Home Improvements

Tim installing the ceiling fan. We're finally making this house a home.

Finished product -- but not working as planned

Joy rocking her stuffed puppy. She requested that I take such a picture.

mindless babbling

How can a physical response be so strong when ... when the circumstances are so skewed? (understatement of the century)

carpe canis lupus ;)

movies - chick flicks and action flicks
mexican chocolate
housework actually being fun
stimulating conversations
time to cry a lot and up chocolate intake while going to gym to work off excess stress


and can I look like Jane Seymour when I'm her age? Watching an odd show on the WB, she plays a life coach and was wearing a gorgeous green wrap dress.

more coherent posts later when I'm done composing them

15 Minutes of Infamy

Care program shields kids, prevents court disruptions
The Business Journal of Portland - March 24, 2006
by Lloyd Woods
Business Journal Web Editor

Cowering in the corner, the 4-year-old watches his mother once again being abused by his father. The youngster's trauma does not end there, as the next day he must accompany his mother to the Multnomah County Courthouse, where she will seek a restraining order against his father.

If this had happened five years ago, the boy would have had to relive the experience as his mother described -- blow by blow -- why she needed a restraining order.

Today, though, thanks primarily to the efforts of two women, the youngster can be spared an overwhelming courthouse experience. Instead, he can stay in a free child-care center established in the courthouse in 2001.

Multnomah CourtCare was created through the work of Robin Selig, an attorney with the Oregon Law Center, and Mary Louise McClintock, an early-childhood specialist, fulfilling a longtime goal of the Multnomah Bar Association.

The program's genesis began about six years earlier, when the MBA's Court Liaison Committee asked Judge Janice Wilson and attorney Gerri Sue Lent to co-chair a task force to explore the need for child care at the courthouse.

In 1997, a study conducted by Portland State University's Department of Sociology for the task force found that an average of 80 children under the age of 13 were in the courthouse every day. Attorneys, judges and courthouse staff said children were being brought to courtrooms, hearing their family members describing disturbing scenes and sometimes disrupting the court process.

Meanwhile, Selig, who represents many low-income clients who are victims of domestic violence and saw far too many children appearing in court proceedings with them because they could not afford child care, was one of the attorneys with concerns.

She brought these concerns to McClintock, a longtime friend, and learned that McClintock was already working with the MBA to find a home for the future CourtCare.

In 1999, the women became co-chairs of the Multnomah CourtCare Advisory Board.

Room 214, a little-used jury room in the courthouse, was set aside for the program by the judges of Multnomah Circuit Court. State child-care licensing staff gave a waiver to allow a child-care facility in the courthouse. The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners paid for remodeling the room and budgeted $25,000 a year for CourtCare, as did the Oregon Judicial Department.

CourtCare needed more than $50,000 to operate, so the MBA stepped in with funding for the first few years and then turned to its members for more support.

The response was outstanding, said McClintock, as firms challenged each other to raise money for the new program.

The Multnomah County legal community in 2004 began a fund-raiser, "Jungle Gym in the Jungle Campaign," and in the first year raised $65,000, mostly from law firms.

Last year the campaign raised $91,000.

The goal for this year's campaign, which runs April 24 to May 5, is $100,000, which would allow CourtCare to add a third employee. The 2005-06 budget for the program is $132,000.

With only two employees, McClintock said, child care cannot be offered when one is absent, due to regulatory requirements governing the ratio of caregivers to children.

CourtCare provides care for 80 to 100 children a day -- with no charge for the parents -- with each staying there an average of 75 minutes. ChildCare can take up to six children at a time and accepts children ages 6 months to 5 years.

The program is operated for the county by Volunteers of America Oregon.

Kay Toran, VOA Oregon president, described ChildCare as "Lawyers loving children."

"It's been rewarding on a lot of different levels for me," said Selig. "We've made a difference for kids and families."

lwoods@bizjournals.com | 503-219-3480

Done the Impossible - The Fans' Tale of the Rise and Fall and Rise of Firefly

Done the Impossible - The Fans' Tale of the Rise and Fall and Rise of Firefly

Darn it, missed out on a Browncoat!

