Eyelevel
I stand corrected. Judi, the super cool jewelry maker, informed me that the level items found at Uncommon Goods are actually by Leeann Herreid. All the same, I think her level and leaf jewelry are beautiful. (And my birthday is December 25th... conveniently close to another gift-giving occasion. *ahem* Just a reminder for people who love me.)

Cool Flash Animation
Drum Machine

/me giggles
I spent more than a little time in IRC chatrooms back in the day. I laughed so much when reading The IRC Bible. Take these passages, for instance:

* Woman has joined #Bethany
<Woman> hi
* Woman pours ointment on Jesus´ head
<Disciples> OMGWTF!!1
<Disciples> Why this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for a large sum,
<Jesus> and given to the poor
<ThePoor> Yeah! fs

---

<HighPriest> tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God
<Jesus> You have said so
<HighPriest> BLASPHEMY!
* HighPriest tears his robes
<Crowd> He deserves death!
* Crowd slaps Jesus around a bit with a large trout

They also tell the story of Noah:
* Humanity has left IRC (Excess Flood)

The birth of Jesus:
<Mary> /join #Inn
* Unable to join channel (channel is full)

And the fine story of the first sibling rivalry:
* Abel was kicked by Cain
* Abel has joined #Wilderness
<Abel> hey don't do that
* Abel was kicked by Cain
* Abel has joined #Wilderness
<Abel> Hey this hurts!
* Abel was kicked by Cain
* Abel has joined #Wilderness
<Abel> WTF stop this!
* Abel has left IRC (Connection reset by peer)
<Cain> heh

RTBTGP
Busy Mom is hosting the Tailgate Party. Check out the goods. (Another very clever host[ess]!)


1. Jenna
2. Amber
3. Shii Ann
4. Shii Ann
5. Tom
6. Yes
7. Rob
8. Tom

Nine Words to Make You Smile (If You Get It)
"Dad is great! He gives us the chocolate cake!"
(Click Here If You Don't)

Last night was a musical juggling act. I wanted to get to The End for The Kicks, because Jesse's family drove up for the show. So I hung with them for the opening band but had to be back at the Renaissance for my guys' showcase. (They rocked the house down.) Got back to The End in time for their last song. Suck. Then we went and had birthday cake in the parking garage for Ariel's birthday before they all drove back home. Maybe Jesse will write about that.

Oh My, Tired Am I
I keep thinking it's Friday. Why? Because my body keeps saying, "Surely you're going to let me sleep in tomorrow, right?"

Not only am I tired... but Bossman's wife is going to be having a baby any minute now. I'm on the "First People to Call if the Baby Comes in the Middle of the Night" list, because they figure I'm probably awake anyway. I just know it's going to be tonight or tomorrow night... just as I'm getting into my peaceful dream sleep. The phone will ring, and I'll have to peel myself out of bed to drive over to their house and stay with their girls.

Even Design: She makes those super cool level necklaces and other jewelry items. (which they also sell at Uncommon Goods)


Magnetic Bracelet Update:
So I've been wearing this magnetic hematite bracelet since Sunday. I can't say there is any noticeable relief in my thumb... but I have found that I stick to the wire coil of my notebook that sits on my desk... and I find random paper clips stuck to my wrist throughout the day... I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up screwing with the strip on the back of my credit card on accident... but I will give it a little longer to "work".

Song for the Day:
Damaged (Plummet Dance Mix) - Plumb
~I'm scared and I'm alone
I'm ashamed and I need for you to know
I didn't say all the things that I wanted to say
And you can't take back what you've taken away
'Cause I feel you, I feel you near me.~

It's Free Cone Day!

If you have a spare hour at your computer, take a listen to last week's encore episode of This American Life. It's a story about "a young boy, an abandoned house, and the mysterious family who once lived there but seemed to disappear without a trace." (I sat in my car an extra half an hour on Saturday trying to hear more of the story... but eventually had to go in with 15 minutes left. Great music incorporated as well.)

desolate & abandoned photography.

I don't remember if I mentioned it here before, but this site is by a cool midwestern chick who is spending some time in the Czech Republic. I believe the site is set up to share her experiences with friends and family back home, but through her prose and poetry, she reveals a sweet character and beautiful heart.

