Happy Anniversary To US!
There has been a LOT of talk of weddings here lately in my little blog community... what with
Penny planning hers, while she waits for Mr. Right to come along... and several of us helping her! Penny doesn't want to spend much ... or anything... on her wedding... and I don't BLAME her! Weddings can be had for very little money. Mr. Insanity and I are living proof of that! We will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, so I thought I would share a few pictures from our wedding.
You can see, we got married on our back porch. We didn't have a professional photographer and had to "make do" with the pictures that friends and relatives took for us. ( i don't recommend this! LOL! ) I didn't wear a gown; we got married in blue jeans. It for sure wasn't anything fancy - but everyone in attendance told us it was the BEST wedding they'd EVER been to! If you look past my sister's big head in this picture, you can see the minister, and then, from L to R, Clyde, who was my boss (not my father), but who gave me away none the less! Debbie, who was a replacement maid of honor for my sister who couldn't make it at the last minute. Her son had fallen from his construction job and broke his back. I forgave her. Then there is ME (the bride in blue) and Mr. Insanity. Then his best man, Tuffy, who showed up in a tuxedo t-shirt, white gloves, and a leather top hat. *crosses eyes* Who CARES? It's a BLUE JEANS affair! Next to Tuffy is my (soon to be OUR) daughter, Amanda - who was playing ring bearer! If nothing else, our wedding was FUN!
Here we are after the ceremony as the brand new Mr. & Mrs. Insanity! Along with crazy daughter numero uno!
And here is one of those b'zillion kisses that we posed for that day - but somehow this is the only picture WE ever got of them! ( next time... PROFESSIONAL photographer! )
The reception was held in the back yard as well -- just a Bar-B-Q. We had tents and all set up ... it was nice! (later in the day we had huge thunderstorm and a few of the totally plastered male guests got into a mud fight... GOOD clean REDNECK fun!) I ignored them! We did keep the cake inside... I didn't want it to melt. It was really pretty. I should have scanned a picture of it too... but I didn't. I DID scan these!
I had planned for this moment all my life! And there was NO way it wasn't gonna happen! And trust me... if I had been wearing a $10,000.00 gown it still WOULD have happend!
Yes... our marriage started out INSANE, and it has remained insane. The only thing that has changed is that it is now MORE insane! (well, duh! We've added 3 more kids and 5 pets!) LOL! I'm the first to admit that THIS wedding wouldn't work for everyone... but hey... it only cost us about $200 - and that included the minister AND the champagne! And we look back on this day with some very fond memories....
Huh. Well I'll Be....
Ya know how sOmetimes when you're in the midst of a verrrrrry long project that you don't think you're EVER going to finish, how it sorta helps to lay it out, stand back, take a GOOD look -- and then you realize that you're doing okay? Well... that's what I did today!
I started dieting on February 20th. And if you recall, according to
Amanda's Plan, I am supposed to lose 100 pounds in 52 weeks. (or a year) Sooooo...
I've been dieting for 5 months. If we divide 100 pounds by 12 months, we get 8.33 - so that's how many pounds I should lose a month! Now... if you multiply 8.33 by 5 months we get... 41.65 ... and that's how many pounds I should have lost now! And since I have actually lost 43 pounds I am just almost right on schedule!!! (a tiny bit ahead even!)
How cool is that?
Sunday Funnies!
A blonde is terribly overweight, so her doctor puts her on a diet. "I want you to eat regularly for two days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for two weeks. The next time I see you, you'll have lost at least five pounds."
When the blonde returns, she's lost nearly 20 pounds. "Why, that's amazing!" the doctor says. "Did you follow my instructions?"
The blonde nods. "I'll tell you, though, I thought I was going to drop dead that third day."
"From hunger, you mean?" asked the doctor.
"No, from skipping."
***** ***** ***** *****
Saturday Photo Hunt - Pets
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This is our Lil' Jewl...
back in her baby days!
Today she is 6 years old and all grown up!
Solar Flares? Moon Bumps?
Friday Feast - 104th edition...
Would you like to play?Appetizer
What's the funniest dream you can remember having?I can't remember! I have some dilly's from time to time... although MOST nights I don't remember dreaming at all. But even when I do remember them long enough to tell, they don't stay with me for more than a day. I have to tell them quick! Except nightmares... nightmares stick with me forever. What's up with THAT?
