Wow

It is 7:15. I've been in my jammies since 3:30. I've watched one of the movies I rented from the library. I've completed the school directory. I'm still struggling with the labels and I hate them (if you ever do labels in Word for Mac, email me, I need help). They look crazy cool, if I could just get them to print right. I am watching "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" out of desperation. I'm considering getting redressed and going to the library for an iced coffee before maybe meeting RF for a late dinner. I'm bored to FREAKING tears.

You know they die, right?

So I like the song "Love Story" by Taylor Swift



If you don't know, the lyrics are
"Little did I know
That you were Romeo; you were throwing pebbles,
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet."
And I was crying on the staircase,
begging you, 'Please, don't go.'"

And I said,
"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.'"


The other day, it was on the radio and RF says "Uh, how far do you want to go with this Romeo and Juliet theme? You know they die right?" But the thing about Romeo and Juliet is that it is supposed to be the ultimate love story. They were willing to die instead of be apart.

Personally, I think that it is the ultimate in stupidity. I remember reading it in high school and how all the girls were ga-ga over the the thought of someone loving them enough to kill themselves. I always just rolled my eyes at them and maintained my low opinion of the idiots I went to school with.

I never understood the motivation of R&J. Why did she take the fake poison? If she was old enough to marry, why didn't she tell her parents to suck it, she wasn't marrying Paris? Or why didn't she just suck it up and marry him and have a wild affair with Romeo like every upper class person in the world? (if you've read either "Sex with Kings" or "Sex with the Queen", you'll know what I'm talking about).

And when he thought she was dead, why was his only course of action to kill himself? Had he never heard of grief and maybe suffering through and getting on with his life? I get it. He couldn't bear the thought of life without her but dude, could he be anymore melodramatic?

The only death in the whole thing I even sort of understood was her actually killing herself after she took the fake poison and he died. It was totally her fault that he died (obviously, he did it to himself but if she hadn't been stupid and taken the fake poison, he wouldn't have felt compelled, thus her fault) Dying was an acceptable punishment for her stupidity in the whole thing.

Big thanks to Quigs for correcting my memory about the sequence of events in the story. It has been awhile since I read it (either Freshman or Sophomore year of high school) and obviously, I didn't like it much so I didn't retain the exact details

Technology

I seriously spent the whole trip across town tonight trying to come up with a cathy title for this post and I got nothin'. So what you see is what you get

I was thinking tonight about the things technology has changed in my life. Probably the biggest thing I can think of is that I wouldn't have the friends I have now if not for the internet. We are primarily an internet based group and without, I'm not sure we would have stumbled upon each other. Even if we had met, we probably wouldn't have been good friends because I'm not a phone person. I wouldn't have just called them out of the blue to schedule stuff. Of course, now I don't hesitate to call but I wouldn't have gotten to that point without the net.

I also have NO IDEA what I would do without my cell phone. I got my first one when I was 16 and I lived out of town but drove in every day for work. I worked until 10-11 most nights and then had to drive 30 minutes home. My parents got me a cell phone but it was a POS. First of all it was the size of a book (I did not have a bag phone but it was close) and the battery on it was terrible. It would hold a charge for about 5 minutes and then it died. So I had to leave it on the car charger, plugged in all the time. Of course, that didn't work so well when my alternator went out and the car wouldn't start and the phone could be used.

I use my cell phone all the time. We don't have a land line anymore and only once or twice in the last 4 years have I thought that having one would be a good thing. I even have the internet on my cell phone so that I check my email on the go.

Besides that, online banking, online book reservations at the library, online shows, online PTA groups and digital calendars (which RF just figured out how to push to my phone so yay) have done nothing but make life easier.

On the other hand, facebook, email, blogs, bejeweled, etc have create a giant vortex that does nothing but suck away my time. Is the trade off worth it? You bet!

The answer to global warning

I have it all figured out. Someone really needs to get on this and fix it to save the planet for our future.

