Saturday, January 31, 2009
Tweets For The Day...A Suspension?
I have decided to suspend the use of the Tweets of the Day posts. I am just putting up too many posts in one day, so I've decided to go back to the Tweet feed in my sidebar. Let me know what you think.
Babies and Dog Doors
Nephew J discovered the dog door at my Mom's house today. I guess he got impatient waiting on everyone to finish bundling up to go outside and go sledding. I just thought this was so hilarious that I had to post the pictures.
NJ poked his head out the dog door.
Success!! He made it.
NJ poked his head out the dog door.
Success!! He made it. Actually, NJ got stuck at about this point in the process. Part of it was probably due to how big the snow pants he was wearing were...they were huge! Anyway, I had to rescue him shortly after taking this picture.
25 Random Things About Me
1. I love to use ellipses…
2. In high school I owned a huge Ford LTD (think old cop car). One night thirteen of us managed to fit in the car (bench seats, 6 in front, 7 in back) and went and “popped” Poppitz hill (Class of ’94 knows what I’m talking about). I remember sparks flying when the car hit the ground. Kids: Do not try this at home.
3. I am a complete slob sometimes, but I also have OCD when it comes to other people’s germs. (note numbers 4 and 5)
4. I do not eat the mints at restaurant cash registers. I call them “urine mints” because people don’t always wash their hands in the bathroom, then they touch the mints in the bowl. I saw a study one time that said mints by a restaurant cash register were the dirtiest thing in the place and were covered with urine and feces. I don’t care if they are in a wrapper, it’s gross. *shudder* This sometimes drives people crazy… yeah, Tory, I’m talking about you…urine mint eater!
5. I have a theory I call the “Ass-Face Theory” that revolves around public restrooms. You have to follow a multi-step process when washing hands and leaving a restroom.
A. get paper towels from dispenser and put them under your arm for later.
B. Wash hands (DO NOT shut off water)
C. Use paper towel that you have already procured to turn off water tap.
D. Use same paper towel to dispense more paper towels.
E. Use new paper towels to dry your hands (DO NOT throw them away yet)
F. Use paper towels to open any and all doors until you are out of the restroom.
If you do not follow any and all of these steps (in this order) you will have acquired “ass-face” and you might as well skip the middle man and put your face directly in a strangers…well, you know. Why would you touch your clean hands to the water tap when you KNOW people touched it with their dirty hands. Now you’re just exchanging your germs for theirs. GROSS!! *shudder* I also think you shouldn’t touch the towel dispenser with clean hands because people like me are touching it with dirty hands.
6. I really love fantasy and science fiction…a lot.
7. I haven’t listened to the radio in over two years (except Spirit FM), so I have no clue what music is popular. I’m okay just sticking with Journey, Elton John, Billy Joel and Abba.
8. I have a large personal bubble. I don’t like it when people get in my bubble and I really don’t like it when people (adults) hug me, even family.
9. I can talk to anybody (loudly and a lot), which makes it appear as if I am an extrovert. However, I would rather be home by myself. I seriously don’t mind being shut up in my house for three days without talking to, or seeing, anyone else.
10. I am the queen of one-dish meals and I rarely use a recipe.
11. I don’t like it when people talk about being stranded on a desert island. Desert implies that there is a lack of rainfall and/or life (think Sahara or Siberia); it does not mean that no one else is there. You could be stranded on a desert island with thousands of people on it, or you could be stranded on a deserted island by yourself.
12. If I had to pick one food to live off of for the rest of my life it would be pizza. There are a million ways you can fix it, with a million different toppings, and so it wouldn’t get that boring.
13. I use to have a job where I ran a jackhammer. I have also plowed snow, mowed right-of-ways, scraped dead animals off the road, ran a loader and shocked fish in streams and lakes to gather for scientific purposes.
14. I grew up on a farm. When I was young, our farm was one of the top farms for raising breading hogs (mostly Hampshire and York). We had our own auction barn and people came from all over to buy hogs. My grandparents even went to Japan in order to take hogs over there. After the hog market dropped, we had cattle and even raised dogs. I hated farm work (which I did all the time, about three hours of chores a day…more in the summer), but loved living on a farm.
15. I used to be skinny and really pretty. I wish I still was, but I’m too lazy to do much about it.
16. I often come home, or wake up, to find dead animals, or parts of dead animals, on the floors in my house. My cats have a cat door (no litter boxes!), and will bring dead animals in to eat. It’s gross. Sometimes the animals are not dead and then I have to chase around shrews and birds, usually in the middle of the night.
17. I have become addicted to blogging. I really wasn’t sure it would last, but it seams like it will.
18. I am completely okay with being single and I DO NOT want kids. However, I am completely in love with my niece and two nephews. I would do anything within my power for them. I think they are the cutest kids in the whole world, both in looks and in personality.
19. I have found a renewed passion in the Bible thanks to my brother. He is the best preacher I have ever heard. He preaches exegetically and that is what my soul has been craving. He goes through the Bible and explains it and brings it alive.
20. I teach American Literature, but my passion is British Literature.
21. I am a world-class procrastinator, especially if it is something that I don’t want to do. I will toss and turn all night thinking about all the things I should be doing. I do not work better under pressure, I just put things off because I dread doing them.
22. I am addicted to Strawberry Chapstick. I have to have it with me all the time, and there is chapstick all over the house.
23. I watch way too much television (thank God for Tivo). I have a weakness for forensic shows, medical shows and reality TV (even though much of it isn’t real).
24. I watch Bill O’Reilly every day. I love entering the No Spin Zone.
25. I love to read, transporting myself to another world. If I was stranded on a deserted island, I would be okay as long as I was stranded with either a library or a solar powered Kindle. I read everyday, even if it is only for five minutes.
2. In high school I owned a huge Ford LTD (think old cop car). One night thirteen of us managed to fit in the car (bench seats, 6 in front, 7 in back) and went and “popped” Poppitz hill (Class of ’94 knows what I’m talking about). I remember sparks flying when the car hit the ground. Kids: Do not try this at home.
3. I am a complete slob sometimes, but I also have OCD when it comes to other people’s germs. (note numbers 4 and 5)
4. I do not eat the mints at restaurant cash registers. I call them “urine mints” because people don’t always wash their hands in the bathroom, then they touch the mints in the bowl. I saw a study one time that said mints by a restaurant cash register were the dirtiest thing in the place and were covered with urine and feces. I don’t care if they are in a wrapper, it’s gross. *shudder* This sometimes drives people crazy… yeah, Tory, I’m talking about you…urine mint eater!
5. I have a theory I call the “Ass-Face Theory” that revolves around public restrooms. You have to follow a multi-step process when washing hands and leaving a restroom.
A. get paper towels from dispenser and put them under your arm for later.
B. Wash hands (DO NOT shut off water)
C. Use paper towel that you have already procured to turn off water tap.
D. Use same paper towel to dispense more paper towels.
E. Use new paper towels to dry your hands (DO NOT throw them away yet)
F. Use paper towels to open any and all doors until you are out of the restroom.
If you do not follow any and all of these steps (in this order) you will have acquired “ass-face” and you might as well skip the middle man and put your face directly in a strangers…well, you know. Why would you touch your clean hands to the water tap when you KNOW people touched it with their dirty hands. Now you’re just exchanging your germs for theirs. GROSS!! *shudder* I also think you shouldn’t touch the towel dispenser with clean hands because people like me are touching it with dirty hands.
6. I really love fantasy and science fiction…a lot.
7. I haven’t listened to the radio in over two years (except Spirit FM), so I have no clue what music is popular. I’m okay just sticking with Journey, Elton John, Billy Joel and Abba.
8. I have a large personal bubble. I don’t like it when people get in my bubble and I really don’t like it when people (adults) hug me, even family.
9. I can talk to anybody (loudly and a lot), which makes it appear as if I am an extrovert. However, I would rather be home by myself. I seriously don’t mind being shut up in my house for three days without talking to, or seeing, anyone else.
10. I am the queen of one-dish meals and I rarely use a recipe.
11. I don’t like it when people talk about being stranded on a desert island. Desert implies that there is a lack of rainfall and/or life (think Sahara or Siberia); it does not mean that no one else is there. You could be stranded on a desert island with thousands of people on it, or you could be stranded on a deserted island by yourself.
12. If I had to pick one food to live off of for the rest of my life it would be pizza. There are a million ways you can fix it, with a million different toppings, and so it wouldn’t get that boring.
13. I use to have a job where I ran a jackhammer. I have also plowed snow, mowed right-of-ways, scraped dead animals off the road, ran a loader and shocked fish in streams and lakes to gather for scientific purposes.
14. I grew up on a farm. When I was young, our farm was one of the top farms for raising breading hogs (mostly Hampshire and York). We had our own auction barn and people came from all over to buy hogs. My grandparents even went to Japan in order to take hogs over there. After the hog market dropped, we had cattle and even raised dogs. I hated farm work (which I did all the time, about three hours of chores a day…more in the summer), but loved living on a farm.
15. I used to be skinny and really pretty. I wish I still was, but I’m too lazy to do much about it.
16. I often come home, or wake up, to find dead animals, or parts of dead animals, on the floors in my house. My cats have a cat door (no litter boxes!), and will bring dead animals in to eat. It’s gross. Sometimes the animals are not dead and then I have to chase around shrews and birds, usually in the middle of the night.
17. I have become addicted to blogging. I really wasn’t sure it would last, but it seams like it will.
18. I am completely okay with being single and I DO NOT want kids. However, I am completely in love with my niece and two nephews. I would do anything within my power for them. I think they are the cutest kids in the whole world, both in looks and in personality.
19. I have found a renewed passion in the Bible thanks to my brother. He is the best preacher I have ever heard. He preaches exegetically and that is what my soul has been craving. He goes through the Bible and explains it and brings it alive.
20. I teach American Literature, but my passion is British Literature.
21. I am a world-class procrastinator, especially if it is something that I don’t want to do. I will toss and turn all night thinking about all the things I should be doing. I do not work better under pressure, I just put things off because I dread doing them.
22. I am addicted to Strawberry Chapstick. I have to have it with me all the time, and there is chapstick all over the house.
23. I watch way too much television (thank God for Tivo). I have a weakness for forensic shows, medical shows and reality TV (even though much of it isn’t real).
24. I watch Bill O’Reilly every day. I love entering the No Spin Zone.
25. I love to read, transporting myself to another world. If I was stranded on a deserted island, I would be okay as long as I was stranded with either a library or a solar powered Kindle. I read everyday, even if it is only for five minutes.
Tweets For The Day
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
* 07:03 I'm headed off to the "big city" today. Spring-town here I come.
* 11:32 Is looking at granit counter tops...fun.
* 16:28 Home from Spring-Town. Didn't get to go anywhere fun exept Chili's for lunch.
* 19:13 Eating leftover Chili's. Good, but the tortilla chips are a little soggy now.
* 20:22 I'm trying to find a good/easy way to put larger photos on Blogger. Let me know if you have an idea!
* 21:47 Crap...I screwed up my photoblog somehow. I am pissed!
* 21:49 I fixed my photo blog layout but still don't know what I did to screw it up.
* 22:27 viewsfromasmalltown.blogspot.com/ Check out my photoblog. I'm pretty proud of it!
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* 07:03 I'm headed off to the "big city" today. Spring-town here I come.
* 11:32 Is looking at granit counter tops...fun.
* 16:28 Home from Spring-Town. Didn't get to go anywhere fun exept Chili's for lunch.
* 19:13 Eating leftover Chili's. Good, but the tortilla chips are a little soggy now.
* 20:22 I'm trying to find a good/easy way to put larger photos on Blogger. Let me know if you have an idea!
* 21:47 Crap...I screwed up my photoblog somehow. I am pissed!
* 21:49 I fixed my photo blog layout but still don't know what I did to screw it up.
* 22:27 viewsfromasmalltown.blogspot.com/ Check out my photoblog. I'm pretty proud of it!
