would be nice to have a complete family reunion sometime with cousins, aunts and uncles (of mine) included. Logistically, I'm not sure that's workable due to family dynamics.

Friday Fiver

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Get up, stand up!

1. Turn your head to the right -- what do you see?

Immediately to my right is the end table with my breakfast plate, a glass of Sierra Mist on a green-checked cloth coaster, an empty glass from last night, a new box of Puffs, Mom's poetry book, nail clippers, a pad of Post-Its and a piece of paper with phone messages on it.

2. Stand-up -- do you like how tall you are?

I'm nearly 5'8" and shrinking. Yes, I like my height.

3. Do you believe in heaven or hell?

I believe in both, but not necessarily in the traditional sense. To a certain extent, I think we create/live our heaven and hell here.

4. What is your favorite piece of jewelry?

My wedding ring.

5. What is the last thing you took from someone else?

Beast handed me the paper on the porch a few minutes ago as he left for the day.

Friday Five

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That's Entertainment!

1. What is your all time favorite book? The Long Winter, by LIW.
2. What is your all time favorite movie? "Heathers"
3. What are you reading right now? Midnight Cactus, by Bella Pollen
4. What is your favorite show on tv? CSI
5. What is the last movie you saw in the theater? "Monster House"

Weighty

You Are Destined to Struggle With Your Weight

Like most people, you find it a little difficult to stay at at weight you're comfortable with. If you change a few habits and make food less important, you may find the struggle hardly exists anymore.

Are You Destined To Be Overweight?

Part of my issue is that food really isn't important enough.

Jealous

You Are 38% Jealous

You're occasionally jealous, but you wouldn't be human if you weren't You keep your jealousy under control. You accept it, deal with it, and move on. In fact, most people would be surprised to know that there's a jealous bone in your body. So congratulate yourself for keeping your emotional impulses under control!

How Jealous Are You?

Well, I agree with this, even if it is rather self-congratulatory.

Inner Color

Your Inner Color is Blue

Your Personality: Your natural warmth and intuition nurtures those around you. You are accepting and always follow your heart. You in Love: Relationships are your top priority, and this includes love. You are most happy when you are serious with someone. Your Career: You need to help others in your job to feel satistifed. You would be a great nurse, psychologist, or counselor.

What's Your Inner Color?

Feh.

Just...yeah, feh. There are some parts I agree with, obviously, but also some stuff I think is dead wrong.

Four for Friday

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...for real this time...

Q1 - Life: Earlier this week, European astronomers announced that they had discovered the first potentially habitable Earth-like planet outside of our solar system, where they say conditions are so ideal that oceans, and thus life, may be possible. Do you believe intelligent life currently exists on other planets?

Sure. Why not?

Q2 - Clothes: A co-worker came to work today sporting a new short-sleeved shirt from The North Face. This got me thinking... did he plan to wear that shirt today or was it a choice he made just this morning. Hmmm. Do you know before you go to sleep what you'll be wearing to work the next day, or do you choose your wears on-the-fly the morning of?

Usually, the morning of, which explains why sometimes there is a lot of angst in my morning.

Q3 - Music: Do you listen to music at work, and if so, do you use an iPod (or similar device), play them through your office computer, or do you just listen to them via a separate radio you keep nearby?

Yes, I listen to Launchcast through my computer in my headphones at work.

Q4 - Wall Street: The Dow Jones industrial average rose on Thursday as a fresh wave of better-than-expected profits from publicly-held companies propelled the index to its second straight close above 13,000 points (a new record for the blue-chip indicator). Two questions here: 1. Do you even know what that means (that the index hit 13,000 points), and 2. Do you care?

No, and no.

RevGal Friday Five

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What I am...

1. Wearing

My "library" long-sleeved T shirt, Old Navy jeans, bumblebee sox.

2. Pondering

When dinner will be defrosted. We may not be eating till about 10 tonight....

3. Reading

Diana's paper.

4. Dreaming

Uh...no dreams. Too tired to dream.

5. Eating

Nothing. What a shock! I do have a can of DP next to me though...

Friday Fill-In

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1. OMG I just saw a gorgeous, really amazingly beautifully HOT guy on Oprah! Must now stalk him online for awhile....

2. And I went to sleep ... the end.

3. When I want sugar to eat I generally get very cranky if I can't find any.

4. If I can mail myself to you, can you live my weekend for me?

5. What a woman sees a woman owns. Oh, that it were true!

6. It's been months since you called.

7. This weekend, I'm most looking forward to getting our camera ordered, and being done with (some of) the stress.

Friday's Feast

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Appetizer
How fast can you type?

Probably 80-90 wpm. If we're going for accuracy, though, it comes down really fast...to 40 some days!

Soup
What is your favorite online game?

Yahoo! Grafitti.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 as highest), how intelligent do you think you are?

Oy. OK, honestly, probably a 9.

Main Course
Name three of your best teachers from your school years.

Dr. G, Ms. Philippe, and Becky Sherrick.

Dessert
What are your plans for this upcoming weekend?

I work tomorrow all day. Sunday morning is youth-led worship. Then relax, but we ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO plan for our trip to July's wedding, figure out the camera thing, and...uh, there was something else. I'll figure it out eventually.

Friday Fun

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Focus

1. With 4 kids and an always changing life, I find myself sometimes unable to focus! Do you have that problem, too?

Uh, yeah. Only one kid. But distracted, yes. ALWAYS!

2. What do you do to help yourself keep it together?

Lists. I live by the list. If I write it, it will become true. In theory.

3. What is your favorite organizing tool? A PDA? A calendar?

I need paper and a pencil. PDAs don't work for me. There's something about muscle memory that makes it necessary for me to literally write stuff down so I can see it. All the time. I can't use a small calendar either, because I hate when they get overstuffed (as they are wont); it makes me feel even more anxious about getting things done. I have a good one this year with planning on each weekly double-page spread and lots of space to write meetings and notes in.

4. On a scale of 1-10, how organized are you?

From the outside, I probably look like an 8. I feel like a 4 most days though: just loosely wired together and hoping for no wind to blow me apart!