Soup
If you were a dog, what breed would you be, and why?LOL! I'd probably be something like a Old English Sheep Dog -- big and lumbering... not too graceful... full of energy and a desire to play... needing lots of "space" and wide open areas, and hearding my flock. That sounds about right!
Salad
Continue this sentence: "I get confused when..."I'm driving in Baltimore or DC! Honestly... WHAT is the point in ONE WAY streets? And since when do ALLEY's have addresses? These cities drive me nuts!
Main Course
Name two things that need to be done, but you are procrastinating in completing.Only two??? Many day to day things... but I guess you want something more interesting than laundry and dusting, huh? Okay... well... I have a garden that I've wanted planted since Mother's Day. I need one of my fella's to dig it up for me ... oh wait ... it's THEM that's procrastinating on that! Hmmm... Okay... we have to resort to cleaning. Sorry. I need to clean out ALL the closets in my house. And I've been home on summer vacation and haven't touched ANY of them... oh... man, there you go ruining my summer vacation now! I've also been procrastinating about getting the pets in for their check-ups. I just need to call and make the appointment - but I haven't done it yet! Darn... I'd do it now, but it's only 5:41 a.m. ... I don't think they're open now. (excuses, excuses...)
Dessert
When was the last time you tried something new, and what was it?Oh wow! I'm always trying new things! Oh! Yesterday I tried a new Dancercize video! Boy was that a flop! I am sO uncoordinated! My daughter got 3 of these for Christmas and they have never been opened -- so I decided to open one yesterday and try it out -- it was just a 15 minute Express routine and I figured even I could get through that! It was pegged as being "easy"... Just FUN! All it is is DANCING! Yea... you still gotta know their moves and their routine! I can't do it! When I got done I got on line and ordered one of Leslie Sansone's WALK videos that
Lazy Daisy has been telling me about! Surely I can WALK! (well... no... really I can't... but I'm going to try it anyway!)
Wordless Wednesday - 19
Of Weights and Measures...
Today was my weigh and measure day at Curves! So I'm proudly reporting this months progress! THIS month I lost 3.25 inches and 4.2 pounds. Here's the breakdown:
Bust -1.00
Waist -0.50
Hips -0.75
Thighs -1.00
Arms -1.50
Whooo hooo! My friend was right!
I AM melting away!!!
This brings my total CURVES losses up to 11.75 inches and 13.6 pounds. (of course we all know I've really lost soooooo much more!) I do sorta wish now that I had started with Curves right from the start! (just for measurement purposes) It would never have worked because I was SO not ready for it in the begining...
A Goal Attained! Plus...
Today I hit a "milestone" in my stretching routine. You've seen pictures when I was finally able to touch my right toe... and then you saw a picture when I was FINALLY able to touch my left toe (which is still a real chore!) ... and NOW ... ta duh ta duh! You get to see me touch my toes with my NOSE!!! *VBG*
This is sooooo big to me! I could do this when I was a teenager... and I really didn't think I would ever be able to do it again! But I have pushed the stretch and pushed the stretch every single day! And today I made it!
Of course, then I was sO pumped up that I decided I would go ahead and TRY the hoola hoops today! Well actually, one of the other gals was telling me how much she thought the hoops had really helped with her waistline... so I thought REALLY? I need to try this! Soooooo... because, well... we already had the camera out now... you guys get to see this! It was soooooo funny!
These are "weighted" hoops, and are supposed to be easier to use because of that! (they are also NOT Curves issued... these are something "extra" the owner of my Curves brought in) Well, I was never a super-hooper as a kid, and at first I guess I was moving a little (lot) too much!
But then with a little coaching I finally caught on!
Whoooooo hoooooo! Now I'm rollin'!
*whew* Hoola Hoopin' is HARD work! I am serious!
I had done my whole workout, and stretched ... but just a few minutes with the hoop wore my butt out!!!
Meetin' Carmen....
So... today I met
Carmen! We had lunch at the Hamburger Hamlet in Crystal City and talked for about 2 hours. She is every bit as sweet, cute, smart, and funny in person as is she is in Blog world... and she's informative too! She taught me that if you pour salt all over your napkin, your glass won't stick to it! Isn't that amazing? She says it's common knowledge, but I think she's brilliant!