E-Mail Icon Generator

A Different Christmas Poem

-- Forwarded Message --

A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS POEM

A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS POEM

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light, I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight. My wife was asleep, her head on my chest, My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white, Transforming the yard to a winter delight. The sparkling lights in the tree I believe, Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep, Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep. In perfect contentment, or so it would seem, So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near, But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear. Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear, And I crept to the door just to see who was near. Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night, A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old, Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold. Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled, Standing watch over me, my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here! Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve, You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift, Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.. To the window that danced with a warm fire's light Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right, I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line, That separates you from the darkest of time. No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December," Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram will always remember." My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam', And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while, But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile. Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag, The red, white, and blue... an American flag.

"I can live through the cold and the being alone, Away from my family, my house and my home. I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet, I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another, Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.. Who stand at the front against any and all, To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright, Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."

"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast? It seems all too little for all that you've done, For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget. To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone, To stand your own watch, no matter how long. For when we come home, either standing or dead, To know you remember we fought and we bled. Is payment enough, and with that we will trust, That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.

WE ALL NEED TO PRAY FOR OUR MILITARY PERSONNEL EVERY NIGHT!

Daffodil

Annette

get thee to a nunnery

6:40 PM Monday, March 20, 2006

First day of spring and besides my Bible study and the people behind me who sound like they are on a blind date "so, do I look like my picture?" says the middle aged woman speaking to the distinguished middle-aged man the only thought going through my heaad is that I need some serious downtime for some super-serious self-reflection and wonder if there are any nunneries in OR. Anything less than that and left to my own devices and I would probably get myself into some serious trouble.
Annette

I'm excited

4:15 PM, Friday March 17, 2006

I'm excited! I have a boss who is encouraging me and advising on completing my degree, and even suggesting ways to speed up the process. It helps that she is also a student at the moment working on her BA, but I reapplied to PCC and will be going into Advising on Monday morning to see how much can transfer so I can get my AS and then transfer to a 4-year university and get my degree in probably ECE (Early Childhood Education). And if not, any classes I take will count towards my CDA. (link to CDA website).

I'm excited, I get to go back to school!!!. And now the fun part, applying for financial aid. Whee!

Annette

You Are Austin

A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. You're totally weird and very proud of it. Artistic and freaky, you still seem to fit in... in your own strange way. Famous Austin residents: Lance Armstrong, Sandra Bullock, Andy Roddick

What American City Are You?

and now back to my regularly scheduled dusting ....

You Are Apple Green

You are almost super-humanly upbeat. You have a very positive energy that surrounds you. And while you are happy go lucky, you're also charmingly assertive. You get what you want, even if you have to persuade those against you to see things your way. Reflective and thoughtful, you know yourself well - and you know that you want out of life.

What Color Green Are You?

Vande Gras

Last night I went to my first ever Vande Gras at Edgefield. Now, I have known this guy for like 11 years and we have lived in close proximity for like the last 5 and this was the first ever I have ever been invited to his birthday party. (What's up with that???!!!) But it was fun, if wet and cold and muddy at times (but that's a whole 'nother story). Well, darnit, lost my train of thought ... Oh yeah, so his party was at an Irish pub/resort on St. Patrick's Day!!! At first I kinda had trouble figuring out who was with him since I only knew 2 other people and some of the ones I expected were not there.

Anyways, Vande Gras was fun, but I got the feeling that other years had been more memorable.

Darnit, this was funny when I was composing it in my head. I guess that's my cue to get back to dusting ....

clean again

My first weekend at home in three months. And I spend it "deep cleaning" as Tim calls it. Thea, you would be so proud of me, it's better than when I cleaned it for Thanksgiving ... well, the counter isn't that clean, but the living room and dining room sparkle (well, just have a few bookshelves to dust, but that's the last thing). Anyways!!! The whole downstairs is clean enough that I wouldn't mind company coming by unexpectedly and having to say "please excuse the mess". I SOOOO hate saying that. My grandmother never had to say that and there were 10 of us living in a 4-bedroom duplex. Though I must admit, she was a lot stricter than I am when it came to getting us kids to work. Some days I am still at the "get out of my way, it will be faster and better if I do it". Cuz it will. All Josh does is try to boss Joy around to clean, and she cleans what she wants (BTW, she totally helped by vacuuming the dining room, doing a great job and then we found a really fun way to fluff the pillows). No food, less icky smell (the smell was starting to drive me bonkers, anyone want a cat with 'tude????)

