Random!!

I have been a crazy, lazy blogger recently (for the past 11 days or so to be exact!) Some of it was computer inaccessibility, and some of it was due to the situations surrounding my melancholy I posted about and "the project" (which I did do at least enough to get by....thanks for all the suggestions). And just to type a little more here without being able to actually say anything that will make sense to anyone but me, the project was pretty much done for nothing, and I may have to go through it all over again, and the melancholy is still here along with the sense of foreboding and the lack of knowledge about our immediate future and, let's just be honest, the stress and anxiety. Exciting, right??

On top of that I just haven't felt very inspired to write anything. So I thought that I would go look around at some of my regular reads (that I have neglected completely the last 11 days) and see if I could steal anything interesting from them. (yes, it has come to that) This prompts me to ask a question.....do you have a family whistle? We don't, and honestly, I have never been able to whistle loud enough for this to be overwhelmingly effective unless you are standing right next to me in the aisle - and that would just make the whistle needless anyway.

Love Bugs!! They are everywhere. When I open my front door it is like looking through a black haze......that is how many of them are flying around my house. And every time my daughter walks out the door we have to have the assuring conversation that they won't bite her. The other day one almost flew into my mouth. Ew! If you don't know what they are, here is a great explanation of them (because, like I said, today is a day for stealing other people's posts).

One thing that I haven't neglected doing is watching new tv!! Finally! I have been waiting for new tv for what seemed like forever.

In the spirit of unashamedly stealing other people's posts, I will refer you to Kailani for a wonderfully put together synopsis of Grey's Anatomy just in case you missed it, or you are one of ten people in America who isn't watching it yet. I have to admit.....I was a little disappointed-from all the previews I was expecting to have the panties on the bulletin board happen at the start instead of the end. The flashbacks were interesting and gave some incite, especially the one with McDreamy and Addison. The doc or the vet?? Still no answer. I think that it will pick back up next week and get back to it's usual groove.

Do you watch SVU? A very interesting season opener. Here is the info in case you missed it! I liked the return of "Star", it was very unexpected, and an interesting way to have Olivia gone (to be with the new baby I assume) for a while, but the show just isn't the same without Olivia and Elliot working together.

Here is a question....Does anyone watch 7th Heaven anymore? I watched it a long time ago with my mom, and then stopped. Last year was supposed to be the last year and so right there at the end I caught the last few episodes, there was just something nostalgic and important about having closure with the Camdens. Of course, as all shows, it had to have an outrageous ending-everyone is pregnant with twins. My first thought was, "wow, that will stink when they have to cast for a reunion show in ten years". All of the sudden though, the show isn't over anymore. When did this happen? I had been seeing the commercials talking about the new CW takeover and showing 7th Heaven, but I thought that it must just be reruns.....but now I realize that it will actually be new episodes. Will this show never end!?! All I can say is if you just recently had twins and you have show business aspirations for them, this will be a great time to get something set up with the CW, because they are going to need a lot of twins pretty soon. And I seem to be finding myself drawn to watching this show again......I can't explain why, but there is just something about it that draws you in and doesn't let go once it has a hold on you.

Okay, I am going to admit it here, publicly, for all to know. In the last couple of weeks, during commercial breaks, I have been watching Celebrity Duets. I can't help it. It just happens. Apparently it might be happening to Risible Girl too, because Marie Osmond is invading her dreams. Scary. As good of a reason as any to make this show go away, because honestly, I could have lived my entire life without seeing Cheech Martin sing, much less seeing Alfonso Ribeiro (who will always be "that short, annoying guy from Fresh Prince")

Okay, what is the consensus on Men In Trees, because I have to say that so far, I think I like it. I like Abraham Benrubi. I think this character is working well for him. Much better than his ER character. (Is he going to do both shows?) Which leads me to say that I did watch bits and pieces of ER Thursday, but found it really hard to get back into after it being off for so long......I had pretty much forgotten what was going on. They should have reaired the last episode from last year before the new one to get everyone caught back up......in fact, I found myself watching a lot more 6 Degrees than ER......... I think that I like 6 Degrees too. One strange thing, and it is probably just me, but when the Carlos' (Jay Hernandez) character talks, if I am not looking at the screen, something about the way he talks reminds me of George from Grey's Anatomy. Am I loosing my mind??

So there it is. What do you think you will be watching this season? Did I watch more tv in the last week than all of you combined, especially when you think about the fact that there is so much that I didn't type about?

