New Year’s Eve

Happy New Year’s Eve! Can you believe this is the last day of 2008? It seems like it went by so quickly, but really once past elementary, junior high and high school it all goes by quickly. Well, at least to me it does.

Instead of looking back on this past year, I am going to write about next year. Yes, I know it doesn’t start until tomorrow. However, I have always been a ‘list person.’ I don’t usually make very concrete New Year’s Resolutions though.

Have you ever heard of a Vision Board? I made one last year, but I didn’t really practice the art of the Law of Attraction with it. This year my plan is to make a great vision board that I will put in my room next to my computer. That way I will be able to see it often and really focus on drawing those things to me.

Here are some things I will include on it:

• Spark People – I want to use this more and really stay on track with my diet and exercise.

• Art – I enjoy painting, drawing and other various forms of art. I want to do more of this than I have been doing (which is almost none).

• Writing – I enjoy writing. I have enjoyed it since I was in jr. high school. However, after I graduated from high school I just stopped. College took over and I haven’t had much desire to do much creative writing. I want this to change.

• Blogging – I want to Blog as much as I can about whatever I can.

• Paranormal Investigator – I love being a paranormal investigator. I hope to go on more cases and learn as much as I can about this field.

• New Job – I really need a new job. I also really hope it is something I love to do.

• Read More – I love to read. I love books. As I’ve posted before I’m a little bit neurotic about my books even. I’d like to read at least a few books per month.

• Messy House – I need to get back working on cleaning up this messy house! My mom and I signed the “Clean up your messy house pledge” from Oprah.com – now we need to get back on track!

• Embrace Me – I want to really love being me. Sounds cheesy, but I want to be able to not apologize for being a dork, smart, blonde, have slight OCD, my neurotic tendencies, whatever. I want to just be me with no apologizes. Might be hard to find a picture to put on the vision board for this. I guess a picture of me will do?

My plan for tomorrow is to gather up all of the stuff for the vision board and make one for 2009! What a better time to make one than on the 1st day of the year! Also, by making it I also get in my 1st art project of the year. When I get this finished, I will more than likely post a picture of it!

I hope everyone has a safe night tonight and has tons of fun! Let me know what you did and if you are making some new year’s resolutions or even a vision board for yourself!

CO2 Saver

I’ve always been an environmentalist to some degree. I pick up trash if I see it, I don’t litter and I always turn lights and stuff off if they aren’t in use. I also recycle, and we even have a compost pile here.

My computer has always been something I use often, so I did a little research to see if there was any way I could help the one I have be more energy efficient. That is when I found the CO2 Saver. It is free, so I figured I’d give it a try.

The download was fast, and the application was easy to setup. I positioned the bar for it on my desktop on the bottom left. It isn’t too big, and it lets me see visually how much CO2 I am personally saving from going into the atmosphere. I love it!

As stated on their website, “In a matter of seconds you can reduce the amount of energy your computer and monitor use when they are idle and prevent extra CO2 emissions from being generated. What's more, CO2 Saver shows you the amount of CO2 you've saved single-handedly, as well as all other CO2 Saver users combined!”

Sounds pretty cool huh? Just how does it work though? Well, it is a lightweight program that manages your computer or laptop’s power usage when it isn’t being used. This saves energy and decreases the demand on your power utility. The fewer amounts of electricity produced equals fewer harmful emissions and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) that are released into the atmosphere.

If you are looking for a new way to help the planet too, I suggest downloading the CO2 Saver. It is FREE and will help save the planet and lower your energy bills!

Drive-by-Blogging

Today was really quite uneventful. I had plans to go to a paranormal investigation tonight, but due to reasons I won’t get into, I didn’t end up going. So, basically my plans were shot to hell.

Instead, I spent the rest of the day helping my parents make a wood pile container and fill it up with wood. We had much warmer weather here than usual at this time of year (in the 70s). Tonight and tomorrow morning it is supposed to rain and then be colder again. Lovely. You know what that means? More tornadoes! I really hate tornadoes…

I felt really unmotivated to write toady. I have close to zero energy and I just kept putting off writing my Blog. Tsk tsk. I know. Hopefully I will be more in the mood to write tomorrow and write a proper post.

Quote of the Day

My mom and I often laugh. We can start laughing over something rather stupid and not be able to stop for a good five minutes after we started laughing. By then of course we can't even remember what it was we were laughing about. We just keep laughing now because the other can't stop laughing. Usually one of us has to walk away from the other one for us to stop. Even then though, sometimes, once we re-enter the room it starts again. This is truly joyous laughing. If you haven't experienced it before, you really are missing out!

When I came across this quote below, I just knew I had to share it with all of you. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone is having a great Christmas! My family actually opened our presents yesterday morning because last night we went to mass at church and this morning we had to get up early to go to my aunt’s for Christmas breakfast.

Here is a picture of the loot I got so far this year. It includes stuff I got from the other Christmas party earlier this month too, and a few I bought myself. In case you can’t make out what that box is in the middle – it is my new 10.2 megapixel digital camera!

We then went over to my Aunt and Uncle’s house for the annual Christmas breakfast/brunch. All of their kids and grandkids were there. It was nice, and since there were no little kids, there wasn’t any loud yelling or crying (woot). It was nice getting together with everyone because we only get to see all of them a few times a year.

After that, we went over to my grandma’s house and then to another set of aunt and uncle’s house. We didn’t stay at my grandma’s house for long because well, she lives in a place that should really be condemned. We had already spent time with her at my aunt’s house and my dad fixed what she needed done. I was getting nauseous and dizzy from just being in her house for 5-10 minutes because she has a pretty bad mold and mildew problem. Yet, she is stubborn as all hell and won’t move out of there (even though she really needs to). Her mind is not very good, she has dementia (pre-Alzheimer) and can’t remember much that just happened, yet she can remember stuff that happened 50+ years ago just fine. I really hope I never end up with that…

Then we went over to my brother Jason’s house and spent time with him and his family. My nephews got a ton of great stuff for Christmas including a Wii with basically everything you could want as a 9 year old to go with it. Lucky!