We had a really great lunch... neither one of us watching calories ... not even a little bit! And we probably
WOULD have sat around talking for
MUCH longer if I hadn't made the
HORRIBLE mistake of telling (not even OURS) a waiter that
SHE wasn't married. (ooops... my apologies Carmen!) Well... he jumped all over that! Carmen thinks he's gay... but I'm not sure... cuz he jumped all over that! I think he might have heard her say she thought he was gay though... cuz when he came back to our table the next time he was doing everything
BUT thumping his chest! That's when we decided we had to make our exit! (he was a
DORK!) LOL! Right Carmen? Well... look for yourselves! I mean really...
... the man insinuates himself into our lunch, and then behaves like THIS? YIKES! Attention all SINGLE young ladies... AVOID Hamburger Hamlet in Crystal City! I'm NEVER taking my daughters there again! LOL!
Ahhhhh.... til next time...
Curves... For Men?
As I was driving home from Curves yesterday, a very VERY large man passed me going the other direction. I was feeling very perky and energetic having just finished my workout, and as this fella drove past, I thought to myself "HE needs Curves!". And all of a sudden it hit me... why NOT? Why ISN'T there a Curves for men?
Of course, my first thought was probably the same as yours... Men HAVE gyms! They have ALL the gyms! That's why women started GOING to Curves to begin with - most of them anyway - was because they are "intimidated" by the men at the gym! (this is NOT the case for me... I have belonged to other gyms and liked them as well... but I do LOVE the Curves program!) But the fact is is that men DON'T have all the gyms! They have to share them with all the skinny young women, prancing around in spandex and skin, who probably "intimidate" THEM! And not only that, but how many 6' tall men weighing 350 pounds with a big ol' beer belly would NOT be intimidated walking into a regular gym? They have not only the women, who will roll their eyes and look at them "like that", but also the macho weight lifting bulked up oiled men who act like they OWN the gym, who will also look at them "like that". Do women have a monopoly on feeling intimidated?
I think Curves should open some places for men. With the SAME equipment the women have, and the same sort of program. Something that is low-impact for the obese men, the old guys, the diabetics and the recovering hearts... all those men who would feel INTIMIDATED by going into a regular gym! A gym that would be JUST for men! For men who don't feel like they can really keep up at a regular gym. Men who think exercise is too hard, but who really need (and want) to take off some pounds and get back in shape. Because ladies... we KNOW! ANYBODY can survive 30 seconds on ANY piece of equipment! Right? So why isn't there someplace like this for men?
I think I'm gonna write Diane! I think it's a great idea! What do you guys think?
~~~~~~~UPDATE~~~~~~~~~UPDATE~~~~~~~UPDATE~~~~~~~
Son of a gun! There IS a Curves for men! It's called Cuts Fitness For Men ... the guy who started it got his idea from Curves, and thought just what I thought! This is AWESOME! It's only been around for 2-3 years, but there are already 200 of them in 32 states! So... if you're a guy who's not into the Gold's scene, look them up! See if there's one near you! Ladies... send your men! Here's the link to the article on them ... in case your interested. Fox News on CUTS
Saturday Photo Hunt -- Action!
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My son, Mathew, grinding the rail at one of our local skate parks.
After years of t-ball, baseball, & soccer, THIS is the sport both of
my boys finally settled on! Who'da thunk it? I never would have
thought this would be something I would really enjoy - but I DO enjoy
watching them! They are both pretty awesome skaters!
Ever so COOL!
THESE are the greatest item on the shelf at the grocery store today! They are cool and refreshing as a snack straight out of the fridge... BUT... if you put them in the FREEZER, they are UBER COOl! (did i just say that?) I can't tell you how long to freeze them for because everybody's freezer is different, but I CAN tell you that if you only freeze them part way they're sort of like a slushie! And if you freeze them all the way, they're like italian ice! They only have 50 calories and NO FAT per little cuppy, so sometimes I even eat two! And I feel better about it than eating a popsicle because these are actually healthy and not just sugar water! Try it... you'll like it!
Friday's Feast
Appetizer
Fill in the blanks: I ____________ when I _____________.I SING when I CLEAN.
(and you don't want to be around for it!)
Soup
Name something you use to make your home smell good.In winter I love to keep a pot boiling on the stove with orange rinds and cinnamon. It keeps the house smelling like I'm cooking something good! In spring & autumn I just open the windows and use fresh air! In summer I like rose scented candles.
Salad
If you could receive a coupon in the mail for 50% off any product, what would you want it to be for?Today? A new HOUSE! LOL! Well... okay then... maybe just a new kitchen floor!
