Random - Vol. 8.23

Where to start... I feel like my life is a bit chaotic right now, and I'm hoping this might help.  By nature, I tend to over-exaggerate things and drama in my own life... but I am also a highly emotional person and the things I feel and go through are real.  When I tell a story or say how something made me feel... to me, it's real.
Basically, the things I talk about here may seem like no big deal to you or the next guy... but they are real to me and they affect me and my everyday life.

First things first... Dana sent me an email last night that almost stopped my heart from beating (there I go over-exaggerating again!) - I'm not going to post any links on it because I'm sure none of you care and if you do you can Google it.  Mischke was let go from AM1500... no details are out yet but my life will never be the same.  I hope he comes around again real soon... I'm no longer a fan of 1500.  To you, Mischke (cause I'm sure you read this) - You will be missed, you have brought such simplicity into my life; Thank you.

I had a migraine on Friday, a mild one, but a migraine is a migraine.  I'm pretty sure it was stress/emotion triggered.  Last week at work was hell, emotionally.  I'm not going to post details because they are not important at this point... but I'm having a hard time moving past what happened; it goes back to forgiving and forgetting.  I have always had a hard time forgetting and I tend to hold grudges because of it.

I've been having grammar problems lately... now I'm sure some of you who have read my blog faithfully might say: 'but Ang, you've always had problems with grammar'.  It's getting worse.  My biggest challenges as of late are: Effect vs. Affect and Seen vs. Saw.
I just have to remember this:

A noun is a person, place or thing

A verb is an action word

An adjective is a describing word

I posted an update on the Hair Photo Journal ... I'm not sure if it notifies you people who get notifications... so this is me telling you.  My plan is to try and get it updated at least on the weekends if not once during the week, so know that - because I won't be telling you each time.
I'm noticing some effects on my hair from doing all of this... so my future styles may be lame or nonexistent.  Stay tuned...

I still have no clue what I'm doing this weekend for my birthday.  My friend emailed me the other day and asked... she said we do something every year and she won't let me get away with not.  ugh.

The Vikings escaped embarrassment yesterday and beat the, now 0-13, Detroit Lions.  Fox, however, did not escape embarrassment... and have since issued an apology.

I think I have almost all my Christmas shopping done.. I hate shopping.  Then last night I found a $10 off coupon from Old Navy... so I decided to run out, cause I needed some other things as well... I ended up charging $100.00 on clothes (for myself)... I'm so silly.

I attempted to begin my wine label art project yesterday during the game... didn't go as well as I had hoped, but I'm beginning to brainstorm ideas of how I can still make it work.  I'll be posting a blog on that project in the future.

That's all I've got today...

Thoughts For Thursday - Amazing Gifts

With the holiday season upon us and everyone [but me] in the mood to shop, I find myself trying to come up with creative ideas for people.  This post is not about that so much as it is about an amazing gift I received last year around this time.

Once upon a time I met this unemployed guy named Steve, at the time I was also unemployed, so we had that in common.  We'd give each other shit for still being unemployed when we'd see one another and somehow we ended up being pretty great friends...
One day last year some time we were at the bar and decided to do some shots.  I'm not a big shot taker and Steve is a huge enabler; I gave in and agreed to do the damn shot.  Since Patron was not an option the waitress suggested Sauza Hornitos (be sure to click on that link and check out the bottle) - we kind of liked it - a lot.  The problem of the future became trying to remember what the hell this tequila was called.  We nicknamed it Swayze, cause it was close to the name and who doesn't love Patrick Swayze!?  Honestly.
Fast Forward through a whole summer and autumn of calling it Swayze and slowly learning the real name....

Steve starts telling me about this thing he is making for me... you see, Steve is a self taught genius in Photoshop and had big ideas!  I go for about a month having no idea what this could be and begin to grow anxious... finally one day he tells me it's ready and he's coming over to give it to me.  He gets to my house and has something wrapped in a brown paper bag...
I apprehensively open it... to find this:

(let me tell you how hard it is to get a good picture of a label)

Pretty fucking dope, huh?!  The back of the bottle was impossible to get a picture of and the words are absolutely hilarious.. so here you go (make sure you click on the image to enlarge it... you must read the words):

I'm pretty sure this is the most amazing gift I have ever received; it took thought, creativity, and time!  I still have the full bottle sitting on display, but I'm thinking it might need to be opened pretty soon.
Thank you again Steve, you're amazing!

