Found the touch.

I won't be posting here anymore. We've created a family blog to replace individual blogs, and the stress of keeping them both updated is just too much.

So... you can find us here.

Goodbye, cruel world!

Ostracized

os·tra·cize [os-truh-sahyz] -cized, -ciz·ing. To exclude, by general consent, from society, friendship, conversation, privileges, etc. ex. Her friends ostracized her when they all joined Weight Watchers.

I wasn't a very popular kid growing up. I read a lot, and so all the good looking, popular kids were intimidated by me. So basically, I know what it feels like to be on the outside of a crowd. It's been since about late middle school or jr. high that I was last ostracized. And now that all-too-familiar feeling is back.

All the girls at work are joining weight watchers and now I'm getting those familiar jeers again. Back then it was "Quit ducking and covering your head when the volleyball comes at you!" and "Why don't you put down that book and go play outside like a normal child?" Now it's "Don't you wish you needed to lose 20 lb. so you could be part of the "in" crowd?" or "Hey Mini, why don't you put on a few pounds so you can be cool like the rest of us."

I guess it could always be worse...

Haircut

I am getting this haircut tonight. I don't think I'll post a picture of the actual cut, so everyone can assume my hair looks exactly like this until they see me next.

A question for The Captain.

A few of your fans here at work were asking what "How to store cheese" referred to. I explained the sketch from The State to them and tried to explain how funny it was. They just stared at me. I was going to show them the clip that you posted when you first started your blog, but it is no longer available. All my googling efforts were in vain. So I'm wondering... do you know where I can find that clip? I would hate to leave your public waiting.

By the way, you're looking quite skinny in this picture. Eat something!

Picture taking is not my strongest skill.

We finally got around to printing some pictures for a baby journal I keep for Addie and this was one of them. When I saw it I complained that Snapfish had cut Col's head off. I said so to Col and he said "I think you actually cut my head off when you took that picture." I didn't think that was possible so I looked up the picture on my computer. Sure enough, chopped his head right off.

I hereby officially apologize to Col for cutting his head off, and to Snapfish for blaming them.

Ready for the weekend

Our receptionist is out of town so I am covering for her. It's such a joy experiencing all the things I was so glad to leave behind when I moved to accounting. For example, several times today I've gotten the oh-so-familiar phone call where the person says "Somebody called me from there. Who is this?" I'll share the most recent one:

"Somebody called me from there. Who was it?"

"I'm sorry, but the call could've come from anyone who works here and unless they leave a voicemail, I don't have a way of finding out who it was."

"How did you get my number?"

"I wasn't the one who called. I don't know how they got your number."

"Yes, but somebody just called me from there."

"This phone number shows up when anyone who works here makes a call from their line. I don't know who it was."

"How do you get the phone numbers you call?"

"We're not a solicitor. We're a land development company."

"Take me off your list."

"I don't have a list."

"However you got my number, take my number off."

"I don't know how they got your number, but we're not a solicitor. Hopefully they'll call you back."

"No, you better NOT call me back! Take my number off your list!"

"I don't have a list."

He was being pretty rude by this point, so I admit I kept it up until he hung up on me. I got a good chuckle out of it.

Mormons Exposed

Julie here at work brought this to my attention. About halfway down the page you see the blurb entitled "Hot Mormon Missionaries" which details this website promoting a certain calendar as well as T-shirts, all promoting... elders I guess. I was taken aback at first, because it looked like they're all guys currently on missions. Evidently they're returned missionaries at least. Still... yikes.

Jenn's favorite is Mr. January.

Hail the conquering hero...

This bunny trophy was made by Jenn to be given to Thursday's Killer Bunnies winner. It now sits proudly atop my desk. Three cheers for bragging rights.

I will be using Jenn's bunny origami kit to make another bunny trophy that will go to next Thursday's winner.

Hurricane Henrietta

A lady I work with went to Cabo last weekend with her family. She wasn't back Tuesday. We got a call later in the day from her. They're stuck there - airport's closed, roads are blocked. They can't really leave their hotel due to torrential rains and winds outside. The eye of the hurricane was supposed to hit them last night. We haven't heard from her yet today...

Bangs

The other night Col had a nightmare that his mom cut Addie's hair and the bangs ended up way too short. Later that day, Brooke and Courtney watched Addie for us so we could go to the movies and when Courtney brought her to us she said "We cut her hair!" Col panicked. His fears subsided when he saw her. They did a really good job - she looks cute with her new haircut.
The main reason I'm posting this picture is to show you that Col chose to post a pic where she had angry face. There were plenty of ones where she's happy about her new 'do.

