my inner coolness: the search

i've moved!

2006-03-01T16:43:00.000-05:00

Come see me at my new space, and be sure to update your bookmarks! Thanks!
Love ya!

{Round robin}

2006-02-22T21:16:00.000-05:00

Second exerpt from journal at the Bucks today...

...Guess who took the place of previously dubbed "vile Oriental woman" in the squishy black chair to my right? Mister NFL Ring, himself! Straight off, let me tell you about what you most want to know-the ring. Its on his right hand, and therefore too far away for observation. Yeah, what it comes down to is that all I can see is the same side as Monday and that each time I try to peak at it, he looks straight at me. He probably thinks I'm a nut. Oh, but I do have some bit of revelation. Thanks to one of the ladies who work here, I now know his name: Fred. Fred, the NFL Cowboys Ring Wearer.
Funny little note. He downed what might be a cappucino or expresso - whatever comes in a tiny cup? - and proceeded to lean his head back, TUCK HIS HANDS IN HIS POCKETS (of course!), and go to sleep! Just like Monday. Curious. Curious.
When Fred sat down next to me, I said hi. He seemed surprised or put off. It appears he comes here often, so I will just keep saying hello to him, LOL. Eventually, I WILL figure this ring situation out...right?
You know what? As I sit here staring at him while he sleeps, he kinda reminds me -facially only!- of the little person who stalks Liss. Very curious, indeed. Or I could just be imagining things...
I found an image of the ring on the web from The Danbury Mint, which makes me think he's a fan...apparently it says NFL on both sides in stead of a year on one side. Who knew where Monday's curiosity would lead me?

{Vile woman}

2006-02-22T13:00:00.000-05:00

I made it to the Bucks again today while Michael was at school. A good time was had by all until...well, just read this from my journal entry at the time...

Okay, I have spent all this time on my, and while I wanted to continue to do so, the Oriental woman sitting in the squishy black chair to my right is forcing herself onto my pages. Sweet Mary, Mother of God, is she out of control. Some things just can't be ignored in life-such as this woman's ABSOLUTE inability to chew with her mouth closed. It isn't even the whole "see-food" issue here-its the SOUND. For God's sake, close your damn mouth and save us all from this hell of smacking lips and smooshy wet donuts that you have imprisoned us in! Oh, yeah, there you go-dunk the donut in the coffee and let 'er rip! My random bout of morning sickness this morning must have been in anticipation of this vile woman (who I am sure is a lovely person-or could be if she learned some basic manners).

{The mystery at Starbucks}

2006-02-20T15:45:00.000-05:00

An exerpt from my journal written on 2.20 in the Bucks...

A man who sits in the chair next to me has a class ring on. The ring is squared with a dark jewel (onyx? sapphire?) in the middle. The ring looks pewter/silver and has a silver outline of a star in the jewel. The reason I write is that I alwasy wonder about people who wear class rings after age 25. The man is clearly past age 45. It makes me wonder what is the connection that keeps people wearing their class rings after all this time? (Regardless of whether it is a high school ring or college ring-its irrelevant.) Is it actual feeling or habit of wearing it? Is it nostalgia? Is it a desire to keep that person who they were then alive and part of the now? Is it the fact that the ring was expensive and therefor must be worn? Or perhaps the person wants to give it to their child and wants that child to remember them actually wearing it? Or on a less positive note, is it taking the place of another ring? It would be interesting to me to see ages and genders of who still wears their class ring (or not) and why (or why not)...
My first thought on seeing [this man's] ring was that the star looked like the Dallas Cowboys star. And while I was throwing other ideas on the page, I thought of fraternity/sorority/group and championship rings and how people wear those. Well, sure as shittin' when I peeked again while he sleeps in his chair, the side I could see said NFL on it. I wish he would put it up again so I could see the other side to see the year. The new question for him is-Is this HIS ring from experience or is it a commemorative "fan ring" (and do those exist?)? Is it rude to ask? Haha, we ll know I don't have the cahones to do that.
New story/concept from my thoughts: Is this related in my mind to someone sitting alone in the cafeteria? Eating alone at a restaurant? Is he "famous" but lost? No one recognizes him? Was he a benchwarmer? My heart is curious. And I may never know the answer...if I could see that ring again, I could google it, heehee.
Damn! His ring is in full view, but it is twisted so that all I can stinking see if NFL! Will this remain a mystery to me?? Its 11:10 and NOOOOOO!!!!! He just got up and left!

"And like that, he was gone." - The Usual Suspects

I suppose the joke's on me and I won't ever know the real truth. A mystery that could have been solved by asking a few questions. Gone, just like Kaiser Sose.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2006-02-14T11:48:00.000-05:00

Papers and elements are from Eclectic Scraps (YOU ROCK, JESSICA!!).

I love the news...

2006-02-13T10:58:00.000-05:00

Ok, too freakin' funny that CNN.com has resorted to slang in their headlines.

Oh, and in case you didn't know, I think Anderson Cooper is right up there with Anakin Skywalker...

Crazy few days

2006-02-09T16:29:00.000-05:00

I've wanted to update this blog for a few days but haven't had the chance to. It's been a crazy few days over here, and the next few are still going to be a little wild. I'm not complaining, though.
Michael went back to school on Monday for the first time in TWO WEEKS! The first week he was sick with a low grade fever off and on. I couldn't send him, knowing that he would potentially get the other kids sick with whatever he had. He had a runny nose and mild cough, but it didn't slow him down one bit. He was as happy and as feisty as ever. He actually missed his first non-family birthday party that he was invited to because of the fever. What a bummer! The second week, he was in Latrobe with my parents while Steve and I were in Boca Raton, Florida for a business meeting...and then he had to stay an extra night because we went to the Bon Jovi concert. ;) What a hoot! But that's another story. When I took Michael to school on Monday, I expected him to cry and cling like no other. Wouldn't you know it, the kiddo showed me tons of toys and then smiled and said, "Bye, Mommy! Pick me up after lunch!" and then went on his way. Wednesday, he stayed for rest time and I picked him up around 2:30ish. I needed to get a lot of stuff done (and actually managed to do so!) while he was there. We got to school a little earlier than usual and he had to go in another classroom to wait for his regular teacher to be there, so I thought he would throw a fit, but he just asked if he could stand at the door and wait for Miss Gina to show up. Man, that kid watched me walk to whole way out of the school. I felt so bad-but he wasn't sad, he was just waiting for his teacher. I'm really proud of him for adapting back into the routine so well after being gone for so long.
This weekend I am going to a crop in Virginia (Ali Edwards will be there, too-yeah, me! I'm psyched to have her energy around again!) and I've had to seriously try to get things ready for it. Because the crop space is in a different building than the hotel, I'm not sure if I'll be leaving my stuff for the night when I go to bed. Thus, I had to pack so that I can carry EVERYTHING back and forth as needed. Normally, this would be no issue, but the whole being pregnant thing is keeping me from carrying really heavy stuff. I've got a sh*t-ton of stuff packed, but I really think I'll use a lot of it...I hope! LOL
That's what I did most of Wednesday while Michael was at school.
Now if I could only get caught up on this laundry before I go...

Some people's (peoples'?) kids...

2006-02-02T13:10:00.000-05:00

This is a common phrase in my house. It usually refers to someone being a little wacky. Sometimes it even refers to the person we are talking to at the moment. Anyway, that being said...
First off, let me tell you about mine. Michael is at Nannie and Papa's until tomorrow. Steve and I had a business meeting in Florida and we are going to the Bon Jovi concert tonight, so my Peanut is loving it up there in Pittsburgh soaking in all the pre-Super Bowl "fumes", LOL. Peanut-in-the-belly seems to be doing well. We had the second ultrasound and everything looks good! The blood test doesn't show a predisposition to any problems, so we will go back at the end of February to check one more time for any signs of spina bifida and/or other issues. But we've been assured by the doctors and genetic counselors that they are not worried about seeing anything other than a healthy baby then. Its nice to be happy and have a little less worry about this pregnancy. Steve and I have been talking about names, and we haven't even discussed boy names, but we've come up with a few girl names that we like. Ironically, when I was pregnant with Michael, we never had a girl name that we really loved. Wonder if that means this one will be a girl? Or, are we really up a creek without a paddle in terms of trying to find a boy name? LOL, its really nice to enjoy this all now.
Now, lets talk about other people's/peoples' (not sure how to spell that correctly, I'm sorry!) kids...

Lori's kids both have strep throat. What fun, eh?
Liss is planning on going to Lost Wages, Nevada in about a week or so. I think she's getting me back from leaving her for a few days for Florida.
In Berlin, another stupid criminal go caught for pretending that he USED to have a glass eye. You can read it here.
William Shatner apparently sold his kidney stone for $25K. Um, ew. Although, I will give him mad props for donating the money to Habitat for Humanity.
Mr. Torben Vegener Hansen, you go, man! Apparently in 2001, Denmark ruled that institutionalized citizens have the right to have sex (as opposed to restricting it??). Because prostitution is legal in Denmark, this means that caregivers must take them to visit prostitutes, if they so desire. Well, from what I hear, Torben V.H. (age 59) feels the government needs to pay for 'house calls' from prostitutes... "claiming that he is unable to have sex manually because of his illness and must be accorded this "human right" by a service similar to the government's meals-on-wheels program. [The Observer (London), 1-1-06]" Source of quote is News of the Weird.

Some peoples' kids...

Video games, books, audiobooks, and music

2006-01-19T15:44:00.000-05:00

Yep, that's how I like to spend my few free moments of non-morning sickness right before bedtime. So, I thought I would share some of my 'most recents' and see if any of you will do the same...I might even tag you at the end when I'm all done. (Ok, consider yourself warned, you will definately be tagged...LOL)

Most recent...

