Hump Day Hottie

He was born February 24, 1955 and a week later was put up for adoption by his unmarried mother.
His biological parents later married and gave birth to his sister, novelist Mona Simpson whom he did not meet until they were adults.
He frequented after-school lectures at the Hewlett-Packard Company and was soon hired there and worked as a summer employee.
He graduated from high school but dropped out of college after only one semester.
He had a job as a technician at Atari with the primary intent of saving money for a spiritual retreat to India.
He went into business briefly in 1974 to build "blue boxes" that allowed free long distance calls.
After that he backpacked around India and came back with his head shaved wearing traditional Indian clothing and went back to his previous job at Atari and was given the task of creating a circuit board for the game Breakout.
He and his friend Steve Wozniak started a company to market the computer. The first personal computer they introduced sold for $666.66, a number Wozniak came up with because he liked repeating digits. It successor the "2" version was introduced the following year and became a huge success turning their company into an important player in the personal computer industry.
In 1985 he was ousted from the company that he created. In 1997 the company that he founded after being ousted was purchased and it brought him back to the original company he co-founded. He has served as it CEO since his return.
He is considered to be a leading figure in both the computer and entertainment industires.
His work driving forward the development of products that are both functional and elegant has earned him a devoted cult following.
Without this weeks Hump Day Hottie we may not have any of the following items:


Gui
Lisa
Macintosh
Powerbook
iMac
iPod
iTunes
Any Pixar movie (Cars, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. etc).


And the newest invention people will be scrambling for:

iPhone





This weeks Hump Day Hottie is ~ Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple, Inc.)

Ugh!

Today I am having a rough day. I found out that a couple of my friends are really upset about something that I did, which wasn't intended to hurt or offend anyone and now I feel bad that they are upset with me. I apologized to one of them for hurting her feelings and am dreading apologizing to the other one.

My son had a Dr. appointment for his allergies and now he has to go on a nasal spray so that is another co-pay for him that I pay every month on my tight budget. This makes 3 prescriptions per month. My insurance costs me over $300 per month for both of us anyway.

I forgot that another friend invited me to lunch today and I brought lunch instead trying to be proactive rather than using the cafeteria at work. She has a birthday coupon that she can share with a friend and wants to share it with me. Now I feel bad that she either has to use it herself or wait until Friday to use it since that is the only other day that will work for both of us this week.

I found out via email that the license that I am required to have to do my job expired on 1-1-07 even though I did everything that I was supposed to do to renew it. I have to have 30 credit hours of continuing education every 2 years to renew my license and I completed it. I asked my supervisor if I had to do anything else and she told me no. Now I find out from the licensing department that I was supposed to notify them so that they could renew it. I thought that they received automatic updates from the state. I have to have the license to keep my job.

I am hoping that my day gets better for so far it is looking pretty bleak.

Anyone have any good news that will cheer me up?

~~~~~UPDATE~~~~~~

Two items of good news.

1. My license did renew. It was the company's records that had not been updated so I don't have anything to worry about.

2. I just found out that my quarterly bonus is going to have the highest percentage of payout that I have received in the past 2+ years. Due to losses and department performance it has been between 60-90%. This quarter it will be at 120%.

**Doin' the happy dance**

Some Reasons Why I Won't Date Tim

Well folks, Tim and I finally talked on Friday evening. He called around 7:00 pm and we talked for around an hour and a half. He was very nice, but I knew relatively quickly that he was not the type of guy that I would date or be interested in having a relationship with. He definitely was not the brightest crayon in the box and he said some things that were very off putting. I listed a few reasons why.

He lives at home with his mom and his mom's boyfriend.

His favorite band is AC/DC.

He called his ex-wife a bitch within 10 minutes of conversation.

The first thing out of his mouth after a greeting was "You are open to a relationship, right"?

He can't figure out why the pyramids were built.

He smokes.

His favorite past times are hunting and fishing. (nothing against these, but I have no interest in either)

He keeps a gun in his house. (I agree with the right to bear arms, just not in my house)

He made a comment about mobile homes and he couldn't figure out how they got them built so quickly. Something along the lines of "They build them so fast. It seems that they pop up overnight". I so wanted to say to him "Because they do"!!

He talks more than I do.

What do you all think? Would you date someone like this?

To Answer Or Not To Answer?