Main Course
Besides sleeping, what do you spend the majority of the hours of your typical day doing? During the school year I spend them working. But in summer I probably spend waaaaay too many sitting at this darned computer! I'm trying hard to break this habit!
Dessert
What can you hear right now while answering these questions?Rod Stewart singing "Some Guys Have All The Luck", and a jet going by over the house.
Keeping Secrets.... Sssshhh!
I had lunch with a friend today... one I haven't seen since January. I was excited for her to see me because she didn't even knOw I was losing weight and I knew she'd be surprised. She was! "MELLI! You've lost so much weight! Good Lord! You're just melting away! You're not sick are you?" Thanks and nope! And then it came! I wish I had a nickle for every time I've heard it. "How are you DOing it, Melli? What is your SECRET?" ... Well, first off... if I TELL you then it won't be a "secret" anymore, now will it? (duh!) But I find myself more and more shakin' m'head and wondering what SECRET do people think I'm keeping? One thing I know is they AREN'T reading my blog -- cuz YOU guys know how hard I've struggled and the work that's gone into my weightloss. BUT... I have decided that for the people who NEED me to have a "secret"... here it is!
MY SECRET for weight loss ...
M * Moles... have them ALL removed!
Y * YELL! ... uses more calories than talking
S * Spit a lot - lose water weight!
E * Ears ... piercing to be exact. Weight lost for each hole!
C * Cut hair - more weight gone!
R * Remove nail polish - weigh to heavy!
E * Eye brows -- wax them! Every hair counts!
T * Toe nails - clip them. More weight gone!
There ya have it! ALLLLLLLL my secrets! Don't everybody rush to use them all at once now! I can always use some tips though - so if you have any to share, feel free!
The Issue is Clothes!
I'm having major problems with clothes these days! As in NOTHING fits anymore! My shirts are all just hanging on me and luckily I'm just wearing little stretchy shorts all summer -- because all of the capri's I bought before vacation last year are HUMONGOUS on me now! Argh! Not that I mind that my clothes are too big... but I don't really want to put a lot of money into "new stuff" midway through my weight loss - ya know? So today I just went to Walmart and bought a pair of bluejean capri's - size 16W! (they're stretchy though!) My size 22 jeans that I bought 6 weeks ago aren't too baggy yet so I can still wear them too, so I'm probably "really" a 20 on the bottoms. And I bought 3 new plain ol' t-tops -- all size 18-20. This is pretty amazing. I started out in 3x's - which is what? 26-28? 30-32? I'm not really sure -- I have both hanging in my closet! But these 18-20's fit quite nicely!
Oh! And I bought 2 new bras! Down 2 or 3 sizes on them too! Not sure for sure, cuz I had taken the tag out of the last ones... but I'm in single letters again and I haven't been there for a LONG LONG time!!! YAY!
Wordless Wednesday - 18
Cheap Entertainment!
I was visiting
Wystful1 this morning and reminiscing about string tricks we would do when we were children, and it got me thinking about another favorite toy! This one was only slightly more costly than the piece of string, and yet still provided hours and hours of fun and competition amongst siblings and friends! Which toy? Why the YO YO of course!
THIS happens to be a yoyo that my husband MADE
several years ago...
back when OUR kids were addicted to yoyos!Now, when I was a kid we just had plain ol' wooden yoyo's. They came in your basic colors; I guess a few might have had special designs painted on them, but for the most part they were just your dime store variety yoyo. But we did a LOT of tricks with those yoyos! I can remember being able to do Walk The Dog and Around The World. I also VIVIDLY remember NOT being able to do Rock The Baby, which my older sister COULD do! Really, I think I was a bit of a Yoyo clutz... but I tried! And I had fun trying! Yoyo skills were not nearly so easy to develop as "string trick" skills!
When my kids entered into the world of yoyos things had changed ... and PLENTY! Today's yoyos are not only made of state-of-the-art high tech polyurethane plastics in EVERY color of the rainbow (and some colors not even included in the rainbow, i think!) having wicked designs built in, but they also have BEARINGS... and now they even have
BRAINS! Of course with the new high tech designs also come bigger and better tricks - some of which I can't even imagine how they came up with! Check out
Buddha's Revenge! You could NEVER do that with an old wooden yoyo! I'm just WOWWED!