I can't remember who was talking about eating a whole tube of Dr. Pepper Flavoured Lip Smackers, but I did find out that you can buy it from the Dr. Pepper Museum.

Of course, I'm sure we're all looking forward to May 11th when the Invader Zim DVD is released.

Quotables
"You are so incredibly lucky because you're with the person I miss."
-- JTB (who looks strangely like the muse guy, I noticed)

"Anyway, I am in the process of making vcr tapes of my stored TiVo things, it's like technology in retrograde."
-- PP

"We live in a society nowadays where everybody thinks their opinion is valid. And nobody knows when to shut up and do what I say."
-- BST

It's Hug an Australian Day today. I'm not really on a hugging level with the ones I know here... so virtual hugs to Phil, Fi, Hans, Mick, Steven, Andrew, Lisa, Pete, Duane, Louise, Brenton, Luke, & Lucy.

(Hug drawing by the rad TuesdayComic)

So today I was wondering when was the last time I was at my house besides when I was sleeping or getting ready to go somewhere or getting ready to sleep. I think it was the Friday before last, though it may have been the Wednesday before that. A long stinking time anyway. I'm starting to miss my couch.

Best Quote from the International Sales Conference on Saturday
"I've always wanted to play for the United Nations. Some people want to play the Hollywood Bowl or Madison Square Gardens. Not me. For me it is the UN. So thanks for making my dream come true. You can all just pretend you are world leaders."
--Paul

ISC Saturday morning. Picked Marc & Recah up at 2:00. Drove like crazy to Cincinnati. Found the venue. Had some great dinner at Daniel's Pub. Watched Muse put on an incredible show in this small, smokey venue and loved every minute of it.

Yesterday was the Main Street Festival. I got a magnetic hemitite bracelet in hope that it will aid in the whole regaining-feeling-in-the-thumb process.

Last night was the NACRRlshowcase. Watched the guys. Went to Buffalo Billiards with Marc & Recah and Josefine & Samuel, the Swedes. Went back for Sanctus. Left with the guys and wives and label folk and went to Bosco's. Home by 2.

I think I might get to sit on my couch on Friday, but I'm not sure.

4:30 AM and we're back alive. The show was amazing. We all thoroughly enjoyed it. More later. A bit tired now.

(If you are one of those people who feels compelled to call me, please don't until well into the afternoon. Thanks.) :)

Try Me
Sometime, just for fun, sing songs replacing the word "eye" with "eyeball".

Five for Friday
1. What is the coolest hobby someone can have?
Building an Imperial Star Destroyer to scale for the 4" Star Wars Action Figures.

2. Name a song with the word "eye" in it.
"Eye(ball) of the Tiger"

3. Now that spring has sprung, how do you plan on taking advantage of it?
I think I want to buy a bike.

4. On a scale of 1 to 10, how hungry are you right now?
8

5. What are you doing this weekend?
Hehe... Muse.

I See Your True Colors Shining Through
What's your Birthday Pantone?
(Stolen from TheMommyBlog.)

December 25 Pantone 19-5511 HUNTER GREEN Determined     Unusual     Goal Oriented

You were born with a nice mix of intuition and practicality. It is important for you to feel financially secure and grounded. No amount of wealth, status or achievement will be enough if you have not cultivated the spiritual side of your nature. Stability, home and love are all very important to you. You are loyal, dependable and giving, once you have accepted a person into your intimate circle of life. Hunter Green reminds you to stay connected to the spiritual side of life and helps calm any financial or mundane worries you may feel.

I'll take that, and dark green has always been a favourite. Weird how everyone else I looked up seemed to match their colors.

We're Here to Help Ya
For anyone looking for the "circled p" copyright symbol, you can download a font with it here.

Beautiful European photography.

Comebacks I'll Never Use
"Yeah, well if you were my sister and [he] was our dad, that little tattle-tale thing might have been more effective."


Survivor Magnolia
1. Tom
2. Rob
3. Alicia
4. Jenna
5. Tom
6. Shii Ann
7. 5
8. Shii Ann

And One More Thing
I just bought this poster for my high school English teacher. "Expunge" was my favourite vocab word in his class, and I'm pretty sure he used it in my graduation card. It always makes me smile.

