My occasionally snarky thoughts on everything from motherhood, politics, life and current events. Cocktails are sometimes mandatory. Bottoms up!

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

I think I need a new Superhero name.

My *old* Superhero name was Contusion Woman. (Well earned, as easily as I bruise).

And hey, name wise I got off easy! My best friend at the time was dubbed Neurotica for heaven's sake. Seriously. And just between you and me, that name was particularly well suited...

These days, and most especially today, I think my super hero name should be The Procrastinator. I have it down to a freekin' science, complete with well thought out arguments as to why it's a-ok to be procrastinating.

Not that I didn't get anything done - I did! I got the house vacuumed, a yummy lunch made, laundry done, bills paid, blogs read, phone talked, e-mail answered, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...

But the Church Newsletter? Yeah... Not so done.

I know, I know - tomorrow's the first of the month and all. I'll get there. But man! For no good reason (not that my "procrastinator" reasons aren't good - the priest didn't even get his articles to me until yesterday - hell, *I'm* convinced) it's akin to pulling teeth today to get me to work on it. I'm like a fourth grader avoiding homework here...

Gah.

Time to get to work. Hopefully before the name sticks, anyway...

Define this!

The handy dandy Brain Bender from the discount MENSA calendar.

Ready to play?

--------------------

The five words below can be defined by words that begin with the same two letters (for each definition). Can you fill in all five?
  • Feverish = __________
  • Part of a car = __________
  • Catlike = ___________
  • A particular artery = __________
  • Irresponsible = __________

--------------------

Alrighty, you know how this works. The answers will be found later in the comments. See you then!

One more reason...

...I just love the internet. You can learn ANYTHING.

Say for example, "How to Wash a Cat."



I remember the injuries WxMan sustained when he tried to brush our cat Mack's teeth once... ::shudder:: Stuff of nightmares, I assure you.

And this reminds me - I need to make an appointment for T and Buddy to go to the groomers doggie spa for a day of beauty. I so appreciate *not* having to shower them myself...

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent...

You know, sometimes the deepest wisdom just leaps of the page - real or virtual.

Helen over at Everyday Stranger really hit one ot of the park with this post. I have nothing to add, really. She says it all. If you haven't already - go read now.
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

Amen. Thanks Helen.

Hey, wait a minute...

I happen to know a couple of "Joes" and they are quite nice! Not like this icky, picky "Joe" in today's Brain Bender.

Oh well, it's not like *I* write these things. Ready to play?

-------------------

Joe likes Kate but not Elizabeth. He likes Andy but not David, and he likes Sam but not Roger. Using the same logic, will he like Dick or William?

--------------------

I'm thinking that Joe's going to be spending a lot of time alone if he can't learn to get over his own self.

Anyway, you know what to do. The answer will be found later in the comments. See you then!


Update: Both Rave and Oddybobo share Smartypants honors today - whoohoo! And I feel compelled to prove that I *do not* write these things...






See?

Tuesday...

...and the week keeps rolling on. Is it just me, or did January ZOOM by??

Maybe it just feels that way because I have the church newsletter deadline rapidly approaching. That's what I am going to be doing today. And unlike the other gig (they paid me $50 thankyouverymuch) this simply has to be a labor of love... or penance.

You pick.

So because it's Tuesday, and I got nuthin' (and I do mean nuthin') tweaking my little braincells, I am stealing a meme from Rachel over at Pereiraville.

One word only....

This Moment: sniffly
Your Shoes: comfy
Craving: enchiladas
The State of Your Home: cozy
Annoyed By: whiners
Noise In the Background: Wii (bowling)
Really Want To: play
Thinking about: blogging
Smelling: nada
Favorite Product In Office Supply Aisle: Huh?
Don’t Ever Want To: fail
Your Eye Color: slate
The Weather: subzero
Have Never Tried: caviar
Think Everyone Should Try: escargot
Last Vacation Destination: Orlando
The Last Thing You Had to Drink: diet coke
Your Bad Habit: many
What You’re Going To Do Now: work

Okay I'm off... If you need me, I'll be at www.calendarsthatwork.com or wading my way through a plethora of emails or something like that. Gah.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Gah! Needless to say...

This commercial does not help WxMan's campaign to get a new hi-def TV...



And is it just me, or do you suppose Guys might be watching a... ummmm... "different" sort of channel if the "action" (so to speak) was so very realistic?

Just sayin'...

It's Monday, and you know what *that* means...

...time to solve the daily Brain Bender! (via the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar)

Ready to play??

-------------------------

What two words formed from different arrangements of the same seven letters can be used to complete the sentence below?

The angry political science professor __________ his lazy student, shouting, "If you want to be a good ________, you have to carefully craft your arguments!"

---------------------------

Alrighty, you know what to do. The answers will be found later in the comments. See you then!

Off they go....

Mom finally gets a stamp in her passport!

My folks are winging their way to San Jose even as I type. Then they will be off to Nosara for some good beach action and celebration with my Aunt (who lives there) and a cousin of mine who flying in to play as well.

As we woke up to snow and single digit temperatures, I can say that I am a tad envious - but no more than a tad.

After all, they never have travelled much, Pop's prognosis is good, (thank heavens) and Mom has never been outside of the U.S. So really, I am thrilled for them!











From the "wilds" of Wyoming to the streets of San Jose in just a few hours time? What a wonderful world we live in!

Fly safely guys...

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Machine Gun Comedy

Never thought I'd see a comedian ask to get shot, and then encourage the audience to shoot each other... But it's pretty damn funny. (Though due to some language, not necessarily safe for work.)



Bahahahaha!! You know, I don't think I can make ANY of those sounds... It must be a guy thing.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Post number 1131...

Here is Friday's Brain Bender from the *new* handy dandy discount MENSA calendar. Ready to play?

-----------------------

Find a six-digit number in which the first digit is three less than the second and five less than the third, the third digit is two less than the fourth, the fifth digit is six less than the fourth and the last digit is double the fifth. The sum of all digits is 32.

-------------------------

Good gray gravy... My brain just doesn't *even* want to go there... The most I got was "double the fifth." But I am thinking about a different kind of "fifth" for sure...

