Archive for January, 2008
first, if you haven’t yet gone to BCB’s blog, well, go: http://bcb-blog.blogspot.com/2008/01/liars-diary-blog-day.html
We have artists like Bob Geldof, Green Day, Bono, Willie Nelson, and Jay-Z. We have concerts like Live 8 (which according to wiki had more than 1,000 performing musicians over 182 television networks and 2,000 radio networks) and Rock the Clause. We see musicians lend their time to the many charity concerts that are going on all over the world every day.
This really wasn’t the topic I was going to pick when I said I’d fill in for GP. I had an interesting topic about time and books, and I had a few rants about my school (stealing money and corrupt politicians at the college level and the stupidity of the dining hall- amazingly enough, all connected), but this beats all of that.
I remember being so impressed with Nickleback’s If Everyone Cared music video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-QfLJbEN3k
I love music that has a message, but more than that, I love musicians who use their skills and their time and their money to spread such great messages.
Which is why I have fallen, head over heels, in love with Five for Fighting.
Mostly I know them for two songs: “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” and “100 Years”
But this is why I love them, and why you should too: http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/
To quote them:
“This is the first video community that gives back!
We are all connected to one another through our actions. Each person has the ability to make a difference. This is one of the messages of the Five For Fighting video “World.”
Tell the world what kind of world you want and raise money for charity by making and uploading a video of yourself, your friends or your family–whomever and whatever–answering the question, “What Kind Of World Do You Want?”
Or, you can raise money for charities that John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting has personally selected. Watch any clip on this site and money will go to the charity listed with that video. Please see below for the updated list of charities and contributions per views.”
I came through this site by way of Nancy on Suz Brockmann’s Board, who was promoting this video for autism:
http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/408214
In an effort to support those who are affected by Autism, please view this video and encourage others to do so. The band, Five for Fighting, is generously donating $0.49 {it varies for video} to Autism Speaks for *each time* the video is viewed.
This is not a hoax-I checked it out on Snopes:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/charity/whatkind.asp
The funding goes toward research studies. When you have a moment, please visit the link below to watch the video and pass it along to your friends and family. They are aiming for 10,000 hits, but hopefully we can help
them to surpass this goal. With 1 in 150 children affected by autism, chances are you are helping someone you know.
Anyway, to make this somewhat relevant to its point (a topic for CBs) – how many videos can you click this week? The CONTEST is explained in the first response box because this is way too long as is.
January 30th, 2008
I’m not supposed to post until next weekend, but I don’t think anybody is posting. So…..
Here are some of McB’s pictures of Theresa:
I can’t find Bryan’s directions on inserting photos; so I’m winging it.
Then there’s the car I’m debating on buying. The old one has 100,000+ miles and needs replacing. We’ve planned for a long time to buy a hybrid. Now I’m not so sure. The mileage isn’t that much better. I haven’t read anywhere about the energy losses of converting oil/coal at the power plants to electricity, among other energy losses. So I’m thinking, if I could take the conversion into the considerations, that right now the hybrids just aren’t that much of a conservation effort. Anybody know more?
~ pics are clickable - bjw
January 26th, 2008
Today was a very odd day for me. At one point during the day I personified the phrase, “She burst into tears.” I don’t ever remember that happening to me…just “coming on me.” I’m a big time softie and cry-er, but this was a new one.
I had lunch with a dear, dear friend today. We have been friends for about 25 years so all the warts and foibles of each other’s families are well known and discussed.
(Backstory and info dump inserted here. don’t tell! shhhh.)
Both of my parents have sibings in our small town and neither one of them has any contact nor acknowledgement of them. Knew my cousins when I was younger, but not any more. When we see my Dad’s brother at an event or game, (it IS a small town after all) we just nod. If that.
So this friend of mine is a friend to everyone. He was invited to my uncle’s house along with other of his mutual friends for a Christmas cocktail party. During the time at their house, my friend meandered around and in the family room found the one thing that I would break EVERY commandment for….My Grandma’s Lamp.
When my Grandma died in 1997, my uncle’s family hadn’t visited or talked to her in many years. No wedding invites. No birth announcements. Nothing. They lived 10 miles apart. Jealousy is an evil thing.
I used to live next door to Grandma for the first 14 years of my life and then when we moved 5 miles away, every Sunday after Church. Our family business was right next to her house, and her rocking chair was always handy for talking out problems. You’d sit, she’d listen and somehow it was all better. I want to love people and the Lord as she did.
Grandma had this lamp in her living room. It wasn’t fancy. She was a VERY plain Christian woman. She loved Granny on “The Beverly Hillbillies”. We used to watch that together all the time. She had her chair and I had mine. We loved to watch Jeopardy, and try to get the answers before they did! Then I could skip out the side door and go home.
