Sticky Post - I need your help

Please click here if you'd like to help me get through NaBloPoMo. I'm asking for audience participation. ;-)

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Halloween

See other Wordless Wednesdays here.

The calm before the storm (and a request for your help)

Whew...yesterday was quite the blog day for me. I had no idea hosting Fun Monday would turn into such a serious responsibility for me. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED hosting, and thank you all for letting me host, but with my slightly OCD personality, as the hostess, I felt I had to be sure to visit EACH and EVERY participant, and comment (and make sure my comments meant something), so I was a busy busy bee.

Glad I got that out of the way, so that now I can concentrate on NaBloPoMo and NaNoWriMo...imagine if I'd volunteered to host during the month of November? Whew...dodged that bullet! haha...

Yes, you read that right, I'm doing NaBloPoMo an NaNoWriMo BOTH, as well as working full time, attempting to have some sort of a social life, and continuing to visit my favorite bloggers, AND keep in touch with all my other friends that I only communicate with online...oh, and keep track of my other addiction, Fall TV, as well. And then there's Thanksgiving, Christmas shopping, my new found interest in football, cleaning the house, sleeping...Good GOD what was I thinking?

But see, this is me, overachiever. I always have that need to do as much as I can at any one time, because life is short, and I want to LIVE IT.

So, I'm going for it...the worst that can happen? I won't complete NaNoWriMo, but hey, even if I don't, at least I'll focus more on writing something that I have been in past years, and that'll be an accomplishment in and of itself. I'm not so concerned about NaBloPoMo, because I already post daily, with the exception of weekends, so I'll just have to add 2 posts per week...I can handle that.

But I am going to ask for your help here. My friend Sognatrice has done this on her blog twice now, with much success, so I'm stealing borrowing her idea. I'm going to ask you to ask me any questions at all you might have about me or my life. I will answer almost anything within reason, and who knows, you might spark up a memory and get a story out of it. And this will give me some fodder for November blog posts. So, please in the comments, leave me your questions, and I will have them all answered by the end of next month.

Finally, if you are participating in NaBloPoMo, please click on the button in my right sidebar and lets be friends. I don't really know how the NaNoWriMo site works...I haven't spent nearly enough time there to figure it out, so if you're participating in that one...uh...let me know, and I'll come visit and say hello.

Well, I have to get some work done (as I am actually AT WORK), so get to questioning, will ya? ;-)

Fun Monday - Don't Leave Home Without It

Scroll down for the next post, for your list of participants this week!

UPDATED because I'm an airhead!!!

Well, it would figure that on the week I'm hosting Fun Monday, I'd run into camera issues just as I was about to take my pictures! sigh... No worries, the camera is fine, the batteries were just running out of juice, so I kept getting out of focus pictures. Anyway, the assignment this week was:



"I want to see your security blankets. No, not the kind Linus carries around with him in the Charlie Brown cartoons, although, if you have one of those, by all means share it. What I want to see are the items you just cannot leave home without. What is it that if you leave your house without, you feel naked, incomplete, not quite right? This can be one thing or many things. And since most of us don't live in a clothing optional society, lets just assume we all leave the house fully dressed...I want to hear about those other things...the extras. The things that make women's purses so heavy and men's pockets so messy (I'm going to get grief for this one, aren't I?) What can't you leave home without? Show us pictures, tell us stories...have fun!"

So, what are my "must haves"? I think my things are pretty typical ones. For starters, there are my keys. By themselves, this is not that unusual, after all, most people need keys to get in their car, back in their house, etc. We all take our keys with us when we go out, right?

BUT, my keys:

My keys include not only my house and car keys, but also keys to my parents house, which I always carry with me, and the one thing I never leave home without...yes, that's a tube of chapstick attached to my keys. I have a bit of a chapstick addiction...at any given time I will have three tubes of chapstick with me. In my purse, jacket pockets, in my desk at work, and yes, attached to my keys.

Then there is my cell phone:

Isn't it cute? I just got this phone a few weeks ago, and it has all the bells and whistles (mp3 player, camera, GPS, etc.) so this will definitely be something I always carry with me. However, even before the bells and whistles came along I can't leave home without my cell phone. Not even to go take out the trash. Seems paranoid? But what if I lock myself out of my house? How do I get back in? I need my phone to call someone, don't I? See what I mean? If I leave my phone at home, panic attacks are not far behind...a true security blanket, you see?

Next up?



My wallet of course. I may not always take the whole wallet, but I go nowhere without at least my driver's license, debit card, and whatever cash I've got on hand. A pen, because you never know when you'll need to jot something down...I ALWAYS carry at least one pen, and gum. Not always the same flavor, but always gum...I'm addicted to the stuf.

And finally?

Sorry for the poor quality of the photo, but that, my friends is my eyeliner. I don't take the actual pencil with me, but I never leave the house without applying eyeliner. I may not put on any other make-up (though I usually do), but eyeliner is a must. I feel washed out, not awake, not quite me, without eyeliner.

Other things I completely spaced out on? My sunglasses because I have a wicked sensitivity to light...I think I forgot these because technically they are never "at home", I wear glasses full time, therefore I have a pair of prescription sunglasses, and I keep those in my car, but therefore, I always have them because I drive everywhere. Also, my watch...I will NEVER leave the house without my watch. And of course, my camera. I seriously think I forgot the camera because I was holding it as I was studying the contents of my purse trying to figure out what else was in there that I needed to photograph...forgetting to photograph the camera itself. DUH...I'm sure I'll think of other things I forgot, but...

There are plenty of other things I carry around with me on a daily basis, including my mp3 player (the cell phone needs a bigger memory card, which I have yet to purchase), a book, eyeglass cleaner, lipstick, etc. But the above are the things I am NEVER without.

And a bonus...this is a follow up to last week's Fun Monday...I mentioned my Care Bears T-Shirt, which I couldn't find. Well, after a thourough cleaning of my closet this afternoon, I found the shirt. So, this is for you Frigga:

(It says "I'm Having a Bad Day")

And the back:

Yeah, you know you're jealous! ;-)

Be sure to visit Deborah, The Humble Housewife, as she's volunteered to host next week!

Thanks again for letting me host this week, it was fun...can't wait to see what you all came up with!

Fun Monday #39 - Don't Leave Home Without It - Sign Up Sheet

Welcome to FUN MONDAY ladies and gents! This week's hostess is yours truly!

Your assigment this week:

I want to see your security blankets. No, not the kind Linus carries around with him in the Charlie Brown cartoons, although, if you have one of those, by all means share it. What I want to see are the items you just cannot leave home without. What is it that if you leave your house without, you feel naked, incomplete, not quite right? This can be one thing or many things. And since most of us don't live in a clothing optional society, lets just assume we all leave the house fully dressed...I want to hear about those other things...the extras. The things that make women's purses so heavy and men's pockets so messy (I'm going to get grief for this one, aren't I?) What can't you leave home without? Show us pictures, tell us stories...have fun!

If you'd like to participate, leave your link in the comments and I'll add you to the list, there's still time to join!

Here is your list of participants for this week. If I missed you, messed up your link, etc., please let me know...

Junebug (who signed on not knowing the assignment);

Swampy (who also signed on not knowing the assignment, but she planned on breaking the rules anyway);

Janet (from another planet),

The Rotten Correspondent,

Kaytabug,

Lisa (from Lisa's Chaos),

Karisma,

Joy T.,

my4kids,

Nikki (the crazy mom),

Willowtree,

Robin (the pensieve one),

Deborah (the humble housewife - who's volunteered to host next week - Thanks, you're on!), Alisonwonderland,

Sandy (of myanderings),

Lisa (the food snob),

Beckie (at Give it a Try),

Chrisb,

Alix,

Laurie,

Jannis,

Anglophile Football Fanatic,

Kitten,

Dallas,

BS ,

Happy Working Mom,

MissLionHeart,

Swampangel65,

Susan,

Serina Hope,

Tiggerlane,

The Ex,

Arkansas Songbird,

Julie,

Hootin' Anni,

Robinella,

Debs,

Retrohipster,

Norabee,

Kerith,

Jodi,

Crown Princess,

Robin (of my two blessings),

Blue Momma ,

Libsmom,

Lil Mouse (Jill),

Sayre,

Pamela,

MJD,

Bermudabluez,

Gawilli

And a few late entries (better late than never, I say):

Min

Sirdar

Izzak (my4kids' son - he's 12, so mind your manners)

Dawn

littleducky

MissLionHeart

Thanks for letting me host this week! See you all next Monday!

Sticky Post

This is a sticky post..please click here to sign up for Fun Monday next week and find out your assignment.

Scroll down for newer posts.

Thanks!

Follow-Up Friday

It's been a busy week for me. Not only have I been a bit overwhelmed at work, but I'm hosting a small party this weekend, I've signed up to host Fun Monday next week, and NaBoPloMo and NaNoWriMo both begin next week, so I've been trying to gear myself up for that. OOOH boy, what was I thinking?

So, before things get completely nuts and out of control, a little bit of catch up.

Let's start with the Comcast situation, only because I never did provide a conclusion to the whole fiasco. It was Friday at 6PM (one FULL WEEK later) when I finally had my service re-instated. At that point I'd already pretty much resorted myself to the fact that I was going to go without a home phone. I'd done all the fighting I could do with Comcast on the phone, and I was tired, done, beaten. The phone is now working, and I'm too tired of the whole situation to fight their lack of customer service any further...they win this battle, but I did walk away with a $35 credit at least. However, I'm still telling anyone who will listen that COMCAST SUCKS...thank you, good night.

Also, a quick LawBoy non-update. It has now been three weeks (boy does time fly) since the weird "phone call/plan to make plans" thing, and on Wednesday evening of this week, at around 7:30PM I received the following text message: "Hi, How are you?". I have not replied. I can't be bothered at this point.

Moving on to following up on your comments this week:

Fun Monday this week was a fun trip through my t-shirt collection. It seems my "Hell on Heels" t-shirt was a favorite amongst many, it is one of my favorites too, I think I'll wear it this weekend! Hootin' Anni had her Rockies t's up, while I had my Red Sox ones on display...I'm not saying anything Anni...just uh...GO SOX. Oh, and that goes for you too Swampy! ;-) Frigga wanted to know if I really have a "Care Bears" t-shirt. I really do, but I REALLY can't find it. I'll locate it one of these days, and I promise pictures!

OH, and Junebug, I was going to tell you that I'd come visit later and tell you how to add the Meez to your sidebar, but I just visited and it appears you figured it out! Nice, she's rockin'!

Susan commented that the fact that I put my t's into categories gave a glimpse into how my mind works...damn, it is that obvious? I have never been diagnosed as such, but I definitely have some OCD tendencies. I like groups and lists and organization a bit too much.

OH, and Robin, thanks for directing me to that list on your blog of previous Fun Monday hosts and topics. I think it's great that you have that list there! It was very helpful.

Which brings me to the fact that I volunteered to host next week's Fun Monday. If you haven't already done so, please sign up here if you'd like to join in the fun.

On Tuesday I finally accepted and acknowledged some Blogging Awards I've been granted. And then passed them off to just a few of my favorite bloggers. If you missed this post, please stop by to find out about some great bloggers.

My Wordless Wednesday was a fun one. I loved finding a marriage proposal among the thousands and thousands of carved pumpkins at the Pumpkin Fest I attended last week, and just knew it was another one of those "blogger" moments. "I have to share this on my blog" was my immediate reaction.

I also posted some Movie Reviews on Wednesday. Don't worry, no spoilers here, and there are really no spoilers in the reviews either...nothing you wouldn't find out by reading the back of the DVD box anyway. Lissa, I totally agree with you that I didn't think Kate Bosworth was the best choice for Lois Lane, she was probably my least favorite character in the film. Julia, I totally agree with your assessment of James Marsden's character being a stand up guy, added a nice twist to the mix.

And my Thursday Thirteen yesterday was just an excuse to show off some more of my pictures taken last Saturday up north, on our way to the Pumpkin Fest (and while there). I'm really happy with how some of these pictures came out, so I was happy to share them.

And that was the week for me. I'm dragging a bit today after having stayed up WAY too late the past two evening watching the Red Sox beat the Rockies. And tonight I have to clean my house, and tomorrow I have some cooking and baking to do, as I have a few of my girlfriends coming over for a little get together. What was supposed to be a fun little party has actually turned into the source of some aggravation for me, because it seems quite a few people have lost the etiquette of the RSVP, so until two days ago, I didn't even know how many people were coming. This leaves me with the shopping for food and drinks to be done tonight or tomorrow. GREAT fun. Still, I love having people over, so I'll get over my annoyance by the time everyone shows up.