Anyhoo, you know what to do. The answer (in all it's digity goodness) will be found in the comments later. See you then!

Sing it with me!

Du na nah na nay nuh…

I gotta sick kid…

Du na nah na nay nuh…

Can’t believe it’s today…

Du na nah na nay nuh…

Really love having lunch dates!

Du na nah na nay nuh…

And it’s even Fri-day…

Du na nah na nay nuh…

Didn't think this would happen!

Du na nah na nay nuh…

And I'm the go to wo-man…

Du na nah na nay nuh…

I got three other kids comin’ over this afternoon so I gotta DO WHAT I CAN…

But I’m sad….

Du na nah na nay nuh…

So, so sad….

Du na nah na nay nuh…

Carryin’ a bucket!

Du na nah na nay nuh…

And a washcloth….

Du na nah na nay nuh…

Hand sanitizer!

Du na nah na na nuh…

Wipin’ down surfaces with Lysol…

Du na nah na nay nuh…

DOOOOOIN’ WHAT I CAN…

Du na nah na nay nuh…

No yummy lunch for me!

Du na nah na nay nuh…

Just some dry toast and tea.

Du na nah na nay nuh…

And antibacterial wipes – AMEN!

Du na nah na nay nuh…

But I do what a can….

Du na nah na nay nuh…

I do what I can….

--------------

Here's what I know - Motherhood isn't for wussies...

You 'spoze they sell that sanitizer by the 5 gallon jug anywhere?

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Reason Number 3,276...

...that I'm glad I am home again full time.

School called not long ago - Sporta's not feeling so hot. So now that I have her snuggled up on the couch with some 7 - Up and a Tom and Jerry cartoon, (What is it about seeing Tom get the $#*! knocked outta him that makes every kid feel better?) I am free to get started on the rest of today's chores. Some (okay, *one*) even worth $$!
  • Laundry (never ending, that...)
  • A Flyer for this gal who has a "goose removal" business. That should be done in an hour or so... $$!!
  • Lemon Bars for Saturday
  • Pictures to hang (they have been leaning against the wall for waaaaay too long.)
  • 368 requests for water, a cuddle, a cool cloth, a small snack, etc... (happy to do that)
  • Re-organization of two pantry cupboards. (A long time coming...)

My big question is what the heck should I charge this woman for putting the flyer together for her? It feels kind of weird asking for anything, but she is insisting that she pay me something for my time.

So whaddya think? Charge her my last hourly rate? A flat fee? A bottle of wine? I'm stumped...

When the hell...

...did I ever even have time for a job?? I have been running all week...

Anyhoo, here is today's Brain Bender from the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar. Ready to play?

---------------------

How many common English words can you make from the letters below, using all six letters once in each word?

A D E R R W

----------------------

Alrighty then. Back to work for me. And like always, the answers will be found later in the comments. See you then!

They think I'm weird...

...I can just tell.

See, I like to help out when I can. I do!

Basically it's *what* I do... Always have. Probably always will. I don't know how to BE in the world any other way.

But some folks think it's weird.

Even the ones that do the same thing themselves...

This week we had a long-time member of our church die. Not entirely unusual, he had been ill for some time and was visibly declining, but still. I got the email from the pastor to see to it that the rest of the "online" congregation heard the news - I'm the Newsletter Editor and I have the email list "ready to go" so to speak.

So no problem, I sent out the word about funeral arrangements. Later I sent out the call for folks to help out with items for a luncheon and reception for the bereaved. No.Big.Deal. Then I made my own call... To donate some bar cookies for the reception and help out with the clean up and what-not after the service.

Coordinator Lady: But Richmond, aren't you already hosting coffee hour on Sunday?

Me: Well, yes - but I'm happy to bring in some cookies too.

C.L. And didn't I see you on the schedule to help out with Monday's community dinner?

Me: Uh huh. And the baby shower St. _____'s is hosting on Sunday as well. I'm happy to help. And there's a LOT going on this week...

C.L. There sure is... And we're glad to have you. Thanks.

Throughout the conversation she just kept sounding more and more surprised - and it's not because doing this kind of stuff is out of the norm for me... I have been available to help out many times in the past. In my mind, it's what people do. Heck, it's what she does too.

It's just this week there is a LOT going on - that's all.

'Course maybe I am weird....

Weird is okay.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

So.... where are you?

'Cause the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar is all over the place today!

Ready to play??

-----------------------

Fill in the blanks below to complete the names of cities or states in the United States.
  • _ _ D _ _ N _ _ O _ _ S
  • _ A _ _ F _ _ N _ _
  • _ L _ B _ M _
  • _ I _ W _ _ _ E _

------------------------

Alrighty then, you know what to do. The answers will be found later in the comments!

I gotta go see a lady about some dogs... (Really!)

Update: Sharing Smartypants honors are Teresa from Technicalities and jvh from Showcase of a Shattered Mind. Whoohoo!

Wow.

Sometimes these quizzes strike really close to home... Like this one I found over at Roses place today....


The True You

You want your girlfriend or boyfriend to be more relaxed, calm, and composed.

With respect to money, you spend carefully and save your pennies.

You think good luck will definitely be yours, someday.

The hidden side of your personality tends to be satisfied to care for things with a minimal amount of effort.

You are tend to think about others' feelings a lot, perhaps because you are so eager to be liked.

When it comes to finding a romantic partner, you will search and search until you find your perfect match.


Pretty true, one and all. Good grief!

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Gimmee something new!

WxMan brought home Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats the other day.

Now, if I hadn't asked him to do it, I would think he was trying to send me a message. But the fact of the matter is, we're all a bit weary of what's been cooking around here.

All of us.

I have been perusing the book, and she has some really good ideas going in there! I am off to the kitchen to do some experimenting...

I'll let you know how it all turns out.

::Yay - new food! I am soooo excited!!::

Oooohhh... I love a good mystery.

Ready to play today's Brain Bender?

--------------------

The Great Detective was at a lakeside resort. there was a storage tank not far up the hill behind the lake. A small girl fell in. The only rope around was a foot too short. The Great Detective solved the problem instantly - and after a few minutes was able to rescue the girl. How?

