Dirt

You knew it was bound to happen eventually...















Because Dirt + Kids = Fun! And we are surrounded by a lot of fun!

Now if I can just keep it out of the house...

T.G.I. F

And you know what that means - last Brain Bender of the week. Ready to play??

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

Teh 22 letters below can be anagrammed into three words that can be found on the menu at the Casa de Manana.

What are the words?

A A A A C D D E H I I L L L N N O R S S T T

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Sounds delish - but for breakfast?? I dunno - I'm partial to juevos ranchers myself... Anyhoo, you know what to do. The answer will be found later in the comments. See you then!

Homeless...

Okay - so not really "homeless," but we are officially renters again. So there's that.

The new owners of my their cute little house are a totally likable couple. So, so nice - and just thrilled with the place.

*sigh*

I am so very relieved...

Thanks for all of the well wishes, y'all. Now it's time for me to get crackin'...

It's not personal, it's business...

....and I know that.

The new owners are coming over today for a walk through of my cute little house before we close.

And even though I know it's just business - I REALLY want to like them. I love this goofy house. And I want it to go to people who will love it too...

::crosses fingers while arranging a plate of cookies::

Either way - the deal gets done today...

Lots coming down the pike...

It's going to be a busy week.

Even so we can still pause and waste time at work exercise those braincells, right? Lets see what the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar has in store for us today!

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

Place the same three letter word in each blank below to make four different words.

_____SIST

_____MIT

_____TAIN

_____SPIRE

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

Well, there we have it! And like always, the answers will be found later in the comments. See you then!

Road Work...

Alternate title: Got Dirt??

I do.... What a farooking mess.

Look....











































And now they are leaving me presents in front of my house. Lovely...

Have I mentioned that we're moving? Yeah - this is not going to be pretty...

Uhhh.... 42!

Nope - that's not right. But then the Brain Bender is a math problem today. God, I suck at those... But I know you'll get the answer - ready to play??

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

Find a six digit number in which the first digit is one less than the third, the third digit is one less than the fifth and the second digit is eight more than the first, one more than the fourth and two more than the last. The sum of the first and fourth digits equals the second digit, the sum of the first and third digits equals the fifth and the sum of all digits is 30.

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

Gah. What the hell is wrong with those MENSA people?? Or maybe it's just me - my brain seizes up with that crap...

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

Anticipation...

This is what it looks like at my house.












Seriously.

And though it looks "staged," the picture is not. She must have spent 30 minutes like that last night contemplating...

"Well, Dad said we could shoot one of these off... I must choose carefully..."

I have to wonder if the same care will be taken in tonight's selection. Because of course - this is the group he gave her to choose from. About an nth of their total haul.












What?? Every body's Fourth of July celebration lasts a minimum of 10 days, right?

I predict at *least* two more trips for more ordnance... Minimum. Heh.

Monday

Catchy title, no?

No. I know.... Monday is as Monday does - thankfully it's time for some fun. Here is the Brain Bender via the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar. Ready to play?

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

Some letters have been removed from the words below. Fill in the blanks to complete the words.

_ _ _ AKH _ _ _E

_ WKW_ _ _

_ _ _ _ DPA _ _ _ _

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

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

Border Run

Because, you know what holiday is coming up...



Time to go shopping. Whoohoo!

Heh - can't say I am surprised...

Mingle² - Online Dating

I have seen this link all over the place - I am in pretty good company, actually...


Update: I just saw this over at RSM's place...

75%

Mingle² - Free Online Dating

Not bad... Not bad... But I think I need more guns... LOTS more guns.

So, where are *you* going on summer vacation??

Me? My summer vaca will be spent moving... Moving out....Moving in.... Moving.

Other people have better vacation ideas...

For example, my good buddy AkshunJ is currently in Bejing, China!! Talk about the trip of a lifetime!! And he has put together a blog to document the trip!

So far, this is my favorite picture he has posted - probably because of the caption he wrote....












Her parents were DYING for us to take a picture with her. They don't get out much.

And he has tons of beautiful scenic photographs (especially those that feature the lovely Mrs. J) posted as well. Just follow the Picasa album link at the top of the right sidebar. Whoohoo!

So check it out - Think if it as a little mini vacation for a Friday. Oh man, what I would give...