Friday Fifteen

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Fifteen People I Haven't Seen for At Least Five Years (and would like to)

1. Linda M. where I used to work
2. & 3. T. & K. Andersen, former neighbors
4. & 5. Sherri H. and Michelle B., former college roomies
6. Dave V., from church
7. & 8. Jim & Sally S., former pastor and his wife
9. Steve P., former pastor
10. Michael P., son of #9
11. Kirstie B., friend from grade school
12. & 13. Mike F. and Terry Z., Beast's groomsmen
14. Dr. G., my high school band director (whom I could see this summer if my niece weren't getting married on the reunion weekend
15. Ron R., who was gorgeous in high school (and nice, and fun) and I've heard he's only gotten gorgeous-er

Friday 5

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Outsiders

1. What is your favorite outdoor activity?

Walking or hiking.

2. Are you outdoors not often enough, too often, or just often enough?

Not nearly often enough.

3. When was the last time you slept in a tent?

Technically, our sleeping quarters last summer in D'Iberville were tents, but they were giant army tents. Before that, it has been a couple of years. Before THAT, about two decades.

4. Where is your favorite beach?

Puerto Vallarta. But I haven't been there for 25 years.

5. In what social, academic, or professional group are you on the outer fringes of? In what social, academic, or professional group are you right in the middle of?

I'm completely on the fringes of school-related stuff (e.g., PTO), which is why this whole 8th-Grade Dance thing is so WRONG for me! I'm right in the middle of the whole cataloging/switching over databases thing...because I pretty much have to step up. And of course, I'm in the middle of a lot of churchy stuff....

Four for Friday

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Getting to Know Your Friends
[seems to be a little longer than four questions this week!]

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:40 a.m.
2. How do you like your steak? Medium
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Monster House. Last summer. Pathetic much?
4. What is your favorite TV show? CSI
5. What did you have for breakfast? Cold pizza. I think it's from Wednesday night. We've had pizza three times this week... I'm getting just a leeeetle tired of pizza!
6. What is your middle name? Starts with 'R' and is a book of the Bible.
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Italian. Real Italian, in spite of the pizza.
8. What foods do you dislike? Sour foods: sauerkraut, sweet-and-sour anything...stuff with vinegar just doesn't really work for me.
9. What are your favorite chips? Salt and BLACK PEPPER!
10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Launchcast. I haven't listened to a music CD in eons. I've got a Jasper Fforde book on the CD player in the truck.
11. What kind of car do you drive? Ford Ranger small pickup.
12. What is your favorite sandwich? Grilled cheese.
13. What characteristics do you despise? Know-it-all-ness, intentional stupidity, cruelty manipulativeness.
14. What are your favorite clothes? Jeans and T-shirts.
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be? Ydra, Greece; Moosehead Lake, Maine; Ouray, Colorado.
16. Favorite brand of clothing? I don't really kill myself to work the brands, but I like Old Navy.
17. Where would you want to retire? Someplace near-ish family and also near all different ages. I have no interest in living in a Old Person Ghetto.
18. Favorite time of day? Early morning, before others are awake.
19. Where were you born? Denver, CO.
20. What is your favorite sport to watch? Football, preferably pro...I don't know enough of the college rules, and I have some ethical issues over college sports.
21. Pepsi or coke? Dr. Pepper.
22. Ducks or beavers? Huh?? Ducks are boring. Beavers are cool. But...just...huh?
23. Are you a morning person or a night owl? I prefer mornings, but I'm getting better at staying up till all hours if necessary.
24. Pedicure or manicure? I do my own, and right now I literally have NO fingernails, so I'll go with pedicure.
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? No. Same-ol'-same-ol'.
26. What did you want to be when you were little? Grown-up and checking groceries. I've clearly outdone my dreams.
27. What is your best childhood memory? Wandering around the mountains alone with my dog.
28. Piercing? Both earlobes, once only.
29. Ever been to Africa? Not yet.
30. Ever been toilet papering? Actually...no.
31. Been in a car accident? Yes.
32. Favorite day of the week? Mondays.
33. Favorite restaurant? Chain: Olive Garden; Independent: The Mill, or Six Balls
34. Favorite flower? Garden heirloom roses.
35. Favorite ice cream? Peppermint.
36. Favorite fast food? Culver's.
37. How many times did your fail your driver's test? Fail? Never. My sister flunked about 5 times overall (includes American and British tests).
38. From whom did you get your last e-mail? Er, no idea. Somebody last night at work...maybe Diana?
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Best Buy or Circuit City. Wouldn't take long, either.
40. Bedtime? Anytime between 8 and midnight, averaging around 10.
41. Last person you went out to dinner with? I'm assuming this is dinner at a restaurant? That would be my boys on Monday night at Six Balls before the Surprise Concert.
42. What are you listening to right now? Corinne Bailey Rae on GMA.
43. What is your favorite color? Blue.
44. How many tattoos do you have? No tattoos, just scars.
45. Favorite magazine? Entertainment Weekly.

Five on Friday

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Potty Mouth

1. Do you curse/swear or otherwise use curse/swear words?

Fuck, yeah! OK, in real life...yes, I do, but not egregiously.

2. Do you substitute faux curse words, like shoot or crap, for the real thing?

Oh, crap, you caught me out... Of course I do. There's a time and a place for everything. I try not to use the Big Bad Words at church, for instance. :-)

3. Which curse words and phrases do you abuse most often?

Somehow, lately, I've started saying "Rats" a lot (hi, Aims!). "Crap" is a big one. And yes, I really do use "fuck" far too often.

4. Are you annoyed or pleased when you hear movies, songs, or shows that have been edited to cover or replace inappropriate language?

I laugh. A lot. Especially if I've seen the original film/heard the original song. Here's an example: It's just wrong for the tagline in Risky Business to be "Every now and then say, 'What the heck!' 'What the heck' gives you freedom." Yeah. Or, well, NO!

5. What are your thoughts on the use of curses and swear words in modern society? Is it more or less prevalent than in previous generations? Is it fine or causing irreprable harm to our culture? Do you think we should create (or in some cases keep) laws forbidding cursing?