------------------

And where were this girl's parents while she was falling into the tank?? Huh? And Lassie - Lassie would have been able to help! She got Timmy out of the well after all....

Anyway, like always the answer will be found later in the comments. See you then!

Update: The lovely Sticks From Chaos to Serendipity is the official Smartypants today. Whoohoo!

Libertad!

At last...

The girls are off to school, and I am ready to start in on my list of projects. (And no - eating bon-bons is *not* on the list...)

We want to put our house on the market come this summer so I have a plethora of goofy little things and painting that need to be accomplished.

So, what to get started on first.

Laundry definitely comes to mind - holy cow, that has gotten out of hand... And then I think finishing up on the office.

Later this week I want to prep our weird back hallway for painting. (I'll post some pics so you can see what I mean.) That has been a project long on the horizon....

So what are you doing today?? And is it weird that I am so psyched to get started around here??

I like it....

Monday, January 22, 2007

More word play...

Ready for the Brain Bender from the handy dandy Discount MENSA calendar?

----------------------

Find the word in the bottom row that best completes the following sequence.

HIGH * ABSURD * DELIGHT * START * ________

a) LIFT b) PLAY c) NOTE d) COLOR


--------------------

Well, there you have it. Monday's time waster Brain Bender . And like always, the answer will be found in the comments later. See you then!

Update: Rave from Quid Nunc is today's official smartypants. Whoohoo!

My, Me, Meme!

A good way to begin a Monday I think. Tagged by Rachel from Pereiraville (who was tagged by CalTechGirl), let's give it a whirl....

1. My: You’ve heard the saying “I’d give my right arm for”. So, what would you give your right arm for?

My initial response to this question was the same as Rachel's and CTG's. I value my arm to much to willfully give it up for something for myself. I can't even think of anything.... However, at the risk of sounding hokey - if losing my right arm would guarantee peace in the middle east, I think I would "give my right arm" for that . (Others have already done the same...)

2. Me: What’s one word that describes how you want people to see you?

Steady

3. Meme: If you could be any blogger, which blogger would you be? and why?

Well, as much as I enjoy being me - there are some days when I really would like to be Eric the Straight White Guy. Now there's a man who knows how to live well... and beyond. Daily. Good Lord.

Alrighty then, now comes the time for me to tag a couple of others....

I tag Roses, Teresa, and Oddybobo. Fine ladies one and all... :-)

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Quit your job...

...and get a social life!

I swear, that's what it's feeling like around here. And I'm loving it!

I have fabulous lunch dates set up. And a group of us are planning a dinner out in February (husbands included). Can you imagine? Dinner? Out? With other grownups??

For no other reason than just to go out and enjoy ourselves.

Holy crap, I've arrived...

And tonight? Tonight WxMan and I (and the girls) are going to go hang out with our old neighbors at their new place. And after we set all the kids (ranging in age from 15 to 8) up with pizza and a movie. We are going to go out.

Out!

Dinner. Maybe a sports bar. Goodness, I wonder if I even *remember* how to shoot pool...

I'm telling you. This is all very coincidental and strange - but I am going to roll with it...

Life takes a turn toward the fun - now that's new...

Friday, January 19, 2007

Say what??

It's time for the last Brain Bender of the week. Ready to play?

------------------------

Solve the simple substitution cryptogram and find the answer to the question "Who knows where the wind blows?"

VJG * OGVGQTQNQIKUVU * UJQWNF * DWV * FQPV * FGRGPF * QP * KV.

-------------------------

Well, having more than doubled the normal amount of kid-age in my house for the afternoon, I feel confident that I will have plenty to keep me busy for the rest of the day. Heh. :-)

And like always, the answer will be found later in the comments - Happy Friday!

p.s. (I double checked for typos, but you know me.... And ignore the *'s they are for spacing purposes only.)

And so it begins...

I present Sir Buddy - thoroughly enjoying his morning.












Practicing "better living through flatness" while lying in both sunshine and snow.

Very Zen, that dog...

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Alphabet Soup...

No, actually I had some take out Chinese to celebrate being unemployed! But that's the title of today's Brain Bender*...

Ready to play?

-------------------

The 15 letters below can be anagrammed into a five word phrase meaning "almost never."

What is the phrase?

A B C E E I L M N N N O O O U

--------------------
dANG - i ALMOST FORGOT TO INCLUDE THE LETTERS! Just like I forgot to take off the "Caps Lock." *sigh*

Someday, I swear - I will learn how to farookin' type.

Anyhoo, the answer will be found later in the comments like always. See you then!

*The daily Brain Bender comes from a handy dandy discount MENSA calendar.

This is it!

And after two weeks of having to explain:

  • How it really is going to be better for my family if I am available 24/7

  • No, I will NOT be bored.

  • "won't you miss us?" Well, the truth is that I will miss seeing a few folks on a regular basis - But by in large? No. I won't miss you... (I never say that though. Just "Of course I will!")

  • "you'll miss this place." Uhhhhh.... No. No, I will not.

  • "so whaddya gonna do? just sit around all day?" Yeeaaah. Just like every other stay-at-home Mom does. ::rolls eyes:: We have prizes for who can eat the most bon-bons weekly.

But do you know who is going to be really really REALLY happy to have me around 24/7 again??

Can you guess?

These two....












They are going to get to "go out" and "come in" umpteen more times a day.

Oh yeah. They're going to be happy.

And I suppose Computa and Sporta will be happy too... One would hope at least...

So, off I go! Gotta get this "last day" business DONE.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Preparing for the future....

Tomorrow is my last day of work. Whoohoo!

So today I am getting ready for re-entering full time homemakerdom. What does this mean? Well, nothing, really. I never actually left my homemaker post, so returning to it is kind of a moot point.

Heh.

But I *am* going to be happy to be back.

The de-clutterfication of the office continues. And I hung a new valence today. WxMan was a little startled by my curtain color choice (it's a nice crimson) but he'll get used to it. He always does...

(And how can I go wrong with crimson and cream decorating touches when you live with an Okie? Unless they are an Orange Crush fan, of course...)

Anyhoo.... I digress.

More volunteer work on my plate for today as well - that will be ever increasing I'm sure. And laundry. Always the laundry...