Fun for Friday

Time for the last Brain Bender of the week via the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar. Ready to play?

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

In the local grocery, the owner sets his prices according to a certain system. A cabbage is $.19, a beet is $.12, a peach is $.13 and a banana is $.18.

Under this system how much will an apple cost?

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

Jeez - I dunno. And what the heck are you going to make with cabbage, beets, peaches, apples and bananas anyway?? Gross...

Anyway, the answer will be found later in the comments. Happy Friday, y'all!

Now this made me laugh out loud!!

UCLA STUDY
A study conducted by UCLA's Department of Psychiatry has revealed that the kind of face a woman finds attractive on a man can differ depending on where she is in her menstrual cycle. For example: If she is ovulating, she is attracted to men with rugged and masculine features. However, if she is menstruating, or menopausal, she tends to be more attracted to a man with duct tape over his mouth and a spear lodged in his chest while he is on fire. No further studies are expected.

No, I am not hormonal - why do you ask??

Summer fun...

...with Flip Flops!









Yeah, yeah - I know. But honestly, every once in a while I feel the need to get a little crafty. And when I say "a little" I mean A LITTLE. Here is the pair *I* worked on (not for myself, mind you)...








I cannot sew, and drawing or painting is pretty much a no-go, so if it can't be done with a glue gun - it isn't happening. That in mind, I think they all came out pretty cute! (You can click the pics to embiggen, if you feel so inclined...)












If nothing else, Sporta, Computa and I had a good time - and that's what it's all about. Right?

Better late than never...

Here is the brain Bender for Thursday. Ready to play?

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

Updated - duh... I should soooo not try to post on the fly. Thanks for pointing it out Oddy! Here's the whole puzzle...

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

CENTER ERRATA TABLE ________

a) ACCEPT b) REGARD c) MOTORS d) LEGAL

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

Uh oh... You know how the MENSA folks logic can be... Either way, here we go! The answer will be found later in the comments. See you then!

It isn't any wonder...

...that I married a man from the south. Charmers, they are.



One and all. (Though their logic may escape me, sometimes.)

But I must say, when it comes to songs about money - I do prefer this one...



Just sayin'. ;^) Never have looked at a green dress the same way...

GIGANTIWORD! (now with more muppets!)

Sounds like a Snuffleupagus sized game, does it not?



Anyhoo - that's the title of today's brain bender via the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar. Ready to play?

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Fill in the blanks to complete the word below.

M _ _ A P _ _ E _ _ _ S _ _ N

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

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

Dreams...

Ever notice how sometimes even the most benign subjects can be all wonky and disquieting in our dreams?? Last night for me it was all about furniture.

Moving furniture.

Rooms kept morphing into one another - and the furniture wasn't all that friendly either. I woke up tired...

And then when I went back to sleep - I dreamed of being cornered by a pack... uh... a herd... no... a flock?? Nuh uh. Anyway - a gang of Chupacabra.

Not good.

I think I will blueprint some furniture placement in the new house today and see if I can keep the beasts at bay.

Good grief.

Where in the world???

Is the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar taking us??? Let's find out.

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

The names of six geographical places are hidden in the sentences below. Can you find them? (The letters are in consecutive order.)

Can a dancer also sing? Is it a lyre or harp he's carrying?

I saw Ben in the mirror as I argued with his mother. I ran to go get him but he was gone.

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

Okay. For one, if dude is carrying a harp - he must be one farookin' strong guy. And since I *know* Ben's mom? It's a good thing what's her face stopped arguing with her. Just sayin'...

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

Well, recon is complete...

...for today anyway. Little bastards didn't show.

But I've got my spot and I'll be watching - for a few more days at least.











At least I can take some comfort in the fact that my girls *know* I have their backs. That's gotta be worth something, right?

Opening up a can of whoopass...

Sporta got mugged today at summer school.

Okay, not "mugged" in the "I'm gonna call the cops and file a report" sense. But more like she got shaken down by an intimidating older boy and his friends for her juice money.

Pisses me off, none the less.

When asked if she had told a teacher, she reported that the "gang" of boys told her she'd "better keep her smart mouth shut - or else." They took some other little kid's money as well and then walked away jostling each other and laughing. She said they were there for the Wrestling program. Lovely.