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Friday, January 30, 2009
Shopping Trips, Crazy Drivers and End Tables
I made the 100 mile trek to the “big city” with Mom and the sister-in-law today. Mom is getting ready to start a kitchen remodel and needed to go to Lowe’s and Home Depot to look for stuff (yes...it's a 100 miles to Lowe's and HD). This was the most boring trip ever. I’m glad I went and really needed to get out of the house, but this was not my idea of a fun shopping trip (of course, I don't really like to shop, but I could have used some Starbucks). I’m glad my SiL was there, because I would never have been able to feign that much interest. I did help out with the lighting choices and came up with a new idea for what to use to replace the old fluorescent light in the kitchen, but mostly I helped push the cart while the two of them went over every little reason why an item was good or not. Mom did take the SiL and I out to eat at Chili’s, so that was fun.
Here's Mom and SiL looking through sink drain insterts for the new sink. This took at least 15 minutes and Mom decided to wait and buy one later.
Saw this in Home Depot. Apparently a bird had gotten in the store and pooped on this bag of gloves. I might be talking about my blog too much, because my SiL knew exactly what I was going to do with this picture.
While driving to Chili’s, Mom pointed out a car that was driving down the road with almost the entire windshield covered in snow/sleet. I just had to take a picture. The lady has the window down, presumably so she can see. We were talking about how crazy she was, and then my SiL realized that she probably had cleaned off her windshield, but not the top of her vehicle and it had slid down onto her windshield while driving. We figured that was probably the case, but it was still stupid of her to be driving around with four inches of sleet on the roof of her vehicle in 40 degree weather. It was bound to come off at some point. I’m supposing it slid down when she came to a stop at the last stop light. Right after seeing this vehicle, we saw another one that was almost as bad.
Here's the crazy driver. This was the best I could do and had to do a little tweaking on the picture to get it this good. I think you can see how much of her window was covered in sleet and that she has her window down. This is NOT in a parking lot!
On another note, I have inherited a very interesting end table. This thing has been in the family for about 40 years. I think my CG’ma bought it to display a Japanese doll she brought back from a trip to Japan. Anyway, that’s my first memory of the table. At some point my mom took it and I believe it became a display case for a stuffed owl (a real one, not a toy). Well, it needed a home because Mom is also remodeling the basement, and she called all around and no one in the family wanted it. I told her I had no room for it or I would take it. Today, when we got back from shopping, I saw this table sitting out in Mom’s backyard in the middle of all the sleet. I guess she didn’t know what to do with it, so stuck it in the backyard until it could be carried off somewhere (BTW: this is not like her; she NEVER just sticks stuff in the back yard). It just looked so sad out there that I decided to take it home. Now I have to figure out what to do with it. Any suggestions? It is the size of an end table, but is really a glass display case. I am in the middle of cleaning it up, but really have NO room for it and nothing to put in it. Let me know if you have any grand suggestions. When I was in high school, I wanted to turn it into an aquarium, but I’m pretty sure that’s not very feasible.
The Glass End Table (Display Case?)
Just a thought… Have you thanked your mail carrier lately? I was surprised when my mail lady came during the winter sleet storm. She wasn’t even more than an hour later than usual. I was struck with the thought of her out there on all these country roads by herself, making sure that we all got our mail. I left her a kind note with a few of my freshly made frozen cream cheese balls. I just wanted her to know that she was appreciated. She left me a note in my mailbox saying, “Thanks for the kind words. Sometimes I think I need it! Candy was delicious! Thanks.” When I saw that note, I was glad that I had gone to the trouble to say thank you to someone who probably doesn’t get thanked very often. I remember what it was like to be out in that weather…and I was in a giant snow plow!
Here's Mom and SiL looking through sink drain insterts for the new sink. This took at least 15 minutes and Mom decided to wait and buy one later.
Saw this in Home Depot. Apparently a bird had gotten in the store and pooped on this bag of gloves. I might be talking about my blog too much, because my SiL knew exactly what I was going to do with this picture.
While driving to Chili’s, Mom pointed out a car that was driving down the road with almost the entire windshield covered in snow/sleet. I just had to take a picture. The lady has the window down, presumably so she can see. We were talking about how crazy she was, and then my SiL realized that she probably had cleaned off her windshield, but not the top of her vehicle and it had slid down onto her windshield while driving. We figured that was probably the case, but it was still stupid of her to be driving around with four inches of sleet on the roof of her vehicle in 40 degree weather. It was bound to come off at some point. I’m supposing it slid down when she came to a stop at the last stop light. Right after seeing this vehicle, we saw another one that was almost as bad.
Here's the crazy driver. This was the best I could do and had to do a little tweaking on the picture to get it this good. I think you can see how much of her window was covered in sleet and that she has her window down. This is NOT in a parking lot!
On another note, I have inherited a very interesting end table. This thing has been in the family for about 40 years. I think my CG’ma bought it to display a Japanese doll she brought back from a trip to Japan. Anyway, that’s my first memory of the table. At some point my mom took it and I believe it became a display case for a stuffed owl (a real one, not a toy). Well, it needed a home because Mom is also remodeling the basement, and she called all around and no one in the family wanted it. I told her I had no room for it or I would take it. Today, when we got back from shopping, I saw this table sitting out in Mom’s backyard in the middle of all the sleet. I guess she didn’t know what to do with it, so stuck it in the backyard until it could be carried off somewhere (BTW: this is not like her; she NEVER just sticks stuff in the back yard). It just looked so sad out there that I decided to take it home. Now I have to figure out what to do with it. Any suggestions? It is the size of an end table, but is really a glass display case. I am in the middle of cleaning it up, but really have NO room for it and nothing to put in it. Let me know if you have any grand suggestions. When I was in high school, I wanted to turn it into an aquarium, but I’m pretty sure that’s not very feasible.
The Glass End Table (Display Case?)
Just a thought… Have you thanked your mail carrier lately? I was surprised when my mail lady came during the winter sleet storm. She wasn’t even more than an hour later than usual. I was struck with the thought of her out there on all these country roads by herself, making sure that we all got our mail. I left her a kind note with a few of my freshly made frozen cream cheese balls. I just wanted her to know that she was appreciated. She left me a note in my mailbox saying, “Thanks for the kind words. Sometimes I think I need it! Candy was delicious! Thanks.” When I saw that note, I was glad that I had gone to the trouble to say thank you to someone who probably doesn’t get thanked very often. I remember what it was like to be out in that weather…and I was in a giant snow plow!
AI in San Juan and NYC
I watch AI with my MacBook on my lap in order to catch all my thoughts while the auditions are rolling. Luckily, I have Tivo, so I can pause at any time. Maybe it’s a little crazy to do that, but I do, so there.
We started off in typical AI fashion with a heart-wrenching story about a girl who resigned from her job because she believed in herself and her ability to sing (okay, it wasn’t a long story, but still) boo-hoo-hoo. Simon offered to call her boss to help her get her job back. Yep, she was that bad. I can’t believe he actually did it, but he did and luckily the girl got her job back because like Kara said, she needs to keep her day job.
Jessika, the singing contest winner… who was terrible. She was screechy. I guess if you enter 700 singing contests, you’re bound to win a few. Doesn’t mean you can actually sing. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
The singing nudist, Melinda. At least she could actually sing…hope she keeps her clothes on in Hollywood. Mostly, I hope Randy keeps his clothes on!
Melinda the Nudist
I can’t believe the windows fell down behind the judges…and they just kept going! I guess they really wanted to get home… I know I was ready for the show to be over.
I loved the Wicked Games montage. Hilarious. “Please, please, please…”
I was sincerely scared of the “Crazy Rocker”. If he came up to me in the streets screaming like that, I would be frightened.
I am so with Simon about the comedy crap. These people are not funny, they never get picked, why do they continue to do it? I think that it is AI’s fault for putting them on the air. These people wouldn’t continue to show up if they didn’t think they would get on the air. However, Norman was pretty funny, but I can’t believe they sent him to Hollywood. I guess it’s a little comic relief for the first round of HW…I’m sure we’ll need it.
Norman the "Comic"
I did think the little 16 year-old was cute and an okay singer. Her little brother’s plea for her was probably what pushed the judges over the edge and helped her get through (it’s always good to bring your own cute kid and/or dog). I agreed that her voice was not mature enough and I don’t think she’ll make it very far, but I thought it was good of them to send her on to Hollywood. I think it’ll give her a little experience in the music biz and she can see if it is really for her.
It’s time to start reading one of my favorite American Idol blogs…Vote for the Worst.com. Although I don’t agree with the idea of voting for the worst singer, I love reading the comments and reviews and especially the nicknames they give the contestants. My favorite from last year was David Archuleta’s nickname: Gaspy. It was just so true. Prof. Chan is probably my favorite contributor. He’s mean, and it’s hilarious. They are worth a stop if you haven’t done so yet. They claim to have received a list of the top 36 already and say they are pretty sure that it is real.
We started off in typical AI fashion with a heart-wrenching story about a girl who resigned from her job because she believed in herself and her ability to sing (okay, it wasn’t a long story, but still) boo-hoo-hoo. Simon offered to call her boss to help her get her job back. Yep, she was that bad. I can’t believe he actually did it, but he did and luckily the girl got her job back because like Kara said, she needs to keep her day job.
Jessika, the singing contest winner… who was terrible. She was screechy. I guess if you enter 700 singing contests, you’re bound to win a few. Doesn’t mean you can actually sing. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
The singing nudist, Melinda. At least she could actually sing…hope she keeps her clothes on in Hollywood. Mostly, I hope Randy keeps his clothes on!
Melinda the Nudist
I can’t believe the windows fell down behind the judges…and they just kept going! I guess they really wanted to get home… I know I was ready for the show to be over.
I loved the Wicked Games montage. Hilarious. “Please, please, please…”
I was sincerely scared of the “Crazy Rocker”. If he came up to me in the streets screaming like that, I would be frightened.
I am so with Simon about the comedy crap. These people are not funny, they never get picked, why do they continue to do it? I think that it is AI’s fault for putting them on the air. These people wouldn’t continue to show up if they didn’t think they would get on the air. However, Norman was pretty funny, but I can’t believe they sent him to Hollywood. I guess it’s a little comic relief for the first round of HW…I’m sure we’ll need it.
Norman the "Comic"
I did think the little 16 year-old was cute and an okay singer. Her little brother’s plea for her was probably what pushed the judges over the edge and helped her get through (it’s always good to bring your own cute kid and/or dog). I agreed that her voice was not mature enough and I don’t think she’ll make it very far, but I thought it was good of them to send her on to Hollywood. I think it’ll give her a little experience in the music biz and she can see if it is really for her.
It’s time to start reading one of my favorite American Idol blogs…Vote for the Worst.com. Although I don’t agree with the idea of voting for the worst singer, I love reading the comments and reviews and especially the nicknames they give the contestants. My favorite from last year was David Archuleta’s nickname: Gaspy. It was just so true. Prof. Chan is probably my favorite contributor. He’s mean, and it’s hilarious. They are worth a stop if you haven’t done so yet. They claim to have received a list of the top 36 already and say they are pretty sure that it is real.
Tweets for the Day
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
* 09:07 I had been getting up at a decent hour before today, but maybe that's because I went to bed at 2am.
* 10:50 I wonder if my blog readers are getting tired of me posting 4 posts a day? I just can't stop...
* 10:58 The county is plowing my road! Maybe I'll be able to get out sometime this week!
* 14:03 Just got back from a walk in the woods to take pictures. Almost waited too long. Ice is melting.
* 15:14 I love my Feedjit live trafic feed on my blogs. I get to see where all my visitors are from.
* 17:48 Getting ready to go to a fish fry at a neighbors. Can't wait to get out of the house.
* 20:13 Everything I'm wearing smells like fried fish, but it sure was good!
* 21:13 I'm psyched that I now have six people following my photoblog. Maybe my pics aren't that bad after all.
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* 09:07 I had been getting up at a decent hour before today, but maybe that's because I went to bed at 2am.
* 10:50 I wonder if my blog readers are getting tired of me posting 4 posts a day? I just can't stop...