So, Thoughts for Thursday - Tell me about an amazing gift you've received; is there a story behind it?  Your favorite gift, the most special gift... any gift you've received that has meant the world to you - I wanna hear about it!

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Other TFT Posters today: 

Feedback

I just found out that blogger offers a couple neat features that I would like to encourage you all to start using (on past and future blogs)...

They are called Reactions and Star Ratings - I've enabled them both, basically it's your chance to tell me what you think of the blogs, without having to comment.  I'm not sure which will work better, so please, play around with them and give me some feedback... I'll reassess after some time has passed.

I can change the titles of the Reactions anytime, but I've started them as: 'Yay' (meaning you like the post), 'Nay' (meaning you didn't like the post), and 'Meh' (meaning it was just okay).
The Star Ratings are pretty self explanatory, so use them as you wish.

...and please, let me know anytime if there is something I'm doing that you especially like or especially do not like.  I write this blog for me, but I am well aware that you are all out there reading.  I want to make you feel welcome here and I do value any input (good or bad) you may have!

Don't forget to use the new features... you should see them at the bottom of each post!

The Convenient Stores of.... Super America

Since I have some out of state readers I will begin by simply saying that Super America is a chain of convenient stores in the midwest... well Minnesota for sure, and I honestly don't care which other states.

That being said the next thing you need to know is that Super America (SA, for short) has a slogan, like most businesses.  I'm not sure if this is still the slogan or not but it's worth writing about, either way.

"We're on your way... the convenience stores of Super America"

Now... to the point.  I love SA's coffee, when I'm on the road and in need of Coffee I try to find an SA to stop at as I am still boycotting Starbucks.  As the slogan states, they are on my way, so you'd assume I can hit the road and conveniently find a store, right?  Wrong.

I've been noticing over the past few months that SA is NOT on my way... and if they are, it's not convenient.  As you may or may not know, I don't like making left hand turns... it's not convenient and generally leads to several more lefts... ugh, back to the topic, Ang!

On a trip to the doctor a couple months back, in need of coffee... I hit the road, get on Hwy. 10 and the first SA I see involves taking an exit, making a couple turns in order to get there, then making several turns (lefts!) to get back to the highway.  There is no other SA to be seen on the way.  Not on my way, not convenient.

The other situation I find myself in is on the way to work... once in a while I want coffee before I get to work.  On my drive, mind you this is a 45 minute drive, I leave my house, get on the highway... drive... hit Anoka to see my first Super America on the left hand side of the road.  It's hard enough to get out of my car in the morning without having to deal with making left hand turns, no way will I stop there.  The next SA I come across is as I get into Elk River, on the left.. pass.  Finally I get to the second SA in Elk River, on the right hand side of the road; this is where I stop, 25 minutes into my drive.

I'm going to end this rant... I've been keeping track of this for a few months and finally had to get it out.  Pretty stupid, huh?  Maybe I should just suck it up and drink the nasty coffee at other gas stations, but screw that, it's my money... I want good coffee!

Have a great Wednesday :)

December 1, 2008 - Moon, Venus, Jupiter from Minnesota

As a kid Jupiter was always my favorite planet... tonight, up in the sky you will see the Earth's Moon, Venus, and Jupiter... it's quite a beautiful sight.  I was walking out of the gym when I first saw it:

Thought it was worth sharing... it really struck me as beautiful :)

Go out and see it if you haven't yet!

My New Purchase

I did it... and holy crap is it nerve-racking!

Here is what I'm expecting in the mail very shortly:

Comes fully equip with a 2GB memory card and a carrying case (at no extra charge!)

More to come soon... I just had to get it out.

Price of The 12 Days of Christmas is UP!