Of course, you PAY for the POWER of the yoyo! The Power Brain XP will cost ya $12.95 American dollars! And if you want to go for one from the "Signature Series", you'll be layin' down $22 Whopperoos! However... you can still obtain a BASIC model for $2.95. It probably won't DO much though! Leave it to technology to make me feel cheated by a "cheap" yoyo! I might have to indulge in a Metallic Missile! Asking price? ONLY $29.95! Listen to this though ...
"This elite bad boy is carefully crafted from anodized aircraft quality aluminum, sleeps comfortably on our Sandman Bearing System and features protective rubber rims." Rubber RIMS! How can I pass that up???
ToysRUs, heeeeere I coooome!
Saturday Scavenger Hunt -- Doors
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Always, always, ALWAYS I limit myself to just ONE photo on Saturdays...
But this week everywhere I turned I was finding doors! EVERYWHERE doors!
I found Church doors...
And I found truck doors...
And multitudinous other doors!
And I just couldn't make up my mind!
You should thank me though...
because I ignored all the front doors!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Back on Track!!!
WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOO! Hoooody hoo! ( i wish i could figure out how to change my fonts cuz that whoo hoo is definately NOT big enough! ) YES! I am definately OFF that stinkin' plateau! Went to the doctors scale today and it says I am
DOWN another 5.5 lbs since 2 weeks ago! Yiiiiippppppppy! I have now lost 42 lbs. overall and I am a happy happy camper today!!! ~~ happy dance ~~ happy dance ~~
Friday Feast - 102
Appetizer
Name one thing nice that you could do for someone else today.Take my friend to lunch for her birthday!
Soup
When was the last time you were frightened by the weather?Weather doesn't frighten me - I LOVE weather - all the extremes. But I was scared for the people in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
Salad
What would you say is the most useful website or blog that you visit?www.washingtonpost.com
Main Course
Who was your favorite singer/group when you were a child?How OLD of a child? I mean we went from Peter, Paul & Mary with Puff The Magic Dragon, on to The Beatles with I Wanna Hold Your Hand, right up to the Cowsills with Indian Lake, and then we finally got real, with some Lynard Skynard, Chicago, Grateful Dead, Moody Blues... Age matters when you talk childhood!
Dessert
Do you have any rituals? If so, what are they?Oh boy... I bet I do, but I sure can't think of any right now. I mean there's the hygiene rituals... but we needn't go there! I've broken most of the holiday rituals in recent years... Exercise is BECOMING a ritual! Does that count?
3 Things Meme...
I found this meme over at
Heidi's and tagged myself with it! (that really IS the best way to be tagged -- although I really don't mind when others tag me)
3 Things That Scare MeBIG hairy spiders
The idea of losing one of my kids
Small/tight spaces (i'm horribly claustrophobic)
3 People That Make Me LaughRon White
Bill Engvall
Penny(i would have said my family - but I'd need 5 spots, and I would have said my ladies, but I'd need 13 spots!)
3 Things I LoveMy family
A deep tissue massage
Caramel in my chocolate
3 Things I HateLiver
Going to the dentist
Cat vomit
3 Things I Don’t UnderstandAlgebra
Any foreign language
Why God made cockroaches
3 Things On My DeskA bottle of water
My cell phone
My camera
3 Things I’m Doing Right NowTyping this!
Listening to the dishwasher run
Talking to Freedom the she-devil cat...
3 Things I Want to Do Before I DieLose 100 more lbs.
Travel to many places
Have grandbabies
3 Things I Can DoTurn the other cheek
Keep a secret
Touch my toes! (i couldn't a few months ago)
3 Ways to Describe My PersonalitySilly
Happy
Spiritual
3 Things I Can’t DoSleep through the night
Sing WELL
Drive a stick
3 Things I Think You Should Listen ToYour heart
Your conscience
Your mama
3 Things I Think You Should Never Listen ToTabloids
Politicians
Crying babies in the supermarket
3 Absolute Favorite FoodsCrab (really all seafood)
Pizza
Cheese
3 Things I’d Like to LearnTo play piano
To fly a plane
Ballroom dancing
3 Beverages I Drink RegularlyWater
Iced tea with lemon
Diet Dr. Pepper
3 Shows I Watched as a KidThe Real McCoys
The Ed Sullivan Show
Little House On The Prairie
3 People I TagHmmmm... You!
Ummm... You!
And... okay... You!