So, anyways, I am proud of the (not so) little accomplishment of getting my living room and dining room much more than presentable. Tim does presentable =) So, yall better come over before the clutter takes over again.

Now for my room ....

where's your mom?

So Josh has a friend over, and actually, I think it's a kid that I put in time-out at lunch recess one time, but I digress. Josh introduces himself and welcomes his friend and dad, excuses the mess that is our house (I'm in the process of cleaning ok!! The dining room looks great!) The dad looks around and asks "And your mom is? ..." I raise my hand slightly and move from behind the vacuum "I'm the mom" and proceed to introduce myself. Dad says, "Well, if you're going to make a mistake, that's the one to make."

Why is it that all the adults at Josh's school think I am the big sister or something? Though, I guess I look a little young today. I took it as a compliment. One of these days I just know that I am going to start complaining about finally looking my age :)

Thanks for listening to me blather.

ARGH!!!

My palm ate my data and wiped it out of outlook!!!!! WAH!!!!! PIA!

I hate data entry, especially when i don't have a back-up!

Abby's pregnant????? by Luca?????????!!!!!!!

I miss 3 months of ER and everything changes. Though it is nice to be able to watch it again. I was just flipping through channels and mentally complaining that nothing is on when I saw it starting. back to it. commercials are over.

using my Palm

So, technophile that I am, I have a palm m105. Had it for quite a while now, like 5 or 6 years. But now that I commute on the MAX and have a ton of time on my hands at work most days, I have started utilizing a really cool thing on AvantGo. I can read blogs on it! It has an RSS aggregator of sorts and blogspot is cool cuz I can put in the addy of people's blogs on blogspot, AvantGo finds the RSS feed, and voila I have my friend's blogs on my palm! as well as news and neil gaiman's blog. but yeah, more interesting reading and now I won't feel so bad about not being able to keep up on them.

AvantGo for RSS enables you to sync RSS feeds as AvantGo channels. Each time you synchronize AvantGo you can get the latest from RSS feeds offered by bloggers, major media any other publisher distributing their content in an RSS format. The feeds are delivered to your device in a format that is optimized for your small screen smartphone or PDA. It’s easy to use and free!

Did you see that 404?

No, I didn't forget to pay the cable bill. After 5 years I finally hit the 25MB limit that Comcast has on it's personal web pages, and they didn't tell me. To solve the problem I have deleted from the Comcast server all my archives from 2001-2003. This is also impetus for me to get my portion of www.sargentcentral.net looking properly and move everything over there. But I don't have time to do that tonight. So, if any of you were pining for me, here I am again =) And it wasn't my fault, except the usual one of not paying close enough attention to the details.

New braids

Maybe I will have time to get a better shot later

Christian RSS/XML Feeds

Christian RSS/XML Feeds

FW: Ben Stein

 

This one has made the rounds a few times, well the last part starting with Madeline Murray.

 

Annette
===========
I find it interesting that the meanest life, the poorest existence, is attributed to God's will, but as human beings become more affluent, as their living standard and style begin to ascend the material scale, God descends the scale of responsibility at commensurate speed.
--Maya Angelou, 1970

-----Original Message-----

From Joannie:

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary, Sunday, December 18, 2005.

Here at this happy  time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart: I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly  when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the checkers at  the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so important? I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I do not care at all about Tom Cruise's wife.

Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I  am a subversive? Maybe, but I just  have no clue who Nick and Jessica  are.  If this is what it  means to be no longer young. It's not so bad.

Next  confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of  my  ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little  bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees  Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel  discriminated against. That's what they are:  Christmas trees. It  doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas"  to me. I  don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house  in Malibu. If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around  for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where  the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution, and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or  maybe I can put it another way:  where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we  understand Him?

I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old,  too.

