Hump Day Hottie

Graduated from Yale University in 1989 with a BA in Political Science.
Interned at the CIA.
Lived in Vietnam for a year and studied Vietnamese at the University of Hanoi.
Haunted by his brother’s suicide in 1988 he started filming stories from war-torn regions around the globe, including Somalia, Bosnia & Rwanda.

He explains, "The only thing I really knew is that I was hurting and needed to go someplace where the pain outside matched the pain I was feeling inside.”

In 1995 he became a correspondent of ABC News rising to the position of co-anchor of World News Now.
In 2000 he switched career paths, taking a job as the host of ABC’s reality show The Mole.

"My last year at ABC, I was working overnights anchoring this newscast then during the day at 20/20. So I was sleeping in two- or four-hour shifts, and I was really tired and wanted a change. I wanted to clear my head and get out of news a little bit, and I was interested in reality TV—and it was interesting."

He returned to broadcast news in 2001 now at CNN as co-anchor on American Morning and then the weekend prime time anchor.
In 2003 he was made anchor of a fast paced weeknight news program that bears his name.
Was called “the anchorperson of the future” by CNN president Jonathan Klein.
Wrote a book called “Dispatches From The Edge” in 2006 which detailed his life as a journalist and human being in Sri Lanka, Africa, Iraq etc.

Fun facts:
Started going gray around age 20 and was completely gray by age 35.
Named as one of the Sexiest Men Alive in 2005 by People Magazine.
He was Number 3 on Playgirl’s magazine’s Sexiest Newscasters List.
Son of Gloria Vanderbilt










This week's Hump Day Hottie is ~ Anderson Cooper.

Repost ~ Bathroom Etiquette

I originally wrote this post on my old blog . I went back and read some of the things that I had written and this one still made me laugh so I thought that I would share it with all of my new blogging friends.

I work in a building full of "professionals". That being said, for some reason, people can grow up, get a degree and work in a relatively nice place and still not have even the least modicum of bathroom etiquette.

Here are a few things that I feel everyone should abide by:

If there are 7 stalls in the bathroom and only 1 or 2 are in use, PLEASE don't sit next to me, especially if you have flatulence or bowel movement issues. The metal dividers DO NOT dissipate the smell.

If you flush the toilet with your foot and then it falls into the bowl, I am going to laugh. Not just because you have a wet foot, but because the same people that flush with their hands, also use the lock on the door and you have done nothing to avoid their germs.

If you are using the facilities and you realize that you have left any kind of trace that you have been there (wet toilet paper, pubic hair, period leftovers etc.) clean it up. Seriously people, when I have to walk past 3 stalls because there are pubes, tiny left over particles of brown toilet paper from wiping your butt and it rolling up and falling onto the back of the toilet seat or a random blood droplet, there is something seriously wrong. The only thing that you get a free pass on is if you go #2 and there are streaks. Flush again and if they are still there, you have done your best.

If you read a book when you are in a restroom, even if you try to keep it quiet, other people know that you are reading and they are either feeling sorry for you that there isn't a better place to read, or wishing that they had a book themselves.

When you are finished going to the bathroom and head to the sink, you should actually WASH your hands. Not rinse them and then dry them off to pretend that you actually care for your personal hygiene. Better yet, wash them and then use the anti-bacterial lotion so that when you open the bathroom door that you aren't collecting germs from the disgusting people who only rinsed.

Don't talk on your cell phone while in the stall. Checking voicemail is OK, but don't have a conversation, I don't want to hear it and it is gross to be peeing or going #2 when talking to someone on the phone unless they are a good friend and you warn them first. Plus, it interrupts the readers that are in there.

Hopefully these few valuable tidbits of information can make your next bathroom foray a much more enjoyable experience.

Brokeback Malibu

Let me preface this by saying that I hope your weekend started out better than mine.
The place that I work is open on Saturdays due to contractual obligations. Because the amount of work is lower than during the week we usually only have to work a Saturday every 6 weeks or so. This was my weekend.
I had to be at work at 10:00 on Saturday. I decided to stop and get breakfast before I started so I left my house around 9:15. I drove to my mailbox (about 2 blocks away), stopped my 2001 Chevrolet Malibu LS, picked up my mail and went back to my car. My car wouldn’t start. I tried and tried to get it started but nothing I did worked. It was acting like it didn’t have any gas even though it had half a tank.
I called into work to let them know what was going on and then called my friend Dolly who is very good with cars. She changes her own brakes, rotors, serpentine belts and just about anything else you can think of. She got out of bed and drove all the way across town to come help me.
Of course as soon as she got there the car started with no problem. This is the second time that my car has just decided not to start and since I live on my own with no family in the state other than my son I have to make sure that I have a very reliable vehicle.
We drove into town (she followed me in her car) and went to the car dealership. I decided that it was time to trade in my car for a new one that has a warranty.
They looked at my car for trade in (I didn’t tell them about the starting problem) and they found a lot of engine issues including coolant pouring down my engine.
I was looking at purchasing a Hyundai Sonata because they have excellent warranties and the quality has improved dramatically. Unfortunately I have to keep my car payment below $350 per month and the only option that I had was a Kia Spectra Sport because I have quite a bit of negative equity on my current car.
I was approved for a loan with a 7.40% interest rate and my payment will be $338 per month. I wouldn’t sign the papers until I called my insurance company to find out what the cost would be. My insurance is going up $5 per month so I called the dealership to let them know that I would coming down after work to sign the papers.
I like the car but it wouldn’t have been my first choice. I hope that I am happy with my decision.
Here is a stock photo of my new car. The only difference is that mine is silver, not blue.

Hump Day Hottie

Last week I promised Funny Girl that this weeks edition of Hump Day Hottie would be based on looks only.

I found this absolute hunk on a google image search. All the information that I have on him is that he is an actor and model from Brazil.









This weeks Hump Day Hottie is ~ Henri Castelli

Happy Feet

This year for Halloween I had great intentions of dressing up as Carrie from the movie Carrie. Late last week I was informed that dressing up as Carrie was not “work appropriate” so I had to scramble for another costume.
Thank God that Funny Girl has a great collection of costumes. She has two boxes full of costumes that she keeps for her Improv work.
I have been getting a lot of giggles and smiles today because I have been walking around singing a song that goes along with my costume.