Music downloads: Sheryl Crow, India Arie, Jack Johnson, Liz Phair, and a truly badass mix of monster ballads including but not limited to: High Enough (Damn Yankees), Carrie (Europe), Fly to the Angels (Slaughter) and Is This Love (Whitesnake)

Audiobooks: (Yes, I'm an old fart who listens to books before she goes to bed, but I dare say it doesn't make me any less cool than before, eh?) Currently listening to Anne Rice's Blood and Gold, just finished Rice's Merrick at the beginning of this month. Next one after Blood and Gold will be Rice's Blackwood Farm. They are all part of the Vampire Chronicles (you know, like Interview With and all that jazz?) and I am really enjoying them. I also received several audiobooks for Christmas that I plan on starting soon: 1776 and Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. I am psyched to start those.

Videogames: Animal Crossing, Mario Kart, and The Urbz for DS and Sims2 and Lumines for PSP. All extremely addictive.

Books: I just finished John by Cynthia Lennon the first week of January (fabulous book, btw). I am halfway through Alosha by Christopher Pike and halfway through The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough (who also wrote 1776 and John Adams, btw). I got John Adams (McCullough) and The Beatles Biography by Bob Spitz sitting here waiting for their turns to be started.

Movies: In December, Steve and I got to see quite a few movies: Harry Potter, First Descent (snowboarding documentary), and King Kong. They were all excellent movies.

Television: Um, does Scooby Doo and Star Wars and Sprout count as real television?

Tag: I want to see all of you do this. By "all" I mean:
Alicia, Andrea, Becky, Denise, Jessica, Lisa, Liss, Sara, Stephanie, and Terri. Now, get crackin'. ;)

Wouldn't it be funny?

2006-01-03T12:19:00.000-05:00

To have twins? Not that I am, but I've been feeling so miserable and feel like I already look four months pregnant that I'm curious what my ultrasound on the 20th will reveal. Wouldn't it be funny to have twins?? LOL, I say it so often, I think Steve is getting a little nervous...hehehehe

Ok, now that I have your attention, will you be go enter the Scrapforums contest? We're looking for the Queen of Funk-its a fabulous contest, and everyone who enters will get a prize-how can you NOT play?

WAAAAAAY back when, Miss Andrea tagged me and I never answered her questions, so now I am going to answer and tag some others-we'll see who's paying attention out there!
2 names you go by: Mommy and Stac
2 parts of your heritage: Polish and Hungarian
2 things that scare you: anything happening to anyone in my family or friends and lightning when I'm outside
2 things you are wearing right now: new 'butt pants' (velour-y pants from Vicky's Secret-thanks, Liss!) and fleece shirt
2 of your favorite bands or musical artists (at the moment): Alanis and Green Day
2 favorite songs (at the moment): Figured You Out and My Doorbell
2 things you want in a relationship (other than real love): understanding and compassion
2 truths: I will do anything for my family and I want everyone to just get along
2 physical things that appeal to you (in the opposite sex): bright eyes and straight teeth
2 of your favorite hobbies: photography and scrapbooking (shockers, huh?)
2 things you want really badly: for my current pregnancy to lead to at least one (hehehe) healthy baby and for my family and friends to be happy
2 places you want to go on vacation: Italy and Africa
2 things you want to do before you die: Winnebago across the United States with my family and watch my family be happy and healthy good people
2 ways that you are stereotypically a dude/chick: I love bubblebaths and I love chocolate
2 things you are thinking about now: being pregnant and how out of the loop I am from my online friends-I miss you guys!
2 stores you shop at: Starbucks and Best Buy
3 people you would like to see take the quiz? Liss, Lisa, and Denise.

So, now I must ask you, have you figured out what you are going to use to enter the Funk It Up contest at Scrapforums yet? GET ON IT! :D

Let the games officially begin!

2005-12-16T10:36:00.000-05:00

Over the past few weeks, I've felt like I was almost nauseous, but not quite. Over the past three days, I've had something krautty happen. Imagine this: I'm starving nearly all the time, so I've been cooking really good food to enjoy. All of a sudden, I get about 1/3 of the way through my food and can't stand it anymore. It makes me sick. I can't even think about eating it without feeling nauseous. The worst part? I'm still hungry! LOL, the joys of morning sickness!
I'll take it all, yes, I will.

One Day of Civil Disobedience

2005-12-12T14:12:00.000-05:00

If you like Green Day mashups, Tuesday is the only day to dl Dean Gray's American Edit CD (thanks to Warner for the cease and desist...)

What's the best way to...

2005-12-05T14:56:00.000-05:00

...tell your online friends that you're pregnant? :)

Some sort of what?

2005-10-20T22:32:00.000-04:00

Introspective? Deep?

That's a hard one to live up to. How do we continue to show our real lives and our true selves? We all think we don't have anything interesting to say, and yet, when we actually sit down and say it, we find that people are interested. The deeper we go into ourselves, the more that people are interested. That being said, I have no clue what to write about. So, here's a little blubber of nothing for you to chew on...

Sometimes I wonder why it is we become our parents. How does this happen? When does this happen? Does it only happen once we have our own children, or is it just a matter of maturity and experience?

Sometimes I wonder if my child will become like me. Will he have a family that makes him feel the way I do-ectastic, lucky, thankful, grateful, frustrated, scared, elated, hopeful, terrified-when he is an adult? Will he blame me or thank me for the way his life has arrived? Or will I not be included in the process.

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever see grandchildren.

Sometimes I wonder if I will live through seeing my parents pass on.

Sometimes I wonder if I will be left alone or if it will be Steve that will be left alone. Will I be angry that we didn't do the whole car off the edge of the cliff thing that we promised to do so many years ago so that neither of us would ever be alone?

Sometimes I wonder if Michael will be ok when we are gone.

And then I wonder how I ever became the total center of the Universe. How did I ever get so selfish? Why are these fears so based on ME ME ME?

Then I finally wonder if I will ever give myself a break and just deal with who I am and just say, hey, I'm not *THAT* bad.

Now while all this sounds very dreary, let me assure you that I didn't intend for it. I just kind of threw out there whatever came to the surface. Take it for what its worth...

The Western Keep

2005-10-19T14:24:00.000-04:00

Sheesh, I finally found the Western Keep (Final Fantasy) after days of searching...Do the happy dance for me, would ya? :D

I'm in the process of getting caught up with everything at Scrapforums and getting ready for my big trip next week. Tuesday, I am stopping at my SIL's to see my new nephew and then going to Brooklyn to visit a friend from college. Wednesday, I head for Stamford for CKU-Albums! I am so psyched! It has been a lot of work trying to get ready for everything, and I still have a lot to do (like get my pics developed) but I think it will all work out ok! :D

So what's new with you?

Today

2005-10-12T11:12:00.000-04:00

Today is kind of a rough day. Its the time of sad anniversaries around here and while I've been dreading this time over the past few months, now that its getting closer, I'm finding myself more and more emotional. I've been crying last night and today at the drop of a hat. It stinks.
In the meantime, I've been getting a lot of work done with emails and all that kind of stuff. I had wanted to play some video games this morning while Michael was at school, but spent time on the phone with my mom talking about Sarah and a little bitch (did I say that? I meant bully) at her school. Since I have a zero tolerance attitude toward bullying, I am ready to march into Sarah's classroom and beat the little girl to a pulp. I think I should be allowed since I'm Sarah's big sister, and really, what are big sisters for? ;)
So here I am, just a few minutes before picking up Michael from school stopping in to say hello. I am hoping to go bloghopping today to try to catch up on all my online friends' lives. Maybe I'll see you out there?

good news

2005-10-07T21:50:00.000-04:00

But its a secret...

LMAO! How unfair is that??

And to all you out there who will think it, NO, I'm NOT pregnant! :)

Its good news regarding Scrapforums...you'll find out this weekend!

My weekend was heavenly

2005-10-04T10:36:00.000-04:00

I was so lucky to get to the beach this weekend with Liss. We had movies, good food, music, decent weather, video games, no men, and no children. I really needed that.

I need to get myself together. For real for real.

But it was really nice to walk away from it all for a weekend.

Using quotes

2005-09-29T09:45:00.000-04:00

I think its funny...We use quotes all the time, and don't think twice about taking them out of context (this applies to two particular blogs I've seen today, ironically both deal with religions). While I do the same thing, and actually ENJOY taking them out of context and using them for my own purposes, I have to laugh when I see someone using a quote that comes from a book that totally goes against their virtues and beliefs. Its just funny to me.

This is the end...

2005-09-23T17:22:00.000-04:00

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end

(compliments of The Doors)

-----

Seriously, all I have to say is, its really funny to read blogs...and then consider running naked through Blogivania....

Gas station religion

2005-09-22T21:37:00.000-04:00

The funniest thing happened to me yesterday...
I was filling up my massive gas tank (think Ford Expedition, think $80 for 3/4 tank of gas when the gas prices were at $3.45 per gallon, think no gas station visit when prices were $4 per gallon, talk about feeling trapped!!) and thanking the great Goddess up above about how wonderful it is to have $3.25 per gallon gas (and how fabulously fun it was to fill up the tank in Latrobe last week at $2.20 per gallon!)...but I digress...
There was this fun, upbeat song on and the music was really loud for some reason. It was a song I had never heard, and when the chorus came on, I literally froze in my spot to hear: "Tell everyone, Jesus is alive!" I couldn't believe they were playing religious music at *MY* gas station!
What made me really laugh was trying to figure out *WHO* in the gas station would have put the music on...
Definatetly not the Middle Eastern owner...
Definately not Late Night Ghetto Girl...
Definately not Native American I Don't Smile Woman...
Definately not "Look at my new toy! I can hear people a quarter of a mile away!" / "They had to put my friend's pit bull to sleep because it bit their child" Man...
No clue...perhaps it was a sign? ;)

My recent bout of deliquescence

2005-09-20T18:02:00.000-04:00

I'm trying hard to get back on track. And for all of you who have written wondering where I am and what's going on, thank you! It means so much to me to know that you are thinking of me.

I was at my family's this past week, but am home again. You should be seeing more of me starting Thursday or Friday. Tomorrow Michael and I will be going to visit with his grandparents and Thursday we are hoping to hit the zoo. I'll check in when I can.