* 10:58 The county is plowing my road! Maybe I'll be able to get out sometime this week!
* 14:03 Just got back from a walk in the woods to take pictures. Almost waited too long. Ice is melting.
* 15:14 I love my Feedjit live trafic feed on my blogs. I get to see where all my visitors are from.
* 17:48 Getting ready to go to a fish fry at a neighbors. Can't wait to get out of the house.
* 20:13 Everything I'm wearing smells like fried fish, but it sure was good!
* 21:13 I'm psyched that I now have six people following my photoblog. Maybe my pics aren't that bad after all.
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Thursday, January 29, 2009
A Walk Through The Woods
I went on a walk through the woods this afternoon to take pictures of the ice and snow for my photoblog Views From A Small Town. I about waited too long, and the ice was crashing down all around me as it began melting off the trees. I looped my Nikon around my neck and took off. I made the erroneous decision not to take my wide-angle lens and just use my telephoto. I wish I would have stuck the wide angle in my coat pocket because I could have used it a few times.
Noel followed me throughout the entire walk.
My house is surrounded by acres of woods and fields. I can walk for quite awhile and always be on family land. I took off toward the woods and immediately began to see tracks in the snow, mostly deer, rabbit and birds. I didn’t think there would be much chance of coming up on, or observing, any wildlife because one of my cats decided to follow me everywhere I went. Toward the end of my walk however, I came up on a doe and didn’t even realize it until I startled her. It was my own fault because I said something to Noel. I all the sudden heard a noise, looked up and saw the white tail as she fled up the fence line. I managed to get a few shots, but nothing good. I wish I would have kept my mouth shut; I couldn’t have been more tan ten yards from her when she jumped up.
You can just see the doe as she ran away.
I came across a log with what appeared to be raccoon tracks all over it. I also took a picture of four separate tracks that just happened to be next to each other. Deer, rabbit, bird and cat (surprise, surprise). It was actually when I listed the animals aloud that I started the doe. Oh, well…
You can see all the deer tracks; these are very close to my house.
Next time I think I’ll be sure to also take a bottle of water with me when I go. I got so thirsty walking around in the cold air. Luckily, I had plenty of ice around me and just popped a few icicles off the surrounding trees and sucked on them for awhile.
I really enjoyed my trek through the woods; I just don’t do it often enough. It was good to get out of the house and see all the beauty of the Ozarks. I am very lucky to have been born and raised in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Noel followed me throughout the entire walk.
My house is surrounded by acres of woods and fields. I can walk for quite awhile and always be on family land. I took off toward the woods and immediately began to see tracks in the snow, mostly deer, rabbit and birds. I didn’t think there would be much chance of coming up on, or observing, any wildlife because one of my cats decided to follow me everywhere I went. Toward the end of my walk however, I came up on a doe and didn’t even realize it until I startled her. It was my own fault because I said something to Noel. I all the sudden heard a noise, looked up and saw the white tail as she fled up the fence line. I managed to get a few shots, but nothing good. I wish I would have kept my mouth shut; I couldn’t have been more tan ten yards from her when she jumped up.
You can just see the doe as she ran away.
I came across a log with what appeared to be raccoon tracks all over it. I also took a picture of four separate tracks that just happened to be next to each other. Deer, rabbit, bird and cat (surprise, surprise). It was actually when I listed the animals aloud that I started the doe. Oh, well…
You can see all the deer tracks; these are very close to my house.
Next time I think I’ll be sure to also take a bottle of water with me when I go. I got so thirsty walking around in the cold air. Luckily, I had plenty of ice around me and just popped a few icicles off the surrounding trees and sucked on them for awhile.
I really enjoyed my trek through the woods; I just don’t do it often enough. It was good to get out of the house and see all the beauty of the Ozarks. I am very lucky to have been born and raised in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Small Town Blues
I started this Tuesday when the winter storm was in full force…
I’m really frustrated right now. I am typing on Word because my internet is acting up. I have satellite internet, due to living in the middle of nowhere, and it is not working very well due to the winter storm that is still going on. I can get onto pages that have loaded before, but it is not letting me log into, or post onto, Blogger. *gggrrrrrr* I already have one post that I finished last night and couldn’t ever get Blogger to load up and post, so I had to copy and paste it into Word.
Don’t get me wrong…I’m thankful that I still have power; I just wish if I had power, that I had internet access as well.
Let me complain about living in a small town just a little bit. As I’ve said before, I love living in a small town, but I hate the lack of technological access out here in the sticks. It is impossible for me to get high speed internet any other way than through satellite internet. The satellite is so much better than dial up, there’s no question about that, but it costs more than most people pay for Cable or DSL, it’s slower and I don’t get to use as much bandwidth as I want. Currently, I am paying $56 a month for the honor of having satellite internet and I’m going to have to upgrade to a higher package because I am using the internet too much. Seriously. I will then be paying over $70 a month for my internet. This is ridiculous. I have to do it though because it will double my speed (from 512kb to 1mb) and I will go from 7,000mb of download to 12,000mb of download. Maybe I’ll be able to watch videos over the internet!
So I guess the price I pay for getting to live in the country is $70 a month in internet fees, higher gas bill because of drive time to everywhere (although I realize a lot of people that live in the burbs and work in the city also have long commutes), and having to drive 100 miles to get to the nearest mall.
Yep…100 miles to the nearest mall. I mean real mall, not a strip mall with four stores in it. That’s because the nearest city is 100 miles away. I went the day after Christmas, but before that it had been June! When I go, I make sure I hit Barnes and Noble and enjoy their Starbucks while skimming through a book or two.
I live in the country 8 miles from my hometown (pop around 2,500) and 10 miles from the town I work in (pop is about the same). For any real grocery shopping, I have to go to the nearest “big” town that’s around 20 miles away (pop 10,000); it has a super center (Wal-Mart with groceries). The town I work in has quite a bit of stuff considering the population is so small, that is because a major highway runs right through it, and they have quite a few travelers stop by because it had been so long since the travelers have gone through a town with any amenities. We have a couple of Pizza places, Blimpie, Subway, McDonalds, Sonic, and the new Taco Bell/KFC. There is a Wal-Mart there, but it is so small that it is practically useless unless you want toothpaste or toilet paper. Oh, and they recently acquired a theater with Three (count them…three) different movies playing at a time!
You should realize that small town populations are not very indicative of how many people actually consider that town their hometown. There are usually more people that live in the rural areas around a small town than actually live within the “city” limits. Only those living within the town’s limits are actually counted in the population.
These are a few of my small town blues, however, I love living in a small town, so stay tuned for a post on all the great things about living in a small town!
I’m really frustrated right now. I am typing on Word because my internet is acting up. I have satellite internet, due to living in the middle of nowhere, and it is not working very well due to the winter storm that is still going on. I can get onto pages that have loaded before, but it is not letting me log into, or post onto, Blogger. *gggrrrrrr* I already have one post that I finished last night and couldn’t ever get Blogger to load up and post, so I had to copy and paste it into Word.
My Wild Blue satellite covered in ice. It was much worse before this picture was taken.
Don’t get me wrong…I’m thankful that I still have power; I just wish if I had power, that I had internet access as well.
Let me complain about living in a small town just a little bit. As I’ve said before, I love living in a small town, but I hate the lack of technological access out here in the sticks. It is impossible for me to get high speed internet any other way than through satellite internet. The satellite is so much better than dial up, there’s no question about that, but it costs more than most people pay for Cable or DSL, it’s slower and I don’t get to use as much bandwidth as I want. Currently, I am paying $56 a month for the honor of having satellite internet and I’m going to have to upgrade to a higher package because I am using the internet too much. Seriously. I will then be paying over $70 a month for my internet. This is ridiculous. I have to do it though because it will double my speed (from 512kb to 1mb) and I will go from 7,000mb of download to 12,000mb of download. Maybe I’ll be able to watch videos over the internet!
So I guess the price I pay for getting to live in the country is $70 a month in internet fees, higher gas bill because of drive time to everywhere (although I realize a lot of people that live in the burbs and work in the city also have long commutes), and having to drive 100 miles to get to the nearest mall.
Yep…100 miles to the nearest mall. I mean real mall, not a strip mall with four stores in it. That’s because the nearest city is 100 miles away. I went the day after Christmas, but before that it had been June! When I go, I make sure I hit Barnes and Noble and enjoy their Starbucks while skimming through a book or two.
I live in the country 8 miles from my hometown (pop around 2,500) and 10 miles from the town I work in (pop is about the same). For any real grocery shopping, I have to go to the nearest “big” town that’s around 20 miles away (pop 10,000); it has a super center (Wal-Mart with groceries). The town I work in has quite a bit of stuff considering the population is so small, that is because a major highway runs right through it, and they have quite a few travelers stop by because it had been so long since the travelers have gone through a town with any amenities. We have a couple of Pizza places, Blimpie, Subway, McDonalds, Sonic, and the new Taco Bell/KFC. There is a Wal-Mart there, but it is so small that it is practically useless unless you want toothpaste or toilet paper. Oh, and they recently acquired a theater with Three (count them…three) different movies playing at a time!
You should realize that small town populations are not very indicative of how many people actually consider that town their hometown. There are usually more people that live in the rural areas around a small town than actually live within the “city” limits. Only those living within the town’s limits are actually counted in the population.
These are a few of my small town blues, however, I love living in a small town, so stay tuned for a post on all the great things about living in a small town!
Slightly Married...A Review
I stayed up until two in the morning finishing Mary Balogh book Slightly Married. This was a good book all the way through, but once I was toward the end of the book, I just couldn’t put it down. I have already purchased the next book in the series and read a few pages into it before going to bed.
I love that Mary Balogh’s heroes in this series are not described as unnaturally handsome or attractive. I think that adds a little bit of realism to the stories. The heroines are flawed with quirks that set them apart from what is expected of well brought up ladies. Okay, so the flawed heroine is not unusual to romance novels, but usually everyone is stunningly beautiful and that is not how Balogh describes her characters. I also appreciate that the Bedwyn family, in which this series focuses on, is committed to marriage and love and fidelity.
In this story, Colonel Lord Aidan Bedwyn is driven by his own sense of duty and honor to marry a woman who he doesn’t know in order to fulfill a promise made to her dying brother. It is well known that the Bedwyn family marry for love and for life. Aidan has done neither. His marriage of convenience to Miss Morris is not meant to be a real marriage at all. Once married, her family home will be saved and he will ride off into the sunset, never to see her again.
Of course, obstacles prevent this hastily thought out plan to work in any way like the two of them thought it would. As they spend more and more time together, Aidan and Eve are both drawn to the other, but the arrangement they have made keep both from expressing their growing feelings for one another.
4 Stars
Tweets for the Day
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
* 07:25 It's a beautiful world out there this morning.
* 13:56 Nap time. I'm going to read until I fall asleep.
* 22:09 I am starting to lose track of what day it is. Without work and church, I have no frame of reference.
* 00:26 I'm thinking I really need to DO something tomorrow. I guess I'll clean house and grade papers. Yuck.
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* 07:25 It's a beautiful world out there this morning.
* 13:56 Nap time. I'm going to read until I fall asleep.
* 22:09 I am starting to lose track of what day it is. Without work and church, I have no frame of reference.
* 00:26 I'm thinking I really need to DO something tomorrow. I guess I'll clean house and grade papers. Yuck.
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Wednesday, January 28, 2009
American Idol...Salt Lake City
So I really expected the crazies to come out tonight…it is Utah. They showed a whole montage of people who seemed to be really happy about being told that they suck. Why does this not surprise me?
I wonder how many of these people who audition realize that when the judges start to laugh, it is not a good thing? Most of them just keep on singing…I would quit the minute one of them started to laugh. I have also noticed that if Paula starts singing along, that’s usually not a good sign either.
The Auditions
Why would an Osmond need to audition on AI? Why doesn’t he just call on his aunt and uncle? Surely Uncle Donnie could get him a gig somewhere. His dad was one of the original Osmonds and yet this guy’s on AI? Of course AI had to throw in a little sob story about how he has been battling MS. Was this a plea to get us to forget the guy already has an “in” to get into the music scene?
