"It's called a sense of humor - you should get one - they're nice."
- said by Duckie Dale from the movie Pretty In Pink




Its Random 10 Friday again.
You know the drill! Will you play?

1. Sleeping To Dream (live at the Eagles Ballroom) - Jason Mraz * my new FAVORITE Song!!
2. A Lifetime - Better Than Ezra
3. With Or Without You - U2
4. Sin - Stone Temple Pilots
5. There's Your Trouble - Dixie Chicks
6. Speed Of Sound - Coldplay
7. Get To Me - Train
8. Restless - Alison Krauss
9. Break Away - Rascal Flatts
10. In The Absence Of Sun - Duncan Sheik

Bonus: If You Leave - OMD (sweet song from an AWESOME movie!)
And, Just because I'm in a good mood today and its beautiful outside:
Ol' 55 - Tom Waits

Do you want my good news or my bad news??
The Good news you say?!
Well, the good news is that it all came up.
Yup.
That's the good news.
It all came up.

So, what is the bad news then, you might be asking yourself?
Well...

Thing 3 decided that she should go for a swim...
In the shower...
So, she took a towel and plugged up the drain...
And yes...
It really will flood the entire bathroom...
Up past my ankles...
Out into the familyroom and the office...
Do you know how much water it takes to do that??
A LOT!!!
She was having a blast though.
Singing to her little heartOut!!
Swimming with her toys!!
And filling up the bathroom with water.
What a great time she was having...
At one point the water was up to the bottom of the doors for the cabinent under the sink...
Yes.
That IS a lot of water.

When I called to tell Jefe what had happened, I asked him if he wanted to know the good news or the bad news.
He said only good news.
So I told him that it all came up...
He said to me "What?!" I repeated myself.
He then started to laugh and said, I don't think I want to know what all came up... But tell me anyway.
When I told him what had happened, he really put it into perspective for me...
"At least she didn't drown", he said. "The rest will dry. "
Perspective.

So, now I am thankful that I have a little stinker of a Thing 3 to flood my bathroom, hall, family room and office.

It took every single towel in our entire house to just get the floor of the bathroom dry.
Sheesh.

What is it exactly that makes people crave things?
Or, better yet, obsess over things?
I am curious about this.
I woke up this morning, and all I could think about was having a diet coke.
Now, mind you, I haven't had one since July... And THAT'S saying something.
For all you out there in internet space land, let me just explain something about myself.
I was HARDCORE when it came to soda.
ANY soda. I could drink anyone under the table.
Looking back, its actually sortof gross.
Realistically, I could go through a 12 pack in a 1.5 days.
Yes.
One and a half days.
You read correctly.
Gross huh?!
It didn't really matter what kind of soda it was... As long as it wasn't Pepsi or Coke. They're too sweet. It had to be diet... And I didn't care which brand. Just some sort of soda.
Jefe said I was like a lush... Leaving my empty soda cans all over the house. Always having a soda can in my hand...
Oh my gosh!
I was a soda lush!

Now I am like that little girl in Signs. You know the one. Who drinks some of the water, then leaves the partially drank glasses of water all over.
Yup.
That's me now.
I guess, when the aliens come to get us all, my house will be prepared with glasses of water all over the house to get 'em.

Anyway... I digress...
I want a soda.
Even though I know that it will make me feel like crap.
I want one!!

Now, I have the arduous task of convincing myself that I don't!
It's not working.

Ohh, the anger sharks are swimming in my head!
from the movie Anger Management.

I hurt my back.
Ouch.
Must.
Go.
Lay.
Down.

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. "
-Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Its Random 10 Friday.
You know the routine... did you play??