Wordless Wednesday = 17
Well... It's Monday... and It's a Memory... but...
... I don't DO Monday Memories. The reason for this is that my rememberer isn't the greatest... I'm really BAD about details... so it would do me no good to commit to bringing a memory to the table each Monday! However... I came across this photo not too long ago - and it did bring about a great memory!
The year was 1997. The twins were 8, Mathew was 10 and Amanda was home on leave from the army. I had recently been in an accident with my "white" station wagon and knew it had been "totaled" - even though it was still driveable - I had been rear-ended - and knocked into the car in front of me at a traffic light. The girl (16 year old) who did it, had no insurance and I was just waiting to for MY insurance company to "settle" the claim so that I could get a new car. Of course, they were waiting for MAIF (Maryland Auto Insurance Fund) to pay them. So anyway... Amanda's home on leave, and we feel pretty certain that we'll be getting a new car in the next couple of weeks. Amanda says "Hey Mom! Let's PAINT the car! Like a HIPPY car!" I balked at the idea and was like "no... no... let's wait until the next time you come home. By then I'll have the new car and you guys can do whatever ya want with this one." Well, no. She convinced me that it was going to be a looooooooooong loooooooong time before she would be able to come home again and by then we would have gotten rid of it, and she'd ALWAYS wanted to paint a car .... Amanda is VERY dramatic! But somehow or another, she talked me into it! And in the end, I thought "what the heck! Ya only live once... what's it gonna hurt? It will be fun... the kids'll get a kick out of it... yada yada yada..." And of course, the kids are jumpin' up and down agreeing with Amanda about the whole thing! YEA! Spray paint! YAY! Fun, fun, fun! Right?
Sooooo... they got out the spray paint -- we just happend to have a couple of cans -- and they did their thing! Annnnnnnnd... I stood back and did MINE ... which was to take pictures! They had a ball and as you can see they were VERY PROUD of the job they had done! A few days later Amanda went back to her army job, and the kids and I went back to school... IN the hippy car! At the time they were all still in Elementary school - and I worked at their school. Ohhhhh the car was a hit! For about two weeks! Then some of the other kids started teasing my kids about their beat up, painted up hippy car! And suddenly they wondered when
ARE we gonna get the new car mom?
I dunno! Soon! In the meantime, the hippy car took us to school, to soccer practice, to baseball practice, to the pool, and all over the place! It was a novelty - and we did get pointed at and I'd see people laughing a couple of cars over! Everyone KNEW when they passed US on the road! Oh there go those crazy Lantz's! Well... by this time our home had been named Insanity Prevails for several years already - so there was no doubt about our sanity! Or MINE anyway! By the time the insurance companies DID settle that claim I was WELL ready to be rid of that car! Actually, I was long ready SEVERAL MONTHS before the claim got settled! And so were the kids! How long DID we drive around town in the hippy car? A FULL SIX MONTHS!!!
I will NEVER let a kid talk me into THAT again! LOL! But... I'll never be sorry I did it. It is something that they definately remember about their childhood! (All except for the one who's BRIGHT idea it was! She has forgotten the whole incident! Actually had the nerve to tell me she didn't help paint that car! Luckily she has 3 siblings to remind her -- cuz she thinks
MY mind is shot!)
Happy Happy Birthday Baby...
Tai Shan turns ONE YEAR OLD today!
(seen here playing with Mama Mei Xiang)According to this
Washington Post article, the baby will celebrate his special day with a fruitsicle instead of cake! I'm sure that would be his choice! And the public has been invited to a 4 hour party in his honor! Sorry I can't be in attendance...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY TAI SHAN!!!
I Can't Plaaaaaaaaay!
I don't have a sign for the Photo Hunt today ... and that makes me sad! :(
I will be visiting some of you though that HAVE played today! ;)
Friday Feast -101
FOOD FOR THOUGHT...Appetizer
When was the last time you visited a hospital?I was there with my son back in February. He was suffering from an
anxiety attack and nothing would do but to take him! Fortunately it all lead to getting him the proper help he needed -- and him accepting the help!
Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how ambitious are you?*whew* ... that depends on how you define ambitious I guess. If you speaking strictly of "jobs" and "money" and climbing the corporate ladder -- I'd be a 2!
But if you're talking about achieving the things I want out of life -- I'm pretty darned ambitious! I think maybe a 9 or 10. One way or another I usually get what I want -- or decide that what I thought I wanted is NOT so important after all!
