Monday, August 30, 2004

Monday Madness


Name 3 of your favorite.......
1. Colors :: blue, green, purple
2. Pizza Toppings :: chicken, bacon, cheese (Buck's Pizza's chicken alfredo pizza)
3. Department Stores :: Wal-Mart (I'm cheap), The Bon Ton, Target
4. Flavors of Candy :: anything chocolate with mint, nuts or orange
5. Scents of Candles :: rain, ocean, apple pie
6. Days of the Week :: Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday
7. Vegetables :: avocado, broccoli, lettuce
8. Fruits :: raspberries, strawberries, oranges
9. Meals to cook :: lasagna, omelettes (any kind), salads (any kind)
10. Kitchen Gadgets :: blender, juicer, water filter
11. Olympic Sports :: gymnastics, beach volleyball, diving



Saturday, August 28, 2004

This is late, but ...

Thursdays Tattle

When is your Birthday? :: September 13
How old are you? :: 43
What is the best gift you have ever received for your Birthday? :: I can't really pick a best gift. When I got all the special ones, they were all the best at the time.
What is the best gift you have ever given someone for there Birthday? :: It would have to be something I gave one of my nephews, but I can't remember what it was exactly.
Have you enjoyed Thursday's Tattle for a whole year? :: This is my first time.
Would you like it to continue? :: Yes
What was your best Birthday so far? :: There are a few that were good. 5, 10, 18, 21, 30, 41.
Do you love or hate your Birthday? Love it, love it, love it!


Friday, August 27, 2004

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What is a word that your family uses that would not be considered common?

I can't think of anything off hand that my immediate family uses, but when I lived with Nick we used to use the word "hoochie" as a replacement for other words. Like ... Please hand me the hoochie (cooking utensil); Have you seen the hoochie? (remote control); I put the hoochie (cell phone) on the table.

Soup
What theme of calendar do you have on your wall this year?

I don't have a wall calendar but I do have a desk calendar & the theme is new houses. It came from the aforementioned friend who doesn't wave to me because he doesn't recognize me since I lost all the weight. He owns a construction business.

Salad
Name 3 people you speak with on a daily basis.

My Mom. Steve. Does God count?

Main Course
If you could put a new tattoo on someone you know - who would it be, what would the tattoo be of, and where would you put it on them?

GSG. My name. Somewhere he could see it.

Dessert
What is the last beverage you drank out of a glass bottle?

I hope this doesn't sound white trash. It was a single serving bottle of Pinot Grigio. Why get a glass dirty for one glass of wine, right?



Thursday, August 26, 2004

Theater Thursday

Week 15 - Soundtracks
I've been wearing out my portable CD player listening to all three original Star Wars movie soundtracks, in anticipation of their DVD release next month.

This week's questions are about movie soundtracks.

1) What is your favorite soundtrack from a movie?
I have a few, but the first three that come to mind are Star Wars, Independence Day and Grease.

2) Which movie's soundtrack didn't fit the tone of the movie, or was so badly composed it detracted from the movie?
I really can't think of any off hand. I guess if it's bad, I just don't think about it much after the movie.

3) Who is your favorite film music composer?
By far, John Williams.

BONUS) Do you prefer an orchestral soundtrack, or a popular-music soundtrack? Why?
It's a toss up. Although I love the orchestral soundtracks, I also like Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Dirty Dancing, Animal House. That's probably why I like the Back to the Future soundtrack so much. It's a great mix of both.

Thinking caps on? Let's go ...

What do these 3 Things have in common?

Peter Parker - Bruce Wayne - Tony Stark :: super hero alter egos
Trudgen - Australian Crawl - Butterfly :: swimming strokes
Radula - Tentacles - Ink Sac :: octopus parts
Continental - Dunlop - Good Year :: tires
Raphael - Donatello - Leonardo :: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (or artists, take your pick)
Gretta - Gatling - Mauser :: guns
Lincoln - Columbus - Chicago :: ?
Colonel Klink - The Penguin - Mr Peanut :: monacles
Daisy Moses - Elly Mae Clampett - Jethro Bodine :: Beverly Hillbillies characters
The Jerk - the Pony - The Twist :: dances
3 Dots- 3 Dashes- 3 Dots :: Morse code
A party - A tapeworm - A Talk Show :: things with hosts (good one!)
Tea - Doggy - Duffel :: bags
Pinch Shot - Corner Kill Shot - Wallpaper Shot :: pool shots?
13th Amendment - 14th Amendment - 15th Amendment :: amendments that have to do with voting?
Wise Potato Chips - Temple University - Sooters Restaurants :: Things with owl mascots ... and might I add Bradford Area High School. Go Owls!
Cowboy Curtis - The King of Cartoons - Chairy :: characters on Pee Wee's Playhouse
Yawl - Gaff Cutter - Ketch :: boats
Pinta - Nina - Santa Maria :: Columbus' boats
Hearts - Moons - Clover :: marshmallows in Lucky Charms
I Just Want to Be Your Everything - (love is) Thicker than Water - Shadow Dancing :: Andy Gibb songs
Big Bill Tilden - Little Bill Johnson - Don Budge :: tennis players
Butterwort - Pitcher Plant - Venus's Flytrap :: carnivorus (sp) plants
Brazil - Hazel - Pecan :: nuts
Blood - Fox - Basset :: hounds

Get in on the fun here.


Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Wednesday Matinee

1. Samuel Jackson vs Denzel Washington: who wins?
This is a tough one because I've liked Denzel longer but, based on the Star Wars movies alone, I'd have to say Samuel L. Jackson. That's not even mentioning Pulp Fiction and A Time to Kill.

2. How many times have you seen your favorite movie?
Let's see. I'm thinking I bought it on video in 1995. Conservatively speaking, let's say I watch it once a month. That would be (hold on while I do the math ...) 108 times. I know it's more than that, though, because sometimes I watch it more than once a month. And what if I bought it before 1995? By the way it's When Harry Met Sally.

