Things I've Learned This Week (That I Didn't Want to Know)

1. A really wet bird will shake like a dog regardless of my proximity.

2. A small eel will go after it's "prey" just as quickly and as fiercely as a large one.

3. My toe can take the weight of a large box falling on it without breaking.

4. The cats really are trying to kill me.

5. I am definitely allergic to Long-Tentacle Anemones.

6. Some children don't want to wear socks.

7. A Bic lighter will work one hour after it has been dropped into an aquarium of saltwater.

8. Fish are very curious about Bic lighters.

9. Large puppies can bite very hard.

10. I can keep a secret - a really good one - even though I want to POP!

11. People that shop near Christmas day, whether before or after - are very crabby.

12. A wayward shell on the floor can indeed be a former aquarium tenant.

13. I can be violently ill moments after feeling great.

14. I can't carry two 12 packs of Coke and a bag of groceries at the same time.

15. "When hillbillies come to town, they like to make a day of it". (Very odd couple, indeed)

Winter Solstice

Yet another solstice has arrived. If you've been a regular reader, you know that my dad taught me about the Summer Solstice. Well, he didn't leave me short. He also taught me about the Winter Solstice. Here is what I learned...



The precise moment of the 2005 solstice will be December 21, 2005 at 1:35 P.M. EST (18:35 UT).

In astronomy, the solstice is either of the two times a year when the Sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator, the great circle on the celestial sphere that is on the same plane as the earth's equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs either December 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn; the summer solstice occurs either June 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Cancer. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter and summer solstices are reversed.

Reason for the Seasons

The reason for the different seasons at opposite times of the year in the two hemispheres is that while the earth rotates about the sun, it also spins on its axis, which is tilted some 23.5 degrees towards the plane of its rotation. Because of this tilt, the Northern Hemisphere receives less direct sunlight (creating winter) while the Southern Hemisphere receives more direct sunlight (creating summer). As the Earth continues its orbit the hemisphere that is angled closest to the sun changes and the seasons are reversed

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, "sun" and -stitium, "a stoppage." Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.

I hope your day is a little richer with the knowledge of the Solstice. :)

Brrr

Today it is 22 degrees. Yep, that's the high. The temperature is expected to drop to 14 degrees tonight. The only good news is that it is sunny. No snow forecasted for a week or so. We are expecting some flurries on Christmas Eve but nothing ugly like last year.

Children

Things I Have Learned from Children A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 square foot house 4 inches deep. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite. A 3 year old child's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan and tie it to a paint can, it does spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 room. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way. The glass in windows (including double pane windows) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan. When you hear the toilet flush along with the words "uh oh," it's already too late. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke (and lots of it). A six-year old can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36 year old man says they can only do it in the movies. Certain Lego blocks will pass through the digestive tract of a 4 year old. Play-Doh and microwave should not be used in the same sentence. Super glue is forever. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool, you still can't walk on water. Pool filters do not like Jell-O. VCRs do not eject sandwiches, even though TV commercials show they do. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving. You probably don't want to know what that smell is. Always look in the oven before you turn it on. Plastic toys do not like ovens. The fire department in my town has a 5 minute response time. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy. The spin cycle on the washing machine does make cats dizzy, however. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy. 60% of men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid.

Jokes

TEXAN: "Where are you from?"

HARVARD GRAD: "I come from a place where we do not end our sentences with prepositions."

TEXAN: "OK - where are you from, jackass?"



When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300^o C. The Russians used a pencil.

True Facts

True Facts
These facts are not guaranteed to be true. But they probably are. As it was really long, I've deleted those I felt weren't too interesting.

---

Cranberry Jell-O is the only flavor that contains real fruit flavoring. I'm surprised any of them do.

If the entire population of earth was reduced to exactly 100 people, 51% would be female, 49% male; 50% of the world's currency would be held by 6 people, one person would be nearly dead, one nearly born. I want to be one of the 6.

Topless saleswomen are legal in Liverpool, England, but only in tropical fish stores. Glad I don't work there

Toxic house plants poison more children than household chemicals. Now that is truly bizarre.

The chameleon has a tongue that is one and a half times the length of his body. Where does it fit?


A Nigerian woman was caught entering the UK with 104 kg of snails in her baggage. One has to ask "Why?"


There is a company that will (for $14,000) take your ashes, compress them into a synthetic diamond to be set in jewelry for a loved one. Would you really wear that?