I think words are just words: it's the meaning we allow them to have, and the power we give them that causes problems. Having said that, I hate weasel words, words that don't say what you mean and that are used to hide reality. Say what you mean! I hate hearing adults using swear words in EVERY sentence. That's just not even creative; it's lazy talk, indicative of lazy thought.

On the other hand....can we try to tone it down around the little kids? There's nothing worse than sitting in front of someone at a ball game with your 5-year-old and hearing "fuck" and "shit" and worse erupting from their lips. Jeez. Show some respect. We were at the zoo last year and kept passing a family with a sweet little preschool girl whose father kept using those two Big Guns along with some really choice descriptive words for women that I won't post here (hello, Don Imus!). Dude, what the hell are you teaching your daughter?! Even worse was her mom...using the same words. sigh.....

Create a Connection

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Writing Prompts

1. If you could have any magical power for only one hour, what would it be and why?

Just an hour? How about the ability to stop time? :-)

2. You've won a pair of round-trip airline tickets to anywhere in the world. Where would you go, with whom, and why?

Australia. Definitely the most expensive-to-get-to place I want to visit.

3. You are stranded in a library or bookstore for 24 hours. In what section do you spend the most time? Why?

....uh....I work in a library...this is really not that big a deal for me. I'd probably hang out with the magazines.

4. If you were to be on a reality TV show, which one would it be? Why would you be a good fit for that particular show?

TAR. I love to travel, and I love Phil. I'd definitely need to find someone calm to go with me, however.

5. What did you most recently dream or daydream about?

I have no idea what I dreamed about last night: I was way exhausted. Same for the rest of this week. Can't remember the last time I daydreamed.

Cheddar X

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The Anti-Turn-The-Other-Cheek Cheddar

1. What tv host would you most like to smack right upside the head?

Take your pick: anyone on FOX News.

2. What sports personality would you most like to smack right upside the the head?

Randy Moss.

3. What media personality would you most like to smack upside the head?

Rush Limbaugh

4. What political figure would you most like to smack upside the head?

Oh, so many from which to choose...how about Karl Rove?

5. What musical figure would you most like to smack upside the head?

Britney. There is no other competition.

6. Which two politicos would you most like to see in a cage match to the death? (i.e. win/win since one ain't coming out)

Bush and Cheney. They need to eat each other and leave the rest of us alone.

7. Which two public figures would you most like to see in a cage match to the death?

This one's a threeway (Beast insists): Joe Thiesman and Marv Alpert and Bobby Knight.

8. Who on planet Earth should be put in a rocket and shot into the sun?

All the people all over the world who use children to fight their stupid "grownup" wars.

Phone-y

Your Cell Phone Etiquette is 20% Bad, 80% Good

You are practically a cell phone saint. You never annoy the people around you. Everyone should have phone manners as good as yours. And you sure wish they did!

How's Your Cell Phone Etiquette?

My phone is almost never on anything but vibrate. The total usage--and I've had this phone for around two years--is around 50 hours.

Alienation

There's a 16% Chance You've Been Abducted By Aliens

There's virtually no chance you've been abducted by aliens. But there's always hope for the future!

What Are the Chances that You've Been Abducted by Aliens?

Yep. I'd say that's just about exactly right, especially since I think aliens have better things to deal with than this.

Curves

Your Waist to Hip Ratio is 0.9

You are quite curvy. Most clothes look great on you.

How Curvy Are You?

ROFL! It's taken me nearly 45 years to be called curvy! Woohoo. In high school, I'd've given anything to have approached bendy much less curvy!

Mood

You Are In a Good Mood

Today, you're feeling pretty together and happy. While not everything is going you're way, you're keeping things in perspective. And it seems like things are looking up for you!

What Mood Are You In?

Well, I've only been awake for a little while. I'd bet on a different result if I took this in about 8 hours!

Thursday Threesome

(Link at left)
::The Cola Wars?::
Onesome: The-- marketing of goods and services. ...and the things they do to try to get us to buy their products! Are there any advertisments or commercials that really stand out to you right now?

Nope. On TV they are muted almost as soon as they start or we switch channels, and I don't even notice them in magazines. Don't listen to the radio enough to make much of an issue of it.

Twosome: Cola-- cola, cola: which cola do you drink? ...or do you? ...or the UnCola? (Do you remember that ad campaign?)

I'm emotionally partial to Pepsi, but I mostly drink Dr. Pepper. (Yes, I remember the UnCola campaign--and I have the glassware to go with it!)

Threesome: Wars?-- Are there any good advertising wars going on in your area? Burgers, newspapers, ISPs?

See my answer to the first question. There seems to be an ongoing War of the Phone Providers (wired, not cellular), but it's mostly based on mailings and phone calls.

Crushed

You Can Make 55% of Your Crushes Fall in Love With You

You certainly have this dating thing down - and you know how to charm most people. And when your charm seems broken, just think back to what has worked in the past. You have the tools to make almost anyone fall in love with you - you just have to put them into action.

Can You Make Anyone Fall in Love With You?

hah
Or not.

I Scream

You Are a Banana Split

Fruity, flavorful, and diverse. Who can beat a true superstar?

What Kind of Sundae Are You?

Yee-uck. Pass. Not even.

Age

You Probably Look Your Age (At Least!)

You don't really respect your body, and that may catch up with you over time. Relax a little and try to take care of yourself. If not, you'll have a lot of botox in your future.

Do You Look Your Age?

Nope, no botox. I grew up squinting in the sun, and anticipate mega-wrinkles at some point. Oh, well. Not a big priority issue for me.

Ten on Tuesday

(Link at left)
Top 10 Things You Like to Do Alone

1. Read
2. Do Sudokus
3. Do crosswords
4. Watch serious movies
5. Bathe
6. Drive
7. Sing, or listen to music
8. Work
9. Be at home
10. Sleep (but not enough to kick the Beast outta bed)

Tina's Tuesdays

(Link at left)
Linky Love 4 Bloggers

I self-limited to the blogs where I actually visit, not just read in the aggregator.

*note* -- please make sure to link to every url mentioned in any of the questions

1. Name one blog you visit everyday? Why?

Lisa. She posts pictures that don't come through Bloglines feeds right, so I 'have' to. I also frequently have something to say, so I have to go comment.

