Life Imitates Art...

I was driving home the other day when I pulled up to a light and saw this...

















I began looking around for Alfred Hitchcock when I saw this...

















Since I've seen "The Birds" more times than I can count, I drove away as quietly as I could. Thankfully I've always identified more with Tippi Hedren than with Suzanne Pleshette.


I knew watching all those movies would save my life one day. :P

Tagged Yet Again....

I was tagged by Wendy to do this meme and while I was plotting my revenge, I did the dang thing. :P

Instructions: For each of the following, search Google Images and post your favorite pic.


1. Where I grew up:














2. Where I live now:













But only until the end of next week.



2a. Where I will live after next week:














3. My name:












This is actually a cartoonist who shares my name. Weird thing is, it's a guy. :)




4. My Grandmother's name:













I liked both of these and couldn't choose one. BTW, her name was Marion.




5. My favorite food:













One of them anyway. I'm a fat girl and there are a bunch of favorites. :P




6. My favorite drink:











For those of you who aren't science nerds, that is water. :)




7. My favorite smell:










To me, there is nothing better than the ocean. The sound of it. The smell of it. The feel of it. Everything about it soothes my soul.




This is where I tag someone and I'm going to go with Writeprocrastinator, Sweetest T, and The Wonder. :P

Blog Request...

Several people have asked when I will blog again. It's not that I don't want to blog. It's just that things have been quite hectic since the holidays. All I can think to say right now is...



I'm moving and going out of mind doing it!



Stay tuned for further mental health updates. :P

Look What I Got...

Thanks to my very nice brother, I am now the proud owner of this little baby... Ain't she pretty?! My very first digital camera and it's purple too! How cool is that?! My brother rocks! :)

Thanks again and again, bubba!!!

How I'm Feeling...

Sometimes other people's words better describe how I'm feeling. This song really sums it up. Thanks to Kwizgiver for posting the version by Sarah McLachlan. Being a Joni Mitchell fan I had to go find hers to post.





Joni Mitchell - River

Home Again, Home Again...

I've just returned from spending Thanksgiving with Cleggy, Wendy Darling, & their family. Simply put, it ROCKED! Tasty food, fabulous friends ("FABULOUS!"), good movies, general silliness, and lots of love.

We went to Santa Land Thursday night. Watched the pop-up edition of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 on the Disney Channel Friday night. Cleggy, Wendy Darling, & I did some running around on Saturday morning/afternoon and then that night we went to the movies and saw ENCHANTED. It was really good. I laughed. I cried. (I know, how shocking?!) After the Little Guy went to bed on Saturday, we watched POSEIDON. It was really good too. I laughed. I cried. I cheered when Lucky Larry got smote. :D

Oh and Wendy Darling & I totally SMOKED Cleggy & the Little Guy at Password on Sunday evening. Like I always say, Girls RULE and Boys drool! :P

Then Sunday night Cleggy & I stayed up way too late totally geeking out over the extras on the Shimmy & Shake Edition of the HAIRSPRAY DVD. Man was THAT cool! :)

I also took some really cool pictures with my camera phone on the drive up and a couple of nice ones on the drive back. The only downside to the drive home was that a passing 18-wheeler doing more than 80 miles an hour literally blew my car into a concrete construction barrier. I wasn't hurt and actually I wasn't even scared. It did scratch my car, but I guess it could have been far worse.

So my pictures are posted here. Go take a look. :)

I hope everyone had a great holiday. I know I sure did. Thanks again Cleggy & Wendy Darling! I love you guys! :)

“Hey, I didn’t know you had a tattoo!” and Other Amusing Observations…

Last night I returned from a trip to Shreveport to see my family. Nearly 500 miles and 2 tanks of gas later, I’m tired but very glad I went. Also sad that I had to leave. It was a long weekend filled with too much talking, too little sleep, and lots of laughter. And quite a few life lessons.

