Blank Friday 4.30

I need a mindless activity after this week; I present to you Fill in The Blank Friday: Movies

1.  My absolute favorite movie of all time is      The Wizard of Oz - it's beautiful.  My favorite part is when she walks out of her house, into a world full of color   .

2.  My favorite movie as a child was      "Annie".Same as above, but "Annie" was a close second.  I loved singing the songs and watching Annie run around that big huge house!  Oh and how can I forget "we love you Miss Hannigan" .

3.  The best movie quote ever is       hard to pick!  I love the lines in Adam Sandler's older movies... like "stop lookin' at me swan!" or "he called the shit 'poop'"    .

4.  My favorite actress is     probably Jennifer Aniston.  I just think she is so pretty.  Also     My favorite actor is       Nick Cage (LOL)... Edward Norton   .

5.  The movie I could watch over and over is    Any Lord of the Rings Movie.   .

6.  My favorite movie genre is      comedy, action, or ... well... anything really.  I love all movies - not so much for the romantic comedies though, I'm just over watching the same story   .

7.  A movie I'd like to watch this weekend is      The new 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' - quickly... I used to LOVE these movies as a kid.  I have no interest in supporting the new movies (especially since it's a Michael Bay film)... but I can't NOT see it... I already know it's going to suck, but I just HAVE to see it.  So dumb    .

A Week Off

I'm thinkin' I might be away for about a week.

Today was my first and last day of work at my normal job.  Tomorrow, after sleeping in about 2 hours later than I'm used to, I will head off to 4 days of training.  For what, you ask?  I'm going to be working for the U.S. Census Bureau, part time and short term.  I haven't said much about it because I don't know much about it at this point... but I will tell you more, when I find out more.

I'm assuming that I won't have access to the web at this training, so it'll be much different than my normal week of blogging and emailing as often as I wish.   I'll do my best to keep up with your blogging, but maybe don't expect as many comments as usual, as I'll be reading on the fly.

I'll be back to my old ways in about a week (though I may have some work to catch up on)... and I'll hopefully have a lot to say at that point.

Wish me luck!

Fill in The Blank 4.23.10

With Friday comes Fill in The Blank Friday over at Laurens place... I wonder if Lauren had any idea what she was starting?  Happy Friday everyone!

1.  One song that always takes me back to my youth is     "Hangin Tough" by The New Kids On The Block (better known as KNOTB).  It was around the time when boys became of interest to me and Donnie Wahlberg was just beyond what I wanted in a man (or so I thought at the time)   .

2.  My first concert ever was     New Kids on The Block at the Minnesota State Fair... see above explanation  .

3.  If I could create my dream music festival I'd want these bands to be there:     Eminem, Tupac, Dr. Dre, Sevendust, Hollywood Undead    .

4.  The best make-out/"boot knocking" song ever is    "Nice and Slow" by Usher - listen to it and you'll understand  .

5.  The best concert I've ever been to was     Hollywood Undead.  It was actually just this past fall (2009) and it was absolutely amazing.  I hadn't been to a concert for quite some time before that, so maybe it was because I was old (or had a nice buzz)... second place goes to Eminem... I'd pay top dollar to see him any day of the week   .

6.  A memorable musical moment for me was        I guess I don't really have one that sticks out more than others.  I've loved every Sevendust show, because they simply rock the house.  Being within touch of Nelly Furtado at one of her shows and getting her autograph at another was amazing (she is so little and soo pretty!).  Deep down though, I'm a gangster rapper, so any show that has allowed me to display my skill in front of thousands of people has to be a highlight... wait, I guess I was only in the crowd, not on stage... I guess my fantasy took that one over   .

7.  The song on my iPod that's getting the most play these days is      well, I don't really do the ipod thing, but the CD that gets played most in my car right now is the 2 newest Eminem CD's... pretty sure he is my favorite of all time    . 

Earth Day 2010

Happy Earth Day Bloggers!

Today is one of my favorite days of the year (is that sad?), because I can express to people, without preaching, that we can do little things to help our planet.  I'm not suggesting you try to change the world by leaps and bounds - I'm just saying think about what you can do.

I write a post every year on Earth Day (well, for the whole 2 years I've been a 'blogger')... here is my 2008 Earth Day post and here is my 2009 Earth Day post.  I'd especially like to suggest checking out the 2009 post because there is a great link there on how to start your own compost pile.  Today, while my work schedule is extremely packed with things I need to get done before 4 o'clock, I am taking time out to talk to you and tell you that you can help!

Start small.  Don't feel obligated to change the world overnight.

