Hey everyone. After that superlong post (haven't had many of those for awhile now - lol) yesterday, today's post can't help but be smaller. In fact it is going to be fairly brief and not just in comparison.
That is not to say that I don't have something fabulous to say, because I do. Something super fantabulous actually. It's really that good. Yesterday, I found out by in my email that I had a new comment. I always go to blogger to check them out rather than reading them in the email notification.
It's a good thing I do it this way to because if I hadn't I might not have noticed (at least not right away) that the commenter also became a follower. What is so amazing about this is that my newest follower, Sandra, who has a blog of her own, has 1177 followers. Or at least she did when I joined her blog.
When I came back today to get her address to share with all of you I noticed that in one short day she had gone up to 1183. So what exactly is so fantabulous. Well, how about just the fact that someone with such a successful blog would actually find and also follow me!
So I have as I said I have truly arrived. While I am mentioning Sandra I should mention that between the last time I mentioned new followers I got two others. I neglected to blog about at the time but they are 7Ladybugs and Anything Place. 7Ladybugs is the person who gave me the idea for yesterdays post as I had said.
I don't know much about Anything Place but look forward to getting to know more about them as well as Ladybugs Shouldn't be a problem: they both blog too. I also neglected to mention that I have a new Facebook/Twitter Share button on my sidebar just under my pretty new blog button I mentioned before.
Now I told you how I have arrived all that is left to mention is why I feel I must depart (until March 1st that is). This is my 26th post of February. In 2010 I had only 104 posts for the entire year. Therefore I thought that I should quit at 1/4 of my total yearly output in 1 month.
Carmen
P.S. See you March 1st - a Tuesday.
Carmen
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
My Funeral
*The idea for this post came from a forum I belong to. More about that later. Here is the post I made there copied here w/ liberal additions @ the end.
Dearest Fellow Bloggers
I really haven't decided on cremated or buried. They both suck. As for the funeral I have given it quite a bit of thought. I want it to be put on by my sister that has the money in the family. LOL. After I was diagnosed with a mental illness and ended up in a group home she said if I ever needed anything just ask.
She did say something along the lines of that that didn't mean if I needed a coat that she'd get me a fur coat. But, and excuse my "undainty language" but FUCK THAT. I have no real need of anything, at least not now. But I want to take her up on the "if you need anything" when I die. And I "need" a fancy, schmancy "fur coat" funeral.
Since she is 20 years older than me I also think, just to make sure, that I should get up the nerve to tell her this soon so that if she goes before me (I'm fat and out of shape and she's thin and in shape so that may not be the case) like you'd normally expect, that she can make arrangements in her will for the expenses if neccessary. LOL.
I want it to be held in at a nice time of year regardless of when I go (so maybe it would be a memorial service not a funeral depending on what time of year I die). I don't want it to be overly religious unless I do a last minute fear conversion because of a painful illness or I know I'm dying. Hopefully I'm not that much of a coward but probably I am.
I want lots of singing. I want a the choir from my Unitarian church (a sort of non-religious religion) to all be there in their colorful, unmatching ceremonial neck thingys.
I also want the guy in our church who plays the harp and has previously auctioned off specially written harp pieces to write a special piece for me to be played at the service. Perhaps called "Ode to Carmen". LOL.
Even though I probably don't want much if any overly religious stuff, I do want "Amazing Grace" played. On the bagpipes. It always makes me cry. Should get others crying to. I want a lot of crying. I know a bagpiper or two.
I want the guys who wear the purple robes and white plumed hats to be there too. Unfortunately they probably aren't allowed to since I'm not one of them, or a guy for that matter. Damn.
Maybe I can get my fellow Toastmasters to wear a outfit of my design of similar oomph. Members from as many different clubs as possible. They would of course file in in their splashy outfits second only to my immediate family.
I want a fairly long one or two (one by family, one by friends perhaps) eulogy(s) liberally sprinkling in my favorite funny jokes in addition to fun and inspiring stories about me. A story or two about a endearing flaw or two to "keep it real".