Fast food provider Hardee's has recently introduced the Monster Thickburger. It has 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat. Talk about a heart attack waiting to happen.

More than 2,500 left-handed people are killed each year from using products that are made for right-handed people. Kinda made me wonder what products these are. And do I really want to be using them?

For every person on earth, there are an estimated 200 million insects. Let's hope they don't turn on us. :)

A Georgia company will mix your loved one's ashes with cement and drop it into the ocean to form an artificial reef. This is for me.

A ten year old mattress weighs double what it did when it was new, because of the -ahem- debris which is absorbed through the years. That debris includes dust mites (their droppings and their decaying bodies), mold, millions of dead skin cells, dandruff, animal and human hair, secretions, excretions, lint, pollen, dust, soil, sand and a lot of perspiration, of which the average person loses a quart per day. Good night! Note to self: Buy new mattress!


Mel Gibson has personally earned almost $400,000,000 from his movie "The Passion of the Christ". Holy Crap!


55% of Americans claim they would continue working even if they received a $10,000,000 lottery prize. Yeah, me too. Wink wink.

Each year, more people are killed by teddy bears than by grizzly bears. Somehow, that's funny.

Newest trend in the Netherlands: Tiny jewels implanted directly into the eye. OUCH

All polar bears are left handed. I hope they're not using those products.

There are only three types of snakes on the island of Tasmania and all three are deadly poisonous. Note to self: Cancel Tasmania vacation.

All of the clocks in the movie "Pulp Fiction" read 4:20. There's a surprise.

A starfish can turn its stomach inside out. I have witnessed this phenomenon.

85% of the guys who cheat on their wives die while having sex. Serves them right!

In the Caribbean there are oysters that can climb trees. This I gotta see.

A mole can dig a tunnel 300 feet long in just one night. I'm sure this is true. Look at my yard!

Ants stretch when they wake up in the morning. That's kinda cool.

Kitties

Two kitties with odd food tastes!

Children Are Funny

An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into mischief, finally asked him, "How do you expect to get into Heaven?" The boy thought it over and said, "Well, I'll run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says, "For Heaven's sake, Dylan, come in or stay out!"

One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of Chicken Little to her class. She came to the part where Chicken Little warns the farmer. She read, "...and Chicken Little went up to the farmer and said, "The sky is falling!" The teacher then asked the class, "And what do you think that farmer said?" One little girl raised her hand and said, "I think he said: Holy Shit! A talking chicken!"

Interesting Facts

Fact of the Day
In the world's oceans, there are:
58 species of sea grasses.
Less than 1,000 species of cephalopods - squids, octopi, & pearly nautiluses.
1,000 species of sea anemones.
1,500 species of brown algae.
7,000 species of echinoderms - starfishes, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and sea lilies.
13,000 species of fishes.
50,000 species of molluscs.

The Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin Patch In summary, the police arrested Patrick Lawrence, a 22-year-old white male, resident of Dacula, GA, in a pumpkin patch at 11:38 p.m. on Friday.
Lawrence will be charged with lewd and lascivious behavior, public indecency, and public intoxication at the Gwinnett County courthouse on Monday.
The suspect explained that as he was passing a pumpkin patch he decided to stop. "You know, a pumpkin is soft and squishy inside, and there was no one around here for miles. At least I thought there wasn't," he stated in a phone interview.
Lawrence went on to say that he pulled over to the side of the road, picked out a pumpkin that he felt was appropriate to his purposes,cut a hole in it, and proceeded to satisfy his need.
"I guess I was just really into it, you know?" He commented with evident embarrassment.
In the process, Lawrence apparently failed to notice a Gwinnett County police car approaching and was unaware of his audience until officer Brenda Taylor approached him.
"It was an unusual situation, that's for sure," said officer Taylor." I walked up to (Lawrence) and he's..just working away at this pumpkin.
"Taylor went on to describe what happened when she approached Lawrence. "I just went up and said, 'Excuse me sir, but do you realize that you are screwing a pumpkin?'
"He froze and was clearly very surprised that I was there, and then looked me straight in the face and said, "A pumpkin? Damn...is it midnight already?"

Giraffe Kisses

How sweet is that?

Lockdown

Talk about freezing rain...sheesh!

How To Tick People Off

This cracked me up! Imagine actually doing these things and how people would respond. Hee hee.