I learned that to my 22 month old nephew remotes, shoes, & various toys mean like, but crawling up next to you to share the tiger blanket means love. I learned that movies are more fun when you watch them snuggled up to your 11 year old niece and funnier with your sarcastic sister.

I learned that it takes a blonde, a baby brother, and a friend to hold the cigarette lighter to change a blinker in the dark. I learned that if a really big dude makes you a sky hook out of rebar with his bare hands then you’d best find a way to use it, even if it’s just as a coat rack. I learned that watching my baby brother and his friends build a water fountain is more entertaining than a Three Stooges movie. It also has way more cuss words. :P

I learned that getting only one 30 minute nap can make a baby REALLY grumpy. I learned that you are never ready to learn that your 11 year old niece has started wearing a training bra. I learned that nothing (except my Mommy’s cornbread dressing) feels as much like home as my sister’s broccoli cornbread, even when it’s spinach & ricotta cornbread at my request.

I learned that my baby brother’s girlfriend makes an apple cake that smells amazing enough to make my mouth water. I learned that my baby brother has some very nice friends, but not all of them have very nice wives. I learned that cats know when you are allergic to them and that fact makes you like catnip to them.

I learned that watching the Interactive Spider-Man doll sing “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” is quite disturbing. I learned that toys that make noise are more interesting than ones that don’t if you are a toddler. I learned that watching your niece hanging out the sunroof of your car while you wait for her mom to get out of Wal-Mart can make you laugh until you cry.

Mostly I learned that not only do I love my family but I also like them. And I remembered that sometimes just a simple phrase can reduce my sister and I to uncontrollable giggles. Here are a few…

“We already went. You mean you don’t remember eating?”

“Sharon!”

“Porn Star 12”

Ahhhh, good times. Good times. :)

Adopt A Soldier

A very good friend of mine, Wendy Darling, posted this earlier today on her blog:

"I adopted a soldier last week, and I am really enjoying writing to him and sending him packages. I really hope you will decide to adopt one of our soldiers. They need our support and encouragement."

Wendy posted this blog after receiving an email from Soldiers' Angels saying that they still had over 400 soldiers needing to be adopted. I am working on adopting one soon and I encourage all of you to do the same. Please. Our soldiers are a long way from home and doing a dangerous job just to keep all of us safe and free. Some of them don't have any family to send them love, support, and encouragement. A few cards, letters, and care packages are a small price to pay for the debt of gratitude we all owe the members of our armed forces.

So please go to Soldiers' Angels website and find a way to help. Find a way to make a difference in a soldier's life.

Thank you.

Nothing Is Cooler Than Free...

The wonderful ladies over at 5 minutes for mom are doing it again. These girls are the Queens of cool giveaways. Here's what they have to say...

"A Retro Giveaway — Pedal Car or Record Player — Take Your Pick

Written by Susan

I wasn’t there, but I think I would have loved the Fifties.

Of course I love the conveniences of our present day technologies and the respect and equality women have earned, and I likely wouldn’t trade those for a poodle skirt. But there is something special about the 1950’s… Something simpler… Harmless fun when teenagers rocked around the clock and families listened to their favorite radio shows together.

My mom was there at the right age to taste the best of the times. Born in 1940, she was a teenager in the Fifties and ready to be swept off her feet by Elvis and rock along with American Bandstand on their first television set.

I love to hear her talk about it and I wish I could imagine it better.

The past is always worth remembering — worth preserving and passing on to our children. But I think there’s something extra special about the Fifties that makes it even more worthwhile to celebrate. It was a time of good, clean fun. A time when family values were clear. Sure, there were problems and we may be remembering only the good… but I think that’s okay… We can celebrate the good and pass it on to our kids so that they’ll be able to imagine and dream about a simpler time.

And what better way to let our kids taste the 50’s than to bring the toys of the times to them?

The ultimate toy for lucky kids in the 50’s was the pedal car. The child-sized cars began to appear at the turn of the century, but were only playthings for the very wealthy.