First and foremost, the easiest thing you can do is recycle.  It's takes almost no effort.  Get a separate bin for papers, plastics, cans, etc... done.  Second, if you are a smoker or know someone who does - let's put an end to all the cigarette butts being tossed out car windows and onto the side of our roads.  Seriously, I can't stress enough how much this bothers me.  What gives you the right?!  It's the equivalent to tossing your McDonald's bag, full of trash, out your car window.

I hate that we only talk about this one day a year...

Target Field (which is the new home of the Minnesota Twins Baseball Team) is the 'greenest ballpark in America'... how awesome is that?!  It recycles, and even if half the people there decide to use the recycling bins available, it's that much less waste in a landfill and that much more waste that can be potentially reused.  The ballpark has water saving toilets; pull up on the handle to flush liquid waste, down for brown.  When it rains, Target Field collects the water and reuses it to water the field and to wash down the seats.  The stadium was built with as many local products as possible to cut down on shipping and to support our local economy.  There is a public transit stop right outside the stadium and people are encouraged to take the train!  Read for yourself all about Target field and how green it is!  How can you not love something like that?!

Okay, so back to you and I; how can we help, you ask?

• Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle - need I say more?
• Carpool or use public transit or bike or walk - anything to reduce car emission (and improve your health)
• STOP littering (this includes cigarette butts) - plain and simple
• Switch to energy efficient light bulbs - they are not cheap, so change them out as needed, not all at once.
• Turn off electronics - when your not using it or in the room, turn off the TV, radio, lights, etc.
• Bring your own bag - everywhere you go you should be bringing your own bag; grocery store, Target, EVERY. WHERE.  You can buy the bags almost everywhere now-a-days (or maybe you have an old bag in the closet you can use?)... so start using them.  No more plastic!
• Grow your own veggies - do you need an explanation?
• Wash with cold and dry outside - Using cold water to wash saves energy by not making your hot water heater kick on, and drying clothes on a clothes line eliminates the dryer altogether!
• Stop with the (plastic) water bottles - seriously folks... go buy a reusable and refillable water bottle.  How many plastic bottles have we had to produce and toss in the landfill in the past year?  ugh.
• Start a compost pile - great for your plants and better for your waste pile.

Had enough yet?  Okay, I'll be done.

I recycle.  I {try} to use the reusable grocery bags or not take a bag at all, if possible.  I'm trying to use refillable water bottles more.  I always wash clothes in cold water.  I NEVER litter (I'd rather have my car full of garbage than throw one piece of it outside).  We are slowly switching to the new light bulbs... my mom just unplugged her outside lighthouse and changed to solar powered lights.  

All of this stuff is hard, I know.  Small steps in the right direction though... and we are well on our way to doing something big.  If you recycle one thing a day, eventually it will become habit and you'll start to recycle everything in a day.  baby.. steps..

Now I want to hear form you - what have you done in the past year to become more green?  What will you do in the coming year to become more green?  What will you do today to help better our planet?

My Color: Black

So, since I have nothing to write about... wait, not true.. I have no time to write... I am posting with this little color quiz I found.  Monica pointed me to it here.  

My Results: Black

Nothing can stand between you and your demand for a calm environment. To be free of conflict and disagreement is the only way to live.

In fact, it’s this philosophy that probably allows you to be comfortable in conditions that would normally bother others. 

Your ability to focus is undisputed, and while you enjoy attention, you still have problems understanding how to handle it. 

No other color out lives by the golden rule as much as you do.

pictures via we♥it

Take the quick little quiz yourself, if you must... it's neat :)

Fill In The Blank Friday

It's rare that I blog on Friday's, having the day off I don't have a computer in front of me 24/7... HOWEVER... I've found this little gem of a blog feature called "Fill in the Blank Friday" - which a few of my blogging buddies have done in the past.  Thought this week would be a good week to try it for myself.  It's a neat way for you peeps to learn a bit about me... and an excuse to get a blog posted on Friday's :)

So without further ado; Fill in the Blank Friday!

1.  The first thing I do in the morning is     use the little girls room   .

2.  Every night before bed  I     check Facebook, triple check that my alarm is set, lay down and call for my cat (if he's not already with me) .

3.  My favorite thing to do when I'm having a bad day is      cry... no matter how serious the things bringing me down are.. crying always makes me feel better   .

4.  Something that makes me cringe is   centipedes  .

5.  Social situations    are fun and sometimes a great excuse to get dressed up and pretty :)   .

6.  I like to collect      shot glasses and dolphins - I have a shot glass from every state I've been to (upwards of 30), and I have a decent collection of dolphin figurines  .

