When I crawled into bed last night, I removed the bandage from Rafael that was cushioning the lump from the constant pressure of my shoe. Much to my chagrin, Rafael was not looking so hot. Cut open, red, oozing puss, and throbbing, I showed Hubs. He grimaced and diagnosed an infection. I knew it was bad when Hubs demanded that I stay off my feet in order to get better even though we have a weekend of cross-country and downhill skiing planned. I consulted with Dr. DT and he confirmed an infection; a first in the life of Rafael.
Sick and tired of the effect Rafael has had on my life, I made an appointment with an orthopod January 30. I'm sure he'll suggest cutting Rafael out of my life completely. I think I'm ready to let go...
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Halvah
Christmas Day, MDoc busted out her amazing cooking skills and treated us all to an eat-til-you're-miserable meal: pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes and gravy, baked corn with rice crispies atop, can-formed cranberries, and some jello/whipped cream "salad." And all this food was served only after we'd eaten trays of crackers and cheese, cookies, candy, and 7-layer taco dip. I can't say there was one thing I didn't enjoy ... except maybe the Halvah.
Halvah?! didn't know what it was either. Apparently Li'l Grandma used to get some every Christmas for a treat. It looked more like liver pate than a treat but I tried it anyway just to get a Newbie out of it. It's made of sesame paste (tahini) and sugar, honey or some other sweetener. It's gritty, crumbly texture overshadowed any good taste it may have had. It was marbled with chocolate but not enough to make it taste good. I can't say that I liked it but I would try it again next Christmas just to carry on a tradition. I did notice that the only people eating it was MDoc, Li'l Grandma and Aunt Pauly.
Go figure...
Halvah?! didn't know what it was either. Apparently Li'l Grandma used to get some every Christmas for a treat. It looked more like liver pate than a treat but I tried it anyway just to get a Newbie out of it. It's made of sesame paste (tahini) and sugar, honey or some other sweetener. It's gritty, crumbly texture overshadowed any good taste it may have had. It was marbled with chocolate but not enough to make it taste good. I can't say that I liked it but I would try it again next Christmas just to carry on a tradition. I did notice that the only people eating it was MDoc, Li'l Grandma and Aunt Pauly.
Go figure...
Gum
On Christmas Eve, I was out of ideas for a Newbie having demolished brain cells through extensive Bailey's cheer and crushed creativity with the sheer weight of the food I'd put into my mouth. And when all else fails, Google is like the rock of salvation. I went back to the website I'd visited last Friday, and I looked for new exciting things to learn.
Did your mother tell you not to swallow gum cuz it would stay in your system for 7 years? First, why didn't I ever ask, "Who cares?" And second, why didn't I ever find out whether that was really true? So, on Monday, I finally uncovered the answer to the mystery:
So, MDoc, did you really believe that gum would be stuck in there for 7 years? Hmmm, now I wonder if my eyes will stay crossed if I leave them that way for too long....
Did your mother tell you not to swallow gum cuz it would stay in your system for 7 years? First, why didn't I ever ask, "Who cares?" And second, why didn't I ever find out whether that was really true? So, on Monday, I finally uncovered the answer to the mystery:
That would be: out the poop shoot.Generally, gum is made up of four general components, and our bodies can
easily break down three of these. The gum's flavorings, sweeteners and softeners
are all no match for human digestion. It's the gum base that sticks around. Gum
base is made mostly of synthetic chemicals, and these chemicals give gum its
chewy property. It's designed to resist the digestive properties of the saliva
in your mouth. But once it's swallowed, even the gum base is subjected to the
same treatment as regular food, and after it's recognized as useless by your
digestive system, it goes the same route as any waste product.
So, MDoc, did you really believe that gum would be stuck in there for 7 years? Hmmm, now I wonder if my eyes will stay crossed if I leave them that way for too long....
Bowling for Christmas
After a couple days of playing cards and eating over vacation, we decided to do something active. So, on Sunday, we went bowling. I'd never been bowling over Christmas, so it was a good adventure for the DocFam. We ended up with a group of 11 immediate and extended family members bowling. There were gutterballs and granny throws aplenty, but with a score of 55 and 74, I was right in the middle of the group. We are, obviously, not professionals.
We bowled right next to a woman who looked so familiar that I couldn't stop looking at her. Thankfully, she finally clued me in that we lived on the same floor in the dorms for our freshman year in college. The last time we'd seen each other was my sophomore year, 1994. She's a psychologist living in Chicago who is hoping to move back to Montana when her husband finishes his PhD. I would have never connected with her again had we not gone bowling for Christmas!
