Blogthings Tells Me to Eat More Hot Dogs!

As you may or may not know, I do what the Blogthings tells me to do. It knows me so well. To make my dream for the New Year come true, these are the resolutions I should make. Frankly, they have my original ones beat by a mile, so I'm going to go for it! I'm not sure I can afford to travel to Holland or go whitewater rafting. And my cat might not care for a snake in the house. But, heck, warrior dancing sounds awesome! And I know I could eat more hot dogs, with a little effort!

Your New Year's Resolutions

1) Get a pet snake 2) Eat more hot dogs 3) Travel to Holland 4) Study warrior dancing 5) Get in shape with whitewater rafting

What Should Your New Year's Resoluton Be?

Happy 2008 Bloggers!!!! ♥laura b.

If You're HAPPY and You Know It....

Traveling man MrManuel of Manuel's View chose this weeks word for our Saturday Scavenger Shots...HAPPY! How great is that? It was so easy and fun to find things that make me HAPPY.

My Eric Carle patterned bedspread. Appropriate for a five year old, yes, but it certainly makes my bedroom a HAPPY place.
Candles. The scent and the tiny flickering flames make me HAPPY. I got a couple for Christmas gifts, so that was nice.
Reading makes me HAPPY, even when the stories are dark and/or sad.
I am HAPPY listening to music of all sorts.
Last, but most certainly not least, these guys make me feel HAPPY and lucky 24/7
Looking at this stuff lined up, I can't help but be HAPPY (^.^) Keep your eyes open at Manuel's View for when he tags next week's theme choosing person!

Look, I think I know what this is about and I'm complimented but not interested

Somehow that little Zoolander quote came to mind...although it is not at all relevant. I did receive a compliment though! We have these comment forms at the library, so that people can complain about things and admin. can follow up in writing and the complainers feel that their issues are being dealt with. Sometimes people take it into their head to be NICE on the comment card! This morning, one of my supervisors brought me a copy of a nice comment that I received yesterday. It says: The lovely children's librarian on duty at 4 pm was so-o-o-o helpful & kind & pleasant. Very very wonderful. So, well, it wasn't addressed to me by name, but it would have been me on duty then... I wish I could remember who it was and what I did that was so nice. I haven't a clue, honestly. Still it is nice to be complimented every now and again, isn't it?

Here I am doing my best 'let me ponder your question' face.

Holiday Recap

Here is what our tree looked like on Christmas Eve with all the presents underneath. Sort of ridiculous. Note Sage relaxing on the couch. She never gets stressed...

I have been blog visiting and it sounds to me like there were lots of nice holiday celebrations going on for the past couple of days. I am happy to report that mine went very well also.

Christmas Eve was spent with the extended family at my former MIL's house. She is nice, but gets very tense...yet insists on hosting this thing year after year. Still, it was lovely. Good food, a chance to visit with everyone all at once, and a way to exchange gifts face-to-face with the people we won't actually see on Christmas Day. Everyone made out like bandits and that was just a little taste of what was to come.

I had actually kept up with my wrapping as things came in this year, so unlike some previous years burned into my memory, I was not up all night wrapping frantically. All I had to do was put out hidden things and stuff the stockings (even my own.) With Kick Back Dude and his family coming over, there were 10 stockings lined up this year!

Christmas morning was a bit less early this year. Handsome Lad, at 10.5, is not quite as early rising as he once was, and is the youngest in the house. And we knew the KBD fam would not make it over until 8:30 or so. They did manage to get over in a very timely fashion, as did my mom. Once everyone was assembled we went to work on the mountain of presents. Even with a big group, that was a lot of gifts! Every year, I have to relearn the fact that I am not the only one buying gifts...I don't need to worry so much! Everyone was so happy and it is wonderful to see the kids (even the big ones) opening things they longed to have.

After presents we had a brunch of eggs scrambled up with cheese and corn tortilla bits. That brought the end to the programmed part of the day :-) Christmas Day tends to be calm at my house, with a long afternoon stretching out to organize all the new stuff. Often we fit in a movie and yesterday was no exception. Me, Girlie Girl, Kick Back Dude, Princess Diva, Social Animal, and one of his friends all decided to go see Juno. I loved it. The actors just killed, seriously. And the soundtrack was excellent fun. Two snaps and a twist, yo!
Handsome Lad picked seeing I Am Legend, with his dad. I haven't seen this yet, but people I've talked to seemed to like it. Oh, and I've gotten good in person reviews for Sweeney Todd and I admit to being curious...