I'm Chilly Willy the penguin...... Cause I'm chilly, chilly, willy all the time.....

Actually the costume is ridiculously hot so I had to take it off for a while. I will make sure that I am in full Penguin mode when I go to D's school for the party.

My Literary Loves

I was tagged by minijonb regarding books that I have read. I am a voracious reader so I hope you like my list.

1) One book that changed your life: You Were Smaller Than a Dot ~ by Glen Giffin. ~ This was my mother’s version of sex education.

2) One book that you'd read more than once: Clan of The Cave Bear by Jean M Auel ~ This was the first grown up book that I read.

3) One book you'd want on a deserted island: War & Peace by Leo Tolsty ~ I figure that if I can’t read it then I won’t ever be able to read it. Could also be decent for kindling.
If it could be a complete series than I would take the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.

4) One book that made you laugh: Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell.

5) One book that made you cry: My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult ~ Very controversial book about genetic planning and having babies for health purposes.

6) One book you wish you'd written: Any Harry Potter book by J.K. Rowling ~ I would love to write something that instills a passion of reading in children.

7) One book you wish had never been written: The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank ~ I wish that it had never happened at all.

8) One book you're currently reading: In Too Deep by Cherry Adair ~ caught me reading one of my fluff novels.

9) One book you've been meaning to read: Into The Storm by Suzanne Brockmann ~ I have had it on order from the library since the beginning of September.

Morning Conversations

Wednesday morning I was sitting at the coffee table putting on my makeup while D was eating his breakfast and watching the Today Show together.
Out of the blue D turns to me and says:

D: Mom, do you want to have any more babies?
Me: Why, do you want me to have a baby?
D: Yeah, I think it would be cool.
Me: Well, I won't have another baby unless I am married.

About a minute passes by....

D: I know who you could marry.
Me: Really? Who would that be?
D: You could marry MiniJonB.

What? Where did this come from? After a couple of seconds I was able to respond.

Me: MiniJonB and I are just friends. There has to be a lot more to a relationship before you get married. Trust, respect, attraction......

The conversation continued for about another minute and then he dropped the subject. D is realizing that I am alone and he is at the point where he wants me to be with someone. All he knows is me being single. I haven't been in a serious relationship since I was with his father and we broke up before he was a year old.
It's about darn time someone starts matchmaking for me. Even if it is my own kid. LOL

Hump Day Hottie

This weeks Hump Day Hottie was born and raised in England to Indian parents.
Her name means supreme goddess, princess of snakes.
At the age of 7 she suffered a burn scar that was shown in her 2002 breakout roll in “Bend It Like Beckham”.
Played opposite Kiera Knightly as Jesmider Bhamra, a teenage Sikh soccer player who idolizes David Beckham and defies her traditional parents to pursue her dreams of playing soccer.
Has also appeared in “Ella Enchanted”
Joined the cast of the TV show “ER” in 2003 playing Neela Rasgotra. This was the first recurring Indian doctor role on American Television.
She has received the Golden Wave Award and the Bordeaux International Festival of Women in Cinema for “best actress”., the Movieline Young Hollywood Award for “Best Breakthrough Performance”. She was also nominated for a Teen Choice Award and a 2006 Asian Excellence Award.
In 2004 she received the honor of being a torch bearer as the Olympic torch passed through London on it’s way to the games in Athens.



This weeks Hump Day Hottie is ~








Parminder Nagra

Weekend Witticisms

Do you ever have a weekend where the entertainment is provided for you free of charge? That was how my weekend went.
D has a unique personality. He loves to tell jokes and has been making up some on his own. He also has the memory of an elephant and remembers things from when he was 3 years old. At odd times D will bring up something that we did years ago and I am amazed at how much he remembers it.

This weekend Funny Girl came over to put together my book case (I put together my bathroom shelf) because I am not the most talented person when it comes to putting things together. She was sitting on the living room floor putting it together. We were watching something on TV (which D wasn't even watching) and the girl on there had been raped and was moaning. D turns to me and asks "Mom, is that lady on TV in heat?" Earlier this year our cat, Ashen was in heat having to explain that to D was an experience that I don't want to repeat any time soon.

In the world of always uncomfortable conversations he then wanted to know what being raped was. I used my always trusty excuse "I will tell you when you are 10." I don't want him to become jaded too soon.

On a lighter note, D has been writing his own jokes lately. Interspersed with the usual kid jokes comes one I have never heard before. Once in a while they are pretty good, especially for an 8 year old. This is the newest one.

D: Mom, What's the opposite of a summersault?
Me: Uhhhhh a Spring roll?
D: *Rolling his eyes* No Mom, a summer pepper.

Good times, Good times.

Wax On Wax Off

In the always fascinating, sometimes disturbing world of hygiene there is a practice that goes on all over the world.
Some would say that it is barbaric while others embrace the pain solely for aesthetic reasons.
There are varying degrees of this practice. The practice is modification of pubic hair.
Some choose not to modify their pubic hair and instead leave it all natural with no modification at all. Then there is trimming where hair length is shortened but not removed or shaped.
The Triangle, Landing Strip (long, centered, vertical rectangle with hair approx ¼ inch long), Brazilian G-wax (pubic hair completely removed except for a remnant, centered, narrow stripe above the vulva approximately an inch in size) and the full Brazilian (completely bare)
One of my former neighbors and his brother (who would talk about all things sexual without any embarrassment) used to say “It’s a garden. Let it grow” making it very clear that they both preferred the natural style.
I have been quietly and discreetly inquiring about this and I have received answers that run the gamut from both men and women.
One man said “Less is more” but very few men were comfortable answering my question.
Women were a bit more forthcoming. One shaved it all off and went into detail on how she maintains it without waxing. Another shaved most off except for a small patch on her mons.
For me personally, I have tried shaving it all off, using Nair, trimming, landing strip etc. I have shied away from waxing as it seems really, really painful. I really want to try the full Brazilian but the thought of going in and having it done makes me cringe.
Here is my question:
If you are a man, what kind of maintenance do you prefer? Be honest. I seriously want to know. Also, please let me know if you “manscape” and how much.
If you are a woman, what kind of maintenance do you prefer and what method do you use? Waxing, shaving, hair removal creams etc. How much do you spend to maintain your style?
If you are married, did your maintenance change in any way? Style, frequency etc.