The Goth girl was a little scary, mostly because I was afraid of her short skirt. I’m not sure I’m buying that she is really Goth. She certainly didn’t chose a song that would be considered Goth in my opinion. Also, her attitude was not very Goth-like. I know she flipped off the camera, but a lot of people do that.
The hair band rocker with the crazy eyes and the tongue that kept flicking out of his mouth really creeped me out.
Greg the Rabbit…Seriously? I have yet to see anybody with one of these weird ploys actually get in. The guy who was auditioning brought in his giant friend Greg who was in a giant pink bunny suit (reminded me of A Christmas Story… “he looks like a giant pink nightmare.”) and he had a picture of Simon on his shirt as well as carrying a picture of Simon on a stick (sorta like those fans you get at the fair). Crazy!
I liked the girl (Franki?) I think she sounded a lot like Etta James (if you don’t know who that it, you should check her out…1950s blues/jazz/rock.).
Rose…and her sob story. I don’t need the sob stories, just let me know if you can sing.
We are almost ready for Hollywood! I’m starting to get really excited.
I wonder how many of these people who audition realize that when the judges start to laugh, it is not a good thing? Most of them just keep on singing…I would quit the minute one of them started to laugh. I have also noticed that if Paula starts singing along, that’s usually not a good sign either.
The Auditions
Why would an Osmond need to audition on AI? Why doesn’t he just call on his aunt and uncle? Surely Uncle Donnie could get him a gig somewhere. His dad was one of the original Osmonds and yet this guy’s on AI? Of course AI had to throw in a little sob story about how he has been battling MS. Was this a plea to get us to forget the guy already has an “in” to get into the music scene?
The Goth girl was a little scary, mostly because I was afraid of her short skirt. I’m not sure I’m buying that she is really Goth. She certainly didn’t chose a song that would be considered Goth in my opinion. Also, her attitude was not very Goth-like. I know she flipped off the camera, but a lot of people do that.
The hair band rocker with the crazy eyes and the tongue that kept flicking out of his mouth really creeped me out.
Greg the Rabbit…Seriously? I have yet to see anybody with one of these weird ploys actually get in. The guy who was auditioning brought in his giant friend Greg who was in a giant pink bunny suit (reminded me of A Christmas Story… “he looks like a giant pink nightmare.”) and he had a picture of Simon on his shirt as well as carrying a picture of Simon on a stick (sorta like those fans you get at the fair). Crazy!
I liked the girl (Franki?) I think she sounded a lot like Etta James (if you don’t know who that it, you should check her out…1950s blues/jazz/rock.).
Rose…and her sob story. I don’t need the sob stories, just let me know if you can sing.
We are almost ready for Hollywood! I’m starting to get really excited.
Not Quite Cabin Fever...Yet
I started this event list shortly after posting the last one, so around 8pm. Event may be a little bit of a descriptional stretch, but…
• My dad came by with the blade on the tractor and bladed the county road up to mine and my uncle’s houses. He also bladed our driveways. I took pictures. He had the forks on the front of the tractor and kept getting close to my car…it was a little nerve-racking.
• Still can’t manage to get on Gmail in order to retrieve my Twitter updates. I guess I’ll put them all on one post once I can get to them.
• How long does it take to freeze small cream cheese balls? I know it’s cold enough out there, but they just won’t freeze. It’s got to be as cold as the freezer out there. I don’t want to leave them out there over night because it’s supposed to snow a few inches and I don’t want the cookie sheet to get stuck to the porch (actually they’re sitting on the grill which is on the porch).
• Okay, so I decided to give up on getting the cream cheese to freeze and just rolled them in cocoa powder while they were all sticky. I put them in a tub and in the freezer (they fit now) and am going to leave them over night before dipping them in almond bark. They should be awesome.
Wednesday
• It is beautiful this morning. There is a layer of snow on everything and the sun is out. I am going to go outside and take some pictures at some point. I already took a few from my front porch.
• The backdoor is stuck again, which means I’m going to have to walk around the house and dig it out. I cleaned it of right before I went to bed, but… Unfortunately, when the back deck was built, it was built right up to the back door. There is only a drop of about two inches. To make matters worse, it is on the north-east side of the house and will have frozen precipitation on it for days, sometimes weeks after everything else has thawed out. The only sun it gets is early morning sun, which just doesn’t burn off ice/sleet/snow very fast.
• Went outside and dug out the back door. Also scraped off the car windshield. I had to use the shovel, but since the sun is sort of out, I wanted to get the windshield as clean as possible so it can start melting. Not sure that will happen since it is still spitting snow outside. I also took pictures while I was outside. I love to take winter weather pictures. I am hoping the sun will be out this afternoon. The best time to take outdoor pictures is in the afternoon/evening when the sun is at an angle.
• I’m a little concerned about what will happen when all the sleet and snow on the roof of the house comes crashing down. I don’t have awnings over the doors and when it comes crashing down, there’s always the chance of getting stuck in the house. It’s not happened yet, but it could. I’ve always been lucky in the past because only one door at a time would be blocked. Let’s hope that happens this time.
• My dad came by with the blade on the tractor and bladed the county road up to mine and my uncle’s houses. He also bladed our driveways. I took pictures. He had the forks on the front of the tractor and kept getting close to my car…it was a little nerve-racking.
• Still can’t manage to get on Gmail in order to retrieve my Twitter updates. I guess I’ll put them all on one post once I can get to them.
• How long does it take to freeze small cream cheese balls? I know it’s cold enough out there, but they just won’t freeze. It’s got to be as cold as the freezer out there. I don’t want to leave them out there over night because it’s supposed to snow a few inches and I don’t want the cookie sheet to get stuck to the porch (actually they’re sitting on the grill which is on the porch).
• Okay, so I decided to give up on getting the cream cheese to freeze and just rolled them in cocoa powder while they were all sticky. I put them in a tub and in the freezer (they fit now) and am going to leave them over night before dipping them in almond bark. They should be awesome.
Wednesday
• It is beautiful this morning. There is a layer of snow on everything and the sun is out. I am going to go outside and take some pictures at some point. I already took a few from my front porch.
• The backdoor is stuck again, which means I’m going to have to walk around the house and dig it out. I cleaned it of right before I went to bed, but… Unfortunately, when the back deck was built, it was built right up to the back door. There is only a drop of about two inches. To make matters worse, it is on the north-east side of the house and will have frozen precipitation on it for days, sometimes weeks after everything else has thawed out. The only sun it gets is early morning sun, which just doesn’t burn off ice/sleet/snow very fast.
• Went outside and dug out the back door. Also scraped off the car windshield. I had to use the shovel, but since the sun is sort of out, I wanted to get the windshield as clean as possible so it can start melting. Not sure that will happen since it is still spitting snow outside. I also took pictures while I was outside. I love to take winter weather pictures. I am hoping the sun will be out this afternoon. The best time to take outdoor pictures is in the afternoon/evening when the sun is at an angle.
• I’m a little concerned about what will happen when all the sleet and snow on the roof of the house comes crashing down. I don’t have awnings over the doors and when it comes crashing down, there’s always the chance of getting stuck in the house. It’s not happened yet, but it could. I’ve always been lucky in the past because only one door at a time would be blocked. Let’s hope that happens this time.
Winter Weather Pictures
I went out and took some pictures early this morning right after the sun came up over the trees. You can see the morning sun glinting off of the ice on the trees.
This is the view to the West of my house. I truly live in the middle of nowhere with acres of land all around me. It is so beautiful when it is covered in white.
Bella decided to go outside and chase birds. I'm pretty sure that she didn't catch one. The birds were hiding under my car and she headed strait for them, but they all flew out from under the car before she could get to them.
This is the view of my road. This hill is quite steep and there is a another hill that you have to go up once you hit the bottom of this one. You can see the tracks my father made when he came up to my uncle's house this morning.
This is not the best picture. I took it from inside the house, looking through the window. I just didn't feel like sitting outside for 30 minutes waiting on the birds to come back so I could take a picture of them.
Two Days of Tweets
Due to the winter weather, I was unable to log onto my Gmail until this morning to get my Tweets, so I am posting both Monday and Tuesday's Tweets in one post.
Tuesday
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
* 09:23 Can't sign into Google or Blogger. It's going to drive me crazy that I can't blog!
* 09:53 Just heard Bill O'Reilly say, "Just Saying". hilarious.
* 11:13 I give up on my internet connection for now.
* 12:49 I've decided to re-watch the entire Roswell series. I have all 3 episodes on DVD and haven't seen them in years.
* 13:24 I forgot how much I love Roswell and how hott Jason Behr is. Whatever happened to him?
* 15:55 Sleet and snow...fan-flippin-tastic...
* 17:06 It's been sleeting for 24 hours now. Not supposed to quit for almost another 12 hours.
* 18:28 Crap! The power just flickered twice. Looks like the ice is getting built up on the lines. Dear God please...
* 19:06 I am so popular lately. I've been getting 3-4 FB friend requests a day. I just got 2 at once.
* 21:47 "I think you are confusing me with someone who is far less awesome." New favorite quote.
* 22:53 O'Reilly made me want to cry bc he told the elderly to contact HIM if their power was about to be cut off in cold weather.
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Monday
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
* 06:20 We may get lucky and get a sleet/ice mix which will be better on the power lines. Poor N AR though...
* 14:50 School's almost out today and I'm sure there will be no more school this week. that means were already 2 days into Spring Break.
* 15:50 Some dummy is parked in front of the gas but is getting air and is my way
* 16:07 Just thought I lost my blackberry and went into a panic. It had fallen and was in the car.
* 16:27 I'm home with groceries, gas and hot pizza. Bring on the storm...but no power outages please.
* 17:07 There is already a glazing of ice on everything.
* 17:17 CRAP!!! They're now calling for my area to get 1 to 2 inches of ICE... No sleet. That means the power WILL go out!!!
* 17:31 It's time to get off the computer and start getting prepared for a possible power outage. Laundry, dishes, pick up house, etc.
* 18:48 Almost have everything done that I can possibly do to prepare for the ice.
* 20:29 It's really coming down out there. 2 inches is not sounded out of this world anymore.
* 20:45 Everything's clean: dishes, laundry and me! Time to relax.
* 21:30 It's official...no school tomorrow
* 22:10 Praise the Lord it's coming down as sleet! I pray it stays that way.
* 23:04 I think I've lost my satelite internet to ice. Crap.
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Tuesday
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
* 09:23 Can't sign into Google or Blogger. It's going to drive me crazy that I can't blog!
* 09:53 Just heard Bill O'Reilly say, "Just Saying". hilarious.
* 11:13 I give up on my internet connection for now.
* 12:49 I've decided to re-watch the entire Roswell series. I have all 3 episodes on DVD and haven't seen them in years.
* 13:24 I forgot how much I love Roswell and how hott Jason Behr is. Whatever happened to him?
* 15:55 Sleet and snow...fan-flippin-tastic...
* 17:06 It's been sleeting for 24 hours now. Not supposed to quit for almost another 12 hours.
* 18:28 Crap! The power just flickered twice. Looks like the ice is getting built up on the lines. Dear God please...
* 19:06 I am so popular lately. I've been getting 3-4 FB friend requests a day. I just got 2 at once.
* 21:47 "I think you are confusing me with someone who is far less awesome." New favorite quote.
* 22:53 O'Reilly made me want to cry bc he told the elderly to contact HIM if their power was about to be cut off in cold weather.
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Monday
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
* 06:20 We may get lucky and get a sleet/ice mix which will be better on the power lines. Poor N AR though...
* 14:50 School's almost out today and I'm sure there will be no more school this week. that means were already 2 days into Spring Break.
* 15:50 Some dummy is parked in front of the gas but is getting air and is my way
* 16:07 Just thought I lost my blackberry and went into a panic. It had fallen and was in the car.
* 16:27 I'm home with groceries, gas and hot pizza. Bring on the storm...but no power outages please.
* 17:07 There is already a glazing of ice on everything.