I seem to have wandered off topic here...but nevermind. It was a very merry Xmas after all.

Jolly Christmas

To my blog friends: Have a jolly Christmas. Remember the reason for the season and all that. I ♥ U, laura b. @ my boring life

We've Got SPIRIT, Yes We Do!

Since I'm tomorrow, yada, yada, yada...here is my Saturday Scavenger Shots using Tara's intriguing word: SPIRIT. You could, and no doubt will, go so many different way with this word. I happened to have a few shots on hand that made me want to go with a SPIRIT of Competition theme. Unfortunately, these are not great quality shots, but I'm gonna be bold and post 'em on up anyhow!


Here is Kick Back Dude running. He was an excellent, competitive runner in high school. He sort of let it go since he started his family and all, but I always encourage him to take it up again. He has a runner's SPIRIT.


Social Animal played football from the time he was about 9 years old until he graduated from high school. Now he is a gym rat. This is an especially fuzzy picture, but he is Number 53 chatting up the cheerleaders on the sidelines. Athlete, lady killer, now that is SPIRIT!


Girlie Girl may be a girlie girl, but she harbors the SPIRIT of a slugger. She was the only one of my kids who could handle the very spotlighty pressure of baseball (or softball in her case.)

There you go! I don't know what next week's word is or even who is choosing. I guess see Tara for that info and it will get passed around, never fear :-)

Listen!

This post was inspired by MiniJonB, who posted a list over the course of five days of his top five cds released in 2007. I like reading about what people are listening to, so on the off chance that some of you do too I decided to post my top 6 for 2007. MiniJonB bravely does Top 5's, even though he doesn't care for odd numbers or the asymetrical. So, I am doing a Top 6! Well, and also I couldn't narrow it down anymore :-) I am not very adept at talking about why I like the music that I like. I don't know enough about the actual structure of what I am listening to to make intelligent comments on instrumentation or use of various cord structures or how something is derived from some earlier piece. Therefore, I can't really defend my choices or anything. I will just list what I have most enjoyed listening to among this past year's releases. And you can always click on the links if you want to find out more.

1. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible. I love these guys. Their lyrics are fascinating and passionate. They bring so much energy to everything they play! Plus, there live show is not to be missed.

2. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. I'm not sure what to say besides this makes me happy when I listen to it. It is beautiful, lively, and seems hopeful somehow.

3. Radiohead - In Rainbows. It seems like with Radiohead you either love them or hate them. I love them. To me, they are musical geniuses. They released this cd themselves and you know the story...digital downloads were made available for absolutely free (you could choose what you wanted to pay for it actually). They will be releasing it as part of a pricey box set and isn't like anyone in Radiohead is ever going to be broke, but still! It was pretty damn cool. Plus, the songs are amazing.

4. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky. I am a huge Wilco fan. I love Jeff Tweedy's voice and they are the closest thing to country that I will ever adore.

5. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga. Folk music for those who don't necessarily think of themselves as folk music fans. Conor Oberst's voice is so rich and expressive. I can't help but fall in love with everything he puts out.

6. The Bird and the Bee - The Bird and the Bee. Light, fun, and surprising. Another one that makes me feel good when I put it on. I like their sense of humor. (You should also check out their recent EP Please Clap Your Hands...have you heard "The Polite Dance Song"? Very funny and fun.

Let me close with a song that, yes, makes me laugh. I don't really like the way "gay" is used by the kids now for someone or something that is just lame. Still this song with all the hipster cliches tickles me. It is the break up song of here and now. Katy Perry may sound like those other girl singers going around, but I think she may be a little different. Listen if you are curious...or if you know it already and dig it, man.