2. What blog has inspired you to be a better blogger? Why?

Amy. She thinks before she writes. I tend to do just the opposite.

3. What 3 blogs do you want to share linky love with? (please list them)

1. I love Cheesehead for her honesty and humor, and sense of reality in the church.

2. Jenica makes me laugh, cry, and realize that there are some damn fine librarians out there who do more than think about LLSAPs and SOPACs and metadata.

3. I look forward to reading "Reynolds" because my brother was an EMT/Paramedic for several years, and he tells similar stories to the ones I heard during that period.

And there are lots more.

TMI Tuesday

(Link at left)
1. What one piece of sage relationship advice would you give your child (or niece/nephew or friend).

"You aren't going to win every fight. Just fight fair."

2. When was the last time you left a passion mark Or had one left on you? (A passion mark is an unintentional physical manifestation of an act of passion: a hickey left in the heat of the moment; fingernail or teeth marks that last for more than an hour, a bump on your head from slamming into the headboard could even count).

I'm not sure if I'm the "leaver" or the "leavee" here, but I do know that I wacked my head on the headboard within recent memory.

3. When was the last time you had sex in a car?

Uhm, how about never? When we were dating, Beast had a Pinto. And since then it's just never seemed very...uh...romantic.

4. Have you ever had an orgasm in a public conveyance?

Pleading the Fifth.

5. Have you ever had an orgasm with someone other than your partner (or partners) present?

How "present" is present?! Pleading the Fifth.

Bonus (as in optional): You are strolling along in the mall with your S.O. (hypothetical if necessary) A young same sex as your S.O. is approaching from the opposite direction and will pass within feet of you. (S)he is attractive and has magnificent body. Describe your reaction.

Well, if I noticed "attractive and has a magnificent body" I've already spent more time looking at him than I have at anyone else in the building, so I should stop. No sense in pissing off Beast. :-)

Tuesday Twosome

(Link at left)
Buying…

1. Mail-in rebates: A pain to deal with or worth the wait to get money back?

I never do these. I think I've dealt with may two in my life. For what I get back, I don't feel they are worth it. Beast does them occasionally.

2. Warranties: Take a chance without them or a must have when buying high-priced items?

Depends on whether I've had trouble with that sort of item in the past, and on whether I feel like I can fix whatever could go wrong with it.

3. Product knowledge: Research before you buy or rely on salesperson?

Research the expensive stuff. Hello--I am a librarian after all!

4. Word of mouth: Base purchases on what your friends say or disregard because you know what you are doing?

Depends on whether I do know what I'm doing! I'll listen to friends, as long as it's the friends' stories not FOAF stuff.

5. New Versions: Must buy the latest version right away or wait for a while?

Wait for awhile, for the bugs to be worked out.

Punctuate

What Punctuation Mark Are You?
Question Mark You love learning, asking questions and discovering new things. Once you get your teeth into something, you won't let go until you're satisfied. Good for you!
Take The Quiz Now!	Quizzes by myYearbook.com

Manic Monday

(Link at left)

For someone that you love deeply would you be willing to move to a foreign country knowing that there would be little chance of seeing your friends and family again?

PERMANENTLY move? My sister did this 30 years ago when she got married. I would not. I might have done when I first got married, but I couldn't do it now. Too many responsibilities here. Maybe in a few years when Sparky is grown.

But why could I never see friends/family again? Could people visit back and forth? I guess it would depend on the country....

If you could spend a year in perfect happiness but afterward remember nothing of the experience, would you do it?

No. I need my memories intact. That is one of my great fears: losing my memories.

Missy Williams

(Link at left)
Monday Madness

1. Name a song you know most (or all) of the words to.

I can do the whole cast recordings for The Sound of Music (stage, not movie), Fiddler on the Roof, and My Fair Lady. And most of the soundtrack for several others: Barnum, West Side Story, Evita, South Pacific, Jesus Christ Superstar.... And I know a lot of other songs too. A LOT of them. From "Amazing Grace" to "Green Grow the Rushes" to "B-I-N-G-O" to "Mr. Roboto" (God help me) to "I Will Survive" to "Georgy Girl."

2. Name a movie that you have watched more than once and would watch again.

RHPS.
And the movies listed above.

3. Have you ever read a book more than once? Please share.

All the Laura books. Alice in Wonderland. Jane Eyre. Heidi (as a child, haven't reread it for years), Swiss Family Robinson. Several mysteries because I'm getting old and can't remember how they end. Tom Sawyer. Huck Finn.

4. Share an inspirational quote with us.

"I see fireworks. I see passion and pomp and parades. I hear the bells ringing out. I see Americans--all Americans--free forevermore!" (John Adams)

5. What day of the week does (or did) your birthday fall on this year?

It will be a Monday. Joy. At least I don't have to work! :-)

6. Have you ever bought a book or cd or movie more than once because you forgot you bought it already?

Not exactly. I have bought some CDs twice because we couldn't find the first copy....

Fracas

(Link at left)
Monday Melee

1. The Misanthtropic: Name something (about humanity) you absolutely hate.

What a week to try to narrow this down to one thing! I'll have to keep it strictly personal and say people who talk during school concerts.

2. The Meretricious: Expose something or someone that’s phony, fraudulent or bogus.

Just one person? I can't think of any one person, so I'll say young teenagers, as a group.

3. The Malcontent: Name something you’re unhappy with.

Roger May. He's a giant pile of steaming elephant poo. [Go ahead, Google him, but it won't tell you.]

4. The Meritorious: Give someone credit for something and name it if you can.

Our building committee at church, who have really knocked themselves out getting this building finished. Also all the people who went before them: the group that bought the land, the groups that prayed faithfully...all of 'em.

5. The Mirror: See something good about yourself and name it

I try to find something good in nearly every situation and person.

6. The Make-Believe: Name something you wish for.

Better leadership for our country.

Curious as a Cat

(Link at left)

How would you go about purifying your own soul?

Wow ... uh ... it would involve enforced quiet (both quiet soundwise, and quiet busy-wise). And reading. And going for walks outside. And it would involve giving up a lot of luxuries and conveniences, I think, too.