Mr. Fix It

I'm feeling grateful for my husband this morning. Yesterday he was able to get our Volvo through emissions even though the drive cycle hadn't reset. This is why you are nice to the guys at emissions testing. Saved us the $300+ it would've cost us to have the drive cycle reset at the dealership.

Then this story: A lady at work had told me yesterday that her air conditioning had stopped working. Her husband took a day off work to meet the A/C repair guy who showed up and said his company didn't work on that type of unit. She was on the phone most the day trying to find a company that would come out to repair it. Most said they couldn't work on that brand, others couldn't come out for a few days. She finally found someone who came out and told her it was a bad fuse. Today at work she told us how glad she was they didn't have to replace the unit, and it had only cost her $200.

Some of you may know that a few weeks ago this happened to us. Except instead of calling a repairman, Col jumped up onto the roof, went to Lowe's and bought a fuse and some kind of breaker switch something something, and one hour and $10.00 later our A/C was fixed and working fine.

So, if any of you see Col today, give him a hug for me.

Everything else and such as.

My Monday morning is going much better now that I saw this.

A bit of lunchtime bunny killing.

We've been playing Killer Bunnies at work during our lunch break. Today, an alliance was formed by Jenn and Julie who wore matching shirts and bunny ears. It is difficult to compete with that type of bunny conspiracy. No one was surprised when Jenn took us all to the cleaners. I don't mind though because it's so entertaining when she gets money and yells "Kabolla Dolla HOLLA!"
Looking at this picture, you may think we all went to a nearby wooded park to play, but no. This is the wallpaper mural in our break room. Whenever we are in there, we feel like we are in a park. We also feel like it's 1976.

It's always funny when satire is taken literally.

This gave me a good laugh today. Be sure to read the comments - most of which are written by Lithuanians who didn't quite get the joke. His response to all the comments, which is equally funny, can be found here.

An excuse to move Regina Spektor down the page.

You can see who is to blame for this here. Better on a blog than in an email forward, I always say.

4 jobs....
1. Newspaper editor
2. Accountant for land development company
3. Paralegal/Office Administrator for law firm
4. Throwing rocks off a combine tractor (spud harvest)

4 movies I can watch over and over...
1. Bottle Rocket
2. Amelie
3. Rushmore
4. Waiting for Guffman

4 Places I have lived....
1. Lewisville, Idaho
2. Scottsdale, Arizona
3. Brussels, Belgium
4. Montreal, Canada

4 T.V. shows I enjoy
1. The Office
2. Man vs. Wild
3. Top Chef
4. Project Runway

4 places I have vacationed
1. France
2. Italy
3. Greece
4. NYC

4 of my favorite foods
1. Aloo Gobi
2. Lamb curry
3. Gyros
4. Chocolate Flan cake

4 websites I visit often
1. Google
2. Gmail
3. Family Blogs
4. killerbunnies.com

4 places I would rather be right now
1. On a sailboat
2. At the beach
3. On a plane
4. Wherever Col and Addie are

Tatum, Col and David.... consider yourselves tagged.

Maybe I'm just feeling cranky...

I heard this song yesterday and I really liked it. Then today I watched the music video, and I found her really annoying. I still like the song, but I prefer listening to it without watching her sing it.

World Clock.

Interesting.

I am 92,000,384,307 milliseconds old.

I was forwarded an excel spreadsheet with formulas so that when you plug in your birthday it tells you how old you are in every time fraction imaginable, before sending your birthday and SSN to the highest bidding identity thief. It was worth it though, because it also gave me some insightful information about myself. My favorite is the last one - "Those who loves me are enemies".

* Thinks far with vision
* Easily influenced by kindness
* Polite and soft-spoken
* Having lots of ideas
* Sensitive
* Active mind
* Hesitating
* Tends to delay
* Choosy and always wants the best
* Temperamental
* Funny and humorous
* Loves to joke
* Good debating skills
* Talkative
* Daydreamer
* Friendly
* Knows how to make friends
* Abiding
* Able to show character
* Easily hurt
* Prone to getting colds
* Loves to dress up
* Takes time to recover when hurt
* Brand conscious
* Executive
* Stubborn
* Those who loves me are enemies

The Rocker

I'm pretty excited about this.

Another reason to boycott Polly Pocket.

I found out about this because a lady at work had this magnet toy that was recalled - evidently if your child swallows the magnets, they will fuse to each other and surgery has been required in order to extract them.

I was amazed by the amount of Polly Pocket toys that have been recalled over the years. You can see a list here.

So if ever any of you are considering buying Addie any Polly Pocket paraphernalia, maybe get her something else instead. Like a Killer Bunnies booster pack. She loves those.