Reasons to Smile Today
▪ The words "Brown UPS Truck" perfectly replace "Wells Fargo Wagon" if you want to sing "Oh ho, the brown UPS truck is a-comin' down the street, oh please let it be for me."

▪ catapult*

▪ CT sent us copies of the new album.

▪ The care package from my awesome Mom that came yesterday... including cashews, blue pens, newspapers from home, and a Funshine Bear ceiling fan pull, amongst other goodies. She knows me well.

▪ Giggly phone conversations about Y memberships.

▪ "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deut. 33:27a

▪ Three days until Muse and the beginning of GMA madness.

▪ Forecasted thunderstorms.

▪ The tablet is installed making life easier.

▪ Getting a bloody nose and pretending for a second that it was the cordilla virus.

▪ This proves how cool being a gamer and a piano player can be. (Video Game Sheet Music here.)

Excuse Me
EDIT: I choose to be happy today.

Let's Talk about BroodX, Baby
Though I am better than I used to be, I am not kidding when I say that I used to have a severe phobia of moths. I wasn't just "afraid" of them. I'm talking about taking normal-life-altering measures to avoid them. Anyone who knows the story of when one ended up in the car with me can attest.

So now I am hearing all these stories about how we are about to get cicadas in plague-like numbers here one of these days. And to be honest, I am feeling a certain anxiety that I haven't felt in quite a while. As you can see by the map, there appears to be no avoiding them for me. And the horror stories people have been telling about them getting into houses and cars (need I remind you my air conditioning doesn't work, so my windows are always open) are enough to set me into panic.

I don't really care that they don't bite or sting. (Moths aren't really the most vicious things in the world either.) Just look at them... they're big; they're winged; and they're pretty darn ugly.

I'm preparing my boss for the fact that I may need to take a six-week vacation for mental health reasons.

Glitter Polish and Birthday Cake
Saturday I helped Sandra with Audrey's 9th Birthday party. The theme was Audrey's Day Spa, and it was so cute. We soaked their feet in little foot massager water things and took turns washing them with the yummy Arbonne foot scrub.

They were so cute though. One little girl took the cucumbers off her eyes, leaned forward, and whispered in excited sincerety, "I've never been to a spa before!" It was so darling. I haven't either, honey... I haven't either.

They took turns painting each other's nails, and one offered to do mine. How could I say no? So most of my nail surface area and a lot of my fingertip area ended up a lovely shade of lavendar with a thick coat of glitter sparkles. It was very sweet.

There's a Reason Your Name Isn't on the Cover
There has been a lot of talk around the office about the dangerous trend where record labels (and to a certain extent, book publishers) feel like their job is to have an active part in creating the art instead of simply exploiting it. I think that's how we end up with cookie-cutter top-40 groups and 700 Chicken Soup for the Soul books. It's when someone takes a chance on something that doesn't fit the mold -- that's when "fresh" and "exciting" come back into play. Just thoughts.

Mystery Artists
I talked to Darren and mentioned that I saw *squeal* the new photos. He asked what I like about them, so I had to say that I love the clothing selection, love the teacups, and the action shots are so Tarantino.



When is Steve going to bring back his children's art reviews?

Rocky Top Brigade Tailgate Party is up over at the Newsrack. I must say that was quite a clever way of making it happen.

Vrijdag Vijf
Due to the lack of consistency over at the real place, some of us have been taking it upon ourselves to come up with five questions for Fridays. (Last week's was up after Tommy had already done his, and I don't like people asking about my job anyway.) So my Friday Five stand-in topic is "Roots".

1. Where are your ancestors from? Have you ever been there?
94% are from the Netherlands. Utrecht area, to be precise. And no, I haven't been, but I plan to go.

2. Do you live where you grew up? If not, do you think you'll ever return? If so, will you stay?
It's been 9.5 years since I've lived in my hometown. While I miss my family terribly, there just isn't anything for me there right now. I suppose some day I would like to be closer to my family... unless I can convince them all to move like some of my cousins have.