Salad
Make a sentence using the letters of a body part. (Example: (mouth) My other ukelele tings healthily.)??? Okaaaaaaay... I'll choose... ELBOW!
Everyone loves buckets of wildflowers!
(wow! that wasn't as hard as I thought it would be!)
Main Course
If you were to start a club, what would the subject matter be, and what would you name it?It would have to be some sort of ART club -- but would have to include a wide spectrum -- photography, painting, drawing, writing, poetry, pottery, sculpture -- the whole shebang! And I would call it Art-Un-Choked!
Dessert
What color is the carpet/flooring in your home?Ohhhh... it's different in almost every room! The living room is a blue/beige/gray pattern. The family room and hall is brown. Our bedroom is creme, the boys rooms have blue. Amanda's room is pink and Krysti's room is teal. And if I EVER recarpet the whole house it will ALL be creme! (after the dog and kids move out!) LOL!
And JUSTICE For All....
My youngest daughter had to go to traffic court this morning - and being that she is only 16, and this was her first ticket I went along for moral support. The ticket that she got was for "failure to follow traffic patterns" ... or something like that! At any rate, she was going to school, and moved into the turn lane about a car length BEFORE the turn lane actually starts and there happend to be a state trooper patroling this area that day! (this has become a VERY controversial area in our town because it is simply TOO congested during the morning rush hour for students, teachers, busses to all be getting over and NOT blocking the regular traffic that's cruising along doing 75 mph (in a 55!). Accidents are happening and of course there are two sides to the situation! BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS POST IS ABOUT! lol.
Until this year, we have only EVER had ONE District Court Judge in our County. Judge Clagget! We all know him - most of us love him. I suppose a few hate him -- but it would be really hard, because even when he's being mean he has a GREAT sense of humor! I'm VERY familiar with Judge Claggett because I, myself, have gone before him once and he was very fair. But I've also gone along with my eldest son (who has a LEAD FOOT and
total disregard for the law... all laws!) on 5 seperate occassions to visit Judge Claggett! I can tell you for sure that my son has a golden horseshoe up his rear end -- and he knows it! Mathew should have ended up with 14 points on his license - and the most he ever accrued was 8. When his license should have been suspended it wasn't. When it should have been REVOKED it was only suspended. Every time I went with Mathew and expected to have to drive him home, he walked out with a slap on the wrist and a MUCH lower fine than he started with! (ONE time he had to do community service - but he was allowed to do it at his place of employment, and just not get paid for those hours.) So... you've got the picture... right? Dad and I were ripping our hair out over this kid who WOULD NOT stop speeding -- WE took his car away, we grounded him, we did all OUR stuff -- but we felt like we really weren't getting much help from the LAW with him! K?
So... today, my daughter... my VERY law abiding daughter, the one who does NOT drink alcohol, does NOT smoke pot or use ANY illegal substances, who in fact IS taking the criminal justice pathway in her education and DOES plan a career in Criminal Justice - who in fact, HAS been selected for an internship with the Sheriff's Office this school year ... THIS daughter goes to court. You KNOW what's coming don't you? Well, first we notice that Judge Claggett's name isn't on the bench this morning. Our NEW Judge - Judge Riddle is presiding this morning. Judge Riddle doesn't have much sense of humor. We KNOW this because we watched about 25 people get called before Krysti. Judge Riddle is a pain in the butt! Judge Riddle is EXACTLY the judge that my SON should have had! But no... Krysti got him! Now... Krysti's cop DIDN'T show up -- and we all know that normally that means
YOU ARE EXCUSED, leave the room, do not pay a fine, go on with your life and try to behave... RIGHT? (I don't know what happend with this because another cop was covering her ticket ... which I've NEVER seen happen before ... and she didn't say "hey, that's not my cop!" I think if she HAD she probably would have gotten off... but I don't know.) And here's the rub... Judge Claggett always gives everybody a chance to "tell their story" - I think he likes hearing all the excuses! Judge Riddle really doesn't much give a hoot! Krysti got NO CHANCE to explain herself. He DID lower her fine, but he also gave her community service! ??? I was like... for THIS? (I mean ... Mathew got away with so much MORE without getting community service!) I wasn't gettin' it! But then! The kicker! Krysti IS a volunteer at our local firehouse -- so I figured, well if Mathew was allowed to do HIS community service at his place of employment (he was a ligeguard) - surely she would be allowed to do HERS at the firehouse! ... ... ... NOT EVEN! No no no. She has to do HER community service filing papers for some county office!