If you want to answer anonymously, I completely understand.
Inquiring minds want to know.

Hump Day Hottie

This weeks Hump Day Hottie grew up in Norfolk, Nebraska and performed magic tricks as the Great Carsoni at the age of 14.
Served in the Navy from 1943 to 1946
Hosted an early morning TV show called “The Squirrel’s Nest”
Had a sketch comedy show from 1951 to 1953 until Red Skelton hired him as a writer.
In 1954 Skelton knocked himself unconscious just one hour before the live show went on the air. This weeks hottie filled in for him.
He hosted the game show “Earn Your Vacation” and had a 5 year stint on “Who Do You Trust” during which he met his long-time sidekick. He was also a regular panelist on the first version of “To Tell The Truth”.
He took over a very popular evening talk show in 1962 and watching his show at the end of the evening became a ritual, and in part because of his quick wit and natural charm he became a well-know entertainer loved by many.
His trademark was a phantom golf swing at the end of his monologue, aimed at stage left where the band was.
The show was the launching pad for many talented performers, notably comedians. Many got their "big break" by appearing on the show, and it was considered the crowning achievement to not only get him to laugh out loud, but also to be called over to the guest chair.
He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987. He won 6 Emmy Awards and a George Foster Peabody Award. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 1993.
Ke retired from show business in 1992 and was rarely interviewed.
He did make occasional cameo appearances and voiced himself on an episode of “The Simpsons (Krusty Gets Cancelled)”.
This hottie died in January of 2005 but will always be a hottie to me.


As Ed McMahon always said ~ "Heeeeeere's Johnny!"








This weeks Hump Day Hottie is ~ Johnny Carson

Weekend Tornado

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity and I am still trying to recover.
Friday night I went to the movies and out to dinner with Funny Girl and MiniJonB.
We watched Man Of The Year with Robin Williams. It was a decent movie. It seemed to be a movie that could have lasted 30 minutes that they stretched into an hour and a half. After the movie we went to Red Robin and MiniJonB and I shared some chicken fajitas.

On Saturday I worked until 6:00 and then drove home to prepare for my guests. Funny Girl picked up some pizzas from Papa Murphy’s so that we could have hot pizza whenever we wanted. MiniJonB wasn’t feeling well so he didn’t come but we still had a great time.

We started out with Trivial Pursuit 90’s Edition and finished with a card game called Mau. If you have ever played it you know how fun it is. If you have never played it you are missing out.

Sunday I celebrated my birthday with my closest friends. We went for a train ride called the Pumpkin Train. I thought that it would end at a pumpkin patch and that we would get to pick a pumpkin and then go back. It was actually just a train ride and although it was more geared towards children it was still a lot of fun. Dolly got a bit train car sick but at least she didn’t lose it.

After the train ride we went to Sam’s Joint (a West Michigan restaurant chain that is pretty unique) and had dinner and then I got to open my gifts.
I was really pleased with what I received. I got all new stuff to redo my main bathroom (shower curtain, bath mat, towels, storage shelf that goes over the toilet, the toothbrush holder, soap dispenser and matching cup). The color was perfect. I will be re-painting my bathroom a celery green color. I also received the Satsuma body wash that I love.

On Monday I went to work and some co-workers got me a couple of cards, some lotion and earrings. They also brought home-made cake and oatmeal raisin cookies. We were starting a weight loss contest the same day but I told my team leader that I refused to start until Tuesday. No one should have to start a diet on their birthday. I did have to weigh myself on my birthday though. That sucked.

After work I ran to the library while Funny Girl took D shopping for my birthday gift. We met at my current favorite restaurant called Monterey Grille and had dinner and dessert. D got me a beautiful jewelry box that I really did need since I didn’t really have anyplace to put my earrings and necklaces other than a shoe shaped glass container on my bathroom counter.

Now the festivities are over and I am hungry and tired. All I have eaten today is a granola bar, a Yoplait and 2 crackers. I am not letting myself drink a Diet Pepsi until I finish my first big glass of water. Sigh.

From joy to torture in less than 24 hours.

Everyone All Sing Together Now!

Happy Birthday To Meeeee!!!!!

Busy Busy Busy

Just a few random things today.
Tonight I am going to see the new movie Man Of The Year starring Robin Williams. It has been a while since I have wanted to see one of his movies. I love his humor and I laugh out loud regularly when I see him on a talk show or during an interview.
Lately his movies haven’t looked very good but this one looks like it is going to be extremely enjoyable.
I enjoy going to the movies with my friends. Last Friday I saw The Departed with Funny Girl, Dolly and Minijonb. That was a fantastic movie. It had a completely different story line but it gave me feelings reminiscent of Pulp Fiction. Minijonb and Funny Girl said that it reminded them of Reservoir Dogs. I haven’t seen that movie so I have to take their word for it. I am hoping that we can all go together again tonight but I am not sure if everyone can make it.

Saturday I have to work and then a bunch of people are coming over for another game night. I think that I am going to buy that new Cranium game Pop 5. It looks like a lot of fun and we have a great time. I still have to clean my house a bit and figure out what snack to provide so I am pretty sure I will be up quite late tonight.

Sunday is when I am celebrating my birthday with my friends. I have no idea where we are going but no matter what we are doing I am going to have a blast if for no other reason than I will be with my best friends. I do miss celebrating with my friend Jade but since she is in Seattle I doubt that will happen any time soon.
By the time Monday comes around I might be so worn out I won’t want to celebrate my birthday on it’s actual day.

D will be with his dad this weekend so Monday will be the day that I celebrate with him. Funny Girl is going to take him shopping for my birthday. He loves to buy gifts for birthdays and holidays and Funny Girl is awesome and directing him towards things that people would like rather than things that he likes.

Anyone else have any exciting plans this weekend?

I Have Been Meme'd - Three Things

Tara from e.clec.tic spaghetti meme'd me so here we go:

3 Smells I love:
Fresh Cut Grass
Coconut oil
Clean Laundry

3 Smells I hate:
Eau de Kitty Litter
Wet Overflowing Ashtrays
Full Trash Cans On A Hot Day

3 Jobs that I have had in my life:
Cook at Dairy Queen
Insurance Agent
Customer Service for an ISP.

3 Movies that I could watch over and over:
Independence Day
Love, Actually
Pulp Fiction

3 Fond memories:
My first kiss at Knott’s Berry Farm
Inventing the game “Blow Pucky” with Funny Girl
When D (as a 2 year old) said “Mommy, that is unasseptable behavior. I know I spelled it wrong but that is how he said it.