Get your Christ On and Kick it Jesus Style

2005-09-18T23:50:00.000-04:00

Get your Christ On and Kick it Jesus Style

A collaborative blog based on a true movie. ;)

Warning: you might go to hell just by reading it...

Mullets in DCUrbanesia

2005-09-09T10:56:00.000-04:00

mullet: Pronounced "MUHL LET": A hairstyle in which the front is cut trim, but the back is long, left wild and often uncut. Even when the back is cut, it is still longer than the front. It is the sign of the redneck. Alternate names include: Ape Drape. Beaver Paddle. Bi - Level. Camero Cut. Buisness in the front, Party in the back. Canadian passport. Coupe Longveuil. El-camino. Hockey hair. Kentucky waterfall. Missouri comprimise. Mudflap. Neckwarmer. Ranchero. Shlonc (short + long). Achy-breaky-bad-mistakey. Soccer rocker. Squirrel pelt. Tennessee tophat. Yep-nope. Mmmmmmmmmmmm...Mullet. (Source)

You know, I'm not the most fashionably savvy gal in the world, but I do feel that I am allowed to comment on mullets, due to my childhood and early adulthood in western and central Pennsylvania (aka two of the places where even today you can find mullets of all sizes and shapes). Please, I even saw (still see!) this often:

rat tail: a rather nappy type of mullet carefully trimed so that the hair in the middle at the base of the skull forms a single, disturbingly long, strand resembling that of a rat's tail; often spotted on young ratty looking children whose parents don't know any better than to get them a decent haircut {edited to add: which by the way falls under the "child abuse" category at this source}.(Source) {oh, and I don't take any responsibility for definition number one of rat tail}

But that's in western and central Pennsylvania, people. Not here in big city DCUrbanesia!! Oh, but how wrong I was proven this morning. Yep, in my beloved Starbucks, I was confronted with a femullet. Oh, and just in case:

femullet (fem-mullet): there are many varieties of the femullet--and contrary to popular belief, not all femullets are dykemullets, but all dykemullets are definitely femullets. (Source)

Ok, now, here is what disturbs me. No, I don't care if women want to look masculine (or if men want to look feminine for that matter), but a MULLET?? Make a decision which way you want to look, people! I find it particularly disturbing when I cannot explain away the mullet by saying that the bangs were just cut funny. (You know, when the hair is one half inch short everywhere except the very last lower inch of hair which reaches to the waist? Yeah, that disturbs me!)

I suppose its the fact that I consider us living 'in the city without being in the city' and I just don't expect to see 'country hair' here. Perhaps that explains the shock I felt when I walked into my second home and found her standing there. And yes, I know it was a woman for sure. How, you ask? Well, the fact that she had a white t-shirt with the arms cut off and no apparent bra on...yeah, that did it for me. I will say this, though...for a late 30s early 40s woman driving a celery colored minivan, she had some awesome tats on her arms...

Re: A Certain "Stalkering"

2005-09-08T16:36:00.000-04:00

He really isn't a little person. Yes, vertically challenged. Yes, shorter than I, but only by a few inches (aka his eyes around my chin height). Yes, I know this because he stood no less than two feet away from me as I disciplined my child in the grocery store during the original "stalkering."
During the most recent "stalkering," I was subjected to multiple views of him. Still short, but not a dwarf. In order to back up my thoughts that this guy (as creepy as he is) is not a little person, I present to you this definition of dwarfism:

Dwarfism is a condition in which a person, animal or plant is much below the ordinary size of the species. When applied to people, it implies not just extreme shortness, but a degree of disproportion. Dwarfism is now rarely used as a medical term and is sometimes (but not always) considered impolite or pejorative. Today, the term little person tends to be preferred.

Little person (as opposed to big person), and short-statured are currently preferred terms to refer to a person with extreme, disproportionate shortness. Dwarf is sometimes perceived as having negative connotations, although the term is often used by those affected. The plural is dwarfs — dwarves is used only for the imaginary creature. In the 19th century both dwarf and midget were ordinary medical terms referring to persons of disproportionate and proportionate shortness, respectively. Like many other older medical terms, they became primarily pejorative as they entered popular use. Midget is now considered offensive in all contexts to most, but not all, little people.

(All previous info from this source page).

And just to add the clincher:

Q: What is the definition of dwarfism?
A: Little People of America (LPA) defines dwarfism as a medical or genetic condition that usually results in an adult height of 4'10" or shorter, among both men and women, although in some cases a person with a dwarfing condition may be slightly taller than that. (Little People of America FAQ page.)

Oh, and just so you know, mad props out to my girliegirl, Liss, for overcoming her original fear of "stalkering" just to get some tea. Rock on! (((HUGS)))

Just some thoughts along the way

2005-09-07T11:39:00.000-04:00

I know you've missed my writings. I can tell you that I haven't had much to say online lately. Mostly because I am overwhelmed with everything going on in the world, like many of you out there. So anyway, here I am. :)

I just want to tell everyone one thing: everything is political. Even the media. If I were you, I would remember that everything that everyone says stems from an agenda. Keep in mind that things like NEVER, FOREVER, ALWAYS are extremes that really don't exist in our world (hence the phrase "exception to every rule"). For those of you who are condemning everyone who is working their asses off to help the hurricane victims and saying that they aren't doing enough, all I have to say is this:

-Oh, sure, like working 20 hours out of a day to rescue, provide medical help, shelter and comfort to a dazed and confused person who has lost everything except their own life isn't exhausting? Not even close to how exhausted YOU feel cleaning your damn house that is still standing...

-Walmart ONLY donated $15M to help the victims. How dare they ONLY donate $15M? I mean, really, compared to what YOU donated, even percentage comparison, SURELY they could send more?? Yeah, get off YOUR ass and donate the same percentage of YOUR personal income that they did.

-And I quote "Well they are the dumbasses who didn't leave when they had fair warning that this was coming!" So does that imply that they DESERVE what happened to them? And do you mean to tell me that you truly believe that every single person who stayed behind had the means to evacuate? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't notice their Jags sitting in their driveways...

-And I quote again "I can't believe THOSE PEOPLE are looting!" Um, yeah, I think its silly to be taking plasma tvs and such, but medicine, food, and clothing? Shelter? ABSOLUTELY! I'd like to see you sitting there after watching half of your family disappear in the depths of nasty water and not provide for the ones who are living without looting. Go for it-prove me wrong.

-More should have been done before the storm hit. Yes, ABSOLUTELY. But guess what? Quit your bitching and help now! We can't change the damn past, all we can do is help these people put their lives back together.

Have you helped? Or have you just bitched? Don't have money? (How's that pack of smokes treating you? Did you have fun out at dinner last night?) How about canned foods, clothing or other non-perishables that you aren't using? Go take them to the Salvation Army for them to take to the people who have NOTHING?

And while you're at it, do what the kids in my neighborhood did: set up a lemonaid stand to raise money for those amazing survivors who have their whole lives to rebuild. Have hope and have a dream that even the tiniest bit WILL help someone!

You know what the absolute worst part about this post is? The people who will read it are all people who will have helped and have giving hearts and good souls.

What a compliment...

2005-09-03T20:07:00.000-04:00

Seriously!

Can someone help me with putting this as my title image?

2005-09-01T17:30:00.000-04:00

I can't get it in the right spot to save my life....so I'm going to share it here for S&G. If you have any clue how to get it in the right spot, let me know! :D

Katrina

2005-08-31T11:15:00.000-04:00

I can't believe the devastation that Katrina has brought to so many people. Its horrible-so many places look like a bomb went off and then the flooding is overwhelming. I am so sad for all of those people. I am so sad for all the history that will be lost when the flood waters receed. Having been to New Orleans only once, I fell in love with the city immediately. I told Steve time and time again that I wanted to move there and live in the French Quarter. I can only wonder if I will ever get to return there and what it will be like at that point. I know, its very selfish, but my love for New Orleans can't be helped. I can honestly say that I can barely watch tv or even check the news on cnn.com because I cry each time I see how much is gone. My prayers and thoughts are will ALL of the people who have been affected by Katrina. I can only hope that somehow we will be able to find homes and lives for these poor people again.

I knew it!!!

2005-08-29T20:43:00.000-04:00

In a Past Life...

You Were: An Evil Mathematician.
Where You Lived: Portugal.
How You Died: In Childbirth.

Who Were You In a Past Life?

mmmm....

2005-08-24T12:43:00.000-04:00

Who, me??

2005-08-23T23:04:00.000-04:00

Which internet subculture do I belong to? [CLICK]
	You are a Conspiracy Theorist!
Holy cow! You actually did an online quiz? Little did you realise that the information you gave us is being sent to an unknown government agency for evil use against you! Don't try to leave, we are already watching.
More Quizzes at Go-Quiz.com

New PostSecret is up!

2005-08-21T10:28:00.000-04:00

Ok, I have really enjoyed this site from the minute I saw it, but once I realized the guy that runs it lives right up the road from me, it became 'part of my family'. LOL, not sure how he would feel about that....Anyway, new Post Secret is up! Go check it out!

Colon perforation...shocker?

2005-08-17T13:09:00.000-04:00

Um, yeah. If anyone could say that they would ever be shocked that someone would get a perforated colon from having anal sex with a horse, please be sure to tell me.

Seattle Man Dies After Having Sex With A Horse

2005-08-15T15:50:00.000-04:00

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Perception is reality

2005-08-10T10:23:00.000-04:00

"Perception is reality" is one of my favorite sayings. I (quietly) admit that I learned this phrase from my husband in our college days. It was his way of saying that I was wrong. But it stuck with me, because of its inherent truthfulness. Our perception of what is occurring actually does shape our realities. One of my favorite 'backup' quotes is "There are three sides to every story: his, hers, and the truth." Once again-how we perceive things shapes our reality.
Having spent the past twelve years (yikes!) with this truth mulling around in my brain, I find that it actually helps guide me in making decisions in my life. Sometimes it makes me step back from a situation and take stock before talking, while other times it helps me to remember that another person may not be seeing reality the same way as I am due to previous experiences or state of mind.
Reading this, you will either totally agree with me or think I am off my rocker, but let me ask you this: do you ever ask your friends for their opinions on something? Whether its a decision as to what shirt to wear or color of cardstock to use or to find a new place to live or work is irrelevant. The fact is that most of us seek out the views of our friends. Their reality can give our reality a whole new fresh look. KWIM?
Oh, I admit it. Sometimes our friends have some harsh-feeling words or ideas (truth?) to present to us. Its hard to swallow at times because its truthfulness eats away at that part of us that wants to deny that we were fooling ourselves. Shocking that a single word of truth can shake our perceptions of ourselves and change our entire reality in the span of a sentence. But sometimes if we just let that truth settle in, we can find that reality changes aren't so scary after all.