I was listening to my favorite AM1500 this morning and heard that the actual cost of the items listed in The 12 Days of Christmas has gone up.  I had no idea anyone ever calculated this; it's been done since 1984!
Here is some history showing graphs of the cost.... I'm blown away.  


Cost of The 12 Days of Christmas for 2008 is: $86,609 (up 10.9% from last year).

Random - Vol. 8.22

My eyes are cross from looking at the computer so much this weekend, but what the hell... you guys are ready for another, right?

Where to start?  How was your Thanksgiving?  Mine was just peachy... nothing outrageous and spectacular but always a good time when family is around!

So... as you may recall, I am cutting and donating my hair soon, after the holidays are over.  I can't wait and I really want to do it sooner.  I've decided to spice things up a bit with some hair styles starting on Thanksgiving.  I used to do a lot of fun random shit with my hair back in the day... I've gotten away from it because of the length... make its hard.  I've decided I'm going to photo journal the styles and post a blog of them, should prove to be interesting.  I'm not sure if I should gather the photos and post them all at once, or if I should post the blog now and just update it as I go.  Oh well, I have time to decide still... just be looking for it, cause it's gonna be BOMB!

My Birthday is coming up; December 16th.  You would normally find me NE at The Palace, but I'm kind of sick of going down there... it's my birthday and I want to stay close to home.  I want to sleep in my own bed [or someone elses bed near mine ;)].  Seriously though... I just found out I'm going to be out of town the weekend after my birthday, so it has to be the weekend before.  I'm really not even sure if I want to go out at all, I'm over the whole birthday and getting older thing... but I do love the attention, so I'll probably do something.  My actual birthday is on a Tuesday... I'm thinking someone needs to take me out to sushi; anyone up for the task?  I'll let you buy!

I got a phone call today from a guy who was interested in looking at my van; he asked where is was located and I told him Andover area.  He was calling from Shakopee and didn't seem all that excited to drive all that way, so I told him I'd be willing to drive and meet him somewhere.  He called me at 2pm and said he had a meeting until 230 and he'd start driving North and that I should start driving South now and we'd meet in the middle... well I wasn't keen on the idea of driving 30 minutes before hearing from him and I wasn't willing to drive that far in general (he wants the van he can drive to it, but I also want to sell it, so I was willing to make an exception).  I decided it was best to wait for his call before making the drive... good thing I did.  3pm rolls around and I'm over waiting, I have shit to do.  I leave for Target only to get a call from him around 315 (45 minutes after he said he would be done and an hour 15 minutes from when he told me to start driving!), and he asks me where I am.. I kindly tell him I hadn't left yet and I was waiting to hear from him first... he sounds disappointed and says "oh... well, it's getting to be almost 330 now, so I guess we'll have to do this another time".  YA THINK?! doh-head... if I would have started driving when he told me to, I would have been past where he lives!

Anyhow - My eyes hurt (I may have been staring at my banner all day), so I'm done for now.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend and GO VIKINGS!  We play The Bears tomorrow night, both teams have a record of 6-5; should be interesting!

Banner 11.28.08

Here is it folks:

I found this picture of the Oak Tree in Napa... pretty much fell in love with it; had to make something out of it!  Here is what I came up with; what do you think?
I didn't very much like the last banner... but this one I hope to keep around for awhile as I'm kind of in love with it.

Hope you enjoy it :)

Thoughts for Thursday - FoOd!

First, Happy Thanksgiving to all... I hope your day finds you full, happy and surrounded by those you love.
In the semi-spirit of Thanksgiving and assuming that EVERYONE is going to post about Thanksgiving and what they are thankful for... I've already done that.

So... my TFT is about food, not solely Thanksgiving food, but food in general.  I have a feeling there won't be many posts or many readers today... so I'm keeping it simple and real, with almost no expectation of reply.