3. What current event or news would you like to see made into a movie?
I can't spell her name but I think Mohini Bhardwarj's story would make a good movie. Or maybe Misty May.

~Four Gallon Pop Upgrade Bonus~ What's your favorite movie drink?
Boring, but water.


Monday, August 23, 2004

TV Tuesday is back! Yay!

Week 20 - Back to school
It's that time of year again and everyone's heading back to school! So we'll talk back to school this week!!

1. What's your favorite show that deals with school in some way? (Facts of Life, A Different World, Saved by the Bell, Fame, etc..)
Comedy :: Welcome Back Kotter. Although it's not as funny as it used to be, it still makes me laugh sometimes.
Drama :: My So Called Life. I still can't believe it got cancelled!

2. Which TV school would you have attended if given a choice?
Walt Whitman High School. Bonus points to anyone who remembers what show it was on.*

3. What's your favorite back to school commercial?
I can't remember if it's for Office Depot or Staples or something else but ... It starts with the song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and you see this man & woman dancing around and happy and shopping. Then they show the kids & a back-to-school sale sign.

~Bonus~ Reality check! What's your most memorable back to school moment?
Starting high school & being really nervous. It was a private school, so most of my friends weren't there because they were going to public school. Turned out fine, though. That's when I met my best friend ... who is still my best friend today.

*Room 222


I love the fair!

Went back to the fair yesterday. I won two stuffed animals all by myself!



I also went to a psychic who knew so much stuff about me. And now I really believe some psychis are for real! We also saw a hypnotist show. It was LOL funny.

And what's a county fair without cows?



This good, fun thoughts about the fair are also my happy thoughts for yesterday and today.

Oh yeah, my other happy thought for today is that I have the yearly mammogram out of the way. That's always a relief.

Sunday, August 22, 2004

Unconscious Mutterings

  1. Olympics:: Carly Patterson
  2. Wicked:: Witch of the West
  3. Intoxicating:: Drunk
  4. Radical:: extreme
  5. Misinformed:: uneducated
  6. Triplets:: babies
  7. Coronation:: Queen
  8. Asimov:: Sci/Fi
  9. Contemporary:: Modern
  10. 1:: 111 (a sign for lightworkers)


Saturday, August 21, 2004

Collateral

I really wanted to like this movie. Alas, I couldn't. Hey Tom, you're making it really hard for me to continue being a fan. You need a hit ... and soon!

BB5

Did the twins really think they wouldn't be put up for eviction? I'm with Diane on this one. I don't care which one of them goes, as long as one of them does. I still think the producers blew it by not bringing Drew's and Diane's twins into the house. I'm still thinking Drew might be switching, though. There are a couple of things he said, like "I didn't make that promise." Maybe he didn't. Maybe his brother did. Anyway, I think Nakomis is going to win. It'll be the first time since Will in BB2 that the person I wanted to win, won. But, we'll see.

Friday, August 20, 2004

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What does the color pink make you think of?

The movie Pretty in Pink. Also, it used to be my favorite color & I still like pink flowers (and purple).

Soup
Name something you have lost but later found.

My sanity? lol Seriously, I lose stuff all the time, so I have too many things to list here, but I usually find it.

Salad
In 3 words, describe this past week.

Hectic, but good.

Main Course
What are you obsessed with?

Everything! lol In no particular order, however, I guess I would say Great Smile Guy, Big Brother 5 (I'm pissed that Will is gone!) and this game. California Bogglin. Look for me. I suck lol

Dessert
What kind of perfume or cologne do you like to wear?

I wear Simply Basic Body Mist, Sweet Pea. (It's pink.)

Another happy thought ...

I just checked my stats and someone got here from this search. Of course it doesn't have anything to do with me being a cute blogger, but it made me smile. :)

Thursday, August 19, 2004

Thinking Cap Thursday


Week 7 Questions
here we go once again... its that time...
Everyone got thier thinking caps??? Are they on tight???
alright... here we go!!!
What do each of these Three things have in Common????

Clarice - Yukon Cornelius - The Bumble :: Characters in "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Greek Church - Grandmothers Teeth - Christmas Tree (a sports question...if that helps LOL) :: Um, it doesn't help. I don't know.

Penguin - Kiwi - Ostrich :: Birds (that don't fly?)

Laurence Olivier - John Wilkes Booth - Ronald Reagan :: actors

Corn - Olive - Baby :: oil

Herbie the Ice Cream Man - Reverend Leroy - Geraldine Jones :: Flip Wilson characters

“Citius” - “Altius” - “Fortius”

Asthma - Emphysema - Bronchitus :: illnesses that effect the lungs

Parker - Cross- Scripto :: pens

Mr Magoo - Bradley J. Stevens - Thurston Howell III :: Jim Backus characters

Rod Laver - Pancho Gonzales - John Mewcombe :: tennis players

D - C- 9 Volt :: batteries

A Belt - A bra - A bank robber ::

Steve Allen - Jack Parr - Johnny Carson :: hosts of The Tonight Show

Ben Franklin - Geroge Washington - Golden Gate :: bridges

Dolly - Jackie - Eleanor :: First Ladies

A Boat - A cradle - Van Halen :: Things that rock?

Double - Secret- Real Estate :: agents

Straight - Hook - Head FIrst :: baseball slides

Cleopatra - Ernest Hemingway - Vincent Van Gogh ::

A Loaf of Bread - A Golf Ball- A Pie ::

A Psychiatrist - A Mailman - An Ex-Pitcher ( Hint: a TV Question) :: regulars at "Cheers"

Cheryl Miller - Nancy Liberman - Lynette Woodward

He - She - they :: pronouns

Baseball games - Trash Dumps - Blue Jeans ::

This was hard. I'm going to put my thinking cap on tighter & keep trying.


Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Wednesday Mind Hump - Week 32

We are smack in the middle of National Friendship Week which occurs annually during the third week of August. What better way to warm up for the Mind Hump than by bragging on our friends -- after all, we are all about sharing the love. Using the letters F-R-I-E-N-D list six qualities that your best friend possesses.

Funny
Real ... as in ... he always tells me the truth
Intelligent
Encouraging
Never judges me (no matter how stupid I am)
Devoted

This week let's have some fun with free association or "I say ___, you think ___." Using the following words respond with your first thought. You can respond with one word, a sentence, or just babble like crazy! Ready? Do the Humpty Hump!

01. protection from abuse order
02. twist and shout
03. furry Miss Higgins (my cat)
04. buck Jim, a guy I used to work with
05. purple rain
06 wave ocean
07. flash dance
08. pokey hokey
09. neonl lights
10. elastic band
11. chips potato
12. float root beer


Wednesday Matinee

Are you talkin' to meme?

1. A Bug's Life vs Antz: who wins?
A Bug's Life

2. What food or drink do you wish they would serve at the theater?
low carb M&M's ... if they made 'em. I'd say beer but that probably wouldn't be such a good idea.

3. Who's your favorite female actor of all time?
Yikes! I have to pick two?
Living: Sandra Bullock
Dead: Katharine Hepburn
Okay. Three. Marilyn Monroe, one of the most under-rated actress of all time.
Then, of course, there's Ingrid Bergman.
I must stop now.

~This Movie Is Rated PG: "Please Go see it", Bonus~ Up to now, what movie do you think would win best movie for 2004?
Of the ones I've seen I'll say "The Passion of the Christ."

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

Down at our rendez-vous ...

I couldn't sleep last night & I couldn't decide which movie to watch & I was sick of the Olympics so I settled on Nick at Nite. Three's Company was on. It was the episode where Jack has a date and there's a misunderstanding with the roommates and Jack does some fumbling, bumbling and prat falls. Hilarity ensures. C'mon. You know the one.

Did I really think that show was funny?

Feelin' kinda old

We had CNN on at work & the ticker at the bottom of the screen said today is the 27th anniversary of Elvis' death. (Nick will be highly disappointed that I forgot.) So, I looked at Sweet Girl and the editor who was there.

ME :: You guys weren't even born yet when Elvis died, were you?
THEM :: Nope.

*sigh* I had to ask.

Monday, August 16, 2004

Music Mambo - Week 21

Let's get started with this. Tell us your feelings about top 40 music, using the letters T-O-P F-O-R-T-Y.
Tell us why you love it. Tell us why you hate it. Tell us anything you think we might want to know about it. Go ahead, you can do it!

Train is one of my favorite bands and
Ordinary is a great song. I think it shows how much they've grown over the years.
Pop music has always been my favorite. I suppose it's because when I was a kid we only got AM radio, so that's what I was used to.
FM radio is so much better though. Fewer commercials. More music. That's the way it should be.
Of course I understand that it's the commercials that pay for the music to be there, but that doesn't mean I have to like them.
Rock 'n' Roll, well, rocks!
Talking over the songs, the way some DJs do, really bothers me.
Ya know, there are a lot of bands with numbers in their names these days. Maroon 5. Blink 182. 311. Finger Eleven. 5 For Fighting. 3 Doors Down.

Well, that didn't say a whole lot about how I actually feel about Top 40 music, but it's the best I could do. ;)

Now it's time to really get down and mambo.

1. What song from the recent top 40 charts is your favorite? (Recent being that last 6 or so months)
Hmm? There are quite a few and, as usual when it comes to music, I can't pick just one. Right now I like Accidentally in Love by Counting Crows, This Love and Harder to Breathe by Maroon 5, Why Don't You & I by Santana, Extraordinary by Liz Phair and Chasing You Around by Sugar Ray. (I think that's the name of it. It's been so long since I've heard I forgot the name.)

2. Do you think that most songs in the top 40 are overplayed or not? Tell us why you feel that way.
The ones I don't like are played too much. The ones I do like aren't played enough. I guess I feel that way because when I like a song I listen to it 'til I'm sick of it. Then I don't listen to it for a while. Then I listen again, but like a normal person. ;)

3. What band do you think most deserves a top 40 hit, but hasn't had one yet, or hasn't had one in a very long time?
Dashboard Confessional. I mean, c'mon, Hands Down is an awesome song! Actually, I'm not sure if it made the Top 40, but if it didn't it should have.

4. In the recent past, Top 40 was mostly rock/pop music. How do you feel about the inclusion of other genres into this grouping?
I'm pretty much ok with all of it, except country. I don't have anything against country music but if I want to listen to it, I'll go to a country station.

5. Radio airplay helps to determine how well a single or album sells. Do you think that listeners should have more input into what radio stations play?
I think so but I guess I'm lucky in that respect. The radio station I listen to the most takes requests.

Happy thought for the day ...

I just got back from the doctor & he said I'm perfectly healthy & I don't have to go back for a year. :)

Sunday, August 15, 2004

Of deep-fried Twinkies, slot machines and more ...

I haven't been to a county fair since 2001, so I never heard of this: Deep-Fried Twinkies. When we saw the first sign for them, I said "Yeah, like a Twinkie isn't bad enough for ya. Let's deep fry them!" But, as we kept seeing more signs for them, we got curious and had to give it a shot. Oh my God! They're wonderful! Better than funnel cake, in my opinion. And cheaper, and not as filling.

Then there's this:



Get your mind out of the gutter! It's Chester's five steps for eating crawfish.

I tasted a couple of them but I went for fried green tomatoes instead. I haven't had them in ages and did they ever taste good.