HOW TO TICK PEOPLE OFF

1. Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 99 copies.
2. In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sexual favors."
3. Specify that your drive-through order is "TO-GO."
4. If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.
5. Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.
6. Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."
7. Reply to everything someone says with "that's what you think."
8. Practice making fax and modem noises.
9. Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and "cc" them to your boss.
10. Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.
11. Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with prophesy."
12. Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears and grimacing.
13. Disassemble your pen and "accidentally" flip the ink cartridge across the room.
14. Holler random numbers while someone is counting.
15. Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."
16. Staple pages in the middle of the page.
17. Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a croaking noise. (I may have to try this)
    
18. Honk and wave to strangers.
19. Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints at the cash register.
20. TYPE IN UPPERCASE.
21. type only in lowercase.
22. dont use any punctuation either
23. Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.
24. Repeat the following conversation a dozen times.
    "DO YOU HEAR THAT?"
    "What?"
    "Never mind, it's gone now."
25. As much as possible, skip rather than walk.
26. Try playing the William Tell Overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin. When nearly done, announce "No, wait, I messed it up," and repeat.
27. Ask people what gender they are. (LOL)
    
28. While making presentations, occasionally bob your head like a parakeet.
29. Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
30. Sing along at the opera. (Can you imagine?)
    
31. Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.
32. Ask your co-workers mysterious questions and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about "psychological profiles."

Are You Quick?

How quick are your reactions? I'm a Rocketing Rabbit at 0.1998 average seconds. :)



http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/reaction_version5.swf

Congrats Brandon

Someone I know has just completed a true test of self. Brandon has just completed the 2160 mile Appalachian Trail in 5 months, 7 days. Congratulations and welcome home! He went by himself. He says he met many people along the way but never spent more than a few days with any one group of people. He started in Georgia and went to Maine. He took one day off the trail to hitchhike to Ben and Jerry's Factory. It took 9 hitches to get there and 7 hitches to get back. He completed their test also by eating a half gallon of ice cream in less than 40 minutes. Another interesting aspect of this trip - to me - was his choice of breakfast foods. Peanut butter, Nutella, M & M's, fruit and nut trail mix all wrapped in a flour tortilla. He says it was great. I guess after the days of dumpster diving it was pretty good. Water that he drank was treated with 2 drops of bleach per liter. Snickers were considered gold. What a trip. Glad you made it through.

The Appalachian Trail is a continuous marked footpath that goes from Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia, a distance of about 2160 miles. Many trace the origins of the Trail to a 1921 article by Benton MacKaye entitled An Appalachian Trail: A Project in Regional Planning.

State	Mileage
Maine	281
New Hampshire	161
Vermont	146
Massachusetts	90
Connecticut	52
New York	88
New Jersey	74
Pennsylvania	232
Maryland	41
West Virginia	** 2
Virginia	544
North Carolina	* 371
Tennessee	* 371
Georgia	75

Totaling 2157 miles.

* The A.T. in Tennessee and North Carolina runs right along the border of the two states, making it impossible to give mileage for the individual states. The 371 figure represents the total mileage for both states.

** In addition to these two miles, the trail south of the Harpers Ferry area runs right along the Virginia-West Virginia for about 20 miles.

High Point in New Jersey is slightly off the AT.

Tornado

Backside view of a trailer with another's roof leaning on it.

Tornado

Another side of the trailer park. The trash everywhere is unbelieveable. Tiny pieces to car size pieces.

Tornado

Remains of trailer at Eastbrrok. Long view shows many other damaged trailers behind it.

Tornado

Side view of Eastbrook Trailer Park

Tornado

Another trailer in Eastbrook Trailer Park.

Tornado

Trailer was split in two and had someone elses roof leaning against the side of it. (Eastbrook Trailer Park)

Tornado

Huge tree uprooted by the tornado.

Tornado

A very large tree twisted by the winds.

Tornado

Metal wrapped around a tree. Can you imagine the force of wind it took to do this?

Tornado

A dead deer found along Outer Pollack Avenue behind Ellis Park. It was one of fifteen deer that was dead. I include it only because of the way these deer died. Obviously, they were in a group eating in the field and were surprised by the tornado. Their skin was peeled away in places. I don't know how else to describe it. This was one of the least gory carcasses I found. They were all within 30 feet of each other.

Tornado

This is a bunch of insulation and metal that was blown into the trees across the street from the trailer park.

Tornado

A severely damaged house and trees on Frame Road.

Tornado

One of several ruined houses on Vann Avenue behind Castle High.