I was making myself dinner last night, wait'll ya hear this... Fried Egg Sandwich!  yum :)  How I make mine is to take 2 slices of (fresh and soft) bread, slab some ketchup on it, fry an egg or two and throw that on.. cut it in half and voilà!  Instant success!  Then I gots to thinkin' - because I know everyone makes a fried egg sandwich different - How would someone else make it?
Then my thinkin' went further into... TFT... food, what kinds of food do people like?!  It really is a topic for everyone; isn't it?  No matter who you are, where you are from or what you believe... FOOD is universal!  In all honesty, who wouldn't love to talk about food; Especially today!

My thoughts... I love food!  As you may know, I love sushi and pretty much anything that ends in seafood (fish, lobster, crab legs, scallops, etc.).
You may also recall my small random rant about my love of bananas and all things fruit.  How about this post the other day... Do I talk too much about food?
I love it, so why shouldn't I talk about it?  It's my damn blog!

What else do I like?  I love PB&J sandwiches as long as they are on fresh soft bread, especially tasty when dipped into Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup (don't knock it 'til you try it).  I'm slowly growing a taste for more spicy things... I've recently upgraded my sauce of choice at B-dubs; I now order the Parmesan Garlic, which is still a bit spicy to me.. but in a good way.  I love Chex Mix!
One of my favorite meals is a pot roast!  Slowly cooked all day in the crock with onion, carrots, and potatoes... YUM-O!  I could eat that for days.  Pasta is bomb.com, chicken rocks my socks, Chinese food is new to me but amazing!  I also really enjoy trying new things!!

The other thing I need to touch on is leftovers; I love leftovers!  I can't think of a thing I wouldn't eat as a leftover... I live for leftovers!  Most times I find food being better the next day, especially pasta when the sauce has been soaking on it over night!  mmmMMMmmmm....


Ok... moving on, cause I could go on for days:
Thoughts for Thursday - Tell me about your favorite foods.  Is there one that stands above the rest?  Do you (still) have something that you've loved since you were a kid?
I only want to hear about things you like here... (maybe another TFT will be foods you don't like).

Ready? Set? GO!!!


I'll post other TFT's if I get the chance today...

Random - Vol. 8.21

Is it right to let girls be in a band/group because they are sexy if they have no talent?  Don't get me wrong, I love a sexy girl as much as the next guy, but seriously... The Pussycat Dolls were on the AMA's the other night (which I finished watching last night) and I'm not impressed with their talent as much as I was impressed with their sexy outfits!
I'm just sayin'... 
I guess the same goes for Britney.. sexy sure, but pretty much talentless.  HOWEVER, Christina... the body and the voice, that lady is pretty dope.  Never thought I'd see a day where I favored Xtina over Brit!  


Interesting Story - I heard Mischke mention it yesterday on his show (I owe a blog in dedication to him... he's one of my favorite people).



A Great Site!  Here is the full list; my favorites include: Facebook, Wine, Canada, Recycling, Breakfast, and Coffee.

On that same site you will find Sushi, you may have assumed my love flows deep for the stuff, while I've not written about it, I do jump at every chance to try a new sushi place.  I should start writing about it!  
Anyhow, my point here is after reading the page linked to sushi I've come to discover I'm a borderline sushi snob!  I want to just express to all of you, if you have not tried sushi because you are scared to order it or scared of it in general... see me!  If you take me out to a sushi dinner I will sit there with you and explain everything I know (which is a lot, but not all), help you understand, and even order your meal for you!  I know the good things to order for a beginner... I'm that good!  I'm just saying... don't be scared, it's just another food really.


Last random topic involves you, the reader.  This is Random - Vol. 8.21, as you may or may not have noticed, in 2008 I have titled all of my random blogs this way, with the last number increasing.  Basically, you have random, which explains what the blog post is about, then you have the volume number, in this case it's 8.21, which means it's year 2008 (8) and post number 21 in that year (8.21).  I thought about continuing to post this way in 2009, so it'd be 9.1 through 9.21 [or whatever number I get up to], but I'm not sure if I really want to continue like that. 
As a reader I'm sure you don't really care how I label my posts... but in the off chance you do, I'd like to hear from you.  I'm looking for creative ways to title posts in 2009, some way that allows me to keep track of how many random blogs I've posted.  I'm not sure how to best do that, different from what I'm already doing.  Anyone have thoughts... (even if you think it's silly, it may spark something in my head... so please let me hear it)... ??