But  there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

In  light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke, it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her  "How could God let  something like this Happen?" (regarding  Katrina)

Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I  believe God is deeply  saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.

And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"

In  light of recent events... terrorists  attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray  O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said  OK.

Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. the Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said  OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said  OK.

Now  we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong,  and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out.  I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how  we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says!

Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending  messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about  sharing.

Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and  obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because  you're not sure what they believe, or what they WILL think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

 

CHILDREN AND THE CHURCH
A little boy was attending his first wedding. After the service, his cousin asked him, "How many women can a man marry?"
"Sixteen," the boy responded. His cousin was amazed that he had an answer so quickly.
"How do you know that?"
"Easy," the little boy said. "All you have to do is add it up, like the Bishop said, 4 better, 4 worse, 4 richer, 4 poorer."
º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?º°'°
After a church service on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, "Mom, I've decided to become a minister when I grow up."

"That's okay with us, but what made you decide that?"
"Well," said the little boy, "I have to go to church on Sunday anyway, and I figure it will be more fun to stand up and yell, than to sit and listen."
?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?
A 6-year-old was overheard reciting the Lord's Prayer at a church service, "And forgive us our trash passes, as we forgive those who passed trash against us."
?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?
A boy was watching his father, a pastor, write a sermon. "How do you know what to say?" he asked.
"Why, God tells me."
"Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?"
?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?
A little girl became restless as the preacher's sermon dragged on and on. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, "Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?"
?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?º
After the christening of his baby brother in church, little Johnny sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong.
Finally, the boy replied, "That priest said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I want to stay with you guys!"
?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?º
Terri asked her Sunday School class to draw pictures of their favorite Bible stories. She was puzzled by Kyle's picture, which showed four people on an airplane, so she asked him which story it was meant to represent.
"The Flight to Egypt," was his reply.
Pointing at each figure, Ms. Terri said, "That must be Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus. But who's the fourth person?"
"Oh, that's Pontius - the pilot.
? º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º
The Sunday School Teacher asks, "Now, Johnny, tell me frankly do you say prayers before eating?"
"No sir," little Johnny replies, I don't have to. My mom is a good cook."
?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?
A college drama group presented a play in which one character would stand on a trap door and announce, "I descend into hell!"
A stagehand below would then pull a rope, the trapdoor would spring, and the actor would drop from view.
The play was well received. When the actor playing the part became ill, another actor who was quite overweight took his place. When the new actor announced, "I descend into hell!" the stagehand pulled the rope, and the actor began his plunge, but became hopelessly stuck. No amount of tugging on the rope could make him descend.
One student in the balcony jumped up and yelled: "Hallelujah! Hell is full!"
?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?º°'°º?o,,,,o?º°'°º?o?
This is the best one.
A little girl was sitting on her grandfather's lap as he read her a bedtime story. From time to time, she would take her eyes off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. She was alternately stroking her own cheek, then his again.
Finally she spoke up, "Grandpa, did God make you?"
"Yes, sweetheart," he answered, "God made me a long time ago."
"Oh," she paused, "grandpa, did God make me too?"
"Yes, indeed, honey," he said, "God made you just a little while ago."
Feeling their respective faces again, she observed, "God's getting better at it, isn't he?"

Fwd: Pastor's business card

-- Forwarded Message --
Pastor's Business Card

A new pastor was visiting in the homes of his parishioners. At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door. Therefore, he
took out a business card and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the back of it and stuck it in the door.

When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message, "Genesis 3:10." Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of laughter. Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." Genesis 3:10 reads, "I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked."

Remember when the funniest jokes were the clean ones? They still are! "A cheerful heart is good medicine" (Prov. 17:22) Now, pass it on!

Annette

one more thing .... (man, I feel like Uncle from Jackie Chan Adventures)

I got braids!!! Got them yesterday, and yes, my head is still sore, and I will upload a pic ASAP. Josh says they are the shortest he's ever seen them, and i suppose they are, but they are still pretty long. Not this long though

one gripe before bed

Naps are good =) but on to today's topic. I installed 512 MB of mem on my puter. I thought I would finally have 1GB, but no, the manufacturer gave me 512 MB of RAM in 256x2 modules. And I only have two slots for mem. So I need to get another 512. But hey, 768 MB of RAM ain't bad.