* 17:17 CRAP!!! They're now calling for my area to get 1 to 2 inches of ICE... No sleet. That means the power WILL go out!!!
* 17:31 It's time to get off the computer and start getting prepared for a possible power outage. Laundry, dishes, pick up house, etc.
* 18:48 Almost have everything done that I can possibly do to prepare for the ice.
* 20:29 It's really coming down out there. 2 inches is not sounded out of this world anymore.
* 20:45 Everything's clean: dishes, laundry and me! Time to relax.
* 21:30 It's official...no school tomorrow
* 22:10 Praise the Lord it's coming down as sleet! I pray it stays that way.
* 23:04 I think I've lost my satelite internet to ice. Crap.
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
American Idol in Florida
The crazies were out in full force again today.
There was the crazy blond (Naomi) who thought she could sing like Mariah Carey…uh…No.
Then there was the guy that started crying during his audition because his “friend” hadn’t made it. I’m pretty sure the “friend” was some guy he had just met that day. He had been very creepily going around talking to everyone at the audition; you could see some of them were a little freaked out by this guy.
George Ramirez…the physics guy. 18 going on 42. I have noticed a pattern with the physics-type guys…usually if there is a contestant who has a nerd-like passion, they typically can’t sing. In fact, I can’t think of anyone who could. Now we did learn during last year’s AI that David Cook *sigh* considered himself a Word Nerd, but I’m talking science guys. Besides, there’s nothing sexier than a guy that likes to read and/or likes words. Nope, anytime AI focuses on a guy that claims to have some love for science, that guy usually can’t sing. Coincidence? Possibly.
What was up with the guy and his guitar? It was like someone had taken his security blanket. Had he not noticed that no one ever does the auditions with an instrument? Then he got told off by Ryan for telling his mom not to touch him when she tried to comfort him. I started laughing. I mean seriously…he was schooled by Ryan.
The girl with the best voice of the night the judges make go back out and get a “star persona”. Apparently that means makeup and new shoes. She got in.
I kind of wonder if the Idol Crazies go home and see themselves on AI and still think they sound good. I’m going to say that they probably do. That’s how deluded they are.
There was the crazy blond (Naomi) who thought she could sing like Mariah Carey…uh…No.
Then there was the guy that started crying during his audition because his “friend” hadn’t made it. I’m pretty sure the “friend” was some guy he had just met that day. He had been very creepily going around talking to everyone at the audition; you could see some of them were a little freaked out by this guy.
George Ramirez…the physics guy. 18 going on 42. I have noticed a pattern with the physics-type guys…usually if there is a contestant who has a nerd-like passion, they typically can’t sing. In fact, I can’t think of anyone who could. Now we did learn during last year’s AI that David Cook *sigh* considered himself a Word Nerd, but I’m talking science guys. Besides, there’s nothing sexier than a guy that likes to read and/or likes words. Nope, anytime AI focuses on a guy that claims to have some love for science, that guy usually can’t sing. Coincidence? Possibly.
What was up with the guy and his guitar? It was like someone had taken his security blanket. Had he not noticed that no one ever does the auditions with an instrument? Then he got told off by Ryan for telling his mom not to touch him when she tried to comfort him. I started laughing. I mean seriously…he was schooled by Ryan.
The girl with the best voice of the night the judges make go back out and get a “star persona”. Apparently that means makeup and new shoes. She got in.
I kind of wonder if the Idol Crazies go home and see themselves on AI and still think they sound good. I’m going to say that they probably do. That’s how deluded they are.
American Idol in Florida
The crazies were out in full force again today.
There was the crazy blond (Naomi) who thought she could sing like Mariah Carey…uh…No.
Then there was the guy that started crying during his audition because his “friend” hadn’t made it. I’m pretty sure the “friend” was some guy he had just met that day. He had been very creepily going around talking to everyone at the audition; you could see some of them were a little freaked out by this guy.
George Ramirez…the physics guy. 18 going on 42. I have noticed a pattern with the physics-type guys…usually if there is a contestant who has a nerd-like passion, they typically can’t sing. In fact, I can’t think of anyone who could. Now we did learn during last year’s AI that David Cook *sigh* considered himself a Word Nerd, but I’m talking science guys. Besides, there’s nothing sexier than a guy that likes to read and/or likes words. Nope, anytime AI focuses on a guy that claims to have some love for science, that guy usually can’t sing. Coincidence? Possibly.
What was up with the guy and his guitar? It was like someone had taken his security blanket. Had he not noticed that no one ever does the auditions with an instrument? Then he got told off by Ryan for telling his mom not to touch him when she tried to comfort him. I started laughing. I mean seriously…he was schooled by Ryan.
The girl with the best voice of the night the judges make go back out and get a “star persona”. Apparently that means makeup and new shoes. She got in.
I kind of wonder if the Idol Crazies go home and see themselves on AI and still think they sound good. I’m going to say that they probably do. That’s how deluded they are.
There was the crazy blond (Naomi) who thought she could sing like Mariah Carey…uh…No.
Then there was the guy that started crying during his audition because his “friend” hadn’t made it. I’m pretty sure the “friend” was some guy he had just met that day. He had been very creepily going around talking to everyone at the audition; you could see some of them were a little freaked out by this guy.
George Ramirez…the physics guy. 18 going on 42. I have noticed a pattern with the physics-type guys…usually if there is a contestant who has a nerd-like passion, they typically can’t sing. In fact, I can’t think of anyone who could. Now we did learn during last year’s AI that David Cook *sigh* considered himself a Word Nerd, but I’m talking science guys. Besides, there’s nothing sexier than a guy that likes to read and/or likes words. Nope, anytime AI focuses on a guy that claims to have some love for science, that guy usually can’t sing. Coincidence? Possibly.
What was up with the guy and his guitar? It was like someone had taken his security blanket. Had he not noticed that no one ever does the auditions with an instrument? Then he got told off by Ryan for telling his mom not to touch him when she tried to comfort him. I started laughing. I mean seriously…he was schooled by Ryan.
The girl with the best voice of the night the judges make go back out and get a “star persona”. Apparently that means makeup and new shoes. She got in.
I kind of wonder if the Idol Crazies go home and see themselves on AI and still think they sound good. I’m going to say that they probably do. That’s how deluded they are.
No Cabin Fever Here
Like I’ve already said, I love being alone in my house with virtually nothing to do. Since I cannot get on the internet at this time to blog about what’s going on, I have decided to keep tabs of what I am doing and post it when I can…hopefully tomorrow.
• All I have had to eat today is leftover pizza, but I have a stew simmering on the stove for suppertime. I’m looking forward to it, and I love making casseroles and stews without a recipe. This one is basically sausage and potatoes. It’ll be good I’m sure. Nice and hearty.
• I spent a good part of the morning trying to blog. This did not go over well considering I have satellite internet and it was going in and out due to the storm. I’m not sure if it is the atmosphere or the ice building up on the satellite dish itself. Maybe it’s a little bit of both.
• Early today I had to go out and shovel sleet off the back porch so I could open the door. The door wouldn’t even budge. I bundled all up: boots, scarf, gloves and big coat and went out and did a little scraping. Since we had a lot of sleet/freezing rain mix earlier on in the storm, I could only get the top inch or so off the porch, but it was enough to get the door open. I have had to go back a few times and re-shovel right in front of the door, but I’ve done that from the inside of the house. I also had to spend some time scraping ice and sleet off of the cat door so the cats could get in and out of the house. All’s well for now, but it is still sleeting and they are calling for 2 to 4 inches of snow on top once the sleeting stops.
• At some point in time today, I decided to get out the Roswell DVDs and re-watch the series over the next few days. There wasn’t anything good on TV and I didn’t really feel like a movie. It’s been so long since I watched Roswell that once I thought about it, I was excited to get them out and experience the series all over again. Of course this is where Katherine Heigl got her start, although I really didn’t like her character on Roswell. I had forgotten how much I loved the series (I haven’t watched it since it went off the air, even though I own the DVDs), and I forgot how hott Jason Behr was/is.
• I am currently working on some frozen cream cheese balls. Right now they are sitting outside because there’s not enough room in the freezer for them. I put them on a cookie sheet and wrapped it up in foil. It’s 25 degrees out there, so they should freeze just fine.
• I have been putting out sunflower seeds for the birds and they are loving it. Of course everything else in their world is totally frozen over, so every bird in the area is in my front lawn. This is driving Cullen crazy. He is currently sitting on the chair next to me staring out the window just itching to catch him a bird. He keeps moving around and just can’t keep still. Earlier today he fell of the arm of the chair trying to lunge for them. The birds are fun to watch. At one point I had a whole flock of black birds out there. I don’t like them because there are so many of them and they eat all the food. I also have a couple of blue jays lurking around. They are such bullies. There are quite a few cardinals and a few other birds out there. They look so cold and most have ice frozen to their tail feathers. Poor things.
• The mail lady showed up and she wasn’t even late. I was impressed. I’m thinking of putting out some of the cheesecake treats for her if they turn out well. She deserves something for having to be out there in that weather just to get me my Netflix movies (all three came in today).
• Besides the mail lady, there’s only been one guy on a tractor that drove by and then drove back about an hour later. Not sure who he was or where he was going.
The internet seems to be working now. I’m going to go ahead and post this and maybe start a new one to post tomorrow.
• All I have had to eat today is leftover pizza, but I have a stew simmering on the stove for suppertime. I’m looking forward to it, and I love making casseroles and stews without a recipe. This one is basically sausage and potatoes. It’ll be good I’m sure. Nice and hearty.
• I spent a good part of the morning trying to blog. This did not go over well considering I have satellite internet and it was going in and out due to the storm. I’m not sure if it is the atmosphere or the ice building up on the satellite dish itself. Maybe it’s a little bit of both.
• Early today I had to go out and shovel sleet off the back porch so I could open the door. The door wouldn’t even budge. I bundled all up: boots, scarf, gloves and big coat and went out and did a little scraping. Since we had a lot of sleet/freezing rain mix earlier on in the storm, I could only get the top inch or so off the porch, but it was enough to get the door open. I have had to go back a few times and re-shovel right in front of the door, but I’ve done that from the inside of the house. I also had to spend some time scraping ice and sleet off of the cat door so the cats could get in and out of the house. All’s well for now, but it is still sleeting and they are calling for 2 to 4 inches of snow on top once the sleeting stops.
• At some point in time today, I decided to get out the Roswell DVDs and re-watch the series over the next few days. There wasn’t anything good on TV and I didn’t really feel like a movie. It’s been so long since I watched Roswell that once I thought about it, I was excited to get them out and experience the series all over again. Of course this is where Katherine Heigl got her start, although I really didn’t like her character on Roswell. I had forgotten how much I loved the series (I haven’t watched it since it went off the air, even though I own the DVDs), and I forgot how hott Jason Behr was/is.
• I am currently working on some frozen cream cheese balls. Right now they are sitting outside because there’s not enough room in the freezer for them. I put them on a cookie sheet and wrapped it up in foil. It’s 25 degrees out there, so they should freeze just fine.
• I have been putting out sunflower seeds for the birds and they are loving it. Of course everything else in their world is totally frozen over, so every bird in the area is in my front lawn. This is driving Cullen crazy. He is currently sitting on the chair next to me staring out the window just itching to catch him a bird. He keeps moving around and just can’t keep still. Earlier today he fell of the arm of the chair trying to lunge for them. The birds are fun to watch. At one point I had a whole flock of black birds out there. I don’t like them because there are so many of them and they eat all the food. I also have a couple of blue jays lurking around. They are such bullies. There are quite a few cardinals and a few other birds out there. They look so cold and most have ice frozen to their tail feathers. Poor things.
• The mail lady showed up and she wasn’t even late. I was impressed. I’m thinking of putting out some of the cheesecake treats for her if they turn out well. She deserves something for having to be out there in that weather just to get me my Netflix movies (all three came in today).
• Besides the mail lady, there’s only been one guy on a tractor that drove by and then drove back about an hour later. Not sure who he was or where he was going.