Beside “my” chair was just a lamp. It had a stained glass bottom that resembled a vase. It had a push button light on the rim, that would turn on the light inside. It had a stained glass shade and 2 bulbs that you turned on with pull chains. Truly, I must have pulled those chains and pushed that button a bazillion times. I was 42 when she died and I pulled those chains and pushed that button on that lamp every time I was there. It just comforted me. Grandma NEVER ever told me to get my paws off of that lamp. For all of those years, she never said a word.
When the 3 siblings were rancorously dividing up all of Grandma’s things, my dear heartbroken dad knew that there was only 1 thing in that house that needed to come out with him. My mom wanted no more clutter. My sisters didn’t like old things. So Dad, the sentimental one, brought me glasses and silverware, and toothpick holders and just the oddest things that meant the world to to him. But all he asked his siblings for was the lamp…..and my uncle refused and my aunt backed him up. My dad came home that day in tears and promised to have a lamp made just for me. ”It was ok, Dad, I understand.” I was 42 after all.
Today my friend told me that he had seen my lamp at my uncle’s house. He knew the story of it. So he told me that he went over and pulled both chains and turned on the lights. He told me he didn’t push the button on the bottom to turn on the middle, because he knew that was a secret to most people. It was hard to find. We smiled and I told him I was thrilled that he had checked on it for me and that it still worked.
My friend walked into the house with me. I turned around to take off my coat and when I faced him again, I just started sobbing from my toes. My DH was downstairs and heard me and ran up the stairs. All my friend said was, ” I saw her lamp at Uncle ****” DH gave me the biggest hug and let me cry it out. And the only people that will ever know this will be the CB’s. Because it would break my dad’s heart, and no one else would ever understand. Thank you so very much for letting me share this with you.
I’m 52 years old and I miss my Grandma, not the lamp. I miss those times of total unconditional love. That feeling that no matter what I did, it was the best. But, I had to behave the best also and I learned HOW to from her. Her famous line was, ” You need to love everyone. But some are better loved from a distance.” :-)
I want to be that kind of Grandma that lets you fly, and learn and laugh and move the wise guys around the manger scene 200 times a day and pull the lamp chains and not get excited about it. I want MAX! to know unconditional love by the bushel. That strength that makes him able to say no when he needs to because he knows he is so cherished that he doesn’t need “other crutches” to make him feel good. I want to be MAX!’s lamp.
Who me? Grandma, I need a pony!
MAX’s friend Daniel turned 1 and had a Cowboy themed birthday party. Here’s my cowpoke!
Man, being a cowboy is tiring! I don’t see a kitchen spoon, do you?
~ MAX! is clickable now - bjw
January 23rd, 2008
Filler post!
What’s your dream? What have you always wished you could do? What talent or skill do you yearn for?
I’ve always wanted to be able to sing and draw. I can’t carry a tune in a paper bag and my stick figures are a complete embarrassment, but that doesn’t stop me from dreaming. Not because I want to be famous or anything, but because I enjoy both music and art, and it would be nice if I didn’t have to do so vicariously. Mind you, I still sing anyway. Just, you know, it would be nice if I didn’t have to limit it to moments when all the car windows are rolled up. And it would be nice to be able to share with others what I can only picture in my head.
January 22nd, 2008
A recycled writing, but it seemed to be about one of the many topics we’ve played with lately, so…
PROcrastination
“I don’t want to do my homework. On the other hand home is another word for house so if I’m doing my housework that is almost like doing my homework.” So goes the conversation with myself as I head into the kitchen to empty the dishwasher before going into the computer and setting myself down to write. After all, I reason, the kitchen is to the point the health inspector is going to come and visit soon.
“Hmm, I wonder where the other bowl in this set is.” I murmur to myself as I empty the dishwasher. Looking back over the last few weeks I remember using it for leftovers. This memory results in a trip to the refrigerator. It’s a disaster. What choice do I have except to clean it out? All the leftovers are removed, contents dumped, and containers placed in the dishwasher. This is one of those events that leaves me content, happy, and restless. Why am I restless? Probably because the leftovers were hiding condiments that had been in the fridge so long they were changing colors. This leads to step two in the fridge safety experience where in condiments are reviewed, dates checked, old items thrown away, and shelves are rearranged.
Content, that’s the word to describe me now. Wait, there’s something on the floor. I know I haven’t mopped or swept lately so I shouldn’t be surprised, but this is crunchy. That means the broom has to be brought out. The floor gets swept, the rug gets shook out and the world is a happy place. Or is it? Look, over there are some strangely colored spots. This means I have to get out the mop and make the floor all shiny and happy.