I want my fellow Toastmasters especially those who are the very best at telling funny and inspiring stories or who have a special "Carmen story" to be a big part of an "audience sharing time".
I want people to sit in sections based on how they dress. The tastefully elegant, tradional black clad people in one area. The alternate mourning color of white in anotherPeople in regal purple (my favorite color) in still another.
People who wear other colors are not only tolerated but encouraged but should be nicely dressed. GLBT people (Unitarians attract them) can be as flamboyant as they want. Rainbow colors would be festive..
I want boatloads of flowers. Not tacky wreath type flowers either. Multi-color rose arrangements. Orchid arrangements. Calla lillies.Beautiful mixed flower arrangements from a chi chi florist. Every conceivable type of pretty garden flower.
I want a big poster board of pictures of me mostly when I was young and actually looked fairly good. I also want a slide show of pictures set to music. 80's pop music maybe. Or maybe more elegant. The Four Seasons and Bolero. LOL.
I want a little booklet that tells my life story in summary and includes some of my favorite quotes by others and myself. My brother in law and his younger brother were both quoted in theirs and it was by turns really funny/heartwarming.
I want something called a Rosetta Tablet put on my grave/urn area. It is a new thing for the computer age that lets people scan this tablet thingy with their smartphones and then read up on my life story. LOL.
I want either doves or butterflies released at the end of my service. Preferably butterflies. You can buy them for that specific purpose. Lots and lots of butterflies set free by my family and closest friends and the little kids attending.
I want donations to go to a scholarship in my name to be given to adult's who got their basic education late in life. Or that program that teaches kids chess in school to increase their comprehension. I want people donating lots. LOL.
I want a huge feast of a luncheon. I went to a funeral/memorial where some of the sandwiches were crabmeat. Very nice. I want a variety of sandwiches and squares. I want a champagne toast. No make that umbrella rum drinks and slurpees for the kids.
Finally, I want people never, never to forget me. I want a lot of crying initally and then I want people to smile because they liked me, thought I was nice and kind and hopefully funny. And I want people to continue reading my blog...
... in perpetuity. I hope I can count on you, my fellow bloggers to help make sure this last one happens. Spread the word. My blog is at http://catstuff-carment.blogspot.com/ LOL. But I'm still serious! That is "all". ;)
Kisses, Carmen
1 of 1 people found this answer helpful
As you can see 1 of 1 people found the answer to the question that was asked by a fellow blogger coffee shop forum member about funerals helpful. LOL. Yay, me.
I made a few "amendments" to this after reading others (none were quite as thorough as mine though - lol). The changes were all things I had planned but forgot.
They include a umbrella rum drinks and coke slurpees for the kids and anyone else who likes slurpees better than rum drinks as I had edited into this already.
They also include a little goodie bag for mourners including a packet of wildflower seeds to plant in my memory, a little clear bottle of bubbles like at weddings...
... and a coupon book for "free" slurpees. They actually sell them you know. Also, when I mentioned rum drinks and slurpees note that I'd have the machine there. LOL.
Two things were suggested to me that I actually hadn't thought of and that was a New Orleans band to play their way to the funeral (suggested by "betterindividual")
This is what -he- (see comment below) said:
Carmen: your funeral is like an event. all your missing your friends walking down the main roads with a new orleans band playing and for it to be on the news.
I told -him- that it was a great idea but that since I was serious about this idea I was afraid this might not happen but one of the bagpippers said they could get me...
... a full band (that he belongs to, for free!)
The second suggestion was from someone named Psycho Basher who said this...
@Carmen - but I should say that is a well thought out master plan. Would you consider though the Chippendales to be pall bearers, with white sheer robes instead?
All in all, I think they are good ideas, but I am afraid if I got the "Chippies" then the "white plumes" would boycott. Well, I guess they wouldn't come anyway.
So that is that for my funeral I think (pending any other last minute additions) but I also want you to know what some of the other people had in mind that sounded good.
From NickNayls (the DiaperLover! - check out his blog. I'll give the url later)...