Librarians' Breakfast

This morning was our staff's annual breakfast buffet and holiday party. I don't usually eat breakfast, so it is nice to have it every little once in a while. This year they served some sort of egg souffle dish with cheese and green chilies, along with croissants and several other pastries. So, there wasn't much to it, really, but it was fine. As long as I get some coffee, I am good.
We also did our gift exchange game. You are probably familiar with it. Anyone who wants to participate brings a gift (for us it is supposed to be in the $15-$20 range), then we draw numbers. Number 1 chooses a gift and opens it for everyone to see, then Number 2 can either take that gift or choose an unopened gift, etc. Once a gift has been stolen for the 3rd time it is locked down. Eventually, everyone ends up with something. This year I got a little box of bonbons with a $15 gift card for Target. Yay! I love gift cards and I love Target (as much as I am willing to love a store).
Now, the party is over and I am sitting on the public service desk freezing my butt off...yeah, don't I wish...but there is this cold draft that always seems to blow right on us here! It is dead quiet this morning, so I am doing this, while sitting in my jacket and sniffling. Hottie! haha!
Anyway, let me ask for your guys' opinions on something. When you are getting or giving gifts, do you think gift cards are sort of cheating? Some people don't like to get or give them, as they feel they don't require enough thought or effort or something. Other people, like me, love getting them and going stress free shopping. I know that stores love selling them, because a great number of them are never redeemed, so that sort of sucks. So, what do you think of the gift card option?

What Holiday Am I?

You Are Easter

You are an optimistic, hopeful, and genuinely sweet person. Sensitive and affectionate, you are easily touched. You love nature, animals, and anything cute or cuddly. For you, every day is a new chance - no matter what happened yesterday. What makes you celebrate: Almost anything. You love most holidays and celebrations. At holiday get togethers, you do best as: The peacemaker. You can prevent any squabbles that might break out. On a holiday, you're the one most likely to: Remember to include everyone

What Holiday Are You?

Hm. I don't know how much this sounds like me...well, maybe a bit :-)

3rd Annual Festivus for the Rest of Us Sing Along

This is a song that some message board friends and I made up a few years ago to celebrate the rather bittersweet (or is it just bitter?) alternative to traditional winter holidays. This will be the third year that I have posted it. It is just so terribly special that I can't resist sharing it over and over and over again. One tiny problem...we never actually figured out the tune...feel free to improvise. Enjoy!

The Festivus Song

Now it's time for Festivus
a holiday for the rest of us
no dreidel to spin
or fat guy creepin' in
a season that quickly ends
gather your family and friends
this part is the most fun
tell each and every one
how this last trip round the sun
every wrong thing that they've done
has really let you down
but no need to wear a frown
beeeee--caaaaaause
---- now it's time for Festivus ...

Now it's time for Festivus
A holiday for the rest of us.
No big ticket items
Or games of gelt hide 'ems
Its no festival of unity
But you'll speak with impunity
Call your dad and mother
Invite your sis and brother
Tell 'em what you REALLY think
Bottoms up, lets have a drink
Spread the ugly truth around
Cry, if you must, without a sound
Beeeeeeeee-caaaaaaause
---Now its time for Festivus.....

Now it's time for Festivus
a Holiday for the rest of us
We'll gather round the festive pole
an icon of majestic length
and stretch and flex as we prepare
the challenge of the feats of strength
We'll feast as friends who hate us
are preparing to berate us
we gather for this yearly meal
with family we'd like not to see
why subject ourselves to this ordeal?
because, you putz, the chow is free
Beeeeeeeeeeee-caaaaaaaaaause (gasp)
----- now it's time for Festivus!......

Now is the time for Festivus
a holiday for the rest of us
but keep us far away from mistletoe
because we really don't trust Uncle Joe
and big expensive gifts for kids are poxes
because they end up playing with the boxes
you know that you can count on sweetie's mom
to tell you why your turkey was a bomb
while in the den Ed, Bill and Walter stare
as if a football game were on the air
you're tired of each other -- that much is clear
and so you smile and wave "Same Time Next Year"
beeeeeeeeee-cauuuuuuuuuuse
---- now it's time for Festivus! . . .

And now, it is the time for Festivus,
A holiday made for the rest of us.
Blow out the pilot light and crank up the stove,
Insert your head and reunite with Jove.
Beware the cars carreening to and fro,
don't sin too much, and don't eat yellow snow.
The carolers evoke a thoughtful grin--
One well aimed .22 will damp their din.
The yule log burns, it is a merry light
It's Presto scent's like smoking Samsonite.
The guests are gussied up, so no one knows
that Uncle Fred has cankers on his nose.
And all those joys abound with little fuss
Because it is the time of festivus.

Verse one by Rich W
Verse two by wildblue
Verse three by - Poppaspank -
Verse four by Stephen lyonheart Lewis
Verse Five by John H. Spencer

See if you can figure out which one I am by a process of elimination :-)

Happy Festivus one and all!