My biggest gripe is that the HD is so damn hard to replace. Actually, it isn't, but of all the screwdrivers we have in this house, not a single one of them is the right size for the type of screws they use. The user guide doesn't describe how to do it, so I call customer support (by the way, love the Candian accents AND they are open 24/7. I have yet to get a tech guy who doesn't say "about" in that very special Candian way, you know "aboat") oh yeah, back to my HD. So the tech guy tells me where to find the HD and kinda how to do it, but then tells me that I shouldn't do it and that's why it's not in the user guide. *sigh* So, I have to take it into Fry's. And I was hoping to get some money back. When I bought it, I also bought installation, so I guess it's not a huge biggie. It's just that after 6 weeks of making the commute, I was ready for a break. Now I have to go down there anyway. Just to install freaking XP PRO. Man, why did I want a bigger HD? (those of you who know me well need not answer that).

it's 2 am, i can't sleep, can't call anyone, too tired to read and all i want is the sound of another human voice.

i hate it when i'm lonely.

one more

ugh, some of these are so close to the mark ... anyone want to go get a coffee?

You Are a Frappacino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

BlogThings

Your Personality Profile

You are funky, outdoorsy, and down to earth. While you may not be a total hippie... You're definitely one of the most free spirited people around. You are very impulsive - every day is a new adventure. However, you do put some thought behind all your actions. Still, you do tend to shock and offend people from time to time!

The World's Shortest Personality Test

---

Your Birth Month is August

Ambitious and strong, you find it easy to be successful. You are brave and stubborn. No one's going to set your limits! Your soul reflects: Strength, character, and devotion Your gemstone: Peridot Your flower: Poppy Your colors: Orange, red, and light green

What Does Your Birth Month Mean?

---

You Are a Newborn Soul

You are tolerant, accepting, and willing to give anyone a chance. On the flip side, you're easy to read and easily influenced by others. You have a fresh perspective on life, and you can be very creative. Noconformist and nontraditional, you've never met anyone who's like you. Inventive and artistic, you like to be a trendsetter. You have an upbeat spirit and you like almost everything. You make friends easily and often have long standing friendships. Implusive and trusting, you fall in love a little too easily. Souls you are most compatible with: Bright Star Soul and Dreaming Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

You Are 55% Addicted to Love

Might as well face it, you're addicted to love. You've been a fool for love many times - but are you the wiser for it? Your needs should come first, both in and out of relationships. Because you're the only one who can look out for yourself!

Are You Addicted to Love?

The Movie Of Your Life Is Film Noir

So what if you're a little nihilistic at times? Life with meaning is highly over-rated. Your best movie matches: Sin City, L. A. Confidential, Blade Runner

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

I love Blade Runner ....

i think that's enough for now.


one more...

You Are 40% Boyish and 60% Girlish

You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch. Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes. You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them. You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.

How Boyish or Girlish Are You?

Snow

SNOW!!!!!

Man, I wish it was enough to ditch school, but hey, I love any covering of white. I just know Joy is gonna want to go sledding even though it will all probably melt away as soon as the sun is fully up.


SNOW!!!!!

I love this line: women are Crock-Pots who love to simmer emotionally, but once we've had time to warm up, we get HOT!

from Every Woman's Battle

NARA on Google Video

NARA on Google Video: "This selection of nineteen 'Headquarters Films (HQ)' preserved in the National Archives, represents a series of over 250 titles collected by the NASA Office of Public Affairs between 1962 and 1981. They were produced using footage from the various NASA research facilities and space flight "

they call it an addiction. i need a hit.



update at 8:08PM 15 days, no wonder I am losing it. Time to clean, or eat more chocolate, or cry, or all of the above.

grin

Your Nutritional Information: Servings Per Container: 1
x
% Daily Value
Sweetness:	23 g	46%
Bitterness:	689 mg	63%
Power:	13 g	37%
Healthful:	113 mg	45%
Excitement:	341 mg	31%
x
Deliciousness:	69%

'What is your nutritional value?' at QuizGalaxy.com

What is an enneagram?