We bowled right next to a woman who looked so familiar that I couldn't stop looking at her. Thankfully, she finally clued me in that we lived on the same floor in the dorms for our freshman year in college. The last time we'd seen each other was my sophomore year, 1994. She's a psychologist living in Chicago who is hoping to move back to Montana when her husband finishes his PhD. I would have never connected with her again had we not gone bowling for Christmas!
As I look back over the past 6 days, I realize that I really did LEARN something new or DO something new every single day of my vacation. Starting last Friday ...
Friday we planned to make the long drive to what I affectionatly call the Biswack. I took the day off even though I knew that we wouldn't leave town until the afternoon. So that morning I set out to learn something new. And I did.
Did you know that the Bermuda Triangle is not on a map but it is located between Miami, FL, Bermuda, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. I had no idea. And even more interesting: did you know that one of the plausible explanations of lost ships and planes at sea is the deep trench at the surface of the Bermuda Triangle - some of the deepest trenches in the world that would swallow ships and planes without ever finding them. And then coupled with the weather factor, scientists have come upt with plausible explanations for lost ships and planes. Apparently, the Triangle experiences unusually short, quick and violent storms that blow in and out without ever being detected by satellite. Interesting. But mostly, there is still some question about whether the Triangle swallows more planes and ships than any other place in the world. Fascinating. There was more to my learning exploratory but you should go see for yourself what I learned about the Triangle. You'll enjoy it.
Friday we planned to make the long drive to what I affectionatly call the Biswack. I took the day off even though I knew that we wouldn't leave town until the afternoon. So that morning I set out to learn something new. And I did.
Did you know that the Bermuda Triangle is not on a map but it is located between Miami, FL, Bermuda, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. I had no idea. And even more interesting: did you know that one of the plausible explanations of lost ships and planes at sea is the deep trench at the surface of the Bermuda Triangle - some of the deepest trenches in the world that would swallow ships and planes without ever finding them. And then coupled with the weather factor, scientists have come upt with plausible explanations for lost ships and planes. Apparently, the Triangle experiences unusually short, quick and violent storms that blow in and out without ever being detected by satellite. Interesting. But mostly, there is still some question about whether the Triangle swallows more planes and ships than any other place in the world. Fascinating. There was more to my learning exploratory but you should go see for yourself what I learned about the Triangle. You'll enjoy it.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Sucks
Yesterday, I tried Facebook for a Nebiew and I feel like a cyber-idiot! DJ, bro-in-law, introduced me to the concept. I think he's a Facebook junkie. I'm still not even sure there's a point to it but things were looking up when I was alerted that I was on the coolest people list. My suspicion is that it's a popular tool for high schoolers and since DJ is a teacher, that would make sense. I guess it's a good thing I refrained from swearing when I posted on DJ's "Wall." I thought I might like to mess around with it right up until I noticed that DJ has 245 friends and I have one. Now I think it sucks...
One more sleep ...
Today is the day when the excitement of a road trip amps us like we've already started the daily intake of the sugary sweet treats of the season; all giddy and happy and excited. Right up until about the time we get in the car to drive for ten hours. The excitement wears off right about East Helena 5 miles down the road. The dogs hate the drive too when they come to the realization that this road trip is different than all the usual road trips because the time between stops is quite a bit longer and there is no time for a run and frolic and fetch and play until they fall over from exhaustion ... well, until Squash falls over from exhaustion and Sake just slows down a bit. So, while I've been counting this day as the day that vacation starts, it really won't start until tomorrow when we awake at our destination without the drone of a full day on the road ahead of us. Therefore, in the countdown to vacation, we have one more sleep left.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Gingerbread Man
The Chick-mas party was a hit last night. We proceeded to eat, drink and be merry and that, to me, sounds like a successful party. I tried the Newbie gingerbread martini and can't say that I liked it too much. Here is the recipe if you'd like to try for yourself:
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce Amaretto
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 teaspoon molasses
2 1/4-inch thick slices of fresh ginger
A pinch of cinnamon
A pinch of clove
A pinch of allspice
Crystallized ginger, for garnish.
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce Amaretto
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 teaspoon molasses
2 1/4-inch thick slices of fresh ginger
A pinch of cinnamon
A pinch of clove
A pinch of allspice
Crystallized ginger, for garnish.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Still new after all this time ...