3. Do you color your hair? If so, how often? If not, would you ever?
I have. Only because I get this freakish blonde streak underneath sometimes. (The result of trauma from being dropped as a child? I don't know. No one will confess to it.) So I color it the same color as my hair normally is. Once every few months, but it's a wash-out formula, so I don't get roots really.

4. Potatoes or Carrots. Discuss.
I'm a sucker for a good mashed potato. But carrots are so versatile -- from salads to glazed carrots to carrot cake (if you like cake, that is). It's a tie in my book.

5. What is your root beer brand of choice? (see list for reference)
I'm going to have to go with A&W.

Possible NaNoWriMo Title to Remember
The Fairly Stale Fairy Tale
... inspired by something written on The Mommy Blog.

Loved Miss P's entry about the American tax system and Tommy's post about the donuts (especially the part about the possibility of them being powdered). But take a look at any of those links to the left. Good stuff there any day of the week.

Survivor Magnolia
1. Rupert
2. Rob
3. Kathy
4. No
5. No
6. 5
7. Jenna
8. Yes
9. Yes

Take That, You Computer Nasties!
Steve, the total gem that he is, assisted me in decontaminating my computer this morning. All I know is that one little popup got past my Google Popup Blocker just as I was hitting enter on my email which made me accept whatever it was they wanted me to accept. The next thing I knew I saw something installing on my taskbar. (I guess this is a little recap from the last post.)

It was completely bogging down my computer (I had 87 processes going at one point) and throwing random popup ads at me constantly... it also was one of those programs that highlights certain key phrases on websites and then popups up an ad for said phrases. Adware, I guess, eh?

Nothing showed up in my add/remove programs, but I did find the eZula file in my Program Files. Click the unwise.exe for the uninstall. Clever little name there folks. Grr. This, of course, doesn't uninstall everything. So persuant to Steve's suggestion I ran Ad-Aware (being sure to check for updates first)... and I think it's as good as gone now.

Pretty in Pink
There is a tree in Peter's backyard whose branches hang over in our backyard. I can't figure out what kind it is, but it looks just like this. (Any help in identifing is appreciated.) I've been wearing those flowers in my hair for the last week or two. But the rain from the last couple of days has made many of the petals fall off. There is now the most beautifully out-of-place carpet of pink petals in the backyard. It makes me smile.

Hugest Font Ever Award
Floral Newsprint (or is it just my computer?)

Song of the Day:
Dare You to Move - Switchfoot
~Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistence
The tension is here
Between who you are and you could be
Between how it is and how it should be~

Ooo....grrr! It's 1:30 am. I've been battling a stinking virus all night. What the crap? I'm like the most skeptical clicker in the world; I have no idea how this happened. All of I sudden I look down at the taskbar and see something is installing. Crap. Sucks. I don't have the energy for this.

"A man is known by the books he reads,
by the company he keeps,
by the praise he gives,
by his dress,
by his tastes,
by his distastes,
by the stories he tells,
by his gait,
by the notion of his eye,
by the look of his house,
of his chamber;
for nothing on earth is solitary
but every thing hath affinities infinite."
▪ Ralph Waldo Emerson ▪

How can you not be curious about a site called SoiledMyPants.com? Turns out it's by a cool Dutch chickie who's into acting and improv and art. Very cool. She was also born in the same place my greatgrandparents came from.

Quote of the Day
Bossman: Days like this give me the happies.

BlueDaniel is new and pretty. Reminds me of Saturday. I was walking with 4-year-old Will when he noticed some fuzzy dandelions. "WISH FLOWERS!" he declared with delight. We each picked one and hyperventilated until every last winged seed took flight.

After hearing the phrase thrown around on the news and such, I finally decided to look up "dogwood winter". It is apparently what we experienced yesterday... when you're all thinking it's Spring, and then Mother Nature says "just kidding." I'm quite certain we don't have dogwoods where I grew up.

Photoshop is your friend.

Q. How thrilled can I be about the game last night?
A. Pretty darn.

I love the women in my life. This week I've realized more and more how blessed I am to be surrounded by the people that I am. If you are a woman, and you are in my life (even from afar), know that you are loved and appreciated.

