What a Relaxing Week

I had a wonderfully relaxing week. It feels good to not be going 90 to nothing the whole week long with papers to grade (and by papers, I mean essays, etc., not worksheets) and a million other things to get done.

A shot of my parents' house. Mom, the Sil and I spent some time sitting in the yard on Saturday, just enjoying the day and watching the kids play.

Here was my week:

Monday (Memorial Day)

• Really didn't do much that I can remember. This may sound boring, but I love to sit around and do nothing. By 'nothing', I mean: watch TV/Movies, surf the interweb, read and take naps.
  
• The power went off for awhile and that sucked, but came back in an hour.
• Took a nap at some point.
  

Tuesday

• Went to work for a teachers' meeting that only lasted until noon.
• Went out to church camp to take pictures, and got to visit with people I haven't seen since camp last year (I love going out to church camp).
• Can't remember if there was a nap or not...
  

Wednesday

• Went to work for another teachers' meeting...this one lasted less than an hour. We were contracted to work that day, so we had to come in, even though we could have gotten that done Tuesday afternoon instead of going home after lunch. Really it was a waste.
  
• Made a few copies in preparation for Summer School.
• Went to town to get camp pictures printed.
• Took a Nap.
• Sorted through yard sale stuff and priced clothes for the yard sale.

Thursday

• Helped Mom tile the kitchen most of the day. It was actually fun. See pictures here and here.
• Took a break around noon to go out to camp to deliver pictures and check kids out.
• No nap.

Friday

• Went to discount grocery store mid morning, and got some good buys. I love that place, although they were out of the jalapeno poppers I like (stuffed with cheese! mmm...).
• Did some weed eating...broke weed eater.
• Did some spraying of weeds...ran out of spray.
• Went to Mom's to hang out with the kids. This included going with Mom to do chores because both boys went to go and someone had to hold NJ during the two-hour adventure that included moving cattle.
• It was a really fun and relaxing day just hanging out on the farm.
  
• No nap.

Saturday

• Played on the internet most of the morning before going to Mom's to hang out with the family again.
• Got the air-conditioner in my car fixed.
  
• Took a nap.
  
• Taught my niece how to suck on honeysuckles.
• Picked a tick out of NJ's ear.
• Played on the internet some more.
• Finished watching season one of 24. Didn't see it coming...

Sunday

• Went to church no.1, where I run the sound booth. Was, unfortunately, unimpressed with today's service...
• Went to church no. 2. This is my brother's church. Enjoyed the sermon, even though I had to spend a lot of time keeping my niece from getting too wound up (her mom had to stay home with NL because he was sick).
• Took nap.
• Spent some time discussing (arguing?) the finer points of stuff like women wearing head coverings and eating "Kosher" with my friend Ben...through texting! Go to his blog for some great religious discussions.
• Now I'm doing this...
  

Overall, I woke up at a decent hour every morning. No sleeping in until late in the morning (except on Saturday, when I woke up after 8am). This meant I had plenty of time to do what I wanted, but at the same time, I was able to wake up on my own without that pesky alarm clock.

I hope I get some more weeks like this before summer is over. For the next 2 1/2 weeks, I'll be teaching summer school (much lower stress levels than regular school days). One of those weeks I will spend every day from the time I leave work until after 10pm at church camp for high school week (my favorite...wish it wasn't during summer school). I should have a few weeks without having to be at camp every day (not that I HAVE to be there, but I like to lend a hand), or having to work every day on one thing or another. I'm looking forward to those. Then my bff comes home sometime in July. I'm really looking forward to getting to spend time with her. She hasn't been home since January.

All-in-all it should be a good summer.

New Blog: Small Town Snapshots

I have created a new blog called Small Town Snapshots. Small Town Snapshots is a blog of snapshots taken daily with my Blackberry. They are just everyday photos of the everyday occurrences in my life. Every day something happens that makes me think, "I should tell somebody about that." Maybe you'll care, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll find something amusing, and maybe you will see something in my life, that reminds you of yours. Please drop by and check it out.