I have been keeping up with my Newbies, but can't find the time to blog about them. I could give you all the usual excuses about work and more work but that would make for a boring, whiney blog, so I won't ...
On Monday night I hosted my first book club. I have hosted book clubs before but this time, which I think makes it a Newbie, it was MY book club. I organized it, asked the people, invited them to my house, picked the book and launched it at my house with great food and wine. I think it went over well. We read a powerful book called "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. I won't tell you the details of the book but will give you a synopsis of the story of women in Afghanistan: "Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always." The book celebrates the ability of women to endure. This quote from a 17th Century poem by Saib-e-Tabrizi stands as a theme and namesake of this book: "One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls."
On Tuesday I had a Newbie at work. First, it was new for me to work at my second moonlighting job by myself. That could have been a Newbie in itself but rather, I would like to count my interaction with Amy. Amy is a short, roung, happy, little, adorable and proud woman who has developmental disabilities. She appeared older than me but was probably developed to the stage of a young child. She went there to work out with her father and took a liking to me immediately. She slapped my hand and told me Merry Christmas many times over. She visited me while she was supposed to be on the treadmill and when it was time to go, she got very sad and hugged me around the waist. It caught me off-guard to the point that it almost knocked me over. She seemed so happy when I hugged her back that I was ashamed of my surprised reaction to her hug. As she left the gym, she called to me, "I'm going to come talk to you again Bucky." It made my whole night.
I'm not sure I can beat that one tonight, but my friends and I are getting together for a Chick-mas Party so there is sure to be something new to report from that! Maybe a new drink ....
On Monday night I hosted my first book club. I have hosted book clubs before but this time, which I think makes it a Newbie, it was MY book club. I organized it, asked the people, invited them to my house, picked the book and launched it at my house with great food and wine. I think it went over well. We read a powerful book called "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. I won't tell you the details of the book but will give you a synopsis of the story of women in Afghanistan: "Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always." The book celebrates the ability of women to endure. This quote from a 17th Century poem by Saib-e-Tabrizi stands as a theme and namesake of this book: "One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls."
On Tuesday I had a Newbie at work. First, it was new for me to work at my second moonlighting job by myself. That could have been a Newbie in itself but rather, I would like to count my interaction with Amy. Amy is a short, roung, happy, little, adorable and proud woman who has developmental disabilities. She appeared older than me but was probably developed to the stage of a young child. She went there to work out with her father and took a liking to me immediately. She slapped my hand and told me Merry Christmas many times over. She visited me while she was supposed to be on the treadmill and when it was time to go, she got very sad and hugged me around the waist. It caught me off-guard to the point that it almost knocked me over. She seemed so happy when I hugged her back that I was ashamed of my surprised reaction to her hug. As she left the gym, she called to me, "I'm going to come talk to you again Bucky." It made my whole night.
I'm not sure I can beat that one tonight, but my friends and I are getting together for a Chick-mas Party so there is sure to be something new to report from that! Maybe a new drink ....
Monday, December 17, 2007
Exploration Works
AVD and I spent much of Sunday together exploring our inner child at the new children's museum in town, Exploration Works. SO FUN. If you haven't been there, GO. AVD wanted to go solely becaues she knows the woman who makes the puppets for the children's puppet shows. And I went solely because I hadn't planned a Newbie for the day. The match was perfect.
We explored the exhibits, learned a bit and then headed to the puppet show, Three Billy Goats Gruff. My favorite exhibit was the game where you competed to out-relax your opponent. The winner could move a ball, by brain activity indicated by the brain-sensor headband that computed brainwaves onto the screen, to the opponent's circle on a table by being more relaxed. Every time I started to laugh, the brainwaves went berzerk and the ball would come toward me. Every time I concentrated to relax and closed my eyes, the ball went straight to my opponent's circle. Fascinating.
The puppet show was pretty cute but the little kids at the puppet show were painfully cute. At one point, the troll under the bridge decided to take a nap and snored loudly. A little girl behind me, couldn't have been older than 3, whispered in the not-at-all-a-whisper-yet-she-thought-she-was-whispering kind to her Papa sitting next to her, "That sounds like Grandma." I thought it sounded like my Mama (sorry Mama). I paid more attention to the reaction by the kids than the puppet show itself.
I highly recommend a visit to the museum. It's a great place to take your kids or, if you don't have them, take yourself to discover the kid in you.