The internet seems to be working now. I’m going to go ahead and post this and maybe start a new one to post tomorrow.
Ice Pictures
Poor car may be stuck in that position until the weekend.
This is the bird feeder right outside my front door. I put food out right after I took the picture. There is actually bird food under all the sleet, but I won't see that for about a week!
Since I'm finally able to post, I thought I would try to post some pictures of the ice/sleet so far. It is very overcast and so the pictures don't have much contrast, but thought some of my readers from other, more sunny, areas of the country might like to see what it is we are getting hit with in the central states.
It is still really coming down and we are under a Winter Weather Warning until noon. Every time I woke up in the middle of the night I could hear the sleet hitting the house. Luckily, it was mostly sleet (some freezing rain mixed in) and so we still have power. My internet access is sketchy at this time and I am currently having trouble getting the pictures to load. It has to do with having satellite internet, but I am working on a post where I gripe about that.
I am sure that school will be out the rest of the week. It is not supposed to warm up until Friday and over 50% of our students (and staff like me) live on county roads (county roads are in the country, but it's not a typo...they're all gravel) that are not treated with salt or anything. This means that it is impossible to have school even if the main highways are drivable.
I live on the top of a hill a mile down a county road. There will be no way that anyone will be able to get up here for awhile. Of course that means that there is no way I can get out either. I'm waiting to see if the mail lady makes it up the hill in her Toyota pickup. If she can make it, then Dad'll be able to make it up here for any possible emergencies. It's a little disconcerting to feel like you are cut of from the rest of the world.
I actually love this though...as long as the power stays on of course. Although I appear to be an extrovert on many levels (I can talk to anybody), I get my energy from being by myself. I love just being able to hang out in my house and do nothing but read, watch TV and be on the internet.
As an FYI: It has taken almost an hour to get those two pictures loaded. *gggrrrrr* My internet connection went down again. I finally decided to load a small picture of the car so it wouldn't take so long to load.
Ice Update
It was looking pretty bad at 5 0'clock. The local news was calling for 1-2 inches of ice in our area. For those of you in warmer areas, ice is a BAD thing. Ice is basically rain that freezes when it hits any and all surfaces. It does not get any worse than ice. Trust me. I used to work for the Highway Dept and would be out there in those plows, salting the roads, and ice is the worst of all frozen precipitation.
Anyway, we started out with freezing rain and had a good (this really means bad) glazing of ice on everything. Then, God answered prayers and it turned to sleet. We've been getting sleet for most of the night and I pray that it will hold out. There is quite a bit of sleet out there, but we are such better shape if we continue to get sleet.
Here's my semi-professional (5 years of Hwy Dept experience) opinion on frozen precipitations...
Not Too Bad - Dry Snow. What is dry snow you might ask? Well, first of all it is not a technical term, just a way to describe snow that blows around and doesn't really stick to anything. Dry snow usually just blows right over the road and doesn't cause many problems at all. Now a lot of dry snow will cause high snow drifts which can be bad. I've seen it drift up to a foot and there be almost nothing else around that drift. Keep in mind, we don't live in a high snowfall area.
Can Get Bad - Wet Snow. Once again, not a technical term. Wet snow is what most people think of when they think of snow. This is the stuff that makes good snowmen and snowballs. You can make snow angels and snow ice cream out of this stuff. It's fun, it's beautiful, it's often dangerous on the roadways. If people would just stay off the roads while it is snowing, the plows could scrap this off with little to no problem. However, everyone thinks they need to be somewhere during a snowfall and they pack the snow down onto the road. Wet snow can pack down to the point of almost becoming ice. Plus, when the snow starts to melt, it can re-freeze overnight and become glazed with ice. None of these are good. Melting slush on the road can pull a vehicle right into the ditch. It's dangerous until it is completely gone.
Bad, Bad, Bad - Sleet. Sleet is small pellets of ice. Once again, if people would stay off the road, it could be scraped off fairly easily, but when packed down becomes ice. The real problem with sleet is it usually comes as part of a mixture with freezing rain. It's not that often that you get just sleet. The mixture does not scrape off the roads easy. Sleet is not fun. No sleetmen or sleet angels. It's dangerous to walk on, and you might fall on your rear end.
Don't Go Outside!! - Freezing Rain. It is what it is. Rain when the temperature outside is below freezing. Let me repeat...Don't Go Outside!!! Unless it is an emergency, there is no reason to be out in this stuff. Going to the coffee shop is not an emergency, getting your mail is not an emergency, cutting off a finger is not an...well, maybe that last one is an emergency. Freezing rain means that ice collects on everything. Yes it is beautiful, but it is not something you want. Ice forms on trees and power lines. Tree limbs falls on power line, power line breaks, no more power. This happens a lot out in the country where there are miles and miles of power lines running through the woods. A quarter inch of freezing rain is more crippling to a small town (or city) than is a foot of snow...trust me. I hear people from northern parts of America making fun of people in our area (S. MO, N. AR, sometimes TX) because everything stops for a little frozen fog. Frozen fog is a glazing of ice on everything. You just cannot have control over a vehicle on that. You can drive through a foot of snow with some chains, a little extra weight and a four-wheel drive vehicle, it's just not the same with ice.
Okay, I guess I'm through dispensing mywisdom...supreme knowledge...somewhat helpful advice. Just be careful out there...no matter what frozen precipitation you may be blessed with.
Anyway, we started out with freezing rain and had a good (this really means bad) glazing of ice on everything. Then, God answered prayers and it turned to sleet. We've been getting sleet for most of the night and I pray that it will hold out. There is quite a bit of sleet out there, but we are such better shape if we continue to get sleet.
Here's my semi-professional (5 years of Hwy Dept experience) opinion on frozen precipitations...
Not Too Bad - Dry Snow. What is dry snow you might ask? Well, first of all it is not a technical term, just a way to describe snow that blows around and doesn't really stick to anything. Dry snow usually just blows right over the road and doesn't cause many problems at all. Now a lot of dry snow will cause high snow drifts which can be bad. I've seen it drift up to a foot and there be almost nothing else around that drift. Keep in mind, we don't live in a high snowfall area.
Can Get Bad - Wet Snow. Once again, not a technical term. Wet snow is what most people think of when they think of snow. This is the stuff that makes good snowmen and snowballs. You can make snow angels and snow ice cream out of this stuff. It's fun, it's beautiful, it's often dangerous on the roadways. If people would just stay off the roads while it is snowing, the plows could scrap this off with little to no problem. However, everyone thinks they need to be somewhere during a snowfall and they pack the snow down onto the road. Wet snow can pack down to the point of almost becoming ice. Plus, when the snow starts to melt, it can re-freeze overnight and become glazed with ice. None of these are good. Melting slush on the road can pull a vehicle right into the ditch. It's dangerous until it is completely gone.
Bad, Bad, Bad - Sleet. Sleet is small pellets of ice. Once again, if people would stay off the road, it could be scraped off fairly easily, but when packed down becomes ice. The real problem with sleet is it usually comes as part of a mixture with freezing rain. It's not that often that you get just sleet. The mixture does not scrape off the roads easy. Sleet is not fun. No sleetmen or sleet angels. It's dangerous to walk on, and you might fall on your rear end.
Don't Go Outside!! - Freezing Rain. It is what it is. Rain when the temperature outside is below freezing. Let me repeat...Don't Go Outside!!! Unless it is an emergency, there is no reason to be out in this stuff. Going to the coffee shop is not an emergency, getting your mail is not an emergency, cutting off a finger is not an...well, maybe that last one is an emergency. Freezing rain means that ice collects on everything. Yes it is beautiful, but it is not something you want. Ice forms on trees and power lines. Tree limbs falls on power line, power line breaks, no more power. This happens a lot out in the country where there are miles and miles of power lines running through the woods. A quarter inch of freezing rain is more crippling to a small town (or city) than is a foot of snow...trust me. I hear people from northern parts of America making fun of people in our area (S. MO, N. AR, sometimes TX) because everything stops for a little frozen fog. Frozen fog is a glazing of ice on everything. You just cannot have control over a vehicle on that. You can drive through a foot of snow with some chains, a little extra weight and a four-wheel drive vehicle, it's just not the same with ice.
Okay, I guess I'm through dispensing my
Monday, January 26, 2009
A Slightly Dangerous Review
I haven’t read a trashy slut romance novel in over ten years. I used to read them all the time when I was in high school and college; I love historical romances where I can pretend that I am English aristocracy. I eventually gave up the trashy romance novel for the more subdued Christian romance novels. I really love them and they are well written and you might even get a little theology on the side.
However, I was sitting at home Friday and really wanting to read something without any literary value at all. I am in the middle of teaching Macbeth and really needed a fun read. I got out the Kindle and did some surfing, but finally decided I wanted a good romance novel. I was a little concerned about going back to the “trashy” romance novel, but decided to go for it anyway.
I say I was concerned and that is because most of the “trashy” romance novels are ridiculous. The story line is predictable and the main reason to read them is for the sex scenes. And let’s just be honest here…most of those scenes are described in the most ludicrous way (“throbbing member”, “shaft”, and “love button” all come to mind).
I really lucked out with Mary Balogh and her book, Slightly Dangerous. I would not consider this a trashy romance novel at all. There were only two sex scenes and they were short and rather tasteful (for a romance novel). This was such a fast read, and it had a good plot.
Slightly Dangerous is the last in Balogh’s series about the Bedwyn family. I was unaware when starting this that it was the last in a series. It had great reviews on Amazon and the plot seemed interesting, so I decided to give it a whirl. Luckily, the book stood on its own and it did not matter than I had not read the first five books. I am, however, going to read the whole series, starting from the beginning.
I’ve yet to read a romance novel where you couldn’t figure out in the first chapter who the hero and heroine are, and that, yes, they will end up together. The same was true for this book, but it did have some unique characters and a few unexpected twists. I enjoyed both the austere Duke of Bewcastle (who reminded me a little of Austen’s Darcy) and Christine, Balogh’s clumsy, but lovable heroine. One of the main forces in the book is Christine’s ability to make everyone around her love her, including the very cold and intimidating Wulfred Bedwyn, Duke of Bewcastle.
However, I was sitting at home Friday and really wanting to read something without any literary value at all. I am in the middle of teaching Macbeth and really needed a fun read. I got out the Kindle and did some surfing, but finally decided I wanted a good romance novel. I was a little concerned about going back to the “trashy” romance novel, but decided to go for it anyway.
I say I was concerned and that is because most of the “trashy” romance novels are ridiculous. The story line is predictable and the main reason to read them is for the sex scenes. And let’s just be honest here…most of those scenes are described in the most ludicrous way (“throbbing member”, “shaft”, and “love button” all come to mind).
I really lucked out with Mary Balogh and her book, Slightly Dangerous. I would not consider this a trashy romance novel at all. There were only two sex scenes and they were short and rather tasteful (for a romance novel). This was such a fast read, and it had a good plot.
Slightly Dangerous is the last in Balogh’s series about the Bedwyn family. I was unaware when starting this that it was the last in a series. It had great reviews on Amazon and the plot seemed interesting, so I decided to give it a whirl. Luckily, the book stood on its own and it did not matter than I had not read the first five books. I am, however, going to read the whole series, starting from the beginning.
I’ve yet to read a romance novel where you couldn’t figure out in the first chapter who the hero and heroine are, and that, yes, they will end up together. The same was true for this book, but it did have some unique characters and a few unexpected twists. I enjoyed both the austere Duke of Bewcastle (who reminded me a little of Austen’s Darcy) and Christine, Balogh’s clumsy, but lovable heroine. One of the main forces in the book is Christine’s ability to make everyone around her love her, including the very cold and intimidating Wulfred Bedwyn, Duke of Bewcastle.
4 stars
A Bold Fresh Review
It is no secret to those that know me that I am a conservative. I don’t buy into the idea that liberals are more accepting of other beliefs and opinions than conservatives are. There are quite a few left-wing loons (loons are either VERY far left or VERY far right) that are accepting of everything but conservative ideas and Christian beliefs. This is hypocritical in my opinion. Maybe it is because I have such strong beliefs, that I enjoy the No Spin Zone created by Bill O’Reilly, both in this book and on The Factor.