Like I said - she felt intimidated.

I, on the other hand, DO NOT.

So, my plan is to surreptitiously follow Sporta to school tomorrow, and see if she can indicate which one of these little f*ckers and his friends thinks it's cool to bully little girls.

Dipshits have no idea who they are dealing with....

After I find out his name, I will be talking to both his parents and his coach. I feel pretty certain that one of those adult entities should be able drive home the idea that this in unacceptable behavior.

Or I will. I can by God promise you that.

Scrambled eggs words...

That's what the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar has in store for us today - ready to play?

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

Unscramble the letters below and find the missing letter you need to complete each word. The missing letter is the same for all of the words.

I G T I ?

C U C T O N ?

B G E A G ?

O P P L E ?

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

Well, there you have it! Bonus points if you can use all of the words in a sentence. And like always the answers will be found later in the comments. See you then!

You mean we're *really* going to move??

Holy Crap!

Well, look at that. I think this deal is going to really come together! And all I can say is that it better - because we just went and bought a bunch of appliances that sure as heck won't fit in here.

No way.

So in the interest of full disclosure (and because as a woman I know the whole phenomenon of "So whadidya buy?!?!? I Wanna see!!!**) here are some pics of what we I have chosen for the new house...

This Maytag fridge is awesome - and you see that area in the bottom that looks like a shallow drawer? It *is* a shallow drawer - and won't that be fabulous for when I am preparing trays for a soiree!! And it has shelves that you can move up and down simply by turning a crank inside - that's dead handy as well... I have been trying to fit the iced tea jug in our current fridge - not going to happen...

Moving on. Here is the little guy we have chosen for down stairs.


Cute, huh?


And won't it look great near this??



Had to chose a new oven...











The handles are brushed stainless - so that will tie in with the fridge. Ad I think I am going to really like white. I have to say - black shows every farooking finger print, every mote of dust, every.thing. It's maddening...

And for laundry, I decided on this Samsung set.









Not the red (somehow that just seems too trendy). Anybody but me remember harvest gold and avocado green appliances?? Yeah - they were trendy too...

And these I saw in Ikea and I think they will give me the feel of the built-ins I have now at an nth of the price...











I am thinking I can mix and match the shelves with cabinets underneath with the floor to ceiling shelves. Functional storage and a great price!! Whoohoo!

To his credit, WxMan didn't have a lot to say - except to offer an opinion of one brand vs. another. But then his day is coming. The TV and surround sound system are next... Somehow I think he may have more opinions then...

**I think the "So whaddidya buy??" scenario for women is akin to "She was soooo HOT..." for men. But I could be wrong. I do find the new fridge really attractive, though. ;^)

Oh Man! I am gonna pay later...

...but I sure am happy now!

It's Father's Day - which means while I represented the family in God's House, WxMan and the girls slept in and went out for breakfast.

I am not above taking one for the team, y'all...

So, what that translated to later was that we did some serious appliance shopping for the new house, lunch got skipped (hello- 3/4 of the players here were FULL), and for dinner?? We had Treat Night.

What is Treat Night, you ask?

Well, back in the day (when *I* was a kid) many a Sunday night was dubbed treat night by my Mom. Just in time for the start of Wonderful World of Disney (6pm C/M) my Mom would lay out an array of "treats." Hors d'oeuvres for kids... yum.

Now, keep in mind - I grew up in Podunk, Wyoming. There was not a lot of "fast food" or even restaurants to choose from. You got what your Mom fixed. Every.single.day. And if your mom was a sucky cook? Too bad for you, my friend. Too damn bad.

Fortunately, my mom was a GREAT cook - and she also knew how to have fun. Hence, Treat Night...

So here's where I am.

We have just enjoyed nachos, cheese sticks, mini corn dogs, breaded shrimp, jalapeno poppers, a veggie tray (hey - I am *still* a mom...) and hot wings. All of the condiments you can imagine, and later? Floats. Yummy ice cream floats.

Life is good...

So happy Father's Day to all you father's. Especially ours. May your treats be plentiful and the pay-back minimal. It's all good...

Busy...

As busy as a one legged man dancing.

Can't picture it? Well, here you go...



Though I have to admit - he is far and away more graceful than I... Wow.