Work-Free Weekend

I'm feeling so good right now. I spend much of my time being behind at work. I teach high school English and there is a lot of grading involved in that job. I'm always behind in my grading because there is so much of it. The minute I get one assignment graded, there is another one waiting for me...sometimes two. And none of it is easy grading. I'm not really into multiple choice/multiple guess, which means a lot of reading/interpreting student answers.

But now...

I am completely caught up! Usually I am in front of the class the whole hour, so all my grading has to be done after school, however, my students are reading a novel right now and that gives me around an hour and a half of extra class time (while they are reading) where I can grade papers. We discuss the previous day's reading for about 20 minutes, then I have the rest of the hour to work. It's beautiful. I really need to work on my curriculum so that I can do this more often.

Because I have the weekend off for once, I am going to enjoy it. I'm thinking of getting up and going grocery shopping early in the morning (before everyone gets out to the stores), and then I'll hang with the Niece and Nephews. Plus, I'm going to enjoy a movie tonight. I have several Netflix movies just sitting waiting to be watched. But mostly, I just don't have to worry about anything over the weekend...and I love that!

I hope that the rest of you have a great weekend as well!

Comrades!

500 channels and sometimes you just can't find anything good to watch on TV.

I remember the days when we only got 5 channels, and 2 of those didn't come in good enough to bother with. Those were the days when I was my father's personal remote control. My dad learned the art of channel surfing long before a remote was ever placed into his hand. But I digress...

Anyway, I had a friend over the other day and there was absolutely nothing good on TV and nothing good saved on my Tivo. After a little channel surfing, we discovered "World's Largest Chinese Restaurant". I just knew this would have to be good for a laugh or two. T and I weren't disappointed we chose this show. First of all, it was all subtitled because everyone spoke Chinese (apparently the world's largest Chinese restaurant is in China...go figure), and subtitles are always funny. Then we tune in to find a baby kissing a fish for good luck. Priceless.

Some family had rented out the restaurant to celebrate the birth of their son. I'm guessing this is a much bigger deal in China than I ever realized. There were over 400 people coming to this celebration. We had to watch through about 10 minutes of the baby kissing fish and getting smathered with a raw egg (probably for more good luck) before we hit Jackpot!

One of the male family members stood up in front of 400 guests and said, "Comrades, today we welcome a new penis in the family!" I thought T and I were going to die laughing. I'm not sure if he said something that didn't translate well, or if he really did say that, but either way... it was hilarious.

So next time a friend or family member is blessed with a son...don't be afraid to celebrate by saying, "Comrades, today we welcome a new penis in the family!"

Springs Blooms

Here are a few spring pics that I took today. I love it when I come home to new flowers blooming.

Grape Hyacinth

Weeping Cherry Tree

Pear Tree with bee

Life Altering ChapStick Issues

Life as I know it may be coming to an end... I think I might be allergic to Strawberry ChapStick!

This may sound like no big deal to you, but this is a serious problem for me. I love my Strawberry ChapStick. Not Cherry, not the original "Old Man" ChapStick with the black label, but Wonderful, Wonderful, Strawberry ChapStick.

At any time, I own no less than four tubes of SCS: one in my purse, one at work, one by my chair in the living room and one by my night stand. I usually also have a back up in my gum and ChapStick drawer (yes, I have a drawer devoted to ChapStick and gum), just in case one of my other tubes runs out. My drawer has lots of gum for The Niece and Nephews and asorted flavors of CS, even though I really only like strawberry.

So here's what happened:

Several months ago (maybe 3 or 4), I started noticing that the skin under my bottom lip itched all the time and I had developed a rash. It was while complaining about the rash that my aunt suggested that I might be allergic to my CS. I immediately dismissed this as ridiculous. First of all, I have been using SCS daily for about three years now. Second, I just couldn't stand the thought of being allergic to my wonderful Strawberry ChapStick.