Tornado Pictures

The next several entries are going to be pictures of the tornado that went through Newburgh and Boonville. I must warn you. Some of these pictures are very hard to look at. I will have more in the future.

Things You Should Know

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BUT PROBABLY DON'T............
;)


1 . Money isn't made out of paper, it's made out of cotton.

2. The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper.

3. The dot over the letter i is called a "tittle".

4. A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up
and
down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.

5. Susan Lucci is the daughter of Phyllis Diller.

6. 40% of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals. Should be many more Happy people in the world.

7. 315 entries in Webster's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled.

8. The 'spot' on 7UP comes from its inventor, who had red eyes. He
was albino.

9. On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents,daily.

10. Warren Beatty and Shirley MacLaine are brother and sister.

11. Chocolate affects a dog's heart and nervous system;
a few ounces will kill a small sized dog.

12. Orcas (killer whales) kill sharks by torpedoing up into the
shark's stomach from underneath, causing the shark to explode.
Rude, isn't it?

13. Most lipstick contains fish scales (eeww).

14. Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't
wear pants.

15. Ketchup was sold in the 1830's as medicine.

16. Upper and lower case letters are named 'upper' and 'lower'
because in the time when all original print had to be set in
individual letters, the upper case' letters were stored in the case on top of the case
that stored the smaller, 'lower case' letters.

17. Leonardo DA Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the
other at the same time ... hence, multi-tasking was invented.

18. Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World
War II were made of wood.

19. There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.

20. The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan; there was
never a recorded Wendy before!

21. There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with: orange,
purple, and silver!

22. Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors. Also, it took him 10
years to paint Mona Lisa's lips.

23. A tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion will make it instantly
go mad and sting itself to death.

24. The mask used by Michael Myers in the original "Halloween" was
a Captain Kirk's mask painted white.

25. If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you
have $1.19
You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being
able to
make change for a dollar (good to know.)

26. By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you can't
sink in
quicksand (and you thought this list was completely useless.)

27. The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law,
which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider
than your thumb.

28. The first product Motorola started to develop was a record
player for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was the
Victrola, so they called themselves Motorola.

29. Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to eat a
piece of celery


30. Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying!

31. The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.

32. Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book
most often stolen from Public Libraries.

33. Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into
space because passing wind in a space suit damages it

ABC's of Music

Music Favorites A - Z
Highlight your favorite 5

A/C D/C, Alanis Morrisette
Breaking Benjamins, Bush
Cranberries, Cinderella
Disturbed
Everlast, Eagles
Fiona Apple
Grateful Dead
Hootie and the Blowfish
Incubus
Jewel, Janis Joplin, Judas Priest
Kid Rock, Kiss
Linkin Park, Led Zepplin, Live
Mudvayne
Nickelback
Ozzy Osbourne
Pink Floyd, Puddle of Mud
Q ???
REM, Rob Zombie
Seether, Staind
Train, Traffic, Three Doors Down
Uncle Cracker
V ??
Wallflowers
X ??
Yard birds
Z ??

Unreal

In what was the deadliest day of tornado activity since April 8, 1988, 22 people have been killed in southwestern Indiana following a tornado early Sunday morning. The tornado touched down just before 2:00am striking in Henderson County, Kentucky, including several homes, and historic Ellis Park, where damage is extensive. One person was hurt and three horses were killed.

From there, the tornado, packing winds in excess of 200mph, crossed the Ohio River into Indiana and slammed into the Eastbrook Mobile Home Park off I-164 in Vanderburgh County. 17 people, many of them sleeping, were killed.

From there, the tornado turned its sights on nearby Warrick County, leaving a devastating path of destruction in and around Newburgh, and killed 5 people.

Mother Nature Strikes Again

An aerial view of the trailer court that was annihilated. This picture shows where 13 - 14 trailers should be. Just imagine the rest of the court as there were over 100 completely destroyed and another 100 with severe damage.

For Everyone

I have a request for anyone willing. Please read the book Life of Pi by Yann Martel. If you do read it, let me know, 'cause I will have a few questions for you after you are done. If you buy the newer copies, please DO NOT read the questions in the back prior to reading the book. Send an e-mail when you're done or post it in the comment area and I will get with you.

The Fearless Polar Bear

These pictures were sent to me to show the fearless nature of the Polar Bear. The big grey thing is a submarine.

Gabby

This is a picture of Gabby. It is such a cute picture, I had to put it on my Blog. She is the niece of Robert and Laurie, via Robert's sis, Julie and her hubby, Brian. Got all that? :)

Now that's funny!