On Tuesday I was at the grocery store shopping and was in the meat department looking for pork ribs because they were on sale. I couldn't find them anywhere so I went to the meat counter asking where they were. The man behind the counter pointed me to a center aisle cooler and wouldn't you know, a whole pile of rib slabs.
Since it is just me and D at home I don't need that much meat so I went back to the counter and asked if I had to buy the whole slab.

The man behind the counter told me that they only sold them in racks but that he could cut them any way that I asked. I explained that I just didn't need that much since it was just me and D. He was very nice and said "I can find the smallest rack that we have and cut it up for you and wrap it in sections so that you can freeze them and use them over time".

He was being so nice but the total amount was just too much of my shopping budget. I told him thanks but no thanks and that I appreciated him trying to be so accomodating but that I was a single mom and I couldn't afford to buy the entire rack on my shopping budget. The man was very understanding. He told me that he completely understands because he is a single dad himself.

His supervisor had been standing there and turned to butcher guy and told him to go ahead and cut a rack in half and sell it to me (which was exactly what my budget allowed price wise). He cut it up, wrapped it and handed it to me.

Then he asked me if I was dating anyone. I told him that I was not. He asked me if I was open to dating. I told him that I was. A bit awkwardly he asked me for my phone number and I gave it to him.

He introduced himself as Tim. I gave him my name and we told each other that it was nice meeting you and I went off to finish my shopping.

On Wednesday I was at karaoke (helping run it for $40) and he called. I didn't answer because I missed the call and decided that since I was busy that I would call him back the next day.

I called back yesterday around 1 PM and left a message for him and then last night at 11:25 he called me but didn't leave a message. I heard the phone ring and figured it was him but chose not to answer because it seems odd to me that he calls so late.

I think that Tim works second shift but I have no idea what time he actually gets off work. I know that he doesn't have a cell phone so part of me wants to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he is calling soon after he gets home. Another part of me keeps thinking that if a guy is calling after 11 PM that it isn't anything more than a booty call, which I am not interested in.

What do you all think? Should I answer next time he calls if it is after 11 PM, or not?

Hump Day Hottie

He was born on March 2, 1968 in Chester, England.

He played rugby for Hoylake Rugby Club.

Moved to London at the age of 16 to join the National Youth Theatre.

His first major leading role on screen was a co-starring part in the 1996 BBC Television serial Our Friends In The North.


He was previously married to British acress Fiona Loudon and has one child, Ella, who was born in 1992.


Is Chairman of the Honorary Board Of Directors of the NGO "STOP", Stop Trafficking Of People.


Other films he has appeared in are: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Road To Perdition, Layer Cake, Sword Of Honour, Sylvia, Enduring Love & Munich.

He signed a three-film contract on October 14th 2005 to become the sixth actor to portray a famous fictional character. There was controversy among fans because of his height 5'11" (2 inches shorter than all the previous actors portraying this character) and due to his hair color.
Despite the controversy the film and his performance in it has been widely critically praised.



On a personal note ~ This weeks Hump Day Hottie blew me away when I saw his performance in Casino Royale. I can't decide whether he looked better in his itty bitty swimsuit or his tuxedo.

Due to his visual magnificence I included 3 photos.


















This weeks Hump Day Hottie is ~ Daniel Craig as James Bond 007

Top 10 Things To Be Happy About In The New Year

10. Holiday baking is over.

9. Summer is THAT much closer.

8. Your tax refund might pay off your holiday debt.

7. Risk of coming in contact with fruitcake averted for another year.

6. Spending the gift cards that you received.

5. Regular television programming returns.

4. Your annual raise

3. Vacation time replenished

2. Spending time with friends and family because you want to, not out of obligation.

And the #1 reason to be happy in the new year ~

No more holiday sweaters.


Happy New Year Everyone!!

Are You A Post Christmas Scrooge?

Every year I see the same phenomenon. People from Thanksgiving to Christmas are more merry and full of the holiday spirit. There are more smiles in view and people are generous with their time and money.
The day after Christmas it seems that the anvil is dropped, crushing everyone's Christmas spirit. People are tired, short tempered, angry, frustrated and disappointed that the holiday that they put on a pedestal failed to live up to their expectations.