I'm going to take the weekend off blogging, so I can properly host Fun Monday next week, and then get ready to tackle NaBloPoMo and NaNoWriMo...deep breaths...

Thursday Thirteen #27

This past weekend I took a drive up north with my cousin M&M and her daughter Brainiac. We decided to go get some shots of the changing leaves on the trees before it was too late and they had all been blown away. We also attended a Pumpkin Fest in Keene, NH. For those who don't know, a Pumpkin Fest is when THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of people carve 100's of thousands of pumpkins and they are displayed for all to see. In my 32 years of life put together, I've never seen as many pumpkins as I did on Saturday.

My Wordless Wednesday post yesterday was of a marriage proposal among the pumpkins. We found it to be both odd, and romantic...oddly romantic. Hopefully Jessi said yes, guess we'll never know.

Here are 13 other photos I took that day:

1.


2. 3. 4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

(M&M and Brainiac)

11.

12.And my favorite:

13.

Movie Reviews

Wordless Wednesday is below this post.

When I first started this blog (before anyone was reading it, that is), I used to do pretty regular movie and book reviews. It was more a way for me to keep track of what books I was reading and movies I was watching than anything else. I haven't read all that many books lately, mostly because all my reading time is being dedicated to blog hopping, but I have watched quite a few movies lately. Here are some reviews of some of the movies I've seen recently. I'm not promising these to be in-depth reviews, just my opinions mostly.

Annapolis (2006) - Starring James Franco, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, and Donnie Wahlberg (which, let's be honest, is the reason Tivo chose this movie for me).

Synopsis: This is the story of a kid (James Franco) from the wrong side of the tracks who wants nothing more than to get into the Naval Academy he's grown up across the river from. It appears his dream as come true when he manages to get in on a scholarship, but life inside the academy is harder than he ever imagined. With Tyrese Gibson as the hard ass officer in charge who wants to see him fail, Donnie Wahlberg as the guy who gave him a chance, and wants to see him succeed, and Jordana Brewster as the love interest.

I actually really enjoyed this movie. As a "military" film, it was your typical "underdog" prevails story, but I'm a sucker for these types of tales. I thought it was well acted, had some really funny scenes, and a bit of a corny romance subplot. As far as "military" movies go, this was the chick flick of the genre, I thought. Throw in a pretty boy, Tyrese Gibson as the bad guy in charge, a former New Kid, and a female character who kicks ass, and you've got chick-flick ingredients. Again, I'm a sucker for that too. It worked for me. Its not one of those movies that'll make much of an impact on you, but it was good for a few hours entertainment.

The Last Kiss (2006) - Starring Zack Braff, Rachel Bilson, Casey Affleck, Jacinda Barrett (wasn't she on one of MTV's Real Worlds?)

Synopsis: A group of 30 year olds struggle to adapt to life as adults.

Yeah, I don't really know what to say about this movie. Seeing as Garden State (another of Zack Braff's movies) is one of my all time favorite films, and having read the synopsis for this one, I was expecting some more of the same genius. To say I was disappointed is a bit of an understatement. Zack Braff's character is a man in a good relationship, with a woman (Jacinda Barrett) he is in love with and has a good relationship with, but he's going through a bit of a "mid-life crisis" at 30. So, in order to resolve this "crisis" he decides Rachel Bilson might just be the solution. At the same time a bunch of his other friends are going through relationship crisis of their own. I really didn't find any redeeming qualities to any of the characters in this film or to the film in general. I can't even recommend it to anyone.

Brokeback Mountain (2005) - Starring Jake Gyllenhall, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway.

Synopsis: Everyone knows the story. It's a love story between two men in the American West from 1963 to 983.

I have a real problem with watching a movie simply because it's gotten a lot of hype in Hollywood, and received all kinds of awards. As a general rule, I'm usually pretty disappointed in the critically acclaimed films (see Crash as an example here), so I tend to let the hype die down and watch it on my own time, to formulate my own opinions. So, I've just now gotten around to finally watching this movie.

I think I'm glad I waited for the hype to die down, but I'm also very glad that I did finally watch it. I was going to say I enjoyed this movie, but that would be an inaccurate choice of words, it was a terribly sad film, not something you actually "enjoy". But I did think it was a beautiful film. All controversy aside, this was a love story of star crossed lovers, and I thought it was told in a poignant and emotional way. I thought both Jake Gyllenhall and Heath Ledger did an excellent job portraying these characters, and although I think Gyllenhall got most of the media attention and praise surrounding this film, I thought it was actually Ledger who out did himself. He played the tortured and displaced Ennis so intensely that you couldn't help but feel his pain and confusion. Credit is due to Michelle Williams as well for her portrayal of Alma, his wife. She too did a wonderful job of portraying the tortured soul she was.

As for the "controversial" love scenes? Eh...maybe I've watched one too many episodes of MTV's Real World, but I just didn't get what all the fuss was about. You watch a movie about a love affair between two men, you'd better expect some physical contact, and if you are uncomfortable with that, well then, you shouldn't be watching the movie, now should you? Did I think it was over the top? Unless I watched some censored version, I really didn't see the big deal. (for the record, I did not watch a censored version).

I thought it was a beautiful, if sad, love story.

Superman Returns (2006) - Starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden

Synopsis: After a long visit to the lost remains of the planet Krypton, the Man of Steel returns to earth to become the peoples savior once again and reclaim the love of Lois Lane.

Going in, I actually had NO IDEA what this movie was about. Okay, wait, let me clarify, I knew it was about Superman. And yeah, okay, the title should have given it away, but I hadn't really followed any of the hype on this movie, so I didn't know it would be picking up 5 years after the last movie left off. That was kind of cool for me. (Unlike the Star Wars movies, I've actually seen most of the Superman movies). I enjoyed this one. It was a bit campy at times, but hey, it's a comic book superhero, if it can't be campy then...but it was cute. It's Superman, so you all know what happens, bad guy has kryptonite and wants to take over the world, Superman has to stop him, while at the same time keeping his true identity as Clark Kent a secret from everyone, and trying to keep his feelings for Lois Lane in check. There was a cute twist in the film that I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't seen it, but it left me hoping for more Superman movies, to see where it goes. Overall, I enjoyed it and thought Brandon Routh makes a good Superman.

Ice Age - The Meltdown (2006) - Starring the voices of Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Dennis Miller and John Leguizamo.

The Original Ice Age is probably my favorite cartoon movie of all time. Well, maybe not of all time, but definitely that I've seen as an adult. It has to be one of the funniest cartoon movies EVER made, full of that double humor these movies are so great at...funny stuff for the kids, and then the not-always-subtle jokes that only the adults get. I have wonderful memories of watching it with Lil'K at the theatre, and there being a father with his son sitting in the row behind us, and the kids would laugh at certain scenes, and then this guy and I would laugh at others, and our respective "kids in tow" would look at us and go "What's so funny?" and the two of us would look at each other and just start laughing even more. But I'm totally digressing here, aren't I?

Back to the Meltdown. I LOVED IT. It totally kept the same level of humor, and I laughed pretty much beginning to end. Highly recommend it if you just need a night off from the seriousness of life. It was especially refreshing as we had just come in from watching "We Own the Night", which is definitely not a "light" movie.

We Own the Night - Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg

Synopsis: Two brothers on opposite sides of the law. Beyond the differences lies loyalty.

Joaquin Phoenix plays a night club manager, Mark Wahlberg plays his brother who is a cop. Throw in the Russian Mafia, illegal drug trafficking, and some family conflict, and you've got "We Own the Night".

Sigh...Marky Mark, why must you insist on these dorky hairdos for your movie roles? First there was that GodAwful THING you did to your head in The Departed, and now THIS? Please stop.

Oh, right, the movie...this film has been compared to The Departed for obvious reasons. It's a cop/gangster/mafia type film, which takes place at around the same time (sometime in the 80's) and Mark Wahlberg plays a cop in both. But I think that's pretty much where the similarities end. Where The Departed was a movie I walked out of thinking "WOW, that was so good, I have to see that again", We Own the Night didn't quite pack as much punch. Still, I thought it was an excellent movie. The movie begins with quite the uh...let's call it "unexpected" scene, and I'm not entirely sure what the purpose of that scene was, but from there it moves a bit choppily through the introduction of the characters and their situations. I was actually a bit lost in the beginning and annoyed that I couldn't understand half of what the actors were saying (and I'm not referring to the Russian ones, because they actually had subtitles to make that part easier to follow). Therefore, I'd say the first 30 minutes or so of the movie just didn't grab me. But once the action kicked in, the movie hit its stride and moved much more seamlessly through to the end. What I really loved about this movie though was the subtle bits of tenderness strewn throughout. More than a "gangster" flick, this was a story of human relationships, without professing to be so. Both Joaquin's relationship with his girlfriend, and the relationship between the two brothers had such unexpected tender touches that they took me by surprise. I wanted to explore more of that side of the story, but that wasn't the purpose of the film. I liked how they kind of snuck that human side into a genre that has been done over and over again. This saved the movie for me. It was a good film, and both Wahlberg and Phoenix carried their roles with the talent we are used to seeing from them.

And there you have it.

Wordless Wednesday - Do you see what I see?

Go here for more Wordless Wednesdays.

I'd like to thank the Blogosphere...

I've been a bad bad blogger! Over the last few weeks (perhaps even months) a few of my fellow bluddies (blog+buddies=bluddies) have presented me with various awards and tokens of their appreciation for me as a fellow blogger. And I may have appeared ungrateful to them all, because I have not acknowledge these awards. Let it be known that I am absolutely grateful to each and every one of them for each and every one of these. I've had a draft "thank you" post going for a while, and yet kept getting sidetracked. But without furhter ado, I give you my awards, and the wonderful people who've nominated me. As well as some nominees of my own:

My girl JennieBoo (who has been away from her blog for a while due to an injury...I miss you Jennie and hope you are well and back soon!) awared me with this one. It is the You Make Me Smile Award. The creator of this award said: "the thing that I love most about blogging is that I learn so much about a person just by reading their blog. I have met MANY wonderful people with wonderful stories to tell, and I am grateful every day for each person that I have the pleasure of crossing paths in life with. I wanted to create something special for the top ten people who have inspired me through their blogging; the stories they tell, and the lives that they lead with grace and dignity. I visit their blogs for inspiration and encouragement. Please grab your badge and wear it(with a smile) proudly, and pass it on because you inspire and encourage me, thank you. So, now it is my turn to pass it on." And Jennie said: "Thanks ladies, for your sweet, honest, wonderful "blogginess"! I am honored to be in the company of such great ladies...." Thank YOU Jennie, you have a heart as big as they come!

I'm going to hand this one off to the following bloggers:

Susan at A Slice of Life - Because her posts always make me smile. Read this for example...see what I mean?

Wicked H at Avert your Eyes - Because not only does she make me smile...she makes me outright laugh most days. Check out this post and you'll see what I mean.

Beckie at Give it a Try - One Day at a Time - because I love her blog and posts like this one, and also because whenever she comments on any of my posts, she makes me smile.

I also was once again awarded with the "Nice Matters" award by the fabulous Frigga! (Jennieboo had previously presented me with this one as well).

"This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world.”

Frigga went on to say about me that "This woman has a heart bigger than her shoe collection - and that's pretty darn big!" Besides making me laugh out loud, it mad me all verklempt...Aww Shucks!

I'm passing this one on to:

Qualcosa Di Bello at Piacere, It is a Pleasure - because I just think she's a nice person who totally deserves a "Nice Matters" award. If you read any of her posts, you'll see exactly what I mean. Try this one for starters: Pretty in Pink

Also a while back I was also awarded this one:

by my buddie Literary Feline. At the time I promised to pass this one on in the future, but have yet to do so...today is that day, and it goes to:

Sognatrice at Bleeding Espresso - because of posts like this, and this and then ones like this...because not only does she think of others and what is going on in society around us, but then she gets us all involved in thinking about it (and discussing it) as well.

Also a while back, the lovely and wonderful Julia awarded me with a "Blogging Star" award.

"This award is for bloggers who shine their light throughout the Blogoshere. Some do it with humor, others with creativity, and others with their kind and thoughtful natures. We all know more than a few of them so why not give them some recognition?"

About me Julia said: "Karina is a two-blogger gal who posts her thoughts, photos and commentary on Candid Karina, and fiction on Creative Karina. Her poetry is fresh and unexpected, and her delight with shoes is quite contagious. Her Wordless Wednesdays got me started with a weekly feature I truly love. Shine on, Karina!"

About Julia I say: YOU JUST MUST visit her. Start with this post where she accepted her own awards, and handed them off to others, for just a peek at her creativity, and then stay and browse around. You'll love her.