We explored the exhibits, learned a bit and then headed to the puppet show, Three Billy Goats Gruff. My favorite exhibit was the game where you competed to out-relax your opponent. The winner could move a ball, by brain activity indicated by the brain-sensor headband that computed brainwaves onto the screen, to the opponent's circle on a table by being more relaxed. Every time I started to laugh, the brainwaves went berzerk and the ball would come toward me. Every time I concentrated to relax and closed my eyes, the ball went straight to my opponent's circle. Fascinating.
The puppet show was pretty cute but the little kids at the puppet show were painfully cute. At one point, the troll under the bridge decided to take a nap and snored loudly. A little girl behind me, couldn't have been older than 3, whispered in the not-at-all-a-whisper-yet-she-thought-she-was-whispering kind to her Papa sitting next to her, "That sounds like Grandma." I thought it sounded like my Mama (sorry Mama). I paid more attention to the reaction by the kids than the puppet show itself.
I highly recommend a visit to the museum. It's a great place to take your kids or, if you don't have them, take yourself to discover the kid in you.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Bunion
I can't run anymore without severe pain shooting through my right foot shortly afterward. I have a throbbing bunion that keeps me up at night. I know; really glamorous. It has taken on a whole personality of it's own. So, for Saturday's Newbie, I named my bunion. It's not an effective consolation for being unable to run but it's fun nonetheless.
First, I wanted to name it Bonny for some alliteration: Bonny Bunion sounds good. But then I decided that Bonny is boring and my life will become boring enough if the fix for Bunion is something drastic like surgery. Rather, I named my bunion Rafael - extravagant and worldly; unlike the bunion itself.
First, I wanted to name it Bonny for some alliteration: Bonny Bunion sounds good. But then I decided that Bonny is boring and my life will become boring enough if the fix for Bunion is something drastic like surgery. Rather, I named my bunion Rafael - extravagant and worldly; unlike the bunion itself.
Friday, December 14, 2007
You have the right to remain silent ...
I couldn't have picked a better Newbie myself. Yesterday I got the I-don't-really-know-how-to-tell-you-this line from Hubs. What he told me presented the best Newbie I have had and will possibly ever have again: "You have a warrant out for your arrest." The city website contained my name on a very long list of active arrest warrants.
Luckily, the real "crime" was nothing other than an old parking ticket. However, the laughs and leverage I get out of being a "criminal" is worth every cent of the $70 I had to pay to clear my good name.
Luckily, the real "crime" was nothing other than an old parking ticket. However, the laughs and leverage I get out of being a "criminal" is worth every cent of the $70 I had to pay to clear my good name.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Ode to My Hangnail
Oh hangnail, lovely hangnail
You test my propensity to gnaw
You get my attention with every snag
You disqualify from Dove commercials my love paw
You arlert me to sweaters and gloves that lack good knit
You make my expensive choice of hand creme more legit
If I had my choice, we would never have met
And I could have perptually smooth hands
Alas, we will live with our disfunctional bond
Fate, against our desires, had other plans
I wrote this yesterday while pondering amendments to a document that had me stifled. It just flowed and a Newbie was created. I think I could be published.
Oh hangnail, lovely hangnail
You test my propensity to gnaw
You get my attention with every snag
You disqualify from Dove commercials my love paw
You arlert me to sweaters and gloves that lack good knit
You make my expensive choice of hand creme more legit
If I had my choice, we would never have met
And I could have perptually smooth hands
Alas, we will live with our disfunctional bond
Fate, against our desires, had other plans
I wrote this yesterday while pondering amendments to a document that had me stifled. It just flowed and a Newbie was created. I think I could be published.
Great First Impression
Never fear - I've been keeping up with my Newbies even though I haven't had the time to write about them....
Tuesday, I started a second job at the local gym; first night training with one other dude that has been working there since the beginning of time. I'm just doing front desk work and while it's easy, it could test my creativity in it's own ways that my Newbie task never could. I value it for the free gym membership and for another focus in my life. My list of newbies for the night runs long, therefore.
1. Cleaned treadmills - cleaning is not new to me, but cleaning treadmills is; disgusting, sweat-drenched machines that also collect static dust into the puddles of sweat. I figured it's par for the course given that I'm usually the one making the puddles of sweat...