Now that everything is settled down, we are going to pop some popcorn on the stove the old fashioned way and watch Fred Claus and maybe another Christmas movie too. Oh, if you want the recipe for the popcorn on the stove it is really simple, here is my recipe…


Sheri’s Yummy Popcorn Recipe

Need:
Big pan with a lid (the type you’d make a lot of pasta in)
Vegetable Oil (I prefer the Smart Balance kind)
Butter or Margarine (I prefer Smart Balance)
Yellow or White Popcorn Kernels (I prefer white popcorn)
Salt
Oven holders or mitts
Bowls

Directions:
1. Place the big pan on the largest burner on the oven.
2. Add the vegetable oil to the pan. The amount you want to use can vary, but make sure it at least coats the bottom of the pan.
3. Add margarine or butter to the pan. The amount you want to use can vary, but make it at least a tablespoon.
4. Turn the burner the pan is on to high.
5. Once the butter or margarine is melted, add the popcorn kernels to the pan. The amount you want to use can vary, depending on how much popcorn you want to make. Make sure you use enough to cover the bottom of the pan though.
6. Place the lid on the pan and shake the pan. It is usually a good idea to use the oven mitts or holders while doing this because it does get very hot.
7. Once the popcorn stops popping frequently, remove the pan from the burner.
8. Pour the popcorn into the bowls.
9. Add salt as desired to the popcorn and enjoy!


Well, I hope you all had or are having a great Christmas. If you use my popcorn recipe, let me know how it turns out!

Top 10 Christmas Movies

Merry Christmas Eve! I hope everyone is having a great day today and tomorrow. Stay warm, cozy and spend time with family and loved ones.

I actually rather dislike most Christmas music, so I have made up a list of my top 10 Christmas movies to share with you. If you have these movies, pull them out and watch them. Well, perhaps not all of them at once – who has the time for that? Pick out a few and watch them over the next few days. Enjoy!

Elf Elf is a hilarious Christmas movie about the tale of a young child who crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts on Christmas Eve and gets carried back to the North Pole and raised as an Elf. Buddy (Will Ferrell) then learns after many years that he is not really an elf at all and goes on a journey to New York City to find his father (Edward Asner). I love this movie, and watch it once every Christmas. If you have not seen it, you really should!

Fred Clause Vince Vaughn plays as Fred Claus in this comedy. Fred is the not so good and jolly brother of Santa Claus. After he ends up in jail, Fred is given the opportunity to redeem himself (and work off his debt) at his brother’s workshop – in the North Pole of course!

Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas Jim Carrey is one of my favorite comedic actors. Him being “the Grinch” in this movie was great. I remember the cartoon of this movie as a kid, and this take on the original makes it even better! The makeup, costumes, sets and all of the actors were really terrific.

A Chistmas Story Who hasn’t seen A Christmas Story? I still remember the first time I ever saw this movie (right before Christmas break in history class after exams). I’ve loved it ever since! This funny holiday classic tells the story of Ralphie Parker, a 1940s nine-year-old who pulls out all the stops to obtain his ultimate Christmas present. Of course, who can forget the kid who gets his tongue stuck to the metal post outside or the leg lamp? Great movie!

The Santa Clause (All 3) This is a great set of all three movies of The Santa Clause starring Tim Allen as Santa. My favorite out of all three is the first one. Hey, the original is still the best to me! Great movie for all ages.

The Holiday This is a great romantic comedy for Christmas. It is a perfect cuddle up on the couch with your special someone movie. Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet play two successful yet unhappy women who meet online at a home vacation exchange website. Jude Law and Jack Black also star in this film as the men of their affection from a home away from home. Will it work in the end? Watch and see!

Miracle on 34th Street This is a really great remake of a classic. Six year old Susan has doubts about Santa Claus (her mother told her the “secret” about him a long time ago), so she doesn’t expect to get the most important things on her list from him. However, after meeting a special department store Santa who is convinced he is the real thing, she is given the most precious gift of all – something to believe in.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation I remember watching this movie every year for Christmas as a kid. I think it must have been my parent’s favorite Christmas movie at the time. The Griswald family are just like any other normal, average family – except everything that can (and will) go wrong happens! Great for a laugh and it too is a classic.

Shrek the Halls This is a rather short “movie” as it is only 22 minutes. However, it is really funny. It is a great movie to watch with kids because they all love Shrek already. Adults will also get much humor out of it too. If you haven’t seen it and like Shrek, check it out!

It's A Wonderful Life George Bailey has so many problems he is thinking about ending it all – and it’s Christmas! As the angels discuss George, we see his life in flashback. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence then shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn’t been for all of his good deeds over the years. Will Clarence be able to convince George to return to his family and forget suicide? Great classic that will be around forever!

Lady Paints Entire Car With Nail Polish

Maryland woman, Jill Bell has hit the headlines with her car’s paint job. It isn’t a new shade of blue, red or silver. No, it is many different shades of every color. She used nail polish to paint her entire 1993 Saturn in a quilt-like pattern!

It didn’t perhaps start out to be such a task though. Two winters ago, she thought it would be appropriate to paint a Band-Aid on the dent of her car. While it would have been rather cute if left there, she went further with the nail polish after she saw it survived the ice and snow of winter.

According to this article, over the next 13 months, from September 2007 to this past October, she completely covered her car in a quilt-like pattern – as a quilter, she found the multi-pattern paint job fitting, she said.

Just how many bottles of nail polish would this endeavor take? Bell said that she collected about 100 to 250 bottles of nail polish, but was unsure of how many were used. She also accepted donations of nail polish from anyone who wanted to give them. Most came from ladies at her church and from women at Weight Watchers.

The dollar value on this unique paint job is also undetermined. Each brand charges different amounts, but most used were anywhere from under a dollar to $5.