The reason my aunt would even suggest that I could be allergic to my SCS probably has something to do with how frequently I apply my SCS, and how liberally I apply it. It's a little ridiculous actually. I usually roll that tube around my lips at least five times when I apply it...as if I could actually get anymore CS on my lips after about the second time around.

Anyway, shortly after the rash, came the split in the corner of my lips. I had a terrible crack on the left (my left, right as you look at me) side of my mouth. It just wouldn't go away. I couldn't understand how it would have even been able to get cracked considering how often I put CS on.

Then about a month ago, I got a crack on the other side of my mouth. What!?! Not only was this painful, but embarrasing. I just kept putting more SCS on my lips.

And when I thought it couldn't get any worse... I then developed a red ring around my entire mouth. I looked like a 3-year-old with a Kool-Aid mustache! And it was painful.

Last week I had finally had enough. I decided that maybe my aunt was right; maybe I had developed an allergy. *gasp* I decided to switch to Carmex. I chose Carmex because it has a completely different make-up and it has healing properties (it's medicated you know). My hope was that the Carmex (Cherry by the way, they don't make strawberry) would help heal my poor, damaged, looks-like-a-3-year-old, lips.

One week later and my lips have almost returned to normal. Yay! This could mean that I am allergic to Strawberry ChapStick. Boo! As soon as I am thoroughly healed, I am going back to the SCS as an experiment. I am really hoping that I'm not allergic to SCS and that I just needed a medicated lip balm to alieve the cracks and redness and I can now safely go back to SCS. We'll see soon enough.

Am I going crazy here? Could I possibly be allergic to ChapStick after all these years?

Spring Is In The Air

Spring is in the air!

I'm so excited for spring. Every day something new is popping up around the house. Jonquils are blooming. The pear tree is blossoming. In another day or two my weeping cherry tree will be white with blossoms.



There is so much to do around the yard to prepare for spring. I've considered hiring some of the kids to come over one day soon and help me clean up the corner garden. It was supposed to be a cottage garden with a fish pond in the center, but it has become really over grown and out of control. The pump went out in the pond and the whole thing needs to be cleaned out, the pump replaced and the filter system rebuilt. It's a big job and I'm just too lazy to do it by myself (plus it would take days to do on my own and I don't have that kind of time). It would be worth paying $150 and a nice lunch to get that cleaned up so I can enjoy it.

Happy Spring Everyone!

Toddlers & Tiaras

Notice how the girl on the left is giving the winner the "evil eye"? Also, the girl on the right was on the episode I watched and she was a spoiled hellion! She kept yelling at her dad to "shut up" and he did nothing!

So I was watching Toddlers & Tiaras today. I’d never seen this particular show before, but I’ll admit it…I’m fascinated by the craziness that surrounds these kids’ pageants.

First of all…the majority of these mothers are not lookers. At All! And…they usually come from lower-class families. Trailer-living, buck-toothed mothers… I seriously can’t get enough of watching this. It’s like watching a circus…in my own home! I just find this fascinating. It’s as if they are living vicariously through their kids. You can practically hear there thoughts: "No one ever told me I was pretty...but by gosh, my daughter will be told she's pretty!"

One mom of a seven year old kept saying things like, “her aunt lets her shave her legs” and “her aunt lets her get highlights in her hair” and then has the nerve to say that she thinks her daughter is too young for these things…You’re the mom! Don’t let her do it!

Another mom chose to put her daughter in pageants before she was even born! It’s not like she even knew if her kid was going to be cute or not. This is the girl on the right in the above photo. Remember the spoiled hellion!?! Yep, that's her.

It’s ridiculous. Put enough make-up, fake eyelashes, fake teeth (yes, teeth!), hair extensions, spray tans and expensive dresses on a kid and they’re probably going to pass for cute…no matter what they look like without all the beauty products.