Your Monster Profile

Cursed Beast You Feast On: Starbucks You Lurk Around In: The Ocean You Especially Like to Torment: British People

What's Your Monster Name?

Halloween Horoscope

Halloween Horoscope for Aries

You're a total candy hound who will do anything for a sugar fix. And to get the most candy, you'll wear the wildest costume possible. Costume suggestions: A superhero or famous rock star Signature Halloween candy: Mini Snickers bars

What's Your Halloween Horoscope?

Meme

Archive Meme

1. Go into your archives
2. Find your 23rd post
3. Post the fifth sentence
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog
5. Tag five other people to do the same thing


It bobbed once, twice then the most horrific noise.

7 X 7

Super 7 Cheddar X

7 things you plan to do before you die:

1.Visit The Keys with Leisa.
2. Be happy.
3. See Stacey's babies grow up and drive her crazy. :) (Can you believe I want to see this?) Babies, I mean.
4. Learn to be more patient.
5. Make sure everyone I love knows it.
6. Quit smoking.
7. Vacation on a cool island all by myself.
8. Swim with the sharks in Australia.

Oops! That's 8.


7 things you can do:

1. Fall down at any given moment.
2. Name over 3000 fish, invertabrates, and corals.
3. Trip over...yeah...anything.
4. Greet the world with a smile.
5. Spend many hours in the book store and think it's been a few minutes.
6. Eat a pile of crab legs in five minutes flat.
7. Teach anyone to set up and maintain a saltwater tank.

7 things you cannot do:

1. Be quiet.
2. Live without coffee.
3. Drive across a bridge without getting the willies.
4. Be pleasant two minutes after I wake up. (Grrr)
5. Tolerate stupid people.
6. Eat beets, liver, or tomatoes without gagging.
7. Stay upright on a slick deck.

7 things you never thought you'd do:

1. Grow my hair long.
2. Wear pants in the summer.
3. See 24" of snow in Warrick County.
4. Look forward to work.
5. Live in Boonville.
6. Voluntarily eat vegetables.
7. Play video games @ 30 something years old.

7 things that attract you to other people:

1. Honestly
2. Loyalty
3. Kindness
4. Humor
5. Mercy
6. Generosity
7. Charm

7 things that you say most often:

1. Gracious
2. Sheesh
3. @#*!!*
4. Are you kidding me?
5. What?
6. Really?
7. Hello

7 celebrity crushes:

1. Vin Diesel (wow)
2. Viggo Mortensen
3. Kevin Bacon
4. Richard Gere
5. Mel Gibson
6. Heath Ledger
7. Kevin Costner

Yep, Gonna Be a Bear

New Fish

I am so excited! I finally got one of my dream fish. It is a Collare Butterfly fish.

Book Meme

Book Meme 123.5

Here’s how it works:

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
5. Don’t search around and look for the “coolest” book you can find. Do what’s actually next to you.

The river was a lesson, just like the lesson of the five balls.

The ABC's

	The ABCs of Loathing Allergies, animosity Bras, bullshit Chiggers, con artists Deer ticks Egotistical Maniacs Farts Gefilte fish (YUK!!) Heat, humidity, hip-hop Ignorance John freakin' Madden Kale Liver Morons Nightmares, nags Ordeals Pus, pop-ups Qualms, queasy feeling Rashes, Spam, sexists, System of a Down Tomatoes, toupees Underwear, unruly hair Vichyssoise, vanity Waking up X-rated pop-ups Yellow, yapping Zombies

	The ABCs of Love Amanda, Amethyst Books, Breaking Benjamin Coffee, cheese, crab legs Dad, Dennis, Disturbed Enchiladas Family, friends, frappuccino Gastropods, gold Herbs, honey Ingenuity Java Kittys, kiwi Laurie, Leisa, laughter, life Mom, Mary Ann Nature, Nickelback Ocean, oysters Purple, popcorn, purrs Quests, quiche, quilt Robert, roses, reading Stacey, Sherri, scary movies, sci-fi movies, Seether Taquitoes, T-shirts, tranquility Utopia Victory Water, waves, waffles X-mas Yogurt Zucchini

Yummy

Larry brought Kim and I some coffee at work today. It was needed and appreciated. I just wanted to say that I think you're the Bees Knees, Larry. Delicious! Thanks.