I will have a giant castle erected in my honor to commemorate my life. It would be filled with all the treasures I found, things I did, pictures of myself and my family; the works! I would have my biography playing 24/7 in the Imax portion of the castle so that people could watch my life as much as they need to. There would be a food court, an arcade, and smoking lounge (although you are completely allowed to smoke wherever you please). I also believe that I would have a Sports Bar area for the fans, and a small casino in the basement.
Now, in the middle of the 1st floor room shall be me. Standing straight up in a casket made of crystal, dressed in a suit of armor and holding a sword. I'll probably have a cape. I shall remain there for all eternity.
1 of 1 people found this answer helpful
As you can see 1 out of 1 persons also found this helpful. LOL. I know I did. Then there is this (also from Psycho Basher)...
As to mine, maybe in 3 C's - Cremation, Celebration, Contribution
I prefer Cremation. And yes I would love full blown up pictures of ME on walls.
I prefer my memorial in a warehouse adorned as an underground party cum Celebration. People should be in all-white ensemble. The theme is celebrating Life. The Menu will be the best banquet of choice international cuisine that I love. Music will be mixed, Ibiza style, but with mixes of 80's and 90's dance tunes. At the entrance, every guest is mandated a double shot of tequila. Only the designated programs/Events Director is not allowed to drink to ensue that the flow is executed well. Video walls will be all over the warehouse, mainly slideshows and videos of my life with most of the people in the event. My Eulogies are pre-selected. But each one would essay about how much I loved life and lived fully. (however the circumstances of my passing) At the end of the ceremony --- a Blood Bath. Pipes will be filled up with strawberry tequila or sangria and sprayed all over the warehouse on all the guests whilst they go wild simulating a blood bath.
Upon exit, yes, Amazing Grace arranged in blues rhythm, very serene, will play. They are expected to make Contributions to my pre-identified Charities - preferably for Children with Autism. So instead of flowers and whatever, they give their Cash to contribute.
Each guest would go home with a loot bag. My choice writings, a book, and a photo-journal of the event.
1 of 1 people found this answer helpful*
*Actually, for some silly reason no one found the above helpful so before copying and pasting it -I- clicked on it. LOL. Someone had to do it.
It definitely isn't for me (it's one idea I'm certainly not stealing) but the blood bath is definitely original. And showy. And apparently tasty too. LOL.
For the end of this post I thought I would give links to the blogs of the people who I quoted. More than anyone however, the first should be someone I did not.
Her name is Sue or 7ladybugs. She was the one who commented on the thread right after me and said I beat her to the long overdramatic funeral idea she had too.
She however beat me to writing it up on her blog. Not only does she have a post also titled My Funeral but she did one just before about a Redneck Funeral. LOL.
There was also, I believe, something she did just after the "My Funeral" post about what would be on her headstone. So as you can see, she really got into it.
I am giving you her address first, since she gave me the idea of making this an actual blog post. Followed by betterindividual for posting the original question.
As promised here are the links:
http://7ladybugs.blogspot.com/
http://betterindividual.blogspot.com/
http://psychobabblingbasher2.blogspot.com/
http://nickthenayl.blogspot.com/
Carmen
Dearest Fellow Bloggers
I really haven't decided on cremated or buried. They both suck. As for the funeral I have given it quite a bit of thought. I want it to be put on by my sister that has the money in the family. LOL. After I was diagnosed with a mental illness and ended up in a group home she said if I ever needed anything just ask.
She did say something along the lines of that that didn't mean if I needed a coat that she'd get me a fur coat. But, and excuse my "undainty language" but FUCK THAT. I have no real need of anything, at least not now. But I want to take her up on the "if you need anything" when I die. And I "need" a fancy, schmancy "fur coat" funeral.
Since she is 20 years older than me I also think, just to make sure, that I should get up the nerve to tell her this soon so that if she goes before me (I'm fat and out of shape and she's thin and in shape so that may not be the case) like you'd normally expect, that she can make arrangements in her will for the expenses if neccessary. LOL.