AHA!!!! Much is explained. Earlier I edited the Personality Quizzes post so my page would look normal again and asked "what the heck is an enneagram anyway?" So then I went looking for the answer. Needless to say, I love Wiki (oddly enough, started by a Portlander).

"The nine types
The nine Enneagram types are often given names that indicate some distinctive behavioral aspect, though these labels are insufficient to capture the nuances of the type concerned.

Some examples are as follows. (For convenience, the corresponding deadly sin is indicated in square brackets: see below).

One: Reformer, Critic, Perfectionist [Anger]. This type focuses on integrity. Ones can be wise, discerning and inspiring in their quest for the truth. They also tend to dissociate themselves from their flaws and can become hypocritical and hyper-critical, seeking the illusion of virtue to hide their own vices. The One's greatest fear is to be flawed and their ultimate goal is perfection. (Alternative One description)

Two: Helper, Giver, Caretaker [Pride]. Twos, at their best, are compassionate, thoughtful and astonishingly generous; they can also be prone to passive-aggressive behavior, clinginess and manipulation. Twos want, above all, to be loved and needed and fear being unworthy of love. (Alternative Two description) "

more at the Wiki site...

if i have to listen to anything resembling punk ....

I'll listen to SuperChick. Rhapsody has a sampler of their stuff across albums, AND I LIKE IT! I don't like Stellar Kart as much as my son and quite a few of the youth in our church do, but then, I never liked Green Day or other punk bands from my era. Speaking of which, my son LOVES Green Day and was shocked to find out that I knew some of the songs he was listening to.

I finally broke down and ordered music online. I now own (thanks to SongTouch) Kirk Franklin's Hero(whole album $9.99 allowed 7 CD burns) sight unseen, er heard, Third Day's Wherever You Are (also $9.99 -- which I probably could have gotten from a friend who own every single one of their albums) and of course, Superchick's Beauty From Pain ($9.90 and not found in the Christian Supply nearest to me, or at Fry's, even though Fry's carries their last album, go figure) which I have been talking about off and on since "We Live" hit the airwaves.


So I spent just under $30, but if I had bought them at the store (or even Amazon or CDNow) I would have spent closer to $45. I'm cheap and want my music now :) I love saving a buck or 3. Anyways, my Zen needs new music if I can find my cable ..... (wandering off to find usb cable for Zen ... why can't each USB thing be interchangeable cablewise with every other ... oh wait, that would make it easy for the consumer...)

Today's adventure had us sitting on a park bench watching construction workers building a new development. Joy's choice of entertainment.

APOD: 2006 March 2 - Messier 101

I wouldn't mind a print of this ... cool ain't it.

Explanation: Big, beautiful spiral galaxy M101 is one of the last entries in Charles Messier's famous catalog, but definitely not one of the least. About 170,000 light-years across, this galaxy is enormous, almost twice the size of our own Milky Way galaxy. M101 was also one of the original spiral nebulae observed by Lord Rosse's large 19th century telescope, the Leviathan of Parsontown. Assembled from 51 exposures recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope in the 20th and 21st centuries, with additional data from ground based telescopes, this mosaic of M101 is touted as the largest, most detailed spiral galaxy view ever released from Hubble. The sharp image shows stunning features along the galaxy's face-on disk of stars and dust along with background galaxies, some visible right through M101 itself. Also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy, M101 lies within the boundaries of the northern constellation Ursa Major, about 25 million light-years away. "

Charles Messier's catalog

IHOP Celebrates Pancake Day with Free Pancakes - Slashfood

IHOP Celebrates Pancake Day with Free Pancakes - Slashfood: "Today - February 28th, 2006 - all participating IHOP restaurants will be giving away free pancakes to their customers. The free pancakes are in celebration of Fat Tuesday and each diner who requests them will be given a short stack at no charge! In IHOP speak, a short stack of pancakes is three pancakes, but diners with large appetites shouldn't worry about the small-sounding portion, since each pancake is nearly the size of a plate. "

Who knew!!! Learned a bit of history off of gomergirl's post too since pancake tuesday coincides with Fat Tuesday. I guess I should have posted this on Tuesday ...