7.  Weekends are for      catching up on sleep, cooking breakfast with the boyfriend, and overall just enjoying life!

Exciting Events!

Today, at 9:30am, I will leave work and make my way to Target Field to see the Minnesota Twins play the Boston Red Sox.

This will be my first time in Target Field and the second time the Twins have played a regular season game there.

I am also going to the game tomorrow and another on Sunday.
3 games in under a week... my goal is to try ALL the new food (though I know I won't come close).

I'm so excited.  So excited, in fact, that I can't even use an exclamation point to show it... because I feel it doesn't even come close to my true feelings.

I'm so glad I waited until the season began to attend a game or make my way inside Target Field (which will likely be known as Tar Fe to me from here on out as I was near the stadium many times during construction and the first letters they hung were TAR F E).  It's going to ROCK MY SOCKS .. and the Twins will probably ROCK THE SOX ;)

yay for me... be jealous bitches!

Picture to come... I'm sure ;)

Random - v.10.7

I don't really know what to say today, but I feel like I need to post and assure everyone I am still around.

1. I've added some more pictures to my April photo hunt, many of them could change by the end of the month... but at least I have something, so go check that out.

2. I realized the other day that my mother has a mini tin man (from The Wizard of Oz) hanging in the yard.  I think he needs his oil can....

3. We had an old fridge at work, so I did a quick photo shoot with it... here is just one that I ended up liking:

4. Last week my favorite beer maker, Grain Belt, released a new beer named after the neighborhood I grew up in, Nordeast.  The boyfriend and I traveled to the Nordeast 'hood to try it out.  It was quite delicious and since you can't enjoy the beer itself... enjoy some pictures:

I think I'm at a loss for what to write about... so hopefully you enjoyed the pictures.  Who else is playing along in the April Photo Hunt?

I get to do a photo shoot today (weather pending) of the trailers we make at my job... maybe I'll post some of those for you to see... stay tuned.

Random - v.10.6

**I generally get into work on any given day and open my Google Chrome to find a couple to a few items sitting and waiting to be read in my Google Reader tab.  This morning, as I sat with coffee mug in hand, I opened this post and continued to read on.  I couldn't stop... Magpie is such a great story teller; I started reading her blog a few weeks back and I'm absolutely hooked.  If you want a good read, check out this story!  Subscribe to her blog as well.. she has some great content!  (how's that for a free plug Magpie ;))

**Speaking of blogging... I'm curious how you blogging people 'manage' your comments.  So, you write a blog and persons A, B, and C comment on it.  Do you go back and reply to each of those comments (in the comment section)?  Do you let them sit and not reply?  Do you reply to only one or two?
It's always been something that I just don't know what proper (blog) etiquette is.
For me... I comment on a blog and rarely ever go back to see if my comment has been replied to, therefore, I tend to not reply on my own blog when someone leaves a comment.  However, I have done it on occasion and will continue to do it, especially if someone asks a question of me or something of the like.
I also have my email address linked to my blogger account, so when I comment on a blog, if that blogger receives email notifications (and let's be honest, we all do!), they should be able to reply to that email and have it come to my inbox.  This also holds true for those off-blogger blogs (WordPress and others) that ask for email address.  A lot of the comments on my blog do not link back to email addresses, so I can't reply directly to the person.
It's just a lot of work to go back every day and reply to the comments (not that I'm blowing up with comments). Plus, sometimes there is just nothing more to say...
So what do YOU do?

Ok.. moving along -

**For those of you who are new readers in the past month or so.  The photo scavenger hunt that I posted about the other day.. if you want to sign up, please do!  All the rules and details (and sign-up) can be found here; basically you have the entire month of April to take pictures that align with each item on the list.  At the end of the month, you post your blog link on that same site so everyone who entered can see your entry.  It's rather fun, especially if you enjoy taking pictures, and it takes place every other month.  You don't have to be a professional photographer or even be good at taking pictures... if you enjoy doing it, you will enjoy this!  I highly encourage everyone to sign up!!  I will continue to post about it, so you are aware it's happening.
I create a post and add pictures to it as the month goes along... so you can continue to see what I've done throughout the month of April.

It would take me almost 3 hours to bike to work!

Plinky Prompt: Could you live without a car for a year?



My commute is 35 miles, ONE WAY! According to the Google Map, it would take me 2 hours and 51 minutes to bike to work! I start work at about 6:00am. I would have to leave for work at 3am.



There would be no time for anything if I didn't have my car.



Are you kidding me?!