So, I'm handing off the Blogging Star award to:

Frances - because nobody deserves it more. Talk about a blogging star...not only does this lady have...umm...wait let me count them...SIX blogs of her own (I may be missing some here), but she also is our fearless leader in the She Who Blogs yahoo group, and heads up our She Who Blogs BLOG. And she does it all with such grace and finesse. She's a SuperStar in my eyes.

Mushu at A Spot of T - Hey, this is the first time I'm giving an award to a blogging pet...but Mushu is such a superstar he deserves it...and he totally should have his own blog. Hopefully mom won't be too jealous of his award, I wanted to give her the "Fabulous Award" but she just gave that one to me...so...

Last, but definitely not least, Joy T just awarded myself (and all my fellow SheWhoBloggers) with this one:

As I said above, I'm totally handing this one back to her, so Joy, consider yourself re-awarded.

I'm also going to give one to:

Julia at A Piece of My Mind - Because she is totally fabulous.

I could give many many more of these away, but I should totally get some work done now and stop playing around in the blogosphere.

This is not about quantity folks, it's about quality, and all of the above are some QUALITY bloggers. Be sure to visit them, and tell them I sent ya!

Thank you EVERYONE for the lovely awards. I really love them and feel special for getting them!

Also, if you have also presented me with an award and I missed you, I SUCK I'm sorry, and please let me know so that I can properly thank you. (This goes for any memes you may have tagged me for that I have yet to respond to...please give me a gentle (GENTLE I SAID) reminder and I promise to respond.

Fun Monday - Me to a T

This week's Fun Monday is being hosted by Willow Tree of "A Dingo's Got my Barbie, he wants to see some clothing art. That's tee shirts, baseball caps, hoodies, sports uniforms or any bit of clothing that you or your kids own that has interesting, funny or artistic graphics.

I went with my t-shirts for this one. I do own a few baseball caps, and some great hooded sweatshirts, but by the time I got done photographing the t-shirts, I decided I had enough here.


So, we'll start with one of my favorites. I love James Dean. I've always loved James Dean, since the day sometime in high school when I watched Rebel Without a Cause. Yeah, yeah, I know, typical teen girl movie start crush. Still, I love James Dean. So, when I saw this t-shirt I just had to have it.





These are my "school" shirts. I've had the two Lowell shirts since high school. I don't wear the "peer leader" one at all, but can't seem to be able to part with it. I was a peer leader in high school, and have some great memories from that time. The shirt has that sentimental value things often do. The other is a tank, and I only wear it to work out in, but I do love it, I mean, after all, it's Mickey! The Suffolk shirt I wear maybe once a year, if that, but it's one of the few things I own with my university logo, so again, I can't get rid of it.

This next one is another of my favorite finds. Loving shoes as much as I do, I think it pretty much speaks for itself.

This next batch are my "I still think I'm a young girl" t-shirts. I don't really wear these all that often either. In fact, I can't remember the last time I wore any of them...but hey, I still own them, so:
The next batch are my "ironic" tees. See, I like to think of myself, at least when it comes to clothes, as having a trendy, sophisticated style. Even in my casual wear, I tend to put outfits together with thought, accessorizing and classing up even a t-shirt and jeans. And yet, now and again, I like to go shake things up a bit and be silly. I collect all things Betty Boop, so this is only one of the many Boop t-shirts I own. The Grease shirt I bought at the Broadway show I went to in July, and the My Little Pony shirt? Well, it's My Little Pony, that's why! I searched high and low for my Care Bears shirt, but I couldn't find it, so you'll just have to imagine that one.

This next one is just a fun artsy/bohemian shirt.

Another "sentimental value" type shirt, is my Big Brothers Big Sisters shirt. I never wear it, it's HUGE, but I don't see myself ever getting rid of it.

And finally, like any true Bostonian, the sports shirts. The Red Sox, the Patriots...you're not a true Bostonian if you don't own AT LEAST one of each...I have a few more than just these, but these are my faves. (And two of them are wrinkly because I had to dig them out of my hamper to photograph them, after all, it's playoff season in baseball and the Pats? Well, they're just kicking ass this year, now aren't they?)

And there you have it, some of my tee shirt art! Thanks for hosting WT! Be sure to go visit him for the list of other participants. And for next week's assignment, be sure to visit...ME! That's right, I'm not really sure why I did it, but it appears I've volunteered to host next week. GULP. Such responsibility, such commitment...have I mentioned I have commitment issues?

I volunteered because I had an idea, but now I've got a few floating around...the thing is, I've only been doing Fun Monday for 18 weeks, and you've all been doing it for 38...so, what happens if I pick a topic that's already been covered? Is there a list somewhere? Any help from the veterans would be great. Otherwise, I'll just pick something and go for it.

Anyway, come back tomorrow for your assignment, I'll have it figured out by then. Really, I will!

Follow Up Friday - Comcast still sucks.

Bitter me? Not at all...

Let's get to it, shall we?

Fun Monday this week was an opportunity to share how you met your significant other. As I currently have no significant other, I chose to tell you about my meeting with an ex. I'm actually really glad I did, because most of you seem to have enjoyed my tale. Beckie wanted to know if I plan on writing a romance. You know, I've never considered it, but you never know. If I do, I'll definitely hire you out as "proofreader" haha. And yes Susan, you can help too. Qualcosa di Bello wanted to know where the name "Cognac" came from. Ah, but this tale could possibly divulge too much of his real name. We'll keep it as vague as possible. His real name lends itself to an alcohol related nickname. It is a nickname he's gone by most of his life, and everyone (except for me) addresses him by that nickname. In fact, he introduced himself to me using that nickname. Once I found out his real name, that was the only name I would use for him, never the nickname. When looking for an alias for him here on the blog, I decided to go with a different brand of alcohol. Cognac seemed to fit him even better than the original nickname. Pamela made me laugh out loud with this comment: "Meet cute or cute meat, therein lies the subject of your story". As did Willowtree with this one: "well, at least you got to try him out". Wait till you read the rest of the story WT! ;-) And Jill, I consider myself to be an equal opportunity dater. I've never discriminated who I date based on race or skin tone. That said, there was a time period where white guys just didn't pay ANY attention to me at all, while the black guys were all about me....who am I to argue at that point? ;-) Even now, working in a predominantly white town, most of the flirtatious attention I do get comes from the few black men who's paths I cross. Go figure. Anyway, I promise all more Cognac stories to come.

On to Tuesday: On Tuesday I gave you my second Interview, this time conducted by Ms. Frou Frou. This is where I admit that I'm really clueless sometimes. Frigga commented "Before the internet came along I never once wondered about another persons toilet paper preparation... ;-0" and I said "OH...so that's what that question was about!" Yep, clueless. Lisa and Qualcosa di Bello both were reminded that they have memes to complete...take your time ladies, it's always fun to discover these later lying around in your drafts! There's no other follow up because noone else read that post it seems. (this is me pouting now)...

Okay, I'm over it. My Wordless Wednesday this week will illustrate how much being a blogger has infiltrated my "real" life. First of all, if you haven't seen the picture yet, you must go look. Go ahead, click on the link in this paragraph. I'll wait...

...

...Back? Okay. So, Sunday afternoon and mom and I go shopping. We make a quick stop at a Wal-Mart plaza, and pop into a Payless Shoes. Walking from Payless to Wal-Mart and we see the doll. "Aww, that's so sad" says mom. "OMG, that would make a great picture!" say I. "You should put it on your blog". Says mom, who, by the way, is not the most tech savy person out there. Too funny. Even funnier? Blue Momma's comment. "Is that one of Britney's kids?". Seriously, you had me laughing all the way home on that one.

Also on Wednesday I finally answered a meme that had been sitting in my drafts for quite a while. In this Me Meme, I improvised and gave you five things I'd never done. I was glad I wasn't completely strange and some people (okay, only Beckie really) identified with me. Everyone else seemed baffled, but hey, I got myself an invitation for grilled cheese and skiing from Jill, and a fishing trip from QDB...I'm so in! And Jannis has already answered her tag, so be sure to head on over and visit her for me!

My Thursday Thirteen was one of good will this week. So, I'm just going to ask that if you haven't already done so, please check it out, and help where you can. Thanks!

AND then there was Comcast. If you were wondering where that heading for today's post came from, read this: COMCAST SUCKS and then come on back. So, the update? There is no update. Comcast seems to be even worse at follow through than LawBoy. Except today, if you were to call my home number, instead of receiving endless ringing on your own (which resulted in NO ringing on mine), you would hear this "The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected". Great, now I look like a deadbeat who doesn't pay her bills. LOVELY. Yes, I've called again today. No, they haven't done a damn thing to help me. And yes, I'm pretty damn close to going shopping for a hammer at lunchtime. (Thanks Lisa for telling me about that story, it actually made me laugh, which I really needed this morning).

The saga continues...but my bad P.R. for the company has only just begun.

Thanks for reading me this week. Come back later, I'll try to post something fun.

Comcast, How Do I hate thee...let me count the ways

Thursday Thirteen is below this post.

I don't usually do two entries on Thursdays, because TT takes a lot of my energy but today is a special day. A special kind of Comcast Hell day. I'm also not in the habit of calling out companies by name when I trash them, but OH COMCAST, how you've raised my blood pressure in the last 3 weeks!!!

Let me tell you a tale of a corporate giant and an abused customer.

It all started one bright sunny Saturday back in September of 2007. Candid Karina was minding her own business, going about cleaning her home when her telephone rang (oh Verizon, how I miss thee...) On the telephone was a representative from the Castle of Comcast, offering our heroine a deal she could not refuse. You see, Comcast had already sucked her in with the magic of digital cable and broadband internet, and now, they wanted her to sign on for the advent of digital telephone as well. And all it would cost her would be an additional 60 cents per month. This, combined with the fact that she'd no longer have to pay Verizon the $45 per month she was paying, was just too good a deal to pass up.

So a date was set. The Comcast Prince (aka technician) would be out to her house on the last Saturday in September. Candid Karina would stay home that day, and await his arrival between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Saturday arrived and Karina awaited her prince. At 12:54 p.m.,when he still had not arrived, Karina telephoned the castle (1-800-Comcast) to determine where on his route he was, and when she could expect the pleasure of his company. She was informed at that time that he had just begun a job a few streets away at 12:25 and she would be his next stop. He should be arriving within the hour. Well, as you can guess, the hour came and went, and at 2 p.m. Karina called again to be informed that the prince had reported back to the castle that he had in fact been at her door at 12:35 and nobody was home. As this was a blatant lie, Karina got quite worked up as she informed the representative that this was unacceptable behavior from the prince and his court and she would not stand for it. She had in fact, not only been home, but had her window open (as the weather was lovely outside), and not only had she not seen the prince's carriage drive up her driveway, but her telephone HAD NOT rung to inform her he was out there, nor had her doorbell. After much discussion, and Karina making it clear that a wasted Saturday, along with a blatant lie, were not things she took lightly, a new date was set for the following Saturday, and Karina's account was credited $25 for her troubles. (yeah, Karina works with lawyers, she can pretty much finagle a credit out of anyone who pisses her off).

SO, the following Saturday arrives, and her prince shows up as promissed. A few hours later than she would have preferred, but still within the time frame she was given. Telephone service is established, and one would think we could now close the fairy tale with a happily ever after.

BUT OF COURSE, one would be wrong.

Fast forward if you will to a week later in the kingdom. It is now the second Friday in October, and the weather has turned chilly. The leaves on the trees have phased into varying tones of reds and oranges, and a sweater is required in the early evenings. It is getting close to 10 p.m. and Candid Karina is in for the evening. She is watching some form of entertainment on her television when Shakira begins her "Tortura". It is Karina's mother calling her on her cell phone. But why her cell phone when her home phone is sitting right next to her on the couch, you ask? Well, it turns out that Candid Momma has been trying to reach her daughter for quite a few hours now, but her telephone just rings and rings and rings and nobody picks up. In fact, Candid Momma was beginning to worry that her daughter had fallen down and hit her head. Then Candid Momma decided to call the cell phone, on the off chance that Karina had forgotten to shut it off. Thank goodness, she had, or Candid Momma and Candid Daddy would have been driving over to Karina's home that very Friday evening.

After some expirementing, it is assessed that Karina's telephone can make outgoing phone calls, but no incoming calls are making their way through. Strange. So, Karina calls the Castle again. (1-800-Comcast). She speaks with a representative who assures her that the problem will be fixed within 48 to 72 hours. Karina feels this is a bit of a long stretch of time, but she has a cell phone, and it is the weekend after all, during which she is rarely home, so she accepts her fate.