Let's see. I also had a pina colada smoothie because I wanted the cool glass. I think that's all I ate/drank ... but we were only there for about 5 hours. Oh wait. I had a taco, too. It was good, but not worth $2.50.

As for the rides:

This is nuts! It was so high I couldn't really get a photo with good perspective. But see the Ferris Wheel in the corner? It's really high & it's the next ride over from this one.








As nuts as it looks, I really wanted to do it. But I don't think the people standing near it would have appreciated my puking all over them.

I also bought some cool angel stuff from her. If we go back on Friday I'm definitely getting a reading from her. While she was talking to me she knew so much about me & the person I was with. It was freaky but cool. At one point I said "You're good." She said "You didn't think you came into the devil booth, did you?" Well, I guess you had to be there. But she knew so much I was getting shivers. And my total purchases were $9.77 and she mentioned the double number. Cool, cool, cool.

I also found some cool Buddha stuff. One was relaxation Buddha, which is now right next to my computer monitor. Then I got a set of six: harmony, money, "life is up," happiness, "rich in health" and "having a good time." The guy at the booth wrote them all down for me so I wouldn't forget. He was really nice.

On a totally different note, we also did a little bit of gambling ... and lost $2. But it was fun.

Sunday Brunch

School Days

1. Did you like or dislike high school?
Most of the time, I liked it, especially senior year. The only parts about it I didn't like were some of the rude, nasty girls. When I think about the movie "Mean Girls," which I haven't seen yet but have heard a lot about, I think Tina Fey must have secretly been in my class.

2. Walk to school, ride the bus or catch a ride with someone?
I had to walk a few blocks to catch the bus. These days the kids practically get picked up & dropped off at their front doors. Makes me laugh because school administrators wonder why kids don't get enough exercise. Make 'em walk to the bus stop for goodness sake!


3. What was your favorite subject?
It's a tie between history and communications media.

4. When it came to doing homework, did you do it right away, wait 'til the last minute or just do it whenever you felt like it?
I didn't really have that much homework because I used to do it in study halls. (Yeah, I was one of the few people who actually studied in study hall.) But I'd wait 'til the last minute with any math-related subject because I hated it so much. Anything else I did when I felt like it.

5. Would you go to your high school reunion?
I haven't gone to one yet, but I might go to the next one. We'll see what happens in the next four years. If I look as good as I do now (or better) and if I'm doing as well as I am now in my career (or better) I'll go. Actually, there's only one person I really want to spend time with, and that's Steve. No one else I care about goes to reunions because they feel the same way I do about the "mean girls," among other things. I'm kind of thinking about organizing something for those of us who don't want to go to the reunion. But if I did that I know the class president's feelings would be hurt and I don't want to do that. We've been friends since second grade & he's been great about helping me sell my book. He even sold one to one of the "mean girls." Anyway, if Steve goes (and he's been to every one, I think) and if our friend Lucy goes (Lucy not the other one, Lucille, no matter what she's says she wants to be called now) I'll give it even more consideration.


Happy Thought for the Day ...

Today :: I didn't gain as much weight as I thought I did because of my county fair/summer festivals carb binge, which means when I go to the doctor tomorrow he'll see that I've lost 30 pounds since my last visit.

August 14 :: I had so much fun at the Erie County Fair. I think it's the best time I've had there since I was a little kid. I so wish I didn't have a problem with motion sickness, though, because there were so many rides I wanted to go on. But I had fun watching other people. More on the fair in a later post.

August 13 :: I'm lucky to be associated with the best community theater group ever!

Friday, August 13, 2004

Appetizer
Who is your favorite news anchor/reporter? Why?

Keith Olbermann. He doesn't take the news too seriously, unless it's a totally serious matter. Anyone who can see humor in the wacky world of news these days has to be on the top of my list of favorites. Jane Pauley used to be my favorite (until she retired) because she was a fresh, young face who came onto the national scene at about the same time I decided I wanted to go into journalism.

Soup
Name 3 foods that are currently in your freezer.

A Life Choice frozen dinner (chicken something-or-other). A Lean Cuisine frozen dinner (beef something-or-other). Ground beef.

Salad
If you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it?

Hollidaysburg, Paradise & Intercourse are already taken so I'll have to say Holliday Beach (because, of course it would have to be on the beach or it wouldn't be worth naming).

Main Course
What will most likely be the next book you read?

Tourist Season by Carl Hiaasen. My editor loaned it to me a couple of days ago & even the back cover had me cracking up. "The second victim, the head of the city's chamber of commerce, was found dead with a toy rubber alligator lodged in his throat ..." I'd start it now but I'm reading another book that has me LOL'ing. "Lies & the Lying Liars Who Tell Them." Yeah, I'm a little late getting to it but I'm glad I waited for the paperback version, which has "more lies and new liars."

Dessert
What's the first thing you notice about the opposite gender?
Depends on if I'm looking at the front or back. Front: smile. Back: butt.

Happy Thought for the day ...

I got to leave work early!!!

Thursday, August 12, 2004

Theater Thursday

Week 13 - What's Old is New Again
Remakes - we see them more and more frequently. Taking an old movie and completely reshooting it with a new cast, new effects, new styles and even new genres can be a hit or miss proposition. This summer we've seen several remakes already, from The Stepword Wives (original and remake) to The Manchurian Candidate (original and remake), plus there's even an Alfie remake in production (original and remake).

1) What is your favorite remake of an older film? Did it actually improve on the original?
I have two: Ocean's 11 and Sabrina. With Sabrina especially, I think Harrison Ford and Greg Kinnear were so much better than (I know this is sacrilege) Bogart & William Holden. Audrey Hepburn, on the other hand, well, no one could be better than her although Julia Ormand did a fine job.