I know that I am very tired after Christmas. I am like a balloon that is running low on helium. You know what I am talking about. The mylar balloon that weaves around in a drunken-esque manner while valiantly trying to stay afloat.
We are having Friends Christmas tonight and I am really looking forward to it. I think that this might be the only reason that my holiday balloon of Christmas Cheer is still weaving drunkenly rather than lying flat out on the floor completely out of life.
This is also the time of year that people begin to contemplate their New Year's resolution. I am not a big believer in New Year's resolutions. I have a hard time putting a date on a life change.
If I want to start to exercise the beginning of the year is the worst time. That is when the millions of people that make exercise their resolution are in the gym full force. I would wait until mid-February if I wanted to start to exercise.
I try and make life choices throughout the year rather than base them on one day that really doesn't mean anything other than I have to get a new calendar, remember to type 2007, and get a paid day off.
But the night before? Oh yeah!! Any time getting drunk off your ass is encouraged during a celebration is A-OK with me.

Alright, Mr De Mille, I'm Ready For My Close-up

Since I have taken a billion photos (actually about 120) since I bought my digital camera I have decided that it is time for me to "expose" myself to the world.

Part of the reason that I have been hesitant is because it seems that 90% of the women in the blogosphere are more beautiful, skinnier and have better personalities than I do so there is a bit of an inferiority complex going on.

I am just gonna break it down to you. I am what would be termed a BBW or plus sized. I have always been a larger size woman even before I had my son so I can't blame it on having a child. Thanks to my paternal grandmother I was "blessed" with a pear shape which means that I have a big ass and legs. Thanks to my mom I have big breasts so I look like one of those renaissance paintings where women have curves and you can't see bones right below the surface like the painting to the right.

I love myself even with my extra hills and valleys (my son says that I am fluffy) but as a good half of the population is visually based there are times when I feel that I don't measure up. I do have to say that a guy at the club on Saturday told me that I was a "10". I asked him how many hours he had been drinking. LOL

D and I love to take silly photos and make funny faces so I hope that you don't wet youself with laughter.

A closeup of me taken by D.

Me, Rebecca & Dolly a.k.a. Kay

Dolly, Me, Erica, Jen & Rebecca + random guy in the background.

Me & Rebecca

Me & D being silly on Christmas Eve.

D wanted me to make a funny face while eating ~ so I did.


So now you can put a face to the random ramblings and I can feel the freedom of really putting myself out there.

Having Fun Making A Fool Of Myself

Every Wednesday D goes to his dad's house. That means that I have a free evening during the week to relax, do non-kid related things, run errands or whatever I choose.
Almost every week I do the same thing. I go out to sing karaoke with friends.
A couple of friends/co-workers of mine (Rebecca & Jen) run Wednesday night karaoke at a total hole-in-the-wall bar in downtown Grand Rapids called The Nite Cap. There are usually an variety of co-workers, friends and regulars that come . I have officially become a regular at the Nite Cap.
A couple of my favorite regulars are TJ & Heather. I don't know them outside of the karaoke bar but they seem to be cool people. TJ usually comes with a Misfits t-shirt on wearing all black. He has 3 inch plugs in his ears, lots of tattoos and piercings. He likes to sing a lot of songs that I am not familiar with but I can get him to sing the occasional Gorillaz song. Heather has shoulder length black hair, two lip piercings and usually wears lots of eye liner and lipstick and likes to sing No Doubt and Alanis Morrisette songs. Both are decent singers so I don't mind when they sing. They are very friendly and we have a lot of fun even though I am pretty sure that we live lives that are completely different.
Ron is an older gentleman that comes in the bar quite often. He has a full head of thick white hair and usually sits at the bar alone talking to the bartender. He will get up and sing Frank Sinatra songs along with a particular favorite of mine Mack The Knife. I don't know what his home life is like but he seems to be a sweet but lonely man.
Of course we have to have the bar asshole who doesn't use his real name. He goes by Too Good. Too bad that he sucks. He is cocky and likes to sing power ballads like Dead Or Alive by Bon Jovi. He gets mad if he has to wait too long between songs and walks around like he owns the place. He has a true Napoleon complex and is a total wanker. He is up there for every group song and he MUST hold the microphone so that his voice is just a LITTLE bit louder than everyone elses.