Selections

2005-08-01T19:39:00.000-04:00

Hi, my name is Stacie...

2005-07-30T14:55:00.000-04:00

And I have become a PSP junkie. I admit it-I love my recently acquired PSP and it loves me. I blame this on my mother and father.
As a child, video games were not something that was allowed in the house. Oh sure, on the rare occassion that we went to Pizza Hut, I would *sometimes* be allowed to play Space Invaders or PacMan. When I would visit my aunt who had Atari, wow...I would get to play this crazy dragon game and Kaboom. Those were the days...
As a college student, I was lucky enough to have many friends who loved PlayStation. Each Monday was called Mortal Monday and there would be vast numbers of people hanging out playing Mortal Kombat. I would play, but really had no clue what the heck I was doing. I learned a few combos that could whoop someone else's butt, but the rest of the time I was just slamming the buttons as fast as I could. Needlesstosay, if I actually beat you, your skills weren't so mad, hehehe. During the summers, I would hang out with my friends at home and play Twisted Metal. I wasn't so good at steering, but it was fun after partying for a few hours.
When Steve and I were living in Rockville (years ago, before marriage and before Michael ever entered our thoughts), we would play MK and CoolBoarders on PlayStation. I loved CoolBoarders! No, I still wasn't any good at steering in races, but in the tricks part, I found that some of those MK moves nabbed me some serious points.
After Michael was born, we picked up PlayStation2 (and I believe the PlayStation went to Steve's office, or maybe another friend is "borrowing" it??) and picked up a few more games.
Fast forward to our current home: Xbox in the movie theatre and PS2 in the living room. Steve plays more often than I do, and I can honestly tell you that the only reason I bought him Xbox was to play Halo and Halo2. When Sarah visits, Steve gets re-addicted to PS2, but about a week after she leaves, he's back on his normal, random gaming schedule.
And now, my beloved PSP. I have three games, but have only played two. My first game purchase was Twisted Metal: Head On. Love it. I *STILL* have a hard time steering, but I'll tell you what, the longer you play, the more you get the hang of it (enter addiction). The next game I bought was called Lumines. Its a puzzle game that reminds me of a kind of Tetris (I think). You make blocks of colors and then they disappear and you get points and new screens and new music and blah blah blah. Its the one I play most often. I am highly addicted to it...HIGHLY. My other game is called Wipeout Pure. I will admit that I bought this game for two different reasons. One: Its a spacelike racing game. Two: There is a hack that you can use with the game so that you can access the internet through your PSP. If you know *ANYTHING* about me at all, you can guess which one of those is the primary reason for the purchase of that game.
When I confessed to Steve that I bought a PSP (thanks for spilling the beans, Sarah! hehehe), he asked me why. I showed him how easy it was to zone into the games and he laughed so hard since he had never seen me that way before. I asked him if he wanted one, and he said he didn't need another timewaster. (Don't listen to him, my sweet shiny black PSP! You know I love you, baby!) But then, he said something to the effect of "Hey, can I try that game?" Yeah, 20 minutes later I got it back with a "Please don't buy me that, I will never get any work done again!" Too true.

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

2005-07-26T13:11:00.000-04:00

I love going on vacation, but I LOVE coming home. It reminds me how much I love my home. Ah, deep sighs of contentment all around from this part of the country.
I've got a lot to do to catch up on all my online endeavors (and then some) and for scrapbooking stuff, and I'm really psyched to sit down and be creative.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I'm back and will be trying to catch up with all of you as best I can as fast as I can.
:D

My life is rated R.
What is your life rated?

Just hanging around

2005-07-17T23:25:00.000-04:00

Funniest thing was hanging around tonight, so I ran for a camera to share.

If you get a chance

2005-07-15T19:56:00.000-04:00

Check out my flikr pics to the left-they have some photos from my B/W photography class that I took on Wednesday. Mind you, these are the 'candids' from my digital, but when I get the B/W's I'll let you know. ;)

Random thoughts along the way

2005-07-15T15:51:00.000-04:00

the beauty of the written word
I love pages and pages of my own writing-even though I've never really liked my own handwriting until recently (like a week ago). I love that feeling of accomplishment that I get when I see full pages. They can be ramblings of no consequence or great grand projects of introspection. In the end, it doesn't matter-I just smile and feel good about it. Silly, eh?

we fear change
Over the past few years, I've come to realize that I am a status quo kind of girl. (This isn't really very flattering.) I like things to stay 'just as they are'. I get nervous and anxious to step outside my box. Fear alone of being a fool can easily keep me from trying something new (Yet I will very easily be silly and crazy on purpose to entertain other people. What's up with that? Beat them to it? Don't know!) What I find very strange about being a status quo girl is that I usually end up questioning everything. You'd think I would leave well enough alone, but...

arguments for sale
Did you know that I am (unfortunately) one of those people who will start an argument for no real reason? I mean, I don't sit there and think "I'm so going to start an argument just to argue." I suppose its more of a "You aren't giving me enough attention, and this will force you into it." I've been working hard on trying not to do this. How? I've tried to be more aware of when I'm feeling a little passive aggressive and to ask for attention instead of picking a fight. It almost always immediately difuses my feelings of anger. Almost...

step inside my comfort zone
What does the phrase 'comfort zone' really mean, anyway? Why do we have one? For 'protection'? Why do Americans seem to have a larger comfort zone than other peoples (ie the 3 foot rule versus 6 inches in your face rule)? I'm not sure where this one is going-they were just thoughts that popped into my head.

So, there are a few random thoughts for you to digest.

Public Service Announcement

2005-07-09T09:16:00.000-04:00

It has been brought to my attention that several of my readers are suffering from extreme flatulence as of late. In hopes of the stench not being correlated to them reading my blog, I thought I would do some research.
From the information that I've read, I am finding that the 'dreaded' carbohydrates are to blame for the majority of human gas production. Apparently, many of us aren't digesting our carbs the right way (ironic to think that as diabetes and obesity plague our world, we get stinkier, too).
Special note for my lactose intolerant friends:
Wondering what the deal is with that? Well, let me fill you in. Lactase is the name of an enzyme that is supposed to be in your small intestine. Well, you intolerants are missing them-sorry! Anyway, that enzyme is what breaks lactose down in the parts that are about to enter our bloodstream. Since you are missing that, the lactose goes straight to the large intestine. Doesn't sound so bad, except that's where the little bacterias are waiting to eat it. When they eat it, they make gas...So basically, what I'm trying to tell you is that, apparently, not only do you lactose intolerants give your bacterias a feast if you have ice cream, but you are also gassier than the rest of the non-lactose intolerant world (I thought to say "regular people" but I see how some people {see at 48 minutes} have used this phrase lately, and well...this is my social commentary on it.)
With that being said, here are my recommendations:
-Eat slowly
-Chew thoroughly
-Sip, don't gulp!
-Nix sodas and other carbonated drinks
-Nix gum
-Nix sugar-free foods that contain the "-tol's" (ie sorbitol)
And remember, all of us, regardless of creed, race, image, language, etc, are "regular people".

07.07 London

2005-07-07T22:48:00.000-04:00

I still can't believe that London was attacked. I hate the thought of those people making their way to work, but not making it. If indeed it was jihad, then all I have to say is fundamentalism is total bullshit. How can you kill in the name of God? It just doesn't even make a bit of sense. If its not jihad, then all I have to say is this is total bullshit. How can you kill people to make any sort of point at all?
I'm so sorry, London-dwellers and family and friends of London-dwellers, that you have experienced this. My heart and mind are with you.

You're kidding...right?

2005-07-06T18:08:00.000-04:00

What a day. My son has been the epitome of three today, totally independent (read: challenging, screaming, pleading, crying, frustrating, and demanding). I am exhausted and overwhelmed. Can anyone relate? I'm sure at least one or two of you can! Oi.
I had such great intentions for getting things taken care of today, but you know how intentions are: unlike horseshoes and hand grenades, intentions really only matter when you follow through. I've got a huge, huge box of boxes and envies of items that need to be put in the mail, but since my sidekick wasn't cooperating today when I picked him up from school, the post office just plain didn't get visited.
On the other hand, I did get a chance to download a new digital scrapbooking kit from Eclectic Scraps today. Its pinks and oranges and funky funky! You should go check it out. I hope to get a chance to play with it soon. Oh, and if you haven't entered the Eclectic Scraps and Snazzy Scraps contest, you better go do it now! Here is where to find the info.
Ok, I've got to get someone "situated" for the night (aka a bath, story, and bedtime!). I can't wait to just chill out...

Human For Sale

2005-07-03T13:39:00.000-04:00

I am worth $1,936,850 on HumanForSale.com

Too funny! Go take the test-its hysterical!!!!

Where in the world

2005-07-02T20:21:00.000-04:00

Remember those "Where's Waldo?" things from way back when? Here's one for you: Where's Michael?

Help MIT

2005-06-30T11:22:00.000-04:00

Special congratulations

2005-06-26T21:41:00.000-04:00

Special congratulations goes out tonight to a very special little man (not mine - he's too busy picking his nose in public) who has learned the f-bomb! Way to go, little guy! hehehehe...

"Do or do not."