And then there is Darren who called me yesterday just to wish me a happy day. And Jason who called this morning and put a smile on my face. And Naten who emailed today saying he wishes could hug me right about now. How is it that I know the coolest people in the world?

It's BusyTuesday_TM -- don't expect too much from me.

You are a GRAMMAR GOD!
If your mission in life is not already to preserve the English tongue, it should be. Congratulations and thank you!
How grammatically sound are you?

I was thrilled to see that someone is proposing a ban to prohibit animals from riding untethered in the back of vehicles. If you recall, I had a rather traumatic experience when a dog fell out of a truck in front of me on the interstate. The visions of that cute puppy careening towards my vehicle still haunt me.

What the... snow?

My 79-year-old grandma went home from the hospital yesterday. She had back surgery a couple weeks ago, so we are grateful for that. She and I had an awesome conversation Sunday night. It's so encouraging talking to someone who loves you unconditionally, who sees your inner beauty and potential, and who only wants the best in the world for you.

Post Scripts
▪ Allison, I'm not ignoring you! Thanks for the email -- I'll be writing soon.
▪ naTASHa, I wasn't ignoring you either... I just couldn't peel myself out of bed in time. Email me! I didn't really catch everything in your message, and I deleted it instead of saving it in my 2:30-am sleep-induced stupor. :)
▪ And a special thanks to Manda (who doesn't update anymore, so doesn't get a link)... what in the world would I do without you?

Had a surprise birthday lunch for Miss RoseAnne today. Success! She had no idea.

Two women separately told me that I have beautiful hands... chipped nail polish and all.

An open hand has been a strong visual for me the last couple days.

Look at these beautiful photos of Scotland.

The Traffic Cone Preservation Society... brings back such fun memories of when David (the one who always seemed to be behind all the mischief I got into as a teen) and I picked up cones that were serving no real purpose and lined the end of our choir director's driveway.

If Josh ever reads this, he might appreciate that I spent Easter with the families of three of these four guys.

The Only Thing Constant is Change
I've had an outrageously difficult weekend. Not necessarily a bad thing. Life suddenly got confused and clarified all at the same time. And trust me, if I could be any more vague, I would.

So I'm going to the Pepsi 300. How often will I get free tickets to something like this? I have to go just to say I went. I gotta go tease my hair now.

Stolen from Allison...

1: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4. Type what it says:
"think. Keep it quiet. Don't wake up the kids. And what will he do with" --The Last Juror, John Grisham

2: Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you touch first?:
Window blinds

3: What is the last thing you watched on TV?:
24 on tape

4: WITHOUT LOOKING, guess what time it is..
6:24

5: Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?:
6:42

6: With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
Air conditioning

7: When did you last step outside?
Half an hour ago bringing something to Bossman.

8: Before you came to this website, what did you look at?:
My site.

9: What are you wearing?:
Blue skirt and white linen shirt.

10: Did you dream last night?
Not last night, but I've had some vivid ones lately.

11: When did you last laugh?
When Sandra called a bit ago.

12: What is on the walls of the room you are in?:
Framed/signed E'Suit, Beanbag, BenGate & ArtOfficial-Tour posters.

13: Seen anything weird lately?:
Does the weird lady with the bike count?

14: What do you think of this quiz?:
Hmm...

15: What is the last film you saw?:
Hellboy or School of Rock -- forget which order that went.

16: If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy first?:
Car that functions properly.

17: Tell me something about you that I don't know:
I don't like cheesecake... unless it's Jello brand box mix.

18: If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?:
Tax-free society.

19: Do you like to dance?:
I've become a swing-dancing fool.

20: Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?:
Yeah, I don't think about this stuff anymore. My old favorite girl name was Kellen. These days I'd choose something more meaningful, like a variation of a loved one's name.

21: Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?:
Jacob.

22: Would you ever consider living abroad?:
Most definitely.

23: Will you pass on this survey?:
Now you make no sense.

Smooth Criminal
Oh, the life of crime I live. My friend (from Michigan) just called me (in Tennessee) from his in-laws' house (in Pennsylvania) asking if I would forge his signature on something if it was faxed (from Nevada) to my office. Starting today, he has the girliest signature ever.