MC Hammer Blog

Can you beleive it???? Hammer has a blog!

The Uterus Project

Shall I Knit you a Uterus?

I have written about knitting healing shawls, tea and sympathy shawls, and a hundred pairs of mittens for cold, needy hands (twenty five more pairs to go!). I have knit dozens of chemo hats and a hundred or so preemie caps. All these projects are very dear to my heart. Now I'd like to propose a new knitting project for knitters so inclined. For lack of a better name, I'll call it The Uterus Project.

A few weeks ago, after learning of a friend's unexpected and difficult hysterectomy, another friend suggested I check out HYSTERSISTERS, a hysterectomy recovery support website, where an online sisterhood of woman share their experiences and help each other. There are articles and stories and links and well, since it is a site for women, a store where you can purchase items to help you survive post op and to help others remember to pamper you during the recovery. There are some useful items like belly band and soothing pillow as well as gourmet teas, cookies, jams and fetching princess crown with matching wand.

After visiting the Hystersister's store and thinking about the princess crown and wand and jams and teas: my rusty mental wheels began to turn. I am a knitter. Knitters can and will knit just about anything. [snip]

Project Uterus is your opportunity to improve on nature. You can make your knitted uterus softer and let's face it, prettier than the original. This is the time to try out cashmere. I recommend a Lion Brand's cashmere blend and Tiffany both very luxurious and soft. And if you are feeling flush and extra crafty, try beading some pearls on your project. Make it a work of art.

The female uterus has traditionally housed the world's most precious cargo -- so shouldn't the knitted version be filled with the world's next most precious treasure? You guessed it! Chocolate! The Mothercare knitted uterus is made to fit a doll inside it so there is plenty of room for a pound or so of assorted Hershey's kisses.

Save the casseroles for later (hey, that's what take out is for). Put the soup and the cake on hold. Project Uterus has arrived. Print off the pattern. Get your yarn and sit back and knit someone you care for a new and improved uterus. And don't forget to fill it with chocolate.
-- Michelle Edwards michelledwards@msn.com --


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michelle Edwards, a life long knitter, is the author/illustrator of many books for children including the 2006 Gryphon award winner, Stinky Stern Forever. She lives in Iowa City, Iowa with her husband and three daughters. She can be contacted at www.michelledwards.com

nap time

i am so sleepy. i think it has something to do with being at home. i am just ready for a nap, plain and simple. I did get one or two loads of laundry mostly done (still have to put them away, but they are washed and dried) and got my sink shining, and one counter too. Joy helped mop the bathroom and a part of the kitchen, but didn't sweep first, so i'm not sure you can really tell there was effort put into it. And we have a new cat bed. Her High and Mightiness saw all the easter baskets at Michael's and immediately thought of her baby dolls and the cats. She found one that would actually make a great bassinet, but it was $14 or so and I was there to buy paint for the church preschool class, not baskets. We compromised, I bought one for the cats for $9.99. A wicker laundry basket into which we put two VeggieTales throw pillows (no longer in use) and then Joy added two of her baby blankets "to make them more comfortable". Hopefully they will appreciate the effort. Right now they are scared witless since there are three children all trying to show their love for kitties.

Back to the kidlets ...

and this is why i hate wellbutirn. i didn't go to bed till close to 1 and i have been awake for at least 45 minutes.

driven to drink

I miss Moose's.

Volunteers of America Oregon - Changing lives

My new job Volunteers of America Oregon - Changing lives: "CourtCare Phone: [snip]
Free, drop-in supervised child care at the Multnomah County Courthouse.
This is a service for the children of families involved in court proceedings. It eliminates distruptions during courtroom proceedings and protects children from witnessing unpleasant situations.
See the CourtCare story,'Court Room Drama: It's Not For Kids' . "

waterworks

ok, can i get through today with minimal waterworks? that's one reason why i slept approx 18 hours yesterday (4pm to 7am). and on the way to drop off josh i started crying. i can't friggin stop. ok, so i can, but then they start up again as soon as i start thinking about the disgraceful shambles my life is in.

and this is why i HATE being female.