2005-06-24T22:31:00.000-04:00

That Yoda had it right on, eh? Here I am, wanting to write, but for some reason I'm not. I'm pushing myself to write. Just a bit. It can be nothing - I don't care. Ok, I want my writing to be interesting. I have so many random thoughts right now that my stomach is a bit upset and my hand already hurts from my writing - talk about resistance, eh?
[Oh, wait? Did I just let a cat out of the bag? Yes, I write out my blog entries before I type them out. Shh - don't tell! It's part of my inner critic wishing for everything to be perfect! Shocker!!]
Totally OT: Do you ever freak yourself out at night? I do all the time. Every little noise creeps me out when I'm alone-and we have and use a security system on our home. Imagine how I was before we moved here? "Steve, wake up!! Its 3:30 am and I swear I heard someone downstairs!" Poor guy. His oak fraternity paddle rests beside my night table (no, not for that! Dirty minds!!) in case I ever feel the need to case the house for intruders.
Anyway, this past week at the ocean, little Michael slept in a double bed pushed up against that wall. We lined the other side with pillows to "keep" him from falling out onto the wooden floor. No problems, but we didn't use a monitor, and now with a monitor on here at home, I swear I hear every freaking move he makes...And its on the lowest setting. Oi. Each time he bangs up against the side of his crib, it sounds like "someone" is opening or closing a door in his room. Only a bit freaky.
By the way, have I ever told you WHY I use a monitor? Michael's lungs are perfectly capable of letting us know when he's awake, so its not that. When he was first born, I did the whole "Is he breathing?" routine every once in a while, but the biggest fear I had (and still have) is that someone will take him. You know-the whole through the window routine? Terrifying.
(A blog entry full of confessions tonight, eh?)
On top of all these thoughts going through my head, I am worried about tomorrow-or maybe about tonight, I'm not sure. I just feel sadness coming on. Not a devastating ruin the whole day kind of sadness, just a quiet sadness. Do you know how many babies I was exposed to this week at the ocean? I swear they were out in the hundreds, and of course, I saw every single one. Michael helped make sure I saw any I might have missed:
"Look, Mommy! What a sweet baby!"
"Mommy, did you see that tiny peanut?"
"Such a little peanut, Mommy!"
What can I say? We do love seeing babies, but I think I've gotten overwhelmed this week. And each time he sting is a little less for me, but a tiny more about what Michael has missed out on by losing his brother before every knowing he existed at all. I am writing tonight because I feel like if I write it out, perhaps I won't cry it out tonight or tomorrow. Don't get me wrong-I cry when I need to. I can't be accused of holding in my emotions-at all. But I guess what I really needed tonight was some therapy. A little bit of acknowledgement that I'm doing ok. My stomach feels better already, if you can believe it. Funny- nothing has changed except my single act of putting down on the page how I feel.
I used to write all the time and loved it. I never judged my writing or questioned it. Just did it. I've missed that in my life. I think that's why I continue to blog. I feel like its something that forces me to just do it. Do or do not. I choose to do. Even if no one is reading it-that's ok. Sure, its nice to be validated and have my friends know what's up with me. But I really feel better after I write. And with that, I bid you adieu and good night.

Questions

2005-06-22T12:33:00.000-04:00

Is it possible to have balance in your life and not know it? Must we be aware of balance in order for it to exist? I believe the universe hands
us only what we can handle, so isn't that a balance of sorts? Does balance require equal parts or just equal attention or levels of importance? Is something considered a part of your life if you only have it mentally~or must physicality of an item/idea/situation be required for it to maintain a balanced part of our lives? Can you wish balance into your life or must we actually work for it? And how? Does balance itself require a home in all our have-to's and need-to's? Why are have-to's and need-to's seemingly more important than want-to's? Did you like all those questions? Its a lot easier to ask questions than answer them (so says the political science major, lol), don't you think? I'm going to jump right into a new question that I present to all of you today- and I hope that you will share your thoughts and experiences with me, wither privately or by leaving a comment. Have you ever done something that you are sure was the "right" thing to do, but felt horrible about it?
This seems to be one of my major life lessons/issues. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks, friends.
-Stacie Crawford

Checking in again...

2005-06-21T17:52:00.000-04:00

Because I am unable to post comments on my friends' blogs from my cell phone, this post will have all my running commentary that I would have
posted had I been able to. I hope you all find it!

Sara: My friend, I sure hope that your kitties get it together. I remember when we had our puppy Ashton, how hard it was when he wasn't feeling well. Keep your chin up as best you can. Please keep me updated on how they are faring.

Jessica: I still am in absolute shock over all the drama that went on at
your blog due to what I felt were innocent, truthful comments. It just
shows you that there are people out there who would rather have lies
than the truth. Don't forget me when you get the whole password deal set
up. ;)

Nicole: How is WW coming along? Are you still motivated? I guess the kids are out of school now, eh? Hope you all are adjusting to
summerlife. And I am so jealous of those stamps! They are too faboo!

Bree: Have you gotten all settled in yet? Sounds like the kids are adjusting to the new home. Can you believe how big Mason and Natalie are
getting? It blows my mind just to think of them doing all those cool
things. And way to go, Mason, for pooping on the potty!!

Alicia: I can't get to your site from here, so I have no clue what's up
with you. I hope you are hanging in there, girl! I miss chatting with
you!

Pam: Girl, are you headed this way soon? I hope your recent vacation wasn't to DC, and I missed you!!

Andrea: Are you just too sweet? I think so. I loved reading your lists.
Good luck on the weight loss challenge~I think everything is easier when
you have some company. I'll be cheering you on.

Lisa: Quit refusing to blog and get up on it. Especially this week, eh?

Terri: Hello? Don't tell me you don't have anything to blog about,
because I know you do!!

Stephanie: I can't see your blog from my cell phone either, so drop a line to tell me how you're doing.

Ok, ladies, please know I'm thinking of you all.
-Stacie Crawford

Meme from Pam

2005-06-17T21:52:00.000-04:00

So I've had a ton of time to think on these...Pam posted this meme for me. I really had to think hard on these, but here are my answers:

1. If you lived in a classic fairy tale which one would it be and why? Sleeping Beauty because not only does she get to sleep, but she stays young the entire time, bags a prince and ends up being Queen. Not too shabby for a hard night's sleep.

2. What are your 3 best qualities and 3 worst qualities? My three best qualities are that I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, I try to see all sides of an 'argument' before making a decision, and I think I'm funny (not everyone thinks I'm funny, but for some reason they still laught at/with? me, hehehe). My three worst qualities are that I have a difficult time making decisions because I usually see the value of every outcome, I tend to procrastinate, and I usually hold all my feelings in until I feel very overwhelmed emotionally-not really healthy. I'm sure I've got a lot more good and bad qualities but these are the ones that I've been dealing with most recently, so they are fresh in my head.

3. If you could trade places with one person who would it be? and why? I've never really wanted to trade places with anyone, actually. I just kinda feel like my experiences are my own and truly create the future me. I don't know if I would have the umph to deal with other peoples' lives as my own. I guess if I could trade places with someone, I would want it to be with someone who was on a dream vacation in the Bahamas. ;) hehehehe

4. If you could pick a theme song for the rest of your life which song do you chose and why? Sheesh, you know several years ago I could have answered this probably pretty quickly, but I've found that like many of the artists that I love, I change as time goes by. Since I can't really pick a theme song, I'll tell you that I love the Beatles, Alannis Morrisette, Beck, Dave Matthews, the Dead, Brownie Mary...

5. Pick one (the one you pick will be remedied for good): Global Warming or World Hunger? "World Hunger" -Miss Congeniality; Global Warming-Stacie Crawford

Scrappin' alllllll day

2005-06-10T16:11:00.000-04:00

CKU is going great! We've had classes all day, and have a crop tonight.
So far, I've rwally enjoyed my classes. Gotta run~ class is starting
again!
-Stacie Crawford

Location: Nashville

2005-06-09T10:59:00.000-04:00

OK, I know one of you will be upset to hear this: I am in Nashville. I'm
sorry, my friend, but I have zero free time while I'm here, so that's
why I didn't say anything. Please forgive me.
The rest of you, what can I say? I've been MIA due to computer issues
but I'm hoping to check in by Sunday.
In the meantime, I will try my hardest to be a semi-friendly blogger.

So, why am I in Tennessee? Those lovely young men singing in the airport
(on stage, no less) could definately be a reason for return...but I
digress. I am here for CKU!!! Woohoo!! I am so psyched and excited to
be here. It should be a blast, but I totally admit that I am nervous. I
always get this way about this kind of stuff. Anyway...I will check in
later!
-Stacie Crawford

Rick James spotting

2005-06-03T15:46:00.000-04:00

"I'm Rick James, b***h!"

Saw this on heyfreak.com

2005-06-03T13:40:00.000-04:00

Thought I would try this here...

I ____ Stacie.
Stacie is ____.
Stacie thinks a lot about _______.
When I think of _________, I think of Stacie.
If I were alone in a room with Stacie, I would _______.
I think Stacie should _____.
Stacie needs ______.
I want to ____________ Stacie.
If I could describe Stacie in a word: _______.

Finally getting my kraut together

2005-06-02T22:38:00.000-04:00

So, the newsletter is done, the site is updated, and the only thing I need to do is post a few things tomorrow morning to the site. Whew.
Finally, I have a chance to come back on and see what all my friends have been up to. I'm about to roll out into the great wide blogosphere to try to catch up on it all. Hopefully, exhaustion will stay away long enough for me to go see what everyone is up to...