The Research

Really Irrelevant Ramblings

Depending on the mythology you subscribe to, vampires either burst into flames or sparkle in the sunlight. How does that apply to tanning beds? The books all talk about how white vamps are because they can't go in the sun without risking death (I'm going to discount Stephanie Meyers because although I REALLY liked the Twilight series, it is totally different from all the other vamp mythology out there). But, in theory, couldn't they use a tanning bed? What is it specifically about the sun that is toxic to vamps? Is that same thing found in tanning beds?

See? Irrelevant but I bet you are wondering about it now too

Why?

Why is it that I'm completely fine with Sesame Street and the Muppets but Yo Gabba Gabba creeps me the hell out? They are all just giant dancing puppets.

Would you rather?

Which of the following TV doctor's would you prefer to be treated by:?
A)House
B)Scrubs
C)ER
D)Grey's Anatomy

My vote would be for House, alone. If it is just House without his team, it means I'm a clinic patient and I have something boring and mundane, like strep throat or a sprained ankle. If it has to be the whole cast, then I want the old team because the new team is lame. Third choice would be House and the new team followed by first season ER, back before they were full of lame incompetents who lost as many patients as they saved. I don't watch either of the other 2 shows but I would have vote Scrubs next since the few shows I've seen it didn't seem like people were dying a whole lot, not with it being a comedy.

It's all about me

I was filling out our family calendar for the rest of the school year and I noticed that in January, the only things that are on the calendar are either days out of school (Xmas break) or my stuff. I know it will fill up with other play dates and things but right now it looks like it is all about me :)

Also, am I a bad PTA mom if I blow off the Feb district meeting for book club? It is the first one that has been a book I actually wanted to read on my own. I think I'll ask someone else to go to the district meeting for me that one night.

The time to buy

A Month-By-Month Guide to the Biggest Bargains
Want to get the best deal on everything that you buy? It all starts with knowing when to shop. Here’s a month-by-month guide to the biggest bargains:

January
Food:
Chocolate (Christmas clearance)
Soda
Diet foods
Frozen finger foods

Non-food:
Linens
Electronics
Computers
Small appliances
Air conditioners
Carpeting and flooring
Furniture
Winter clothes
Toys (on clearance after the holidays)
Bicycles
Christmas gift wrap
Christmas decorations
Athletic shoes
Exercise equipment
Motorcycles
Houses
Boats

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February
Food:
Chocolate (post Valentine’s Day)
Steak (post Valentine’s Day)
Seafood (post Valentine’s Day)
Oatmeal

Non-food:
Big screen TVs (before the Super Bowl)
Boats

March
Food:
Frozen foods

Non-food:
Boats

April
Food:
Candy (Easter clearance)
Eggs
Ham
Cheese
Mustard
Ready-made dough
Dinner rolls
Frozen pies
Cake mix
Cake frosting
Pie crusts

Non-Food:
Electronics
Vacuums
Cookware
Tires and other car care supplies

May
Food:
Hotdogs
Ground beef
Hamburger and hot dog buns
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, relish)
Salad dressing
Chips
Ice cream
Popsicles
Frozen pies
Soda
Bottled water

Non-food:
Party supplies (disposable plates, cups, napkins and utensils)
Grill supplies (charcoal, lighter fluid)
Vacuums
Cookware

June
Food:
Ice cream
Popsicles
Soda
Bottled water
Iced tea mix and bags

Non-food:
Tools (around Father’s Day)

July
Food:
Hot dogs
Ground beef
Hamburger and hot dog buns
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, relish)
Salad dressing
Chips
Ice cream
Popsicles
Soda
Bottled water
Iced tea mix and bags

Non-food:
Grill supplies (charcoal, lighter fluid)
Party supplies (disposable plates, cups, napkins and utensils)
Furniture

August
Food:
Cereal
Breakfast bars
Peanut butter
Jelly
Lunch meat
American cheese
Yogurt
Chips
Snack cakes
Cookies
Ice cream
Soda
Bottled water
Iced tea mix and bags
Drink boxes