Color Me Relieved

I have officially finished my Christmas shopping and this brings me great joy. Of course I am aware that Christmas is not supposed to be about spending great sums of cash and obsessing over the newest and most wanted retail items. I dig the people who bake their gifts or make their gifts...you know who you are and I think you are swell! My people (especially those I birthed) want the retail items and this time of year is the one time I don't want to say no. Check it out...

For Kick Back Dude and Princess Diva a night on the town sans kids (yes, free babysitting is included in this package

For Secret Agent Man, the gift that keeps on giving. It was time for his license to be restored to him. That cost a bit of dough...and the down payment on auto insurance was included.

For Social Animal, who always steals everyone else's DVD players, one of his very own.

For Girlie Girl, the status of being among the first of her la-di-dah friends to possess the Sidekick LX. Yikes.

Handsome Lad had better not lose his very own fabulous iPod Nano. I believe there is a small family pool with loss / breakage dates though....

Fortunately my granddaughters are still tiny and sweet and don't know they need things that cost the big bones.

Miss Personality will be pleased with her role playing toys, such as this My First Purse!

And lastly, young Love Bug just wants things to grab and put into her mouth.

And that, my friends, is that!

How Come You Never Card Me Anymore?

It is once again time for our Saturday Scavenger Shots. Our very own AlienCG chose this week's theme - CARD.
I don't think you'll be surprised by my choice...


This is an old skool CARD catalog. People used to use these cards in these little drawers to find the books that they needed in libraries.


Nowadays, you just press an icon on your computer and you can access the catalog (not CARD, although some people still call it that out of old timey habit).

Okay! Now, check with the very ecelectic Tara for what you will be working with this week! Ready, aim, shoot!

Ode to Ice Cream

Since today is Ice Cream and Violins Day (at least according to Tara...and a few other not as interesting spots on the webs) I thought it would be an appropriate time for me to express my deep appreciation for ice cream. It isn't that I don't also appreciate violins. I guess, just not in that way. Can we just be friends, violins?

Ice cream is my go-to choice if I feel I would like to treat myself in a food-y kind of way. Cake, pie, cookies, meh. Okay, you've seen me, clearly I don't shun these things! But none of them come close to the creamy pleasures of ice cream. Even then, there are a great many flavors that leave me cold, so to speak. If the word "chocolate" appears somewhere in the name, well, then I snap to attention. Chocolate ice cream is where it's at. If it is, say, chocolate chocolate chunk it is even better! Hey, throw some chocolate syrup on there and I am practically weak with desire. Yeah, that is kind of tragic, but that doesn't make it any less true.
Here you go. Have some ice cream on me! Or, no...well, okay, if you want...

Today? Today is Great!

Two simple reasons.

1) Long lunch with Team C. *sighing and swooning*

2) Dinner out with my girls, Milly and Ceku! The Three DMBs ride again!

So, I say again, today is great!

What Color Christmas Tree Should You Erect?

I should let that go? It's played? Okay, sorry....

You Should Have a Blue Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays represent a time of calm, understanding, and peace. You avoid family fights, and you don't get too stressed out - even when things are crazy! You like to make Christmas about making everyone's life a little bit better. You don't get caught up in greed or commercialism. You're too sincere for that. Your blue tree would look great with: Lots of silver tinsel You should spend Christmas Eve watching: It's a Wonderful Life What you should bake for Santa: Chocolate chip cookies

What Color Christmas Tree Should You Have?

Ms. Grinch Becomes a Ho, Ho, Ho!

I loved seeing everyone's LIGHT pictures! Those, along with some unexpected extra cash in my coffers and the erection of our fambly Christmas tree, have helped to put me a bit more into the holiday spirit.

Here is a poor ol' picture that doesn't do this lovely tree justice. Still, you can get the idea. Biggest tree we have ever had. You can kind of see that the angel at the top is a bit smooshed against the ceiling. This magnificent tree is a perk of having Social Animal working at Home Depot. Employee discounts rule!


NOTE: Please look at the link I've added in my top right column. One of our cool fellow bloggers, Not Fainthearted, had the idea to see what sort of donations she could help drum up for a wonderful charity organization called Heifer International. Even a small donation can be put towards providing real help to a real family or village! I know giving helped Ms. Grinch here feel that holiday glow :-)

Don't forget...next week's Saturday Scavenger Shots word, chosen by AlienCG is CARD and the Alien tagged
Tara to choose the next word! Good times, good times....