Krysti ... who has a WONDERFUL sense of humor ... is NOT happy about this whole situation -- but she IS able to laugh about it! She does however feel that she would have done MUCH better to have simply PAID the $80 fine and NOT gone to court. Because today's activities cost her - with court fees AND $25.50 for Community Service Fees - $95.50. She did save herself from getting a point on her record -- but we're both wondering if that ONE point was worth not having!
I think we have determined that there is probably only ONE golden horseshoe in our family ... and that is it wedged rather tightly in place. And JUSTICE will NEVER be served!
LET FREEDOM RING!
I wish you all
a SAFE and HAPPY holiday!
God bless you!
I WON AGAIN!!!
This is a little bit toooooo incredible! I won the photo contest over at
TNChick's place for the month of July! I can hardly believe it! Her darlin' little daughter drew MY number out of the bucket! (she video taped it - and it's real cute!)
Thank you SOOOOO much TNChick! This was a VERY fun contest! And congrats to all the other entrants too - because they all took some great pics for the theme! Very fun! Very very fun!
Weighting Around...
Well... at MY house "weight" IS the issue - right? That's supposedly what this blog (was supposed to be) is about! Well... 2 more weeks has gone by since the "I didn't lose an ounce" weigh-in. And I still didn't lose an ounce! Mind you, I'm NOT gaining - I guess I can be thankful for THAT anyway! But still... it's now been 5 weeks with no weight loss. Yes, I'm still exercising. (well... no... I didn't exercise for 3 days this week while I was REALLY suffering with my cold) But 3 days should not make a difference in the overall scheme of things. It's been 5 weeks since I've lost ANY weight.
My doctor "hinted" 2 weeks ago -- and I didn't want to listen... but he DID hint that it just MIGHT be time to loooooower my calorie intake again. (ACK!) No... I still really DON'T want to hear this! Cuz see, when I started all this I just sorta quit eating "junk" and started eating "healthy" ... and that just sort of NATURALLY took a b'zillion calories a day out of my diet. When one goes from 14 McDonald's Double Cheeseburgers a week to ... NONE... that sort of removes a good many calories. Not to mention fat. And when one suddenly STOPS eating 2 bagels a day for breakfast and cuts them down to one bagel a WEEK for breakfast... well... that NATURALLY removes a bunch of calories! But see, NOW I'm not losing weight anymore. And so NOW I have to cut back ... *gasp*... portions too! I'm afraid this is going to get REALLY ugly now! Cuz so far I have not been a HUNGRY girl! I don't LIKE to be HUNGRY! And I already eat a can of spinach a day! Seems like NOW I'm gonna have to eat 3 cans of spinach a day! LOL! But I guess I'm gonna have to do it... bite the bullet. ( i wonder how many calories are in bullets? )
Oh. And then there's THIS! (another weight "issue" at my house) Just look at this!
My SON - my eldest son - is trying to GAIN weight! NOT just ANY weight though. He only wants to gain MUSCLE MASS! He's been working out with Amanda at the gym every night, and he really IS bulking up. But he's 19 and so he's not bulking as quickly as he would like to! (hmmm... I'm not LOSING as quickly as I'd like to... this may run in the family...) So he has "invested"
$50 in a *gulp*
TWO WEEK supply of "BULK ME UP" Vitamin supplement ooey drink stuff! Yummy strawberry flavored ooey drink stuff! But look at the SIZE of this thing! It's next to my 180 count Centrum -- that's the BIG bottle of Centrum! LOOK at that sucker! And that is only a TWO WEEK supply! And he only drinks ONE ooey yummy drink per day! You know... this child has to REALLY want to beef it up to spend that kind of money to drink that kinda stuff....
So, while I weight around to lose mine... he'll weight around to gain his! Stay tuned for updates! This is gonna get interesting!
( I think his ooey weight GAIN stuff is leeching into my vitamins... maybe that's why I can't lose weight... I think we need to get RID of that stuff! I might GAIN weight just from LOOKING at it! Well... I MIGHT! They say it's POWERFUL stuff! )
Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt - Automobiles
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My daughter in our little "rental car" on vacation last year!
(well... we rented it for an hour or two!)