You thought yesterday was bad

2005-06-01T20:13:00.000-04:00

So here is my issue: My reliable computer died yesterday, and I lost all the info, programs, files, etc that were there AND the hard drive sounds like its eating itself (not a good sign, for real). The chances of it starting up or even the recovery of any information at all is slim to none (and I just heard slim get eaten by said hungry hard drive). On top of that, my unreliable laptop that is less than a year old (lovingly called my "Congratulations! You've got cancer! prize") will not stay turned on. From what I hear, its a motherboard/power insertion location connection problem that is "user induced" (Did I mention the motherboard had to be replaced just a few short months ago??). My response? "MY ASS!!" Oh, I own up to my true "user induced" problems, but this one doesn't add up (Did I mention that my brother-in-law has the same model and is having the same issues?). Dare I say it again? User induced MY ASS!! (Meanwhile, my parents have my five year old Dell laptop that-knock on wood-hasn't had a problem in its lifetime.)
Do my laptops need thrown? WTF? Is this some kind of conspiracy?
So, here is where I was at:
-Trying to scan and stitch layouts for the Snazzy Scraps design team stuff
-Trying to figure out if I missed a link during all the crashes to work on the latest Cashew Style design team stuff
-Getting the Scrapforums newsletter taken care of and trying to figure out what site updates need to be made
BUT THE DAMN COMPUTER WON'T STAY ON LONG ENOUGH TO EVEN GET TO A DAMN PROGRAM!!!
-Trying to figure out if someone (ANYONE??) can re-email me my flight info for CKU-TN
-Trying to find a contract I was supposed to sign and send last week (THANK YOU, A.H.!! YOU ROCK! I SWEAR I WILL SEND IT ASAP!!)
-Recent purchases info
-General logins/passwords/email addresses, etc.
-iTunes. Do I need to say anything else on this one? GONE! ALL GONE!! :(
Oi.

So meanwhile, I decided to try to start up the old (OLD OLD OLD) desktop to try to get things done. What a mess. I had to get rid of programs, users, viruses, etc. Downloaded some ad removal program (thanks for the heads up, Lisa!) and quarantined and then deleted 1154 "critical" items. HORRID.
So now I'm trying to get a VERY OLD desktop up to par enough to download all over again the programs for working on the site and newsletter. Argh. I'm frustrated, but hopeful that this desktop will work well enough to get all my work done tonight. Oi.

So several hours have passed in the writing of this, and yes, I'm still frustrated. BUT. Remember that "Miracles happen every day" kind of post a few days ago? Even though I'm mad, life is still pretty damn good. Check out my latest cell phone pic of my little peanut (over on the left)-does it get any better than that? :D

What a day yesterday

2005-06-01T10:20:00.000-04:00

Oi, what a day.
Good news: they got all the abnormal cells in the procedure, so now its just check ups every three months for the next year.
Bad news: my computer died! And took all of my precious information with it. Argh. To say the least.
I'm so wiped out that this is all I can even say about it.
I promise I'll write more later-much more interesting than this, but right now I've got to get crackin' on getting some stuff taken care of today. oi.

Miracles happen every day

2005-05-30T16:32:00.000-04:00

Or: Things to be thankful for.
I'm not a religious peron, but I do consider myself spiritual. In any
case, I do believe in miracles. I consider a miracle to be something
that takes just the right circumstances to occur, if not a spark of some
divine intervention (aka something as yet unexplained by science). With
today being a day to be thankful for all that we have thanks to all of
our soldiers, I felt the need to 'kick it up a notch' ~ let's be
thankful for all that we can. I am going to post some of the most recent
miracles that I've had the honor of having impacted my life. I hope that
those of you who are reading will share some of your recent miracles,
too. Without further ado:
-having known the joy of becoming pregnant again
-Owen surviving surgery and cancer treatments
-each day that my husband travels to and from work safely
-hearing that Nadine is pregnant
-learning about Mason's cancer while there is still time to treat him,
instead of losing him
-two 'no way' friends become digital scrappers (ha!)
-two 'never again' friends become pregnant with their second children
-learning about my own abnormal cells early enough to treat them
These are only a few of the most recent ones. Please tell me some of
yours!
-Stacie Crawford

Important notes regarding...

2005-05-29T13:05:00.000-04:00

...well, nothing! I just have a few things to throw out there at you today.

Star Wars, Episode III (no spoilers included)
The movie was incredible. How could it not be? I am a big fan of learning the stories behind the story, so it was really good. Of course, it was violent-it *IS* Star Wars, but it was sad, too. On that note, I leave you with two links to check out. First is this blog, which is hysterical. The other is of Hayden Christiansen, who plays Anakin/Darth Vader. Yum.

Its Always A Good Time To Sing
Just to get you going for the day, here is a 90's song for you to sing throughout the day. If you know this song, you spent too much time either clubbing in the 90s or watching MTV when it was MUSIC television. So, here you go:
Yo I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,
So tell me what you want, what you really really want,
I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,
So tell me what you want, what you really really want,
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really
really really wanna zigzag ha.
-Wannabe, Spice Girls, Spice, 1997

Birthday Present
My family gave me my birthday presents last night. As soon as I can, I will put up photos, but I will tell you what they gave me: A framed black and white photo of The Beatles arriving in America in 1964, and figurines of all The Beatles that are like the Yellow Submarine movie. TOO COOL!!! I know at least one of you will be jealous out there. ;)

That's it for now! Hope you have a wonderful day!!

Saturday Saturday Saturday

2005-05-28T18:45:00.000-04:00

Not to confused with Thursday Thursday Thursday...
We did a bit of shopping today: Gymboree, Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, Steve and Barry's. Just a tiny bit of Memorial Day Weekend damages done. ;)
Tonight we're going to see Star Wars. I'm really excited-its been a long time since we've seen a movie together at the theatre. Oh, and did I mention that my parents are coming with us? It should be a good time.
We're going to eat dinner here in a few minutes, so I gotta run, but...I just want you all to know that I sure do like you! ;)

Roll the bones

2005-05-25T22:01:00.000-04:00

We go out in the world and take our chances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That's the way that lady luck dances
Roll the bones
-Roll The Bones, Rush

Most of you reading this know that I truly believe that there is a reason for everything that occurs. We can learn from every experience we have and hopefully not too many of those experiences are unhappy ones. But I also find 'in the nick of time' and 'coincidences' ironic, yet, I digress.

Like many of you, I have had several unfortunate things happen in my life, whether it is in my personal life directly or in my friends' or family's lives. I have been thinking about how good my life is today, and of course, I am at the point where I truly realize that the bad things make the good things even better. It sounds so trite to put it into words, but ah well-its the truth.

On that note, I am highly disappointed in the Lost season finale. I guess I should preface that by saying this is the only episode that I watched. ;)

If only...

2005-05-24T23:36:00.000-04:00

...I was as hot as my new avatar (supplied by Yahoo! avatars). You know its bad when a cartoon is more hot than you are. hehehehhe!

Ah, well, I suppose you came for more entertainment than this, eh? Well, check out this link for some interesting (for real) ideas about Star Wars. No, its not about the new movie, just go read. Come back and hollah when you're done reading.

I knew it

2005-05-24T00:10:00.000-04:00

I knew something was up yesterday early evening. After Michael had his breathing treatment (he has a cold and is having a hard time breathing again, poor kid - but he's happy and playing, at least!), I heard a plane coming over, but it was so loud that I was actually worried that it was a little private owned plane potentially going to wreck into the house. I stood in front of Michael trying to decide what the heck to do, but its not like I knew what was up. When I looked outside, it was a fighter jet flying over. Windows and walls were rattling. If the guy would have waved, I would have been able to see-that's how low he was to the ground. He was lower than any of the airplanes ever are around here - we have the county airport about a mile and a half from our home. He disappeared and either he or another plane came back and it was pretty regular timing for about 10 minutes or so. I searched the news stations, news websites, and even called out of state to see if anyone knew anything and I turned up nothing. I really was nervous that something was going on in DC that we were being defended against, but couldn't figure out what it would be if it wasn't being broadcasted everywhere. My mom suggested that someone is practicing for a Memorial Day airshow. Finally, I thought perhaps the local fighters were doing a neener-neener-neener flight about the Johnny Jackass who flew over DC two weeks ago getting his license pulled (haha). I had almost put it out of my mind, when I thought perhaps I should take another quick look at the websites at 1130 at night. Well, look what I found out:
WTOP News
and
NBC4 News
Guess I wasn't so paranoid after all, eh?

Blogging, why I do it

2005-05-23T22:47:00.000-04:00

My friend Laura asked me today why I started blogging my response was that I had done it before it was cool (and hence no one read it), I got bored, and stopped posting, but then decided recently to jump on the blogwagon and be a true follower-in search of that coolness factor. But here I am, several hours later, thinking about whether there aren't some deeper reasons why I blog. I suppose in retrospect, I feel like my answer to Laura was somewhat flip.
I admit it-I'm a techiegeekgadget lover. Thankfully, my husband is, too, so we support each other in this highly monetarily-abusive attitude. We both turn our heads rather quickly to listen harder if someone - anyone - says "new" gadget/ camera/ cell phone/ computer/ laptop/ printer/ scanner/ iPod/ music player/ palm pilot/ software/ video games/ search engine algorythms/ DMOZ... You get the point? The only thing we never really got into was the beepers/pagers scene-but who needs that when you have cell phones with text messaging. Yet, I digress.
The point I was making is how can I *NOT* be blogging when its the latest techie rage? I mean, one of my dear friends who is VERY non-techie is out there blogging (in the guise of a scrapbook blog). Which seems to have urged her on to attempt digital scrapbooking (and made a digital design team!). Uh, hello? Do you see how technology sucks us in and drags us deeper? (Thank you, CoCo, for being an excellent example!) Wait, wrong blather-but you get my point, right?
I like to share my thoughts with my friends in a way that does not *FORCE* them to read (like say an email that implies you will comment in return). I really like when my friends comment, though. It makes me feel special and I think its really cool that *THEY* come looking for *ME* to see what I'm up to. Talk about making someone feel special!
I like that I can both direct thoughts toward certain people and write vast generalizing statements towards no one in particular at the same time in the same post if I want to. I love inside jokes (especially when I "get" them, LOL), such as:
"Bedagerfderf, little girl."
"I like chicken and mashed and paimp."
"Don't get SUIT."
"I don't need my medicine anymore."
BUT. My life isn't that terribly exciting or interesting. Sure, it has interesting points. I *LOVE* my life but its a run of the mill stay at home mom kind of life. I'm not a celebrity, so no one except my friends seek me out. So, I suppose the real reason I blog is to entertain *ME*. Thank you, my friends.