Bell said that, “while children seem to flock to her car, many adults give her strange looks.” I would look at it a bit strangely too. Even though I like art, I would not want it be on my car. But, whatever floats your boat or um, car.

What are your thoughts on this unique paint job?

Honest Scrap Award

Yay! I’ve been tagged for the first time with the Honest Scrap Award thanks to BIBI. I feel honored and special and loved. Thanks so much BIBI!

So, what does this award mean? It means – “leftovers, fragments, discarded material, and many times truth and honesty is discarded material, considered fragments and left over.” We tell it like it is and let the scraps fall where they may.

The honorees are to: a) first list 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep! B) pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.

Ten honest things about myself? Oh boy I feel like I’m in a therapy session. Shoot, at least it is free. Well, here it goes… 10 honest things about myself.


1. I’m a self-proclaimed dork. I like to read and play video games.

2. I love Harry Potter and Twilight. I have every DVD (special wide-screen edition) that is out of Harry Potter. I also have the complete hard cover boxed set of the books. I also have a Gryffendor hair scarf, Harry Potter Lumos Lightwedge (booklight) and fabric wall scroll of Hogwarts. I just saw Twilight and loved it. I will read the books ASAP and I am quite positive I will love them even more than the movie! I think my statement of all of this also falls into #1.

3. Halloween and Christmas are my favorite holidays. Quite a contrast huh?

4. We are having a BIG Halloween party here next year. Costume party, lots of decorations, drinks, food – everything. I plan on going as a Gryffendor teacher from Hogwarts (Harry Potter). There is a sexy Hogwarts teacher costume up at Amazon.com which I *might* end up getting for my costume.

5. I am a paranormal investigator (aka. “Ghost Hunter”). If you have ever seen an episode of Ghost Hunters on Sci-Fi, we do what they do pretty much. We just don’t have a film crew following us around and aren’t on a reality TV show.

6. I really hate dieting. However, I am a Spark People member. I lost 15 or so lbs since August with it, but gained a couple back from this holiday season. I plan on getting back on track after January 1st.

7. I sell AVON and MARK. I love their makeup, fragrances, lotions, and other random things I end up buying from them too.

8. I used to write poems and short stories all the time in high school. I was actually the editor of my high school’s literary/art magazine. I was also a writer for the teen section for The Florida Today Newspaper.

9. I like to do art projects. Anything from painting, drawing, decorating/designing, etc.

10. I’ve been watching General Hospital since I was born pretty much. My mom always watched that soap opera (and a few others), and it was the one that I liked too. It also came on after school got out when I was older so I was still able to keep up on it. Now I TiVo it and watch the parts I like while I fast forward through the boring parts.


So there you have my 10 honest things. Hope you enjoyed my honesty. Now it is my turn to pass this award on and tag 7 people. If you are reading this post, consider yourself tagged as well.

http://bunnnichick.blogspot.com/

http://cold-lemonade.blogspot.com/

http://ladolcevita10.blogspot.com/

http://cossiethegreat.blogspot.com/

http://lamont-uphill.blogspot.com/

http://brendasusan.blogspot.com/

http://celefinwe.blogspot.com/

The Bachelor – Jason Mesnick

I previously posted on this Blog about last season’s The Bachelorette. I was very displeased with DeAnna Papas picking Jesse. I thought Jason would have made a much better match with her. Seems I was right about some of it at least… DeAnna and Jesse did breakup. No happy ending for this bachelorette – yet.

The new bachelor is Jason Mesnick. DeAnna’s almost choice. Jason was sweet, romantic, sexy and a great dad. I really hope that him being “the bachelor” doesn’t get to his head and make him become something different. I don’t think it will, but you never know how being on the opposite sides of things can change people.

The new season of The Bachelor begins January 5, 2009 with a 2-hour premier. According to Jason Mesnick, things are great this time around for him. “I’m engaged!” he told People. “I found exactly what I was hoping for, what I was looking for. I’m completely in love.”

Hopefully this fairy tale ending ends well for real this time for Jason Mesnick.

Soft Drink Tax?

While doing my Spark Points this morning, I came across this article about a possible tax that might be coming to New Yorkers. Since New York is facing a $15 billion deficit this year and next, New York Governor David Paterson unveiled a plan that would bring $404 million to the state. Seems like quite a big chunk of cash, but he has a $121 billion budget for 2009 and is pushing this soft drink tax as an “obesity tax” to help pay for some of this budget.

His proposal puts a tax of about 15% on non-diet drinks. This includes soda and all sugary drinks containing less than 70% fruit juice. Drinks not affected by this tax include milk, real fruit juice, diet soda and bottled water.

In my opinion, the governor should trim down his state budget before imposing new taxes on the people. I always vote against raising taxes. If the people get to vote on this, hopefully they will do the same.

Calling this an “obesity tax” is absurd and offensive. Not everyone who drinks soda is obese and surely not all who are drink regular soda. How very unpolitically correct to call it such a thing.

What are your thoughts on this proposed new tax?

Magical Personality Quiz

I took a quiz on http://www.llewellyn.com to see if I was more like a mermaid or a dragon. I figured I would be more like a mermaid because I like them more than dragons. Here are the results from the quiz:

Your Q Score is: 12
The Q score ideally should be as small as possible, indicating maximum agreement among elements. However, even a tiny Q score may not mean optimal functioning, since all four elements may in fact be relatively undeveloped.

Your Primary Mythical Creature
Water Types
The main strength of the Water types is feeling. The second element indicates the most probable focus for this emotional expression.

Mermaid
Water with Air

Astrologically associated with Pisces and the Twelfth House

Mermaid types are warm and caring in a passive, receptive way. They are given to daydreaming and to contemplation, a combination that can make them seem curiously absent and fey. They are among the most unworldly of all the types. Despite this they have a strong ability for clear, rational thinking that can be startling. They seem to have a deep, intuitive understanding of the oneness of the universe. They have a desire to help the world at large and are acutely aware of and sensitive to suffering. This is partly because they do not recognize the customary boundaries between people, other living things, time, space, this world and the Otherworld. They are frequently psychic. They can be brilliantly original and highly creative. They are usually regarded by others as benign eccentrics or as plain weird.