Then there is Erica, Lawrence and Andy. Erica and Lawrence are married and friends of Jen. Andy is Erica's brother. They are the true group that makes the karaoke experience priceless. Lawrence goes by Bam Bam and is a big, burly teddy bear like man in his late 20's or early 30's. He shaves his head and always wears a baseball cap. He leaves it to Andy, Erica and whomever else to select songs for him to sing. Most of the time we pick the most absurd, awkward or unusual songs. Bam Bam will perform with gusto and confidence even while singing lyrics like:

I'm a little lamb who's
lost in the woods
I know I could
Always be good
If someone would
Watch over me

Althought Erica and Andy never sing they are really fun to talk to and we have a lot of laughs and great fun while sitting around our table drinking beer (I drink Amaretto Sours) shooting the breeze and watching people perform.
I love to get up and sing and I have a lot of fun. I took singing lessons and was always in choir during school. I don't have a smoky, bluesy voice so there are songs that I just can't do justice to. I prefer to sing ballads because I just can't keep up with fast paced songs. Lately I have been mixing in some Christmas music and trying a few new songs.
Some of the songs that I regularly sings are:
Black Velvet - Allanah Myles (I just figured out a couple of months ago that this song was about Elvis)
More Than Words - Extreme
No Rain - Blind Melon
Careless Whisper - Wham!
Open Arms - Journey
Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar
Girls Night Out - The Judds

I will sometimes toss in some Celine Dion or Whitney Houston but by far my favorite one is Black Velvet.
Last night Andy decided to put a song in for me. Knowing that he has a penchant for putting in songs that are funny and raunchy (he once made me sing My Ding-A-Ling by Chuck Berry) I decided to have fun with it. They didn't want me to know what the song was until I got up and sang so I sat there for about 45 minutes trying to figure out what song it could be.
I was talking to Erica about the song choice and said to her " As long as I don't have to sing that I smell like rotten fish or something like that I will be fine." She laughed and said that it wasn't about rotten fish but that Andy has been wanting someone to sing this song ever since they started coming to the bar for karaoke. All he would say to me was "When you get up there just own the song. Just own it and it will be great."
They finally call my name and I go up and take the microphone. Once the song title comes up everyone starts to laugh including me. It was a song that I had never heard of but figured that I would go way over the top and make it satirical. I vamped it up and sang with gusto to much laughter and applause when I was done. I took a bow and then went and sat down while laughter still resounded in the bar. I mean, it isn't every day that you hear someone sing a song by the famous singer Fanny Pack.
Since they are so funny, I thought that I would let you read the lyrics for yourself and picture a 33 year old woman lyrically rapping to the fantastic strains of this very famous song.


Camel Toe

by Fanny Pack

um hmm thats right
uh huh uh huh uh huh
um hmm thats right
uh huh uh huh uh huh

walking down the street
something caught my eye
a growing epidemic
that really ain't fly

a middle aged lady
i gotta be blunt
her spandex biker shorts
were creepin up the front

I could see her uterus
her pants were too tight
She must've owned panties
that were not in sight

She walked right by
the poor woman didn't know
She had a frontal wedgie
a Camel Toe

[Chorus]
um hmm thats right
uh huh oh no
fix yourself girl
you got a Camel Toe
um hmm thats right
uh huh oh no
fix yourself girl
you got aCamel Toe

girl thats gotta hurt
take some time and adjust
can't you see people staring
and making a fuss

could not believe my eyes
had to take a second glance
is your crotch hungry girl
cause its eating your pants

do you enjoy the comotion
and attention it brings
the only lips i wanna see
are the ones that sing

in public putting on
an x rated show
grossin people out
with your Camel Toe

[Repeat Chorus]

first day of spring
and by the looks of things
these girls have forgot
how to dress

a little quick to wearin
wearin pum pum shorts
and its causin me much distress
whoomp there it is
yeha right in the front
everybody come and get a good look

i can see everything
through the panty cling
every cranny and every nook
you better take a quick minute
before you step outside
and check the area thats pubic
or you'll get your panties
all up in a bunch
all twisted uplike rubic

take these words of advice
cause its not very nice
i wanna put you all in the know

girls don't sleep
don't let your pants creep
watch out for
The Camel Toe

[Repeat Chorus]

Ummmm Awkward!

I was chatting with my friend Anne this morning on my way to work. We frequently talk in the mornings as that is the best time to reach one another.