As I haven't signed off for quite some time, I will leave you with this:
WORD BITCHES!

Chicken Florentine is BACK!

I don't care how many calories it has [Edit 12.1.08 - it has 530 calories], I don't care how expensive it is, hell I don't even care if it's real chicken or not!  The Chicken Florentine has come back into my life and for that I am extremely happy!  Subway is now offering the Chicken Florentine Flatbread Sandwich.  I had to have it for lunch today; I've been craving it since I first saw the commercial for it days ago!
You see... way back when they offered the Chicken Florentine Ciabatta sandwich I ate it way too much because it was absolutely delicious!  The flat bread is just the same in way of deliciousness!
Take a flatbread, put a creamy spinach artichoke spread on it, add seasoned chicken, olives, tomato, and onions and you have yourself a delicious mix of yummy-ness.  Yes folks, that's right, YUMMY-NESS!

I think I wrote last year in one of my random blogs about it... but I don't recall which one.

Go eat one today (or tomorrow, if you have already had lunch).  I'm going to be so broke as it's a limited time offer (again)... :(

Movie Review: Wall-E

When I first watched the trailer for this movie, I knew I had to see it.  Wall-E closely resembled Johnny Number 5 from the movie Short Circuit, as a kid I loved the movie!

All in all I give the movie a big A+... but any Disney/Pixar movie is a sure sale for me.

A little about it and why I liked it so much.  Basically the movie in a nutshell is about Wall-E, a trash compactor, who remains on Earth after all the humans have been sent into space; the humans have filled the Earth with trash and it is no long inhabitable.  Wall-E rolls around with his little bug friend and compacts trash while he collects little things he wants to save and spare parts for himself.  One day there is a EVE probe put on Earth from the Humans ship to search for any signs of life to prove Earth is capable of supporting life.  Wall-E and EVE become friends and he shows her the plant he found one day...
It goes further into EVE being picked up by the humans ship with proof of photosynthesis and the humans (who have become extremely fat, lazy, and brainwashed) try to determine if they should and can return to Earth.

I'll save the little details because it's just such a cute movie.  There is not a lot of talking in the movie, especially in the beginning, but it's made up for with robot noises and plain curiosity.  I love how they built on the relationship between Wall-E and EVE, with no talking.  I just think all of these Pixar movies are put together with such creativity and thought... it's amazing to me.  This movie fits in with those standards and I would recommend it to any and all of you, especially if you have kids!

My Knitted Hat with Pockets

Well, as it turns out, JoeY got his hat yesterday (that was quick, huh?).  I can finally post pictures and a pattern :)

First of all, I started the hat last Friday; I have Friday's off of work so I had plenty of time to knit.  I got  a little farther than this picture shows:

Then Saturday, I had my knitting day... I decided I needed a break from knitting in the round, so I would make the pocket pieces.  I was able to get the pocket pieces finished, buy the buttons, plus get a little bit more of the hat done:

On Sunday, I had a trip up to my dad's planned... knitting supplies in car, I left for the hour drive.  Once at my dads the knitting bag came out and I started back at it.  I was committed to getting this hat done!  I knitted and knitted... but with Jordan and other people around it was hard to stay focused.  I was able to start the decreasing to form the top.  No Pictures of my progress that day.

I went to work Monday and all I could think about was getting home to finish this... I knew I didn't have that much work left.  After work I came right home and hit the needles :)
I finished knitting the hat!!!

Now to add the pockets... the pockets are in 4 pieces, two pockets and two flaps, plus the buttons had to be added to the pocket pieces.  I started with adding the buttons, then attached the pocket pieces to the hat, then I attached the pocket flaps.  It took a lot more time to add those pockets then I expected!

Here is the finished product... scroll past the pattern to see the hat on it's new owner:

Pattern here : 
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You'll need:

*3 to 4 oz. of worsted weight yarn

*Size 8 - 16" circular needle (whatever gives you gauge)
*yarn needle for weaving in ends and sewing on your pocket.
*one stitch marker

For an adult cast on 80, child 72, toddler 64 stitches . Being careful not to twist your stitches, join.
Knit all rows until piece measures 7" adult, 6" child, 5 " toddler.  