Begging for a Caption

Ran across this picture today...















Computa was almost 3 and Sporta was around 18 months. Can you say writing on the wall?? Whoa...

And not so long ago we were here...















In ten years more? I can hardly wrap my brain around it. Time's flying.

Alphabet Soup

Is what the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar is serving up for lunch. Ready for the last Brain Bender of the week??

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The 16 letters below can be anagrammed into a six word phrase meaning "when all is said and done."

What is the phrase?

A A D D E E E F H H N O T T T Y

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

Sounds like a good way to end the week to me! And like always, the answer will be found later in the comments. Happy Friday!

Voluntary Meme.

Found over at Oddybobo's place. She got it from Dash who got it from Erica and so on... You get the idea...

It is similar in ways to the 20 Questions Meme - but fun none the less. So here we go!

WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Yes. Richmond was my paternal grandmother's maiden name and my father's only sister is named Richmond as well.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Last night. Hey - even tough girls can get overwhelmed and emotional. Right?

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? To be honest I could give a crap either way. So I guess so.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Ham. Definitely ham.

DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Two beautiful and talented girls. Love them to pieces even when they are making my eye twitch and stomping on my last nerve.

IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Absolutely.

DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Gee. You think?

DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Nope - got those suckers popped out when I was eight. Damn near died in the process too...

WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No. Sorry - I just don't play that. My hubby would though (if I'd let him).

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Not a big fan of cereal - I prefer other yummies for breakfast... (Thought about saying something about protein and then thought better of it...)

DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Since usually I am wearing Birkenstocks - no.

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes. Stronger than most women I know and a few men as well. It has served me well as I don't like to wait for theings to be done *for* me - I just want to get things done. Often this involves moving heavy things. I feel that I am emotionally strong too.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Fudge laced butter brickle.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their eyes and smile - and what my gut feeling says about them. (It's damn accurate.)

RED OR PINK? Red.

WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Say what? I love me. I think I am pretty okay...

WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Friends and family who have died - even though I believe in heaven and that I *will* see them again. Most recently (and acutely) my Uncle Ben. I miss him a lot.

WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Denim capris and brown birks. Comfy McComfy.

WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Leftover chicken marsala.

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? My girls come in the house...go out...come in...go out...come in... Oh just pick one fercryinoutloud!!!

IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Magenta

FAVORITE SMELLS? Freshly cut grass, rain, vanilla, turkey dinner in the oven, oh wait, I wrote a post about this...

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? And old old friend - Jo. She is still having more fun than just about anybody I know.

FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? OU football

HAIR COLOR[S]? Blonde - with blond sauce...

EYE COLOR? Blue? Gray? It varies. Slate, maybe??

DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No. My vision is good.

FAVORITE FOOD? I am an Omnivore. It's easier to list what I *don't* like - liver, brussel sprouts, horseradish...

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings all the way.

LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Uhhhhh. Shrek 3. It was pretty cute!

WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Blue.

SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter - I hate to be hot, and while you can *always* put on another sweater - you can only get so naked. Thems the rules...

HUGS OR KISSES? Yes, please!

FAVORITE DESSERT? I, like Dash, would always rather have another cocktail and skip dessert, but if I have to choose - cheesecake with a snifter of Gran Marnier. Mmmmm....

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady (thanks Christina!)


WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Oddybobo gifted it to me last fall. Here, I'll show you -->

Ha!


WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? No TV last night. But The 4400 starts Sunday - I'm psyched!

FAVORITE SOUND[S]? Rain on the roof. Laughter. Hhhhheaaaaaaaarhhh! followed by laughter. Heh. The deep breathing sounds my girls make when they are sleeping.

ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Stones. Gimme Shelter is a favorite of mine...

WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Orlando, Florida.

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I can dislocate my knees at will - though I am not sure that's a "talent" per-se. Oh! I can whistle (a whole song - in tune) without moving my face. I thought everybody could do that, though...

WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Laramie, Wyoming. During a blizzard no less...

WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? I am curious to see who else decides to play! (And my trackbacks are enabled, y'all.)

Okay - so that was fun. And like everybody else, you are tagged just by the virtue of having made it through this drivel. Happy Thursday!

Just three little letters...