By Monday evening, 72 hours have elapsed, and her telephone is still not functioning properly. Karina decides to be patient and wait to call back the next morning if the problem is still not fixed. As you can guess, Tuesday morning, still no phone. Karina calls the Castle, and is informed that her trouble ticket has been open way too long, and they will have someone working on her problem within the hour, and it should be fixed in a few hours.

Tuesday evening...still no phone. Another phone call, during which Karina bites a few people's heads off (quite nicely, I might add), and a week's phone service is credited to her account. She is also assured that the problem will be fixed in less than 24 hours. You can see where this is going, right?

24 hours later, it is now Wednesday night, and sure enough, we still have a heroine with NO PHONE SERVICE. Another call is placed to the Castle. This time, after informing the poor representative that she will NOT get off the phone until she receives an explanation for the delay, Karina is finally told the root of the problem. It seems that Verizon has taken back her telephone number, and Comcast is awaiting it's release so they can activate it. Simple enough, no? Perhaps if the kingdom of Comcast had bothered to provide this explanation the first...second...third...fourth time Karina had called, then Karina wouldn't be nearly as upset, and her ulcer wouldn't be acting up. (Okay, I don't really have an ulcer, but after this episode....well, I might). Karina is informed that her telephone number will be released on October 18th (the next day) and she will then have her service resumed. Karina tells the representative that she does not for one minute believe this to be the case, but she appreciates that someone at least finally got to the root of the issue for her.

And so we have arrived, my friends, at the current time. It is now 4:06 p.m. on the 18th of October. As this tale is being told to you, Karina's telephone service has yet to be restored. A call to the Castle was placed about two hours ago, for an update, and one was provided that was unsatisfactory, to say the least. Basically, she was told that there was no "time" listed as to "when" on the 18th service would resume, and so they assumed that meant by the close of business day. 5:00 P.M.?? Karina then informed the poor representative (because Karina realizes it is not the individual's fault, simply the corporate giant that is Comcast's), that if she arrived at home this evening to find she still did not have phone service, her next phone call would be one to cancel her service. As Karina now believes Comcast is the 7th circle of hell, she will begin shopping around for alternate cable and internet service as well.

Not all fairy tales end in Happily Ever After...this one may have quite a different ending. If we can avoid bloodshed, or a trip to the emergency room for Karina due to her elevated blood pressure, we can consider it a happy ending.

Stay tuned...

Thursday Thirteen #26

Today's Thursday Thirteen is all about philanthropy on the internet. We all know the many amazing and incredible ways that the internet has changed our daily lives. In no way is this more apparent than in the opportunities it affords us to do good without ever leaving the comfort of our own homes. October, being Breast Cancer Awareness Month is one of those times when you can't help but run into some opportunity to help. But there are so many other causes and so many other ways to do so. I've decided to direct you to just some of those that I've come across online.

Here are 13 ways you can help with just a click of a mouse:

1. Email a Duck, Raise a Buck - This is such a cool website! Here's how it works:

"First, dress up your computer-generated duck - make it sassy, chic, funky or frilly using the dozens of accessories available. Then email your new creation to a bunch of friends. For each person that opens your email, Munchkin will donate $0.05 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure to help in the fight against breast cancer*.
You can return to www.munchkin.com/projectpink as often as you like to check your duck's "flight" on a map of the world and see how much money your duck has raised. Decorate, distribute, donate and you'll be just ducky! "

Sounds fun right? I just sent my ducky on his way... GO NOW. ;-)

2. Shelly at This Eclectic Life is the mind (and heart) behind the Share a Square project

Please do click above and go visit her site to find the many ways you can help. I'm not much of a knitter, but my mom is, so my contribution is going to be to buy some yarn so mom can knit a few squares...it'll be a team effort and mom will love that she gets to help (trust me she loves this stuff). Go check Shelly out, she's amazing.

3.

Click to save the Rain Forests. Just one click makes a small difference, one click a day, and a bunch of small differences add up to a big change. AND you can go shopping through their website and help out even more that way. Check out the gorgeous Jade necklaces for example...I might just have to pick up one of these. And for every order completed starting October 15th, a tree will be planted.

4.

Another click to give site. This one to give books to children. As an avid reader, I'm all for sharing the love of reading with all children. And again, you can shop their store for even more opportunities to give.

5.

Yet another click to give site. And hey, you can get some cool pink items at their store all while helping the cause.

6.

Click to help feed those who need it. Shop to give even more. And there is so much information on this site to educate yourself with as well.

7.

I can't tell you the amount of time I "wasted" while visiting these click to donate sights. I learned so much about so many causes. Here's another one you just have to go over and click, and do some reading on. And hey, SHOP.

8.

And who could forget the animals? Another click to help site, and OMG the cute little pawprint jewelry you can by!

9.

Donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters. This is an organization near and dear to my heart, as I've been a big sister to Lil'K for 6 1/2 years now. You can donate via the main BBBS branch here, or you can donate to my local branch here. Or even better, if you have some time and a desire to make a difference in a child's life, and in turn, change your life in ways you can't even begin to imagine, contact your local branch and sign up to become a big.

10. Sign up for Chemo Angels. I found out about this organization through my blog buddy Lisa of Lisa's Chaos. What a wonderful organization this is. Please click on the link and find out how you can help, it takes so little to do so much. There are so many ways to help on this site, from signing up to send weekly cards to someone going though chemotherapy to even donating your old cell phones. Coincidentally enough, I just ordered a new cell phone which I should get sometime this week, and guess where my old cell phone is going now?

11. Check out the World Community Grid. By simply letting your computer work when it is idle, you can help. Curious? Check it out.

12. Educate yourself. The internet is a limitless source of information on all things phylanthropic and otherwise. Learn about a cause you've always wondered about, and how you can help, or expand your horizons and learn about something you've never even considered before. But educate yourself.

13. Share the love. See a cause here you feel strongly about? Tell others about it, post it on your blog. Know a cause I missed, someone who's doing such good you just have to tell others about it? Spread the word. Leave a link in comments, let's all do some good today.

Speaking of those who do nice things...this week's TT header was created by Samulli, who just lets people come on over to her blog and take any of the headers she created for their own use...isn't that nice of her? Go on over and take a look, she has some great headers.

Me Meme - Well, I never...

Wordless Wednesday is right below this post.

Quite a while ago my buddy JennieBoo tagged me with this meme. In the ME Meme, I'm supposed to give you 5 things about myself that I have never told you before. Because I was in the midst of doing my "200 things about me" posts, I thought I'd be all out of "me" things to give you, so I held off on the meme.

But the other morning on the radio there was this discussion being had about things you had never done that most people have done. I thought I'd incorporate this discussion and instead of just telling you 5 things about myself, I'll tell you five things I've NEVER done, that the average person (at least in the U.S.A.) probably has:


1. I've never eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. EVER. Yes, I know that is a very strange thing, but I was allergic to peanut butter until recently (I've always had strange allergies that come and go), so peanut butter is a new food group for me, and I'm just beginning to expirement with it. In fact, I've also never had a "Butterfinger" but the other day I had a Butterfinger Ice Cream...YUM. I just bought some raspberry jelly this weekend, I just need to get some sandwich bread and the "never" will be deleted from this list pretty soon.


2. Keeping with the food stuffs, I've never had a traditional "grilled cheese" sandwich. By traditional I mean made in a frying pan. I've had paninis, and my own version of grilled cheese, made on a grill or electric sandwich maker, but never a "frying pan" kind.


3. I've never been skiing or ice skating. This may not be so unusual in the warmer parts of the country, but around these parts, I'm an oddity. Everyone around here has done at least one of the two.


4. I've never watched ANY of the Star Wars movies. I know, I know, sacrilege and all that, but I've just never had an interest in them. I don't think I've watched more than 5 minutes of the original, and not even that much of any of the prequels or whatever they were. If I were to elaborate on this, I could tell you I've also never seen Jaws (again, no interest), The Godfather films (there is no excuse for this one, I love gangster movies, and I even bought the box set for my ex Cognac at one point), or even a full episode of the tv show "Cheers" (which as a Bostonian is not something I should be admitting)...and a whole slew of other movies that "everyone" has seen.


5. I've never been fishing. Maybe this isn't that unusual, but I am Portuguese, so really, fishing should come naturally to me, shouldn't it? But, I've never done it.

It was actually a lot harder to come up with these than I thought it would be. I don't really know how many people I'm supposed to tag, so I'm going with 3.

Julia - Because I love this lady and want to learn more about her.

Ms. Frou Frou - Because I know she's been really busy with work and hasn't really had a chance to blog much lately, so I'm hoping to give her some fodder for when she has a chance to get back to it.

and

Janis - Because I love reading her stories of her time in Asturias, so I'm greedily asking for five more things I don't know.

Ladies, you don't have to do a "I've never" like I did, it's just a 5 things we don't know about you post. Have fun with it.

Wordless Wednesday - Abandoned at Walmart

See other Wordless Wednesdays here.

Interview with a Blogger - The Second

It's been so long that you may not remember, but a while ago I was interviewed by my fellow blogger Frigga. You can read that interview HERE.
In a fun new meme going around the blogosphere another blogger asks you five questions, you post them on your blog, and offer to interview any of your readers. The rules can be found in the original interview post.

Per the meme, a few bloggers asked to be interviewed by yours truly, so I set to asking the really tough questions.

Here are some of the interviews I've done that have been answered, please do go check them out:

1. Ms. Frou Frou
2. Joy T
3. Annie
4. JennieBoo
5. Frances

There is also one more coming, but I'm not saying anything about Lisa not having been able to do hers yet, because yours truly is LONG overdue on responding to one herself.

See, after Ms. Frou Frou answered my questions, I decided to request that I be interviewed once again, by her this time. She sent me the questions quite a while back, and I just couldn't find the time to answer them. But here I am, answering them finally.

1. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? And what happened to that aspiration?

As a child I think I was about as "all over the place" as I am now, therefore, there were several different things I wanted to be. The first thing I remember was that I wanted to be a ballerina. Seriously, how cute was I?? I took ballet as a very young girl, and really wanted nothing more than to be in the pretty tutus dancing around to Swan Lake. When we moved to an area where there were no local ballet classes, mom signed me up for gymnastics. Look at those lines! A new love was born, and now I wanted to be a gymnast when I grew up. With dance recitals and all that stuff, I just knew one day I'd be a dancer. Look at how serious I am!

At one point I also remember thinking/saying I wanted to be a doctor. The sight of blood, and the fact that I was NOT a fan of that sight quickly set me straight on that aspiration.

Yet another move, this time to the U.S., and the fact that my parents couldn't afford to send me to gymnastics or ballett, also put an end to that dream. But the dream of being a dancer was one I would carry with me forever.

As I got older, my dreams became a bit more realistic, and my love for the written word took over. I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I even majored in Communication and Journalism in college with the idea that this would be what I would do for a living...write.

Unfortunately, jobs are scarce and low paying in the writing field, so I had to find other options, and that is why I ended up in the legal field instead.

As far as what happened to those childhood aspirations? I still want to be a dancer, I'll always want to be a dancer, but I realize that one will always be a pipe dream. I still want to be a writer, and that, I've been focusing my energy on a bit more. I have no interest in ever being a doctor, however.

2. Who was your first crush, or the first crush you're comfortable sharing?

Wow, for this I have to go back...way back...back into time. ;-) Who was my first crush? I'm sure I had little crushes in elementary school in Portugal, but none stand out for me. The first one that really stands out in my mind was my crush when I first arrived in the U.S., in the middle of the year in 4th grade. Coming into a new country, with a new language I wasn't at all versed in, I attended a bi-lingual school for that last half of 4th grade. I was "partnered up" with a boy who was to help me acclimate. His name was Julio. Julio was adorable, and nice, and really helpful to me in this brand new world I was in. Julio sat next to me in class, and translated what the english speaking teacher would say. He was also the class hottie that all the girls liked, so I felt sort of special that he was "my" class partner. The following year we went to a secondary school, and Julio and I would again be in the same class. But this time, it would be me who was helping him with his school work. (What can I say, I was a pretty smart kid). Julio and I were always friends, and flirtatious, but he never moved past the "crush" stage. Years later, while in high school, I would run into Julio again, and he was still a hottie, but the spark fizzled out soon after, we had nothing in common. Still, I'll always remember Julio with a fondness reserved only for those first crushes. I wish I had a picture for this one, but searches through old photo albums found me nothing! Alas!