But still. In the coming months I am sure I will complain about the monotony of housework and blah, blah, blah. For right now it feels good to be happy about it. :-)

Very good.

Father and Daughter

Finally!

One for the number crunchers we have around here. Ready for today's Brain Bender? (From the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar...)

-----------------

Frank is twice as old as his daughter Amanda. Twelve years ago, Frank was three times as old as Amanda. Twelve years from now, Amanda will be three-fifths of her father's age.

How old are Frank and Amanda now?

-------------------

Huh. I have nary a clue - but I'll bet you do! And like always, the answers will be found later in the comments. See you then!

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Because some "Rabbits" take themselves waaaaaaay too seriously...

I noticed this today in my comments section...

It was interesting to see that some of your "brain benders" happens to be also part of the MENSA calendar of 365 brain puzzles which I have. Did you just deliberately plagiarize the text? If so, I have one comment to make. The Tom Swiftly quote is wrong. "NTEER" is actually "NTER". There is no extra E. Therefore the correct quote is as follows:"“I wanted to rent an apartment in the new building, but dogs are forbidden,” said Tom petulantly."
Rabbit 01.13.07 - 10:00 am #
So as a helpful way to clear up any confusion for the annoyed rabbits of the world (who must have gotten here via a google search so they could cheat at their *own* page a day calendar...)

Here are the number of times I have referenced (recently) that I do not write the freeking brain Benders. I post them for FUN.

one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve.... I think you can get the idea. I would link to more, but frankly, you are not worth my time.

Because, had you just emailed me (or even bothered to provide an email address), I could have explained this all to you privately. But as a Rabbit would do - you took the coward's way. You come into MY HOUSE and call me a plagiarist and a liar. And then scampered back into your hole....

Before making those kinds of accusations, you could have taken two seconds and googled "one for the road MENSA calendar" - all would have been clear. But no. You are apparently lazy too, and don't feel the need to research anything before arbitrarily flinging poo around. So be it.

Get over yourself, Rabbit.

---------------------

Anyhoo, here is today's Brain Bender - for the folks who want to take a little break and PLAY.

Which of the words below is least like the others? (And thanks to Sticks for pointing out I had left off some much needed directions - the difference has nothing to do with vowels, consonants or syllables.)

  • ITALY
  • CHINA
  • ANGOLA
  • PANAMA

----------------------------

And just to clear up any leftover confusion, I don't write these things. They come from a page-a-day calendar I bought at Borders. FOR FUN.

And like always, the answer will be found later in the comments.

Tuesday! Whoo!

Not that I am usually a cheerer of Tuesdays, but since I am enjoying an unsolicited day off and the sun is shining - I'm damn cheerful!

And I might even get my house cleaned - a total bonus.

But before I do, I saw this meme the other day over at Tuning Spork's Blather Review and it looked like fun! (Just realized that I didn't have Tuning Spork on my sidebar - shame on me! That's been fixed....)

1) How old do you wish you were? I really like my age right now, so I'll say 36. I'm looking forward to 37 and even 40...

2) Where were you when 9-11 happened? St. Louis, MO. WxMan and I were just getting packed up and ready to go (the 12th) on our first get-a-way without the kids. Needless to say, we didn't go...

3) What do you do when vending machines steal your money? Nothing - I just don't care that much.

4) Do you consider yourself kind? Yes. Though I am occasionally snarky.

5) If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be? I have one. It's on my right ankle.

6) If you could be fluent in any other language what would it be? I would like to be truly fluent in Spanish. Right now I can hold my own, porque me cunada es de Culican y estudie espanol en el colegio. But my verb conjegation is for shit. If you don't use it you lose it...

7) Do you know your neighbors? Sort of - they're new. But I really miss the ones that were there before... We had an awfully good time.

8) What do you consider a vacation? Practically anything that gets me away from the house. But really - an afternoon with a really good book can do it for me too.

9) Do you follow your horoscope? Uuuhhh No. Though I do know that I am a Scorpio and that I *shouldn't* have married WxMan (a Gemini) because we aren't supposed to be compatible. Whatever.

10) Would you move for the person you loved? Been there - done that more times than I care to count...

11) Are you touchy feely? Not really. And I do not like it if people come all up into my personal space without invitation or just freeking stand too close to me. But I have been known to pat some one's arm while talking to them.

12) Do you believe that opposites attract? I guess - but I don't see how that works out... I still can't wrap my brain around Mary Matalin and James Carville being married.

13) Dream job? Ummm... I really like being a homemaker. But if I had to choose, I guess it would be being a caterer / party planner. I like doing that too.

14) Favorite channel(s)? 42, 66, 69, 70, 9, and 5.

15) Favorite place to go on weekends? Home. I like to be home on the weekends.

16) Showers or Baths? Showers. Tummy island is depressing in the bath.

17) Do you paint your nails? Toenails? Yes - red. Fingernails? No. I work with my hands too much and the polish is forever FUBAR 2 seconds later. It's not worth it...

18) Do you trust people easily? I generally have a visceral gut reaction to people when I meet them - those to whom I react to positively are pretty much *always* trustworthy. Those to whom I react negatively rarely get a chance to prove themselves one way or the other. Neutrals get a "wait and see" approach.
I am rarely wrong about someone.

19) What are your phobias? Spiders for sure... And, uh... I fear failure I guess. Though the definition of success changes..

20) Do you want kids? Been there, done that, bought the tee-shirt. (The tee-shirt of course got spit up on, and soon there after didn't fit because of the baby weight. Now I use the tee-shirt to dust my house.)

21) Do you keep a handwritten journal? No. Hello - what would I need one for? Have you looked around here?

22) Where would you rather be right now? I like where I am, thanks.

23) What makes you feel warm and safe? My friends and family. And having a clean house with soup simmering on the stove, a little money in the bank, and all of my peeps at home...

24) Heavy or light sleeper? Beyond heavy for the first 3-4 hours and then light, light, light. WxMan is just the opposite so it made getting up with the kids vastly easier when they were little.

25) Are you paranoid? Why? Why do you ask?? ::closes blinds::

26) Are you impatient? No. Okay, well sometimes. But generally I am extremely patient....