(If you are making this for a boy, add four rows of Knit one row, purl next row or 4 rows of your choice of ribbing so the bottom doesn't roll.)

To complete top of hat (for knitting on the on circular or 4 double points):
Row 1: Knit 6 , K 2 tog around
Row 2 and all even: Knit
Row 3: Knit 5, Knit 2 tog
Row 5: Knit 4, K 2 tog
Row 7: Knit 3, K2 tog
Row  9: Knit 2, K 2 tog
Row 11: Knit 1, K 2 tog
Row 13: Knit 2 tog
Break off leaving a 12" tail. Run yarn through stitches and fasten off. Weave in ends

For knitting on straights, work same as above but purl on your even rows.   Fasten off top, same as above then weave your side seam using a mattress stitch.

Pockets:  Make 2
The pockets are done in seed stitch . I've used size 8 needles and cast on 12 stitches.
Row 1: K1 , P1 across
Row 2: P1, K1, across
repeat those two rows for 3" . Work 2 more rows in Knit only
Bind off as if to knit.  Leave a tail long enough for sewing on the pocket

The top of the pocket (2) is worked as follows:
Cast on 12 stitches (leaving a long enough tail for sewing)
work 6 rows of seed stitch.
Decrease rows.
Keeping in pattern knit or purl 2 together at the end of each row until only 3 stitches remains. Work about 1" of I-cord. Form into a button hole loop.  Fasten off. 

Dividing hat in half, pin a pocket on each side up about 2" from the bottom..  Sew on using a mattress stitch.  Match pocket top directly above and sew across the top seam.  Add a cute button to the pocket bottom and you are all done.

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Here is JoeY and his new hat :)

He loves it, obviously :)

Thoughts for Thursday - Fill in the Blank

I'm done worrying about people commenting; if you don't want to have input on the blog then fine, I don't want your input.  Feel free to not comment on this one :)
To those of you who do comment and who do enjoy reading and interaction, this is for you.

I don't have any huge, deep, or even insightful blog to give you today; what I do have is the ability to express myself.  I'm drawing a blank on a topic though... How about you give me one?  You list a topic and from the suggestions I get, I will post a TFT by the end of the day on the topic of my choice.  I will warn you, if I don't know anything about something... it might not make sense, but I'm hoping that will make it fun!  If I get no comments, then I won't post; if I get one then I will write about whatever that person wants.
This is me opening up to you...even if it's just a quick Q/A, I'll talk about anything... I actually look forward to off the wall suggestions, and I will fully embrace them.  Maybe, if there are a few topics I like I will post about them in the coming weeks... or maybe even 2 TFT's in one day?!  Has it ever been done?
So come on people... show me what you've got!


I will still post other TFT's here: Kristi, Michelle, Helmet, Jenny

(Is there a blogging term I should be using here to let people know this blog has been edited or updated?)
I'm going to post my replies here as well...

To Dawn:
I do believe racism is alive in America... however I don't believe it's well.  It was a huge step for our nation to elect a President of color, a step that was very much surprising to me.  It shows how we've grown as a nation; the fact that we are viewing him as a man of color also shows we haven't fully moved past race as an issue.  He should just be the President Elect, not Black President Elect.
As for your local problem, I have no idea what to say about that.  Personally, I don't understand why you wouldn't bring in anyone who could get the job done... wherever they may live.  Sounds to me like the council members should be evaluated as well... should people like that really be deciding what is best for your community?  It also points out why you are having problems finding officers that qualify... it's all politics (which you may know I don't fully understand).
This of course is coming from me, a girl who grew up in a city where  race was never really mentioned.  I went to High School with tons of cultures and ethnicity, so I just simply don't understand how race can be an issue anywhere.
I think we all still have a long way to go... but I don't know if we'll ever get there.