3. If you didn't need to earn a living, and could do whatever you wanted to do, regardless of income, what would it be?

Well, some of this was answered in question one, but I'd love to dance professionally in some form (and not in a stripper pole sort of form, just for the record). I'd also be able to just write full time. If income wasn't an issue, I could spend my days writing out all the things my mind is constantly telling me about. I'd love to travel the world, writing about what I see, photographing what I see, and just experiencing all the sites. Also, if earning a living wasn't a worry, I'm pretty sure I'd be ready to adopt a child or two, and provide a loving home to someone who does not have one. Expand upon what I've been able to do through Big Brother Big Sister, and make a difference in a child's life, by bringing them into mine.

4. If they were going to make a movie of your life, who would you cast as you, and why? You can cast other people as well if you want to!

OOOOh, this is such a fun question! Believe it or not, I've never actually thought this one out. Let's see...if we're going on appearances sake, I really don't know, because I don't think there's any particular "actress" out there that I look like. However, I decided to go to Myheritage.com and find out what they said. This is what I came up with:

Not a bad cast of characters! I think I'd choose either Christina Ricci, because I think she could nail my sarcasm and wit, or Elizabeth Shue, because watching Adventures in Babysitting, I always wanted to be her. "Don't F$#% with the babysitter!" (okay, I realize that when I post this, Elizabeth Shue gets cut out, but I don't know how to fix it, and I'm at work and don't really have the time to try and figure it out...so...just trust me on this! haha)

Casting other people could be fun...but I'd probably get carried away and never finish this post, so I'm going to save that for another time, I think.

5. Silly one to finish... are you a scruncher or a folder?

I'm a roller.

This was fun! Do go check out the interviews linked above and tell them I sent you!

Fun Monday - Nice to meet you.

Janet from another planet is hosting Fun Monday this week.

As I began to read this week's assignment, I debated on whether or not I'd be participating, but I love Fun Mondays and would hate to miss out, so here's the assignment:

Describe your meeting with your spouse/significant other. I especially want to hear "meet cute" stories. And it doesn't have to be your actual current sig/other. Perhaps the "meet cute" story is a former boy/girlfriend... or even a best friend. Illustrate with photos, of course.

Well, obviously, since I have no "actual current" significant other, my story would have to be of a "former" love. So, upon learning that I was going to have to dig back, way back into time, I spent the last few days reliving my first meetings with my exes.

And here's the conclusion I came up with...I spent way too much time in nightclubs in my 20's, and I don't have any "meet cute" stories. I've racked my brain to find that one "meeting" that deserves its very own post, but I met all of my exes in pretty regular, traditional ways. In school, through friends, or on a dance floor at a nightclub. And as far as my best friends are concerned, well, those meetings are even more boring.


But, I've been meaning to introduce you all to some of the men of my past anyway, so I'll give you my meeting with Cognac, one of the true loves of my life.


In my former life, I was a hot little ticket who would dress up and hit the town with my girls in tow. Never would a weekend pass us by during which we didn't hit our various hot spots and dance clubs. We went out so often that we had our regular spots where we didn't have to wait in line, the bouncers knew us by name, and let us in ahead of everyone else. Yeah, we had it like that. Then there were the bigger spots we would frequent less often, but always with the same energy. Once we were in, we were on the dance floor, and you'd be hard pressed to get us to stop dancing. And we always commandeered plenty of male attention, without even trying that hard. The fact was, we were out to have fun, and we didn't necessarily care if we met any guys on any particular night. That ambivalence made us especially attractive to certain guys. Funny how that works, right?


Cognac was one of those guys. I remember like it was yesterday the first time I saw Cognac. 6'2", a dark chocolaty skin tone, bald head, and a smile to die for, he was hard to miss. I was, of course, on the dance floor with my cousin PM. He was standing off to the side, scoping the scene. Our eyes met for a second, and we both smiled. I pointed him out to PM, we both commented on how hot he was, and then I went back to enjoying myself. I kept an eye out for him the rest of the night, but I never left the dance floor, I never let on that I was checking him out either. That wasn't how I played it back then, and besides, this guy was so incredibly hot that I didn't necessarily think I stood a chance. Until PM leaned over and said "Don't look now, but the hottie is standing right behind you". Well then! Of course, in keeping with my nonchalant demeanor, I proceeded to ignore him for a while, with only a slight look in his direction to let him know that I knew that he was there. Oh, the games we play.


As would happen on a dance floor in those days, eventually we were dancing together, introducing ourselves, and exchanging telephone numbers. I still left that night pretty sure I'd never hear from Cognac again. But he did call, and would later tell me that he NEVER went out of his way to approach a girl at a club. He didn't have to, they usually came to him. It was my complete lack of interest that forced him to make a move. It intrigued him, and sucked him in. It would be months before I'd fess up that I was in fact covertly watching where he was all night, and hoping he was watching me.


As to what happened next? Well, you'll just have to stay tuned for that story won't you?


Sorry there are no pictures to go with this post, but as Cognac is an EX, I don't exactly want his face, gorgeous as it is, up on my blog. He was often compared to Tyson Beckford, the model, if that's any help.


Yeah...I had that.



Be sure to visit Janet for the list of participants. And next week Fun Monday is being hosted by Willowtree from A Dingo's Got My Barbie, be sure to visit him for the assignment, which is sure to be a good one.

Non-post - No follow-up Friday, No Update on Lawboy

I'm calling this a NON Post because this week there will be no follow up Friday. This is mostly because I replied to most comments in the comment sections themselves. Therefore, if you posted a comment, check there, I have responded to you.

This was mostly due to the fact that it was a very slow comment week in here. I guess I'm not the only one having a hard time blog-hopping lately. Well, what can you do? At least I was able to respond to all your comments, and I'm glad about that.

This is also a non-post because I have a non-update on the Lawboy situation. For those who missed the latest turn of events, you can read that here....I'll wait.

Okay, back?

So, the news is that there is no news. He never did call, text or email about a plan to get together. This was actually what I expected to happen, therefore, there was no real sense of disappointment and I'm not really upset not to hear from him. I think I would have been more shocked if he had actually followed through. And although I debated on contacting him, saying something along the lines of "trying to plan my weekend here, what's up", in the end, I decided against it. Actually, I didn't so much decide as I just didn't do it. I've been busy all week, and just kind of went about my week not really giving it much thought. Then, as it came time to make plans for my weekend, I decided it was in my best interested to not do any chasing of any sort in this situation. As I've said before, I told LawBoy the ball was in his court. He needs to sort out his life, and decide what he wants to do. In the meantime, I'm continuing to go about my own life, not really focusing much on whether or not he sorts his out. Does this latest turn of events make me write him off completely? Not necessarily, but he's never really been written in either, so, I'm pretty ambivalent about the whole thing.

I still get a kick out of the attention, but have no other expectations, I like it that way.

So, I've gone ahead and made my plans for my weekend, and it'll be another busy weekend for me, but there will be no "non-date" to report back on. Sorry ladies! ;-)

I'll try to do an actual post (as this was a non-post) later today, but I have a huge staff meeting this afternoon that I'm prepping for, so I can't promise anything.

Thursday Thirteen - Is it Getting Hot in Here?

A while back I did a Thursday Thirteen for the ladies. I gave you a list of 13 of the sexiest men in music (in my opinion anyway). I promised then that I would have follow up lists of men of movies, men of television, etc.

The weather has gotten cooler this week, so, I figured it was the perfect time to heat things up...so, how about 13 of the sexiest men in the movies. Again, this is by no means an all inclusive list, and it is also my personal list, I know you will all have names to subtract and add to this list...I'm okay with that.

So, without Further Ado...my list:

First of all, lets get the hometown boys out of the way...the Boston guys:

1. Mark Wahlberg - I've always had a weakness for Mark, and will watch pretty much anything he's in (except for that Apes thing). He was hot when he was Marky Mark, dropping his pants on stage in concert, when he was Calvin Klein's poster boy in underwear I had the ad taped up in my locker and now...well, he just keeps getting hotter, doesn't he?

2. Matt Damon - He's the American as apple pie guy, so darn cute you just want to pinch his dimply cheeks. And yet, when you watch him in the Bourne movies, you can't help but notice how sexy he is.

3. Leonardo DiCaprio - I know most of you will disagree with me on this one, and yes, I know he's got the baby face and is kind of young looking. But I loved him when I was a young girl and he was Luke on Growing Pains, and then seeing him in the Departed and Blood Diamond reminded me of why.

4. Channing Tatum - Yeah, he's a bit young, although he's only 5 years younger than me, what's that in dog years? haha...He's just hot. Do a search on yahoo images for him...go ahead, just do it...see what I'm saying?

5. Terrence Howard - I just love his eyes. And there's something about his voice too...

6. Ryan Phillipe - Another sort of young looking guy, but there's something about him.

7. Jake Gyllenhall - I go back and forth on my feelings for Jake. Sometimes I don't get the appeal, other times I think he's a really good looking guy. He was on my good side today I guess.

8. Orlando Bloom - I want to state for the record that when everyone was drooling over Viggo Mortensen in the Lord of the Rings films, I had completely fallen head over heels for the blonde elf guy. Lo and behold he winds up being Orlando Bloom...sigh



9. Edward Norton - I love Edward Norton as an actor. I just get the sense that he's an intelligent guy who chooses his roles so carefully. I see him as a sort of intellectual sexy guy.

10. Brad Pitt - I have actually never really gotten the Brad Pitt appeal...until recently. I think it was in watching Mr. & Mrs. Smith that I finally got it.

11. Johnny Depp - uh, he's Johnny Depp...'nuff said.

12. Mark Ruffalo - I love him. I don't know what it is about him, but I just love him. He's more of a "nice guy" sexy.

13. Colin Farrell - and then there's the bad boy sexy.

That's it, that's my list for today. Who do you think should be added?

A little organization is in order

I feel like I'm all over the place lately, and a little blog-hopping tells me I'm not the only one. I wonder if it's the changing of the seasons that's got us all out of sorts?


Whatever it is, I felt I needed to collect my thoughts, and as my friend Frigga did this recently on her blog, I thought I'd follow suit, and use a blog post to do just that.


First of all, if you're here for Wordless Wednesday, that post is below this one.


Other posts you may have missed, and if you're a regular reader you may be interested in:


1. LawBoy called;

2. I completed my list of 200 Things About Me;

and

3. I let out my inner Martha Stewart.


And here are some things I've got in the works that I haven't really had a chance to discuss.


1. I've decided to try NaNoWriMo this year. For those who don't know, this is National Novel Writing Month, where writers across the internet attempt to write an entire novel in the month of November. Should be fun and challenging and I'm looking forward to it. I haven't decided yet whether I will share excerpts from my novel as I write it, but if I do decide to do so, I'll post snippets on my other blog Creative Karina. Stay tuned for that.


2. Speaking of my other blog, I've been writing a lot more lately than I have in the last few years, and have been sharing some of that on Creative Karina. It seems I've finally gotten back into my writing, and I'm thrilled about this.


3. As you can see by the button in the right hand column, I've also decided to participate in NaBloPoMo. You can find my page through that button, or via this link. Again, for those who don't know, this is National Blog Posting Month, where bloggers across the blogosphere agree to post every day for the month of November. I don't know how exactly I expect to have time to do all of these things, but hey, I'm nothing if not daring! I figured that since it was a similar challenge, of posting 30 posts in 30 days that got me really started blogging full time, I had to participate in this event. If you're also participating, let me know, "be my friend" over there.


4. I still owe some thanks to several bloggers who have recently presented me with some blog awards. This means I've also got some awards of my own to hand out. There is a blog post in the making about this...I promise it's coming.


5. On that same token, I still have a Blogger interview to answer, sent to me by Miss Frou Frou. I have not forgotten! I also need to let you know where to go read all the interviews I did...that's coming, I promise!


6. I'm pretty sure I also have a meme or two that are outstanding that I've been tagged with...they're works in progress.


Okay, I think I'll stop here for now...as you can see, I'm all over the place, but there's some fun stuff on the horizon.

Are you feeling as out of sorts as I am?

Wordless Wednesday - Self-Portrait

Click here for other Wordless Wednesdays.

200 Things - Part 4 - the Final 50

The long anticipated (by whom?) conclusion to my list of 200 things about me. You can find the first three parts here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.


Now, where was I? Ah yes, I was discussing how much I love the males of our species, and how they fascinate me.


151. I have always gotten along well with men (boys, guys, blokes, whatever), and in fact, through most of my life, I always had more male friends than female friends.


152. This is no longer true, and in fact, with the exception of a couple of male friends who live hundreds of miles from me, I don't currently have all that many guy friends.

153. I think this probably has something to do with the fact that I'm single, and most of my guy friends have gotten married, and well, it just doesn't do to have a "single female friend" when you are married does it? From a wife's point of view, I can see how that would be an issue.