Of course we all know that these people are just paying for the titles, trophies and tiaras. Those kids always come out with some sort of title. When there are only four girls in a category, they’re all going to win something. In fact, most of them win multiple titles by entering just one pageant. It’s all ridiculous. And, oh…how mad the parents are when their kid doesn’t win a major title...

But my FAVORITE part about watching these types of shows is when they show the mom. She’s always standing right behind the judges doing all the moves that her daughter is doing. It’s hilarious to see these grown women making the weirdest moves.

Am I crazy to find this insanity so fascinating?

My Housekeeper Is Back!

I've been tidying up the house a little tonight in preparation for my mother to come and clean it.

So you may be wondering how I managed to get such a sweet deal. I used to pay Mom to come every other week to clean the house. She's retired and has a sterile house; I work and am too lazy to clean. I pick up; I don't clean. A little over a year ago, my mom quit. It wasn't anything formal, just my brother and his family moving back to our hometown. They had to stay with Mom and Dad for a few weeks until their house was ready and so Mom was too busy to clean my house. She just never started back up again.

This is her first week back at "work". The deal has gotten even sweeter. I no longer have to pay her to clean. Nope, we're doing it in trade. She cleans my house, I color her hair. Now some people think that she's getting the bad end of the deal, but I buy a lot of the supplies for the hair coloring (everything but the actual color) and then you have to remember that she's not paying $80 when I do the coloring. I know how to foil (in fact, I foil my own hair), and so her hair looks just as good as the local small town beautician. I also cut hair, but she's not been brave enough to try that.

I think in another life I could have been a beautician. I enjoy it. There is one major drawback that keeps me from ever seriously taking up the profession...I'm too lazy to stand on my feet everyday. That and I don't like to touch strangers. I guess I'll just stick to doing my friends' and family's hair.

Would you trust a family member to cut your hair?

Happy 100th To Me.

No, I am not 100 years-old...it's my 100th post...Yay!


I'm excited that I have made it to 100 posts. I am still loving to blog and really think this will be a long-term relationship. I have several steady readers (both those that "officially follow" me and others that I know stop by on a regular basis) and I would like to send a shout out to all of you. Thanks for reading my blatherings; I know I can get verbose at times. I hope, however, that I am at least entertaining at times.

One of my goals for the next 100 posts is to refine my posts. I'm thinking about starting a weekly segment about being single...maybe Single Saturday. I know I haven't really focused on that, even though it is part of what this blog is about. I think that has to do, in part, with the fact that almost everything I do in life is affected by my being single, so I just don't think to say the words: "because I'm single".

I would also like to increase my readership. As I write this post, I have four "official" followers, but would like to be able to reach double digits by my 200th post. Maybe some of you could help me out there. (I've already managed to reached double digits on my photoblog, Views From A Small Town, even though it is newer than this one... but everyone loves pictures!)

Here's hoping that you keep reading (and hopefully, enjoying) my random thoughts and musings. Thanks so much for being a part of this.

Everyone Loves Chucks

Everyone loves a good pair of Chucks...Even cats!

Okay, maybe not everyone, but I know I do! These are my old, comfy Chucks. It looks like Noel likes these Chucks too, although maybe not for the same reason that I do. This is not the first time that she's slept on my chucks because I've found cat hair on them before.

Do you have a favorite pair of shoes?

Why My Kindle is Going to Bankrupt Me

I love my Kindle. Let me say that again…I LOVE MY KINDLE!! I love my Kindle but it is going to bankrupt me.

How you might ask? It is too easy to download a new book…anytime…anywhere. I already have my Amazon account set up and so all I have to do is click Buy on any book I want. $6 here, $8 there… It’s starting to add up.

In the long run my Kindle should actually save me money. Books are much cheaper in Kindle format, especially if you are purchasing a brand new book. Titles are never more than $9.99, even when they are $20 on the shelf. Most classics you can download for free on the internet, or really cheap on Amazon (less than a dollar).