Weekend Wowsers

Hola, amigos. Since this is my Friday on / Saturday off week I am, as usual, posting my Saturday Scavenger Shots a bit early. Maybe this will even remind some of y'all what the theme is...just in case! When I thought of LIGHT, of course I was imagining the gorgeous Xmas light pictures I could get. That didn't happen. Shocking, I know. So, you will have to just view what I have a like it like that. haha!


Behold! It is a magic path of candy cane LIGHT at the entrance to our staff Holiday Party!


Gaze in wonder at the carving table! The bright LIGHTS help the carvers to avoid cutting off their fingers and at the same time, they lend some eerie shadows to their faces. Ooooooohhhh!


Did I want to dazzle you with a fly photo like this? You bet. This isn't mine though. I stole it off the webs. Still isn't it pretty?


Here is my cheat...the little LIGHTs of old grandmama's life!

Thanks for playing. I can't wait to see YOUR pictures of LIGHT. And, I also can't wait to see what AlienCG chooses for the coming adventure!

Bouncy Baby

Is little Love Bug too cute, or what?

Party On, You City Nerds!

Tonight is our City Employees Holiday Party. The theme this year...I don't remember Gingerbread something or other. I have definitely written about the holiday party before. It isn't too exciting. We have it at the community center, which is rather pedestrian, but they do decorate beautifully. Also, there is a nice catered meal. This is my fifth year here, so I will get a little certificate and pen I believe. Another nice thing is that they give many nice raffle prizes. Last year I won a $25 gift card for Best Buy...which I then re-gifted to Secret Agent Man :-)

Do you guys have work parties? What are they like? Spill!

PS-I just found my "Longetivity Bonus check on my desk. Believe it or not (I can't) I forgot that was one of the perks of being here five years or more. Bonus!!! I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders in getting through the holidays this year. Yay!!!!!

Whoosh! There Goes Another One!

Gosh, I feel like the days are literally, literally (haha!) flying by! There aren't enough hours to get to everything that I need to get to. As for Xmas shopping, all I can say is thank goodness for Amazon.com and expedited shipping...

Now, a rant! How fun, right?

Okay, PSA (that's public service announcement)...if you are a busy parent, you certainly have my sympathy. However, I am not sympathetic enough to take charge of your children every afternoon when school gets out until you wander in to pick them up at 6 or 7 in the evening. I spend more time explaining to parents that the public library is not exactly the child-safe environment that they seem to imagine it to be. Also, when a kid has been sitting in school all day, he / she needs a little time to be active and the library isn't the place for that! I feel bad when I have to ask children to leave, but this place would descend quickly into complete anarchy without some consequences for inappropriate behavior. I am really not an old witch, but sometimes working here makes me feel like one.

An additional stress here at work is that one of the only three full time people that we have in this department is on Family Medical Leave indefinitely. This just means that her work falls mostly to me and the other full time person (my boss). Having been on the other side of this, though, I would much rather be in my position of having some extra work, than in her position of caring for a sick relative. So, I willingly tote that barge and lift that bale. But I still might get a little cranky now and then.

I have been so frazzled that I completely forgot about Team C's birthday. I actually remembered at this exact moment...you are seeing me remember it...oh, I thought it was yesterday, but it is today! I can still redeem myself as a decent indecent friend. *whew!* That's another thing though, I am all confused on my days! I don't know what day of the week it is, let alone the date.

Does anyone have a secret method for slowing things down a bit? If so, send me a letter, drop me a line, stating point of view. Um, spontaneously quoting Beatles songs might be a symptom of my stess. I don't know.