We were talking about Friends Christmas. This is when I get together with my closest friends and we have dinner, exchange gifts and celebrate together. Usually we end up doing this after the New Year but because Ami (Anne's daughter) is only here for the week after Christmas (she lives in Canada) we decided that we would do it during the week instead of a weekend. We are set for Thursday, December 28th at 6:00PM.
To do justice to this story I have to go back to the summer. My friend Funny Girl started dating another friend, Peru. Things seemed to be going great and then all of a sudden Peru started acting strange. Not calling or taking a few days to return calls and things like that. Funny Girl really liked Peru, which was a new thing for her. Funny Girl hadn't had a serious relationship since I met her as she is pursuing a comedy career and doesn't want to be tied down.
So, Peru calls me and tells me that he doesn't think that it is going to work. He really likes Funny Girl but he feels that they are in two different places and during the conversation he tells me that he isn't over his last girlfriend. Then he asks me how he should break it to her because he didn't want to hurt her feelings.
Needless to say, I was PISSED!!!!! I am extremely protective of my friends and I felt that what he did was really shitty. If he wasn't over his last girlfriend he should NEVER have started dating Funny Girl. I basically let him have it with both barrels and told him that at this point he WAS going to hurt Funny Girl no matter how he did it.
So, things ended between Funny Girl and Peru and I was still pissed at Peru so I stopped calling and emailing him and basically haven't seen or heard much from him since the summertime.
So, back to this morning. Anne asks me why I didn't invite Peru to Friends Christmas. I told her that I haven't talked to him in months and that I was still mad at him for stringing Funny Girl along (I am the only one still mad, Funny Girl is SO over it). I told Anne that since he hadn't made any kind of an effort since the summer to stay in contact with anyone but her (they live about a mile away) that I didn't think that he would want to come.
Anne, not knowing that I hadn't invited Peru, had asked him last weekend if he wanted to ride with them to my house for Friends Christmas and he replied that he didn't know anything about it. Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit Shit!!!! Now I HAD to invite him even though I am still a little bit mad at him and that Funny Girl will be there. I didn't want things to be awkward but now if I didn't call and invite him it would be awkward anyway.
After I get off the phone with Anne I call Peru expecting to be put in his voicemail to leave him a message inviting him to Friends Christmas. Wouldn't you know that this time he actually picks up the phone. I invite him to Friends Christmas and apologize that I didn't invite him earlier telling him that I am just starting to get back on track since I got back from vacation (which is true, but not really the reason that I hadn't called him before this morning).
Peru is a popular guy and he usually has plans all of the time. I was surprised when he said yes, he would love to come.
I actually really like Peru. He is a funny guy and very sweet, oh, and he is HOT!!! Very nice eye candy. I was just still holding onto the edges of my anger. Now that he has accepted the invitation I am actually looking forward to seeing him.
The only downfall is that my already meager Christmas budget will have to be stretched even more to accomodate him.
Now I just have to let Funny Girl know that he is going to be there. Oh wait, she reads my blog so I just did.

The ABC's About Me ~ Tagged from Sofi

A- Available or taken? Available
B- Best Friend? Playtah
C- Cake or Pie? Cake
D- Drink of Choice? Diet Pepsi
E- Essential Item? My contacts or glasses. I am basically blind without them.
F- Favorite Color? Yellow
G- Gummi Bears or Worms? Eww. Neither. Hate them all.
H- Hometown? I grew up in Hoquaim, WA but moved before High School. Now would be Puyallup where Mom lives.
I- Indulgence? Haagen Daaz Caramel Cone Explosion ice cream.
J- January or February? February. Closer to the end of winter.
K- Kids and names? One son ~ Devon.
L- LIfe is incomplete without? Love & Friendship.
M- Marriage Date? Gotta meet The One first.
N- Number of Siblings? One half brother and one half sister that I was raised with and another half-sister that I have met once. Five Step-brothers and sisters.
O- Oranges or apples? Apples
P- Phobias/Fears? Falling or something happening to my son.
Q- Favorite Quote? Good Times.
R- Reason to Smile? Family, Friends and free drinks at the bar.
S- Season? Spring. Everything new and frangrant.
T- Tag three people! I won't tag anyone. If you want to do it, consider yourself tagged.
U- Unkown Fact About Me? I have learned most of my sexual reptoire from erotic romance novels and conversations with girlfriends, not from men.