2) What remake was handled so poorly even if the original was not great it would've seemed Oscar-worthy?
Psycho. There was no need to remake it in the first place. The original is a classic.


3) Are there any classic films you feel would cause the fabric of space/time to rip apart were a remake made of it?
Casablanca. If they tried to remake it life as we know it would end instantly. Same with The Sound of Music & When Harry Met Sally.

BONUS) What film would you most like to see remade, and what would be your dream cast?
Love Story starring Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey.


Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Are your thinking caps on & ready to go?

Thinking Cap Thursday

The Mouse that Roared - Dr. Strangelove - The Pink Panther :: Peter Sellers movies?
Pile Driver - Sleeper - Suplex :: wrestling holds?
A Steer - A Weather - A Gelding :: ?
Fishing - FInish - Dotted :: lines
Woody Allen - Sidney Pollack - John Hughes :: directors
Charging - Blocking - Traveling :: basketball fouls
The Presidential Inauguratioin - The Olympics - Leap Year :: things that happen every four years
Pennsylvania - Reading - Short Line :: railroads
Mr Robinson - Gumby - Buckwheat :: Eddie Murphy SNL characters
Finger Stalls - Dress Shield - Quiver :: archery equipment?
Spiral - Compound - Greenstick :: notebooks?
Golf - Time - Cosmopolitan :: magazines
Merald Knight - Edward Patten - William Guest :: The Pips
Grete Waitz - Joan Benoit - Miki Gorman :: runners?
Silver - Trigger - Mr Ed :: famous horses
Elizabeth Taylor - Natalie Wood - Melanie Griffith :: other than actresses, I'm clueless
Always - Jaws - Nuts :: Richard Dreyfuss movies
Bribane - Darwin - Hobart :: ?
Butt - Cock - Breech ::
Ross - Crazy - Elmer's :: glue

It was hard this week!! But I'm not going to cheat & wait 'til other people answer & go check 'em out. I'm tempted, but I'm not gonna do it.


Happy Thought for the Day ...

I don't have to work today!!!! :)

Anyway, I wanted to do one more meme before I went to bed (I'm addicted, ya know) so since I didn't do it last week I'm doing The Midweek Music Meme now.

What songs remind you of summertime, even at other times of the year, and why?

Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison
Even though there's a sad part about him not being with the girl anymore, it's so upbeat and fun and, well, summery. "Laughin and a runnin, skippin and a jumpin in the misty mornin fog" "Goin down the old man river, with a transistor radio standin in the sunlight laughin" "Makin love in the green grass, behind the stadium with you" ... That just says summer to me.

Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah

Wednesday Matinee

My pulse rifle fires meme questions...

1. What's your favorite monster/creature movie?
Can Michael Myers be considered a creature? I think so because he never dies!!!! Halloween.

2. What movie always gives you a scare, no matter how often you've seen it?
Halloween and Wait Until Dark, an Audrey Hepburn movie from 1967. In the early 70s one of my junior high school English teachers told us it's one of the movies that makes him jump every time ... even though he knows the certain scene is coming, so I had to watch it. Has the same effect on me.

3. What movie has the best (or your favorite) stunts?
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Maybe they're not the best, but I love 'em.

~If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It Bonus~ Who would you rather be: the first person to get killed quick and easy, or the hero that saves everyone but dies in the end?
Gimme the screen time, baby! I'd rather save everyone, then die. Almost everyone who dies early goes on to an oblivious career ... with the notable exception of Kevin Bacon in one of the Friday the 13th movies. Can't remember which one, but I do remember he died pretty early in it ... and it pissed me off.


Happy Thought for the Day ...

Generous Italian ladies who are good cooks ROCK!!! This one lady brought tons & tons of food to the newsroom today. Talk about carb overload. But it was sooooo worth it!

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Finding coins

Sylvia Browne says that coins myteriously appearing are a gift from the other side, loved ones who have passed on. Well, I was looking this up on the 'net and this one site really depressed me because it says coins you find on the street don't mean anything. I got depressed because I've been finding a lot of them over the last month. I even keep them in a jar so I know it's not my imagination that I'm finding so many. Anyway, I found this one site where people were talking about the coins being really obvious sigsn (like this one woman whose 8-year-old daughter died & she keeps finding dimes 8 at a time, or the dimes were dated with the year her daughter was born). Well, nothing that obvious happened to me. I was just finding 'em. Then I came across this other site. (I really should bookmark these things.) The woman was talking about finding coins, and every time she does she thinks about one thing she's thankful for because she says the coins are a sign that a higher power is watching out for her. Ya know how I just said nothing that obvious happened to me? Well, that's what I thought. On Saturday, I found a quarter and a penny. 26 cents, right? Today I found another quarter and another penny. 26 cents. I got to thinking about everything I read about finding coins and messages from beyond and stuff. I know I've written about this before, but here it is again. Whenever I'm having problems I ask my dad for help. When I was in California & needed help & asked him, I could even smell his aftershave. (Old Spice. No one I knew there used Old Spice.) And remember a couple of Saturdays ago I was asking my dad for help & my cousin from out of town (who looks just like my dad) showed up in church? Anyway, I figured out the coins are from my dad. How do I know. His birthday is March ... you guessed it ... 26th. I also think the dime & three pennies I found yesterday fits in because ... Oh c'mon, you should know by now. My birthday is September 13th and everytime anything with 13 turns up, I think of my birthday. So I think the 13 cents was to get me thinking about birthdays or, more specifically, my dad's birthday. Far-fetched? Maybe, but it makes me feel good to think my dad is still looking out for me.

Sunday, August 08, 2004

Happy Thought for the Day ...

John Elway, Barry Sanders and Carl Eller are in the Hall of Fame.

As a Bills fan, John Elway obviously wasn't one of my favorite football players. But I always respected his talent. His daughter's introduction and his speech made me cry. Then again, I'm a sentimental sap sometimes.