Honk if You Love Jesus
The elderly couple with the "Honk if You Love Jesus" signs were out at the busy intersection again today. I guess the idea is to provoke thought. Either that or annoy the crap out of the people working at the post office.

Mmm... Good
Late this afternoon a new demo came across my desk, and this one I can dig. Described as both elegant and edgy, I think they are worth checking out. (Sorry for the ambiguous link... I've determined this is the best way to avoid mixing business with blogging.)

A Conversation
As I walked from my music-filled office through Karl's music-filled office...
Karl: You know if we had a subwoofer and a real sound system in here, we'd really have trouble.
Me: Is that your way of saying you don't like my music?
Karl: [laughs]
Me: Because I can turn that off.
Karl: Just like a woman to turn that around. I'm just saying if we had one soundsystem we'd have to fight over what we'd listen to... not that I don't like your music. [mimicking] You hate my music, don't you? You hate me, don't you?

I really was just looking for a reason to turn the music off. People send Bossman demos to listen to and critique. Without fail, they end up on my desk. In an effort to be positive, I counterbalanced my "Dave Matthews Band rip-off" comment with my "filled the lyrical 'Jesus' quota required to sign to a ccm label" comment.

Tommy's 5
1. How tall are you?
5'9.5" without shoes

2. Do you wish you were taller or shorter?
I'm good, thanks. Though sometimes I am a little self-conscious when I'm towering over everyone.

3. How tall was the tallest person you've ever met?
My brother-in-law is pretty tall. No clue how tall. But tall, nonetheless.

4. How short was the shortest fully grown adult you've ever met?
I don't know anyone personally who is freakishly short, so I'll just say my sister, because she hates that I'm taller.

5. What is your favorite word, currently?
"Expunge"

Pizza Dude: fun fonts there. And more at Chank.

AltPick*com: The Source for Creative Talent & Information. Came across a photographer there who did a great picture of Fleming. Of course, she is one of the most beautiful people on the planet, so it can't be hard to avoid messing it up.

Eyeball Jewelry??
Those darn Dutch are at it again. The Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery has developed a process by which they place little jewels under the mucus membrane of the eye. I gotta think that would eventually not be the healthiest thing in the world. But it brings a whole new meaning to the idea of having a twinkle in one's eye.

Sunday Times Explorer: Rediscovering South Africa. Great look into all things South African layed out in a fun manor giving a brief overview with headers like "Babe of the Day", "Sign of the Day", "Ride of the Day", "Sweetest Site of the Day", et. al.

Waiting for the Trolley
Yesterday I met a lady named Isabella. I took the long way to get lunch and saw her standing on a corner with a case and several bags. I asked her if she was one of the artists I have seen around town this week painting historic buildings. Turns out that she wasn't, but we stood on the corner and chit-chatted for a good 15-20 minutes. When the trolley came, I helped her carry her bags across the road so she could board, and that was it. I love random encounters.

Preds lost and I was at the office until 1 am. I'm sad and tired.

Petrichor
n.
The pleasant smell that accompanies the first rain after a dry spell.

I've got Todd Agnew's "Grace Like Rain" stuck in my head this afternoon. I love rainy days like this when the sky is dark in one direction but sunny in another. Rain falls intermittently but nothing too oppressive. The door stays open, and the smell is amazing.

Happy Birthday, Erin-the-Girl!! I hope all those Canadians are loving you well today! Tonight you're going to have to go out and party like it's 1999, because if you were here, believe me, we would! Miss you! LOVE!

Naughty Codes: a great resource for those of you who like to order stuff online and would like to take advantage of stores' online coupon codes. "Online stores send out discount codes to SELECT groups of customers, leaving the rest of us to pay full price! To that we say, NO! We find and list ALL of the coupon codes and promotional codes that can be found. If it's out there, we have it! Be naughty with us by using these codes for added discounts when shopping online."

It's a flowers-in-your-hair type of day today. So I have three of these little daffodils in mine. They smell incredible. It's like my own personal air-freshener.

I always wonder if people on the phone can tell that I'm rocking out over here. Manda just confirmed that, yes, in fact, they can. I'll just be turning that down a bit now.