V- Vegetable you hate? Any that are cooked
W- Worst habit? Being a know it all
X- X-Rays you've had? Ankle, wrist and a mammogram on my right breast when I felt a lump ~ It was all good.
Y- Your favorite food? Pork Chile Verde from Mazatlan in Puyallup, WA
Z- Zodiac? Libra

Give Me What I Want Or I Will Leave You

Yesterday I got home and my cable was out. It does happen sometimes so I didn't really worry about it. Then I looked at my mail and the check that I had sent to my cable company was returned to me. I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach and called the cable company (which I also have my internet through). They informed me that they turned off my service because they haven't received payment for 3 months.
I pay my bills online and sent them a check every month but it seemed to take them almost a month to cash the checks that I send in so I wasn't expecting either my November or December payments to have cleared yet. The check that I received back was my October payment. Apparently they changed their billing address and I thought that I had modified it online but I guess that I didn't. I explained the situation hoping that they would re-connect it right away but they could have cared less.
I was informed that to restart the service that I would have to pay for the 3 months of service including a $100 re-connect fee. I asked them if they take credit cards hoping that I could just pay it over the phone. They told me that they do not and that I have to send in the payment and once they receive it that they will schedule someone to come out to re-connect my service which total would take about 2 weeks if I sent the check right away. I told them thanks but no thanks.
I called Charter and am getting digital cable, cable internet and my phone service for $99.00 per month (about the same as I pay now) and will get more channels. The only drawback is that I am losing the premium channels. I never paid for them and I think that it was the mistake of the cable company but I certainly wasn't complaining.
This is actually going to be a bonus for me. I will now receive On Demand TV for free as well as BBC America which is one of my favorite channels that I didn't receive on the rinky dink cable company that I was using. And if I really want to I can get a DVR for $15 per month. Oh the temptation!

Nice Stems!

For Christmas my dad sent me a hefty check to buy myself something nice. I have been wanting a digital camera for quite a while so I decided that instead of using my present from Dad to buy presents for others that I was going to buy a nice, little camera.

I bought a Fuji FinePix A500. It has 5.1 megapixels and a 3 or 4x zoom. It is a nice little point a shoot camera.

Today I finally uploaded the photos and I decided that I would post one to see what you think.

Also, if you use any kind of photo shop program that you recommend, I would LOVE to know. I was able to crop the photo using IrfanView but I don't know much else other than that.



Without further ado: My Christmas Tree

Hump Day Hottie

This weeks Hump Day Hottie was born on December 19th, 1980 in Los Angeles, CA and is a descendant of Swedish nobility on his fathers side and a New York City Jewish-American family on his mothers side.

He started acting at the age of eleven and his short career has seen performances in diverse roles.

He was raised Jewish and his Bar Mitzvah took place at a homeless shelter because his parents wanted to instill in him a sense of gratitude for his privileged lifestyle.

His parents insisted that he had summer jobs to support himself and he worked as a lifeguard and busboy.

His film debut was in the 1991 film City Slickers.

He attended Columbia Uninversity to study Eastern Religions and philosophy but dropped out after 2 years to concentrate on his acting career.

He has received an Acadamy Award nomination and one a British Acadamy of Film & Television Arts Award.

He has taken an activist role in supporting political and social causes.

He appeared in Rock the Vote advertising, campaigned for the Democratic party in the 2004 election and has promoted environmental causes and the American Civil Liberties Union.

He has two dogs. A German Shepherd named Atticus and a Puggle name Boo Radley.

He has appeared in movies such as City Slickers, October Sky, Bubble Boy, Highway, Moonlight Mile, The Good Girl and Proof but is best known for the cult classic Donnie Darko, the blockbuster thriller The Day After Tomorrow and the Acadamy Award winning Brokeback Mountain where he co-stars with Heath Ledger as sheep herders who secretly fall in love in the 1960's.













This weeks Hump Day Hottie is ~ Jake Gyllenhaal

Question Of The Day

I haven't been feeling up to par for the past few days so please forgive me that I am not writing a lengthy thought provoking post. I thought that I would throw out a question and see what you have to say.

What would you change about yourself if you could? What is your best quality?


Post Scriptum ~ I realized that I didn't answer the question so I thought I would pop it in here.