1. Voices Inside My Head - Dixie Chicks
2. I Still Haven't Found What I am Looking For - U2
3. Jeremy - Pearl Jam
4. Mahna Mahna - Cake
5. Freedom 90 - George Michael
6. When You Come Back Down - Nickel Creek
7. What Hurts The Most - Rascal Flatts
8. The Shadowlands - Ryan Adams
9. Jersey Girl - Tom Waits
10. Here's Where The Story Ends - The Sundays

Bonus: Aces Suzy Boggus

I want to read this book SOO bad. I don't have any clue why. There are just some books that grab my attention, and I just HAVE to read them.
Widow of the South was one. It was fantastic.
Elegant Gathering of White Snow was one. It was excellent.
This book is one.
I really want to read this book.
There are 32 holds at the library for it, and they only have 2 books. I think I will be waiting quite a while.
Jefe told me to just go buy it, but I hate to buy a book by an author that I have never read before. I have nothing to compare it to. I will usually only buy a novel by someone I have previously read... Although I did buy Widow of the South... But I got that used from Amazon.com for $7.00.
It was worth the risk.
This book is too new to be selling for cheap on the used section of Amazon.

So, now I wait...Patiently?

Is this not THE coolest picture you have ever seen?? It is Anonymous Louisiana Chick's husband. She is one of my dearest, and oldest friends. She probably knows more about me than me!
Her hubby, Anonymous Sailor, is serving in Iraq. When she told me he was going to Iraq, I was little perplexed, as there is no ocean over there.
Anyway, he sent out this picture to everyone back home. His camp is Camp Echo, which is 140 miles away from Baghdad. The Palace, where this throne is located, is an hour away by helicopter which is the only way he can travel. His camp is in an area that is too dangerous to drive in so he has to fly everywhere! This throne is located in Saddam's Al Faw Palace in Baghdad. Saddam had 23 Palaces. This is one of Saddam's actual thrones!

Now, I can't resist this next line...
To quote Shrek... "Do you think he's [Saddam] compensating for something?"

He wrote in his email that they held a Chief Petty Officer initiation in Saddam's prayer room. I bet that was AMAZING!
I just had to share this photo with everyone out there in cyber-land. Its too freaking amazing!

Oh!
And Thanks, Anonymous Sailor & Anonymous Louisiana Chick!
I appreciate your sacrifice!
Stay safe!

Do you see the white stuff in the eves of this house?
Yup.
It is EXACTLY what you think it is.
Snow.
It snowed here last night.

These are the mountains from my front porch. Do you see where it is super white with snow? That is where the wild fire was on Thursday that burned 400+ acres over 3 canyons.
Thank you very much crazy lady trying to burn her vegetation in her yard because it was a FIRE HAZARD!! She deserves the Idiot award!

I can't believe that it snowed. It's only September 16th! How crazy is that??
It also rained so hard that I was sure that we were going to wake up needing our Ark... I haven't heard a storm quite like that one since I left the mid-west. It was a little like coming home!

Anyway... It snowed here last night, and its FREAKING cold now. Can't mother nature find some sort of happy medium? Is it really necessary to go from the 7th rim of hell to Antarctica in just 1 day?? Sheesh!

Happy Anniversary, El Jefe!

THIS really makes me smile.
Click on THIS and see if you don't smile too.

It reminds me of highschool, and all my goofy friends that would do SNL skits for our assemblies.
Good times. Yeah. Good times.

I was taking Anonymous Cousins home yesterday, when I saw something that I HAD to post about.
Manpris.
What are they you ask?
Well, they are capris...
for men.
Yuck

MANPRIS ARE A NO-NO!!
They are just a bad, bad thing... Even if you are on the beach!
Just don't do it.
Please.

Yes. It's true.
I finally saw some.
I saw a man, taking a nice stroll tonight wearing his new manpris.
They truly are gross.
Mens.
Do not EVER buy yourself manpris...
You will look ridiculous, and we WILL all point and laugh at you!

"This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time."
Fight Club, spoken by Edward Norton


It's Random 10 Friday. You know what to do. Set your ipod, mp3 player or computer music playing device to shuffle, and tell us the first 10 songs that show up. Remember, no fair deleting the ones that make you look like a dork.
Does anyone play anymore?

1. Not Ready To Make Nice - Dixie Chicks
2. Adlib (live in SLC) - Bare Naked Ladies
3. The Human Heart - Once Upon This Island-Broadway Musical
4. You're So True - Shrek 2
5. A Lifetime - Better Than Ezra
6. Can't Get You Out of My Head - Kylie Minogue
7. Woke Up This Morning - Alabama 3 (Sopranos Theme)
8. Dancing Queen - ABBA
9. Gone Daddy Gone - Gnarls Barkley
10. September - Earth Wind & Fire (Yeah!)