After seeing Kiss My Feet, I've decided that I'm getting a pair of clogs. My sister and I totally wore those as kids.

Someone please remind me that paying $67 for a pillow that doesn't match anything in the house is ridiculous even if it does look like the material was from a really awesome tie. It's the last one. I've been drooling over it for months. The girl at the store knows me now. I want that pillow.

World Flags with Letter Grades. Using a strict grading methodology, this person took some time and energy to break down the elements of each national flag.

Basement Mini-Golf. Why do I picture Jack doing this?

Sadness
I missed 24 tonight due to vcr technical difficulties... or was that programmer difficulties? But if anyone missed The Guardian tonight, I managed to tape it. I need that tivo thing Manda & Jack have.

Pursuant to Leslie's request, below is the information for the beauty products for which I am a consultant.

Arbonne International+
With my favourite products being the enzyme mask and skin conditioning oil, as well as the hand & body lotions... among other products.
You too can order online by signing up as a client with my consultant number: 10529310. Or let me know if you are interested in being a consultant, and I can give you all the details.

Very very busy today.

A Leonard Cohen Afterworld
Where were you when you heard the news of Kurt Cobain's death ten years ago? I heard it on Entertainment Tonight and ran to tell my sister. That sucked.

Go Preds! Wooo!

Am I Right: Making Fun of Music. One Song at a Time...

Thousands of Words
Alex Sievers Photography. More beautiful photography. Particularly love his shots of Istanbul (a future destination of mine) and Amsterdam (a must visit too).

Come Sail Away
I found that site looking for more information on Sail Amsterdam -- a huge nautical event every five years. I am completely enamored by all things sailboat related, but these tall ships put everything I've ever been on to shame. If I can't make 2005, I definitely want to shoot for 2010. Check out these pictures or these pictures from 2000. (Ooo... here are some more.)

I Learn, Therefore I Am
I don't know about anyone else, but I feel like I've been getting exponentially dumber since I quit going to school. All that is changing now though. I feel revitalized as I'm learning good stuff at church, and I'm learning to swing dance, AND as of this weekend, I'm officially taking Dutch lessons from Connie with Jessica. (I think that's why I'm all revved up for a trip to the Netherlands.) Until my vocabulary is built up, it is hard to have any practical application, but I can say "yes please" (ja, alstublieft) and "no thank you" ( nee dankje vel) and "give me a kiss" (geef mij een kus)... because those are essential phrases. :)

Nap-on, Nap-off... the Napper
I am normally not much of a nap person. I generally exist in a semi-sleep-deprived state. Today I curled up with a pillow on the couch and thought I might close my eyes for a couple seconds. That was at 5:30. At 11:30, I had to force myself to get up in order to not spend the night there. Now I just feel yucky.

This is one of the funniest (and truest) things I've read in a long time.

Lovely
adj.
beautiful in mind or character; delightful; beautiful; pleasing

I ran into Target last night between dinner with the roommates and the big swing dance. I had a couple things I needed, but ended up with an impulse purchase that I could not resist. It's a little tacky, but oh so perfect. It's this little ceramic wall-hanging with... a purple (my signature color) gerber daisy (my signature flower) next to the word "lovely".

Someone told me I was lovely last year about this time, and it is one of those things that has just stuck with me.

Read a Million Minutes
Everyone I know is reading Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2. I'm not. Yet.

Hot on the Trail
Somehow I ran across this NY Times article about an old cemetary in the heart of Queens. This article led me to Forgotten NY, a website featuring all things old and new-yorky; Long Island Oddities, more unknown locales in NY; Street-Light Nuts, a pretty self-explanatory title; and Satan's Laundromat: a photoblog of NYC, which led me to Pixpopuli: a photoblog of LA. Some interesting stuff hidden in those sites if you have the time to peruse.

Vrijdag Vijf
Friday Five is taking another week off, it seems. However, I thought I'd post my own. We've got children's books on the brain here, as the deadline draws near for Bossman's first two books...

1. Are there any books from your childhood that stick out in your mind as favorites?
There was one about a dog and a rock garden and another called The Upside-Down Picnic, I think.