2. Cleaned windows at the gym; I don't even clean windows at my own house ...
3. Wore the cutesie little uniform shirt and a nametag;
4. Greeted grumpy visitors to the gym who clearly needed to work out; maybe I'll do a tally of how many grumps leave still grumpy after their workout - another newbie for another time...
5. Checked out the men's locker room; I even used the toilet in the men's locker room just for the most legitimate newbie material; it almost killed me. Just a question - how do men get pubies on the toilet seat? (It's a legitmate question!)
My favorite newbie of the night was of a different variety though. I managed to offend the very first co-worker with whom I worked. I was, per usual, swearing up a storm throughout the training. I made sure that our guests didn't hear me, but I certainly didn't hold back to my co-worker. I didn't notice until too late that my co-worker was not swearing and would, instead, say things like 'biscuits' for emphasis. Although he had worked at the gym since the beginning of time, he looked like he was approximately 15 years old, minus 3 years. So I used my very sophisticated personality-analyzing mechanism and assumed he wasn't going to mind my sailor-like language.
By the end of the evening, I was finally catching wind of the lack of reciprocal swearing and apologized. His response? "Well, yes, I did notice that and you'll have to cut down on that during work because we don't want our customers to hear us talking so unprofessionally." Logical explanation, but then he said, "Thank God you said something because I wouldn't have felt comfortable bringing it up." And while he said, "Thank God," he emphasized with a cross pattern across his chest that I couldn't imitate without offending again.
Good start, huh?
Tuesday, I started a second job at the local gym; first night training with one other dude that has been working there since the beginning of time. I'm just doing front desk work and while it's easy, it could test my creativity in it's own ways that my Newbie task never could. I value it for the free gym membership and for another focus in my life. My list of newbies for the night runs long, therefore.
1. Cleaned treadmills - cleaning is not new to me, but cleaning treadmills is; disgusting, sweat-drenched machines that also collect static dust into the puddles of sweat. I figured it's par for the course given that I'm usually the one making the puddles of sweat...
2. Cleaned windows at the gym; I don't even clean windows at my own house ...
3. Wore the cutesie little uniform shirt and a nametag;
4. Greeted grumpy visitors to the gym who clearly needed to work out; maybe I'll do a tally of how many grumps leave still grumpy after their workout - another newbie for another time...
5. Checked out the men's locker room; I even used the toilet in the men's locker room just for the most legitimate newbie material; it almost killed me. Just a question - how do men get pubies on the toilet seat? (It's a legitmate question!)
My favorite newbie of the night was of a different variety though. I managed to offend the very first co-worker with whom I worked. I was, per usual, swearing up a storm throughout the training. I made sure that our guests didn't hear me, but I certainly didn't hold back to my co-worker. I didn't notice until too late that my co-worker was not swearing and would, instead, say things like 'biscuits' for emphasis. Although he had worked at the gym since the beginning of time, he looked like he was approximately 15 years old, minus 3 years. So I used my very sophisticated personality-analyzing mechanism and assumed he wasn't going to mind my sailor-like language.
By the end of the evening, I was finally catching wind of the lack of reciprocal swearing and apologized. His response? "Well, yes, I did notice that and you'll have to cut down on that during work because we don't want our customers to hear us talking so unprofessionally." Logical explanation, but then he said, "Thank God you said something because I wouldn't have felt comfortable bringing it up." And while he said, "Thank God," he emphasized with a cross pattern across his chest that I couldn't imitate without offending again.
Good start, huh?
Monday, December 10, 2007
Lefty Notes
I tried to write notes for tomorrow's presentation with my left hand; a Newbie. I say tried because although I have a whole page full of scribbles, they resemble nothing of writing. I intended to take a photo of the page to prove the total futility of using my left hand, but got too busy at work to play with my camera. Rather, someone should take a video of me giving the presentation tomorrow while I attempt to read the notes. Could be a You Tube most popular.
Figarillos & Bacon
Hubs and I went to a Christmas dinner party for his work last night. It was a nice dinner for 7 of us. Hubs offered to bring an appetizer and because I had so many dates left over from making bon bons, we made a couple apps with dates in them - and by 'we' I mean 'we' - Hubs helped a ton with the apps. I racked up the newbie list yesterday: bacon appetizer, dates appetizer; and a figarillo made with phyllo dough dipped in honey-topped greek yogurt. Luckily, the apps were a hit because I could have been forever scarred by having to serve bacon. UGH. I will definitely do the figarillos again. DE-LISH!
Don't you think Figarillos & Bacon would be a good name for a band?