But, by the 50’s, pedal cars were carried in major stores and many children spent their afternoons pedaling their miniature cars around their neighborhoods.

Sadly, these high quality steel pedal cars were replaced in the 1970’s by plastic ride-on-toys and, until recently, were no longer available.

But thankfully they have returned. Quality steel pedal cars designed to replicate the originals are now here for our children to enjoy.

Our store Pedal Cars and Retro Collectibles specializes in these retro pedal cars and we’d like to share the fun with one of your children.

Yes, we’re giving away a pedal car!

If you have a 2 - 4 year old, this will be the gift they remember forever!

You can choose one of these cool jalopy cars — The Pink Princess Pedal Car, The Harry Car or The Harriett Car. Or take the equivalent value of $179 as a gift certificate towards any item in our store.

And if you don’t have any preschoolers, don’t worry… you can still celebrate the 1950’s with us.

Instead of a pedal car, you could choose the popular Suitcase-Style Portable Record Player was introduced in the late 1950’s.

The Crosley CR89 Traveler Stack-O-Matic takes you back in time as you listen to a stack of old records.

Or you could choose a Coke Classic Picnic Cooler or take a gift certificate and put it towards one of our most popular retro items — A 1930’s style Coke Machine.

These coke machines are an exact replica of the famous Westinghouse Junior Coke Machine of the 1930’s and 1940’s. Our customers love these refrigerated coke machines… they are perfect for keeping cold drinks handy in the TV room or on the patio.

So you can take your pick… choose a pedal car, a record player, a Coke cooler, or take a gift certificate for $179 and use it towards anything in the store.

If you want to win this retro prize, simply follow these two steps:

1. Publish a post on your own blog linking back to this giveaway post and also linking to our store Pedal Cars and Retro Collectibles. We really do appreciate the links to both this post and to our store… you can also link to any of the individual prize product pages if you like for example the Pink Princess Pedal Car.
2. Leave a comment on this post.

If you don’t have a blog, we understand you can’t link back, but then please spread the word amongst your friends.

We are sorry to say we must limit shipping to US addresses. So Canadians, if you live close enough to the border to pick your prize or purchase up on the US side, then you can still enter. It’s incredibly simple to set this up. We help Canadians do it every day.

We'll draw the winner on Friday, November 30th."

So head on over and give it a peep. Personally, I've got my eye on that record player for a certain music loving best friend of mine. :D

I Miss You...

On October 25, 1923, Marion Laverne was born to German immigrant parents in a small town off the Texas coast. By the time I came along some 45 years later, she had three brothers and four sisters. I know my great grandmother gave birth to more children than that, but my family wasn't big on discussing the babies and children that died long before my mother was even thought of. There were several adopted children too. Apparently my great grandmother was happiest with a very full house.

The women of my family have very strong personalities. They have never needed heavy perfume to leave a part of themselves behind as they exit a room. They are vibrant, resonating women that have little trouble leaving their mark everywhere they go. My Grammy was no exception to this rule.

She was one of the strongest people I've ever known. In February 1973, she had a stroke due to an anuerism at the base of her brain. She would live another 21 years, 5 months, and 6 days despite having many more strokes along the way. On July 27, 1994, Marion Laverne joined her German immigrant parents in Heaven and my world tilted off its axis.

I miss her every single day. Without exception. I can't smell coffee or Tabu perfume without thinking of her. I can't hear a Conway Twitty or Loretta Lynn song without missing her. I can't go more than a month without dreaming of her calling me her angel baby and waking up crying.



I miss you, Grammy. I love you and I'll never ever forget you.



Every time I hear this song, I think of her and it almost always makes me cry.