Bonus: I Melt (Live) - Rascal Flatts

I can attest to this!

This is my life. Need I say more?

And thats all I have to say about that.

So I decided to try coupon shopping. My sisters have been raving about how much money they have been saving...
So I thought what the heck. I might as well give it a shot.
I have to admit that I was hugely skeptical about "the savings" compared to the WORK that would be involved.
But, I have to admit that it was relatively painless. I clipped coupons... Dozens of them.
From my 2 Sunday papers (that I got for a huge deal--$15 for the entire year!) and several coupon websites.
Then I got the ad from Albertson's Box Top Event... Where everything was 10/$10. I figured out how many coupons I had for everything on sale, then made sure that I had groups of 10.
I bought...
AHEM...
20 boxes of cereal...
I spent $10.30
AND I saved $50.80
Not bad.
Not bad at all.
I had to get rainchecks on the remaining items... So now I can't wait until I can see what the rest of my purchases will be.
It really was exciting.
If it hadn't been 11pm... I would've been on the phone sharing my great savings with everyone!!

I get it now!
You were right, Anonymous Baby Sister!
You were right!

September 11 Memorial Video

This memorial video to September 11th... it is profound. I found myself crying at various points. I remember all too well where I was that awful day. I was getting Thing 1 ready for 1st grade. We had just moved into our new house in Illinois--we had been there for almost 3 weeks. I was watching the news while she ate her breakfast. I thought that they were showing a preview for a new action/adventure movie. Little did I know. When I finally realized what was happening, I just stood there motionless and speachless in front of the T.V. I had my hands over my mouth, and I was crying.
I was horrified... I called Jefe and told him what was happening. A Partner at his firm had a T.V. in their office, and everyone was gathered around it as well. We heard rumors that there was another plane that would've hit the Sears Tower had all the planes not been grounded. Jefe was sent home from work because the firm closed their offices. All of them. He stayed home the next day too. It was scarey!

I remember all the planes being grounded. Several were grounded at the Rockford Airport. The news was there... and people were getting off the planes-- begging for help. No one knew how long they were going to be grounded. Everyone just wanted to get home to their families.
Local Rockford people came and took in these strangers, gave them food and shelter.

I remember that after all of this happened, there was a different feeling in our country. I suppose that- that will be the closest that our country will ever come to being the way it was during WWII.
WE WERE UNITED.
We had a common goal... we didn't care about peoples religion, race or sexual orientation! We were all Americans! I remember feeling so patriotic...
I love my country!!
We went to church the Sunday after it happend, and I remember the building NEVER being as full as it was that day. People were hurting, and they were looking to God for the answers. Our Bishop gave us a beautiful sermon from the New Testament. I don't remember what he said... but I remember that for the first time during that chaotic week, I felt peace.

People were flying flags everywhere. My neighbors put up a flag pole... we bought a house one. Our flag flew 24/7.
I remember people had flags on their cars, trucks, buildings... it was such a unified time in our country.
Now we are a country that is divided.

I never want to forget that day. Or the feelings that I felt that day.

Thing1 on the night of September 11th was busily coloring at the kitchen table while Jefe and I were glued to the T.V. Every once in a while she would yell out "Mom, what happens in May?" and I would tell her, Mother's day. Then she would say"Mom, what happens in June?" I would tell her, Mommies birthday. We went on like this for quite a while. She would be quite for a long time, then holler out to know what happens in a particular month. After maybe 2 hours... she brought us all these papers and asked us to look at it.
She had made a calendar. Each month had a "Event"... mothers day, fathers day, easter.
For September, she had drawn a flag, waving in the wind... and written 2 words.
The War.
I was stunned. How did this 6 year old get what was happening... we were doing our best to shelter her...
I can't find that calendar.
Oh how I wish I could.

Remember the day our world stopped. Remember the day when everything changed.
Remember the day when you held your loved ones just a little tighter, and a little longer. Remember September 11th.

No matter how you feel about the war... please remember our soliders over there... Keep them in your prayers.

This day of days will be the one that we will always remember where we were. Thing 1 told me this morning where she was, and what she was doing... she had it right.
Where were you? Do you remember?