154. I miss having guy friends, they always bring an interesting perspective to things.


155. However, for the first time in my life I have this amazing conglomerate of female friends.


156. I honestly believe I have been blessed with some of the most amazing friends a woman can have.


157. I have friends from all walks of life, and from different times in my life, who sort of "Fit" into different areas of my life. For example, I have my shopping buddy, my travel buddy, my serious conversation "oh my God my life is falling apart" friend, my martini friend, and so on and so forth.


158. I do not, however, have a "group" of girlfriends like most women do, a la "Sex and the City" who all know each other, and do things together.


159. Most of my friends have, however, met each other, because at least twice a year I host a "girl's night" at my place, and bring all my girlfriends together.


160. These evenings when I gather sometimes as many as 16 girls under my roof are some of my favorite evenings every year.


161. As blessed as I feel I am in my friendships, it wasn't always so. I've suffered a lot at the hands of so called friends, and more than once have had to remove myself from unhealthy "friend" relationships.


162. I've come to terms with those painful times in my life, and feel I have learned from them. The most important lesson I have learned, is that it is okay to walk away from a toxic friendship.


163. Besides my friends, I have my family, and within my family, I have yet more amazing friendships with my cousins, and of course, my mother.


164. My mom is without a doubt my best friend.


165. She is also and has always been, a fantastic mom.


166. The older I get, the closer my friendship with my dad has become as well.


167. He too, is a fantastic parent, and probably one of the nicest people you will ever meet.


168. My parents, my brother, and I have a very tightnit family like few families I know.


169. I am very blessed in this regard as well.


170. At the moment I have a pet Beta fish named "Blueberry 2.0".


171. He lives in a fish bowl on my desk, at work.


171. There was a Blueberry 1.0, but he died a few months ago, so 2.0 took his place.


172. No offense to the original Blueberry, but 2.0 is a much friendlier and livelier fish, and makes me smile daily with his antics in the fishbowl.


173. I've been writing poetry and short stories since I learned how to write.


174. I always thought one day I'd be a "writer", and although I'm not published, I very much consider myself to be a writer.


175. I finished a novel at least 10 years ago, but never went back to edit it, and finalize all the important details.


176. I look at my unfinalized manuscript every few months and tell myself I'll work on it, but for some reason, I never do.


177. One of these days, I'll actually complete the damn thing.


178. Sometimes, when I read some of my older works, I'm surprised by how good they are, and am impressed that I created them.


179. Sometimes, I laugh at how bad other pieces are.


180. I'm glad I've gotten back into writing more often, and I have "blogging" to thank for that.


181. I've recently discovered a love for photography I didn't realize I possessed.


182. More interestingly, I've begun to realize that I actually have a decent eye when it comes to taking photographs, and can take some pretty good pictures.


183. This makes me want to learn as much as I can about photography, so that I can add this skill to my creative outlets.


184. There is something about both writing and photography that feels almost spiritual to me. As if these art forms open my eyes to a part of the world I wouldn't otherwise see.


185. I wonder if all artists, writers, etc. feel this way.


186. I'm a very introspective person, and spend a lot of time analyzing my feelings and emotions in relation to the world around me.


187. Due to this, I'm constantly questioning society's norms and rules and expectations.


188. This is why I have a hard time conforming to any one belief system, any one political party, and probably why I have always surrounded myself with people of different races, ages, economic backgrounds, and walks of life.


189. In terms of religion, I am Catholic by birth and baptism. However, I've always struggled with organized religion, and questioned whether it was the place for me.


190. As I get older, I become more and more comfortable with my faith, but in doing so, I realize that for me, faith isn't so much about the organized religion part, as it is about my inner spirituatlity.


191. I'm comfortable and at peace with that.


192. Now that I've accepted this, I feel stronger in my faith than I ever have before.


192. In terms of politics, I'd say I'm pretty liberal minded, but don't pigeon hole me, that never works for me.


193. I don't discuss politics or religion very much in public, because my views are pretty much always controversial, and as much as I love a good debate, I don't enjoy debating with people who get too emotional about such things.


194. This does not mean I am not passionate about my beliefs, it's just that I'm just as passionate about my belief that everyone has a right to their beliefs as well. Even if I think they're wrong.


195. Unless your beliefs directly harm " an innocent", then I'm all over you like white on rice.


196. Once I do allow myself to get started "fighting" for something, you'll be hard pressed to get me to back down until you've proven to me that you have enough knowledge to back up your position.


197. If you show me you do, I won't necessarily agree with you, but I'll agree to disagree.


198. I think life is way too short to waste any of it actually "fighting" about trivial things and could probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of "fights" I've had with anyone in the last 5 years.


199. I don't think I'd need my whole hand.


200. I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that I've been single for most of that time?


;-) If you've read this far, thanks. I can't believe I really wrote all that stuff about myself. It was fun in a self-indulgent sort of way. If you're not bored yet, scroll down, I posted quite a bit this weekend, including my entry into the world of Martha Stewart (not really) and an update on the situation with Lawboy.

Fun Monday - Come to my window

Pamela at The Dust Will Wait is hosting this week's Fun Monday. She said: "I want to see what you see on any given morning this week; from somewhere very near where you live. Front porch, back porch, down the street, around the corner. Just makes sure it's your neighborhood. Post a photo that will send me to the travel agent to book a weekend at your local Bed & Breakfast."



Well then, without further ado, here is the view from my balcony:



Not too shabby, right? Actually, living in a condo complex, at the top of a hill, I have one of the nicest views of any of the condos here. My apartment faces the "driveway" into our complex, and on any given day I can catch squirrels running to and fro, birds flying from tree to tree, and the random neighborhoo cat searching for the aforementined critters. My apartment also faces south, so I get some really great sunshine in the mornings and early afternoons. Perfect for sitting on the balcony with a good book when the weather is nice. When the weather is not so nice? Well, this is the view from my balcony in the winter time:

Yes, that driveway is quite treacherous with snow (you should see the portion of the hill that is not visible in this photo), but they do a good enough job of keeping it plowed most days.

Here is a shot taken from my bedroom window on that same winter day...another one of my views:

I don't actually open the blinds much in that room though, so it's not a view I see very often.

But, since Pamela wanted to see something to make her run out and book the nearest B&B (I don't think we have B&B's around here, but hey, we have very nice hotels), I figured I'd give you a bit more.

The following shots are not exactly from my neighborhood since I live off a pretty busy street, and therefore, not in a very photogenic area. But, they are from the boulevard at the Merrimack River, about 10 minutes from my house. I walk there almost daily when the weather is nice, so I consider it part of my neighborhood. (Most of these shots were taken during an exceptionally warm day in January of this year, I wanted to go out and get some recent photos, but was still feeling too sick most of last week, and this weekend have been busy doing everything I couldn't do because I was sick).

I was all excited about showing some "Foliage" shots, since we get some really drastic colors around here, but the unseasonably hot weather we've been having (it was high 80's most of last week) have kept the leaves from changing yet. We're hoping from some fiery colors in the next few weeks.

I can't wait to see your "neighborhoods". Make sure to visit Pamela for other Fun Mondayers, and be sure to visit Janet next week, as she will be hosting the next Fun Monday.

Also, if you want to see a new side of me, check out the post below this one, and for a LawBoy update, go down one more, or click here.

How Martha Stewart of me!!!

Anyone who knows me well, knows I am SO not susie homemaker. I love my condo, and I keep it neat and well organized most of the time. I also take great pride in the job I did with decorating it. That said, I'm not much for arts and crafts and all that stuff. At least, I didnt' use to be.

However, lately I find myself doing more and more of these types of things. Yesterday for example was one such day. See, a while ago my mom gave me a little offshoot from one of her plants. This had been attempted before, but another thing about me is that I seem to have a pretty black thumb, so most plants that enter my house, don't survive. But mom did give me a cactus plant a while back, and that one has managed to survive at least three years. And I have two bamboo plants that are each at least as old. So, I figured I was ready for another try.

However, to play it safe, dad decided that this time, my little "offshoot" would live at their house until it had taken for sure. So we waited. When it was sufficiently rooted and grown, I brought it home. I wish I had remembered to take a before picture, but alas, I did not.

Anyway, the pot my plant came in was already getting too small for the plant, so I needed to re-pot it. So, for the first time ever in my life I set out to buy a bigger pot, some potting soil, and all that stuff. I also realized my cactus plant had some new offshoots of its own, so I decided to repot those as well.

So, I was off:

This photo was taken after I'd already started the process, and remembered "OOH, I should totally blog about this"...haha

This was my end result:

The most recent plant mom gave me:



The cactus plant I've had for years now:

The new offshoots:

Aren't you proud of me?

Well, I figured that since I'd broken out my inner Martha Stewart I shouldn't stop there! A few weeks ago, I bought some black paint to repaint a picture frame for my bathroom wall. Looking around my living room yesterday I saw this:


It has always bothered me that the frames on this wall are so mismatched. What can't really be seen in this photo is that the middle photo was a reddish wood, not black as it appears. So, down came the frames, and out came the paint:

And then I figured I might as well update some of the pictures. This was my end result:

Now, doesn't that look much more uniform?

And just to make sure I don't put away my newly discovered inner Martha, today I'm heading to mom's house to create some strange crafty dolls made out of dried apples. What? Don't ask me, it's her idea, I'm just tagging along. I'll post photos later, I promise.

Enjoy your Sunday everyone!

The Return of LawBoy - Now with Audio?

Alternate title for this post: "Do I have a date next week?"

Intrigued yet? It's really not that exciting, but it is an update on the LawBoy situation.

When we last left off, here, the texts had continued, but as far as I knew, the girlfriend was still in the picture. In the last few months there have been a few additional texts, but nothing revelatory or overly exciting. For the most part, LawBoy texts at some inappropriate hour on a Weekend night, and I either ignore the text until the next day, or I return the text and we engage in a short "how are you" "good how are you" type of text convo. Yeah, real thrilling. This is why I haven't really updated you on the events...there hasn't been a reason to do so.

So, our last text conversation took place two, maybe three weekends ago. He'd texted a random "hello" on Friday night at about 1:00AM, and I happened to be just getting in, so I texted back. We had a short text conversation and then I called it a night. The following evening, around 1:30 AM I receive yet another text. I had just finished watching a movie, so I replied to that effect. This time, however, I didn't really engage in the conversation much, and told him I was heading off to bed, then told him "Try texting me in daylight sometime". He laughed, agreed, and that was that. That was also the last I'd heard from him. Guess daylight wasn't to his liking...didn't really think much of it.

Fast forward to tonight. I went out to a musical (Forever Plaid, I'll do a post on it later) with mom tonight. After the show we decided to grab a late dinner. So, mom and I are just about to pay our bill and my cell phone rings. 11:30, Saturday night...I laugh and say to mom "guess who?" and show her my phone, where LawBoy's name is on the caller I.D. I don't answer, and stick the phone back in my purse.

AND THEN it hits me...

You see it coming don't you?


WAIT...was that an actual phone call as opposed to a text message? It was wasn't it? It was.

Wow...LawBoy hasn't actually "called" me in at least a year, if not two. And not only did he call, but he actually left me a voice mail.

So, I listen to the voice mail: "Hey, it's LawBoy, I just decided to go out tonight, for the first time in a long time, and thought I'd check if you're out and about...give me a call."

For some reason, LawBoy has convinced himself that I "go out" in Boston still. I've told him otherwise, but he often refers to my being "out in Town" in our texts. Whatever.

Anyway, I decide to call him back, because now I'm sort of curious. Remember though, at this point, I'm in my car, and mom is sitting next to me. So I call...Phone rings, LawBoy answers immediately:

LB: Hey! (very happy to answer phone)
Me: Hey stranger.
LB: So, are you out?
Me: sort of, I just had a late dinner with my mom, we went to catch a show, and are now heading home.
LB: OH, well, I tried. I decided I need to go out tonight, and was hoping you were around. I'm trying to find someone's party to crash.
Me: I don't party anymore, LB.
LB: Yeah, I know, I don't much either, late dinners and shows are good fun too though. More my speed nowadays too.
Some more chatter I can't remember...then...
Me: well, LB, it was nice to hear your voice. I was like 'wow, was that an actual voice mail as opposed to a phone call? Does LB actually know how to use a telephone?'
LB: Laughing..."that's wrong, K, that's wrong".
Me: I'm just saying...
LB: No, I've been so busy lately with work...there's so much happening. We need to get together, there's so much I want to tell you.
(And here Candid Karina's heart skips JUST a beat...but then)
LB: "We've got investors, employees"
(so, he's talking about work, right?)
Me: yeah, we should get together, catch up.