I Miss You
By Miley Cyrus

Sha-la-la-la-la, sha-la-la-la-la
You used to call me your angel
Said I was sent straight down from heaven
And you'd hold me close in your arms
I thought of the way you felt so strong
I never wanted you to leave
I wanted you to stay here holdin' me

I miss you
I miss your smile
And I still shed a tear every once in a while
And even though it's different now
You're still here somehow
My heart won't let you go
And I need you to know
I miss you
Sha-la-la-la-la
I miss you

You used to call me your dreamer
And now I'm livin' out my dream
Oh, how I wish you could see
Everything that's happenin' for me
I'm thinkin' back from the past
It's true the time is flyin' too fast

I miss you
I miss your smile
And I still shed a tear every once in a while
And even though it's different now
You're still here somehow
My heart won't let you go
And I need you to know
I miss you
Sha-la-la-la-la-la
I miss you

I know you're in a better place yeah
But I wish that I could see your face, oh
I know you're where you need to be
Even though it's not here with me

I miss you
I miss your smile
And I still shed a tear every once in a while
And even though it's different now
You're still here somehow
My heart won't let you go
And I need you to know
I miss you
Sha-la-la-la-la-la
I miss you

Extremely Past Due...

In August, I received a "Nice Matters" award from Kwizgiver and due to being insanely busy at work, I didn't pass it on. I'm am about to rectify that.

First of all, thank you so much, Kwizgiver. You truly are my Sunshine. :)


"This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you've been awarded please pass it on to 7 others who you feel are deserving of this award."


Next I need to pass on the honor. I choose:

1. Wendy Darling - I know that Kwizgiver gave her one at the same time, but I wanted her to know I felt the same.

2. Cleggy - My best friend for over 11 years. I can honestly say he is one of the nicest, kindest, and sweetest people I have ever had the privilege of knowing.

3. Margo - You never know when or where you'll find a new friend. About 6 years ago, we were both members of an online email group and began to sporadically talk outside of the group. Now I can't imagine a day without her.

4. Focus - She is the mother of Margo, but my friend too. And even though she's never met me face to face, she has been a kind and good friend.

5. Cormac Brown - Or as I call him with great affection, WP. A blogging friend that is very supportive despite the fact that until about a month ago we didn't even know each other's real names. He's a great writer and a super nice guy.

6. Wes - Another blogging friend who's blog I never get to read often enough. He's a great guy, a nice person, and he cares about people & the environment.

7. Feel-good Librarian - This is not a person I actually know, but I do read her blog on a semi-regular basis. She never ceases to amaze me with her insight and the size of her heart. And basically, I just love librarians. :)

More About Me...

I was intrigued by Kwizgiver's Personal DNA listing on her blog sidebar. So I took the test too. So this is me. What do ya'll think?

Considerate Experiencer

I also added it to my own sidebar. If nothing else, I like the colours. :P

Is This Really Me?

Well I finally took the personality test and here are the results. Do you guys think it sounds like me?




Of course I didn't have to take a test to know I'm an introvert. :P

Breast Cancer Awareness & Digital Camera Giveaway!!!

Wendy Darling hipped me to a special-edition pink Casio digital camera giveaway over at 5 minutes for Mom.

Here are the details:

"Slim, sleek and ultra-chic. She’s dressed in pink and takes fabulous photos. Her mission is promoting awareness and education about breast cancer.

Who is she?

She's the Casio Pink EX-Z75 digital camera specially bundled with a camera case with pink stitching and a pink ribbon-clad lanyard to show support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF).

Yes, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Casio is putting on the pink. They’ve taken their pink EX-Z75, a 7.2 megapixel digital camera which is part of Casio’s highly-regarded zoom line of EXILIM cameras, and are offering it with this special camera case and pink-ribbon lanyard for the month of October.

The special-edition pink EX-Z75 will be available beginning October 2007 and can be purchased at Sears, La Curacao, Fred Meyer, BJ’s, Nexcom, AAFES, Staples, and Future Shop. The bundle package will have an MSRP of $179.99, and will proudly sponsor the National Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information, please visit www.casiousa.com."