I want it to be held in at a nice time of year regardless of when I go (so maybe it would be a memorial service not a funeral depending on what time of year I die). I don't want it to be overly religious unless I do a last minute fear conversion because of a painful illness or I know I'm dying. Hopefully I'm not that much of a coward but probably I am.
I want lots of singing. I want a the choir from my Unitarian church (a sort of non-religious religion) to all be there in their colorful, unmatching ceremonial neck thingys.
I also want the guy in our church who plays the harp and has previously auctioned off specially written harp pieces to write a special piece for me to be played at the service. Perhaps called "Ode to Carmen". LOL.
Even though I probably don't want much if any overly religious stuff, I do want "Amazing Grace" played. On the bagpipes. It always makes me cry. Should get others crying to. I want a lot of crying. I know a bagpiper or two.
I want the guys who wear the purple robes and white plumed hats to be there too. Unfortunately they probably aren't allowed to since I'm not one of them, or a guy for that matter. Damn.
Maybe I can get my fellow Toastmasters to wear a outfit of my design of similar oomph. Members from as many different clubs as possible. They would of course file in in their splashy outfits second only to my immediate family.
I want a fairly long one or two (one by family, one by friends perhaps) eulogy(s) liberally sprinkling in my favorite funny jokes in addition to fun and inspiring stories about me. A story or two about a endearing flaw or two to "keep it real".
I want my fellow Toastmasters especially those who are the very best at telling funny and inspiring stories or who have a special "Carmen story" to be a big part of an "audience sharing time".
I want people to sit in sections based on how they dress. The tastefully elegant, tradional black clad people in one area. The alternate mourning color of white in anotherPeople in regal purple (my favorite color) in still another.
People who wear other colors are not only tolerated but encouraged but should be nicely dressed. GLBT people (Unitarians attract them) can be as flamboyant as they want. Rainbow colors would be festive..
I want boatloads of flowers. Not tacky wreath type flowers either. Multi-color rose arrangements. Orchid arrangements. Calla lillies.Beautiful mixed flower arrangements from a chi chi florist. Every conceivable type of pretty garden flower.
I want a big poster board of pictures of me mostly when I was young and actually looked fairly good. I also want a slide show of pictures set to music. 80's pop music maybe. Or maybe more elegant. The Four Seasons and Bolero. LOL.
I want a little booklet that tells my life story in summary and includes some of my favorite quotes by others and myself. My brother in law and his younger brother were both quoted in theirs and it was by turns really funny/heartwarming.
I want something called a Rosetta Tablet put on my grave/urn area. It is a new thing for the computer age that lets people scan this tablet thingy with their smartphones and then read up on my life story. LOL.
I want either doves or butterflies released at the end of my service. Preferably butterflies. You can buy them for that specific purpose. Lots and lots of butterflies set free by my family and closest friends and the little kids attending.
I want donations to go to a scholarship in my name to be given to adult's who got their basic education late in life. Or that program that teaches kids chess in school to increase their comprehension. I want people donating lots. LOL.
I want a huge feast of a luncheon. I went to a funeral/memorial where some of the sandwiches were crabmeat. Very nice. I want a variety of sandwiches and squares. I want a champagne toast. No make that umbrella rum drinks and slurpees for the kids.
Finally, I want people never, never to forget me. I want a lot of crying initally and then I want people to smile because they liked me, thought I was nice and kind and hopefully funny. And I want people to continue reading my blog...
... in perpetuity. I hope I can count on you, my fellow bloggers to help make sure this last one happens. Spread the word. My blog is at http://catstuff-carment.blogspot.com/ LOL. But I'm still serious! That is "all". ;)
Kisses, Carmen
1 of 1 people found this answer helpful
As you can see 1 of 1 people found the answer to the question that was asked by a fellow blogger coffee shop forum member about funerals helpful. LOL. Yay, me.
I made a few "amendments" to this after reading others (none were quite as thorough as mine though - lol). The changes were all things I had planned but forgot.
They include a umbrella rum drinks and coke slurpees for the kids and anyone else who likes slurpees better than rum drinks as I had edited into this already.
They also include a little goodie bag for mourners including a packet of wildflower seeds to plant in my memory, a little clear bottle of bubbles like at weddings...