3 Jobs I would love to have:
Sleep Study participant
Couples counselor
Advice columnist

3 Places that I have lived:
Spanaway, WA
Hoquiam, WA
West Michigan

3 Things I like to do:
Read
Hang out with friends
Buy new shoes

3 Of my favorite foods:
Cap’n Cruch Peanut Butter cereal
Grilled chicken with A-1 steak sauce
Taquitos

3 Places I would like to be right now:
Wherever we are going to celebrate my birthday (it is a surprise)
In bed
Getting a full body massage

3 Websites that I visit daily:
MSNBC.com
Bank
Blogger

3 Things that make me cry:
D when he is upset
Sappy movies
Something happening to my family

3 Friends that I am tagging: (The new chosen ones!)
Funny Girl
Reformatting My Brain
Freckle Face Girl

Hump Day Hottie

This fine speciman of a man was born September 25, 1968 and was raised in Pliladelphia, PA.
Has been nominated for an Acadamy Award.
Is a multiple Grammy winning hip hop artist and is funny as hell.
He is one of the small group of people who have achieved huge success in all the three major entertainment genre's in the US. Film, Television and the music Industry.
He refused a scholarship to MIT to pursue a career as an MC.
He started out performing humourous, radio friendly songs and won the first ever Grammy in the rap category in 1988.
He broke into the TV industry with a sit-com that was based around his life.
His first film he played a gay con man but refused to kiss any other men during the filming of the movie which he says is one of his professional regrets.
The last movie that he starred in garnerered him a 20 million dollar paycheck.
He is a FINE specimen of a man and his laugh and sense of humor make me smile.
Too bad he is already "Hitch"ed to Jada Pinkett Smith.






This weeks Hump Day Hottie is ~ Will Smith

Gearing Up For The Big Day

October has two of my very favorite holidays. The first being my birthday. I will be 33 next week. I know that my friends have plans for that day but I don't know what they are. I like to be surprised so I told them not to tell me what the plans are.
But that holiday isn't the one that I am referring to today. What I want to talk about is Halloween.
I grew up in a relatively small town of about 15,000 people. We would always have the halloween party at school, dress up and tromp our way through the school showing off our fantastic costumes. Then we would go next door to the nursing home in a noisy colorful display for the residents. (Sidenote: Why do almost all nursing homes smell like urine?)
Then the ghosts, goblins, super-heroes and princesses would take over the town running from house to house to get our candy treats.
I still love this holiday and am lucky that I work for a company that allows us to dress up for that day.
Last year I came as this:


Mimi Bobeck from The Drew Carey Show

This year I am dressing up as:




Carrie (horror movie)

Do you enjoy the halloween celebrations? Are you dressing up? What are you dressing up as?
If you could dress up as anything, what would it be?

What Moves You?

I am what people term as a softie. I tend to feel certain things very strongly. I can cry at the drop of a hat just by the feelings that a random event evokes in me. A description of an event or a photo that for some reason just speaks to me. A song on the radio that hits a certain chord when I hear it.

When I was 17 I went with my mother and her soon to be husband to BYU Education Week. I didn't really want to go but they asked me to go as a chaperone. My mother is very strong in her belief that you should wait until marriage and didn't want there to be too much temptation.

While I was there I attended a seminar. To be honest I can't remember what the talk was about. The thing that I do remember was when the speaker's daughter sang a song called "His Hands" while photos flashed on an overhead screen.

Some of the lyrics to the song are:

His Hands tools of creation
Stronger than nations
Power without end
And yet through them
We find our truest Friend

His Hands
Sermons of kindness
Healing men's blindness
Halting years of pain
Children waiting
To be held again

His Hand would serve His whole life though
Showing man what hands might do
Giving, ever giving endlessly
Each day was filled with selflessness
And I'll not rest
Til I make my hands what they could be
I will make my hands like those from Galilee

His Hands warming a beggar
Lifting a leper
Calling back the dead
Breaking bread
Five thousand fed

His hands
Hushing contention
Pointing to Heaven
Ever free of sin
Then bidding man to follow Him

They take His hands
His mighty hands
Those gentle hands
And then they pierce them
They pierce them
He lets them because of love

From birth to death
Was selflessness
And clearly now
I see Him with His hands
Calling to me

And though I'm not yet
As I should be
I know now
How I could be
I will make my hands
Like those from Galilee


The very last photo of the slide show make me break down in tears. It was a photo that I had never seen before and spent over the next 10 years looking for. The look on Christ's face and he is welcoming someone home is full of love but tinged with a desperation that to me is reminescent of a parent welcoming home a wayward child.



I don't really know why the death of an aquaintance doesn't make me cry but a photo and a song brings tears to my eyes on a regular basis.

What moves you? What brings tears to your eyes?

I Heart Trolls

I love internet trolls. If mine actually had anything intelligent to say I wouldn't mind, but I am tired of dealing with childish insults. Anyone know how to block an IP address? This is my internet trolls IP.
adsl-072-156-229-002.sip.mco.bellsouth.net
Anon1 (as he likes to refer to himself as) hails from Atlanta, GA and apparently "liked" what I had to say so much that he followed me here from White Dade's blog.
I know now that I am truly, truly loved.

A Sure Fire Way To Piss Me Off

I was at work today having a great discussion with some co-workers. We were discussing politics, abortion and homosexuality, specifically gay marriage.
One person was very adamant that all are black and white issues and I and another co-worker were insisting that there are shades of grey in every part of life including all of these issues.
We had finished the conversation and a while later we each got called into our supervisor’s office and were informed that our conversation had “offended” a co-worker and that we needed to cool it.
Excuse me? When did someone who wasn’t involved in a conversation and was basically eavesdropping have to right to complain about our private conversation?
If someone doesn’t agree with what I have to say, I have no problem with that. But instead of running to a supervisor and whining, say it to my face.
I promise I won’t attack you; physically or verbally. If you feel strongly enough that something that I am doing is inappropriate, grow some cajones and tell me.
I hate whining tattle tales.