It’s a great cause and a fabulous camera so head on over to 5 minutes for Mom and sign Mr. Linky to be entered into the drawing. They will draw the winner on Friday, October 26th.

And remember to visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the Breast Cancer Site for more information about how you can help promote awareness.

There's More Than One Way To Get Whiplash...

A couple weeks ago while I was on my way to pick up Cleggy for some much needed time off and travel CD's (Thanks again dude!), I pulled up next to this truck at a stop light. And I nearly hurt myself laughing. I did manage to snap this picture with my cell phone though. Enjoy! :P



Oh and my advice is to not call their competition because they obviously suck. :P

Just a little bit of something...

That has been running around in my head for about a week now. Cleggy's latest poem helped those words find the exit to the page, so to speak. Thanks, Cleggy!

ladybug, ladybug

ladybug, ladybug
fly me far from here
flutter your spotted wings
and show me the way home
safe passage to happiness
is all that i ask of you
friendship and devotion
is what i can offer in return
lucky, sweet, little darling
resting quietly in the daisies
lend me your magic
and i will share my love
take to the bluest sky
and ride the summer wind
i’ll sing you the song of my heart
in time with the beat of yours
lead me through the meadows
from flower to lovely flower
ladybug, ladybug
fly me far from here
flutter your spotted wings
and show me the way home



Let me know what you think.

A Gentle Ripple...

I need to get the word out about something and I need help to do it. I do not have any delusions of grandeur so I know that my audience is quite limited. Just a few friends and family read my usually pathetic attempt at a blog. But after a particularly inspiring meeting I began to realize that you don't have to make a big splash to get the word out. Sometimes a gentle ripple is all that is needed.

So here's my ripple...

Most of you know that I work for a non-profit organization. Not everyone knows that it is the Muscular Dystrophy Association. It has been a cause near and dear to my heart for as long as I can remember. Four and a half years ago, I was given the privilege of actually working for them. Just like any job it has its good days and it has its bad days. I can honestly say that the good ones far outweigh the bad ones. Friday during a meeting a co-worker shared this thought, "You're in the right place if the good things about your job are permanent and the bad things can be changed." I'm in the right place, but I already knew that.

Many of you know that my job fires a passion in me that has lead me to do more and give more of myself than any other job I've had. You've let me get up on my soapbox. I've annoyed you with repeated appeals and requests or just outright begging for money, help, or time. Most of you have even done it with a smile. For that I am eternally grateful. Now here is a request that won't cost you a dime and very little of your time.

Last year after nearly losing our Telethon station, our office came up with the idea of doing an online auction tied to our MDA Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon. This year not only are we doing it again, but we've started a trend. Other offices across the country are doing it too.

Here's where you all can help. I need to get the word out about our auction before it goes live on August 22nd. So what I'm asking everyone to do is post a short blurb about our auction and the link. And if you're feeling brave enough, ask your readers to do the same. If everyone tells someone who will in turn tell someone else then my gentle ripple might begin to make a difference.

www.mdahouston.cmarket.com

Our auction literally has something for everyone. We have guitars autographed by George Strait, Keith Urban, and even the American Idol Top 10 Finalist tour members. We have signed books by Jesse Kellerman, Katherine Center, Mary Higgins Clark, Gene Wilder and Janet Evanovich. We have electronics, trips, and collectibles. So please check it out and if you feel comfortable doing so, mention it to someone else or even post it on your blog, online journal, or MySpace page. Thanks!

Dude! I've been tagged again...

Career Meme...

Here is how to play:
If you had the opportunity to do a 1-year internship in a company or field completely unrelated to your current career or specialty, what would be your top 5 choices? (In no particular order)

1. Any major publishing house
2. A newspaper, but doesn't have to be a major one
3. Assistant to one of my favortie authors, like Laurell K. Hamilton
4. A science-fiction magazine or e-zine
5. Google or another major online company

And now I have to tag five people to do this meme. So, I'm tagging anyone that wants to do it.