Human For Sale

I am worth $2,348,654 on HumanForSale.com

Countdown

Countdown Meme
TEN Random Things About Me

10. I love my family.
9. I like to watch the trees turn color in the fall.
8.I own creatures that could tear off a finger.
7. I love coffee.
6. I like watching thunderstorms. The stronger the better.
5. I always paint my toenails but rarely my fingernails.
4. I'm very tall.
3. I love the ocean.
2. I wear three toe rings
1. I like Alternative Rock.

NINE Ways To Win My Heart:

9. Be truthful.
8. Make me laugh.
7. Show your family respect and love.
6. Adore animals.
5. Treat people nicely.
4. Appreciate me.
3. Be faithful.
2. Be thoughtful.
1. Show my family respect.

EIGHT things I want to do before I die:

8. Visit The Keys with Leisa.
7. Be happy.
6. See Stacey's babies grow up and drive her crazy. :) (Can you believe I want to see this?) Babies, I mean.
5. Learn to be more patient.
4. Make sure everyone I love knows it.
3. Quit smoking.
2. Vacation on a cool island all by myself.
1. Swim with the sharks in Australia.

SEVEN ways to annoy me:

7. Lack the ability to merge with the flow of traffic!
6. Gripe all the time.
5. Be mean to people or animals.
4. Let your hooligan children run amok.
3. Shorts and knee socks. Why?
2. Think YOU are better than ME.
1. Mow your lawn while I'm sleeping.

SIX things I believe in:

6. The ability to change your path.
5. Coffee as a breakfast food.
4. The importance of being on time.
3. TV does not shape a child; parenting does.
2. My family.
1. M & M's

FIVE things I'm afraid of:

5. Heights
4. Spider bites (ouch)
3. Falling down and actually hurting myself.
2. Losing the people I love.
1. Liver and beets. (Eww)

FOUR favorite items in my room:

4. Aquarium
3. my quilt
2. pictures
1. dolphin light

THREE things I do everyday:

3. drink coffee
2. feed coral and fish
1. pet my animals

TWO things I want to do right now:

2. Drink more coffee.
1. Go outside.

ONE person I want to see right now:

1. Ed!!!

Go away Wilma

Hurricane Wilma became the fiercest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded as it churned towards western Cuba and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Wednesday, threatening densely populated Florida after killing 10 people in Haiti.

The season's record-tying 21st storm, fuelled by the warm waters of the northwest Caribbean Sea, strengthened with unprecedented speed into a Category 5 hurricane, the top rank on the five-step scale of hurricane intensity. It is expected to slice across the lower portion of Florida this week-end.

Does anyone else find this amazing? Enough already with the hurricanes. There have been so many hit land this year. So many people have lost their lives, loved ones, and homes. We get it Mother Nature; you're one tough cookie. Now, could you back off?

Working on it

I am trying to get to all these tags I got. Please be patient. A lot of them are really long and it takes a minute or two to get them done. I think all you people need to get Blogs so I can post this stuff on your page too! No fair that you just send 'em to me but never answer them yourself. Sheesh. :)

The Bronze Year

Today is the wedding anniversary of my dear sister and favorite brother-in-law. It is the bronzel year for them as they are following the traditional gift ideas for their anniversarys. I think that is the neatest thing. I always enjoy their searches for just the right gift. Both of them do it and I think neither of them knows it. They both did fine jobs this year. I won't post what they are each
receiving from the other because that's for them to tell. (If they want to) Anywho....

Happy 8th Anniversary!
XOXO

Ten Things Meme (I've been tagged)

Ten Things I've Done
That You Probably Haven't

10. Swam with dolphins.
9. Taken pictures of lightning that got published.
8. Got stuck in a "flock" of 100+ jellyfish. (got a picture too)
7. Grabbed a large horseshoe crab out of the ocean.
6. Spent my 21st birthday in Atlantic City.
5. Walked down the side of a mountain after dark.
4. Been stung by an anemone.
3. Been bit by an eel.
2. Looked off the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset.
1. Busted my ass on a sidewalk in Mexico.

Hickory Horned Devil

I found this picture of this crazy looking caterpillar. I thought everyone needed to see it with their own eyeballs. I couldn't possibly describe it accurately. Pretty neat.

Help Me Please

I need some fantastic virus protection and I have no idea where to start. I get pop-ups so much that it is irritating to be on the internet sometimes. I get viruses a lot that screw up the computer. I need help to pick a good one. I don't care if it's free or not although that would be sweet. What I have now in this regard...