27) Who can you relate to? People who I love and trust.

28) How do you feel about interracial couples? Love is love.

29) Have you been burned by love? Yup - though not in recent memory.

30) What's your life motto? Well the motto I was taught as a wee child (and asked to recite to the general amusement of adults) was "Never give a sucker an even break." Now it's "Complete Honesty in Word and Deed is a good way to get punched out."

31) What's your main ringtone on your mobile? Hey - it's a phone. It sounds like a phone, okay? Besides, I don't know how to even do that...

32) What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping.

33) Who was your last text message from? I think I got one once from a girlfriend in Montana.

34) Whose bed did you sleep in last night? Mine.

35) What color shirt are you wearing? Black.

36) What are you listening to right now? The sound of the furnace running - it's 7 degrees out right now and there's a windchill...

37) Name three things you have on you at all times? At all times? Even in the shower? Uhhh... Skin, hair, and a bracelet.

38) What color are your bed sheets? Cream.

39) How much cash do you have on you right now? Right now my pockets are empty.

40) What is your favorite part of the chicken? The cluck.

41) What's your fav city/place? Man - this is a toughie. Silvergate, MT comes to mind as does St. Louis, MO. And here in Wisconsin where I live. We plan to stay.

42) I can't wait till . . . Friday! Then I am happily unemployed again!

43) Who got you to set up a blog? Well, I couldn't have done any of it without Harvey at Bad Example writing his series of "How to Blog" posts. Thanks Harvey!

44) What did you have for dinner last night? We actually took the girls bowling and had really good (but bad for you) bowling alley food. Pizza, onion rings, jalapeno poppers, chicken cordon blue bites... Yummy.

46) Have you ever smoked? Yup.

47) Do you own a gun? Yes.

48) Tea or Coffee? Tea. And I like mine sweetened and with a little milk.

49) What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? There's been no luring around here for an age...

50) Do you have A.D.D.? No. At least I don't think so... Oh look , something shiny!

51) What time did you wake up today? 4:05 am

52) Current worry? Not feeling worried today. That's nice!

53) Current want?. More time with my family and to do the things that I want to do... I'm going to get it too....

54) Favorite place to be? Home.

55) Where would you like to travel in the future? Europe, Costa Rica, and I'd like to tour the Caribbean.

56) Where do you think you'll be in 10 yrs? God, I have no clue. I'd like to say living here contentedly, but when I look at our history - Sky's the limit! The girls will be almost 19 and 20. I think I'll just try to be prepared...

57) Last thing you ate? A container of white chocolate raspberry Yoplait.

58) What songs do you sing in the shower? There's no singing in the shower here, kids. When you meet me you'll see/hear why... But I *do* whistle well and in tune. Just not in the shower...

59) Last person that made you laugh? T1G over at Drunken Wisdom.

60) Worst injury you've ever had? Probably when I dislocated my patella about 7 years ago. That was the most painful, anyway...

61) Does someone have a crush on you? WxMan, I hope...

62) What is your favorite candy? Snickers. OR my homemade toffee.

63) What song do you want played at your funeral? Hmmmmm.... hopefully I won't have to make a decision on that for a LONG time.

See, fun!!!

And now it's time to get to work...

Monday, January 15, 2007

Meanwhile... yesterday during Acolyte training...

(Yes, I'm serious. Sporta wants to be an Acolyte.)

I got to have this conversation with the Deacon:

Me: "Are you sure it's a good idea to let Sporta walk through the church with fire for heaven's sake? I mean, I don't know that I would even want her lighting candles at home...."

Deacon R.: "Oh yeah... she'll be fine! After all, what's the worst that could happen?"

Me: ::total Bou *blink*:: "Are you serious?? How many "what's the worst that could happen" scenarios would you like for me to lay out for you?!?!"

Deacon R.: ::chuckling:: "You mom's worry to much..."

Me: "Well, yeah... Hello! That's our whole job!"

Deacon R.: ::shaking his head and chuckling at me:: "She'll be fine."

Me: "Oh sure... That's what everybody says before some kid burns God's house down..."

Deacon R.: ...

--------------------

I know, I know. I'll be fine.

After all, they serve wine there... ;-)

It's a good day to just be home...

....especially now that I am done with work.

Chicken Tortilla Soup is simmering on the stove, (though I guess technically "pork" tortilla soup would be a more accurate description this time). And WxMan is off today. We have six inches of snow on the ground, the girls bounded happily off to school, and I have an afternoon to get some projects done around here.

Heaven.

Anyhoo, for those of you who would like to exercise those braincells waste time at work, here is the Brain Bender for Monday...

----------------------

Purple is worth 70 points, green is worth 60 points, and red is worth 35 points.

Using the same scoring system, how many points is orange worth?

-----------------------

Wow. Your average Deadhead's shirt would be worth a bunch point wise. Who knew?

And like always, the answer will be found later in the comments. See you then!

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Heh. Yep - that's me....

VW Bug finds all the coolest stuff...


Robotic Intelligent Construct Hardwired for Masterful Observation and Nocturnal Destruction


Get Your Cyborg Name


I especially like the Nocturnal Destruction part. Heh.

------------------------

And Tammi over at Tammi's World has a great Saturday question today.

What is your most secret favorite treat? Something you don't get very often but is just tied up with yummyness and good memories.

I got to take a little mini trip down memory lane to the counter at Brown Drug in Sheridan, Wyoming where my Nonny would take us for the occasional Vanilla Coke. No shortcuts - and no ice in the glass... They mixed all the syrups and elixirs right in front of you.

I hadn't thought about those trips in years...

And look - I found a picture of the place....

55-59 North Main
Diefenderfer and Dinwiddie Hardware The Diefenderfer and inwiddie Hardware store was "modernized" and remodeled in the early 1960's and housed a clothing store and later Brown Drug Store. Restoration in the mid 1990's returned the building to its original design

My Nonny was a fine lady. Dang - I miss her.

Happy thoughts are a great way to start the day. Even when they make you a teeny misty... Thanks Tammi. :-)

Friday, January 12, 2007

TGIF!

Hoo boy. It's Friday, thank heavens. And I am wiped out.

