A pinch of this, a dash of that

Bet you thought I was going to talk about cooking based on that title. Wrong! *sticks tongue out*

I need to reclaim my blog. I've lost sight of why I started blogging in the first place. I was going to say whatever I wanted to say, express whatever I was feeling, and then I started getting wigged out - thinking about who might read my blog and what they might think of me. But I'm over that. So, the blog is going public again. I will take the few links I have off, and won't have links, unless people specifically say I can link them. Just understand that this *is* a public blog, so, some stranger could find your blog through mine if I link you.

I came to the conclusion this morning that I need to get over myself already. And I have too much anger in me. I was running late (entirely my fault), and after dropping arkieboy off at school, was waiting to pull out on the main road. There was a lot of traffic, and I was getting pissed off because people were on the road, thereby delaying me. I'm sitting there cussing, just because people have the nerve to use a public road! How dare they? Don't they realize they are inconviencing me? Yeah. Definitely time to get over myself.

I've been feeling very disconnected from everyone lately. I blame Comcast. And work. No time at work to be on the internet, and very random connections at home. It will work for maybe a few hours, and then be off for days. I really need to call. I'm paying for 24 hour access, I should have 24 hour access, but if they don't know there's a problem, they're not going to be able to fix it, right?

I really do feel distant from you all. I hate it. I hate when life gets in the way. I hate being needy like this, too. I feel like I'm begging people to like me. And then I have to think, if they don't like me, maybe there's a reason for that. And maybe, it's not just that they have rotten judgement. *grin*

Well, back to work.

I had a thought that I wanted to share, but during the time that my internet connection has been out, I forgot it. Can I tell you how much Comcast sucks as an ISP? They totally bite like a big dog. I'm lucky it kicked back in tonight, but it will probably be off again tomorrow, and I just don't have time to call them and have an appointment for someone to come check it. Of course, every time I *do* call and set up an appointment, within 2 hours, it's back on.

She only *looks* sweet...

I think I've mentioned before, how when I tell Stinkerbelle to give me a kiss, she puts her paw on my mouth and pushes me away. Well, this morning, she decided to teach me a lesson, I guess. She put her paws on either side of my face, with the claws slightly extended, leans towards me, and bites me on the nose.

just a thought

Book publishers should be more careful about the style of font they choose for the spine of books. I was at Barnes and Noble earlier today. While I was there, I saw a book that had a rather flowery script style of font. The name of the book happens to be "Wine, Tarts & Sex", but you know? In certain font styles, "T" and "F" aren't always easy to distinguish from each other.

Arkie, doing Zombie's thing of doing Arkie's thing

You go back to your blog entries for last year, and post the first sentence of the first post for each month.

"If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes." ~St. Clement of Alexandra
"Hunger affects more than 38 million people in America today - and 14 million are children."
I thought I was the queen of overshare.
Help me with the profile, please?
I get emails like this:
it's all about me.
This Blog is rated PG13.
I made to round 4!!!!!!
Because I was feeling guilty about Cappy staying shut up in the little bathroom all day, and all night, and only getting out for a short time in the evenings, I decided last night to take her upstairs with me.
1. 20 years is a long time.
Yeah, I still don't like my co-workers any better than I did in the last post.
And yet, I'm sitting here blogging instead of doing any of it.

Well, that was fun

Yesterday, I did something that was probably incredibly stupid. I gave the cat a bath. I guess it didn't go too bad - I came away with a nasty scratch on my hand and forearm, and that was all. Her fur feels so soft after the bath, and she smells nicer.

Do any of you bathe your cats? How frequently?

mine i can has cheezeburger


moar funny pictures

Goodbye 2007, Hello 2008

So, it's almost the end of 2007 - 26 more minutes as I start this post. Another year gone with no great things accomplished. I question if I'm capable of greatness. Is the reason I don't do great things because I can't, or because I don't try?

2008 will be great - I will make it so.
1) I will work on improving my health - working out 3x a week, every week, except when it's that time of the month. I will try to eat better and drink more water.
2) I will also work on improving my mental health and attitude. I feel myself turning into some bitter old woman, and that is not who I want to be. I will strive to be more positive, and to see good in others.
3) I will take time for myself, but I will also make time for others.
4) I will develop some hobbies and learn new things. I have a belly dance DVD, so there's one thing I can learn. I will maybe develop my interest in photography.

5) I will reach out to people more, and try not to be so distant and cold.

Happy new year to each of you! May the new year be the best yet!

Boo-Ya!

*does happy dance*
I? have won the office football pool!!!!! I have not managed to come in first place for any one week, but for the cumulative scoring, I was in first place week #2, and have stayed at either #1 or #2 for all this time (usually in #1), and I have WON!!!!! And the funny (or would it be ironic?) thing is, I don't even WATCH football! I don't have a freakin' clue about any of these teams!!!! There's a reason why my name in the pool is "Random Choices"!
Bwahahahaha!!!!!!
I'm the winner! I'm the winner!