If I could change anything about myself I would become less of a people pleaser. Don't get me wrong, I love to do things for people and have fun but there are times that I worry WAY too much what people are thinking about me and I tend to get my feelings hurt quite easily.

My best quality would be my ability to give really great advice. I have long in depth talks with my friends quite often and I have heard many times how great my advice or my opinion is. When people take my advice and opinions to heart in a way it validates who I am and the person that I am striving to become.

Which Of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

You Are Prancer

You are the perfect reindeer, with perfect hooves and perfect flying form. Why You're Naughty: Because you're Santa's pet, and you won't let anyone show you up. Why You're Nice: You have the softest fur and the sweetest carrot breath.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

Precious Memories ~ Repost

When I was a kid, Christmas was my favorite time of year. I remember fondly waking up at the break of dawn (if we could make it that far) by the sounds of my brother and sister calling my name so that we could go into the living room and see the splendid display that Santa Claus had left for us.

We would go quietly into our parents room and wake them up enough to get permission to go into the living room just to view the tree and the gifts wrapped and placed underneath. My mother was always the one that we would wake up. Usually she would say yes and we would high-tail it into the other room and gasp at the beauty that lay in vast array in front of us.

My brother, Keith, was usually the one that would pick up the first present. We looked through the presents to see which one belonged to whom. We would then put them back and wait for our parents to stumble, bleary-eyed into the room so that we could begin the gift opening extravaganza.

I remember the scent of fresh evergreen as I sat on the floor by the tree in my floor length Laura Ingall’s style nightgown. My brother would be to my left, in front of the tree as the official gift distributor and my mom would be to the right of me. Usually I would lean against my mom and soak up the comfort of her embrace. I loved this morning. We were all together with no place to go.

The first item of business was the stockings. Everyone had their own, special stocking. My mom’s had her name on there in felt letters with some decorations on there. My brother had a green knit stocking and mine was made of burlap. We always had an orange in the toe of the sock. Every year. No matter what. Then we would have some mixed nuts still in the shell including walnuts, pecans and other assorted nuts. Small gifts would be hidden in there as well. A fresh bottle of nail polish along with clippers and a nail file. A coloring book and brand new crayons were my sisters favorite part of her stocking.

My dad would start a fire in the fireplace. Now, this was a real old fashioned fire with kindling, paper and logs. No electric or gas fireplace for us. He would then turn on the stereo and put on one of his Christmas albums. Alvin and the Chipmunks was a favorite along with Bing Crosby.

While all of the rituals were taking place before we could open the gifts, I would gaze at the tree. It always had colored lights. This was back in the 70’s when you kept your lights from year to year. We would have to untangle them, find the broken lights, replace them and hope that they would work. Some were the same size as the lights that we have today, some were bigger. About half of the lights would blink on and off while the other lights were steady. Completely disjointed but at the same time, absolutely beautiful.

I would look at the ornaments. Most of them had been there for many years. We had the plastic white pinecones that had originally been coated in glitter. After years of being lovingly (and sometimes not so lovingly) displayed on the tree, most of the glitter had worn off. We had the plastic tear drop shaped ornaments that had a plastic 3-D version of the nativity. The 2 pound pink Santa Claus face that I made with my hand that had to hang from a very sturdy branch by a frayed red yarn string. The reindeer that was made from a hanger and panty hose, popcorn strings and construction paper chains. It was a tree that displayed the time and love that we invested into these small, inexpensive but ultimately priceless gifts that were saved from year to year.

Finally it was time to open gifts. This was a ritual in itself. There wasn’t a frenzy of opening gifts. It was a slow process that was savored by everyone. My brother would hand each person one gift and we would open them in turn, oohing and ahhing as each person would display the gift. We would stretch it out as long as possible making sure to thank each other for the thoughtful gift that we received.

One year I had the biggest gift under the tree. Well, not quite under the tree, more shoved to the side as there was no way that this behemoth of a box would fit underneath. I was so excited. I couldn’t wait to find out what kind of incredible present would have to be placed in such a giant sized box. In reality it was probably a box that a desktop monitor would be shipped in but to me (at the age of 8) it was the biggest, most wonderful box in the world. I agonized for days trying to figure out what my brother could have gotten me that was so big. I bragged to my brother and sister that I had the biggest gift for days before Christmas.