If you were in a "Noah" situation, which animals would you take with you? Which would you leave behind?

I'd have to take 'em all. Wouldn't want to deal with being the cause of ecological disaster, after all! I'd like to leave the skeeters and other biting critters behind...scorpions, anyone?...but I suppose they're good for something....

Where would you go if you wanted to spend a week alone without contact with civilization?

Depends on your definition of civilization: I wouldn't go anywhere that didn't have access to food and indoor plumbing! If I wanted to be all alone, but relatively comfortable, find a house in the mountains that was far away from anyone.

Monday's a Bitch

(Link at left)
Earth Day

1. Do you make an effort to be environmentally friendly?

I have done this for so long that I no longer notice what I do. I always could do better. My dream? A composting bin. OK, so sue me, I'm weird. In reality, I'm not as careful about recycling as I used to be.

2. Did you see "An Inconvenient Truth"? Did you find it effective?

Haven't seen it. Eventually I probably will. Preacing to the choir doesn't interest me.

3. Would you drive a Smart Car?

I'd drive it, yeah. Would I buy one? Doubtful: too small, scarily small. I think that might be a sign of middle age, noticing size relative to other vehicles?

4. How many continents have you been on?

Three.

5. Did you ever watch "Captain Planet"?

Nope. No clue. Looks like I'm too old.

Mundane Monday

(Link at left)
Ten Interesting Things About Me

1. I can make a mean paper airplane.
2. I know how to do a puppet show.
3. Walking in the grass makes my feet itch, especially early in the year.
4. I used to make up quadratic equations on the bulletin during church.
5. I still have Christmas presents (from 2006) that I haven't given to their recipients.
6. My right knee makes a very loud crackling sound every time I walk up steps, but it doesn't hurt.
7. I taught Beast how to drive a manual transmission, when we were in college.
8. I loved "Petticoat Junction" more than "Green Acres." I still dream about the hotel lobby sometimes.
9. I have four cousins I haven't seen for over 30 years. I think I've only seen all of them an average of 10 times each in my life (and that's being generous).
10. I have all my junior high, high school, and college yearbooks, and my childhood diaries, and I can remember all the names of my grade school teachers (and almost all those I had later on, too). But I can't remember to buy the main reason I walk into the grocery store without a list.

Randomness

(Link at left)
name 3 of each....

1. favorite tv programs

CSI, The Amazing Race, Survivor

2. favorite foods

sugar cookies, mac'n'cheese, bread

3. favorite books

Alice in Wonderland, The Long Winter, The Book of Ruth

4. favorite people

Beast, Amy, Jenny

5. favorite movies

Matrix, RHPS, Heathers

6. favorite vacation spotsOuray, Greenville, Ydra

Stah wah

Your Star Wars Name And Title

Your Star Wars Name: Catlo Den Your Star Wars Title: Reglil of Tsaeb

What Is Your Star Wars Name and Title?

...er, yeah...

Unconscious Mutterings

(Link at left)

1. Found :: Lost and...
2. Male :: Female
3. Spoken :: Written
4. Life :: Death
5. Tonight :: ...'s the Night
6. Fingernail :: Chalkboard
7. True :: False
8. Give up :: Surrender
9. Shining :: Jack Nicholson
10. Everywhere :: Nowhere

Patrick's Weekender

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Saturday Six

1. What's your favorite cold beverage and when did you last have it?

I'm drinking a (decaf) diet DP right now.

2. What's your favorite hot beverage and when did you last have it?

Tea, which I haven't had for several months. I don't usually take time for it.

3. How addicted to caffeine do you consider yourself to be?

100%. I actually get killer headaches if I don't get enough of it.

4. Take the quiz: What is your coffee personality?

[I plugged in DP instead of coffee or I'd've had to junk the quiz.]

What's Your Coffee Personality?
Cappuccino You're cappuccino! Easy-going and calm, you know how to have fun, but you also know how to buckle down and work. So go you! Your life is pretty well balanced, and so is your coffee habit, too. No worries about caffeine addiction here.
Take The Quiz Now!	Quizzes by myYearbook.com

OK, so ... yuk! And the description isn't exactly right either. Close, but oh, yeah, I'm a caff-junkie for sure!

5. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #96 from De: How do you feel about the candidates who have declared themselves so far for the 2008 election?

What candidates? Are they actually already gearing up for an election that is 18 months in the future? Gaack. This is why I stopped paying attention to the news. Give.
Me.
A.
Break.
(Thank God, Thompson shot his toes off, though. He's a moron. I would know; I lived in Wisconsin while he was governor. Jerk.)

6. If you could sit down for a cup of coffee with any single candidate for president, ask any questions you wanted, and really get a clear picture of what that candidate supports, doesn't support, and is most likely to push for, who would you choose and why?

See response above. I have no interest in talking to any of these people especially at this point in the 'race.' I really have no interest in talking to any of them, ever. Including Hillary. Now, Chelsea? Yeah, I'd have time for her.

Life, or Something Like It

Your Life is 32% Off Track

In general, your life is going very well. You're quite happy with where you are and what you're doing. And even if you get a bit off course, you're usually able to get back on track easily.

Are You Living The Wrong Life?

Truthfully, I'm too busy to notice if I'm off-track.

Gweeeeeen

Your Life is 48% Green

You're life is pretty green - and you know a lot about how to live an eco friendly life. So congratulate yourself for being good to the earth. And maybe think about implementing some of the ideas from this quiz!

How Green Is Your Life?

I used to be better; I've gotten really lazy.

Fem-ah-lay

You are a Brainy Girl!

Whether you're an official student or a casual learner, you enjoy hitting the books. You know a little bit about everything, and you're always dying to know more. For a guy to win your heart, he's got to share some of your intellectual interests. A awesome book collection of his own doesn't hurt either!

What Kind of Girl Are You?

Well, duh!
Hee.

Accent

What American accent do you have?
Created by Xavier on Memegen.net

Western. Like Midland, Western is another accent that people consider neutral. So, you might not actually be from the Western half of the country, but you definitely sound like it.

Take this quiz now - it's easy!

We're going to start with "cot" and "caught." When you say those words do they sound the same or different?