What can you say about Barry Sanders? With all due respect to Thurman Thomas, Barry Sanders was the best running back ever. And he's such a humble man. I wish some of today's athletes would learn from him.

For a few years I was a Vikings fan, so seeing Carl Eller get inducted into the Hall of Fame after all these years was good. It's about time.

Anyway, it wasn't the same as when Jim Kelly and Marv Levy were inducted, but it was cool. (as long as I don't think about the fact that guys my age are old enough to be in the hall of fame).



Sunday Stuff

Unconscious Mutterings

  1. Sting:: The Police
  2. BMW:: car
  3. Jeremy:: a friend in California
  4. Audacious:: You used to be so audacious ... from Hope Floats
  5. Drag Queen:: The Bird Cage
  6. Title:: Book
  7. Stamp:: Post Office
  8. Bad:: Good
  9. Snow White:: & the Seven Dwarfs
  10. Delegate:: convention


The First Four

What are the first four things you think of when I say: Mexican Food

1.La Herradura
2.Mexicali
3.Los Hermanos
4.good guacamole

Saturday, August 07, 2004

Happy Thought for the Day ...

Long distance phone calls from friends are good ... even if you're not home to get the call, because you know he's thinking about you :)

Thursday, August 05, 2004

Happy Thoughts

I just found this via Barry.

From Pretty Purple Princess:

Take The Challenge
I was reading in Ladies Home Journal (LHJ) about a Secret Society of Happy People. They have been issuing this challenge since 1999.... during the month of August, record happy moment each day. It can be something simple, something that makes you happy each day. I suggest you take the same challenge! I know I will be....

OK. Since I just found it today, I'll have to remember my happy thoughts for the last few days:

August 1: The sun was out for the first time in a couple of weeks. It was nice :)
August 2: Doing a good deed can make someone's day
August 3: I got to watch BB5. (Dumb, but it made me happy)
August 4: Laughter is the best medicine
Today: I got e-mails from both Steve and Nick. They both make me smile


The Thursday Threesome

::Surprises in the Mail::


Onesome: Surprises-- Hey, do you like surprises? ...and what kinds? Birthday parties, dinners out? ...or are you one of those people who absolutely has to know what's going on before it happens?
For the most part, I like surprises ... as long as they're good surprises. Parties, gifts, an invitation to do something fun like going to a movie or a park ... they're all good.

Twosome: in the-- nick of time: How do you keep track of birthdays and anniversaries and events you need to remember but only occur once a year? ...and where is your bailout place for cards and such when you've cut things a little too close?
I don't keep track of that many birthdays but, as soon as I get a calendar for the next year, I write them all down. If I'm cutting things close (If? That's the story of my life! lol) my trusty Wal-Mart is always open. But for people who have e-mail, I go to Hallmark. I do care enough to send the very best ... even if I forgot 'til the last minute.

Threesome: Mail-- Mail Call! Did anything interesting show up lately besides the bills? ...and do letters and cards still make it to your place or have email and ecards taken it all over? Inquiring minds and all that...
A couple of days ago I got an invitation to a going out of business sale for my favorite gift shop. Not everyone got one, ya know. I also got a fan & a coupon book from a cigarette company ... the brand I smoke, even. (Yeah, I know smoking is bad. When I lose 30 more pounds I'm going to quit. I can't diet & quit smoking at the same time.) I still get snail mail cards from my aunts who don't have email. And there's usually money in them. That rocks!


Spam

One of my e-mails doesn't have a very good spam filter so I get tons of it. I don't open any of it but, just from the subject lines, I'd like to reply to some of it.

"Anne, I'm done emailing you" ... If only that was true! I've gotten that one at least 50 times.

"I am so happy" ... Good. I'm happy for ya, but stop e-mailing me!

"Try Prozac" ... I didn't need Prozac 'til I started getting all this spam!

I don't have a car, so I don't need auto insurance. I have a college degree so I don't need to get one online. I don't have a penis, so I don't need to know how to make it bigger. Nor do I need Viagra.

But there is something good in all my spam. I think it's really cool that John Kerry can take time out of his busy schedule to e-mail little ol' me. Uh huh.

Theater Thursday

Week 12 - Didn't I see that on TV?
Starsky & Hutch is the top selling DVD this week. With that in mind, this week the topic is TV shows that have been turned into movies.

1) What movie based on a television show is your favorite?
Please don't think I'm a freak for saying this, but I really liked The Brady Bunch Movie. The Twilight Zone movie was good too. And I liked Mission Impossible, too. The first one, not the sequel. But, because it's Tom Cruise, I'll give the third one a try.

2) Your least favorite?
I really haven't seen that many because I didn't watch most of the TV shows that were made into movies. I'll say Lost in Space, though, because I fell asleep during it. The Beverly Hillbillies trailers looked dumb, so I didn't even bother with that. Charlie's Angels had its good points, but it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. That's why I haven't seen Starsky & Hutch yet. I loved the TV show. I'm afraid I'd hate the movie. It went from theaters to DVD pretty fast. That's not a good sign.

3) What television show would you like to see turned into a movie?
That 70s Show could be good. Maybe CSI. They could get the characters from all three shows together if someone was going on a nationwide crime spree.

Bonus) Should the actors that portray these characters on TV also be used in the movie? Or would you like to see different actors?
It depends. Like with The Brady Bunch, using the original actors wouldn't have worked. But the Star Trek movies used some of the TV actors, and that worked. I do like when the original actors do cameo appearances though.