Non-food:
Pool supplies
Outdoor toys
Outdoor furniture
Bathing suits
Summer clothes
Summer shoes

September
Food:
Cereal
Breakfast bars
Peanut butter
Jelly
Lunch meat
American cheese
Yogurt
Chips
Snack cakes
Cookies
Hot dogs
Ground beef
Hamburger and hot dog buns
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, relish)
Salad dressing
Canned fruits and vegetables
Soups
Broth
Frozen pies
Soda
Drink boxes

Non-food:
Grill supplies (charcoal, lighter fluid)
Party supplies (disposable plates, cups, napkins and utensils)
School supplies
Large appliances (refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers)
Cars
Lawn mowers
Grills

October
Food:
Canned fruits and vegetables
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries)
Soups
Broth

Non-food:
Large appliances
Lawn mowers
Grills
Tires and other car care supplies

November
Food:
Turkey
Butter
Cheese
Baking supplies (flour, sugar, yeast chocolate chips, baker’s chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, cooking oil)
Pie crusts
Ready-made dough
Dinner rolls
Frozen pies
Cake mix
Cake frosting
Pie filling
Spices
Nuts
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries)
Oatmeal
Candy (Halloween clearance)
Marshmallows
Soup
Broth

Non-food:
Aluminum foil
Plastic wrap
Disposable baking pans
Cookware
Electronics
Tools
Carpeting and flooring

December
Food:
Ham
Butter
Cheese
Baking supplies (flour, sugar, yeast chocolate chips, baker’s chocolate, sweetened condensed
milk, cooking oil)
Pie crusts
Ready-made dough
Dinner rolls
Frozen pies
Cake mix
Cake frosting
Pie filling
Refrigerated cookie dough
Spices
Nuts
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries)
Oatmeal
Soda

Non-food:
Disposable baking pans
Aluminum foil
Plastic wrap
Electronics
Computers
Carpeting and flooring
Tools
Toys
Winter clothes
Cars
Motorcycles


Frugal Living

I thought about it

I thought about blogging about the snake I nearly stepped on my patio this afternoon. I thought about blogging about a potential hair color change (yes, another one LOL) I thought about blogging an update of my day (Quigs says it wasn't all that busy) but my eyes hurt and I'm FREEZING so you get nothing but this garbage because I'm going to bed :)

Blah

I'm bored. I could clean my house but I'm not. I'm also hungry because I skipped lunch but I don't want to eat now because then I'll never eat dinner. I'm killing time waiting for Ms Thang to get up and then I think we are going to the pool. There were supposed to be some bad storms but the Chambana weather bubble held so they appear to have missed us.

Book worthy?

Yesterday I posted about the never ending laundry that I did (final count, 8 loads of laundry done and put away over the course of the day) This guy commented on the entry telling me that he is writiing a book about mother's and daughters and would I like to be included in it. This is interesting to me because I can't, for the life of me, figure out what I would have posted that would be any kind of book worthy. Maybe in 30 or 40 years when Lizzie is rich and famous she could include some of my stuff in a book about her life but nothing jumps out at me just now. I went to the website and looked at his "getting started" questions and none of them apply. I need to email the guy and find out what struck his fancy about my blog.

Old School

I was listening to the radio the other day and heard an old Garth Brooks' song. Hearing it made me remember how much I used to like Garth Brooks, although I don't generally like country music as a rule. For years, a friend of mine got me each tape for my birthday so I had a full set. Then I upgraded to CD and had to re-buy the whole collection. By that time, greatest hits had come out and then shortly there after the live CD. So I have most of his CDs. I decided that I wanted those songs on my mp3 player so I started ripping the CDs to my computer. In the process of ripping those songs, I started looking back at other CDs (of which I have several, although none from the last decade) and I am totally nostalgic now. Instead of just ripping Garth Brooks, I've decided that most my CDs need to be on my MP2 player because they are AWESOME (in that lame, decade old kind of way). We are talking MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, Meridith Brooks, Genesis, Firehouse, Ben Folds Five, CCR, the Lion King soundtrack, Soul Asylum, Forest Gump, American Graffeti, etc. Awesomely lame and I can't wait to have them all in my MP3 player so I can listen to all the stuff in my car without dragging the whole huge CD case around with me :)