I say this because I always say stuff like this, and he says "yeah, we should" or something of the like, and then that's that. But tonight he says:

LB: well, what's next weekend look like for you, you have any plans?
Me: I can't think of anything right now, no.
LB: okay, then pencil me in, let's do something
Me: Okay, email me during the week, let's make plans.
LB: you got it.

And we say our goodbyes.

SO...now the questions:

1. Did they break up?
2. Is he making a move?
3. Why the phone call after all this time of only texts?
4. Why the plan to make plans after all this time of avoiding the whole subject of getting together?
5. Did they break-up?
6. Does he really want to get together to tell me about work?
7. Will he actually follow through and email during the week to make plans?
8. Do I have a date next week?
9. Did they break up?
10. Am I really this giddy about him? Oh boy...

Inquiring minds want to know.

But right now I'm tired, I've been up since 7AM...I'm going to bed.

Follow-Up Friday

Lot's to follow-up on today, especially since I missed Follow-Up Friday last week...so let's just get right into it, shall we?

We will start with Fun Monday - A pinch of Salt, where we shared some of our favorite recipes. It appears that my martini recipe is well on the way to becoming everyone's favorite. I'm very glad I shared it then. I will also tell you that this past Friday I made the same martinis for a friend of mine, and they were a huge success. Also, Min asked "You can do that? You can just throw food together and it's edible?" - Yes, I'm just good like that! haha...no, but seriously, I can. It's definitely something I learned from my mom, who learned it from her mom. Or maybe it's just passed down in our genes in some mystery DNA code, but I can pretty much dig out a bunch of random ingredients and create something that works well together and actually tastes pretty darn good. The only problem with this approach is that I can NEVER recreate a dish, because I don't keep track of what I put in it, and therefore, the next time I try to make it, it's completely different.

Moving on to "Oh What a Night - Or Five". This was a meme I was tagged for by my friend JennieBoo. As I said in that post, it was really hard to pick which nights I'd use for this meme, as there are so many others I could have picked from. Qualcosa di Bello asked that I elaborate on my first night in the U.S. and maybe do a whole post on that one. I've noted that down, and one of these days, I promise to do so. Frigga commented on the NKOTB concert...Hey Frigga, you'll love this, my cousin M&M, (who went to that concert with me) called me this past Wednesday night squealing in delight because she was a local "fair" and Jordan Knight was performing. She said it was sort of sad, because there were like 6 people watching, everyone else was just walking by, not even noticing him. How far they fall, right? OH, and about Pandora radio, I actually listen to it as well. LOVE IT.

Now, about my Wordless Wednesday post of that week. "Make No Bones About it". I wish I could take credit for the creative "front lawn" display, but this guy actually resides, year round as far as I can tell, outside of a little gift shop at Weirs Beach near Laconia, NH. I took the shot on my mini-vacay a few weeks ago. It just struck me as so odd, outside of a gift shop.

My Thursday Thirteen last week featured 13 additional pictures I took on my mini-vacay. April Elizabeth said: "you are a fabulous photographer! Those pictures are so beautiful.we are practically neighbors, I am from boston. I love that lake. Where else in NH do you go, have you ever been to Pittsburg, nh? I think that place is heaven on earth." Thank you! I've only just begun with this photography business, and had no idea how much I would love it. I've really taken an interest in it, however, and appreciate the compliment, because it encourages me to do more. As far as where else in NH I go, mostly, unless you count shopping in the Salem or Nashua area, that's about it. I do travel up to the White Mountains once in a while, but not as much lately as I used to. Thank you to everyone else who said such nice things about my photos!

Friday of last week I began my 200 Things About Me list, in honor of my 200th post. Most comments to my first 50 were asking for the next 50...boy you guys are an impatient bunch! Of course, then I got sick over the weekend, and didn't exactly deliver on time. I apologize for that.

I was going to skip Fun Monday this week, due to feeling under the weather, but then Robin goes and asks to see our shoes! Well then. So I showed you some pictures, and although I know my shoes ROCK, what I didn't expect was all the compliments I received on my legs. THANKS Pamela, Beckie, Robinella, and WillowTree (and for the record, WT, I am short, at 5'2" so yes, that is part of the reason I wear heels so much, but I'm glad you approve! ;-). And thanks to Blue Momma about my toes, would you believe I had such a complex about toes that I didn't start wearing sandals until I was in college? Anyway, you all had me blushing with your compliments! And Kaytabug, I will post more photos of shoes in the future, you can count on that!

Tuesday I finally delivered Part 2 of the 200 Things About Me list. Julia said "I'm glad you feel you'd like to adopt, whether you're married, single, ready to be a mother, not ready to be a mother... somewhere your child will find you!" Thanks Julia, I believe that too. Terra said "You sound like you are doing really well... I admire you..." wow, thanks...that's a nice thing to hear.

Wednesday I gave you Part 3 of the 200 Things List. Beckie said: "Wow! I think you need to start dating more often. I can't wait to hear the stories!" Yeah, me too Beckie...any ideas how I start this dating thing? haha...

I know I still owe you all Part 4...I'm working on it, I swear!

My Thursday Thirteen this week was pretty random...just random thoughts I had throughout the week. Most of you commented on Britney...I honestly have a mix of feelings when it comes to her, and could go on and on about those. I feel badly for her because I think she's a product of the industry she's in, I think she really does need help, and I don't believe she's a bad person, just in a BAD situation. But at the same time, there are plenty of other women in the industry her age, who went in different directions (Christina Aguilera for one), so we can't blame the industry per se, can we? Should they leave her alone? Perhaps. Will they? Of course not. There are so many other things I could say, but I'll leave it with this...I hope she gets the help she needs before it's too late.

My comments on Kid Nation, on the other hand, got my friend Frigga all riled up. Well, not so much my comments, as the show itself. She said: Oh, and Kid Nation is an absolutely horrifying social expiriment meant to make yet another attack on families. They want to prove that families don't really matter - that the state is just as capable and parents aren't important. Please don't buy into all that propaganda. Every parent who let their kid participate should be charged with neglect for neglecting to have proper supervision for their minor for an entire month or however long it was. Ugh - that whole show gets me so mad." But how do you really feel Frigga? ;-) Seriously though, I see and appreciate your point. And I also don't entirely disagree with it. But I also don't entirely agree with it. I think as a concept, the show has both negative and positive connotations, and different people are going to take away different things from it. I don't necessarily see it so much as this social "experiment" or even as an "abuse" type of situation. I can see why others would, but from the beginning I looked at it from the kids' points of view, and all I could think was wow, I would have LOVED to have been a part of something like this when I was a kid...how freakin' cool. To run a town? With no adults? Talk about "playing house" to the max. And if you take the television cameras away, I don't see how this is all that different than sending kids away to summer camp. So, it's the cameras that make it objectionable. The "exploiting" of the kids, for a profit, I guess. Again, I don't see how that's all that different from allowing your child to be a child actor. I've read enough background on the show and the families involved to know there was an extensive background process that went into these kids being selected and the parents allowoing them to go on the show. There ARE adults present every day, they're just not on camera. I don't know, I guess I just have a lighter view of the thing. I do understand why others have stronger views against it. And I'm sure if I allowed myself to examine every aspect, I might share some of those views...but then, I might not. But overall, I see most of these kids benefitting from this experience. Guess we'll have to see.

And that about wraps up my week (two actually). Thank you ALL for the well wishes. I'm still hacking up a lung, but other than that, I seem to be doing much better, so hopefully, after a long weekend of some rest, I should be back to normal soon.

Next week I'll give you my last 50 on the list of 2oo, tell you all about "Forever Plaid", the Musical I'm going to Saturday night with mom, and acknowledge some awards I've been given from fellow bloggers. And maybe, just maybe, I'll share a story or two about my ex boyfriends. You know you want to hear those!

Thirteen Random Observations

I'm still recovering from this nasty cold, so while I sit here trying hard not to fall into another fit of the coughs...here are some random observations I made this week:

1. When you have a cold, and therefore a cough, which makes it practically impossible to speak, EVERYONE wants to have all kinds of conversations with you. Why is that?

2. Tuesday, October 2, I was wearing capris, a short sleeve shirt and sandals...in New England. Tomorrow, it is supposed to reach 85 degrees...In October, in New England...I'm not even sure what to wear at this point, and I'm just confused in general about the weather. The leaves are changing, bu they haven't quite changed yet...it's all just very strange.

3. As I write this, I'm watching Kid Nation...is it just me or is it unsettling that a bunch of 14 year olds are faking taking shots and chugging beer (using rootbeer) and making it look completely believable...as if, perhaps...they've done this before?

4. I have to do it...I'm sorry, but here it comes..Britney Spears lost custody of her kids this week. Do you think this will be her rock bottom? Is it bad that I hope it is? It's just that I'm afraid if his isn't it...she may not survive her rock bottom...and then those kids will not only have a very public record of how messed up their mother was...they may not have a mother at all. I worry for everyone involved in this situation...obviously she has some serious issues and needs some serious help.

5. Conversely, I don't really understand why everyone is coming down so hard on Kevin Federline. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've cracked Fed-Ex jokes just like everyone else, and I don't particularly have any great fondness for the guy, but he hasn't yet shown anything to warrant the negative press he's getting in terms of his father abilities. At least he's stepping up to the plate. Give the guy a chance to screw up before you knock his parenting abilities.

6. Do you have any idea how many muscles your body utilizes in the process of coughing? Let me tell you...A LOT! I have aches in muscles I didn't even know existed after this cold. And we won't even discuss how raw my insides feel...OUCH.

7. Back to Kid Nation for a minute. I watch quite a bit of reality tv. I enjoy watching these people make fools of themselves on televison, purely for my entertainment. And as always, when you watch most reality tv shows, there is going to be at least one person who is going to annoy you to no end. Usually, it is okay to have strong feelings of dislike for this moron, because well, they're grown and should know better. But an interesting dynamic happens when you are watching Kid Nation. Certain "kids" will rub you the wrong way and you find yourself thinking "she's such a little bitch" and then you catch thinking "oh, she's just a kid, I can't say that about her"...hmmm

8. The Neiman Marcus catalogue just came out and it includes a $110,000 portrait for two made out of chocolate syrup. WHAT? For more ridiculous (or as they call them fantasy) gifts, go here.

9. I try not to engage in political discussions very often, at least not on this blog, mostly because this blog is a place I enjoy and politics can only screw that up...but...Bush vetoes the child health care bill...and I have a problem with that...that's it, that's as far as I'm going with that.

10. The Red Sox won Game 1 of the Playoffs against the Angels. Just thought you might want to know. No, I wasn't watching the game. No, I'm not even that much of a baseball fan. But I am a Bostonian and this is, after all, Red Sox Nation...Go Sox!

11. Ever know someone who just has a knack for being absolutely rude and offensive when they think they're being funny. Or without even realizing how absolutely innapropriate they are being? Cuz "the Nazi" at the firm, is working really hard on ruining that last nerve of mine. I'm hacking up a lung today in my office...seriously, having one of those moments when tears are streaming down my face and I'm not sure I'm going to make it. And out of her office comes "Will you be quiet in there?" All in a singsongy joky voice, like "haha I'm so funny". Yeah, thanks for your concern. BITCH...

12. Last Saturday I spent the entire afternoon waiting for the Comcast to show up to install my new digital phone service. He never did. After quite the elaborate and unpleasant telephone conversation with the sales department, during which I was informed he had listed me as "not at home" without ever even having driven up my driveway (trust me, I would have seen him) and my informing them that although I wasn't going to call anyone a liar, he wasn't telling them the truth (yeah, I know)...how did I end up screwing myself even more by requesting I be the FIRST appointment of the day this coming Saturday? Good job Karina, now you have to be up and dressed by 8 AM on a Saturday morning. NICE!

13. Taye Diggs is HOT. That's it, that's all I have to say about that.

I told you it would be random. Happy Thursday y'all!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!<

200 Things - Part 3

Wordless Wednesday is below this post.

And now, for the next 50 Things about Me. You can find Part 1 and Part 2 at these links.



101. Even though I have no children, about six years ago I started hearing the slight ticking of my biological clock.

102. I was waiting in line at a Dunkin' Donuts at the train station on my way to work one morning and walked by a sign for the Big Brother, Big Sister Organization.

103. I knew instantly that this was what I needed to do next with my life. I called that very afternoon.

104. Within weeks, after an extensive interview process and thorough background check, I was introduced to Lil' K, my little sister.

105. I fell instantly in love.

106. Lil' K was 8 years old, absolutely gorgeous and with dimples to die for. She was also extremely shy and a bit apprehensive.

107. After introductions were made, I took her to the mall for our first outing. It was her first time going to the mall.