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I'm Obsessed!

Yes, that's right, I'm ready to admit it........I'm obsessed with all things Goggle. I am going to share my two new google pastimes with you.

The first one is Google Trends. My husband discovered this one first. You can type in anything you want and find out the search trends for that word or phrase.....what is even better, you can type in two (or more) things and compare the trends. You will get to see the top cities searching for this, the top regions and languages. You wouldn't believe the time my husband and I spent playing with this........and don't even start thinking we don't have a life until you check it out, it is one of the most entertaining time wasters that I have seen recently.
Until.........
I found the second thing, the Google Image Labeler. You get randomly paired with someone else who is online wasting time. You will both see the same image and give it as many labels as you want in 90 seconds. The goal is for you and your partner to match a label.......if you do you will get points and a new image to label. (See, this isn't just fun, but it is competitive-gotta love the competition!) It is supposed to help improve the quality of searches for images, but I think it is really all about the challenge, getting the points, and some quality time wasting. Becuase who doesn't love that!

If you are looking for something to do that isn't a time waster, you can click on the thumbnail on the right and visit my roomies' The Lost Girls to find out how their trip to Peru went.

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Melancholy

What good is a blog is you don't get to complain every once in a while, right? Melancholy. That is the word for today. Too much stuff going on. Too many unknowns. Too much other stuff. There are all these decisions running around in my head-some of which don't even need to be made for a whole year, but I think they are plaguing me becuase the ones that might need to be made soon are even further from being made than the future ones at this point. For a week now I have been staring at a project, knowing that it needs to be done by next week, but feeling overwhelmed by it, and depressed by it, and imposed upon by it.....and it is just a stupid project (one that I am even ashamed to admit what it is becuase you would all shake your heads and say "just get up and do it. that's not a big deal at all") projects shouldn't be able to have this effect on you. But it is more what the project represents for me that is bothering me (it doens't matter that I should have to do the project if the thing it represents was happening or not, my logical side just isn't working well this week, okay!) I am avoiding sleeping at night...and feeling tired all day (and that doesn't help me be more motivated to get up and do the project, now does it?) And really whatever happens is going to happen, so I really need to just give myself a good talking to and get up and do what needs to be done and stop thinking about it, overanalyzing it. (easy to say, not quite as easy to do).

Do you have any projects staring at you right now?

The Lost Girls gave themselves a project-to interview each other about Peru. You can find out what clothing item has been the most useful, what each girls biggest meltdown has been. Jen's biggest gross out moment has been people picking their noses, but trust me, that was tame compared to the other two. Just click on the thumbnail over to the right to get the whole scoop.

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Thursday Thirteen #6

**Please check out my roomie's for the week-The Lost Girls. Just click on that thumbnail to the right. You won't be disappointed!**
Thirteen Things I Like About Myself
1. I like the fact that I have never once plucked my eyebrows, but they are still cute.

2. I like that I am a good wife and mother. (that was hard to type--it sometimes feels like it is wrong to say that, like you are being conceited, but when I see my daughter exhibit some of my good qualities, or be kind to another child or try to figure out how to tell time, I feel good about the job I am doing-sure, I make mistakes, but I am still a good mom.)

3. I like my eclectic taste in movies and books.....I like that I am a reader. I am one of those people who will sit down and read a whole book in a day.

4. I like that I let my experiences-good and bad-teach me to be a better person. I like the fact that I have come to the point in life where I can look back on the sexual abuse in my childhood and no longer view myself as a victim, but as a survivor.

5. I like that I am opinionated and I try to do something with those opinions that will make changes. I regularly write letters to my governor and all of my other elected officials. I try not to let myself complain about something unless I am willing to try to do something about it. I don't gloss over the hard subjects, I stand up for what is right. I vote.

6. I like my feet, and I think they are kind of cool. I can move my toes sideways-I can "ball my toes up like a fist"-and I can pick stuff up with them. (anyone got a banana?)

7. I like that I am a good conversationalist and a great listener.

8. I like that I'm able to let other people be themselves. I have some really great friends and I have learned to be a good friend back to them even when we are completely different.

9. I like my photography. I take good pictures.

10. I like my hair.

11. I like that I am becoming artsy-for most of my life I was very critical of myself when I would try to create something or draw a picture, but I am starting to be more open to part of me and find myself drawing and creating and actually liking it. I am great at coloring!