My payoff is $100, IIRC. Sadly, I have to put my winnings towards my property tax instead of having fun. *pouts* Being responsible sucks sometimes.

DVD review: Stomp the Yard

When this movie was out in theaters, son & I wanted to go see it, but never made it. Finally rented the DVD this weekend. I liked it better the first time, when it was called Drumline. Seriously, they took the plot of Drumline, and moved it to stepping instead of a marching band. This made the ending very predictable. My son & I looked at each other during the competition scene and both agreed there would be a tie, requiring a face-off. And we were right.

Similarities:
Both set in college in Atlanta.
Protaganist for both is "not from the South". If I remember correctly, Drumline's main character was from NY, and Stomp the Yard's main character was from LA.
Both protaganists lied to get into college.
Both protaganists pursued a girl who was considered to be out of their league.
Both protaganists needed to learn how to be part of the team and not just out for their own glory.
Both movies had a big competition, with Sway from MTV making an appearance as commentator or host.
Both protaganists wanted to "modernize" the performance, and both had someone in charge who preferred to keep it traditional.
Both protaganists had an occurrence that kept them from competing with their group in the big competition (but in Stomp the Yard, DJ was reinstated and was able to compete in the battle to break the tie).
Both had the big competition with the big rival end in a tie.


I really didn't care for the way the movie was shot - the camera angles and so on - for the dance scenes. I can't really explain what/how these were done, but I felt like it caused the the audience (me) to have a disconnect with the scene.

My rating: 2 1/2 stars

Are you kidding me????

Yesterday, I went to Wal-Mart, to see if there were any simply wonderful, 'I-absolutely-must-have-it', things on clearance. Imagine my shock when I turn from one aisle of Christmas clearance items onto what I thought would be another holiday clearance aisle and saw this instead!!!



And then today, I went into Target, and they already had Easter stuff out.

Seriously, can they not wait until the week after Christmas to start putting this stuff out? And who buys their candy 1-1/2 months early?
I'm not sure when Easter is this year, but I know they could at least wait until January to put that stuff out.

I also went to K-mart for some clearance shopping, and they have Valentine's Day stuff out already, too.

Anyway, after all my clearance shopping, I know have 16 rolls of Christmas paper. I don't think I will need to buy anymore paper for a loooooooooooooong time.

I also have my tins for next year's cookie exchange.

Christmas Past

Clint's first Christmas:



My first Christmas:

Just call me scrooge. *grin*

Sometimes, I'm a crabby bitch. I know this about myself. No big secret. I did one of the most 'cheapskate' things I could do today, but it pissed me off. Can someone please tell me when the definition of "thank you" while paying for food started to mean "keep the change"? I made her come back out to my car and give me my change. I don't care if it was under $2, it's my freaking change! If I wanted you to keep it, I would have said keep the change. I said thank you, because it's FUCKING POLITE!!!!

In other pissy news, I had to remail my secret santa gift because I was given the wrong street address, and the package came back to me Friday. So, I had to pay another $13.45 to mail it for the second time.

My cat cannot stand to let me read a book. It's not that she wants any attention, it's just that my attention is being directed elsewhere. Any time she sees me reading, she will come climb up on me, and drape herself across the book so I can't read it. This morning, I was able to shift the book a little and could still read. She looked back at the book after I moved it, and then shifted over so she was blocking it again. But? if I put the book down and try to pet her, she jumps off and leaves the room.

Cool Christmas presents

Others might think these are crappy presents, but they're perfect for me!

From my boss, a bottle of Bitch wine(but from the 2006 vintage, not 2004):

From a co-worker/friend after we were talking about things we wanted to be when we grew up - I wanted to be either a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader or a belly dancer:


From another co-worker/friend who knows how much I really love stuff like this (except my tree has ribbons has decorations on it):

On Jamie Lynn Spears' pregnancy

I've read comments about how trashy she and her family are... Is she trash because she was having sex at the age of 16? Is she trash because she was having sex outside of marriage? Is she trash because she got pregnant? Is it a combination of having sex at the age of 16, without the benefits of getting married, and getting pregnant?

I had sex at the age of 17. Guess I'm trash.
I had sex before I was married. Guess I'm trash.
I did not get pregnant until I was 25, and married, so guess I'm not totally trash.

I've read the article - it doesn't address whether or not they were using birth control. IF they were using birth control, yeah, there might be some shock when you end up pregnant - it's SUPPOSED to be effective, right? (Yes, I know that no birth control method, other than complete abstinence, is 100% effective.)

So, to any female who's had sex at a certain age, or had sex outside of marriage, or gotten pregnant at either a young age or without being married, I guess you're trash. So says the "non-judgemental" ones. What-the-fuck-ever.

Links?

So, when I switched templates, I lost my linkys. *pout* I'm going to add them back in, but before I do, is there anyone who does NOT want to be linked?

Randoms

The power went off this morning. If Stinkerbelle hadn't woke me up, arkieboy would have been late for school, and I would have been much later for work.

It went off again this afternoon. Thank goodness it's back on.