“Better.” I say out loud looking around the kitchen. I notice an absence of noise as I realize that the dishwasher has stopped running. This means I have to go through the dishwasher ritual of open, empty, and refill. I even get the perk of a steam facial, not a bad thing this time of night. This time of night? Eeek! I need to get working on that paper. I head to my computer to get my assignment done. As I leave the kitchen something catches my eye, I stop and scoot back up, and look again. Just as I thought. The roasting pan I used this past weekend didn’t get washed, and it is too big to fit in the dishwasher. I sure hope I have dish soap.
I’m drying the last dish when I hear my clock chime midnight. I really need to get to bed since I have to go to work tomorrow. My homework will have to wait until tomorrow night. As I’m getting ready for bed I remember I have class tomorrow night. Maybe my instructor will understand why my homework isn’t done once I describe my evening to her.
January 16th, 2008
just to hang our comments on till CMS (i think she’s up tomorrow) writes her post.
make sure you see Wapa’s fun (and addictive, and Evil) game: http://www.hurtwood.demon.co.uk/Fun/copter.swf
so, just to write a little something (well MCB didn’t just do an empty post, and we apparently have standards now), i decided to write about OCDs, as i’ve been thinking about mine. i have a mild (thank bob) case of OCD (which is different from my anal retentive personality, which normally appears when i’m procrastinating) . have since i was a child. like my bedtime ritual: back home, it was shut the closet doors, turn off the lights, check the closet doors again to make sure they’re shut, turn the lights on and off again, check the closet doors again, and then go to bed. up here in SC it’s more mild- make sure all the draws are closed (which they normally are since it’s a tiny room and i’ll break a bone if i leave them open), check the door lock, turn off the lights, get into bed, get up some minutes later to recheck the door, and then go back to bed. and in case you’re wondering, i have to get into bed and then get back up to check it. i can’t just check it twice before getting into bed.
now i am very, very lucky to only have a mild case. i don’t have to observe all my rituals everywhere, though some of them are constant. but if i’m visiting a friend i can skip all that above shit and just go straight to bed, even if her door is unlocked (to her room; i’m into safety- i want that house door locked), the closet is wide open, and i have no clue if the lights are all the way off. just another quirk in my mind, i guess (i don’t question, i just appreciate).
so anyways, i have a mild case of OCD. if you ever want a character to have it, i can give you some insights. cause i follow the compulsion just like the strongest OCD case; mine’s just limited to where it goes on, and how much of it i have.
but to start us off since i doubt we all have OCD, i am also a huge procrastinator. like with my homework, which i should go finish…
January 15th, 2008
Uh oh. Sh** gosh darn it, it’s my turn to post again. And I’ve got nothing. Not a witticism to be found. And the last post is at … 95! 95 comments?! Oh geez. I gotta come up with something or everyone will be grousing mildly concerned about not being able to see past 100 comments. Verbose my Aunt Hildegarde. These people would talk to a brick wall.
Okay, okay, calm down. I can do this. It doesn’t really matter what I write anyway, it’s just something to hang comments from. Except for the lurkers. Lurkers, Bob love ‘em. Who knew we’d have lurkers? It boggles the mind, it does. Apparently we’re amusing. Huh. Probably shouldn’t go there.
Let’s see, what can I write about? Ummm, how about helpful hints for saving money around the home? *yawn* That would bore me silly before I finished it. Oookay. *drums fingers on desk* Anything interesting in the news I can draw from? Oh, politics … eehewww! *quickly pulls finger away from keyboard* - NOT. Why is this so hard?
*much pacing to and fro ensues*
I could wax philosophical on something. There’s always something. What can I wax Philsophical on? And why would I wax Phil anyway? He’s never done anything to me. Oh geez, okay get a grip, McB. We’ll leave Phil alone for now. And what does that leave us with, my girl? Sports? Yeah, like I know anything about sports. Oh, come on. Just come up with SOMETHING already. Any interesting conversations lately? uhhhh … welllll …
Oh. My. Bob. They’re up to 119. DON’T PANIC! I’ll just have to go with what I’ve got. What’s the worst they can do?
Ahem.