12. I like that I have a good memory....I'm like an elephant-I never forget. It amazes my husband how I can tell you about conversation exactly word for word.

13. I like that I can fix things. When there is something that needs to be fixed around the house, I just do it. My husband will come home and I will tell him about it and that I fixed it and he will say "You fixed that!?!" or "How did you do that?!" (especially if it is a "guy thing") If I want the furniture rearranged, I just do it myself. I don't cook or clean, but I do fix stuff.

There is one more thing that isn't what you would call something I like about myself, but it is very important part of who I am and I just couldn't leave it out is that I am a born again Christian, a follower of Jesus. Lauren wrote a post this week that I had intended to link to and talk about before I knew that there was a challenge, but it was so great that I still have to point you too it -here- It really made me think.

Happy Thursday!
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

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A New Roomie!

If you look over to the right, you will see that I have an exciting new roomie......or should I say roomies. This week I am renting space to The Lost Girls-Amanda, Jen, and Holly.

In June they left New York to start an around the world trip. Aren't you a little jealous? Well, maybe you can't go around the world yourself right now, but you can click on that thumbnail and go around the world vicariously.

Get ready to hear about exotic places like the Amazon and Peru.

Find out how their run in with Murphy's Law actually came out good this time.

Meet their Lost Family of the Week: The Rennhacks.

See some pictures of them in the Amazon with monkeys and rodents of unusual size. And much much more!

They have great stories and incredible pictures that you don't want to miss......so go ahead-get lost with the lost girls-just click on the picture on the right where it says "My Roomie". I promise you won't be disappointed!

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Snakes In My Yard

Yesterday my pastor, Brian, shared a special story. Late Saturday night he was at the church working, and he went outside to get something from his car. There are street lights near enough that you can make out large objects, so you won't run into anything big, but you really can't see the ground.

As he is walking through the darkness, he hears a snake hissing. He could tell that it was right next to him, but couldn't see it. He does not like snakes, so he did what any person in this situation would do.....

He jumped away from the sound.

The snake hissed again. This time it was a little louder, and still right next to him.

So he started to run.

And he could hear the snake beside him.

Here he was, alone late at night, in the dark, and a snake that he couldn't see was chasing him.

This is the point in the story where I started freaking out, because the place where this happened is basically my back yard. I'm sitting in church as he is telling this story, thinking, "Oh my gosh, there are crazy, aggressive, people-chasing snakes living in my yard! I am going to have to go out right after church and buy some swords just in case I run into one tonight. Katarina won't be allowed to play outside until we take care of this."

Brian stopped running, and tried to decide what to do. His next thought was, "Maybe the snake isn't chasing me, maybe there is more than one." (Honestly, neither of those thoughts are very comforting to me.)

At that moment, he feels something wet on his leg, and has an important realization about the snake: It wasn't a snake at all; it was his partially opened coke bottle that was hissing at him.

As he ran around, he shook the bottle, and the hissing just kept getting louder.

Let this be a warning to you. The next time you are walking around late at night in dark places, be sure to watch out for the dangerous Coke Bottle Snake. You never know when one will be there, waiting to chase you.

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Organized!!

For those of you who remember the great DVD orginization debate recently held in my household, I thought that I would give you a very happy update. Today........I finally talked my husband into alphabetizing. He still refused to alphabetize the tv shows, and some documentaries and music DVDs, but for the most part, all our DVDs are now alphabetized.

I like them like this. It is much better to have all of the different genres of movies mixed in.....and anything is better than his "location orginization" idea!
In fact, I am feeling inspired to watch all of our movies in alphabetical order. It would make for some interesting movie combinations.

On a completely different subject-my mouse has one of those scroll buttons on it that I use constantly and tonight I realized that for the past few days my right pointer finger has been feeling strange, kind of tender and sort of numb......and I have put it together that it is from the scroll button. Am I the only one this has happened to? Is this going to become one of those new computer-use-related-pains that people suffer from, will they give it some fancy name?

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Arizona Pictures!

This is a beautiful Arizona Mountain on the way to Saguaro Lake, Katarina feeding ducks at a park near my mom's house, some more pictures out of the plane window (taken after we got out of the thunderstorm on the way home, not while sitting next to "Bomb Boy" who I talked about in my Thursday Thirteen--there were no pictures taken on that flight!), Katarina in front of a restaurant mural, and one of me in my mom's back yard.

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