I got cookiezzz!!!!! Yum! That toffee was so good! There is also biscotti, M&M cookies, Peanut Blossoms, Peanut Butter Krispie Balls, and some chocolate covered pretzels!

*pouts* I can't read Weltek's blog. What's up with that?

I mailed my cookies yesterday. I could have just kicked myself. After the first batch of cookies, I kept congratulating myself on how good they turned out. Then on the second type of cookies, I completely forgot about sprinkling sliced almonds on top of the tassies until I was pulling them out of the oven. So, to the two of you who get my cookies, just pretend that there are almonds on top of the almond tassies.

Notice anything?

Something about this picture caught my eye, and I'm wondering if I'm the only one to see it...

Update

1) I've got to wrap up and mail my OT secret santa gift.
2) I've got to decide on what kind of cookies I'm making for the bloggy exchange, go shopping, make the cookies and mail them. (I've made one batch! Now one to the next one!)
3) I've got to mention that I received my bloggy cookies Thursday. Woot! I mentioned it! Now there's one thing off the list! I know who my cookies came from, but I'll keep it a secret for now. Two kinds of cookie and some bread. Yummy!
4) I've got to mail something that should have been mailed 2 months ago.
5) I've got to organize the next leg of Sanjana's travels.
6) I've got to finish my Christmas Shopping. Need to buy for my sister & brother-in-law, my boss, and something for Clint.
7) I've got to wrap everything and get it in the mail, because I'm staying home this Christmas.
8) I've got to get this freaking house clean because it disgusts me.
9) I need to update my checkbook, and pay any current bills.
10) I've got to call the Doctor's office in Arkansas that Clint was seeing, and ask for an itemized statement. Now, I've got to review it and compare to the EOB's.
11) I've got to buy an outfit for the office Christmas Party. Couldn't find anything, so I didn't go. :(
12) After I get the house clean and have the finances updated, I need to call an electrician to do something about the light fixture in the laundry room, and I need to have a handyman come out and hang the door back on the bonus room that we took off in order to move a couch in there. Clint's not using the room in the winter, and it's making the rest of the house cold.

Free CD's to anyone who wants them: (and no comments about the genre of some of these)
Kenny Wayne Shepherd - The Place You're In
Collective Soul - Collective Soul
Neal McCoy - No doubt about it momma
Chris LeDoux - Haywire momma
Alan Jackson - Honky Tonk Christmas momma
Reba McEntire - Greatest Hits Volume Two momma
Macy Gray - On How Life Is
No Doubt - Rock Steady Jen
The Rembrandts - L.P.
Jennifer Lopez - On the 6
Greg Holland - Let Me Drive momma
Shakira - Laundry Service Jen
No Doubt - Return of Saturn
David Ball - Thinkin' Problem momma
Clay Walker - If I Could Make a Living momma
Various Artists - Great Love Songs of the 70's and 80's - volume 3 Dragonflies
Various Artists - Only Dance - 1985 - 1989 Dragonflies
Gloria Estefan - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me Jen
Various Artists - Singles original motion picture soundtrack momma
The Band - The Best of The Band
Bon Jovi - Bounce
Paul Wells - Studio 150
Tesla - Bust a Nut
Various Artists - Southern Rock 14 Greatest Hits momma
Lily Allen - Alright, Still Jen
Ten Years After - Rock & Roll Music to the World
Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusions II momma
Hootie & the Blowfish - Cracked rear view - claimed by Cyggie



If you see any you want, just list it in comments. You can email me your address or send it to me in a PM at OT.

Too much to do, not enough time to do it

And yet, I'm sitting here blogging instead of doing any of it.

1) I've got to wrap up and mail my OT secret santa gift.
2) I've got to decide on what kind of cookies I'm making for the bloggy exchange, go shopping, make the cookies and mail them.
3) I've got to mention that I received my bloggy cookies Thursday. Woot! I mentioned it! Now there's one thing off the list! I know who my cookies came from, but I'll keep it a secret for now. Two kinds of cookie and some bread. Yummy!
4) I've got to mail something that should have been mailed 2 months ago.
5) I've got to organize the next leg of Sanjana's travels.
6) I've got to finish my Christmas Shopping. Need to buy for my sister & brother-in-law, my boss, and something for Clint.
7) I've got to wrap everything and get it in the mail, because I'm staying home this Christmas.
8) I've got to get this freaking house clean because it disgusts me.
9) I need to update my checkbook, and pay any current bills.
10) I've got to call the Doctor's office in Arkansas that Clint was seeing, and ask for an itemized statement.
11) I've got to buy an outfit for the office Christmas Party.
12) After I get the house clean and have the finances updated, I need to call an electrician to do something about the light fixture in the laundry room, and I need to have a handyman come out and hang the door back on the bonus room that we took off in order to move a couch in there. Clint's not using the room in the winter, and it's making the rest of the house cold.


I'm going to purge and get rid of a lot of stuff from the house. Anyone want some old CD's? And maybe some old children's books?