Your Assignment For the Week

For Saturday's Scavenger Shots how about we use the word... LIGHT! See what you can do with that, 'kay? And while I am thinking about it, I will tag AlienCG to come up with the word for the following week.

~~~LIGHT~~~

Baby It's COLD Outside

Well not really. Not here. However, the word this week, chosen by Dmarks @ Throwawayblog is COLD. So here we have a couple of items having to do with the word COLD.
One of my favorite COLD beverages is milk tea. Mmmmmmm.....


If you catch a COLD, and you know you will, you are going to need these and lots of them...

Thanks for joining me in celebrating COLD!

What is Your Holiday Stress Level?

Your Holiday Stress Level is Moderate

The holidays sometimes stress you out, but mostly because they wear you down. Take it easy! You can have a fun holiday without running yourself ragged.

What's Your Holiday Stress Level?

They make it sound so reasonable! :-)

More Ramblings

For some reason time is moving very oddly this week. First it will seem to be dragging, then suddenly I'll look up to find it has flown. I am feeling distracted and I suppose that has a lot to do with it.

I have been doing quite a bit of reading lately. I recently finished re-reading Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I thought I'd like to see the movie and it would be nice to have the story fresh in my mind. Who knows if I will actually get out to the movie though...it has been a while since I've been able to get out to a movie.

At the moment I am almost finished with the third installment in the Dexter series Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay. I read the other two over a year ago, I think, and I had forgotten how purple the prose can be. Honestly, I almost gave up at the beginning, but kept on and found that it wasn't so bad once I got used to it.

Yesterday morning I watched a movie that Secret Agent Man had recommended to me as being funny. He was right. If you enjoy lightweight comedies you will enjoy Let's Go to Prison. It isn't a "film" you are going to see good review for, but it did make me LOL a few times. Bonus, the song Move This by Technotronic is now stuck in my head.

Here...you can have it too!

What Are You Lookin At?

Man! So tired....what? Yeah, another...um...rum and coke...

Is there any rum in this? Okay, alright, fine....

Karaoke? Huh...okay....~/o We used to worry a lot, we used to hurry a lot, we used to stay out til the break of day. Oooh, that didn't get it, it was high time I quit it. I just couldn't carry on that waaaayyy. Oooh, I did some damage, I know it's true. Didn't know I was so lonely til I found you. Who is gonna make it? We'll find out in the lo-ong run (in the lo-ong run) We can handle some resistance if our love is a stro-ong one (is a stro-ong one)~/o Woo hoo! I sound just like Don Henley! Well, fuck you too! Ahahahahaha!

Zzzzzzzzzzzz.......

This drunken post is brought to you courtesy of the Taraday Calendar...and the letter P. Thank you.

I'm Late! But That Doesn't Seem So Bad....

...as my salary isn't getting docked, I didn't miss the most important part of the movie, and most especially, I needn't dig out the baby stuff one more time. hee hee! Ah me... Okay, as that is out of my system, here is my late Saturday Scavenger Shot about FOOD! Seems like I should have more food pictures given all the food consumed over the past four days. Thanksgiving was, of course, particularly food-y. This is white chili, made with leftover turkey. Mm-mm-good!
Also late, passing on the word of the week challenge. Sorry 'bout dat, guys. Let's see....how about Dmarks? You up for it? Someone tell Dmarks he is next!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Only about another hour until I begin my nice long weekend. Yay to four days of not working, but boo to four days where I probably won't be online :-)
The first thing I will do when I get back online is post up my FOOD pictures, probably late, for Saturday's Scavenger Shots. I can't wait to see all of yours and to hear all about your weekend good times. So, me and Normam Rockwell wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am going to make a real effort to retain an attitude of gratitude (ha! cute, right?) all year round.

A Bit of This and That

This will have to be one of those little bullet-point posts, as I don't have any one big thing in my head...just lots of little things...like marbles! That I am losing! hahaha! Ah, I amuse me...

* WTG lost his job this morning. Way to go, wanker. In fairness, though, he will probably round himself up another job soon. At least that is his usual M.O.

* I am hoping this turn of events doesn't lead to Kick Back Dude losing his job as well. They are tied together both in the minds of the company they were/are working for and in the financing and insuring of their vehicles.

* On the lighter side, the new puppy is to be called Sage. She is a springer spaniel and so far she and big Tank are getting along fine. The cat, Mittle Kitty, despises them both and rules with an iron claw.

* I am sort of looking forward to tomorrow. I don't have to cook or clean or anything. All I have to do is drive to my dad and stepmom's house and strap on the feedbag. Right on.