108. By the end of that afternoon, we had formed a bond that goes beyond explanation.

109. In the last 6 years I've seen Lil' K turn from a little girl into a young woman. She is now 14 and has started highschool.

110. I am ridiculously proud of her, and love her as if she was my own child.

111. Although I'm glad I've been able to provide her with experiences she'd never have had, trips she'd never have taken, culture she'd never have been exposed to, and so many other things, I'm even more grateful for all that she's given me.

112. It is because of Lil' K that I have no doubt I will be a good mom one day, and look forward to that opportunity.

113. It is also because of Lil' K that I'm glad I'm not a mom to a teenage girl yet. Boy is that a tough age to discipline!

114. We're getting serious again, let's go back to more fun topics. Let's talk about my "vices".

115. I'm a self-proclaimed shopaholic.

116. I don't have a problem with that.

117. I have a serious love of fashion, and own more clothing than any one woman really needs.

118. And yet, I probably wear 95% of all the clothing I own.

119. The other 5% is probably my work-out gear.

120. As evidenced by my constant talking about it, I have a very serious addiction to shoes.

121. Again, I don't have a problem with that.

122. I quite honestly own at least 75 pairs of shoes. I started the summer at 69, but have bought quite a few throughout the summer, and have given away a couple more pairs, so once again, I have lost count.

123. Although I own so many shoes, I don't spend a lot of money on my shoes. My most expensive pair cost me around $60, and I still regret spending that much.

124. More than being a shopaholic, I am the epidimy of a bargain hunter.

125. If it's not on sale, it is most likely not being purchased. I will step away from it, and only come back for something full price if I absolutely cannot get it out of my mind for a week or two.

126. Barely a weekend goes by when I don't go shopping, even if I buy nothing. For me shopping is a sport, and I take true pleasure in browsing.

127. As much as I shop, I am incredibly good with managing my money, and never buy anything I cannot afford.

128. I've always been proud of the decisions I've made for myself financially.

129. Shortly after college, I began looking into renting an apartment with a friend. I decided that I didn't want to waste my money on rent, and chose to stay home with my parents instead, and save.

130. I lived at home until the month before I turned 28 years old.

131. I don't have a problem with that.

132. I saved enough for a down payment, and bought my own condo, all by myself, at the age of 28.

133. I've had some tight times financially since buying the condo, but I've always managed to handle it on my own, and of that, I'm extremely proud.

134. I absolutely love living on my own, and wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

135. I love the home I've created for myself, and still get a great sense of pride and comfort every time I turn the lock and walk in.

136. I've spent a lot of time alone in the last 4 years, but I've rarely felt lonely.

137. I've learned to appreciate my own company, and the ability I have to entertain myself with my many interests.

138. Living alone, has however, given way to a serious addiction to television.

139. I've always been a fan of tv and all things pop culture, but I now seriously am a tv addict.

140. I'm grateful to Tivo for giving me the freedom to be an addict, but to be able to record things, so that I can indulge my vice in my down time.

141. I'm also seriously addicted to trying new foods and cuisines and learning all there is to know about exotic and original flavors.

142. I don't cook very often, because I don't find it that much fun to cook for one, but I do love to cook.

143. I think I'm a pretty good cook, having inherited my mother's ability to just throw things together and have them come out tasting great.

144. I'm not a heavy drinker by any means, but have developed an interest in expirimenting with martini flavors and have a lot of fun creating new drinks.

145. I took a bartending course a few years ago, but have never attempted to actually get a job as a bartender.

146. I think I would have a lot of fun as a bartender, if I ever needed a second job.

147. As much as I enjoy my solitude and alone time, I am absolutely a people person and love to be surrounded by people.

148. I am the biggest flirt you will meet, and I will flirt with anyone from babies to old ladies. To me flirting is simply about talking to people, and showing an interest in them.

149. Lately, I'm not so good with the flirting with members of the opposite sex thing, but I'm working on feeling more comfortable doing that again.

150. Contrary to popular belief, the fact that I've chosen to not date for such a long time does not mean I don't like men...I absolutely find them the most fascinating creatures and have always loved being around them.

The last 50 of the 200 things will be posted sometime tomorrow...stay tuned!

Wordless Wednesday - Gone Fishin'

See other Wordless Wednesdays here.

200 things about me- Part 2

I'm finally feeling better. Thank you to everyone for your well wishes yesterday...I wound up going home early from work and sleeping most of the afternoon and night away...with interruptions only for bouts of coughing. Anyway, I still have a cough today, but overall am feeling much better...so let's get on with the 200 Things About Me posts I've promised. Here are The next 50: (You can read the first 50 here).


51. I have had the good, the bad, and the ugly of jobs in my life. I'm glad at I'm at a "good" one right now.


52. My first job ever was the same as most teenage girls, I babysat. I babysat a little girl who's name I can't remember, but I remember her parents were named Robert and Roberta...


53. I also babysat Damian himself. A next door neighbor who was so wild that it's a wonder he didn't kill himself or anyone else during his childhood. Seriously, he was out of control.


54. I have since found out that Damian had entered the Army and is now an upstanding member of society, doing fairly well for himself. I'm glad to hear that, I always thought he'd end up in jail for arson.


55. Damian's father hired me one summer to help "clean" his house. I spent the better part of three months trying to find the floor in his office, which was buried under about 4 feet of paperwork. I never did reach ground level.


56. He was a college professor, a freakin' genius, but eccentric is putting it mildly. Still, I liked the guy.


57. My first real job, where taxes were actually taken out, was at McDonald's.


58. My boss at McDonald's was a little rat guy who everyone hated, but since he worked days and us "high school" kids worked nights, we didn't have to deal with him that much. We had a lot of fun working there.


59. After McDonald's I got a job working for a record store called Coconuts Music and Movies. I was a shift manager, and really enjoyed the perks of that job.


60. My cd collection is upwards of 500 cd's, but most of those are from all those years ago when I worked at the music store. Record label reps gave me a lot of free music while I worked there.


61. I quit that job when I found out my manager (another rat like little bastard) was keeping from his employees the truth that the store would be closing in a few weeks, and they'd all be out of a job. He had a bunch of college kids trying to pay tuition working for him, and I felt this was inconsiderate, so I told him to take my job and shove it.


62. That was the only time in my life that I quit a job without another job lined up.


63. The very next day I walked around the mall asking for applications and was hired on the spot at a book store.


64. I loved my job as shift supervisor at the bookstore, and boy, those perks were even better for a book lover like me.


65. My manager at the bookstore, is, to this day, one of my favorite bosses ever.


66. I kept that job through college, while working work-study jobs, and temp jobs during the summers.


67. One of my temp jobs was for a company that "scored" standardized tests for elementary and high schools throughout the country. Our job was to sit and read the responses to the "essay" portions of these tests and give them a "grade" based on a scale.


68. Besides being boring as hell, this was one of the most depressing jobs I ever held, because it was trully sad to see how undereducated some parts of our country are. When you can't distinguish a 9th grader's essay from a first grader's essay, you know something isn't quite right.


69. When the bookstore I worked for went out of business, I got a part time job at a lawfirm in Boston,where I was promissed a full time position upon graduation.


70. I worked at that firm for about 2 years after graduation, doing a semi-paralegal, but mostly "office manager" type job.


71. There was a whole lot of controversy with that firm when half the lawyers and paralegals up and left in the middle of the night one night, taking their case files with them, and opening up a new firm.


72. I was not in that department, and was therefore, left behind. However, the day I came in to discover everyone had flown the coop, was also the day I was coming in to give my notice, because I had gotten a new job.


73. My boss at that firm was the coolest guy ever, and I've used him as a reference for every job I've had since. He keeps asking me to come back and work for him.


74. My next job was as a paralegal in a firm that represented mostly landlords and property management companies, and we handled all their eviction work.


75. Horrible as it sounds, I loved that job. Evicting people isn't so bad when you realize that their share of subsidized rent is about $8 a month, and they'd rather spend that on getting their nails done or buying designer jeans.


76. I had great relationships with our clients, and enjoyed how much responsibility this job offered me. But my boss was crazy with a capital C...she once threw a stapler across the room, missing me by mere inches because there were no staples in it.


77. I lasted at that job for about 3 years before I realized that if I stayed any longer I was going to go crazy myself, so I quit.


78. My next job was as a paralegal and yet another Boston firm, but nothing very exciting ever happened at that job. I was mostly a glorified file clerk. A very overpaid, glorified file clerk.


79. I left that job both because I was bored silly, and because I didn't want to work in Boston anymore. That's when I came to "The Firm".


80. At one point, about 2 years ago, The Firm almost went under, and more than half our work-force was laid off. If you haven't noticed, I've closed down 3 business already, and was afraid my curse had followed me here. (The music store, the book store, and the firm where half flew the coop). But thankfully, we're still here.


81. I also had a direct sales job for about 3 years, working for The Body Shop at Home. I really loved that job, but quit a few years back, because I just don't have the networking capabilities needed for something like that anymore.


82. Now that I've completely bored you with my employment history, let's talk about something more fun. How about boys?


83. I was a late bloomer, not having my first boyfriend or kiss until I was in high school.


84. High school was tough for me, in a lot of ways, including "boys", but now that I look back on it I realize I actually had more fun than I realized I was having at the time.


85. I think I bloomed fully when I arrived in college, and was pretty popular with the guys all through that time.


86. I would honestly say I've been in love with three men in my life, although I think only one of them REALLY loved me back. Well, maybe two...maybe not.


87. I have now been single for at least four years. And by single I mean I could probably count the number of dates I've been on in that time on the fingers of one hand.


88. I don't have a problem with that.


89. After my last break-up, I needed some time to focus on myself, and on becoming a better version of me, so I took what I called at the time a "self-imposed dating hiatus".


90. I didn't expect the hiatus to turn into a cancellation.


91. Life in the last few years has been wonderful to me, and I've rarely missed the drama that comes with dating and relationships.


92. But sometimes, I do.


93. The only regret I have about not being married yet, is that I really wanted to be a mother by the age of 30.


94. I wasn't ready to be a mother at 30.


95. I do hope to get married one day, and am ready to allow that whole dating drama to enter my life again...maybe.


96. I now say I want to be a mother by the age of 35.


97. I don't think I'll be ready to be a mother at 35 either.


98. But if I am, and I'm still single, I have every intention of seriously looking into adoption options. I've always wanted to adopt a child.


99. Even if I'm married and have kids of my own, I will adopt a child. It's something I've always known I would do one day.


100. In the meantime, I love playing with other people's kids. And the best part is, you can give them back when diapers need changing, or scoldings need giving.

Stay tuned for Part 3, sometime tomorrow...

Fun Monday - Did somebody say shoes????

Well...I've been feeling sick all weekend, and due to that, didn't have enough energy to blog...I know I still owe a "Follow-Up Friday" post (please check in this Friday where I will combine two weeks' worth), and the next 150 things in my 200 things about me post...but I was just way too sick to focus on anything this weekend.

So, here I was ready to come in and tell you that there would be no Fun Monday post from me this week. I was going to bow out in the name of my aching throat and stuffy head. And then I go to Robin's blog, because I couldn't remember whether I had signed up, and I see this:

"Shoes tell a lot about a person and we wanna delve deeply into your soul sole. Photograph your favorite pair--or pairs--of shoes and tell us a little about why they're near and dear to your toes heart (I can't wait to see how Swampy ties this in to Breast Cancer Awareness!). Follow in Jenny's footsteps and make a foot-family portrait...show us your baby bronzed booties...let us see the shoes YOU HAD TO HAVE (but have never worn)...or all those grotesquely dyed-to-match formerly white satin bridemaid's shoes that were worn ONCE...the reinforced steel-toe boots that saved your big toe from being hacked off in that industrial "accident"...or, just take pictures of your nekkid feet--gnarly bunions, twin toes, or perfectly OPI-pedicured tootsies."

Shoes? Did somebody say shoes? Well then...I can't exactly pass up an opportunity to share some of my shoes, can I? After all, when you own over 75 pairs, you owe it to the masses to share them all.

This is why I'm really sad about how sick I felt last night, because I just didn't have the energy to go take pictures. But, lucky for you, I've blogged about my shoes a few times before, so I had some pictures available.

As far as my feet are concerned...well, my tootsies are the ones on the banner to this blog.

I'm really sad to not be able to participate more enthusiastically in a Fun Monday about one of my favorite topics...you know I must be feeling pretty sick if I'm passing up a chance to elaborate on shoes...but I'll make up for it; one of these days I'll post pictures of more shoes just for the hell of it!

Be sure to visit Robin for more Fun Mondayers...and check back later, I promise another 50 things about me.