Your Shadow Creature
Fire Types
All the Fire types have problems relating to anger and aggression. The weakest element indicates the main focus of these problems.

Phoenix
Fire and Earth

This shadow is prone to a sense of stagnation due to lack of motivation and laziness. Nothing durable is ever produced. Practical activities may never be embarked upon. There is an underlying sense of futility and hopelessness. Disillusionment results from their lack of confidence that they can change anything for the better, and in any case they do not have the will. At the same time there is an underlying grandiosity and even megalomania reflected in their dreams and aspirations. They need to feel special. Instead, they may simply overindulge or neglect themselves physically. The biggest obstacle of weak Earth is to overcome self-centeredness and greed; the biggest obstacle of weak Fire is to overcome anger and aggression.


Rather cool quiz. Take it to find out which you are most like!

Playstation Home

As I’ve recently posted, I don’t have any of the new consoles. Hell, I don’t even have a PS2 anymore since my 2nd one I’ve bought broke this year. So, I’ve been in the market for a new one. I didn’t know which one I wanted really – until now!

Playstation 3 is now offering something called Playstation Home. It is going into Open Beta tomorrow, and if I had a PS3 I’d be on trying this out. As stated from their website, it is “an ever evolving, always changing, organic experience — full of new friends to meet, new events to enjoy, and new content to explore.”

There are parties, tournaments, events, concerts and more. Check out the Playstation Home Forums for more information. You can also chat with friends, setup multiplayer gaming, listen to streaming music, watch movies and play minigames. Home is also partnering up with Diesel, Red Bull, Paramount Pictures, Activision, Disney, Eidos, Electronic Arts, Lucas Arts, THQ, Ubisoft and Sony Pictures.

Once you're in Home's world, you can chat with friends, set up multiplayer gaming sessions, listen to streaming music, watch movies, and play minigames. It'll be a familiar layout to anyone who's played with other virtual worlds like World of Warcraft, Runescape, or even Second Life, the anything-goes social world that Home most resembles. Sony has already lined up an impressive range of partners -- including Red Bull, Diesel, and Paramount Pictures -- who'll be offering sponsored content inside Home.

Whenever I end up actually buying a new console, I am going to get this one. Hmmm, maybe I should write Santa a letter and hope for the best.

Do you have a PS3? Are you excited about this new feature, or are you already using it?

Beware of Internet Explorer

While checking my e-mail this morning, I came across this article. I use Internet Explorer sometimes. I also use FireFox and sometimes Safari as well though. However, after reading that article – I am not using IE for a long time!

The article informs us that there is a major new security flaw which affects all versions of IE. It steals online game passwords, with some 10,000 websites infected with the code needed to take advantage of the hole in IE. So far they are saying it is just IE that is affected, so I am going to stick with FireFox and Safari for now.

I urge you to go read the article and make a switch to another browser if you are using IE right now.

I Got Your Crazy

Britney Spears has had a tough break the past few years. Sure, she isn’t winning the Mother of the Year Award and she will never be out of the media eye. However, she has taken steps to make herself better, and for that I applaud her. She has lost weight, grown her hair back (and gotten some extensions), taken therapy, reunited with her family and is generally in a much better spot than she was even a year ago.

The video for “Womanizer” was released a month or more ago (I forgot exactly when). The video is a bit um… raunchy and well, Britney. It isn’t the best, but it is here for you to view if you’d like. The song has grown on me and I have even got it on my iPod. Yes, yes, I know. I also added the video for “Circus” which actually reminds me of her “Lucky” video and the video from “Lady Marmalade” which she was not in. Maybe she wished she was? Anyways, “I got your crazy” – enjoy!

Jennifer Anniston’s GQ Cover

Friends was one of my favorite shows. It probably still is. I have all 10 seasons on DVD after all. That was the first time I ever saw Jennifer Anniston on anything. She was one of my favorite “friends.” I thought her and Brad Pitt would also last a long time. Perhaps not forever because it is rare in Hollywood for that to happen. However, I didn’t expect it to be cut short by man-stealing Angelina Jolie. I like her too sure, but not quite the same since this happened. Brad Pitt too really – he is the one at fault as well. I took Jennifer Anniston’s side on this matter.

Anyways, my brother told me yesterday that Jennifer Anniston was on the cover of GQ magazine in a tie. I was like okay, a tie so what? Only a tie… Oh! Risky move on her part, but it seems to work. She is 39 years old and looks great for any age! I applaud her for taking a risk and putting herself out there. Other celebrities have done it in the past, so why not her?

Here is another picture from the magazine spread (no pun intended). This one has two yummy male models for the women too.

What are your thoughts on Jennifer Anniston’s decision to pose for GQ in such a risky way?

Guild Wars: Wintersday 2008

I’ve played Guild Wars off and on since 2005 (a month or so after it was released). I have grown quite bored with it again lately and have been trying out new games. However, I always come back for the holiday events. Why? Well, because I love holiday events in games. Call me a dork, whatever. I love them!

Guild Wars Halloween event was not so cool this year. Their special headgear really disappointed me and I didn’t even want to participate in Mad King Thorn’s visits. It was sad. I really hope their Wintersday event doesn’t disappoint too. It does offer much more than the Halloween event, so it should be okay, I hope.

The event starts Friday, December 19th, 2008 at Noon (PDT). I’ll post more during the event, or after it is over as a recap. Until then, you can go to their official Wintersday 2008 page to see more pictures and read more about the new additions this year! I’m personally excited about new quests and something new from Gwen’s Garden!

Do any of you play Guild Wars or other online MMOs? Do you also enjoy their holiday events? Let me know!