... and a coupon book for "free" slurpees. They actually sell them you know. Also, when I mentioned rum drinks and slurpees note that I'd have the machine there. LOL.
Two things were suggested to me that I actually hadn't thought of and that was a New Orleans band to play their way to the funeral (suggested by "betterindividual")
This is what -he- (see comment below) said:
Carmen: your funeral is like an event. all your missing your friends walking down the main roads with a new orleans band playing and for it to be on the news.
I told -him- that it was a great idea but that since I was serious about this idea I was afraid this might not happen but one of the bagpippers said they could get me...
... a full band (that he belongs to, for free!)
The second suggestion was from someone named Psycho Basher who said this...
@Carmen - but I should say that is a well thought out master plan. Would you consider though the Chippendales to be pall bearers, with white sheer robes instead?
All in all, I think they are good ideas, but I am afraid if I got the "Chippies" then the "white plumes" would boycott. Well, I guess they wouldn't come anyway.
So that is that for my funeral I think (pending any other last minute additions) but I also want you to know what some of the other people had in mind that sounded good.
From NickNayls (the DiaperLover! - check out his blog. I'll give the url later)...
I will have a giant castle erected in my honor to commemorate my life. It would be filled with all the treasures I found, things I did, pictures of myself and my family; the works! I would have my biography playing 24/7 in the Imax portion of the castle so that people could watch my life as much as they need to. There would be a food court, an arcade, and smoking lounge (although you are completely allowed to smoke wherever you please). I also believe that I would have a Sports Bar area for the fans, and a small casino in the basement.
Now, in the middle of the 1st floor room shall be me. Standing straight up in a casket made of crystal, dressed in a suit of armor and holding a sword. I'll probably have a cape. I shall remain there for all eternity.
1 of 1 people found this answer helpful
As you can see 1 out of 1 persons also found this helpful. LOL. I know I did. Then there is this (also from Psycho Basher)...
As to mine, maybe in 3 C's - Cremation, Celebration, Contribution
I prefer Cremation. And yes I would love full blown up pictures of ME on walls.
I prefer my memorial in a warehouse adorned as an underground party cum Celebration. People should be in all-white ensemble. The theme is celebrating Life. The Menu will be the best banquet of choice international cuisine that I love. Music will be mixed, Ibiza style, but with mixes of 80's and 90's dance tunes. At the entrance, every guest is mandated a double shot of tequila. Only the designated programs/Events Director is not allowed to drink to ensue that the flow is executed well. Video walls will be all over the warehouse, mainly slideshows and videos of my life with most of the people in the event. My Eulogies are pre-selected. But each one would essay about how much I loved life and lived fully. (however the circumstances of my passing) At the end of the ceremony --- a Blood Bath. Pipes will be filled up with strawberry tequila or sangria and sprayed all over the warehouse on all the guests whilst they go wild simulating a blood bath.
Upon exit, yes, Amazing Grace arranged in blues rhythm, very serene, will play. They are expected to make Contributions to my pre-identified Charities - preferably for Children with Autism. So instead of flowers and whatever, they give their Cash to contribute.
Each guest would go home with a loot bag. My choice writings, a book, and a photo-journal of the event.
1 of 1 people found this answer helpful*
*Actually, for some silly reason no one found the above helpful so before copying and pasting it -I- clicked on it. LOL. Someone had to do it.
It definitely isn't for me (it's one idea I'm certainly not stealing) but the blood bath is definitely original. And showy. And apparently tasty too. LOL.
For the end of this post I thought I would give links to the blogs of the people who I quoted. More than anyone however, the first should be someone I did not.
Her name is Sue or 7ladybugs. She was the one who commented on the thread right after me and said I beat her to the long overdramatic funeral idea she had too.
She however beat me to writing it up on her blog. Not only does she have a post also titled My Funeral but she did one just before about a Redneck Funeral. LOL.
There was also, I believe, something she did just after the "My Funeral" post about what would be on her headstone. So as you can see, she really got into it.