Sometimes, however, I pay more for a title in Kindle format than I would if I bought it used on Amazon. Take the series I am currently reading. They are costing me $6 on Kindle, but can be bought used for around a dollar. With shipping, that usually adds up to somewhere around four bucks. However, I like reading books on my Kindle and I have some OCD issues when it comes to reading a book that other people have read. I don’t know what kind of germs might be on used books. Gross.

The big problem is accessibility. One night I downloaded the next book in the series I am reading at two in the morning. I don’t have to wait to go to the story or wait for an online purchase to arrive in the mail. In less than one minute, I have a brand new book ready for me to read. I love that! And that is what is going to bankrupt me. I am buying more books than I would normally buy.

On the flip side… I spend well over a hundred dollars at Barnes and Noble alone every year. I have a membership and when I get in that store, I am libel to spend close to a hundred dollars on books that just speak to me. “Take me home” they say. I don’t know how many coffee table books I have bought over the years that I won’t read. I find them in the bargain aisle and just can’t walk away. I don’t even have a coffee table anymore. I think I’m going to let my B&N membership run out (I really only use it on Starbucks a few times a year now that I have my Kindle), and try to stay away from the bargain aisle!

So, I don’t know… You tell me.

Gran Day

Today was a "Gran Day". That's what we call Saturdays in my family because my brother and his family, along with myself, spend the day at my Mom's (aka: Gran).

We started out the day going to a local discount grocery store. I love going there because you never know what you will find there. It's like an adventure to find great buys. Today, I bought more Tide and also found some Pantene shampoo in bulk. I'm not sure where they get this stuff, but they put it in their own generic jugs and then put a tag next to the jugs telling you what brand the product is. I also buy Downy there in large quantities, but didn't need any today. I have regular detergent and softener containers that I then fill up with what I buy at the discount store. I plan on doing the same with the Pantene. Here's a picture of what I am talking about.

Good Buys

I also got some good buys on Kashi cereal and TGIFriday eggrolls. I usually buy my Starbucks coffee beans there (less than $4 a bag!). They are usually just going out of date, but I put them in the freezer and all is good! You really have to check dates (I never by mayo or salad dressing there), but on some things you can push the use by date (the Kashi cereal was a month out of date, but will be fine) and lots of things are just getting close to the date. Some products have slight damage, and that is why they're there.

I spent the rest of the morning hanging out with the kids and relaxing. The kids were especially relaxed today (no running around screaming), and spent some time just sitting on the couch watching "kids shows" as the Niece calls them. They don't have TV at their house (only videos), so they enjoy getting to watch TV at Gran's.

Nephew J is really starting to chatter a lot, but it is funny because he only has a few real words, but you can tell that he really thinks he's saying something. He was needing to be entertained a lot today, but it was cute.

We still have some sleet that hasn't melted, but it sure is doing so fast. Today was another 60 degree day, and the ground was turning to mud pretty fast. My road is practically a quagmire. There's not that much gravel left on it, and there are a lot of low spots that collect all the run-off from the sleet melting.

Muddy Roads

Hope that everyone had a great weekend. Let me know what fun things you did this weekend.

Spending Time With the BFF

Because we didn't have school...again, I invited myself on a shopping trip with my BFF and her mom. Yes, I invited myself, but to be fair, I have been given an open invitation to do so. We had a lot of fun. I bought a new purse. I've been looking for one for over a year and finally found one I liked. I'm still not sure about the color (it's a grey-green), but the BFF liked it. I also found some cheap sunglasses like I wanted. I had also been looking for this style of sunglasses for a year. Both pairs of my good sunglasses had broken and the superglue wasn't holding, so I guess it was definitely time for a new pair.

The new purse. It is really big! Just like I like them.