Is all the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar is looking for today. Ready for the Brain Bender?

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

Place the same three letter word in each blank below to make our different words.

CH_____

R_____

ST_____

SK_____
--------------------

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

Can you feel the love in the air?

I can... Man oh man - that's LOVE right there....

(Totally safe for work - unless, of course, you are in a turtle rich environment.. In that case, it's pron.)



You know, some things just defy imagination. This is one of them. And I just bought a wok. I am going to be giggling every time I look at it from now on...

Oh yeah....

Because I am just that bad....

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Ha! I guess I never got around to asking forgiveness, eh? Because I would *always* rather ask for forgiveness than permission.

Found over at Maranda Under Stress. Welcome to my blogroll!

Mmmmmm... Cake!

Is the topic of today's Brain Bender - ready to play??

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

If six weathermen* can eat 6 cupcakes in 12 minutes, how many cupcakes can the same 6 weathermen eat in 2 hours? (Assume the same rate of consumption barring any tornadoes.)

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

Well, there you have it - cake for days! And like always the answer will be found later in the comments. See you then!

*I changed "schoolgirls" to "weathermen" - it seemed appropriate as WxMan is TV shorthand for weatherman. (My hubby's first career and first love...)

Happy birthday to my Honey!

And though many yummy fried things will be prepared for your enjoyment later - I will refrain from using the Swedish Chef's methods.



Though in my opinion, this one looks pretty dang fun! I wonder what he'd do with chicken fried steak...

Heh - WxMan just called - they totally "got him" at work. Balloons, singing, cake, the whole nine yards. I had wanted to bring in goodies and stuff but he wanted to keep it under wraps. Heh. So much for that.... :^)

The things he says!

When it comes to conversations with my Hubby, I never know what the heck he is going to say... And yesterday was no different.

He has gotten on his bi-annual health kick again. Let me stress that - again.

Every six months or so, he decides that this is it! He is going to get healthy and back into fighting shape, so to speak. And here's how it usually starts...

"Babe! I've decided that it's time to get healthy. It's up to you to make sure I stay on the straight and narrow! Cook only healthy things! Don't buy me any beer! No more chips in the house! Okay??"

"Okaaay... But you realize you are in charge of your own mouth and what you put into it, right???"

"Yeah yeah, I know. Just do it, okay??"

And so it begins. And eventually ends...

"Hon?? Why are you drinking my wine?!?! You don't even like wine!"

"You didn't buy any beer..."

"Oh - health kick's over then, huh?"

This time it's different. This time he didn't ask me to frame out his his health kick for him. And he has given up soda... (Diet Pepsi, to be exact.) And here's what he had to say yesterday...

" So this whole saving my lipton tea bottles and refilling them from the tea jug is really working out for me!"

"Good! But remind me again... Why is it that you have given up soda?"

"Soda's bad for you..."

"Ahhh... Right."

...

"Well, I gotta start somewhere...."

"Hahahahahahahaha.... Got it."

Bless him... And the best part? He asked for Chicken Fried Steak and Fried Okra for his birthday dinner tomorrow night. Thank heavens it goes great with tea, eh?

Four little words...

That's what the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar is looking for today. Ready to play?

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

To the best of our knowledge, only four words can be made from all of these letters: AEGLLRY.

What are they?

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

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

Thought of the day

Hahahahaha!!! So true...

SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES..... THEY ARE NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING... BUT THEY STILL BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN YOU PUSH THEM DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS.

Folks should maybe watch out for me today...

Hat Tip Loretta & Dal

Interesting...

Found over at Tammi's World

Richmond -- [adjective]: Extremely extreme! 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Extreme, huh?? Well, okay...

And this....

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Does that mean I get to drive Chuck's bullet proof truck before I die?? Awesome!!

Monday fun...

School is officially over for the year - hooray! So tradition dictates that I take the girls out to lunch and for some fun. Though last year we had a great time here, this year we are headed for Chi-town for a little adventure!

For your amusement, I will leave you the means to waste time at work exercise those braincells. How about a twofer...

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

Place the same three-letter word in each blank below to make four different words.

HIGH______

BY______

CARA______

PARK______

and

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

Every actress __________ to see her ____________ sung by reviewers in the newspapers.