Hump Day Hottie

This weeks hump day hottie is a bit of a departure from the other ones. Most people will not know who this person is, but if you do, you will understand why I chose him.
This person is one of the most genuinely nice people that I know. He absolutely loves indie music and has over 2000 cd's in his collection.
This person has gotten the art of taking blurry pictures down to a science.
He has a snarky, sarcastic sense of humor that never fails to make me laugh.
He actually calls when he says that he will and is a ton of fun to spend time with.
He will sing "Turning Japanese" at karaoke even though he knows that it is a euphamism for something dirty. (hehe)
This person has lots of great friends on the blogosphere and in real life and I am honored and blessed to be one of them.
Right now this person is dealing with a lot of changes in his personal life and has a really important (and stressful) meeting today. In spite of that he always has a smile ready for me when I see him and doesn't roll his eyes too much when I try and cheer him up on a bad day.







MiniJonB ~ you are this weeks Hump Day Hottie.

Death is Inevitable

Do you ever have those moments where you wonder why you aren’t feeling more than you are? Am I jaded? Emotionally dead? Do I just not really care about anyone other than myself?
We got some really sad news at work yesterday. Someone that most everyone who works here knows died over the weekend. Unsubstantiated rumor has it that he had a heart attack some time over the weekend. When he didn’t show up for work we called his ex-wife and she found him on the floor of his apartment. It was a shock for a lot of people.
“Jay” worked in Training & Development and since most of the company had to have some kind of company specific training just about everyone knew who he was.
Jay has worked here for years. He did 2 weeks of my training when I started almost 7 years ago.
Jay doesn’t work in my department. He doesn’t even work in the same building but because he works so closely with many different areas of the company people felt that they knew him.
When we got the news that he had died unexpectedly there was a collective gasp heard around the office. I commiserated with a few people about how sad it was, notified some former co-workers and then went right back to work.
I didn’t obsess about the news. I didn’t start to cry like some other people did. There were a couple of women that broke down and had to leave the area to collect themselves. It made me actually start to wonder if they were really as upset as they seemed to be or if they were just doing it to get out of work for a while. Then I would lambaste myself about how mean spirited I was being.
A couple of weeks ago we got an email about a woman in the company that works in a different state but their management and ours is the same so we hear about the happenings over there. Apparently this woman was on the phone with a client and dropped dead. Just like that. She was gone before anyone could do anything for her.
I didn’t know her but again I thought it was sad and kept on with my day.
I don’t know how I would react if someone at work that I was friendly on a regular basis with died. Would I react the same or break down? I honestly don’t know.
I am a pretty sensitive person in my personal life, but I guess that I just don’t let it really carry over to work. Does that make me cold hearted?

"Hi. My Name Is Rachel And I Am An Addict"

I have an addiction. Yes, I admit it. I am completely and utterly addicted to a substance that many would consider to be bad for you. Something that can actually be construed as a poison. In 1995 the FDA did a study of this substance and the following side effects were listed as occurring to at least 1% of respondents.

Headache
Dizziness
Change in mood
Vomiting & Nausea
Abdominal Pains & Cramps
Change in vision
Diarrhea
Seizures & Convulsions
Memory Loss
Fatigue, Weakness
Rash
Sleep problems
Hives
Change in heart rate
Numbness, Tingling
Swelling
Change in activity level
Oral Sensory changes
Change in menstrual pattern

What is this horrible addiction? What is so bad for me that I know that I shouldn’t consume it but that I love so much that I do anyway?
My addiction is Diet Pepsi. I am so addicted that if I have to go more than one day without my Diet Pepsi I am like a heroin junkie trying to find a fix. I will get a massive headache and be more irritable than a trainer dealing with a flatulent elephant.
I shop all of the ads to try and find the best deal for Diet Pepsi. Unless it is an emergency I won’t spend more than $2.99 for a 12 pack. Oddly enough, K-Mart usually has the best price.
Don’t give me Coke or *gasp* Diet Coke (uber nasty). I refuse to consume generic diet cola. I would rather drink water, juice or another flavored soda. I refuse to consume alternative flavors of Diet Pepsi. Leave out the vanilla, cherry, lime or horror of all horrors the new Jazz flavor. I am either a purist or a snob. Take your pick.
While other people have group meetings for addiction to porn, gambling, alcohol and drugs there aren’t really any alternatives for quitting drinking aspartame except to stop cold turkey.
Until it is outlawed as an illegal substance I will happily continue with my addiction.

Yawn!!

I am at work right now having a hard time trying to stay awake. I slept a good 7 hours of hard sleep last night. Didn’t even wake up once. That is very rare for me. I usually wake up at least once per night to look at the clock.
The alarm went off this morning and I was more tired than when I went to bed. So I got up and got ready. Didn’t have enough time to do my makeup so I tossed it all in my purse and came to work.
I finally got my makeup done and have been sitting here exhausted and freezing cold. I sit by the windows. It is quite chilly outside today and I can feel the cold through the windows. This is going to be a LONG winter….sigh.
I took a cat nap on my first break. I think that I actually dozed off for a bit. Now my back hurts from slumping down in my seat so that I could rest my head. I need to get a travel pillow to keep at work.
We aren’t getting any business calls today so there is a LOT of down time. But I am stuck at my desk because I have to wear a headset. And my phone doesn’t ring. It beeps in my headset. I call my headset my tether. I doubt we will ever get wireless ones.
I am looking forward to the day being over so that I can go home and take a nap. I don’t have any plans tonight and D will be at his dad’s.
I have to mow my lawn tomorrow for the last one of the season. I am getting some winterizing weed and feed so that my grass doesn’t look like such a weed patch next year. I hate yard work. If I had thought about the yard work and snow shoveling I don’t think that I would ever have bought a house.
Anyone wanna hang out this weekend? I have a feeling I am going to be pretty bored.