* I am sort of dreading the days that follow as they are pointing in one direction...Christmas. This holiday always makes me anxious and I need to stop that! I am hoping to do most of my shopping online this year...but this means I need to get started...but ugh.

* I am starting to think that I need all of my relationships to be as inobtrusive as the one I have with Team C. I saw him a couple of weeks ago - perfect. And today he sent me a Thanksgiving ecard that made me happier than any ecard should. In the event of an actual relationship...I don't know, my head would probably explode.

Heaven in a Bottle

Maybe I should start a blog feature called Tuesday Treats. I like foods, especially snack foods and every week I could tell you about the most delicious thing I have recently enjoyed. Hm. Well, maybe that wouldn't be so interesting.

Still, join with me today in celebrating a bit of seasonal deliciousness. Okay, say you were still at work at 7:30 pm and you needed a little pick-me-up. If you were me, you would pull out the special treat that you had been saving just for such an occasion! Starbucks bottled Dark Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino. Nice and chilled, right out of the bottle. (What? That's how a pirate would drink it!)

Here is a pretty picture of this miracle elixir. This isn't my refrigerator or my Starbucks. I got it off the interwebs...but isn't it beautiful?
In conclusion, if you like coffee, dark chocolate, peppermint, especially all together, you will love this. It is a special treat, so it is okay that it is a little pricey for a beverage. Sometimes these things are even on sale. Then you get more, more, more!

Cheese Anyone?

Because, yeah, you guessed it...I gots the whine!

The weekend was going okay. I had worked on Saturday, but it was a very reasonable day. Sunday seemed pretty quiet and peaceful. Then, without a word of discussion or warning, WTG and Handsome Lad come in the door with a new puppy. Another new puppy...remember that Tank is only barely a year...and he also came without warning or discussion. Now, don't misunderstand. I have nothing against dogs. And in fact, between Secret Agent Man and Handsome Lad, Tank has been pretty well cared for without much intervention from me. Another dog isn't the worst thing in the world. My problem is that I wasn't even consulted for form's sake. When I protested, Handsome Lad said, "Why would we ask you? You have have just said no." This came out of the mouth of my ten year old son. And WTG was right there nodding and smiling. THAT is where my problem with all of this is.

Now, there is no way for me to do the right thing. If I pretend to be happy and thrilled to have another pet, I feel like everyone will assume that it is a great idea to just go ahead with any plans without consulting me. If I bitch about it, as I have been, then I am, well, a bitch and the mean, possibly unreasonable parent to boot. Even though I know it isn't a contest the fact is that I lose. Again.

Should I Now Consider My Humiliation Complete?

Paper Post for the Famous Saturday Scavenger Shots!

I think "paper" is an interesting thing to think about, mostly because it is such a big part of my life. I make lots and lots of copies most days. I work in a building filled with books made of, of course, paper. My kids bring home reams of it in the form of assignments and announcements. (I used to save every little scrap, but got more hard hearted as the years went on I am sorry to say.)

Here are a couple of fun paper pictures...

Origami is a popular paper based activity. Here is a lonely little crane.

This is something that we all need. I usually have only a bit. Don't you always feel better with a little foldin' money when you're doing a walkabout?

The father of Saturday Scavenger Shots, Evil-E @ Random Crap tagged me to pick the next word. In honor of the U.S.-centric holiday coming up next week, how about FOOD? Let's see what we can do with FOOD.

The Voices In My Head Told Me To Do This...

Oh, wait! It's just Tara working her brain wave magic! Anyway, it seems like a good day for another all about meme! Because who can ever get enough l.b. info.? No need to answer that...


I present to you, The Shopping Cart Meme

***I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 5 items. You can only pick one thing from the following departments.. what is it?

1. Produce: Bananas
2. Bakery: Chocolate cake
3. Meat: Boneless chicken breasts
4. Frozen: Breyer's mint chocolate chip ice cream
5. Dry goods: Suave Cucumber Melon Body Lotion
5. Canned Good: Campbell's Soup at Hand (creamy tomato!)

Let’s say we’re heading out for a weekend getaway. You’re only allowed to bring 3 articles of clothing with you. So, what’s in your bag?

1. Underwear
2. My black track pants with the white stripe down the side
3. Black t-shirt

If I was to listen in on one of your conversations throughout the day, what 4 phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?

1. "Um"
2. "Let me see..."
3. "It's the last four digits of your home phone"
4. "Soon"

So, what 4 things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn’t get to do, you probably wouldn’t be in the best mood?

1. Drinking coffee
2. Talking to my kids
3. Reading
4. Listening to music