Thinking Cap Thursday

  1. Jack -Chrissy - Janet
  2. :: the original Three's Company roommates

  3. Liberty  - Mercury  - Roosevelt
  4. :: I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say dimes.

  5. Major - Minor - Little  
  6. :: leagues

  7. A Smoker - A Gambler - A Nun
  8. :: people with habits

  9. Porky - Spanky - Alfalfa
  10. :: Little Rascals characters

  11. Eddie Albert - Pat Buttram - Eva Gabor
  12. :: actors who knew "Greeeeeen Acres is the place to be ... Faaaaarm livin is the life for me. Land spreadin' out so far and wide. Keep Manhattan just give me that countryside. ... New York is where I'd rather stay. I get allergic smelling hay. I just adore a penthouse view. Darlin' I love ya but give me Park Avenue. ..." I could go on but it's already been quite a pathetic display.

  13. William Bonney - Jesse Woodson James - Edward Kelly
  14. :: OK. I know the first two are leaders of crime gangs, so I'm going to guess the third one is as well. So ... leaders of crime gangs. That's my final answer, Reege.

  15. Sabrina Duncan - Jill Monroe - Kelly Garrett
  16. :: The original Charlie's Angels

  17. French - Eskimo - Hershye's
  18. :: kisses

  19. Eunice Higgins - Nora Desmond - Mrs. Wiggins   
  20. :: This one gave me trouble. I kept thinking Gloria Swanson characters but then I thought "Who the heck knows more than one Gloria Swanson character?" Well, I don't anyway. But I knew Eunice Higgins sounded familiar so I was saying. Eunice. Eunice. Eunice. EUNICE!!! Characters Carol Burnett played.





Wednesday, August 04, 2004

Wednesday Whatevers


1. In general, do you treat eating as a pleasure or a need?
Mostly I just eat when I'm hungry now, so I guess I treat it as a need.

2. What is your opinion on recent low carb craze?
Love it, love it, love it!!! I've been on Atkins for one year, as of today, and have lost 124 pounds. I feel so much healthier and have so much energy. Also, I haven't had one toothache since I started (and I used to go through a bottle of Ibuprofen every month -- at least! -- for toothaches). And I've only used antacid tablets twice in the last year. I used to go through them like candy.

3. Do you wake up when you have to, or do you stall / snooze for longer?
The weird thing is, when I don't set the alarm I get right out of bed when I wake up. If I set the alarm I always hit the snooze twice. I guess I don't like anyone/anything telling me when to get out of bed.





Wednesday Mind Hump

Are you ready to HUMP??? Are you sure? Let's do it!

In honor of August 4th in 1693 when Dom Perignon invented that great bubbly, champagne, let's take the letters of the word C-H-A-M-P-A-G-N-E to tell a little about yourself.

Caring
Happy
Artistic (at least I think so)
My mind is always working, thinking of some new project
Passionate
Argumentative (sometimes)
Generous
Nerdy
Erotic

Ok, now that you're all warmed up and on a humpin' roll, lets get right down to the humptiness of a dozen "I say _____, you think _____"!

01. pop :: goes the weasle
02. toast :: breakfast
03. glass :: window (my friend owns a window installation business)
04. holiday :: it's spelled wrong ;) (My last name is Holliday & I get "Holiday" a lot ... even on the spellchecker at work.)
05. bottle :: water
06. join :: clubs
07. barrel :: crude oil (I live in the "high grade oil metropolis of the world" so almost every day at work I have to write about the price per barrel of crude oil)
08. beach :: bum
09. paper :: towel
10. bottom ::top
11. love :: Great Smile Guy
12. wrap :: Subway's low-carb menu

Wednesday Matinee

Taxi!

1. What's your favorite Tom Cruise movie?
A Few Good Men, although Risky Business is one of my (300 or so) favorite movies.

2. Which child celebrity do you think has the most potential?
Can Lindsay Lohan still be considered a child? If not, I'll say Dakota Fanning.

3. Which typically "comedy" actor do you think would make a good serial killer (in a movie)?
Hmm? Bill Murray would probably be good, but I can see Adam Sandler as a serial killer, too.

~Take The Bus Bonus~ Which end-of-the-summer movie are you looking forward to seeing?
Speaking of Tom Cruise ... Collateral

Tuesday, August 03, 2004

The Daily Dirt

Birthdays...

1. When is your birthday?
September 13

2. If you change when your birthday was, would you?
Nope, I like my birthday.

3. What was your favorite birthday party you ever had?
The first one I spent in California, despite the fact that it was (obviously) two days after 9/11. We made it fun anyway.

4. Do you have any original birthday traditions?
Not really. I like to go out to dinner, but it doesn't always work out that way.

5. Do you do any of the unoriginal birthday tradions, such as adding an extra
candle for good luck, being the first to cut the cake, or smearing your name on
your cake and putting it on your nose?
Except making a wish when I blow out the candles, nope.

Pretty boring, huh? Anyone who wants to make it fun for me this year has 6 weeks to plan. Start now! ;)




Another movie ...

Here's one I forgot until I saw it today in the $5.50 bin at Wal-Mart. ...And Justice for All. Yep, I'm a sucker for a good-guy lawyer.

Great question!!

Tuesday Iffers

If you could be soap for a day who would you want to bathe?

I thought about this for, oh, about a nano second. Great Smile Guy! ... Now, where's that shower?

Monday, August 02, 2004

Kindness, etc.

I usually don't write about nice things I do for other people because I don't do it for the recognition. What I did today I didn't do for the recognition either but I'm writing about it because I think, in a small way, I made the day of a lot of people.

I was at the state park & the person I was with was getting food at the snack bar while I was sitting at the only available shady picnic table. A grandmother & her two grandsons sat at my table. Then the boys' mother & sister came and sat down, too. The mother left, leaving the grandmother with three little kids, all under 6, who all wanted ice cream. She had her hands full, to say the least. A few minutes after they left, I noticed some money on the end of the table. From where I was sitting, I could see them at the beach so after I ate, I took it back to her.