Survivor Gabon: Season Finale

I will actually be writing this Blog entry as the Survivor: Gabon season finale is on. That way I can comment on stuff as I see it and it might make for a funnier entry and perhaps longer than it would be otherwise. Either way, I hope you enjoy it!

The beginning of the show was a recap of everything that has happened so far this season. My favorite moment was when Randy used the fake immunity idol. I was hysterically laughing with Sugar on that one!

Can someone please explain to me how Crystal, a Gold Medal winning Olympian was so terrible in this game. She lied and told everyone she was a “Pre-School Teacher.” If you look at her you’d know something was a bit off on that. Lying about being an Olympian would be beneficial in this game, but make a more believable lie. However, she was an awful athlete in the game. I don’t know if she was trying to do bad on purpose, or is just that untalented at every single challenge - except the one where she dragged people. I’m glad Sugar and Matty blindsided her and voted her out.

Speaking of challenges, the maze challenge tonight looked pretty hard. I wonder how many times they have to go over the rules for the survivors. Susie looked confused once she dug herself out of the first part. Bob won immunity, not a big surprise there. Sugar was really close though! I’d also like to see how long these challenges last for. Sometimes it seems like it would most likely take them many hours to do.

Next to go was Kenny. Woot! He was such a complainer and thought he was the “mastermind” behind everything. Boy was he blindsided! I’m glad to see him go too. Go join Crystal at the Ponderosa, maybe the other players will give you both silent treatment now.

The ceremonial burning of the torches of past survivors of the season is tradition. The survivors were able to think back about all of the ones they sent away and voted out. It also gives the viewers a chance to remember briefly some of the survivors they didn’t get to see much of. It was nice that they got to burn them with natives singing and chanting around a fire. Nice cultural experience for them all.

The final four then had their final immunity challenge. The stakes are the highest they have ever been or could be. Whoever wins has a 1/3 shot at getting votes for the $1,000,000 prize. Yes, 3 people get final spot now, not 2 like it used to be like in seasons past (well, in the beginning). This challenge was another puzzle type one where they had to build up card-like pyramids or something. Sugar was doing really well two times, but it collapsed. Bob I thought would have done much better than he did. Matty was slow but steady. The goal was to make it be 10 feet tall (I think) or have it be the highest after 30 minutes. The winner was Susie! I couldn’t believe it myself. She finally won something when she really needed it. She did well in the challenge, and won her spot in the final 3. Lucky, lucky woman. Her lack of gameplay though throughout the game I don’t see her winning in the end. I could be wrong though.

Sugar was left with a really tough decision on who to vote out. She said she feels like Bob is a father figure and Matty as a brother figure. Tough situation there! She picked Matty though, so it was a tie! Fire making challenge time. ::drum roll:: Bob was shown before the nomination ceremony making fire (in case this happened). So, it was no surprise that he beat Matty. I think Sugar would have had a better chance against Matty and Susie. Bob has more allies on the jury that he never really betrayed (except Randy). Was it a good choice for her to let them battle each other out in their fire making skills?

Bob, Sugar and Susie got to eat some good food for their last day there breakfast. It is nice to see they still get some good food for this meal. I can’t imagine not eating anything but rice and fish (I hate fish) and other random things you find (ewww) for that long. I don’t know how they do it.

They then burned down their camp huts they had there. I always find this interesting as something they always seem to do now. Those fires can get rather big – and they are right by the woods and everything there. Isn’t this able to start a big wildfire? CBS – please don’t let that happen.

Ah, and then there was the final voting ceremony where this time they vote for someone to win the $1,000,000. Susie gave a pretty bad speech to get votes. “Mrs. Confident” should have thought a bit harder about her choice of words, not like it would have mattered though. Bob gave a rather good speech, and he already had many votes (and he knew that). Sugar was honest in her speech, gave good reasons that she is a strong player even if she isn’t as physically strong. However, her friends she did have Sugar betrayed. Not a good move. Corrine really berated her though – wow what a bitch!

The reading of the votes where they are all back in real life (and months later) at a CBS studio was dramatic – as usual. Seeing everyone in real clothes, makeup, hair done, a little weight gained back was great, even though some weren’t that noticeable to their survivor-self. Bob won by just one vote! I couldn’t believe it. I thought he was going to be the winner by a landslide. Susie actually somehow got 3 votes, and Sugar didn’t get any. Congratulations Bob! You beat the odds, won 5 immunity challenges, and won the game! Great job and game play.

I wonder what he will do with the $1,000,000. What would you do if you won $1,000,000?

Survivor Gabon: Pre-Season Finale

I’ve been a big fan of Survivor ever since the first season. I haven’t seen all of the seasons (in college I was busy and missed a few). I’ve seen most though. This season has been one of my favorites. It had me cracking up with all of the “fake idols” the castaways have been trying to pawn on one another as real immunity idols. How does Jeff not laugh at them when he first sees the idol before it is fully handed to him? Poker face! Too funny.

Here are my thoughts on the last five lucky survivors…

Sugar – I really like her and hope she wins. She is funny, quirky and likable. Much smarter than she looks too.
Bob – Smart and strong. He looks older than he is, but he is still the oldest one left! He is also last from that alliance he was in. Good odds on him getting in to final 3 as well.
Kenny – Smart but looks like a walking skeleton. He was way too skinny before, but now it is just really gross. Eat boy! Plus, you are so not the “brains” of your alliance. For someone so smart you should know what NOT to say.
Matty – Great guy. Likeable, strong, pretty smart too. He even proposed to his girlfriend when they got the personal visit from a loved one. I hope it works out!
Susie – She has been the ultimate floater. I hate these types of players, so I really hope she does not win.

My top pick of the final three would be: Sugar, Bob and Matty.

If it will end up being them as top 3, I do not know…. I’ll know even later than scheduled because this football game before 60 Minutes is still on. ::sigh::

I will be back to post after the season finale is over, if my internet is still up. If not I will post first thing in the morning. Are any of you Survivor fans too? Are you watching the show tonight? Let me know! I’d love to share in thoughts and commentary on this season.