Giving my notice on Monday was an excellent decision given the way this week has gone for me. I mean, scheduling is fairly random - but good grief. It is obvious that the powers that be weren't going to *try* to get me to stay by making work fun.

Oh hell no.

So I am feeling really really good that next Friday will be my last. Thanks for playin' - buh bye.

Meanwhile, the one "real" new years resolution I made this year was to read more books. I just haven't been allowing myself the luxury of time and space to do that, and I miss it desperately.

I love to read - and there is a lot of great stuff out there. (And some trash that you just can't help but like. Heh.) Last Friday as I tried to avoid death's door I treated myself to For One More Day. What a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours! And just this week I got some other new books in the mail.

I think this afternoon, I will treat myself. At least for an hour...

It's Friday after all.

On trial...

No, not me fortunately. Just the Brain Bender. Ready to play?

-------------------

What two words, formed from different arrangements of the same eight letters, can be used to complete the sentence below?

The __________ said he could not __________ his wife by testifying in a suit that would reveal some indiscretions.

----------------------

Well, good for him! That's the way a marriage should work.

And like always the answers will be found later in the comments. See you then!

Update: Today's Smartypants is Mark A. Rayner from The Squib! Whoohoo!

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Holy cow!! Big Brother just got bigger....

Oh many levels, this type of surveillance system sounds like it could be really helpful.



Any downsides you can think of??

Hmmmm.... That reminds me - I need to put the new tags on my car...

Hat Tip - Loretta and Dal

More word puzzles...

To help you waste time at work work out those braincells. Ready to play??

-------------------

Unscramble the letters in each word below then find the missing letter that completes each word. (The missing letter is the same for each word.)
  • EAL?
  • ELUASO?
  • YAL?
  • MAAE?

--------------------

Okay - I am off to chain myself to the washing machine for a while...

Like always the answers will be found later in the comments. See you then!

Update: Oddybobo is the official Smartypants! Whoohoo!

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

So, what are you doing??

Me??

I am cleaning house and getting caught up on the laundry.

I wish I were just hanging out here in my office reading blogs and goofing off - but I made a deal with myself that today is the day to get caught up.

I wish I wasn't always so honest with me - then I could lie, and tell myself it's all already done. But I am pretty sure I'd find out later what a slacker I am...

...

Now I'm confused...

Hump Day!

(And why the heck to we call it that, anyway??) Here is Wednesday's Brain Bender...

-----------------

Tom Swifty

First unscramble the letters in each word below, then unscramble the word order to create a Tom Swifty sentence...
[I'll try not to screw it up this time... ]

NTDEWA I OT LGIBDUNI WEN NA NI HET UBT GDSO AER NTEER DRFEDBNOI PRTAANMET DAIS MOT YTPLULANET.

----------------------

Okay, you know how to play. The answer will be found later in the comments. See you then!

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Yay! Blogger's back up!!

Now we can play! Ready? **Update! Typo fixed!!**

--------------------

The 16 letters below can be anagrammed into a two word menu item that might be found at the Ming Jade Restaurant.

What is the item?

A B C E E E L N N O O R S S T T

(sorry guys - I had a bad letter in there before. D'oh!)



-----------------------

You might even find it at the DyNasty Buffet with Oddybobo - Hey, I'd be willing to go! :-)

At any rate, like always the answer will be found later in the comments. See you then!

Update: Sorry about the typo guys - and thanks for all of your creative answers. Tuning Spork saved the day with the correct one. Whoohoo!

Monday, January 08, 2007

Eric asked...

… the way I look at it, everyone should carry a pocket knife…. even if you wear a suit every day….. they’re useful things to have around…. so, tell me, people…. do you carry a knife?... and if not, WHY not…
Well, as a matter of fact I *do* carry a pocket knife. Though I suppose mine might be better categorized as a "purse" knife, because unless I have it on my person as I am doing a task, that is where it is.

This is my new knife that my Dad got for me in early November for my birthday.












I love it. It fits my hand well, is sharp as hell, and I love that I have a choice between the regular blade and the utility knife depending on the job. Also, the mechanism for opening it is nice because I don't have to use my fingernails, the blade locks are solid, and it matches my purse. I like red.

It is a bit larger than the size knife I have carried in the past, but oh so much more useful. Even if it did cause some of the Church Ladies eyes to widen when I pulled it out to do some trimming of wire and what-not while we were greening the Church for Christmas. And that's okay.

Also, I dang near always have (at the bare minimum) some sort of leatherman type tool kicking around in my purse along with a small flashlight, tape measure, and tire gauge.

Luck favors the prepared, right?

So what do you carry?? Enquiring minds want to know!

Man oh man...

I'm home from work and it's time to play.... Ready?

__________________________

Following the logic presented below, find the missing number in the third scenario. (Okay, on the goofy calendar they have these in circles - I'll do my best to re-create the look).

1 / 3
-----
12
****
2 / 5
-----
21
****
4 / 4
-----
?
_______________________________

Alrighty then, and because all work and no play makes Rich a dull girl, I am off to have some fun myself. WxMan brought home the Wii and is dying for me to try it out. Good Lord.

Anyway, the answer will be found later in the comments. See you then!

Notice...

I am giving mine today.

Now don't get me wrong - the reasons are all good ones. But after 10+ years of being a stay-at-home mom, it took a damned big event to make me go back into the workforce.

Let's face it, we needed the money. And my time away from home and the family were justified.

But when circumstances change, changes need to me made. Or un-made such as the case may be...

Circumstances have changed. For the better.! And WxMan and I have made the joint decision - though he has been pushing for a while - that I should once again hang up my spurs and be the full time CEO of the family. (Needless to say, I never really stepped down as CEO, I just moonlighted for awhile. )

I am thrilled! Mostly...

But feeling a little bit guilty...

After all, I have been there for a year...

I am good at what I do, I work hard, and most folks seem to like me (even the ones who can't quite wrap their brain around my name). My inner work ethic says, "Hey - you're not broken. Suck it up! They need you!!"

My logical (and far thinking and motherly) inner voice says, "The girls will not be youngsters forever - you can afford to be there for them NOW. And make home life less stressful for everyone. What's the problem?"

What's the problem indeed...