Ad-Aware SE Personal
Microsoft Antispyware
Spyware Blaster
Aluria Security Center
CW Shredder
SurfinGuard Pro
McAfee Virus Scan - just cancelled

I don't understand why...

a. I have all these things listed above but often can't even type a response to an e-mail without getting 4 or 5 pop-ups.
b. viruses are loaded in the computer anyway
c. I have to repeatedly remove these things from the anti-spyware programs (it finds them and I remove them, or quarantine them)
d. it gets so bad after a few days that the computer must be cleaned, rebooted, etc.

Any help anyone can give is appreciated. Please keep in mind if you answer my plea that I know a lot of things about this computer but I am no whiz at it. :)

**While typing this Blog, I got 11 pop-ups!**

Ranting

Today at work, a dilemma occured. My choices were grim. A snail - big one - got caught in one of the outflow pipe of a sump. For those of you unfamiliar with a sump, let me explain. When something get stuck in an outflow pipe, the water is still going somewhere, just not where you want it to go. Usually, the floor. Yes, the floor. These tanks are huge. Hundreds of gallons each. So, I have water going on the floor everywhere. I find myself sitting on a bucket in the middle of three inches of water so I can reach under the tank without becoming electricuted by the power cords that are now "hanging out" in the water. I have a wrench and a screwdriver so I can take the pipe apart to remove the snail. No good. Water still pouring on the floor at an alarming rate. I can't get the fool snail out of the pipe. So now I am hacking away at the shell like a lunatic with the intentions of breaking the shell so it will flow free. In walks someone who has got to be the dumbest person I have ever met. He says, "Can I get 10 gallons of water?" Just like I'm sitting around doing nothing. While my first response was, "Are you F***ing kidding me?", I said, "If you can wait until I'm finished with this." He looks a bit put out with this info. I cannot believe someone honestly thinks a person - me - would let massive quantities of water flow onto the floor so he could get $3 worth of water. What a wanker. I finally got the snail out - rest in peace little fella. I spent the better part of an hour getting the water off the floor. What a day!

My New Outfit

While shopping for clothes on the internet, I ran across these little gems. I felt everyone needed to see these articles of clothing. I was stunned that someone would actually pay for them. The shoes are $55 and the hat is $74 if anyone is interested. ha ha Now to find a dress to go with them.

New Aquarium Fish

This is a pic of the lastest fish I have. He is about 8 inches long. Looks a lot like an eel, but is a Goby.

Make up a Caption

All of my friends are pretty funny, so I thought it might be amusing for you to try to come up with a caption for this picture. Family is certainly welcome to give it a go as well. :)

Some people make your teeth grind!

The following is an article that was posted in the Sunday edition of the Courier Press. Below the column are the letters a co-worker and I wrote to the editor. Small minds....


Ethnicity and apathy

Both can be found in city where most just choose 'sides'

By JEANNE FOLEY, Columnist
August 21, 2005

Evansville is a wonderful city with much to offer. But strangely, for a city built by immigrants, Evansville is the most ethnically unaware place I've ever seen. For those who have been in Evansville for more than one generation, what seems to matter isn't where they came from, but where they live. The importance Evansville natives place on what side of town they're from - and consequently, what high school they went to - is ludicrous. Several years ago, one of the high schools hired a local man as a head coach and teacher. He surely received a college degree somewhere, but a newspaper article on the hire included only which high school he had attended. The reporter was probably from Evansville.

I can think of only one positive aspect of this "side pride": The West Side Nut Club Fall Festival. The Nut Club has turned its loyalty into what people say is the second-biggest street festival in the country, which also raises an astonishing amount of money for local organizations.

Going from there, though, the perpetuated stereotypes are another matter. I won't repeat them here, but if the side of town we live on really does determine our personal value, then racial and social segregation is alive and well in Evansville. If anything will keep a medium-sized city from ever becoming a large one, it's a small-town mind-set. Resisting change and an unwillingness to look at the world with a broad perspective make me think of Jeff Foxworthy's tag line, "You might be a redneck if ... ." I'm speaking for the many people who have transferred into the area. How can we encourage people to relocate and settle in Evansville? Honestly, that's probably not going to drive off anyone who comes in on a job transfer, but what it will tend to do is further that whole weird social segregation tendency. I've seen it in a very interesting form up close. Last year, I started a social heritage group called the Tri-State Celtic Society. We're people who are extremely aware of our mostly Irish ancestry and enjoy getting together regularly to celebrate it. Almost without exception, our 35-plus members are transplants into the area.