Don't you think Figarillos & Bacon would be a good name for a band?
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Bon Bons
I spent the day making bon bons; another newbie. A lot goes into making those delicious morsels of sweetness and the love of humankind. You would never guess they are relatively healthy compared to the other sweet treats of the season: dates, walnuts, coconut, sweetened with agave nectar and dipped in either bittersweet gourmet dark or milk chocolate. Don't let the health meter scare you away either. I've tried them out on the most discriminating health haters and ALAS, they pass muster. I will attempt to continue my tradition of steering clear of cookies, cake, ice cream and candy throughout the season, but the presence of these delicious morsels in my house might just derail that health wagon right quick.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Backwards
I've gotten a good number of odd looks when I've explained my goal to learn something new or do something new every day for this year; starting yesterday on my birthday. I've made it a point to mention it numerous times in the hope of getting some good suggestions for my To Do list for the year. Most people, however, thought I was joking or could only think of things like: learn guitar, learn a new language, etc. While those are definitely good ideas, do you really think I could sustain this goal for a whole year with a list like that?
I'm thinking more like this: today, my "newbie" was to walk the dogs down the road and do it backwards. So, when I returned home from work today with minimal light left in the day, thankfully, I walked the dogs backwards. They were very confused at first. Sake bounced around me and poked me repeatedly in the leg with his snout excited to play. Sasquatch just sat down and looked at me very confused about moving in the opposite direction we faced. Finally, they took the lead per usual and we walked down the road to the field where they played and then back up the road to home; backwards both ways.
The challenge mostly was to walk a straight line on the road so that I wouldn't veer off into the ice patches on the sides. Luckily only one car passed me and it was a teenage girl from down the road that doesn't notice anyone but the other person on the cell phone which I swear is atttached to her ear.
Because I had to concentrate so hard on towing a straight line, I don't know if neighbors noticed me. If they did and because I know this won't be the only time they see me doing something "backwards", I'm pretty sure by this time next year they'll think I'm a loon.
I'm thinking more like this: today, my "newbie" was to walk the dogs down the road and do it backwards. So, when I returned home from work today with minimal light left in the day, thankfully, I walked the dogs backwards. They were very confused at first. Sake bounced around me and poked me repeatedly in the leg with his snout excited to play. Sasquatch just sat down and looked at me very confused about moving in the opposite direction we faced. Finally, they took the lead per usual and we walked down the road to the field where they played and then back up the road to home; backwards both ways.
The challenge mostly was to walk a straight line on the road so that I wouldn't veer off into the ice patches on the sides. Luckily only one car passed me and it was a teenage girl from down the road that doesn't notice anyone but the other person on the cell phone which I swear is atttached to her ear.
Because I had to concentrate so hard on towing a straight line, I don't know if neighbors noticed me. If they did and because I know this won't be the only time they see me doing something "backwards", I'm pretty sure by this time next year they'll think I'm a loon.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Mrs. President
Last night Hubs was washing dishes after dinner. He'd been trying to psyche me up for my birthday today and was enthusiastically singing things like, "Tomorrow's your birthday, my little birthday girl" to no tune in particular. He was doing a little jig while washing each plate and cup.
At one point, he gasped as though he'd just discovered something amazing. And then he said, "I just thought of something ... now you're old enough to be the President." That is some consolation.
So, this morning when he awoke, about 45 mins. after I'd been getting ready to go to work, Hubs told me in his sleepy, groggy, barely-there voice, "Happy Birthday, Mrs. President."
At one point, he gasped as though he'd just discovered something amazing. And then he said, "I just thought of something ... now you're old enough to be the President." That is some consolation.
So, this morning when he awoke, about 45 mins. after I'd been getting ready to go to work, Hubs told me in his sleepy, groggy, barely-there voice, "Happy Birthday, Mrs. President."
Happy "NEW" Year
As I was getting ready this morning for work, I decided that for this year, my 35th year of existence, I'm going to do something new or learn something new every day; every single 365 days of this year, I'm going to become smarter or good at something obscure. I started this morning by brushing my teeth with my left hand.
I got this idea from AP who saw it in another blog. I can't find the blog anymore so I can't give credit where credit is actually due. But, if you have ideas of new things to try, let me know cuz I have 365 things to learn or do. I'll report my newbies regularly.
Today, I've learned these things:
On this day in 1933 - U.S. federal judge John M. Woolsey rules that the James Joyce's novel Ulysses is not obscene.