On our way to the “big city” we stopped by a McDonalds in an Amish heavy town. This is the only McDonalds I know of that has a place to tie up your horses. It’s not as impressive in the picture considering they piled all the sleet up around it. The Dollar General across the highway also has a tie up.

Amish Parking

We had lunch at the Olive Garden because the BFF really wanted to eat there. We all had the Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks…yum. I love the salad and breadsticks; I’m not sure why they are so good, but they are.

Right before leaving for the trip home, we stopped at Barnes and Noble. I love that place. I usually don’t get out of there without spending a lot of money, but I managed to refrain from getting any books. I did look through some photography books, but couldn’t find one that I liked more than the others and decided to wait. Maybe I’ll get one used on Amazon or just look through tutorials on the web (although I really want a book to thumb through). I told myself I wasn’t going to buy any books because I’ve already bought 5 books on my Kindle since Christmas. I did, however, treat everyone to Starbucks. Starbucks is part of what makes B&N so wonderful.

When we got home, the BFF and I went to visit our friend who had just gotten home from the hospital from having a baby. The new addition was pretty cute.

Shortly after I got home, I noticed Bella playing with something. She was batting something around on the living room floor. I went over to investigate and this is what I found.

Yep, it’s a dead mouse. Welcome to my world.

Tuesday

Still no school on Tuesday. I needed to make a grocery shopping trip and pick up a present for my nephew’s birthday (he’ll be three) and I knew that the BFF needed to go to the social security office so I asked her if she wanted to go together. The BFF needed to change her name on her SS card because she was married last summer. We got there around 3pm, but the SS office had moved. I had to call the CG’ma for directions and it was still hard to find. Why do they hide places like this?

By the time we were done with the SS office I got a call from Mom telling me that a friend (high school bff) had to take her daughter (under 2 yrs) to the emergency room for breathing problems. We were right next the hospital, so we stopped by, and I’m glad we did. I felt so sorry for them; it has to be really scary having to take your baby to the emergency room. I’m praying for them, but also for my niece and nephews because they were all in the same nursery together on Sunday! Hope the virus doesn’t get passed on.

After a fun trip to Wally-World (Wal-Mart), we were going back to my Mom’s house to wait on the BFF’s mom so we could all watch Mama Mia together. Girls’ Night!

I love going to Wal-Mart with the BFF. It is so much more fun to shop with someone else than it is to shop by yourself. We tend to make fun of random items.

Girls’ Night was great. The BFF and I picked up some Little Caesar’s on the way home from shopping and Mom had made a chocolate sheet cake. It was fun just to hang out and watch a movie.

Good food, good fun and good friends!

What do you like to do with your best friends?

Satellite Update

Just an update on my satellite situation.

This morning as I was sitting and reading, all of a sudden the idea came to me that my satellite might have been knocked around when those 4 inches of sleet fell off my roof in giant sheets. Although I only had 2 pages left in my book, I threw it aside and ran outside to check. YES! One of my satellites was sitting askew. I came back inside for a coat and a wrench and set the receiver to the satellite strength test signal (where it screeches at you in increasing decibels until you get the satellite pointed in the right direction). I started fiddling around with angling the satellite in what I thought was the right direction.

Success! I heard the high pitch screech and knew I had locked on to a signal. I went inside and turned to a local channel. Wrong. I had locked onto a signal, but now I was getting ESPN on the channel where I normally pick up CBS. Weird.

I put on another layer (man, it was cold out there) and went back to trying to search for a signal. It took awhile, but I managed to find the right signal (it was a lot further east than I remember). YES!!! I have local networks back and will not have to be without them for 3 weeks. I called DirecTV and canceled the "upgrade" that I had scheduled.

I actually feel a little stupid for not thinking of the ice falling onto the satellite earlier. For some reason, it just didn't occur to me. I had thought that all the ice had already fallen off of that side of the house already, but should have realized it because of how close the satellite is to the house.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.