(Early) Family Christmas Party

The picture above is of our Christmas tree. It is in our living room and is really quite too tall for our house - it looks like it is going up the ceiling and into my bedroom! It was the perfect size for our house in Florida, but here it looks kinda goofy. Anyways, that is our tree and I love it!

Yesterday was my family’s Christmas party. It is not actually Christmas yet, but we have to have it early because I have a rather extended family. I have 3 half brothers and a half sister (we all have the same dad). They all have kids too. Their spouses also of course have to spend time with their families for the holidays, so we just plan our Christmas party before Christmas.

My Grandma that lives near us (well about an hour away) also comes to this party. It is probably the only time during the year she even gets to see my other siblings or their kids. Oh, this is not the Grandma who sent me that funny letter the other day.

This whole past week my Mom and I have been getting ready for this party. Getting all of the presents bought and wrapped, getting the food ready to be cooked (and buying it of course), cleaning the house, cleaning outside, etc. Yesterday I think we started at around 9AM and didn’t stop until 9PM. Once my Dad and Grandma got here I did end up having a whole bottle of Arbor Mist though. Hey, it eases the headache and my foot was really hurting. I stepped on the arch part (I have a really high arch) wrong on my left foot about a week or two ago and it has been hurting off and on ever since. Anyways, that is a little bit of a messy house update. Everything was cleaned and Chistmasfied downstairs.

We told everyone that was coming to get there from 2:30 – 3:00. Did they? Yes! It sometimes happens a bit later than expected, so this was a good thing. Two of my brothers and sister came with their spouses and kids. I have 9 nieces and nephews and 2 great nieces. Big family.

It was quite loud. Amazing how one little kid can have such a huge set of lungs. The kids did play outside for awhile though until it got too cold. The kids did get along though (well, as good as can be expected). The age range was from 10 months to 12 or 13 years old. I was told by a few that I “am like the coolest Aunt ever.” That makes me smile. Good kids, good kids.

The food was great. We had turkey, ham (I don’t eat ham though), green bean casserole, corn pudding, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, homemade biscuits/rolls, cakes, pie, cookies, homemade Chex Mix, and more probably that I am forgetting. Of course I didn’t eat all of this, but what I had was quite tasty.

After dinner we opened up presents and of course everyone enjoyed the festivities of ripping open paper and finding out what they got. We gave 3 of the kids cute little Shining Stars teddy bears which light up and sing. The cool part about those bears though, is that they actually let the kids name a star. Yes, a real star that is registered with the International Star Registry. Of course I had to go upstairs on my PC and sign them up and register it for them. Before I was able to do that though, I had to show them my paranormal investigation pictures from Sloss Furnace and listen to some EVPs. They find it very cool that I am a paranormal investigator aka “Ghost Hunter.”

Everyone had a great time. I hope that all of your holiday parties turn out too!

Gourmet Poop

The Lakeside Collection is another one of those random catalogs we get sent in the mail. Here is one of the pages I am sending to the Jay Leno show for his Headlines spot. For now though, it will just be featured here (and of course for sale on their website). Enjoy!

Here is the Gourmet Poop info from their website:

Your friends and family will thank you, and laugh, when you give them these deliciously funny Sets of 2 Bags of Gourmet Poops!
* Fun chocolate gifts come in novel shapes and hilarious packages.
* Set of 2 Everyday Poops includes:
* 1 Bag of Moose Poops (chocolate peanuts clusters)
* 1 Bag of Bear Doo Doo (chocolate patties)
* Set of 2 Holiday Poops includes:
* 1 Bag of Reindeer Doo (chocolate peanut clusters)
* 1 Bag of Snowman Droppings (white chocolate patties)
* Each bag contains 5 yummy ounces of poop.

Rain, But No Snow

As the weird weather system moved towards us here in Eastern Alabama, we had hopes of snow. The weather people of course couldn’t say there would be or not for sure, but we had hope.

Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, even Northwestern Alabama all had snow. Eastern Alabama (where I live) did not. We just got more rain. As in all day yesterday it rained and was cold. Snow? Nope…

Winter is not over though; I still hope we get it sometime this winter.

Funny Stuff

This was sent to me from my Grandma. She often sends us funny jokes, stories or other oddities that are given to her from my Aunt. Here is one that isn’t too perverted…

- * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * -
As I Mature…

I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in.

I’ve learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just assholes.

I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it.

I’ve learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d better have a big willy or huge boobs.

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t compare yourself to others – they are more screwed up than you think.

I’ve learned that you can keep vomiting long after you think you’re finished.

I’ve learned that we are responsible for what we do, unless we are celebrities.

I’ve learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades, and there had better be a lot of money to take its place!

I’ve learned that 99% of the time when something isn’t working in your house, one of your kids did it.

I’ve learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon and all the less important ones just never go away.

Pass this along to 5 friends… trust me, they’ll appreciate it. Who knows, maybe something good will happen. If not… tough shit.

- * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * -

Yes, my grandma sent that to us! Hope you got a few good laughs out of it – I did!

Weird Weather

At 4:30 AM this morning I woke up to the sound of heavy rain and the voice from the siren before the tornado alarm goes off. Not fun at all. I really hate the sound that the tornado warning alarm makes. Plus, it is December! We aren’t supposed to get tornadoes in Alabama in December! What is going on here? Am I dreaming??? Unfortunately, no. We were under the tornado warning until 5:30 AM. Luckily nothing happened here except rain. Others in our county weren’t so lucky because tornadoes did touchdown, but I don’t think anyone was seriously injured or killed.

I hate tornadoes (not that anyone except tornado chasers and weathermen loves them). I’ve been in many hurricanes and tropical storms, even nearby tornadoes from those hurricanes. At least with hurricanes you have time to prepare – as in days. Not like tornadoes though. If we’re sleeping and a tornado comes and we happen to hear the siren (we don’t live near it), we would have to run outside kind of far in the dark on an uneven path down the hill to our storm shelter. We’ve never done this. We just go downstairs and watch the weather guy on the news. ::knocks on some wood:: I wish we had a basement because that storm shelter isn’t going to be used.