Where Were You

Watch this video and feel your patriotic spirit soar!

I feel today.
I feel, I don't know what...
Sad?
Patriotic?
Melancholy?

I have been sitting here at my desk, listening to the fighter jets fly over.
Constantly.
All Day.

I used to be annoyed at that sound.
So loud.
So... Disruptive?.
Now? Well...
To borrow the words of Jefe... I love that sound.
It is the sound of freedom.
It is the sound of a great military defending my freedoms.
Your freedoms.
We are blessed to live in a country where we have choices.
We can have opinions.
We can worship, think, act, or be anything we want.
I LOVE my country.
I guess I am feeling patriotic today.
Patriotic.
Grateful.
And worried.

I worry about Anonymous Brother-in-law who is in Afghanistan (after just finishing a tour in Iraq).
I worry about my good friends husband in Iraq.
I worry that we will forget what this whole thing is about... And its not about being a Republican or a Democrat... Or even an independent for that matter.

It is freedom.
Plain and simple.
Freedom.

So, I FEEL today.

Please say Yes.
Please say Yes.
Please say Yes!

Gore has not ruled out a White House Run in 2008.

" It's like you've gone to Dolly Parton School the way you look tonight" - Simon Cowell




1. Oh My Sweet Carolina - Ryan Adams
2. On Your Own - The Verve
3. Georgia Rain - Trisha Yearwood
4. Gone - Montgomery Gentry
5. All Star - Smash Mouth
6. Here's To You - Rascal Flatts
7. Why Georgia - John Mayer
8. American Baby - Dave Matthews Band
9. Jeremy - Pearl Jam
10. Walk On The Ocean

Bonus: Who Needs Shelter - Jason Mraz
AND just 'cause it's raining today:
In Your Eyes (Live) - Jeffrey Gaines

This is what I did last night when I couldn't sleep. I started yesterday afternoon, during my BORING Labor day... then had to put them on hold. We went and bought us a firepit thinger... Its pretty slick! We sat outside and roasted marshmellows last night! It was nice. 4 day weekends are nice while you are in them... its the getting back into your daily routine that sucks. The recovery from the 4 day weekends are hard!
Anyway...
Here are my latest creations.
I made the paper and everything. The tag on the things page came from a kit, and the flowers on Thing1's page is from a kit too... i haven't figured out how to make those... yet.
I am digging this whole digital thing.
However, I honestly do not see me giving up my paper scrapping any time soon. I really find that to be theraputic. I like the whole paper thing... cutting, pasting and holding the finished product in my grubby little hand. I like the process.
Anyway.
Here they are.

This is dedicated to all my friends back in Rockford Illinois. They got 10 inches of rain yesterday. TEN INCHES. That's amazing. We heard it on the national news, and ran and looked at the local stations. Yup. Sure enough. Thats where we used to live. The street where I used to get my hair done is completely under water. The street where the mall is... under water. The street where our church was... under water. Incredible. I am wondering how our house faired?! We had an easement that went through our backyard... any sort of rain caused a river... I can only imagine the mess that our backyard is now. Yikes! We had a huge storm like this back in June of 2002 and it flooded our basement... and it was NOTHING as big as this storm seems to be. CRAZY.

You can go HERE to see pictures or HERE to see video. I'm thinkin' of you guys back there in Rockford. I hope you have your arks built!

This means we're having a good Labor Day.
Are you??

Jefe and I started watching the Crocodile Hunter, before it was cool to watch the crocodile hunter. I remember the first time we saw him, we were freaking out. We called up Anonymous Pappy to tell him to turn on Animal Planet and watch this freak from Australia. He did things that make normal people cringe and shake their head in disbelief!

I always said that he was going to get bit one day, and say "Crikey! She's quite the Sheila!" Then drop dead.
I always said that.
I didn't actually believe that.

Steve Irwin died today.
He was filming a documentary about the deadliest ocean creatures, or some such thing, when he was stung in the heart by a sting-ray.
This is a sad day for all of us "wanna-be-thrill-seekers-living-vicariously-through-The Crocodile Hunter."
What will we ever do now?
R.I.P. Crocodile Hunter.
I hope you find many a crocodile up there in heaven to tame!