What do you want to be when you grow up? I was talking to a friend at dinner the other night and discovered that we both had yet one more thing in common … a singular lack of ambition. Neither one of us had a particular passion or interest, or at least not anything that we could have made a living at. But lacking ambition in the real world doesn’t mean a person can’t dream. When I was a kid this movie came out “The Greatest Show On Earth” and all the kids in the neighborhood had seen it and dreamed of being trapeze artists. Okay, not much of a living, but I suppose it could be done. If I a sense of balance. And timing. And coordination. And … well let’s just say that walking upright is my grand achievement. And then there was the time I told my parents that I wanted to be a waitress. Okay, that’s a living of sorts, but in the dream department? Not so much. Of course I also told them I wanted to be a bar girl ‘cuz they got to wear those shiny dresses with sparkly stuff on them. Hey, I was 6 at the time. Sparkly was pretty ambitious.
What about you, what do you want to be when you grow up?
January 12th, 2008
It all started with Mary. She blogged about vanquishing her Inner slug and exercising to unenhance her horizontal frame. She found a fitness regimen that suited her and we all commented on her blog with hearty words of encouragement.
Then Christina bought running shoes. And Theresa printed out the running schedule. So I beat my Inner Slug out of bed one morning. I shrugged into my old beat-up running shoes, grabbed Ky and some treats (for the dog not me*) and headed out the door. By the time my slug figured out what I was up to, we were already halfway down the canal path.
The four of us made individual goals. I power walk. They run. I cut back my snacking. They gave it up. We all chart our progress on our individual blogs. I use theirs. I try to keep my blog primarily for writing. Funny thing though. Exercise inspires my writing.
We all had different challenges during the holidays. But the support prevailed and no one gained back as much as they’d lost. Except me* but that’s all gone again. A local friend of mine has been walking her puppy with Ky and I. That’s helped.
The biggest help has been Team CB. Knowing the other members are out there running their butts off will get my butt off the couch. I think it was Lou or K.L. who mentioned walking the perimeter of their office five times amounted to a mile. So I counted out the steps to walk the perimeter of our store. Twenty-five circuits is equal to 10,000 steps which Health Canada maintains is the recommended daily exercise. Anything else is a bonus. I do that three times a week.
If you don’t have a blog but want to participate you can play along on any of ours. Or comment over here and have the entire whack cheering you on. Guilt is not allowed. If you have an off day or week, we can talk you through the Inner Slug mutiny. They’re devious if lazy creatures. If you can get dressed and out the door before they notice, most often the slug will just hang off your hips and thighs (and in my case it’s across my butt as well) and enjoy the view.
Team CB is always accepting new members. So far we’re running/walking our way through four countries(Oregon, Canada, England and Scotland)I think Christina did some power walking in Ireland so our Taking Over The World plan is well underway. Feel free to join us in whatever capacity suits you best. If you do well, you’ll get a star.
January 9th, 2008
food fact:
after cleaning your celery, you should wrap it in aluminum foil. it keeps longer than putting them in water
trivia Q:
There is a word in the English language where the first two letters indicate a male, the first three letters indicate a female, the first four indicate a great man and the whole word is a great women.
(this is just one word)
and a joke: Bed Sheets
An extremely modest man was in the hospital for a series of tests, the last of which had left his bodily systems terribly upset.
Upon making several false alarm trips to the bathroom, he decided the latest episode was another and stayed put. He suddenly filled his bed with diarrhea and was embarrassed beyond his ability to remain rational.
In a complete loss of composure he jumped out of bed, gathered up the bed sheets, and threw them out the hospital window.
A drunk was walking by the hospital when the sheets landed on him. He started yelling, cursing, and swinging his arms violently trying to get the unknown things off, and ended up with the soiled sheets in a tangled pile at his feet.
As the drunk stood there, unsteady on his feet, staring down at the sheets, a hospital security guard, (barely containing his laughter), and who had watched the whole incident, walked up and asked, “What the heck is going on here?”
The drunk, still staring down replied: “I think I just beat the shit out of a ghost.”
and now back to the conversation…
January 8th, 2008
Our 2 CB members of the non-distaff persuasion are the 2 CBs that have reduced me to tears.
Louis, with his Navy version of creamed chipped beef on toast, has supplied me with my favorite-most joke of all time. Indeed, he reduced me to tears of laughter. I am laughing even now as I think back on it. I’m not sure I could eat creamed chipped beef on toast again – I’d aspirate the stuff laughing.
Then there’s Bryan. It had been a long dry spell, unnoticed by me, that any man had done me an unasked-for favor. This was almost a year ago when we were experimenting with italics, bold, strikethrough, etc. More than one of us forgot to do the end thingie. Bryan went in behind me and fixed my mistake. I noticed it later and shed a few tears of appreciation. Like I said, it had been a long time since a male-type person had done me a favor.
So, thank you, Louis and Bryan, for being a part of this fascinating group of people.
Lots of reasons for tears! Do you have a teary story?
January 4th, 2008
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