I have gone round and round and round in my head, and cannot come up with so much as one compelling reason to stay at my job. Yes, a little extra money is nice. But when I weigh what I bring in with what it is worth for me to be available to my family 24/7 and still have time to do the things that I *want* to do???

Awww... hell - it's a no-brainer.

Someday, I may find something (career wise) that I really want to do, that also fits in with the family and brings in an income...

Or not...

It's nice to have the choice again, either way. And nice to know that a big stress decrease is on the horizon. Did I mention that WxMan has been pushing for this?? Oh yeah - he sooooo wants to go back to the time when I was here to handle everything. He reaped those benefits too, you know.

And hell, I might even get the laundry caught up... Sky's the limit! (And hey - miracles happen.)

Now I just have to step forward and do it...

Update: Well, once I got over the general oogy stomach feeling while telling my boss, and then got over the really, really oogy feeling while telling my friends - all was well.

There are certain things that I will miss. Many things that I will not. And they seem genuinely sorry to see me go.

I'm okay with that. T minus 11 days until this ride is over. :-)

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Better...

Amazing what a little soup, a LOT of sleep, and some 7-up and ibuprofen will do for you

I even got to read a really good book - I need to do that more often, sick or no...

Anyway, I find that just "deciding" to feel better
goes a long way. I have a lot to do.

Back into the fray I go!

Friday, January 05, 2007

Well, Just because I'm Dyin' I feel like crap...

....doesn't mean that you shouldn't play. Ready?

--------------------

Martin had a fairly slow motorized bicycle. It took him 4 hours to ride uphill for 60 miles to his cabin and 2 hours to come back down. He averaged 15 miles per hour uphill and 30 miles per hour downhill. What was his average speed?

---------------------

Uh oh - all of this "uphill" "downhill" stuff makes me feel woozy. And what the hell is a motorized bicycle anyway, a moped? Scooter? What?

Anyway, the answer will be found in the comments later. See you then!

Update: Today's official smartypants is jvh from Showcase of a Shattered Mind! Whoohoo!

Sick...

Why? Hell if I know...

But sick I am. Though thinking back (and I have had a great deal of time to think since 2am) I have not to my knowledge been exposed to anything!

The girls have been fine (knock on wood) and otherwise the only sick people I have been in contact with have either been encountered virtually or at a great distance.

Either way, ugh. Sick.

Why is it we never appreciate feeling good until we feel like crap?

Why is 2:00 am the "go to hour" for germ activation and the internal command uh oh... gotta run....

Why?

In an effort to feel better, I just nibbled on some toast and had some tea - sadly I am not feeling... uh... optimistic.

Gotta go lay down.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Missing Montana...

...even though we once lived in the basement of a double-wide there.

No, really! We did! It's my redneck trump card, in fact. But that's a story for another day...

I was perusing my blogroll yesterday and came across Bitterroot at Friction and Harmony telling a meandering tale about living in the backwoods of Montana (where Ted Kaczynski was just another crazy dirty guy on a bike - there are quite of them out there, actually) and eating yummy delicious fresh beef.

An occasional grilled steak was a treat, but because we lived in ‘Bear Country,’ it was ‘rare’ indeed. One evening after enjoying steaks at a neighbors, he was awakened by bears on his deck, tearing his grill apart to lick the charred beef fat from the grate… Smart bears! After that, I was more or less forbidden to use the grill unless an adult was home. Damn!

So eventually they built The Legal Tender. Salvation! The last summer I spent in Montana, I perched at least once a week on a stool in TLT to enjoy a ’skeered’ Angus steak. (Skeered - adj. - more rare than just seared, e.g., “lead it in, threaten it with the flame, and throw it on my plate!”)

Montana is a place I hold dear - I met and married WxMan in Bozeman, MT where he was the weatherman on KCTZ Chanel 7. (WxMan is tv shorthand for weatherman.) And we spent several years living all around the state when the girls were little. I loved it there.

And the meat you can find truly is fantastic. There are some better than excellent steak houses and little back woods get-a-ways all over the state. Some more obvious than others.

There is the Mint Bar in Belgrade, MT. White tablecloths and jacketed waiters and some of the best food around. Cigars, Martinis, and killer fillets four inches thick. And Gorgonzola sprinkled on your salad. Mmmmm....

There's Sir Scott's Oasis in Manhattan, MT (just outside of Bozeman). Best prime rib ever... Jeans and tee-shirts are perfectly acceptable attire, but you better have a reservation. (Even for a random Tuesday night.)

But WxMan's and my personal favorite (and what Bitterroot's post made my mouth water for) was a steak at Eno's. (The link takes you to a message board where one of the respondents recommends the guy ask a local about the place - it is no surprise to me that that is the only reference I could find online...)

Eno's is just a little A-frame place a bit outside of West Yellowstone. I can't remember if there was even a sign there by the road, or if you just had to know which turn to take.

All I can say is oh my Lord - the steaks you could have there. Cut to order, fresh from the case. Stools at the bar, a couple of picnic type tables scattered around, maybe one TV, a couple three beers on tap, if they even had wine I never saw it, freshest beef ever served with crusty bread, salad and ginormous baked potatoes with all the fixings.

No worry about bears - a huge vented grill was in the center of the room. Everybody cooked their own under the watchful eye of the barkeep. He was none too shy to tell you to "Get yer gottdamned steak off the fire before you ruin it!" either. Heh. Patrons just tried not to get yelled at. And tourists? No idea how they would have ever found the place to begin with.

I wonder if that place is even still there... We could definitely be up for making a pilgrimage out that way next summer. Hmmm.....

And since I have been playing with the new scanner - here are some pictures from when we lived on Lake Hauser just North East of Helena, Montana in the basement of a double-wide (though we had nary a clue). The girls were 1 1/2 and 3-ish at the time.

















































(Click the pics to embigggen)

I have yet to see more beautiful sunrises. And I was treated to one every.single.day.

Happy Thursday!

And it's time to play.... Ready?

--------------------

What two words, formed from different arrangements of the same six letters, can be used to complete the sentence below.

Although the police had a confession, the suspect declared that the interrogators had caused him to go into a ________ and he now wished to ________.