It's All About What I Want

I just did something that I hate doing. It happens least once a year and I always have to do it but I always end up feeling greedy or selfish.
I had to write out a birthday wish list for my friends.
I have some awesome friends and we always try and make a big deal out of each others birthdays and celebrate them together.
There are a few reasons why we make such a big deal out of it. Since my family all live out of state I can’t go home to celebrate. Funny Girls family lives a couple hours away and they usually do dinner but it isn’t a big thing. Sweet Morsel’s family regularly forgets her birthday even though she lives 10 minutes away and they usually call her later in the week to apologize. All of those are really only excuses. We love to celebrate just about anything.
I will be 33 next month so after two weeks of being harassed by my friends I wrote out my list. I thought that I would share it with the entire blogosphere just in case you wanted to celebrate my birthday too and buy me something. (Just kidding about the buying me something part)
I like to give a variety of things in various price ranges so that no one feels obligated to beggar themselves.
Here is my birthday wish list:

Body Shop Satsuma body wash
Body Shop body butter (a fruity scent like coconut, pineapple, grapefruit or something like brown sugar)
TIGI Bedhead shampoo and conditioner (Self Absorbed is the kind that I use)
Bathroom Shelf Rack (the thing that makes shelving space above the toilet) with doors.
Towels (bath sheets, towels, hand and washcloths)
New cute shower curtain and bath mats for main bathroom. (not clear)
Beauticontrol brown sugar cologne
silicone baking dishes
new board game (for game night)

More Pricey Stuff

Flat screen computer monitor (at least 17 inch)
DVD burner for PC
DVR
new coffee & side tables for living room
book of oil changes
coupon for getting carpet cleaned
coupon for maid service

This list was off the top of my head. I always have a list of stuff that I need since I rarely buy household stuff unless I absolutely have to have it.
I know that no matter what I get (unless it is gift wrapped dog poop or something) I will have a great time just because I get to share the day with my friends.

Hump Day Hottie

Born on May 9, 1955 you were destined for greatness from the moment you were conceived. At the age of 5 you made your TV debut on WCR-TV’s Sam & Friends.
After this inauspicious moment you had you big break in 1969 as a frequent guest star on Sesame Street often as a news reporter. During one guest appearance you debuted your first musical hit.
You eventually got your own hit show playing a long suffering stage manager of a fictitious theater show struggling to produce a quality program for a sparse and disaffected audience. You were always my favorite character on the show.
You are the object of affection for women who aren’t even in the same genome class but you handle it with grace and humor.
You are the king of guest appearances that include American Idol, Hollywood Squares, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire & Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show
You have guest hosted as Co-Anchor of ABC News, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Larry King Live, Extreme Home Makeover and many more.
In 2005 you received the honor of having your own series of US Postal Stamps.

A few other notable facts about you:
Referred as his “adopted son” by Charlie Gibson formerly of Good Morning America.
Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Amphibious Letters by Southampton College.
Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Nominated for an academy award for your song “The Rainbow Connection”.
Current spokesfrog for Ford, Pizza Hut, UPS.





Kermit The Frog ~ You are this weeks Hump Day Hottie

I Feel Like A Moldy Lemon - Old & Bitter

I am sitting here at my desk trying to think about something to blog about. My life is so blah. Stuck in a rut. People whom I haven't seen for a while ask me how things are going and my response is always the same "Same ole, same ole".
WTF??? When did life become so freakin' predictable? I get up every morning and get ready for work. 80% of the time my hair is up because it isn't worth the time and effort to wear it down.
There isn't really anyone to impress anyway. It isn't like my clients actually see me. I sit in a fucking cubicle that is about 6x6 (that is smaller than a jail cell people) and talk on the phone all day long. Have I mentioned lately that I have been at the same job for so long I could do it in my sleep?
When I start to dream about work then it is definitely time to get the hell out of Dodge.
I got one of those cutesy emails today. Something along the lines of "respond to me with one word that you think describes me and then send this to your friends to see what responses you will get". So I bite. Don't have anything better to do anyway. I send the email to my friend who sent it to me and then sent it BCC to all of my friends.
Holy shit. About 70% are co-workers. When did that happen? When did work become my social life? No wonder I can't find a date. All the men that I work with are either married, WAY too young or losers. There are a few notable exceptions but I always end up being "the friend".
The friend???? WTF?? What happened to the girl that used to play men left and right? Oh... I know. I had a kid.
If you want something that will put a crimp in your social life like no other - have a kid.
Don't get me wrong. I love D to the depths of my soul and wouldn't wish for a moment that I didn't have him. But shortfry has seriously diminished the number of guys that would have considered me dateable. I am now a "package deal".
What is it about kids that scares men off like a bat shit ice cream cone? I know that there is some cro-magnon thing about not wanting to raise another mans child or some shit like that but to me that is a cop-out. Look how many blended families there are.
Why is it that the only men that say that they would date me are all gay? If I hear "Girl, if I was straight I would totally date you" one more time I might just rip off their unused testicles and shove them down their throat. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my gay friends, but that shit sure isn't conducive to finding a straight man. I go to a dinner party and they are all fruity as flies. More estrogen flying around than I had when I was 9 months pregnant.
I have decided that 80% of men are cowards. They are like anonymous commenters. All they want to do is hit and run. They want the rewards but none of the work. What happened to the men that want to in a realtionship? Oh yeah, by my age they are married which takes them totally off my radar.
Being almost 33 and a single mom really sucks. I am starting hit what would be termed middle age and seriously people when you say that 40 is the new 30? Doesn't make me feel ANY better. God I hate this shit!

The Circle Of Life

When I was growing up I loved September. It was the nicest month of the entire year. Blue skies most days with high temperatures in the 70’s to the low 80’s but with mornings that were turning crisp. Anyone who has ever lived in Western Washington knows how rare that is.
I could sense the change in the weather. It was a good change. The leaves on the deciduous trees were just starting to turn orange, red and brown. School was starting again it was time to have fun at the Puyallup Fair eating onion burgers and scones.

Now that I live in Michigan I still love September but it is no longer my favorite month. The color palette of the trees are intense and sometimes so brilliant you feel that you have to shield your eyes. On the negative side September comes the realization that winter will be here soon. I will be shoveling my driveway and scraping off my car every morning.

The temperature fluctuates wildly. One day it will be 55 and the next it will be in the upper 70’s. There are random downpours and you can never leave your windows open on a warm day. Chances are you might come home to a sopping wet floor.

Since moving to Michigan my season has changed from fall to spring and May is my favorite month of the year. After living in bitter cold and snow for 4-5 months it is amazing to see the rebirth of the earth. Trees and flowers blooming with riotous color. Grass that is turning from dead brown to vibrant green.