That's not the cool part. What's cool is that she told everyone who was around her what I had just done. Then she walked to the group of people she was with, a few hundred feet away, and told them what I had done. No one could believe it. As I was walking away from the beach, people were just looking at me as if I'd done some miraculous thing. All I did was return $4.75 to its rightful owner.

Then, when I got home & downloaded the photos I'd taken I realized I'd taken pictures of the grandmother & her family.



I think I have their picture as a reminder to me that little things mean a lot sometimes.

I didn't do this on Thursday, so ...

I'm doing it now.

The Thursday Threesome

::Knit One, Purl Too::

Onesome- Knit one: Do you have a crafty hobby? Knitting, stitching, scrapbooking or model building, whatever it is, tell us about it! Or is there a crafty hobby you'd like to take up if had the time and/or money to do so?
I knit, crochet, cross stitch & stuff but not really enough to call it a hobby. I guess the craftiest hobby I have these days is photography. Check out some of it via the links right over there
<------

Twosome- Purl: Or rather, pearl. What's your birthstone? And while you're at it, what's your sign? *g*
Sapphire & I'm really happy that it is. I think it's so pretty!
I'm a Virgo. My birthday is in 6 weeks, btw. Don't buy me anything, though. But a copy of my book for yourself. ;)

Threesome- Too: Too much? Have you had enough of the political coverage already? ...or are you waiting for things to really gear up in the Fall?
Enough already!!! I had enough even before the primaries were over.



Monday Madness

And now for this week's questions.......True or False:
1. I always exercise my right to vote. (If you are under 18, 'I will always exercise my right to vote as soon as I am old enough to.')
True. Right after I turned 18, my Dad took me to register. I haven't missed an election yet.

2. I pay little or no attention to the campaign ads aired on television prior to a presidential election.
False. I pay attention to them but they don't influence my vote. Actually, they usually make me angry.

3. I can see myself running for some type of political office someday.
True. A few years ago the answer would have been "false," but now I'm seriously considering running for city council someday.

4. I believe we will see a woman become president in my lifetime.
False. I would like to see a woman president but I don't think it's a good idea. There are too many countries that don't respect women or take them seriously. I'd like to know what Madeline Albright, Margaret Thatcher, Indira Ghandi and Golda Meir think about this.

5. I try to keep an open mind regarding all political issues.
True.

6. I believe the drinking age should be raised.
False. I think it should be lowered to 18 again. If 18-year-olds are old enough to die for their country, they should be able to go out and get a beer.

7. I think the legal age to vote should be raised.
False.

8. I thought these qustions were interesting.
True.

9. I will be back to play again!
True!

~Bonus Question~ (stole this idea from wild fl0w3r!)
10. If I was the moderator of this meme, one question I would ask is........
I think there should be a Constitutional ammendment banning gay marriage. (F-A-L-S-E!!! would be my answer, btw)



Monday Music Mambo Week - 19

A little I say...You think...Musical style...I'm going to post 10 words..and you tell me what songs or bands these words make you think of.

jazz: Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
white: The Beatles White Album
goodbye: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
summer: Summer Nights
avenue: Electric Avenue
hungry: Hungry Heart
blue: Blue Suede Shoes
moon: Dark Side of the Moon
fire: I'm on Fire (Springsteen)
bird: Free Bird

Now it's time to get our mambo on....are you ready?

5 bands that you can't live without :: Dashboard Confessional, Maroon 5, Train, The Rolling Stones and (not a band, but ...) Elton John

4 albums that are important to you :: Fleetwood Mac's Rumors, Billy Joel's The Stranger, Elton John's Captain Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy and Train's Drops of Jupiter

3 of your favorite songs :: (of all time)Drops of Jupiter, Layla, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; (currently) Harder to Breathe, Hands Down, Accidentally in Love

2 albums that you've bought recently :: Maroon 5's Songs About Jane, Dashboard Confessional Unplugged

1 Band [or Artist] whos music has would be described as writing the soundtrack of your life :: Elton John

Sunday, August 01, 2004

Sunday Brunch


Amusement Parks

1. Which amusement park is your favorite?
Six Flags Magic Mountain ... because it's in California. Around here, I like Darien Lake.

2. Are you the kind of person who loves to go on most rides or just a select few?
I love rides, but they don't love me. I get motion sickness really bad so if there's one I'm sure is not going to make me sick I'll go on it. Last time I was on The Pirate, though, it didn't work.

3. What is the scariest ride you've ever been on?
When I was a little kid there was a really big ferris wheel that scared the crap outta me. Afterward, I threw up my candy apple. Nice image, huh? Sorry bout that.

4. Do you prefer rollercoasters, water rides or the kind that go round and round?
Water rides!!

5. What is the longest amount of time you would stand in line to get on a ride?
10 minutes. I'm not that into it.

Another cool thing happened in church ...

I was sitting there before it started, thinking about my Dad. I look over to my left and for a split second I thought I saw my Dad. But then I realized it was my cousin who lives about an hour & a half from here. I could hardly wait for Mass to be over so I could talk to him. I was so excited! (In case you haven't guessed, we don't see each other much. Mostly just for funerals & weddings. ... And there have been more funerals than weddings lately.) After Mass, we talked for a while and he said "Cuz, seeing you made my weekend." *BG* He made mine, too.

Sunday Stuff

The First Four

What are the first four things you think of when I say Rain

1.wet
2.puddles
3. Singin' in the ...
5.drops


Unconscious Mutterings

  1. Testicles:: penis
  2. Ribald:: lecherous
  3. Auction:: ebay
  4. Inch:: Nine Inch Nails
  5. Tony:: the Tiger
  6. Phony:: Baloney
  7. Stool:: Bar
  8. Coyote:: Ugly
  9. Cinderella:: story (a la Bill Murry in Caddyshack)
  10. Battery:: acid