After it was light outside and it had stopped raining (well not completely stopped but slowed down) another weird thing happened. We’ve had this misty fog now all day. If you ever saw that movie The Mist, it was a lot like the thick fog that rolled in just before the dinosaurs and other creatures from another dimension attacked everyone.

That brings me to more rain. It has been raining in some form all day. Mostly just a drizzly, rainy, grey, not so regular day.

Tonight and tomorrow might bring even more weird weather: snow. I recently blogged about it not snowing here, so I really hope it does! I won’t believe it until I see it though. Call me skeptical but I have yet to see snow stick here since I’ve lived here. Mother Nature has had a rather funny sense of humor here lately, so it wouldn’t surprise me if we have a blizzard here tomorrow.

I’ll keep you all posted if I still have internet connection. Hope you are all having a great day and staying warm!

Tokidoki Christmas Tree

As I stated before, the picture at the top of the current layout features a Tokidoki design. I love their products even though I can’t afford them all. While I was browsing their website today to see if they had any good holiday specials (they don't), I found this amazing Christmas tree decorated with Tokidoki items.

How cool is that? If I were rich I would so buy those items to make my own Tokidoki Christmas tree. This tree is actually up right now at the Royal T store in Culver City, California. If I lived nearby I’d go visit it and then probably be a regular at their store/café/gallery.

Pajamas Worn In Public

I’m sure you have seen it too. You’ve been to the mall, Wal-Mart, even the movies and you see it: a girl wearing pajamas in some form outside of the house. Perhaps you have even fallen victim of this same fate…

In Florida, I didn’t see it that often. Sure, at UCF I’d see it sometimes from fellow students – but not that often. Usually it was just from girls who woke up late and didn’t have time to put on regular clothes. Of course exception to the rule were the ones who thought it was okay to wear out of the house, or were just being lazy. I never fell victim to this. Personally, I don’t find it that hard to put on a pair of jeans and flip flops even with a t-shirt. The only time I ever left the house in pajamas was for spirit day in high school where we were supposed to wear pajamas.

Once I moved to Alabama though, I saw these pajama wearing women of all ages all over the place. I don’t know why they think it is acceptable, normal or even tolerable. Most of the time it isn’t even cute pajama bottoms or slippers. Usually it is worn out and gross. I see it most at Wal-Mart. One trip to Wal-Mart and you can see at least 10 women in some form of pajamas. These women also like to travel in packs. Maybe it makes them feel less embarrassed if the woman they are standing next to also forgot to put on normal clothing.

The mall is another favorite of these pajama wearers. One trip to the local mall here and you will see at least 3 of these women. The movies and even restaurants I have also spotted them at. ::sigh:: I just don’t get it.

I would understand it if these women were just going into the pharmacy because they were sick, and that is why they were still wearing pajamas. That isn’t the case though, I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed that even. These women apparently just think their pajamas and slippers are equal to jeans and sneakers. Why? WHY?

Have you seen these women in pajamas too? Where do you see them most often? Have you fallen victim to their same fate? Let me know!


*Enjoy the picture of Nicolette Sheridan in her pajamas here from x17online.com.

Butt Station

The Lakeside Collection is another one of those random catalogs we get sent in the mail. They have some cool things in there, but also some very odd things. Here is one of the pages I am sending to the Jay Leno show for his Headlines spot. For now though, it will just be featured here (and of course for sale on their website). Hope you all get a kick out of this one!

Here is the Butt Station info from their website:

The compact Butt Station accomplishes many functions, including dispensing tape and holding pens, paper clips and a notepad.
* This desktop organizer (6" x 5-3/4" x 2-1/2") is both functional and funny.
* The tape dispenser is the roll that the little guy is holding.
* The toilet tank holds pens and pencils, plus the guy can hold your favorite one in his mouth!
* Space between the toilet tank and bowl holds your notepad.
* The toilet bowl is the secret paper clip holder—lift the guy up to reveal paper clips magnetically attached to his bottom.
* Office supplies are not included.
* Made of ABS plastic and silicone.
* The Butt Station™ is hard to overlook in vibrant shades of Orange or Green!

The Pyramid Collection

I’ve always been drawn to the “New Age” type of jewelry, books, knick knacks, etc. While I was visiting relatives for Thanksgiving, my Aunt Stacy showed me some catalogs she gets. One of them was The Pyramid Collection. I’ve never heard of this store before, but I loved 75% of the items in this catalog!

After my horrible fiasco shopping on Black Friday, I was bummed and ended up buying some items (mostly on clearance) from their website. I picked out an Aventurine Cabochon Ring that was on clearance for $19.95, Amy Brown 2008 calendar featuring Fairies (also on clearance for $4.99) and a Rhodochrosite ring that was not on clearance for $39.95.

I really like the Aventurine Cabochon Ring. It is a deep green and the setting really does look Victorian antique. As it’s description states, “aventurine’s greenish tint recommends it as a tailsmen of money-attracting magic.”

The Rhodochrosite ring is another story though. It does not look like it does in the picture. It doesn’t at all have an antique feel to it and looks rather goofy to me. The gemstone is pretty, but the setting ruins it. I’m returning it today. It is not worth $39.95 or even $19.95.

Overall, I am happy with my experience with this store though. Hopefully they will submit my return in a timely fashion. If you also like this type of store, check them out and signup for a free catalogue.

Crappy Internet Connection

When I lived in Florida I had cable internet. It was great. I was even able to stay connected during tropical storms! Oh how I miss that faithful connection to the internet…

You see, once I moved to the middle of nowhere in Alabama I was slapped with a slower than slow DSL connection. According to speed tests online it isn’t even as fast as DSL is supposed to be. Oh, and it costs more than the cable connection I had in Florida! $50 per month for a crappy DSL line does NOT make me happy.