The things you learn

C lost his Legend of Zelda game for his ds :( He is trying to replace it with his own money but doesn't have a ton to spend. I've been looking around eBay for something that is in his price range, but I'm not having much luck. I posted to CUBUYSELLTRADE asking if anyone had one for sale since that would mean we wouldn't have to pay shipping. I also decided to take a look at Craig's List and see if I could find anything. Nothing was there, but I decided to post a wanted ad for it and see if we get anything. Never hurts to try. While I was posting the wanted ad, I saw a link for posting "gigs" little odd jobs and things that people have around the area. That got me curious about what kinds of things people wanted done so I found the area of the site and was looking around at it. One of the catagories for gigs was "adult" Well know I was really curious. It is about what you would expect, "models" stippers, escorts, etc. There was also an area for "adult movie stars" Call me naive, but I always wondered how people get into the porn industry. I generally assumed that it was people who desperately wanted to act and failed in traditional Hollywood movies. I always assumed it was a last resort type thing, not something people actually sought out as a job. Interesting.

Gift cards as gifts

I LOVE gift cards. I was just reading something about how it is SO rude to give people give cards because it means you don't care enough about them to know what they would want instead. IMO, getting someone a gift card means you care enough about their time to get them something useful, instead of something that they may not need or want and will just have to return (or regift, which is also OMG SO rude, apparently). My MIL hates giving gift cards and I've been asking for one for every gift giving holiday since dh and I got married. I simply don't understand this. I know what I want, I know where to get and I want the best deal for my money. Why kill yourself buying something I don't like (she has this thing with buying jewelry, which I often don't like or can't wear because of an allergy) or won't be able to use. For example, we asked for a Wii this year for Xmas and I asked for a gift card to buy accesories for it. I don't know what games we want, I want to wait until we find a good deal on something. I don't know how many controllers we will want or need, I don't know if we will need remote skins or anything else.

I swear, when I sat down to write this, this was a lot more intelligent. I've been distracted 20 times since I started and it no longer has even close to the same flow as when I started. :(

Dia de los Muertos

Day of the Dead> is a Mexican/Spanish holiday honoring the lives of the deceased. The first I ever heard of this holiday was my freshman year in high school in Spanish 1. A bit of background on this. My Spanish teacher was HORRIBLE. She rarely had control of the classroom, she cried probably once a week in class because the students wouldn't listen to her. She would take weeks (and sometimes months) to grade and return assignments. We did a food unit and she left the leche (milk) setting on the table for 4 days before a student finally took it and threw it away. During the same unit, a student in the class threw one of the fruits at her. She spins around from the board and demands "who threw that?" The person that threw it had picked up the other piece of fruit to lauch it as well and simply sat there with his hand in the air, holding the apple and just didn't move. Apparently she didn't notice because she demands again "if someone doesn't step forward, I'll have to punish everyone" Then she turned back to the board and continued writing. The student proceeded to throw the apple at her again. Students would show up until after she took attendence and then leave the room while she wasn't looking to go to lunch early. She never figured out what was happening. Her comment always was "hm, I thought they were here, I must have done attendence wrong but it is too late now" She had "Pesatas" that she gave out for participation in class. Her student assistant took her master and made tons of copies of it and passed them out to everyone. Then, instead of participating, all we had to do was cut out 5 (you only needed one a day) and hand them in at the end of the week and we would get an A for participation. It took a few months, but eventually she figured out that no one was participating, yet we were all handing in enough pesatas. She bought a cutsie little stamp (I want to say Cabbage Patch Kids, but I can't remember for sure)and stamped the backs of all the pesatas she handed out. To combat this, her assistant took her stamp, brought it to lunch and stamped all the copies he had made. She never did figure out what was happening. There were 2 Spanish 1 classes and at one point in the year, we took a test. Spanish 1 5th hour did much better on the test than Spanish 1 4th hour. She decided to add a curve to the grades but curves the classes seperately. This caused the people in 5th hour to have a general cow because they were all very competative about GPA, even during freshman year. We argued with her, explaining that class rank wasn't broken up 4th hour and 5th hour and the freshman class was the freshman class, that curving the grades seperately caused some people to lose their spot in the class rankings and that wasn't fair. She was having none of it so one of the girls in the class announced that she wouldn't participate again until the grades were curved together. Several of her friends were in the class and backed her and the idea spread to the rest of the class. We all sat silently and refused to participate for nearly 10 minutes. At that point, she had asked several questions and had gotten nothing back except silent stares. That was all she could take and she broke down bawling and promised to fix the grades and BEGGED us to "please, please please just start answering questions again. It isn't fair for you all to sit there and not say anything" She did fix the grades and it caused several people to score over 100 on the test, but there wasn't a lot she could do, aside from just teaching and hoping we retained something without participating. 6 weeks before the end of the year, she was moved out of the classroom, into a large closet in the home-ec, where she did lesson planning. She was replaced in the classroom with a sub whose only Spanish background was the fact that she taught in Texas for a few months. We learned little or nothing that year and from that point forward, all the Spanish classes were remedial, trying to catch us up to were we should be.