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

Alrighty then, I'm off. Like always the answers will be found later in the comments. See you then!

Sounds about right....

Though I don't think I am quite the stickler for rules that she is...

Wait a minute - who am I kidding?? Of course I am... I have better hair though...


You scored as Hermione Granger, You're one intelligent witch, but you have a hard time believing it and require constant reassurance. You are a very supportive friend who would do anything and everything to help her friends out.

Hermione Granger
90%

Harry Potter

80%

Albus Dumbledore

70%

Remus Lupin

65%

Sirius Black

60%

Ron Weasley

60%

Ginny Weasley

60%

Draco Malfoy

55%

Severus Snape

50%

Lord Voldemort

10%

Your Harry Potter Alter Ego Is...?
created with QuizFarm.com

Blatantly stolen from SarahK over at Mountaineer Musings who is probably as big a Harry Potter fan as I am. (And just between you and me? That's saying something....)

OMG!!!!

I just killed a freeking spider with my bare hands!!

And you know how I feel about spiders!

Little (and let me stress that he was little) f*cker decided to descend on his web right.in.front.of.me. Gah...

And I just smacked him into oblivion.

::CLAP ::

You 'spoze this is progress?? Or am I losing it??

Good God.

And so it begins, even while it ends...

My folks rode off into the sunset sunrise this morning, Wyoming bound. While I don't envy them the drive (holy boring, Batman!) they have tons of stuff going on in *their* lives this summer and it's time to get back.

The girls have had the semi "official" last day of school. Monday is a scheduled half-day snow day make up, that most folks I know are treating as waaaaay optional. Sporta's definitely going.

"Mom! They're going to have a huge tug-o-war!! I gotta be there!"

Computa is still on the fence - I think she'd rather sleep in. I know I would...

We close on this house at the end of the month. And on our new digs at the end of July. Dude who's buying this place is graciously letting us rent it back from him so we only have to move once. Whoohoo!

The only suck part will be the actual *moving* - though I feel uniquely prepared. Seventeen prior moves will do that to a girl, I guess. And since we actually own furniture now that we can no longer move ourselves - there *will* be hired help. Thank God.

Sporta and Computa are both taking fun fun summer school classes - dancing and games for one, art and piano for the other. So *that's* all good. Of course they have been asking the *big* question of late...

"So Mom - what are we going to *do* this summer???"

"You mean other than pack up this entire place, move it into the new house, organize the landscaping, get settled, and paint your new rooms??"

"Yeah!!"

"After softball, swim lessons, Tae Kwon Do and summer school?? And that whole *moving* thing??"

"Yeah!!"

"Once we get back from our trip to Wyoming where we need to see your godparents, hang out with Grandy and Papa, tour around Montana, and get Mommy's furniture that's in storage - so we can schlep it all back here??"

"Yeah, Mom! What are we going to *DO*???"

"Gosh - I have no idea...."

"Maybe we should talk to Dad and see what he thinks..."

"You do that."

Somehow *I* think we have quite the busy summer planned, but hey - I could be wrong...

A Friday Two-fer

Since I missed yesterday. Time for the ever present brain bender via the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar. Ready to play?

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

Find a word that fits the definition to the left and, when anagrammed, fits the definition at the right.

One type of proper noun ________ ________ Shaggy hair

An animal ________ ________ Roman outfit

A mass ________ ________ A fruit

and

Rise and Fall...

Make your way from fall to rise in only four steps, changing one letter at a time.

FALL
_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _

RISE

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Well, there we have it! And like always, the answers will be found in the comments later! Happy Friday y'all!

Up a creek...

...and having a blast!

But maybe it's because my college roomie and her new hubby brought this!
















Talk about arriving in style, huh??

And you *know* I had to come aboard and check out their new toy. So cool!

















So last night was filled with good food and good fun - the girls showed off their rockstar mad skillz...
















And they made it look so fun, the grown-ups had to play too! (My mom made me *promise* I wouldn't post her picture rockin' out, so you'll have to use your imagination....)













Too fun!

Later, we discovered that our respective husbands had more in common than we had originally thought! Interesting enough - she and I both married men from Oklahoma. Okaaaay.

Then we learned that they actually went to High School together! I mean, what are the odds?!?!?!

Of course, WxMan had a yearbook nearby - and proof is in the pictures...
