Lately it has been even worse. Our internet connection would be connected then lose connection for no apparent reason. I’d unplug the modem and re-plug it back in and it’d work again most of the time. After dealing with the internet “support” people they claim it is the router’s problem. At first I thought it was the router too, and really it could have been part of the problem. I have had it for 7 or so years. So, I got a new one. It only slightly fixed the problem.

First of all, it took hours just to get the router and modem and everything working properly. Funny thing was that after being on support calls with my internet support and with Linksys for HOURS, I was able to connect without them. After that fiasco it worked a little better than before.

After I got back from vacation I really noticed it again. The S-L-O-W browsing, the constant connection lost, resetting the modem, etc is just driving me crazy! The internet company came over and brought us a new modem a few days ago. Well, guess what? The problem is still there! I’m pissed and really have no other internet option choice out here (can we say monopoly).

What the hell should I do? Complain some more just to have the same problems? Try satellite internet? Do any of you have internet issues too?

This Never Happens…

How many times have you gone into a dressing room with 5+ items to try on and ended up liking them all and buying them? I don’t think it has ever happened to me (and if it has, I don’t remember).

Well, yesterday while my Mom and I were out looking for a Christmas tree (which we didn’t find) we stopped in a Cato’s store. We weren’t even planning on going there, but it was by the Subway we had lunch at – so why not just look, right?

I’m a bargain shopper 99% of the time. So, naturally I went straight towards the Clearance racks. I quickly found about 5 shirts that were $2.99 – $6.99 each. Not too bad huh? I figured I’d like at least 2 of them, maybe. Then I saw a really cute pair of pajama bottoms with boots, a dog, makeup, etc. on them (not on sale, but only $9.99). I wasn’t sure about these either because well, I had to get a size smaller than I am because my size wasn’t in stock. I figured I’d try them on anyways just to see.

Once inside the dressing room I was shocked. Everything I tried on fit and looked good on me. Even the usually too small pants! I guess my diet I am on is working! Since Cato’s is low in price to begin with, the items on clearance were quite cheap and therefore was able to get them all. Lucky me!

Has this ever happened to you? Do you also never expect everything to fit right? Are you a bargain shopper too? Let me know!

Let it Snow - please?

I’m a Floridan, I’m not used to ‘cold’ weather. I’ve lived in Northern Alabama for a few years now, but not enough to make up for the better part of my life in Florida. It is true I actually hate the heat and humidity that Florida offers. I do happen to love the fall and winter seasons the most. I even wish it would snow here. After all, what is the point of it getting below freezing without the fresh white snow?

My family goes to visit my Aunt and Uncle in North Carolina a lot during the winter (and summer too really). My favorite memory of snow is when I woke up there one time while my other Aunt was visiting there too and we woke up to fresh snow outside. We played in the snow for hours building snowmen, snowballs and of course – snow angels! Why can’t it snow here? WHY?!?!

That is where this Blog post comes in. Really, it is just me complaining that I want snow. It is in the 20s (Fahrenheit) at night and usually not over the mid 40s during the day. So, why can’t it freaking snow?!? I’m not asking for feet of snow here, just a few inches that will stay on the ground all day. The kind you can play in and make snowballs and small mini-sized snowmen even. It appears to be snowing in Chicago today and I am envious. Send some of your snow here!

Do you enjoy the snow? Do you have snow on the ground where you live yet? What is your favorite memory of snow?

Library Thing

Picking up a good book and getting lost in it is one of my favorite things to do. I’ve had a strong love of books since I was a little kid. My Mom taught me to appreciate books and take good care of them – and I still do! Perhaps I am a little bit neurotic about my book care now though. I don’t bend the spines, fold the pages, get any food or water on them, I dust them, etc. Basically, I make sure they still look as good as when I bought them originally.

I would love to have a library in my house one day. Perhaps not as grand as Oprah’s – but a girl can dream, right?

While I was browsing some fellow Blogger’s pages I came across the Library Thing widget. I clicked on the link and instantly had to sign up and make my library. I added most of the books in my room right now. I have more books to add sometime, but they are in storage. It is a pretty cool site, if you like books. You can even see other members that have the same books as you. If you like books, I suggest you sign up too!

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

As I have previously stated, I LOVE the Harry Potter series. I’ve actually had The Tales of Beedle the Bard on pre-order from amazon.com for over a month. Not the $100 Collector's Edition (I wish!), just the regular hardcover one for $7.14. Sure, I’d love the Collector’s Edition more than anyone I know – but is it practical to buy? No, sadly not for me. ::sniff sniff:: J.K Rowling is a terrific writer. I have no doubt that this will be a terrific addition towards the Harry Potter series. It is after all, the item that Hermoine Granger receives from Dumbledore after he dies.

Included in this book are five fairy tales written and illustrated by Rowling. It is not an additional book for the series. It is more like an enhancement. If there ever comes the day when another book is released from Rowling about Harry Potter, I will of course buy that then too. HPAA (Harry Potter Addicts Anonymous) member here.

I checked amazon.com today to see when I should be getting this book shipped to me, and it says I have to wait until about December 8. I suppose I can wait another week to read this book, I will be busy this week as it is.

Does anybody else plan on buying this book? Any thoughts on Harry Potter or J.K Rowling?

National Blog Posting Month aka NaBloPoMo

I just joined NaBloPoMo or National Blog Posting Month. I found it rather randomly from a Blog I stumbled across actually. It isn’t required to post everyday to join, just try to! It is a nice community of Bloggers from different Blogging sites about – what else? Blogging!

Since it is the first of the month I figured I’d get in on this action and join for the month of December’s challenge. What is the challenge you ask? I have to post 30 Blogs in 30 days (1 per day). Last month was the most I have ever posted and it was only 16 posts, so this will be a challenge indeed.

I hope you will all enjoy my posts for NaBloPoMo, and join me in the challenge too – if you dare! :)