I have issues

2005-05-23T22:46:00.000-04:00

Seriously.

Miss me?

2005-05-23T15:20:00.000-04:00

"DAMN POSERS!!!" (beat you to it!)

New in search of: the perfect avatar. I need a new avatar. Something that I can use to express how I feel today....hmmmm....I must go search.

While I search, go check out Eggroll, Bagel, Cookie, Vengeance: The Four Ninja Food Groups. Interesting reading.

Anyway, I just wanted to give a shout out to all those of you who have been desperately waiting for this next installment of my inner coolness: HEH-YEAH-YA!!

Ok, so now I've posted, and you all know I'm still alive...I've got work to do!!

Oh what a night

2005-05-18T10:06:00.000-04:00

Late December back in '63, what a very special night for me...OK, maybe
not that far ago, bit more like last night. We had the awards banquet
(yeah, Steve!! He received an award for being top DI salesman in the
country for Guardian.) Michael went to his first kids party and promptly
burst into tears the minute they said hi to him. We left quickly so we
didn't draw it out, but I peeked after about two minutes and he was
playing and talking to another kid. When I picked him up, he was so
excited to tell me all about it. It was a great night!
-Stacie Crawford

Welcome to the blue house!

2005-05-15T14:48:00.000-04:00

Yes, its true, today we saw Bear in the big blue house. Funny, that last time we went with Sarah, the house was nearly life size, this time, its pretty tiny. No matter-Michael had a BLAST!! We did, too.
We are having such a wonderful time watching him enjoy things and get excited. Yesterday, we went to a 3D movie and laughed our butts off as he reached for things. Once he even threw his glasses off because he was afraid of something 'getting him'. Too cute.
Tonight we have a reception and dinner for the business part of it all, and while its sunny and hot out right now, we just got a message saying that the events are being moved away from the pool due to inclement weather. WTH? I don't see any inclement weather?! Oh, well, maybe they know something we know?? Doesn't make sense, but...
Michael is 'kind of' sleeping in his room. Its hard to sleep when people are slamming doors all afternoon and someone decides to vaccuum the floor outside your hotel room. But he's making the best of it, LOL
Everthing is going great down here, but it seems as if a few of you are missing me. So, in order to help you feel better, I am going to give you a couple of links to check out to let you feel 'closer' to me. (LMAO)

A Touch of West Virginia
What's a Day Without Horses?
Update On "I'm Rick James, B***h!"
Apparently "Big Sister" checking up on "the little ones" to see who's been naughty
And finally, for those of you who require boobs, beer, and hockey.
Enjoy, and talk to you soon!

Random thoughts of today

2005-05-14T08:16:00.000-04:00

-I need Starbucks.
-How can this part of the airport *NOT* have Starbucks??
-It's probably a protective thing when your stomach drops as you surge
upward on a plane~perhaps something telling us its just not natural for
humans to fly?
-My child is angelic! I know *SHE* is jealous of me, because my child is
damn near perfect (on this flight) hehehe
-Juan, has anyone ever told you what lovely hands you have? I positively
adore how they hold my soon-to-be cup of chai!
-I wonder if Starbucks barristas (sp?) are available for hire?
-Porters are just as lonely as cab drivers...just a bit more bitter, but
with a smile.
-Thank you, Juan at the Orlando Airport Starbucks, for that kick@$$
chai!! (I don't hand out that compliment to just any old chai creator,
either!)
-Denise is such a doll-can't wait to see her in a few days!!
-There must be a reason that ALL the men in the gym are middleaged. Why
am I in here? Oh, yeah...excuse me, is there a ladies room closeby?
-Our room knew it was for us: its completely orange and blue!
-Michael's nose sweats in his sleep, the same exact way that TJ's (my
first kiss) did when he ate nachos with jalapenos.
-If Michael is this excited about the playground at the hotel, what are
we in for when we actually go to one of the parks?
-I better wake the boys up now...gotta find that mouse!!!
-Stacie Crawford

Odd traffic today

2005-05-13T10:31:00.000-04:00

We're on the beltway, and we are cruising. I can't believe the lack of
traffic today. Downright weird.
Elliot in the Morning has some racecar drivers on the show right now.
I'm not into racing, but I really like the voice of Sterling Marlin
(sp?).
OH!! There's how many wheels on a big rig? I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII...
(Anyone remember that comedy song from the early 90's?? Jon and I used
to laugh so hard and sing our hearts out on the way to high school when
that song would come on!)
Just took some pics with my cell phone, check them out:
http://staciecrawford.tamw.com/?r=2501463
http://staciecrawford.tamw.com/?r=2501464
http://staciecrawford.tamw.com/?r=2501465
Sorry two are sideways-on my cell phone, LOL
Later!
-Stacie Crawford

Bree's Playtime Digi Kit

2005-05-12T14:28:00.000-04:00

Have you seen this lovely little kit? If you're interested in getting this kit, tell Bree. Here's a quickie that I just did using it (special thanks goes out to my computer for not crapping out this time!):

A good quote to keep on file

2005-05-12T13:29:00.000-04:00

While watching Raising Helen last night (definate chickflick, but definately a good one!), I found quite a few quotes that brought me great humor, but one in particular I felt needed some homage here on the blog. Yeah, I laughed so hard, I wrote the dang thing down!
All I will give you for atmosphere is that a woman is saying this to a boy regarding her neice-
"If you so much as blink in her direction again, I can and will bury you so far in the ground that the heat of the earth's core will incinerate your sorry ass."
I can only hope that someday I am so eloquent when my teenager needs it. :)

People are funny, not ha-ha funny, either

2005-05-11T15:26:00.000-04:00

Although in retrospect, sometimes they are.
In no particular order, here are some of my personal favorites that I have heard people say that make me wonder how looney they really are:
"I decided I didn't need my medicine anymore."
"I don't think anyone wants to choose sides."
"You can never wear too much pink."
"Its totally HER fault, I had nothing to do with it."
"You're panicking."
"Twilight Zone Day" (You know who you are...)
One person makes me laugh really hard when speaking of stupid things people say. I put this link here for you to laugh with me, but please keep in mind that I haven't explored the website and have NO IDEA who the person is, not responsible for what else you may find there, blahblahblah...Anyway, here is the link.

Now you'll really be jealous...

2005-05-09T16:34:00.000-04:00

So, most of you know that it was my birthday last week. Well, Jessica made me a birthday present. Unlike any other that I've ever received. A digital kit!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?! She's such a freak-she knows me so well! She made it to fit me perfectly-I just love it! I think she needs to put it up for sale on Eclectic Scraps. Here is the preview and my first layout that I made with it (If you like it, go bug her about buying it!!):

What a morning!

2005-05-09T15:16:00.000-04:00

Michael and I went to meet up with my mom in Breezewood to have lunch today. We had a great time, but now I'm wiped out and trying to figure out whether or not to take this opportunity to rest while Michael does, or to try to get stuff done that I want to get done. How to choose? ACK! I'm too spoiled to be able to sit here and whine about this decision. I'm sorry.
I supposed I had better go try to get some stuff done. Wish me luck...

Home again...

2005-05-08T22:48:00.000-04:00

What a great time we had at the ocean this weekend! On our way home today, we stopped in Annapolis to spend some time with Steve's mom for Mother's Day. The day was incredible-we spent the entire time outside in the sunshine!
And don't be even more jealous, but...I got some scrapping done tonight! Can you believe it? I've done one two page layout and a one page layout, and I've gotten another two page layout almost done--needs journaling and a title. I'm so happy that I got a chance to play tonight.
I just wanted to check in and see if anyone is out there-I've got some friends' blogs to catch up on, so I'll see you later.

Surf's up!

2005-05-07T16:26:00.000-04:00

We knew the waves were much larger than usual here at OCMD, but just a
few minutes ago, we saw that even we misjudged. It appeared that what we
thought were five or six foot waves seem to be almost ten foot tall
waves!! The surfers that are out now are actually catching the waves
instead of either missing them or apparently being afraid of them. I
suppose its an experience thing. Know what I mean? If you're used to
surfing five foot waves, bigger ones can be a bit intimidating. The
temperature of the water alone deters me, hehehehe

Now you can be jealous

2005-05-07T12:35:00.000-04:00

Well, maybe not fully jealous...how about semi-jealous, quasi-jealous? The Diet Coke of jealous? Just don't tell me that you're not jealous enough, and I'll be happy. LOL
The day is much better than yesterday. Around 65 degrees, but with the wind going a bit, we still needed our coats. Michael LOVED the sand! I'm glad because I was worried that he wouldn't like standing on it or potentially being 'dirty'. Pure heaven! He totally enjoyed being out there.
We decided to come in for a bit to mellow out before naptime. So we're watching the movie Babe~which I've never seen before. Its pretty cute so far.
Talk to you later...

Dreary, rainy, and cold

2005-05-06T20:53:00.000-04:00

Yep, that's how it is here at the ocean today. So for those of you who were feeling jealous that I'd be here, now isn't the time. I'm hoping tomorrow has some sun and less wind so that Michael will get a chance to play in the sand. At this point, he doesn't 'get it' and is ready to go home. As a matter of fact, he has asked me about five times today if we are going home yet. Too funny, that kid.
I am hoping to get a chance to check out all my friends' blogs and the site tonight, but I'm not sure if that will happen. Might have to wait until tomorrow.
Just wanted to pop over and let you guys know that there's no reason to be jealous yet...

Did you see the Snazzy Scraps May Kit yet?

2005-05-04T16:06:00.000-04:00

The Snazzy Scraps May Kit is pretty cool-it features papers from Basic Grey's Lollipop Shoppe. Lisa, of course, managed to pull a great kit together this month. I was so excited that she asked me if I would create a layout to showcase the kit. WOOHOO! Thanks for my five minutes of fame, girl! :D
Here's a peek:

Another looooovely day in Latrobe!