To Lovi:
I probably will post something about Thanksgiving next week, but since you brought it up I'll talk briefly about it now.  First of all, we generally always go around the table on Thanksgiving and say what we are thankful for.  This year our family has some drama, so things will be a lot different, but I am looking forward to hearing what those involved in the drama have to say they are thankful for.  I think we should all live our lives and think daily of what we are thankful for.  For me, I'm thankful for my family (drama and all), my mom, dad, brother, SIL, my niece... and I have 3 grandparents still living!  I'm thankful for my job and the fact that, in times of economic crisis, we still have work to do.  I'm thankful that I have a roof over my head, a hot shower every night, and money to feed myself.  I'm thankful for some of the most amazing friends a girl could ask for, even though at times I feel I don't deserve to still have some of them.  I'm thankful for the ability to be free and  live my life with freedom.
I don't know how to be not thankful for something, but I do know that I'm not thankful our nation is in crisis and that it is affecting so many.

To Robyn:
Here is a list of ponderables, pick one of them and post your thoughts on it, then ask for others to pick a different one and tell their thoughts.

Random - Vol. 8.20

I love bananas!  Apples are delicious as well... Oh My God... all fruit is the bomb, really.  Think about it... Kiwi (makes my mouth water thinking about it), raspberries, blackberries (no Dawn, NOT the phone!!).  Have you ever tried a Pomegranate ?  I ate them before it was cool.  I remember sitting with my dad as a kid watching him clean them so I could grub!  They are the bomb, if you've never had one, go buy one.. they are in peak season right now - I can teach you how to clean them.
hmmm... grapes, blueberries, strawberries, lemons, limes... and I'm pretty sure the avocado is a fruit as well (I LOVE me some avocado)!  In all honesty though... bananas are the business!

It's amazing to me how people find my blog, my counter tracks the links people are coming from.. like if someone searches a phrase on Google and end up at my blog from it... I can see the words they used to search. I'm pretty sure there are some sicko's out there... searching for girls - after I posted the blog titled Girls Night , it got a lot of hits, once from someone searching "Myspace Girls"... icky.  It really boggles my mind the words people use to search; I bet they'd get a lot better results if they searched different words!  Just sayin'.
It tells me where people are coming from... location wise.  I've had hits all around the world, it's so neat to me!
I can also see if someone clicks on a link in a blog I post... there are only a few of you that do.  Are those links pointless?  Should I stop using them?  You tell me... in the end it saves me time to not have to find a website for whatever I'm talking about... but I do it for you, in case you need to know what the hell I'm talking about.
I've had a lot of hits on my blog talking about donating my hair...

Which brings me to my next point.. I've decided I'm cutting it.  I've been talking with Cianna, she cuts my hair and is the wife of my buddy, and she said start by just cutting the bare minimum to donate... then my hair will still be long and if I want to go shorter, I can.  Going from as long as mine is to super short... that would be a hard thing to do... she's a smart lady.

I finished knitting my hat this weekend... I'll post pictures as soon as Joey has it (I don't want to ruin the surprise)!  I started Friday and finished Monday evening - that's kind of neat :)

Oh yeah, real quick, I wanted to give you the link to my friends blog, her name is Kristi, yes I have mentioned her before, but she writes for another blog as well... for those from the Twin Cities, you may find it helpful the next time you want a new place to eat.  Here is the link.  Check Check Check it out!

So, now it's time to get interactive - tell me something about you.. anything you want; something random, something funny, something embarrassing, ANYTHING!

Banner 11.17.08

Playing around with some stuff... came up with this:

I liked it when it was in Photoshop... but don't really care for it on the blog itself.  Which sucks.  Oh well, I'm sure I'll change it soon.

What Would You Do With a Brain if You Had One?