Anyway, all of that is because somebody mention day of the dead and it reminded me of her trying to celebrate it with us. She made Pan de Muerto, which is "bread of the dead" and brought it in. We had only been in school a few months but we already knew she was totally insane. The bread is supposed to have licorice in it but she went totally overboard. The whole room reeked of it for 2 days. I wouldn't touch it and neither would most of my classmates. Afterward, we termed it "Death Bread" because it probably would have killed us if we tried to eat it!

Kudos and other things

So I posted a tutorial that I wrote last night. Typically, I couldn't care less what people think but in this case, someone I really respect commented that she thought I did a good job on it and I'm am outrageously pleased by it. I know I link and I link to her, but seriously go visit Hummie Her site is like the scrapping holy grail. Anything you want, you can find either at her site or from her site.

And there are a million other things I should be doing right now, but instead of vacumming, I'm sitting on my backside, blogging. Sad.

Essential oils

Anyone know anything about essential oils? Can they go bad? I went to the HFS to get some stuff for the humidifier today and the testers were horrible. I actually gagged when I smelled the tea tree oil. Which, then of course I had to proclaim, "Evan, this is horrible. Smell this" LOL The bottle I bought smelled fine, but the tester was bad bad bad!

I'm also very hungry. This is nothing new but I sat here for several minutes trying to figure out why I was hungry. Then it occurred to me that I hadn't actually eaten dinner since I had a super late lunch. So no wonder, seven hours after my last meal, I'm hungry :)

I am not normal

There was a commercial on the radio yesterday for a local jewelry store and the guy says something like "guys, I guarantee that if you give your wife jewelry for your annivesary or her birthday, you will get the best response you could ever imagine" Dh started laughing and said "If I gave you a diamond the response I would get would be a serious butt kicking" I nodded, because really, I don't like diamonds or jewelry of any kind. Then I said "If given the choice between a DSLR or diamond, I'd take the camera anyday. If the choice was diamond or poke in the eye with a sharp stick, well the diamond would win, but just barely" LOL Of course, then dh was teasing me about silly things that he could get instead of a diamond said "What if I got you Tupperware" I would be thrilled since a full set of nice Tupperware is on my way too expensive to buy list.

I told him I wanted to call the jewelry store and tell them they shouldn't guarantee something like that because not every woman in the world likes diamonds.

Who's a dork?

I am, I am! I was flipping channels this afternoon looking for something to watch while Lizzie naps and I found Jeopardy! I was so excited I actually squealed LOL I LOVE Jeopardy and it makes me happy to watch it. I would love Jeopardy on DVD. That would just amke my year!