-----------------------

Lemmme guess - Michael Jackson?? (The freak...) Anyhoo, you know what to do. The answer will be found later in the comments.

Update: Today's Smartypants is Teresa from Technicalities!

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Well this is new...

...Brain Bender wise. Ready to play??

--------------------

A simple substitution code has been used to conceal a "quote." Work our the code and decipher the original words.

King Arthur:

23-18-23 ** 2-12-6 ** 13-12-7-18-24-22 ** 7-19-26-7 ** 24-26-14-22-15-12-7 ** 24-26-13 ** 25-22 ** 26-13-26-20-9-26-14-14-22-23 ** 18-13-7-12 ** 14-26-15-22 ** 24-12-7 ?

--------------------

Okay, just so you know - I don't write these things. Good grief. What a stupid sentence...

Anyhoo, you know what to do. The answer will be found in the comments later. See you then!

Update: Rachel from Pereiraville is the official smartypants! Whoohoo!

Time to make the donuts...

And boy oh boy, I do *not* want to go...

I have a feeling some changes are in the works.

Update: Roses thought I needed to figure out what kind of donut I am so....

You Are a Caramel Crunch Donut

You're a complex creature, and you're guilty of complicating things for fun.
You've been known to sit around pondering the meaning of life...
Or at times, pondering the meaning of your doughnut.
To frost or not to frost? To fill or not to fill? These are your eternal questions.


Well, there you have it. Though I really don't think that looks appealing at all. My sweet tooth must have fallen out today....

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Double your fun!

With the first Brain Bender of 2007! Whoohoo!!
(Brought to you by the new and improved discount MENSA calendar).

Ready to play?

--------------------

Fill in each blank below with a word that fits the definitions on either side.

Portion of __________ To separate

Type ___________ To classify

Severe __________ Part of a boat

-----------------------

Alrighty, the rules (such as they are - heh) remain the same. The answers will be found later in the comments. See you then!

Update: RSM of When the Smoke Clears is the first smartypants of 2007. Whoohoo!

Good Friends, Good Food, and a Good Time

And some of the worst wine ever...

What more could you ask for??

Well, a winning lotto ticket, maybe. But hey - it was still all good.

We had a blast Sunday night ringing in the new year. 'Course WxMan *had* to have a few fireworks to light as 2006 became 2007. You know, we have to keep the neighbors duly irritated with us... Heh. Not that we made much noise. But it's the thought that counts, right?

Akshun and Mrs. J joined us for the festivities. I, as always, made waaaaay too much food. Hot wings and stuffed mushrooms, spinach dip and grilled shrimp, Cheese cake and cheese and crackers. And paninis - always paninis. Mmmmm.....

A few little gifties were exchanged which led to tasting the worst wine ever. Raspberry Heritage. Gah. And folks, I have tasted many many wines over the course of my life. For a solid 5+ years wine tasting was a pretty significant part of my job.

This stuff redefined swill. Our very best descriptions ranged from bottled and distilled rotten raspberries and thinned out NyQuil. (Though I think that was an insult to the flavor of NyQuil.) I actually poured it out - something I am at loath do do, ever - and apologized to Akshun for abusing his palette. The "wine" smelled like carpet, for heavens sake!

And the really bad news? I was the one who purchased the stuff thinking it would be fun! AkshunJ is known for liking to experiment with spirits... I would have been much better off asking Contagion for some of his Glogg. Much tastier stuff I am sure.

And lucky AkshunJ - he had another bottle of Blackberry Wine to take home! I am such a good friend...

Anyway, we also had an opportunity to watch a really good movie - The Inside Man. I had never even seen any press about it and I was on the edge of my seat all the way through! One of those endings that you feel really good about - and I love Denzel Washington, so that was all worthwhile.

Afterwards we played Scene It Squabble. Gotta love a game that so effectively pits Mars and Venus against each other. Heh. And WxMan and I tend to take no prisoners when we play.

We watched the ball drop twice, kissed at the stroke of midnight central time, and we were all a bit sad at how infirm Dick Clark seemed. It's the end of an age... (I'm sorry - Ryan Seacrest just doesn't have the class or panache, in my humble opinion. Just sayin'...)

New Years Day was just quiet. Blissfully restful. Just what we all needed. If Oklahoma had managed to win the farookin' game, it would have been perfect! But you can't have everything, I guess. Miraculously WxMan's chair has survived another football season... It will be retired, though, before the next one - so help me.

So that was my new years. I'm pretty happy with it... It was a good way to begin 2007, I think. How was yours?

Monday, January 01, 2007

Oh, for the love of ...

Could I please just clone myself!?!?

Or at least score one of those life sized cardboard cutouts and just have a recording of me saying all of the things that I am *always* saying on a loop??

  • Please, hang up your coat!
  • Make sure you put your wrappers in the trash!
  • Are these your socks? Where do they go?
  • Pick that up, please.
  • No, I don't care if you think it's your sister's... Please pick that up!
  • PICK THAT UP, PLEASE! NOW!
  • ..... Do you hear me?
  • Why do I have to ask again and again and again??
  • Shoes in the shoe place!
  • Get off of each other!
  • REALLY! GET OFF OF EACH OTHER!
  • Find another place to sit.
  • Why are there socks here?
  • No eating in the living room, please!
  • What are you eating??
  • Get off of your sister!
  • Why must there be screaming? Find some words to use...
  • Apple bits in the bathroom?? APPLE BITS IN THE BATHROOM???
  • Please - just shut the door and hang up your coat.
  • Get off of your sister!
  • Wrappers! Trash! Make the connection!

Really, I just want to hide in the secret compartment behind the crisper in the fridge and talk on the phone. Moms have those days...

Only boo - I don't have a secret compartment behind the crisper. So if I could just clone me or get that cut-out I would be golden....

School day tomorrow - ask me if I am a little bit happy about that!

Update: The girls got off to school - happily. Ready to get back to their routine and their friends.

This post was a combination of a week and a half's worth of "togetherness." And written after the discovery of umpteen bits of apple all over the floor and sink in the weird little bathroom. WTF?? I don't know. And both Sporta and Computa copped the "Wasn't meeee..." defense.

Right - must have been the invisible goats then.