The smell of newly mown grass is my favorite spring scent. It smells of growth and new beginnings. It reminds me that no matter how cold and lifeless things may seem at any point in my life that life goes on. A new cycle begins. Death and renewal are a part of everyone’s life. I celebrate the renewal of the earth and in turn, celebrate the renewal of life.
The theme song from “The Lion King” is stuck in my head. Grrrrr

What Would You Do?

Imagine a day when you could get away with anything. Literally anything. No police, jail, prosecution, death, taxes, getting fired etc.
If you had no laws or restrictions to live by for one day. What would you do?
Would you rob a bank? Beat up someone? Speed like a bat out of hell? Tell people what you really think of them? Kill someone?
Would you cheat on your spouse or significant other? Trip old ladies at the grocery store? Burn your house down for the insurance money?
It has to be within your ability. You can't fly around like Superman or hack into the FBI database if you don't have the skill.

I know what I would fantasize about but I want to hear what you would do.

Hump Day Hottie

Whenever I think of you it isn’t because of your money or your fame. You are incredibly talented and are an amazing performer.
It could be that you were inspired to humanitarian work by John Cleese from Monty Python when you saw him perform in “The Secret Policeman’s Ball”. Now THAT is funny.
You are seen more working towards debt relief and the plight of third world countries than you are performing for sold out stadiums all over the world.
I doubt that any other rock star has been named Time Magazine's Person Of The Year; considered for the Presidency of the World Bank or been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times.
You meet with world leaders on a regular basis working to help the people in Africa including George Dubya. I bet you have stories for days on that one.
You aren’t the best looking person in the world, but you look fantastic in your always fashionable sunglasses.
Even your nickname (Latin for good voice) is cool.




Bono Vox ~ You are this weeks Hump Day Hottie!

“Well, me hearties, let’s see what crawled out of the bung hole.”

Arrr! Ahoy mateys! Ye best be enjoyin' International Talk Like A Pirate Day or me cutlass may slice yer gullet. Take care that ye don't anger t' captain o' yer ship or ye may end up walkin' t' plank.
Silver Beard Minijonb, the scurvy dog, brought some bloody fun games t' play at work so I be aye that I will have at least one fun story t' share soon. Don't ferget yer parrot, eye patch and yer cutlass ye slimy bilge rats! Arrrr!

My pirate name is:

Bloody Ethel Rackham

Every pirate lives for something different. For some, it's the open sea. For others (the masochists), it's the food. For you, it's definitely the fighting. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
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Post Of A Picture Of Yourself In High School Day

Tara from Ec.lec.tic Spaghetti has deemed today " Post Of A Picture Of Yourself In High School Day". I thought this was would be a lot of fun so I scanned my high school graduation photos.

I graduated high school in 1992 as is easily deduced by the enormous ball of fuzz on my head that is reminicent of a hedgehog that got an unfortunate perm. Mall hair was only one of my memories from 1992.

I have brown eyes, but back in the early 90's colored contacts became easily accessible. I wore glasses but decided to switch things up and purchased a pair of violet colored contacts.

I used to wear silk shirts, Keds, Cross Colour clothing, stone washed jeans, baby doll one piece outfits and was never seen without my Black Hill Gold class ring with my birthstone. Until my opal birthstone exploded at my job working as Sbarro's that is. No one told me that opals are heat sensitive.

Within a year of graduating from high school the Grunge Era started with Nirvana hitting the scene. Living in Washington State at the time I couldn't get away from plaid shirts, baggy pants and white kids with dredlocks. I was always more of a preppy dresser so I was very glad that I was done before I could be mocked incessantly.

I think that hedgehog with a bad perm hair and the au naturel eyebrows aside I looked pretty darn hot back in high school. I wasn't very popular my last year of school because we moved and I transferred high schools between my junior and senior year. I wouldn't recommend it.

I don't miss high school. The drama, homework, only having 5 minutes to run from one end of the school to another to make your next class, the homework, gym class, homework, the cliques and ummm let me think...did I mention homework?
I do miss early dismissal, choir class, thinking that a $300 paycheck was a lot of money to make in one week, living at home and not having to pay rent or buy my own food.
I loved to hang out with my friends all the time. Jade and I had a record of hanging out for over 41 days straight. We used to go to the clubs in Ft. Lewis and cruise down at the Tacoma waterfront or in Tillicum (that was the cruising strip to meet Army guys).
Sometimes I miss the carefree days that I had right before and after graduating from high school but I definitely would not want go back. Life is pretty good right now too.

September 15th. Four Years Later

A few years ago I was working as a service agent for an insurance company. I worked in a call center and answered questions and made changes for our clients. It was a decent job but as anyone who has ever worked in a call center can attest it is pretty high stress. Because of this, the management team always tried to do fun things or give us treats to improve the working environment. All in all it wasn’t a bad job.
Every year the company celebrated Customer Service Week and pretty much spoiled all of the service agents for the entire week. I received all of the usual blankets, coolers, backpacks and other things that were covered with the company name and logo. I still have the backpack and my son D uses it for his karate classes.
One year they decided to have a talent show. You could sing, do standup, play an instrument, read a poem…whatever (as long as it couldn’t be perceived as risqué by any stretch of the imagination).
I love to sing and was in choir all during my high school years. I was chosen to participate in the All-State and All-Northwest singing festivals when I was in high school in Washington State. I sing quite well.
I decided that I would perform at the talent show. My supervisor at the time suggested that I team up with another employee that was new to the department to do something funny.
Her name was Funny Girl and I didn’t really know her. She had started a few months before but because the training was so intense, had only been working in the department for a few weeks. I approached here and asked her if she wanted to go for a power walk during lunch. She agreed to walk with me so that we could come up with some ideas for the performance.
I put on my sneakers and off we went. The office park where we worked was beautiful. It had trails that meandered around quite a few acres; had fountains, gazebo’s and you could always find a plethora of wildlife among the forests of trees.
We walked down the path towards one of the main fountains, avoiding goose leftovers, and just chatted getting to know each other a bit. Funny Girl had just graduated from college the spring before with a Bachelors Degree in Communications and this was her first “grown up job”. She grew up in northwest Michigan and is very close to her sister and parents (who are still married). The most interesting thing that I found out about her is that she was a virgin and is waiting until marriage.
Mentally I was thinking to myself. We are SO different. I am 7 years older than Funny Girl. My parents are divorced and I am an unwed single mother who never went to college and my family is very fractured. I honestly didn’t think that we would become friends but she was really nice and very funny. I thought that it would be fun to perform together at the talent show.
We came up with a parody about insurance based on a song from The Sound Of Music. Funny Girl plays the guitar so we got the music and did our best to prepare for our performance. The day of the show we ended up having to modify a line that referred to illegal drugs but other than that we had no problems.
We were the final act that night and it was awesome. People were laughing because of the lyrics and we received a standing ovation. For the next few weeks the management team had us perform our song another 3 or 4 times in various board meetings and we received lots of positive feedback from our co-workers.
Even though Funny Girl and I are extremely different people, we bonded and have become the best of friends. In many ways we compliment each other because we are so different. I can give her a different perspective to consider that is vastly different from her own. Because of this we have both grown spiritually. Funny Girl is more liberal than she was and I have become a bit more conservative.
Funny Girl makes me laugh ALL THE TIME. Her dream is to have a career doing improv or stand up comedy. I have no doubt that she will achieve her goal of being a regular on Saturday Night Live.