That Just Ain't Right......

There have been a few things this week that have bothered me or just downright scared me. So I thought I would share.


I saw a woman going down the freeway. She was talking on her cell phone and putting on mascara. She had one hand on the phone and one hand on the mascara. I don't even want to know what she was driving with.

Before you guys start getting all mouthy about how much better drivers you are, I have a scary guy moment to share too. Again going down the freeway at speeds greater than 60 MPH, I saw a man drinking an energy drink of some sort. Apparently the can was nearly empty because he had his head tipped all the way back. After a 15 second count, I lost my nerve and put another lane between my car and his. I wouldn't have been too worried except that Mr. More-money-than-brains was driving a Hummer. Now I don't mean a sissified or citified H2 or H3. I mean the original, gas-guzzling, takes-as-much-room-as-a-semi-to-stop, hole-in-the-ozone-layer-causing penis extension Hummer. Less than a minute after I pulled away from him I heard the screeching of large tires. All I could do was say a prayer for the tiny compact car that was in front of him.

BTW, both the woman and the man were on the same freeway, but on different days. I've definitely got to think about moving.

I am too nice sometimes. I went to close down my old bank account today. I switched banks because I was no longer happy with the old one. But of course when she asked me why today I said, "There is no branch close to my home or office." When I really wanted to say, "Because your bank sucks and your customer service line is answered by crackheads. And not even smart crackheads." *sigh* Sometimes it just sucks being a nice person.

My acid reflux medication is expensive. I have insurance, but I have to pay for my prescriptions and they reimburse me 80% about 6 weeks later. I usually can't wait that long for that amount of money. I'm not rich. Luckily I have some very nice people in my life. My ex-boss gets me samples of other acid reflux medications from her father-in-law who is a doctor. It's not my regular medication and it doesn't work quite as well, but I am VERY grateful. Something is ALWAYS better than nothing when you have acid reflux so bad that you can scorch the ceiling at night. I haven't felt as grateful as I usually do over the last two weeks. The samples he got me were for a pill that dissolves in your mouth. It wouldn't have been so bad, but they are strawberry flavored (see previous post). So every night when I'd take one, I'd have to sit very still for about 10 minutes and fight the urge to throw up. I finally went and bought my regular medication today. I'll figure out a way to manage without that $130 until they reimburse me.



I guess that's enough for now. Thanks for letting me share. :P

The Straight Eight...

I was tagged by Kwizgiver so here are 8 random things about me and/or my life......


1. My Grammy was so militant about ironing that I swore I'd never iron. I don't even own an iron and I'm glad.

2. I have a completely irrational fear of mannequins, wax figures, and statues. There is a statue of Sam Houston in Huntsville that nearly makes me hyperventilate. http://www.samhoustonstatue.org/

3. I make up my own filing system for books, movies, & DVD's so everyone won't notice how OCD I am.

4. At the age of 11, I had a bad experience with an upper GI and ever since then the smell of strawberries makes me very nauseous. This sucks because it’s one of my favorite fruits.

5. I visit my neighborhood library so often (usually once a week) that they know me by name.

6. I have recently discovered and begun using the Wash & Fold service at my local laundromat, but it took me over a month to convince myself that using it didn't mean I was lazy. They know me by name too. :)

7. I want more than anything in the world to be a writer, but am all but paralyzed by a fear of rejection.

8. I think the sexiest and most intimate act between lovers is a long, slow kiss that lasts until you both are breathless.



Participants:
1. Make a list of 8 random things about yourself and/or your life on your own blog.
2. Tag 8 other bloggers leaving a comment on their blog with a link to your post.

Tagging: Sweetest T, BigRedOne, smashingly, The Wonder, Violet Mistress and whoever feels like doing it. Just leave me a comment letting me know you did it so I can read it.