Then the day came. It was time to open the gift. I waited to open it until it was the last gift left. I wanted to stretch out the anticipation as long as possible. I slowly removed the wrapping from this box, which was not heavy at all, and carefully folded the wrapping paper and handed it to my mother. I then folded back the lid of the box and looked inside. All I saw was butcher block paper. Where was my enormous gift? Surely that butcher block paper was only covering the gift. So I removed it. And then I removed more and more and more. Finally at the very bottom of the box I found a small wrapped package. It was about 3-4 inches square. My brother had a huge grin on his face, proud of the fact that he had surprised me.

I had no idea what the gift could be. I had been dreaming of big things, not small items. This time I wasn’t going to wait to find out what it was. The anticipation had reached a fevered pitch. I tore off the paper and inside was one of the coolest gifts that season. A Rubik’s Cube. I didn’t care that they had pulled a prank on me that is still talked about to this day. I had a Rubik’s Cube. I was officially a part of the IN crowd. I could proudly strut into school and brag that I had received on of THE COOLEST gifts of the season.

I look back now to the childhood Christmases that I shared with my family and realize that we didn’t have very much money wise. We usually would get 4 gifts each. One from each sibling, one from Mom and Dad and one from Santa. We did get other gifts later in the day from grandparents, but they were different because they weren’t part of the early Christmas morning ritual. Although we weren’t given a lot for Christmas, we were blessed beyond measure. Being able to share the holiday with family. Receiving gifts that were thoughtfully and lovingly chosen. Seeing the big smile on my mothers face when she opened the gift that I had agonized over, never knowing that the fake ring I had bought with all of the money that I had would turn her finger green.

I remember receiving the Fashion Plates that I had begged for from Santa one year. Punching balloons that brought endless hours of fun. A green corduroy winter coat that my mother had sewn. They weren’t things that cost much, but they were given in love and in turn were loved by me then and are still loved by me now and the memories and moments will always closest to my heart.

Hump Day Hottie

This weeks Hump Day Hottie was born in Chicago, IL on May 17, 1974.
He was born to Indian parents both of whom are physicians.
He has one sister who is also a physician.
He is married to actress Olga Sosnovska and has one daughter.
He has appeared in several TV shows, including Casualty, Guiding Light, Ultimate Force, Grey's Anatomy and Numb3rs.
He is currently appearing in this years smash hit Heroes as Mohinder Suresh.












This weeks Hump Day Hottie is ~ Sendhil Ramamurthy

6 Wierd Things About Me

I have been tagged by so many people for this meme that I can't even mention them all. Since I am training someone at work today will be the perfect day for me to do this list as it will only take a couple of minutes.

1. When I was in kindergarten I had to have an oil gland surgically removed from the bottom of my foot. (they are normally in your head)

2. I was asked by an oral surgeon how long I had braces on my teeth because they were very straight. I haven't ever had braces.

3. I will only drink Diet Pepsi if I am drinking a cola. Not Diet Coke, not generic, not anything else. I will drink water instead.

4. I was born with one ear sticking slightly out because the cartiledge isn't strong enough to hold it back. I begged my mom for plastic surgery when I was 15. Now I don't care.

5. My favorite features are my eyelashes which are really long and thick and my nose.

6. I have always wanted to go to the opera. The real one where you dress formally and make a big production out of it ala Pretty Woman, but have never had the opportunity.

Rachel Still Hasn't Gotten Her Groove Back

When returning from vacation I find it incredibly difficult to return to my every day life. I so quickly get out of my groove of working every day, cleaning on a schedule and doing my best to stay organized that in the past 5 days since my return I have put off doing everything that remotely resembles work other than what is the minimum requirements.
I still haven't unpacked, gone through my bills or put up my Christmas tree. I am currently pulling clothing out of my suitcases every day to get ready for work. Luckily while in Washington my Nana (grandmother) would do everyone's laundry, including mine so I only had 1 small duffel bag of dirty laundry when I returned.
My house is a disaster and I can barely work up the energy to do a load of laundry (one so far of towels) and run the dishwasher.
I have Wednesday off so I am hoping that I will be able to at least get my luggage un-packed, everything put away, make a couple of calls that are important and get my Christmas tree up.
If anyone has any good ideas on getting back on track after vacation I would love to hear it.
Right now I need a vacation to recover from my vacation.