Funny Girl ~ Today is our four year friendiversary. My life has been immeasurably blessed specifically because of our friendship. You brighten my day every time I talk to you. You humble me with your faith in Jesus and your faith in me. You inspire me with your talents and your desire to achieve your goals.
Before I met you my life was in a very dark place and whenever I think back to that time before and after I met you I think of this Gloria Estefan song:

COMING OUT OF THE DARK
Why be afraid if I'm not alone?
Though life is never easy, the rest is unknown
Up to now, for me, it's been hands against stone
Spent each and ev'ry moment
Searching for what to believe

Coming out of the dark
I finally see the light now
And it's shining on me
Coming out of the dark
I know the love that saved me
You're sharing with me

Starting again is part of the plan
And I'll be so much stronger holding your hand
Step by step, I'll make it through; I know I can
It may not make it easier
But I have felt you near all the way

Coming out of the dark
I finally see the light now
And it's shining on me
Coming out of the dark
I know the love that saved me
You're sharing with me

Forever and ever, I stand on the rock of your love
Forever and ever, I'll stand on the rock
Forever and ever, I stand on the rock of your love
Love is all it takes, no matter what we face

Your friendship means so much to me. You helped bring me back to Christ. You made a life that was stuck in a dark, cold winter come into a springtime bursting with life and happiness. You will never know how much you mean to me because it is impossible to put into words.
I am truly honored to be your sidekick.


Sidenote: I had some great photos to go along with this post but Blogger is being stupid and I can't upload them. I will try and get them added soon.

Hump Day Hottie

Maybe it is because you are older than me and still smoking hot. Maybe it is the fact that you can speak with a realisic English accent or a Brooklyn one.
Your piercing gaze makes my libido go into overdrive and your tattoos make me weak in the knees.
It seems that you are looking at me and you can't wait to tear my clothes off and make hot monkey love.
You were even hot as a ghost soldier on The Ghost Whisperer. That is a feat in itself.

This weeks hump day hottie is:




My man Wentworth Miller from Prison Break.

(This idea was totally bogarted from Evil Discussor )

Touchstone Days

Touchstone Days ~ Days that are indelible in your mind.

This Is Me. Which Ones Are You?

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

My Greatest Achievement ~ This Week

Over the weekend I achieved something that I haven't been able to do in quite a while. It wasn't anything that was earth shattering or worth national acclaim. But in my little piece of the world I now have something that I can brag about.
My closet is clean. Not just straightened up and things tucked into the corner, but really clean.
Funny Girl and I spent Saturday sorting, cleaning and organizing my disaster of a closet. I don't know how it got quite so bad. I basically had a small trail that I could walk through the 6x14 closet while bags, boxes, and piles of stuff had accumulated on the floor. My shoe pile was atrocious as was pointed out by more than one friend.
One of the biggest problems I have is that I really don't have any other decent storage area in my home. I have 2 other bedroom closets and one small coat closet and that is it. I have a shed outside, but I don't like to keep certain things out there because snow gets inside.
Back to Saturday. I was ruthless when I went through things. I threw away about 7 30 gallon trash bags of stuff. Old things, empty boxes, worn out shoes and things that were not acceptable to drop off at Good Will. I also had 1½ car loads of shoes, clothing, and other miscellaneous items to take to charity.
Without futher ado..... my closet:

Yours, Mine & Ours

This was a movie starring Lucille Ball that was made in the late 60's. The gist of the movie was a woman who has 8 kids marries a man (Henry Fonda) who has 9 kids. They move into a huge mansion and hilarity ensues while two large families learn to get along and how to be part of such a large family. Toward the end of the movie Lucille Ball's character gets pregnant and has baby number 18.
There was a recent remake of this movie, but I prefer the original.

I received some news over the weekend that initially shocked me and then made my roll my eyes and shake my head. My step-brother DJ and his new wife Lisa are expecting a baby. Normally this would be good news and the family would be celebrating and anticipating the new arrival.
This is truly an event in my family. Combined DJ and Lisa will be having their 14th child.
I don't have a problem with large families. I grew up in the Mormon church and having lots of kids wasn't that unusual. Also the Catholic Church looks down on birth control so there are many large families in the Catholic Church as well.
There has to be a point where enough is enough. In todays environment how in the world can any family support so many children? If you are independently wealthy and want to pop out 20 kids or adopt a small Asian nation go right ahead. More power to you.
The problem that I have with large families is when you continue to have children and are unable to support them. Food stamps and Medicaid are the two most common state or federally provided subsidies that are given to large families.
I don't know where this rant is going other than if you have kids, make sure you can fully support them. Don't keep popping out kids if you are receiving Medicaid or other financial programs that are tax payer funded.
On the other hand, my friend Robin has 9 children. She and her husband are able to fully support their children with no assistance. All of her children are well taken care of emotionally and physically. They don't even receive free or reduced lunch at school.
Robin's home is controlled chaos, but her home is well maintained and when you walk in you can feel the love and happiness there.
Not sure where I was going with this other than if you are going to have a big family, I don't want to support it.