2005-05-03T23:07:00.000-04:00

What a cool day! I got to see both of my grandmothers today, which was pretty nice. I don't get to see either of them very often, so it was really cool that they took the time to come see me (and Michael).
Sarah was helping my one grandmother at church tonight, so Michael and I went BACK to Starbucks - a much better experience this time around! We also got Krispy Kreme for the ride home. MMMmmm...I know you're jealous now. They were mighty tasty. ;)
The kids decided to pull a Michael Flatley and riverdance for a bit before bed. I took some pics with my cell phone (so don't expect great clarity) to show you they got their groove on:

In the meantime, I'm off to bed-pretty wiped out tonight. Have a good one!

Oi, early morning...

2005-05-03T08:51:00.000-04:00

630, the alarm went off and boy, was I having a cool dream. I think if I would have been at home sleeping without an alarm, I never would have remembered it, so I guess you take the lumps with the goods, eh? :)
I had to get up early to get Sarah ready for school today. I have to say that my only complaint this morning with her was that it appears that no one has combed her hair for a few days. The knots were so horrible that I couldn't even comb it. I felt that 645 am was not the time to start ripping them out, so when she gets home from school today, guess what we're going to be doing? Its going to be awful, to say the least. She will cry, and she will be in pain. I just don't understand why no one has combed her hair-that's what makes it so frustrating. ARGH. Needlesstosay, big sister will be the bully so that Mom won't have to be tomorrow night.
You know, last night I had all intentions of going to bed early. I ended up sitting here talking with my Dad until around 1130, then I *HAD* to read a few pages of The Lovely Bones just to see what it was all about. Boy, did I get sucked in. I forced myself to stop reading at 1230 and turned off the lights. Normally, I just would have kept on reading for a few hours, but I knew that I would have no help with Michael today, since I'm in Latrobe. Anyway, the book is really good so far, and I'm only on the first chapter. Disturbing, but good.
Michael is doing really well. He finished up all his medicine and hasn't needed a breathing treatment for a few days (even at the birthday parties running like a madman with his cousins, no meds needed). He's his old goofy self and way less demanding than he was when he was feeling bad. Ok, he's still demanding-as usual-but at least he's sweet, too. ;) My Dad calls him Michael "Don't tell me no" Crawford-and it fits him well. hehehehe
I was getting so psyched to digi scrap for a bit today, but it appears that my parents don't have the right program on their computer (what the heck?? Don't they know I was coming? hehehe), and my laptop that I brought is slow as heck to work on digi stuff. Not sure what I was thinking not bringing my other laptop.
Anyway, I'm rambling, and I think I need to find something good to drink...anyone have a good Starbucks by them?

Barnes and Noble, great! Starbucks, not so much.

2005-05-02T20:01:00.000-04:00

BN was great-found some nifty books to read (The Lovely Bones, Bergdorf Blondes, The Jane Austen Book Club) over the next few weeks with my book club, hehehehe.
In terms of Starbucks, well...I love Starbucks, and the people there are very nice. BUT. They really messed up my chai. Big bummer. The funny thing is that I came home and read Pam's blog and just hooted about it all. Its nice to know I'm not alone.
[FYI, if you're wondering who Pam is, go check out her website-you might recognize it: MoBe' Stamps!]
Ok, off to put Michael to bed, and then violin practice with Sarah. Later!

In search of The Lovely Bones...

2005-05-02T17:48:00.000-04:00

Apparently my book club (aka Lori) decided on The Lovely Bones and actually is on chapter three!! Needlesstosay, the gang (Sarah and Michael) and I are going to have to make a run to BN tonight. Can't let that book club have one up on me. LOL I'd love to start the book tonight, but I've found that when I come to watch Sarah, I get completely exhausted. Which is really funny since Sarah does most of the entertaining while I'm here. Strange, eh? Well, I'm going to try to track down my dad to see if he wants to go with us. More later...

The Secret Life of Bees

2005-05-02T14:49:00.000-04:00

Have you read this book? Lori (my best friend) and I decided two weeks ago to create a two person book club. (These things will happen after gorging yourselves at the Olive Garden.) The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd was our first choice of things to read. As a 'reader', I finished it within the week. Lori, who doesn't have a whole lot of leisure time, has to make time to read. She calls herself a 'non-reader'. Well, Non-Reader finished the night before Reader! Does that tell you how good the book was??
If you need something to do this weekend, go pick up this book. It rocks.

I've got Lily in my possession...

2005-04-29T21:18:00.000-04:00

Oh my good graciousness. Lily is amazing. For real for real.

No soup for you!

2005-04-29T19:56:00.000-04:00

Ok, did you know that the "No soup for you!" guy (Al Yeganeh) from Seinfeld really does have a soup place in New York City? And did you know that he's getting ready to franchise it!? Check out this article about the upcoming franchise, and then check out the Soup Nazi's site, too.

Fonts and such

2005-04-29T19:29:00.000-04:00

You know, as a paper and digital scrapper, I really and truly love fonts. Yes, I get in a rut and like certain ones that I use nearly all the time, but I love, love, LOVE searching for a special one. But I will admit it...part of my love of fonts stems from the actual names of the fonts. So in the spirit of sharing, here are some of the most recent fonts that I absolutely love, just because of their names:

-Seven Monkey Fury
-fuu
-BN Suck My Balls
-Even Badder Mofo
-Snotmaster V
-Expletive Deleted
-Discount Inferno (begging to be the title of a blog)
-FSO Incompetent Apprentice (yet another great blog title)

Ah, the joy of creative naming. Thanks for the smiles, you incredibly talented fontmasters!

Lily appears to be 'stolen'

2005-04-28T17:54:00.000-04:00

Some people are kooks~especially my friends. LOL

Anyway, for those of you who haven't seen it yet, Lily is making an
appearance over at eclecticscraps.com Go check 'er out.

Sometimes you just can't win.

2005-04-28T10:46:00.000-04:00

I know, its shocking to hear, but its true.

So Michael is a total nut today. He can crank with the best of them, but this is so ridiculous that its REEDONKULOUS!! On top of his general 'not feeling good', the albuterol makes him have so much energy that he doesn't know what to do with himself. Example: He's standing by the couch, but his upper body is laying on it. He's got a pucky in his mouth and twirling his hair (sure signs of tiredness) with his eyes closed. And his feet are running in place a hundred miles an hour! He can't decide whether to be happy or sad, and that makes me sad for him.

On top of that, Michael was really looking forward to seeing Nannie today. She was going to come with my Aunt and Uncle on their way to Florida. Since my Uncle only has one lung, they decided it was too risky to come visit. I agree, but I'm disappointed. I really wanted them to see my house-but they can do that another time. The saddest part is that I made the mistake of telling Michael that we would be seeing Nannie today. Well, you can imagine what kind of turmoil he's in. Its funny-I'm really good at 'not telling' things, but this one I told. Go figure, eh?

Now, he's happy. Ok, that sounds funny, but let me tell you--I've been working on this page since 830 this morning...so its only two hours later... (where that rollie eye guy again??)

A little bit of craziness.

2005-04-27T14:50:00.000-04:00

Michael has pneumonia! Poor little guy. He's playing and having a grand time, but sheesh, it truly makes me feel like some neglectful mother. I mean, really, how does a three year old get PNEUMONIA?!?! Needlesstosay, I'm in shock. Oh, and now we are the proud owners of a nebulizer. Where's my rolling eyes smiling when I need him?

So for those of you who are wondering where I am (you know who you are), I'm around but quietly as I get over the shock of it all.

(LOL, that all sounds very dramatic, don't you think?? rofl, you know me-can't be totally serious all the time).

For sarabryans to laugh....

2005-04-26T10:36:00.000-04:00

Sara, in response to your awesome first photo of the day, I scanned this picture that sits in my scraproom. Its me and my cousin (who is getting married this summer) taken around 1984. ;)

Keeping Blogs And Privacy Issues

2005-04-25T23:50:00.000-04:00

So, when you post a blog, do you expect others to check on it every so often, or are you really doing it for yourself? I truly think that my life is pretty boring and that not too many people would be interested in reading about it...but then again, as an "unedited" journal, I think people *WOULD* be interested in reading about my thoughts. Eh, I'll ease you into that-I don't want you to get scared off too fast.

Then I wonder about the other people out there like me who prefer to keep their lives pretty private. Why are they (and why am I) blogging?

I think there are a couple reasons really. I think its probably something similar to the whole 'reality tv' phenomenon-we all love being voyeurs. That good old 'bug on the wall' feeling really makes ya feel like you're 'in-the-know'. Its only fair to share if someone else is, right?

Or maybe its the fact that some of us are searching for something more than just ourselves-wondering how it is that we are all connected in the web of life, yet sometimes feel so far removed from people. Dare I say that the internet actually shields us from relationships? Keeps us aloof, or even allows us to be just a little less polite than we usually are? Yet, I digress (imagine that).

Maybe it really is as simple as this: we all want to be accepted and know that someone out there really cares about the boring daily grind of our lives? So that when we get a little lonely, we can come here and see who, if anyone, left us a comment?

Ok, I'm done for now...

Did this work?

2005-04-21T21:33:00.000-04:00

See? My inner coolness is already at work trying to figure out if this worked...

I have to admit, I am following my friends who have recently started talking about blogging-oh yeah, I did it years ago (before it was cool) and thought I was the most boring person in the whole world--who the hell would want to read about me?? Anyway, I decided to follow the little herd and try to find my inner coolness in the process...lol.

In the meantime, I leave you with these few questions:

-Why are there more John Doe's from Oakland, CA in the templates area than Jayne Doe's from NYC, NY?
-Who decided to pose for the John and Jayne pictures?
-Don't you love those special 'fill in the space' words that templates always use? EXAMPLE: Treas em Wankeing ont Sime (thanks, blogger!) or one of my personal favorites: Esperanto hiccup estrogen.

(Imagine what the search engines would think of this post??)

Ok, so there's a peek into my inner coolness...once I get a chance, I plan on customizing the blog and making it look a bit more like...how I like it, LOL