So we went to see Wicked last night and, just like the first time, I was blown away.  Tears in my eyes, chills up my spine... all over tingling.  I don't want to ruin the story for those who want to see or read it, so I won't talk about it, other than saying I had a wonderful night.
The group of us who went:

This morning, as I type, I am watching The Wizard of Oz... see, Wicked really changes how to view the rest of the story; I wanted to watch while it was still fresh in my head.  As I sit here watching this movie, not only do I find myself picking up on new things that I never understood as a child, but I'm also remembering all sorts of things from my childhood.
I remember this movie used to be on TV once a year and it was a huge event, at my house anyhow.  We would all sit down and watch it together.  I, like all little girls, loved the Ruby Slippers.  I went to Washington DC a couple years ago and was able to see one of the actual pairs of Ruby Slippers Judy Garland wore in the filming of the movie.  That was such a treat for me :)
I loved singing along to all the songs (still do), especially the beginning lines when Lion sings... If I were King of the Forrrrreeeeeesssttt... Follow the Yellow Brick Road, We're Off to See The Wizard... I love them all.

I have always loved the scene when Dorothy walks out of her house and everything is in color, the poppies, the Horse of a different color - such vivid colors throughout the entire movie!  I just absolutely love watching this movie and really could never get sick of it.  I always get tears in my eyes at the end when she must say good-bye to everyone :(

Watching it now... after seeing Wicked, I still love all this stuff, but I know a lot more about whats going on than I did before.  Just makes me feel so good inside watching it!

Remember... There's No Place Like Home.

Knock Knock, Who's There?

Call me inappropriate if you must, but there is a reason this blog is posting at midnight hours...  it's for those of you who have a sense of humor, a naughty mind, and a little bit of a child left in you.  Oh hell, who am I kidding?  I'm hoping you are wasted when watching this, I'm hoping this is as funny to you as it was to me the first time I watched it.  I've been wanting to post these videos for a LONG time now...
I highly recommend taking a shot and letting it kick in before you watch ... and make sure the kiddos are in bed or far far away and have your volume up.

First, give it some time... it's hilarious and if you hate it, try the second video... it's my favorite:



Second:




I hope you enjoyed them....  Pretty sure they are amazing and amazingly funny :)  If all else fails, come back when you're drunk.

Excited for the weekend!

I'm so stoked for this upcoming weekend.  Starting tonight; I'm going to see Wicked!!!!  Back when tickets went on sale I bought 8 of them, with the intent to bring my mother and sell the other tickets on eBay (hoping to profit, of course).  Since then, my mom has asked 2 of her friends to join, I've asked Pam and Nick to join, and the other week offered the last 2 tickets to my aunt Jayne and cousin Shannon.  We have dinner reservations at Manhattans, right across the street from The Orpheum.  I'm so excited!
I went to see Wicked once in Chicago; I absolutely loved it!  The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie and has been since I was a kid.  In short, for those who don't follow links, Wicked is the story of the Witches of Oz, before Dorothy landed there.  It shows them growing up and in school.  I've been trying to read the book for a long time but I find myself getting stuck in the same spot over and over.  I recently discovered a few people in the same situation as me, getting stuck in the same spot.
Either way, I can't wait!

Saturday, I have a day planned full of knitting!  The group of ladies I took my knitting class with last January and I try to get together once a month or so, for a few hours one night.  This month we are making it more of a day.  We will have many hours to knit and I'm anxious.  I've been trying to knit a blanket for my niece for MONTHS... literally months.  I wanted to have it finished for her birthday in July, but failed.  I'm no further now than I was then.  I'm hoping to put in a few hours on that, but I do have a new project... My friend Joey, who lives in St. Louis, asked me to knit him a hat.  I made myself a hat last year (I think I have pics on both FB and MS), so I thought I should try another one.  I'm going to add a few things and use different colors to make it better for a boy and add my own personal touch.  If all goes well, I can finish that on Saturday!  I'm excited to start something new... the blanket is a very boring pattern, but will look neat in the end (I'll get pics up soon of what I have so far).

Then on Sunday I am hoping to overcome the small 'bump in the road' in going up to my dads.  I'll be going up early so we can watch the game and then have dinner with enough time to make it home at a decent hour.

I'm sure I'll have pics and lots to say about this weekend, so be expecting that soon!  Yay for me... fun weekends are dope!

Also, I wanted to introduce you to a friend of mine from High School, Lovi .  She is new to the blogging world, so give her a read and show her some love!