I know there are people out there who think that O’Reilly has an agenda…well, they would be right, but I believe they would be wrong as to what that agenda is. He wants the truth and he wants to protect the little people from those who would lie, manipulate and hurt others. Yes, Bill O’Reilly is a conservative, but he remains Independent.
I watch The Factor on a regular basis and am amazed at those who put down O’Reilly and The Factor by saying that he is a right-wing nut. I think he manages to remain extremely unbiased, especially compared to some of the leftist media outlets like MSNBC. In fact, The Factor’s viewers are 40% republican, 40% democrat and 20% independent. I think that seems pretty balanced. Not only is the show and its audience balanced, but it has remained the highest rated cable news program for years.
I don’t mind it when people criticize as long as they know what they are talking about; it is the Kool-Aid drinking loons (right or left) that are ignorant of the facts that drive me nuts.
Because I enjoy O’Reilly so much, I really wanted to read his latest book, A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity. This book focuses on the aspects of O’Reilly’s life that have made him the man and the journalist that he is today. The book is full of stories that many people can relate to, stories of growing up as a small town kid in the good Ol’ US of A.
While I cannot identify with O’Reilly’s experience in Catholic school, or the nuns who so helped shape his childhood, I can identify with many of the emotions, if not the situations, that he describes within Bold Fresh.
I highly recommend this book (no matter what side you sit on, right or left). It is full of funny anecdotes, and O’Reilly is quick to point out all the trouble he has caused over the years as a bold fresh guy.
I know there are people out there who think that O’Reilly has an agenda…well, they would be right, but I believe they would be wrong as to what that agenda is. He wants the truth and he wants to protect the little people from those who would lie, manipulate and hurt others. Yes, Bill O’Reilly is a conservative, but he remains Independent.
I watch The Factor on a regular basis and am amazed at those who put down O’Reilly and The Factor by saying that he is a right-wing nut. I think he manages to remain extremely unbiased, especially compared to some of the leftist media outlets like MSNBC. In fact, The Factor’s viewers are 40% republican, 40% democrat and 20% independent. I think that seems pretty balanced. Not only is the show and its audience balanced, but it has remained the highest rated cable news program for years.
I don’t mind it when people criticize as long as they know what they are talking about; it is the Kool-Aid drinking loons (right or left) that are ignorant of the facts that drive me nuts.
Because I enjoy O’Reilly so much, I really wanted to read his latest book, A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity. This book focuses on the aspects of O’Reilly’s life that have made him the man and the journalist that he is today. The book is full of stories that many people can relate to, stories of growing up as a small town kid in the good Ol’ US of A.
While I cannot identify with O’Reilly’s experience in Catholic school, or the nuns who so helped shape his childhood, I can identify with many of the emotions, if not the situations, that he describes within Bold Fresh.
I highly recommend this book (no matter what side you sit on, right or left). It is full of funny anecdotes, and O’Reilly is quick to point out all the trouble he has caused over the years as a bold fresh guy.
4 stars.
Preparing For The Coming Ice Storm
I'm now hunkered down and ready for the upcoming ice storm...and it is coming. Here are some of my plans for both preparation and enjoying the time off.
1. Finish laundry while I still have power. Currently I am washing two blankets. These are the important blankets that I need for snuggling up on the chair. One is the "good" blanket. (This is what we in my family call our quilts that have flannel backs on them.) Very snuggly. The other is my everyday blanket that is cozy, but not overly warm.
2. Wash dishes. Actually, I'm going to let the dishwasher do this, but I will have to unload them at some point.
3. Keep MacBook plugged into an outlet at all times, just in case the power does go out. That way it is fully charged and I'll be able to get at least 3 hours of laptop time in.
4. Make sure to plug in my Kindle at night. The battery can last a week, but better to be safe than sorry.
5. Find and check batteries on all flashlights and lamps. Put them within easy reach, one in every room.
6. Fill some pitchers with water in case of major power outages. If I lose power, I still have water, but we could have problems if something happens at the county water supply station. I'm sure they have generators, but...Just in case.
7. Keep Blackberry charged. Must have connection with outside world!
8. Be sure to shower when possible so as to be clean for as long as possible if power goes out. I will probably shower tonight instead of waiting for the morning. Just in case.
9. Spend the next few days curled up in my chair with either my MacBook or my Kindle. This will require one of the blankets from step 1. Please note that I will be living in my Adidas pants and comfy shirts and hoodies.
10. Food: pizza that I picked up before I came home today (should last awhile), baked potatoes, possibly make some sort of stew or potato soup, plenty of sandwich stuff in case of power outage.
11. If power does go out: Put perishables in a plastic tub and stick it on the back porch, turn water faucets on to a slow drip to keep them from freezing, go across the road to aunt and uncle's house where there is a fireplace and possibly a generator when it finally gets too cold to stay in the house any longer.
Must go now. The 5 o'clock weather is on and I want to see the updates! Send up a prayer for all of us in South Missouri and Northern Arkansas!
1. Finish laundry while I still have power. Currently I am washing two blankets. These are the important blankets that I need for snuggling up on the chair. One is the "good" blanket. (This is what we in my family call our quilts that have flannel backs on them.) Very snuggly. The other is my everyday blanket that is cozy, but not overly warm.
2. Wash dishes. Actually, I'm going to let the dishwasher do this, but I will have to unload them at some point.
3. Keep MacBook plugged into an outlet at all times, just in case the power does go out. That way it is fully charged and I'll be able to get at least 3 hours of laptop time in.
4. Make sure to plug in my Kindle at night. The battery can last a week, but better to be safe than sorry.
5. Find and check batteries on all flashlights and lamps. Put them within easy reach, one in every room.
6. Fill some pitchers with water in case of major power outages. If I lose power, I still have water, but we could have problems if something happens at the county water supply station. I'm sure they have generators, but...Just in case.
7. Keep Blackberry charged. Must have connection with outside world!
8. Be sure to shower when possible so as to be clean for as long as possible if power goes out. I will probably shower tonight instead of waiting for the morning. Just in case.
9. Spend the next few days curled up in my chair with either my MacBook or my Kindle. This will require one of the blankets from step 1. Please note that I will be living in my Adidas pants and comfy shirts and hoodies.
10. Food: pizza that I picked up before I came home today (should last awhile), baked potatoes, possibly make some sort of stew or potato soup, plenty of sandwich stuff in case of power outage.
11. If power does go out: Put perishables in a plastic tub and stick it on the back porch, turn water faucets on to a slow drip to keep them from freezing, go across the road to aunt and uncle's house where there is a fireplace and possibly a generator when it finally gets too cold to stay in the house any longer.
Must go now. The 5 o'clock weather is on and I want to see the updates! Send up a prayer for all of us in South Missouri and Northern Arkansas!
Tweets for the Day
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
- 12:48 Glad I took a nap yesterday because I stayed up late reading.
- 12:49 Yay!!! The BFF is home. Can't wait to hang out some more. Taking Friday off.
- 13:11 Am I the only person out there with a drooling cat? She's lying on me and I have a big wet spot on my shirt. Gross.
- 13:32 I'm planning on snuggling up with a book instead of grading tests. It's Sunday after all.
- 14:58 Just finished the book. I forgot how much fun it was to read something without literary value. I downloaded another one onto my Kindle!
- 16:55 We're expecting ice starting tomorrow. It missed us last time...can we get lucky twice?
- 20:49 Had some chocolate pie with the family after church. Pretty good.
- 22:01 I'm watching the weather to see if (when) we get all that ice!
- 22:06 Crap...now it's up to an inch possible. We are on the north of the ice and close to the sleet/ice mix, that's better.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Last Year's Ice Storm
These pictures were taken outside of my house a day after the ice hit. The sun came out and the whole world looked like it was covered in diamonds.
I thought I would post a couple of pictures of what may be coming our way. This is last year's worst ice storm. February 13th is what the tag on the picture says, I can't remember how many days we were out of school for that.
Last year was a really weird year for storms. We were out of school quite a lot last year. So much in fact, that the state had to forgive some of our missed days and we didn't have to make them all up. Not all of them were for ice; there was also snow and flooding. There were several weeks when we only went one or two days the whole week.
We'll see what happens this week. We've already been out 3 days for winter weather...all before Christmas break and that's a first.
If we get any ice, I will be sure to post pictures.
Ice Warnings
Well, we're expecting lots of ice coming in starting tomorrow... I'm not sure how I feel about that. They are saying we could get between 1/2 and 3/4th an inch of ice starting sometime Monday mid-day. Last time we were supposed to get ice, it went north of us. I'm not sure we will get lucky twice in a row.
I don't mind getting some time off work. If it does what it says, I'm thinking we will only have school on Monday and Friday (and I'm taking Friday off). That sounds good, but of course those days must be made up and they will start taking away Spring Break soon.
Also, I love how pretty it is with everything covered in ice, but it is so dangerous. Ice on trees and power lines. *shudder* I would hate to be out of power. Luckily, I have relatives next door and they have some wood heat in the house, so I can walk across the road to their house. This is really good considering I live on a hill and if there's ice, there's no getting out of here or anyone coming up to help.
I'll keep you apprised of the situation.
I don't mind getting some time off work. If it does what it says, I'm thinking we will only have school on Monday and Friday (and I'm taking Friday off). That sounds good, but of course those days must be made up and they will start taking away Spring Break soon.
Also, I love how pretty it is with everything covered in ice, but it is so dangerous. Ice on trees and power lines. *shudder* I would hate to be out of power. Luckily, I have relatives next door and they have some wood heat in the house, so I can walk across the road to their house. This is really good considering I live on a hill and if there's ice, there's no getting out of here or anyone coming up to help.
I'll keep you apprised of the situation.
Tweets for the Day
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
- 08:08 I can't believe I'm up by 8 on a Saturday where I don't have to do anything.
- 09:21 Eggs over-easy, bacon, cheesie grits and chocolate milk. Yummm...
- 11:00 I totally left the burner on and didn't realize it until I smelled plastic burning. It was the spatula.
- 15:08 I'm so exited to see my bff for the first time since July! She's on her way home now!
- 21:21 I have to keep rewinding Battlestar Galactica because I'm paying too much attention to the interweb.
- 21:48 I just shut the laptop up and I'm going to read before bed.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Tweets for the Day
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
- 06:59 Still grading papers. The kids say it's my own fault for assigning so much...
- 13:17 Grading...always grading!!
- 15:22 It's Friday! That means I'm going home early (on time).
- 16:05 Just finished A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity. Great book.
- 21:31 It is WINDY outside! I can hear it hitting the house.
- 21:54 I'm searching the Kindle bookstore for a good book. I want something fun and light.
- 22:15 I found a novel that has absolutely no literary merit...I hope. Chalk it up to too much Macbeth!
The Nephews
Nephew L spent some time today "helping" his father and grandfather on the basement rebuild. I think he spent most of the time playing in the sack of nails, which is why his hands got so black. I just thought these would make the cutest picture.NL is getting so big. He's almost 3 and is just about as tall as his sister who is four and a half. He is really talking and most of the time I can understand what he is saying. Mom thought he was looking for a "shrew" today, but then we figured out he meant "screw". Apparently he had dropped a nail or screw outside and had been looking for it. His mom and I were talking about how much growning there has been in the last year and how hard it is to think about how much he as changed in the last year.
Newphew J is also growing up fast. He's 15 months old and just starting to want to feed himself. Today was a very messy experiment in his endeavor of growing up. I started feeding him as normal, then decided to put the food on the fork and give it to him. He really liked that, but would always want to touch the fork to the plate, so I put the food on the fork and then let him pick it up himself. He was so proud of himself. Eventually I just put the plate, fork and spoon down and let NJ go at it. This picture was the end result. Boy did it take some time to clean him up.Now I know I just had a post called Maybe This Is Why I Don't Read Your Blog, where I talked about people who have blogs dedicated to their kids. However, you will note that not all my posts are about The Niece and Nephews. I don't care if people talk about their kids as long as there is some variety in there somewhere!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Tweets for the Day
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
- 13:43 The day is going well; I'm getting the projector mounted on the ceiling in my classroom. Finally.