I want to get a bike like this.
But, I don't want to ride it.
I want to paint it some absurd color like purple.
Or maybe Red.
Or Magenta...
Then I want to put a basket on the front, and plant flowers in it.
They had bikes like this all over my favorite city in Illinois that my Mom and I liked to go shopping in-- Geneva.
It was a fantastic town... But they called themselves a Village.
I love that.
Jefe used to catch the train in here for his trek into Chicago.
Our first summer there, I was large with child, and he didn't want me to not have the car. So I drove him to the train station every morning. We would leave the apartment at 7:00am, and by 7:15-- half way there-- I would start crying. And I would then cry all the way back to our apartment. It was soo scary to be all alone in this new state. I knew not one soul... Just Jefe... And he was 2 hours away. I look back on it now, and it seems so silly. I really learned how to become independent. I learned that it's ok for me to be alone, and be comfortable with that. I learned how to REALLY navigate. I became quite the explorer. I knew where every road went, because I had driven them, all of them... Trying figure out where everything was.
It was probably not the smartest thing I ever did... We had a lease and ended up going WAAAYYY over our mileage... But it was worth it. At least I think so. That whole experience taught me so many things. I had been such a chicken up to that point. I hated to go do things by myself. But, Jefe being so far away... I had to. I had to figure out how to do EVERYTHING.
By myself.
It was soo good for me.
I don't really know why I have gotten off on this tangent... Other than I want a bike in my yard to remind me of Geneva.
And, just maybe, how far we really have come.
In every sense!

OH.
MY.
HELL.

What is this world coming to?
Jefe just called and told me to turn the radio on to 97.5fm.
He double dog dared me.
How could I refuse??

You will NEVER EVER EVER believe what I heard blaring from my radio.
Give up?

Silent Night.
Yes, you read right.
Silent Night was blaring from my radio.
I love that song. But not in September. I hate that song in September.

They are going to play 24/7 Christmas carols.
Have they lost their freaking minds?
Its bloody September 2nd!!

I was major hungry last night.
Jefe wanted pizza, and not the crappy Little Ceasars Pizza either.
The real deal...
Well, as close to the real deal as you can get in the desert...
Pizza Hut.
It took over an hour to get through on the phone...
When I finally got through, I ordered a cheese pan pizza and Cinnamon sticks.
Nothing fancy.
Pretty simple.
When the pizza finally arrived... It wasn't my cheese pan pizza.
It was cheese on a cracker.
I hate cheese on a cracker.
I want my THICK crust.
Thank you very much.
I called Pizza Hut back and proceeded to complain...
They apologize profusely...
So, I asked them to bring me the right pizza.
"Um. I'm sorry. We don't have any pan pizza's."
WHAT?? You're freaking Pizza Hut...
"O.K. I'll take the original crust then."
LONG PAUSE
"um... I'm sorry but we don't have that either."
WHAT IN THE HECK???
So, I rather rudely said "You mean to tell me all you have is cheese on a cracker pizza then? Why didn't you freaking tell me that when I ordered? Its nasty!
Poor girl.
She's not used to being yelled at.
She gave me my money back... Well, a credit actually.

I called them today and asked first if they had pan pizza's today. I think the girl on the other end thought I was on crack.
But, I got the right pizza this time.
And, damn!
It's good!

"I had to be up at that there crossroads last midnight, to sell my soul to the devil." " Well, ain't it a small world, spiritually speaking. Pete and Delmar just been baptized and saved. I guess I'm the only one that remains unaffiliated." - O Brother, Where Art Thou?

1. Sleeping To Dream(Live) - Jason Mraz
2. Hold My Hand - Hootie & The Blowfish
3. Sweet Home Alabama - Forrest Gump Soundtrack
4. Ants Marching Acappella (Dave Matthews Cover) - Rockappella
5. What's Left Of Me - Nick Lachey
6. Champagne Supernova - Matt Pond PA
7. Hands Down featuring Michael Stipe - Dashboard Confessional
8. Ol' '55 - Tom Waits
9. What Is This Feeling - Wicked the Broadway Musical
10 . Freedom 90 - George Michael

Bonus: Fireflies - Faith Hill