Different Same Same, no wait I mean different, maybe, a little bit different...

Ain't it the truth?

Saturday Special

(Link at left)
~The End~

1. What's your favorite type of ending to a movie/play?

I don't like movies that end with everything tied up in a neat little package. On the other hand, I don't like movies that just STOP either. I do want some closure, preferably at least a glint of hope, or redemption.

Who am I kidding? I love happy endings.

2. What's your favorite type of ending to a book/novel?

See above re neatly tied up endings. I really hate those. Again, there must be closure on at least some of the story (or what's the point, after all?), but I don't mind leaving some things untidy. I actually don't even care if it's a happy ending in a book, though I do prefer the bad guys lose!

3. What would be your favorite ending to your life story?

Happy Sparky, lots of accomplishments, and a jammin' funeral.

4. What would be your favorite sentence ending to these ridiculous questions?

"Goodbye."
[tho' I'm not sure if I understand this question...]

KissKissKiss

Your Kisses Are Medium-Hot

Your kisses are definitely sexy, but you're not about to make anyone gasp for air. You take it slow and steady... and you ramp things up when you get the right signals. Your kissing style is adaptable and adept. And people who kiss you love it!

How Hot Are Your Kisses?

Too tired to actually care about whether this is accurate...

Fear!!

You Are 8% Phobic

Wow, you're scared of very little. And you're always conquering new fears that come up. Have you considered a career as a stunt double? You should at least go on one of those crazy reality shows where you eat bugs!

How Phobic Are You?

Well, they missed mine. But yeah, I'm not that fearful of the stuff on this list.

Four for Friday

(Link at left)

Q1 - Your Life: If life were an audition for a movie, what part would you say you were auditioning for, and what part do you think you'd be offered?

I'm definitely trying out for some kind of tragicomedy, especially this week. I've had "The Tempest" and "Much Ado About Nothing" over the course of the past four days.

Q2 - Food: What is your favorite sandwich?

Grilled cheese, heavy on the cheese.

Q3 - Law: European Union nations agreed yesterday on new laws they say will combat racism and hate crimes across the 27-nation bloc, including setting jail sentences of up to three years for anyone who denies or trivializes the Holocaust. What do you think about that?

Good luck. Won't work. Can't legislate morality. Need to work on it socially, in the schools and by holding people accountable.
Wouldn't it be nice if bashing people over the head (legally) worked, though?

Q4 - Dress Code: If you just started working in an office that had a "business casual" dress code, and to the best of your knowledge no one had ever asked the boss (who has an open door policy) if it would be okay to dress down on Friday, would you bring it up or not touch it with a 10-foot pole?

Depends on the boss, but sure, I'd ask.

Friday Fifteen

(Link at left)
Fifteen Places I've Visited That I'd Like to Re-Visit

1. Ydra, Greece
2. Florence, Italy
3. Edinburgh, Scotland
4. Inverness, Scotland
5. Greenville, Maine
6. Ouray, Colorado
7. San Diego, California
8. The Yorkshire Dales
9. Galena, Illinois
10. St. Petersburg, Russia
11. Toronto, Ontario
12. Las Vegas, Nevada
13. Puerta Vallarta, Mexico
14. Memphis, Tennessee
(because I've been there twice and I haven't seen anything but the Interstates!)
15. Switzerland
...I'm not fussy: I didn't see much of it

Friday Five

(Link at left)

1. How are you stereotypically female?

I shriek when surprised. I don't like bugs. I don't like to sweat. I like to wear new clothes (don't love shopping for them, but I like wearing them). I cry, probably a lot....

2. How are you stereotypically male?

I don't wear makeup (often). I don't pay attention to my fingernails. Uhm, I don't like to cook. I don't like to shop....

3. What parts of you do you consider unclassifiable as either gender?

Well, honestly, I think most of this stuff is really a social thing, not inherent in our actual genders. So I can't even think of anything to write here.

4. Do you think you are primarily male, female, or neither in characteristics?

Both. Neither. meh

5. If you could be born as any gender, knowing the gender prejudices as they are now, which would you choose to be?

Totally going to be a girl!

Girly-pink

You Are 28% Girly

You are a pretty hardcore tomboy, and a very free spirit. Gender roles be dammed, you like to do things your way.

How Girly Are You?

Huh. What's with the cell phone question? I see a LOT of boys with the phone surgically attached, too.

But, ok, this is pretty accurate. As a matter of fact, I've even done what the picture shows!

Friday Fiver

(Link at left)
Don’t let your life pass you by

1. How did you hear about the shootings at Virginia Tech?

Beast had the TV on Monday when I got home from work, and was watching MSNBC.

2. Do you know anyone who was directly effected? [sic]

No.

3. Will you be observing a moment of silence at noon to honor those killed on Monday?

No, I was at work when I was supposed to do that, helping someone figure out their real estate test.
I did come across one other person, this afternoon, who was wearing maroon and orange, besides me (and what a nasty color combination it is, too, by the way!).

4. How do you feel about NBC's decision to air portions of the shooter's manifesto?

I think they could have selected a little more conservatively what they aired. They could have waited till after the funerals had all been done. And I think it might have been better to only provide print access at first. But it has completely turned into a circus, with even CNN getting in on the stupidity. I was appalled at how many times the journalists were asking if the students they were interviewing were "angry" at the administration of the school...and then acting really shocked when the kids said no. They even tried to talk them into being angry a couple of times! Grr.

5. When you are hurting, do you have people to turn to?

Yes. Thank God.

Friday Fun

(Link at left)
Friday Friends

1. Do you believe net friends can be as close as real life friends?

Yep, I do. It can also improve real life friendships.

2. Do you have a best friend? Or several?

I have at least two, probably three.

3. Are you still close to those you went to high school with?

Yes, some of them. I haven't seen one the girls that I hung out with and considered a Best Friend for over 20 years...she is Important Now. But several people still get together when possible. I saw three friends while I was 'back home' last month.

4. Do you believe a man and a woman can truly be just friends?

Absolutely.

Friday's Feast

(Link at left)

Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of bread?

Yes.
Oh, just one?
OK, cornbread, but I'm really not fussy...really....

Soup
When was the last time you bought a new pillow?