Well, then I'm not going to read that book. PHEW - glad I didn't waste my time!
On this day in 2006 - NASA reveals photographs taken by Mars Global Surveyor suggesting the presence of liquid water on Mars.
I wonder if the water is the fountain of youth .... If so, see ya. I'll send postcards.
I got this idea from AP who saw it in another blog. I can't find the blog anymore so I can't give credit where credit is actually due. But, if you have ideas of new things to try, let me know cuz I have 365 things to learn or do. I'll report my newbies regularly.
Today, I've learned these things:
On this day in 1933 - U.S. federal judge John M. Woolsey rules that the James Joyce's novel Ulysses is not obscene.
Well, then I'm not going to read that book. PHEW - glad I didn't waste my time!
On this day in 2006 - NASA reveals photographs taken by Mars Global Surveyor suggesting the presence of liquid water on Mars.
I wonder if the water is the fountain of youth .... If so, see ya. I'll send postcards.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Playin' Games
Thanks to friend AVD, I have become a big fan of the game site http://www.boxerjam.com/. Check it out sometime and play the free game entitled Know It All. It's online trivia played against others online at the same time. There are some zany characters that play this game; my friend AVD is no exception.
The game has an online chat feature that you can turn on or off. I generally have it on although I've never actually chatted with the people I play against - mostly because I have nothing to say except, "Wow, I suck." Or, "Why do you know all these things? Get a life." And I generally heed my Mama's advice that if I don't have something nice to say ... well, that's not true. I didn't chat because it may have messed up my game.
The names that show up to play are the best part though. In my last game, I played against 'Ivamandalay,' 'Barkinspider,' and my favorite so far, 'SheikYrButi' who claimed to be from Saudi Arabia with a camel named Clyde.
The game has an online chat feature that you can turn on or off. I generally have it on although I've never actually chatted with the people I play against - mostly because I have nothing to say except, "Wow, I suck." Or, "Why do you know all these things? Get a life." And I generally heed my Mama's advice that if I don't have something nice to say ... well, that's not true. I didn't chat because it may have messed up my game.
The names that show up to play are the best part though. In my last game, I played against 'Ivamandalay,' 'Barkinspider,' and my favorite so far, 'SheikYrButi' who claimed to be from Saudi Arabia with a camel named Clyde.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Looking up ...
Our b-day party was a blast, just as I'd expected. I partied more like it was 2003 instead of 1999, but I think that will suffice since geriatric tendencies should excuse me from acting like I'm 18 again.
The most exciting gift I've gotten so far are the bon bons from LM. Seriously. Those things are amazing. She made them herself and they have nothing bad in them - dates, walnuts, coconut, agave nectar and chocolate. I'm going to attempt making them for family but there is a chance that since the health meter teeters on wholesome for these treats, they may not be as popular as the other sweet treats of the season. More for me ...
The funniest part of the evening was the appearance of Lenny; shy, quiet, stay-at-home Lenny. He donned a bowling shirt bearing his name. He wore pants that would have been called knickers back in the day. And he was blitzed as my Papa would call it. Sputtering, mumbling, and very very affectionate. I daresay, he may have groped me.
The most special part of my evening, besides the Lenny grope, was the surprise b-day cake. The two Hubs' got together and ordered a cake from the local bakery and surprised us with singing and candles. It wasn't exactly the b-day cake I would have ordered but it was sweet and chocolaty and served with love.
Seems a great way to start my birthweek, don't you think?
The most exciting gift I've gotten so far are the bon bons from LM. Seriously. Those things are amazing. She made them herself and they have nothing bad in them - dates, walnuts, coconut, agave nectar and chocolate. I'm going to attempt making them for family but there is a chance that since the health meter teeters on wholesome for these treats, they may not be as popular as the other sweet treats of the season. More for me ...
The funniest part of the evening was the appearance of Lenny; shy, quiet, stay-at-home Lenny. He donned a bowling shirt bearing his name. He wore pants that would have been called knickers back in the day. And he was blitzed as my Papa would call it. Sputtering, mumbling, and very very affectionate. I daresay, he may have groped me.
The most special part of my evening, besides the Lenny grope, was the surprise b-day cake. The two Hubs' got together and ordered a cake from the local bakery and surprised us with singing and candles. It wasn't exactly the b-day cake I would have ordered but it was sweet and chocolaty and served with love.
Seems a great way to start my birthweek, don't you think?
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