You’re driving down the road, and suddenly you’re hit with this sense of road rage. What 3 factors probably contributed to it?

1. Someone in front of me who seems lost.
2. Getting rudely cut off.
3. I am feeling late for something and need to chill.

Sweet, you just scored a whole afternoon to yourself. We’re talking a 3 hour block with nobody around. What 5 activities might we find you doing?

1. Reading
2. Catching up on my tivo'd shows
3. Napping
4. Doing laundry or some mindless tidying task
5. Dancing

We’re going to the zoo. But, it looks like it could start storming, so it’ll have to be a quick visit. What 3 exhibits do we have to get to?

1. Primates
2. Bears
3. Seals

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on t.v. of your choice. You can pick between 4, so what are you deciding between?

1. Saturday Night Live
2. The Daily Show
3. Dancing with the Stars
4. American Idol

You’re hungry for ice cream. I’ll give you a triple dipper ice cream cone. What 3 flavors can I pile on for ya?

1. Chocolate
2. Chocolate chip
3. Mint chocolate chip

Somebody stole your purse/wallet…in order to get it back, you have to name 5 things you know are inside to claim it. So, what’s in there?

1. My big brown wallet
2. A zip up folder with all my bills and paperwork inside
3. Chocolate covered Altoids
4. My cellphone
5. Whatever book I am reading

You are at a job fair, and asked what areas you are interested in pursuing a career in. Let’s pretend you have every talent and ability to be whatever you wanted, so what 4 careers would be fun for you?

1. Writer
2. Artist
3. Musician
4. Librarian

If you could go back and talk to the old you, when you were in high school, and inform yourself of 4 things, what would you say?

1. You and your sister will get along much better once you both grow up.
2. Make an effort to keep in touch with some of your friends here. If you don't you will surely feel some regret about it.
3. Don't make decisions based on a fear of being alone...or any other fear for that matter.
4. Don't grow up too quickly. Enjoy the pleasures of being young and unworldly.

Ahhh, I always enjoy talking and thinking about me, me, me. haha! But don't worry, because my next favorite thing is finding out secret hidden things about other people!

I Forgot to Knock on Wood

I knew in my heart that the quiet and relative peace wouldn't last. It blew up last night with yet another WTG freak out. I decided not to dwell upon that though. Whats the point? I would rather take the advice that Tara found about putting a positive spin on things and living a life of gratitude.
I am thankful for:

-My kids and grandkids, above anything and everything. To be able to share my life with these seven cool, interesting people is such a gift.

-The rest of my family and my friends. Even though I sometimes feel alone in the world, I am not. There are people who care for me and look to me for care as well.

-My job. So many people just tolerate or even hate their jobs. For the most part I love mine. How lucky am I?

-My good health. This one always makes me feel superstitious for some reason...but I can't ignore it. Again, I have been fortunate.

-My life is good enough that I can see what a beautiful world that we live in. If enough terrible things happen to someone, I know the ability to see that would be lost...or the concept would become irrelevant. But me? I live in a beautiful world.

All's Quiet on the Western Front

It was hard to come back to work today after my three days off. However, once I get back into the swing of things, I am good. Luckily, and as you can all tell, I do like my job.
It was an uneventful weekend and I have no complaint about that. I got to sleep in a bit, which I enjoy beyond reason. It was just a particularly mellow three days off. Good for my mental health, but not so good for blogging apparently.
Here is a sweet picture of my son and his daughters...Even the surliest hearts would have to find that sweet, right? Well, Love Bug doesn't look convinced, but she'll come around I'm sure.

Word o' the Week? Work!

I am posting my Saturday Scavenger Shots today, as I have a nice long three day weeknd coming up! Yay! No work for three days...sort of ironic, eh? Given our subject matter and all.
MrManuel kindly provided us with the kickass word work. I went a little crazy getting picture of things that I do when I am at work.
Here is my place of business. It is my workplace!
One of the main things I do at work is to help patrons find the books and other materials that they need.
I also work at keeping the kids at a reasonable level when they are excitedly playing computer games. Homework and research on the computers? Well, I guess it could happen, in theory...
Sometimes I help to manage the teen volunteers. That can be a lot of work!
There are often a couple days per week when I do programs for the kids. That is more like fun than work.
One of the less exciting aspects of my work is attending meetings in the conference room under the watchful eyes of Lucky Baldwin and Hugo Reid.
Finally, sometimes my "work" involves hosting the firefighters when they come for a visit. That is always such a chore, but sometimes we must suffer for our art. :-)
I hope you enjoyed, or at least didn't hate, learning more about my WORK through pictorial documentation. Thank you.