For myself, probably a year or so. For Beast, surely within the last 3 or 4 months (another 'he destroys beds' issue) and I think Sparky has had a new one in that time, too.

Salad
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend surfing the 'net?

At home, probably 35-30 hours. At work, I'm online ALL DAY. Truly. I'm not sure that's surfing, but there ya go.

Main Course
What’s the highest you remember your temperature being?

I remember some discussion of 105 at some point during pneumonia when I was 11 or 12, but I was pretty messed up, so who knows, really. Otherwise, nothing over 102 or so.

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: When I got home from work today, I made a list of things I need to do tomorrow.

Fond of Snape

(Link at left)
Friday Fill-In

1. I love a good night's sleep!

2. Sugar is my downfall.

3. I went to the kitchen to get out my vitamin and Allegra , but I ended up forgetting both, and filling the dishwasher instead! [This question is the story of my life, by the way. I do stuff all the time that I didn't mean to, or forget why I entered a room.]

4. Morning is my favorite time of day.

5. If I had a hammer I'd hammer in the morning, I'd hammer in the evening, all over this land. [sorry, couldn't resist]

6. One of my favorite things to enjoy is rolling down the windows and letting the wind blow through the car.

7. I'm going to buy Sparky a sport jacket, and maybe a tie this weekend! My exciting life....

Five on Friday

(Link at left)
Neat and Tidy

1. How neat are the clothes you wear? Do you iron? Fold them promptly? Pull them out of the dirty laundry?

Relatively neat. I used to iron, but I wear fewer iron-able things now. Most stuff comes out of the dryer in pretty good shape--because Beast empties it right away, and I tend to let stuff sit there and wrinkle! I rarely pull stuff out of the dirty clothes to wear. Once in awhile a pair of jeans to do gardening or to run outside for the newspaper or something like that.

2. How do you make your bed? Hospital corners? All over the floor? Or somewhere in between?

Hospital corners when new sheets go on weekly. Then they gradually come out over the course of the week. Beast is hell on beds: he really tears them apart. My preference would be to keep the corners tightly tucked in, but it's just not worth the hassle when it just gets torn up every night. :-)
I do try to at least spread up my bed every morning, though. I like getting into a tidy bed at night.

3. Do you leave dirty dishes in your dishwasher? In the sink? On the counters? In other rooms?

Yes.
Not for days or anything, though the pots/pans sometimes sit for several days in a completely passive-aggressive way.... Long story.

4. Are your floors clean enough to eat off of or is there an old science experiment growing in the corner?

Somewhere in between. If it weren't for Beatific Beth, the answer would DEFINITELY be the latter. I hate cleaning floors, so she comes and does that for us.

5. How clean is the outside of your car? How about the inside? Is there junk in your trunk?

Beast cleaned the cars recently. I hate driving a dirty (outside) car, but it's hard in the winter to keep it from getting road-sludge on it. I tend to be a little messy, but there's never anything scary inside: empty pop bottles (1 or 2) and straw wrappers, and that's about it. If I had a trunk...no, there'd be nothing in it but the spare and road flares. [Call me Ms. Literal]

T.G.I.F.

(Link at left)
My Bad

1. What is the biggest risk you've taken in your life?

I'm sure I never thought of it this way until fairly recently, but I think my answer is "having a kid." Not in the short term, child-birth sense, but in the long term, child-rearing sense.

2. What is the most rebellious act you've ever done?

That would be the recent events at work. Not for nothing we started calling ourselves rebel-cats!

3. What is the worst thing you've ever said to another person?

This makes me think of George Carlin talking about the word 'fuck': "It's one that you save to the end of the argument... Fuck you and everyone who looks like you!!!" I don't think it's the worst thing I could say, but I definitely have pulled it out during arguments (the word, not that particular line).

4. What is the worst legal violation you've committed?

I can't think of anything beyond speeding and swiping paper clips, etc., from work. Oh, and NOT paying library fines. heh

5. What is your sweetest taboo?

Not to be cute, but it really is sweets: jelly beans, cookies, that sort of thing. I really need to stop eating so much sugar.

Friday 5

(Link at left)
That Was Then. This is Now.
Somehow, this turned into a music meme by question #2. It wasn't really mean to be, though.

1. What’s something that used to be good but now is lame?

So many possibilities.... How about The Backstreet Boys?

2. What’s something that used to be lame but now is good?

The Kings of Leon. They opened for U2 a couple of years ago, and they were impossible...really not good. Now they have a new CD out that's getting rave reviews (I haven't heard anything off of it yet, thought).

3. What’s something you used to feel strongly about, but are now ambivalent about?

Fleetwood Mac. I used to hate them. I think I've grown into them in the past few years.

4. What’s something you used to feel ambivalent about, but now have strong feelings about?

Michael Jackson. 'nuf said?

5. What’s something you used to dislike but now love?

It's taking me a long time to come up with something in this category. I've enlisted Beast's help; he's pondering, but he says, "You listen to a lot of different music, so this is hard." So, after five full minutes of thought, I'll say The Clash. When they were at their heyday, I didn't get them. Now I do, and I really do love them.

Rap Name

Your Rapper Name Is...

Ace Beatbox

What's Your Rapper Name?

Not so much. At all. Believe me. :-)

Oriented

You Are Straight

There's not much queer about you. So let's just say you're straight... but not narrow.

What's Your Sexual Orientation?

Well, uhm, ok. Good to have that confirmed. I guess.

Lurve

Your Love Quote

To love and win is the best thing. To love and lose, the next best.

What Love Quote Suits You?

And there ya go....

Thursday Threesome

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::One-Two-Three::
Onesome: One-- or more siblings? ...or just you?

I have siblings, but they are all so much older than me that I'm also sort of an only child.

Twosome: Two--favorite shows (TV or Movie, or heck, even iPod!) on this season?

I'm very confused by CSI this season, but also amused. And I dreamed about TAR last night...sorta...it was about Charla/Mirna and trying to get them out of my library after a bomb threat...they wouldn't leave. Totally in character.

Threesome: Three-- ways to cook hot dogs? That's what the kids tell me. Yes? No? More? I'll spot you the 'boiling water'...