- 17:54 I'm stuck at school grading...I HATE grading!
- 21:12 I'm really wanting a snack right now and wish I had something new and tasty to enjoy.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Maybe This Is Why I Don't Read Your Blog...
The following is meant to be humorous and not insulting...
1. You are unaware of common grammar rules. (FYI: A lot is Two Words and Your does NOT mean You Are).
2. You can’t even be bothered to capitalize I, or your own name (or really anything for that matter).
Both 1 and 2 are very distracting to read. I just can’t take it, maybe because I’m an English Teacher.
3. You haven’t taken the time to personalize your blog and are still using the same boring Blogger template. You could have the best blog in the world, but I’m not going to stick around to find out.
4. You don’t update at least once a week. I got bored. I moved on.
5. Your views make me think you might need a straitjacket.
6. Your blog is all about your kid(s). Like I care; don’t you have a life outside your kid(s)? A two-year-old’s life is not that interesting. (I like kids, but a blog about kids I don't know is not really that interesting. Plus, I think it's dangerous to post pictures of little kids. Some skeezy pedophile might download them.)
7. Your blog is narcissistic. This usually means you have A LOT of pictures of yourself in what you think are sexy poses.
If none of these apply to you, please drop me a note and maybe I’ll swing by and check out your blog.
1. You are unaware of common grammar rules. (FYI: A lot is Two Words and Your does NOT mean You Are).
2. You can’t even be bothered to capitalize I, or your own name (or really anything for that matter).
Both 1 and 2 are very distracting to read. I just can’t take it, maybe because I’m an English Teacher.
3. You haven’t taken the time to personalize your blog and are still using the same boring Blogger template. You could have the best blog in the world, but I’m not going to stick around to find out.
4. You don’t update at least once a week. I got bored. I moved on.
5. Your views make me think you might need a straitjacket.
6. Your blog is all about your kid(s). Like I care; don’t you have a life outside your kid(s)? A two-year-old’s life is not that interesting. (I like kids, but a blog about kids I don't know is not really that interesting. Plus, I think it's dangerous to post pictures of little kids. Some skeezy pedophile might download them.)
7. Your blog is narcissistic. This usually means you have A LOT of pictures of yourself in what you think are sexy poses.
If none of these apply to you, please drop me a note and maybe I’ll swing by and check out your blog.
Tweets for the Day
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
- 06:01 I hit the snooze too much and it shut off...meaning I overslept by 30 minutes.
- 10:47 This is the worlds longest day...I can't believe it's only 3rd hour!
- 16:26 I'm going to be teaching the youth tonight at church.
- 17:05 Just waiting for sunset to see if I can get a better shot.
- 17:50 Stupid Label Cloud. Works on one blog but not the other...
- 17:59 Figured it out. It is working.
- 20:09 Church went well. Hope everyone was 'fed' tonight.
- 22:52 I hate having to go to bed!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
American Idol Crazies
So...while watching American Idol tonight, I think I might have figured out the conundrum that I had discussed in an earlier post. I had discussed people who cannot sing and not understanding why someone in these people's families don't tell them that they can't sing... Apparently, the family members are just as clueless. I should have guessed as much...I'm sure that being tone deaf probably runs in the family.
The very first girl who auditioned tonight (I believe her name was Tiffany) could not sing her way out of a paper bag. However, her mother went on and on about how great Tiffany was and that she would put on concerts for her mother all the time. You should have seen the rapturous expression on her mother's face while Tiffany was singing. Her father said that Tiffany was "unbelievable"...unbelievably bad. Obviously, the parents are just as clueless and tone deaf as the daughter!
The very first girl who auditioned tonight (I believe her name was Tiffany) could not sing her way out of a paper bag. However, her mother went on and on about how great Tiffany was and that she would put on concerts for her mother all the time. You should have seen the rapturous expression on her mother's face while Tiffany was singing. Her father said that Tiffany was "unbelievable"...unbelievably bad. Obviously, the parents are just as clueless and tone deaf as the daughter!
Weird Cat Photo
I was taking pictures, and Noel was just sitting there, so I took a few shots of her. During one of the shots she started to shake her head; this picture was the result. It just looked so cool that I had to post it. It almost looks like I photoshopped it, but I didn't.
Tweets for the Day
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
- 07:21 Today is historic and I'll be praying for Obama, but I'm still worried for America's values. Good thing God is in control.
- 11:36 I'm sitting here as my kids watch Macbeth...I'm not surprised when they laugh at Lady Macbeth. The loud breathing so is unnecessary.
- 14:41 If you want a lot of comments about your Facebook status, just say something controversial and then misspell it!
- 16:36 Crap! I forgot my shades and have to drive home...facing the sun.
- 18:17 I am sooo... hungry. Must get off internet for food!
- 18:49 Mmmmm...chicken salad sandwich...my own unique recipe.
- 19:23 We might have a new President, but life goes on...American Idol is on!!
- 21:36 I hate the fact that my inner Night Owl is being stifled by a 4:30 daily wake up call!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Small Town Sign
This sign is right next to the road where I live. It is a fairly new sign, but I think that it fully explains where I live. When I say I live in a small town, I don't mean one with a population between 25,000-50,000. Nope. We're talking under 3,000, and I live 8 miles outside of town!
I think this sign showed up because of the farm next to us, which is the farm that I grew up on; the one we had to sell when I was 16. My dad owns a lot of land that joins the old family farm, and is a weekend/evening farmer with cattle and crops. Mom actually does a lot of the daily chores since she retired. When this sign first went up I wondered how much it had to do with Mom driving all over the place in either the 4-wheeler or the Mule.
New Photoblog
I just wanted to let you know that I have created a new photoblog called Views From A Small Town. I wanted to post some of my photography, and went back and forth on whether or not to post them here or create a new blog. I finally decided to create a separate blog for them. I am hoping this will encourage me to work on the artistic side of my photography. To be honest, I haven't done much when it comes to working on my portfolio since my niece and nephews moved back home. They have become my major subjects and even though I do manage to take some artistic photos of them, I haven't been pushing myself.
I hope that you will check it out. I am going to try to post several pictures a week.
I hope that you will check it out. I am going to try to post several pictures a week.
Tweets for the Day
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
- 05:33 I'm going to vacation in dreamland for the next several hours. See ya.
- 08:36 It was nice to sleep in, but I did have some weird dreams...
- 10:16 Off to go grocery shopping...it's about time.
- 12:01 Met some friends at Wal-Mart and we're going out to eat Mexican.
- 12:02 Also...got gas and took a picture of the ephedrine sign. I'll post it when I get home.
- 13:36 So full...can't move...
- 15:39 It's so cold in the house! I don't want to reset the timer so I'm toughing it out until 4.
- 16:58 I'm cooking Cheese Grits (mmmm...) And watching An American Carol.
- 21:41 Just created a new photoblog and have a follower before even getting it up and running!
- 23:44 Off to bed. Work tomorrow...Boo...
Monday, January 19, 2009
My Review Rating System
I rate movies and books on a 5 star system.
1 star – I hated it! I wish it didn't exist.
2 stars – I did not like it.
3 stars – it was okay, I sorta liked it, but won’t watch/read it again.
4 stars – I really liked this movie/book, I will probably watch/read it again, but may not purchase it.
5 stars – I loved it! This will be something I watch/read over and over again and will probably purchase it.
An American Carol Review
From David Zucker, the director of Airplane! and Naked Gun, An American Carol is a comedy based off the classic, A Christmas Carol and stars Kevin Farley as Michael Malone. The character Michael Malone is a spoof on the documentary film maker, Michael Moore who is known for documentary films that reflect his
When Michael Malone sets out to organize a Ban on the 4th of July, he is visited by four ghosts (including Kennedy, Patton, and Washington) that try to convince Malone that America is not the horrible place he makes it out to be, and that a ban on all war would create an America that no one would want. Patton introduces Malone to an America where Lincoln chose not to fight the Civil War and Malone is now the largest slave owner in the south. Many of his slaves are famous African Americans. It is through the travels he makes with the ghosts (especially General Patton) that Malone is convinced to make a change in his life and his opinions about America.
Another major premise of the movies revolves around Michael being hired by terrorists to film a movie that promotes jihad and terrorism. However, Michael does not believe in terrorism and is easily duped into allowing 3 terrorists access to Madison Square Garden, which they, of course, plan on blowing up.
As a person who loves America, I really enjoyed this film. It is not often that a film comes out that is pro-America. An American Carol is full of top notch actors (including Kelsie Grammer, Leslie Nielsen, James Woods and Dennis Hopper) and cameos of patriotic Americans (including one of my favorite people…Bill O’Reilly).
As a side note: I have seen Michael Moore in all of his glory, blaming K-Mart for the shootings at Columbine (because they sold the bullets) in his documentary Bowling for Columbine, and thus enjoyed him being knocked down a peg or two.
I give An American Carol 4 stars for being a great film and an additional ½ star for pure cheek!
4 ½ stars
Ephedrine Update
I stopped and bought gas today at the same gas station I mentioned in the earlier post about Ephedrine. I took a quick pic of the add in question. It seams like they made new signs because the price has increased a little. Also, I can't remember if they had the photo ID requirement before, but they might have.
Tweets for the Day
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
- 09:15 I'm in the soundbooth alone. I've got to find someone to train...
- 13:15 I am so glad I have the day off tomorrow!
- 14:09 I am going to take a nap and hope that I'm not more tired when I wake up...
- 18:59 The nap worked!
- 21:39 My brand new fiestaware bowl has a chip in it! How'd that happen?
- 22:41 I should probably go to bed, but I'm not really feeling it yet.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Old People and Candy Wrappers
Sitting in church today, there was an old man behind me opening a candy wrapper. Of course, this took forever and lasted all the way through the prayer...actually, it started before the prayer.
Here's what I think...they can't hear the wrappers and they think they're being quiet. That's why it takes so long for them to open up the freakin' candy...because they are trying to be quiet. They think by slowly opening the wrapper, that they are being quiet. The truth, of course, is the opposite...if they would just open the wrapper quickly, it would all be over with!
Here's what I think...they can't hear the wrappers and they think they're being quiet. That's why it takes so long for them to open up the freakin' candy...because they are trying to be quiet. They think by slowly opening the wrapper, that they are being quiet. The truth, of course, is the opposite...if they would just open the wrapper quickly, it would all be over with!
Tweets for the Day
Inconsequential Thoughts By Smalltown Girl
* 10:17 I'm off to play with the kids. I hope I have enough energy for this!
* 15:21 It has been extra crazy around here because the neighbor girl's over to play with the niece. Too many kids!
* 18:00 I'm expecting the weekend to be long, yet it feels like it's rushing by.
* 22:20 Time for bed?
* 00:03 Okay...so I stayed up a little late tonight. NOW I'm going to bed.
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* 10:17 I'm off to play with the kids. I hope I have enough energy for this!
* 15:21 It has been extra crazy around here because the neighbor girl's over to play with the niece. Too many kids!
* 18:00 I'm expecting the weekend to be long, yet it feels like it's rushing by.
* 22:20 Time for bed?
* 00:03 Okay...so I stayed up a little late tonight. NOW I'm going to bed.
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Saturday, January 17, 2009
Done?
I'm not sure, but I think I've fixed the problems and I'm considering on being done now. Pretty sure none of you care, but as I am blogging about my life, this is what's going on now...my blog.
I still don't know that I like the background, but I'm okay with it for now. I changed it from the original yellow background, but it won't be permanent. I will probably be one of those that changes their blog background and colors fairly often, but hopefully not so much that it drives people nuts.
I still don't know that I like the background, but I'm okay with it for now. I changed it from the original yellow background, but it won't be permanent. I will probably be one of those that changes their blog background and colors fairly often, but hopefully not so much that it drives people nuts.
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