It's not just an Irish thing. The Italian-American Social Club shares this demographic quirk. My husband and I accepted an invitation to its July meeting, which was attended almost exclusively by transplants, mostly from the East Coast. There was great food and interesting conversation, with no mention of which side of town anyone lives on.

Surprisingly, the common denominator isn't necessarily that we've come from some big urban area. It's much more the idea of tradition and pride, a sharing of experiences, even those of our ancestors. All of those hundreds who attended the Lincoln-Clark-Douglas school reunion last weekend have the right idea. How oddly homogeneous Evansville's atmosphere feels! Successful, growing cities celebrate diversity. Dynamic cities have ethnic festivals just for the fun of it. Evansville has more than a German heritage. There's something to be said for understanding where your family came from in order to understand who you are. And for the most part, people who have grown up in Evansville don't seem to give a rip about their ethnic origins.

Columnist seen as snobbish

To the editor:

I read Jeanne Foley's Sunday column with interest because my wife and I are transplants from larger cities.My only reaction upon finishing the column is that Foley is an insufferable snob.

Basically she stated that people in Evansville are provincial rednecks because we don't view others with the same mind-set used by those more enlightened folks living on the East Coast. Perhaps Foley would benefit from a course in cultural anthropology.She would learn that yes, people from different places think slightly differently. She might also learn that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Larry Eno
Evansville

What a Jerk!

To the Editor:

I read Jeanne Foley's column "Ethnicity and apathy". I am still reeling from the audacity of this "transplant". I have lived in this area for 16 years. I realize that living on a particular side of town does not make you a better person. I also realize I have the right to be proud of the side of town where I live. I obviously felt it was the best. It makes for some good natured ribbing when out with friends from other parts of town. It certainly does not decide who my friends are as JF suggested.

To suggest that we are rednecks just because we chose to live in a medium-sized city is ridiculous. Had I wanted to live in a booming town such as Chicago, I would already be there. I wouldn't be trying to change the town in which I live. I am certainly proud of my heritage. I celebrate my life and the lives of my friends and family every day. I need no club or invitation to do either. It's a shame that this lady feels the need to join a club of mostly transplants to enjoy good food and interesting conversation. I have enjoyed both with my friends for many years. Perhaps, if that snotty attitude was packed away for a bit, she could find some friends and learn to enjoy Evansville for what it is, not criticize it for what it is not. If the East Coast is more to her liking, perhaps she should consider another move.

Vicki Branson

Memo:

Memo to those of you that are putting ads in my comment section:

STOP IT! How much more annoying can you get?

Hmm....

Stop Lights Timed For 35 mph

Also Are Timed For 70 mph

Don't Be Sad

My baby girl is feeling a bit sad lately, so I thought I would share what has often made me feel better during times such as these. I hope it makes her feel better, if only for a moment. Sing with me...

You are my sunshine






My only sunshine






You make me happeeee







When Skies are grey







You'll never know, dear, how much I love you






Please, don't take my sunshine away.

Funny Pic

Even cats have "fish tales".

KANE 2

This was taken as he was bounding onto my head to see what funny thing I had in my hand. Goofball.

KANE update

He's huge! Weighing in at about 30 pounds now. You can see how tall he is.

Another Birthday

Happy 40th Birthday Robert! Hope the lobster in Maine was fantastic. I bet your butt hurts. :)
(Robert and friend rode their bikes to Maine to enjoy a lobster dinner for Robert's 40th B-day)

Vampire Lips is Gone

I think I have told some of you about the bite-y eel at the store. He has chewed on me for the last time. I sold him today. Woo Hoo. Sorry to the people that bought him. :) I was reaching across his tank last week and the little punk jumped out of the water to bite the underside of my arm. Now, I don't know how many of you have been pinched there, but it freakin' hurts. So imagine my surprise when eel lips grab on to it and won't let go. Sheesh!

Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday Jr. Welcome to the world of the old. ;)

Homer

Meet Homer, my new pet. He is a Yellow-Naped Amazon Parrot. He is about 14 inches tall and quite the chatty bird. He learns things very easily.

Tables on the patio 

These are some pretty cool patio tables my sister made with a bunch of shells and a little imagination. I was supposed to send these to you eons ago, Mom. Sorry, I forgot all about them.