Boiling them is one way. I can think of two others: grilling them and nuking them. I used to eat them raw back when I was younger (and willing to eat hot dogs in the first place!).

Missy Williams

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3x Thursday : Smarty Pants!

1. Do you consider yourself smarter than most people? Why/why not?

Yes. I could read upside at a young age, and saw my IQ on my school counselor's file. Having said that, I'm also pretty stupid sometimes.

2. Do you believe that smartness can be judged with an I.Q. score? Why/why not?

Amusing...I didn't read ahead when I answered the first question....
So, I think IQ is part of it, but people can be smart in ways that have nothing to do with academic success. For example, I think some people with Down's Syndrome are smarter emotionally than a lot of so-called normal people.

3. Do you think that we as humans have the potential to evolve some more, or is this the end of the line for us? Why/why not?

We certainly have the potential to evolve more, of course. Whether we'll kill ourselves first...well, that's the real question, isn't it?

Create a Connection

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Childhood Memories

1. What was your favorite childhood family vacation? Where did you go and what do you remember most about the trip? (this doesn't have to be a big trip... even a camping trip - or whatever you remember!)

I can't think of a specific vacation that stands out in a huge way. When I was about 5, Mom and I visited her cousin Peggy in Reno--no clue how we got there though...flying probably? We spent a lot of weekends and vacations in the mountains in our little house, so that's probably my favorite, but again it wasn't a single vacation. And we flew or drove to Milwaukee to visit my sister several times. It actually wasn't until I came along that Dad would take a vacation of ANY kind: my siblings have wonderful memories of driving to out-of-town jobsites with Dad. They once spent the night in a mortuary he was building in Hobbs, NM. Workaholic much?

2. If you knew your grandparents, what do you remember most about them as a child? If you didn't know them, what stories do you remember being told about them?

My mom's dad died 22 years before I was born. I think I have a vague memory of sitting on the bench outside the side door with my dad's dad, but he died when I was around three. My mom's mom was in a nursing home; all I remember about her was cold hands, a kind aura and long lovely white hair that she let all of us kids brush. She died when I was around 7. Dad's mom died two years later; while I remember her taking care of me once when I was sick and I must have been pretty little. I was on the sofa in her house, and she was listening to religious radio. I got to play with the only toy she had left in the house: a small cheesecloth bag of marbles (they'd be worth a fortune nowadays, I bet!). Then she went into the same nursing home my other grandma was in because she was unable to care for herself. She was deaf as a post, a little Alzheimer-y, and bald. We were always bringing home her wigs to wash so the nursing home wouldn't ruin them.
Weird?
My favoite story about my grandparents is of dad's dad falling off a hay wagon he was emptying and somehow landing so that the pitchfork went through his neck, missing all vital parts. Good thing: there were no doctors near enough to do anything for him anyway. Grandma pulled the pitchfork out of his neck, bandaed him up, and I suspect he got back on the hay wagon PDQ.

3. Do you have siblings or not? What do you remember about growing up with or without them?

There were 5 of us originally. My oldest sister is 20 years older than me; my nearest sibling is my brother and he's 10 years older than me. I was a surprise, obviously. I'm closer in age to my two oldest nieces, who are 5 and 8 years younger than me. Up until I was about 30, I totally idolized my brother. Ten years ago (almost exactly in fact), the bloom went off that rose permanently. We still get along fine, but I don't stand up for him like I used to when others pick on him.

4. What did you like best about summer vacation from school?

The warmth, the boredom, being able to do whatever I wanted, from TV to books to jumping rope.
And then, by the end of the summer, I was so desperate for company that I couldn't wait for school to restart!!

5. Did you like school or dislike school? What is your most memorable school moment?

I loved the learning part; I could have done without a lot of the other students. Sadly, the one moment that just popped into my head is running face first into a brick wall during gym class. At full speed (and I was a good runner, too). It's always a good idea to keep facing forward when running as fast as you can. Lesson learned.

Tuesday Twosome

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Taxes

"Eek, I owe" or "Show me the money!"

Show me the money. Not so much this year, but it all worked out to a small net refund.

"Finished!" or "How do you file for an extension?"

Finished. For several weeks. I don't think we've ever filed an extension. Yet.

"Taxes suck" or "I don’t mind because some of it goes for good causes."

Somebody has to pay for the plane to fly Cheney on his hunting trips! Seriously, I don't mind, though some of the stuff irritates me. I figure I'm paying my share to the programs I do support and some moron who approves of what I think is stupid is paying for those prorams.

"1040EZ!" or "How the heck does anybody understand all of this?"

I call in the Beast and he deals with all of it. I don't even have to sign the return anymore!

"Receipts? What are those?" or "I keep everything just in case."

I'm halfway in between. I keep a lot of receipts, but not enough sometimes....

TMI Tuesday

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1. My biggest sexual turnoff is stupidity?

2. Do you prefer natural tastes or flavored lubes?

Depends, but I really can't stand faky flavors.

3. How much money would it take to convince you to get on stage naked?

More money than is likely to be offered.

4. Have you ever been to an AA meeting or similar support group meeting?

No. Have seriously considered Al-Anon several times, however.

5. Do you wear socks to bed? Is that okay or totally unsexy?

Yes, I do--and I don't really care if it's sexy or not. Cold feet are decidedly unsexy!!

Bonus (as in optional): Ever been arrested? Turned someone in/had someone arrested?

No, I haven't been arrested. Actually, at work, I think I have had people arrested. I can't remember. I know I've been in the building when the police have come to arrest individuals.

Tina's Tuesdays

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Out of this World

1. If you could live on another planet besides Earth, what planet would you like to live on? Why?

Well, honestly, um, I'm sort of partial to Earth where we have food, oxygen, and my family and friends. Moving to another planet has absolutely no attraction to me. I don't hate humanity that much.

2. Do you think we are the only intelligent beings in the universe? Why?

No. There's God. And then it's just improbable that in this ginormous universe we are the only planet supporting some kind of life.

3. Using the theory that we are not the only intelligent beings in the universe, what do you think other species could be like?

I have no idea, though I suspect they bear little resemblance to anything we've seen on Earth.