The boys are fairly non-plussed about the whole deal. Because really, who wouldn't want to marry an Okie. ;^)

But seriously - the odds that she and I would meet and marry guys that went to the same freeking high school (and are the same freeking age) thirteen years apart and meeting said guys in in Montana??? That's gotta be pretty small odds....

I'm buying a lotto ticket...

So anyhoo - more fun followed. We introduced them to the joys of kicking the crap out of each other via Wii technology!









Ahhhhhh.... Wedded bliss.







We stayed up much too late and had an absolutely fabulous time! And there is more in store for later. Though I have a feeling we won't be seeing the wee hours...

At least I hope not - we're a lot older than we used to be...

Company's coming!

So I am running laps in the kitchen getting ready. Man oh man - I so miss the feisty Christina's kitchen right now.... But at least I have a few recipes from there to fall back on. I am making crack - cheesy, bacony shrimp crack.

And yes, I'll post the recipe later.

For now though, it's time for the daily brain bender via the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar. Ready to play?

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Odd Man Out

Which of the words below is least like the others? (The difference has nothing to do with vowels, consonants or syllables.)

• ADMIT
• PARADE
• HONOR
• SAVAGE

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We we all know how wonky the MENSA logic can be so give it hell, folks! And like always, the answer will be found later in the comments. See you then!

Mystery word scramble

That's what the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar is giving us today. Ready to play?

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

Unscramble the letters in the box below and add the missing letter to make a nine-letter word.

A O D N N E D A ?

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

Jeez - that's like mutant scrabble! Bonus points for alternative words. Here, I'll go first - ODEADNANT: A substance used by unconfident morticians. Worried about that "body" odor? Use ODEADNANT!

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

Fact Festival

Sounds fun, no?

What is it? I have nary a clue... but as this is where I will be spending my day (amongst throngs of fourth graders) I am sure to find out.

I am armed with coolers, a gas grill, and my camera - anything else you think I might need? Protractor? Cattle prod? Hmmm...

This could get interesting...

It's lunchtime!!

And you know what that means - time to waste time at work exercise those braincells via the handy dandy discount MENSA calendar. Ready to play??

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

Five words starting with the same three letters are defined in the list below. What are the words?

1) The second of the same name _____________

2) A type of boat ________________

3) An overgrown tropical area ______________

4) A promotional trip _______________

5) A point in time _______________

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

*That's* my little board breaker!!

And Computa got into the act as well. Whoohoo!












Though hitting is rarely encouraged at my house - I think it's pretty cool that Sporta was willing to hold that target for her big sis.

Sporta is digging her Tae Kwon Do - and breaking stuff is just a bonus....

I love that she is garnering such a sense of confidence. And being a chick that can kick a little ass has it's benefits too. Not that her daddy won't be checking out potential beaus, shotgun in hand... (With Momma standing by to reload.)

Fortunately, we have a little time for that yet... I hope...

Gah - I feel like I could freeking melt....

::Updated::

But you know - it's sooooo worth it to sit out here and have people pay me to take this stuff away.

It just boggles the mind - the trash to treasure factor. Ha!

So, what are *you* doing today??
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Well, there you go. It's 5pm and I have $175 more in my pocket. Not bad when you consider our *one* big ticket item went for $15. My motto of Sh*t for days, come and get it!! seems to have worked like a charm.

Whoohoo!

Now it's patio time with a glass of wine. Perfect...

Happy Friday!

Time for the last Brain Bender of the week - ready to play??

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

There was a contest to guess the number of jelly beans in a jar. Sasha guessed 33, Vivian guessed 28, Leslie guessed 32 and Erica guessed 29. One was off by 1, one was off by 4, one was off by 3 and one was correct.

How many jelly beans were in the jar?

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

And is it just me or does that seem like a super small jar?? Good grief - these MENSA calendar people come up with the damnedest contests.

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

WxMan and Papa go to the circus....

With the girls, of course. And having armed them with the camera I was hoping to get a glimpse of what they got to see...

Uh....

Or not....

Huh.



This picture *was* in focus - and I can say that I am glad I am not her... Check it out -->

Can we get a collective *yowch*?? Jeez...


Still - I think they had a good time. Whatever it was that they saw...