2. Which series of books did you have to read every single one?
Throughout my reading career these included: "The Berenstain Bears, "Little House on the Prairie", the Ramona books, and I was big into The Babysitters Club for a while too.

3. Which Dr. Seuss book was your favourite?
I always thought they were Dr. Seuss books, but later found out that they were by PD Eastman... Go Dog Go or Are You My Mother?

4. Did you ever have to dress up as a book character for school? Who did you go as?
Yes. Laura Ingalls.

5. Do you have a favourite memory of being read to?
First, let me say that I love the art of storytelling -- it is much more than just reading to people. One instance that keeps jumping back into mind was in fourth grade when Mr. Landegent read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to us. He was one of my favourite teachers of all time. He was very animated and used different voices. It was very captivating, and I just remember enjoying it immensely.

TGIF
Oh yeah, and did I mention that I locked myself out of my office yesterday? I ran out the door at 3:30, because pretty much every place quits serving by 4 down here. On my way back I realized I had no keys. No one else was there. So I actually sat down and chewed my food and thoroughly tasted it for once. No multi-tasking for a change. No typing and eating and running to the copier. Just me and my curry-chicken-salad stuffed tomato.

It's official. I'm joining Aaron in hating April Fools Day. I had AFD on the brain when I read Jay's post, otherwise I would have totally believed that. But I just talked to Karl, and he asked if I had heard about his son. I'm all prepared for some ridiculous AFD joke and laughed when he said that Hunter was jumping over the railing at the NB show last night and broke his arm. That kid has taken gymnastics for years and is like a monkey, but I've never seen him hurt himself. However he was serious. They're still at the hospital in Clarksville. I'm no med student, but two metal plates and eight pins doesn't sound very good to me.

Oh, but the new Rocky Top Brigade Tailgate Party is up at Barry's.

But in other good news that I forgot, we got our tickets for Muse yesterday. Whee! Thux and Recah were game for going along. It's such great timing. Perfectly nestled in the 16-hour window when the guys aren't doing something for GMA.

Make your own marquee here! (Stolen from Heather)


Survivor Magnolia
1. Chapera
2. Mogo Mogo
3. Jerri
4. 5
5. 4
6. Rupert

I'm not in the mood for April Fools Day. Yesterday was far too stressful. I ran out of here at 8:00 last night in a race to get to FedEx on time. So I come back to a disaster area.

He Shoots, He Scores, You Suck
To set the scene: Michael forked over the cash for the good seats. Front row. Section 213. Right in front of the attack-twice goal.

We get there, and a couple is sitting in the wrong seats. Already seemingly intoxicated, they attempted to explain why they were there. I said we could just sit a few seats over until the period was over when we were going to go out for food anyway.

There was a really intense near-goal in the first period that brought everyone to their feet, including the inebriated woman in my seat. She, however, forgot that she was holding her beer. She tossed up her hands and showered the three rows behind us and several rows in the section below us with her beverage. It was the freaking funniest thing I've seen in a long time.

They left after the first period. As she was getting up to leave, she said to her husband, "I cannot drink any more."

Dear Mr. Sun,
I just wanted to let you know how much I am looking forward to Daylight Saving Time starting this weekend. I love seeing you -- don't get me wrong. I just don't like seeing you at 5:30 in the morning, because it makes me freak out and think that I overslept. I am eagerly anticipating having you walk me out to my car after work for a few months though. Keep up the good work.

The Fool Learns by Suffering (--Hesoid)
ZUG.com: "The World's Only Comedy Site." It's never too early to start planning your April Fool's Day pranks. And there are plenty of good ones here. I was particularly fond of the first one under "Office Pranks". I also had to swallow my laughter as I perused the Credit Card Prank!

Baby, Don't Forget My Number
(I love being able to work Milli Vanilli references into my writing.) For those of you who used to know my home phone number back before my phone broke, I have replaced the phone. To my great surprise, I received my first home-telephone call in 18 months on Sunday from someone who didn't even know that until that day, there wasn't even a phone to call. Don't wait by your phones, as I still hate talking on it... but just so you know, I can be reached at my residence again.