I am giving you her address first, since she gave me the idea of making this an actual blog post. Followed by betterindividual for posting the original question.
As promised here are the links:
http://7ladybugs.blogspot.com/
http://betterindividual.blogspot.com/
http://psychobabblingbasher2.blogspot.com/
http://nickthenayl.blogspot.com/
Carmen
Monday, February 21, 2011
Family Day!
Today is Family Day here in Alberta. Not doing anything special. It's kinda cold. Also, I would have visited my mom but I didn't get the backlogged blogs done until yesterday night. I usually only go over there if it's for two days. Being Family Day, I probably should have made an exception, but it's a little late now. :(
So it's a pretty uneventful day. I did however go to join a new site and managed to follow the rules aboout posting a link box to their site. It is the pretty pink and white box at the top of the right hand side of the blog. Click on it and see where it takes you. LOL.
I also, finally, added some Blogs I Like in the list feature that I added but did not activate (or talk about therefore) immediately. It now has five links under it for you to check out when you have a free moment or two. It is near the bottom of the right hand side of the blog.
Other than asking, how do you/would you spend a day like Family Day?, I pretty much am done except to thank one of my latest followers with her help on getting the button up and running. I managed to get it originally but it didn't link. She noticed this and helped me get the code correct. Thanks very much Sue. :)
Carmen
So it's a pretty uneventful day. I did however go to join a new site and managed to follow the rules aboout posting a link box to their site. It is the pretty pink and white box at the top of the right hand side of the blog. Click on it and see where it takes you. LOL.
I also, finally, added some Blogs I Like in the list feature that I added but did not activate (or talk about therefore) immediately. It now has five links under it for you to check out when you have a free moment or two. It is near the bottom of the right hand side of the blog.
Other than asking, how do you/would you spend a day like Family Day?, I pretty much am done except to thank one of my latest followers with her help on getting the button up and running. I managed to get it originally but it didn't link. She noticed this and helped me get the code correct. Thanks very much Sue. :)
Carmen
Friday, February 18, 2011
Sherlock Strikes Again
Just another brief little post. This time a bit of a rant.
We just had dinner here at "Vegetable House". A little bit after we sit down, one of the ladies in the house gets up to microwave her food. Staff was in the other room when she got up to do this. Just when my roommate gets to the microwave staff is right there behind her asking "what are you doing?".
I mean come on now, really. Really? How stupid!
Now normally I probably wouldn't make a big internet deal out of it. But, other than being a slow day, it is the cherry on the sundae. I mean, this is far from the first time that this particular staff member has asked a really dumb question like this one. It actually happens with alarming regularity.
The things I put up with. LOL. Then again, it could be worse!
We just had dinner here at "Vegetable House". A little bit after we sit down, one of the ladies in the house gets up to microwave her food. Staff was in the other room when she got up to do this. Just when my roommate gets to the microwave staff is right there behind her asking "what are you doing?".
I mean come on now, really. Really? How stupid!
Now normally I probably wouldn't make a big internet deal out of it. But, other than being a slow day, it is the cherry on the sundae. I mean, this is far from the first time that this particular staff member has asked a really dumb question like this one. It actually happens with alarming regularity.
The things I put up with. LOL. Then again, it could be worse!
Once A Libra...
Today I was thinking about just how soon the end of the month will be here. I plan to use one of, if not the last day of the month to do a post on how well I have been keeping (or not) my Chinese New Year's Resolutions.
This got me to thinking about something else I wrote awhile back (maybe even in the same post) about how the zodiac is/was changing and we were getting an extra sign. The new sign would mean, of course, rejigging the whole set of star signs.
Well, I didn't make a point to edit that post or post a follow-up at the time I heard this a little later (actually when I told someone at my old job about my post). It seems that the change doesn't affect/effect(?) anyone before 2009!
So I don't have to change everything I thought I knew about myself up until this point in time. Whew, that was a close one. LOL. Actually, it only makes sense that it would not be retroactive. But sense flys out the window when you "panic".
Anyway, just thought I'd let all my "peeps" know on a slow news day. Now you to can breathe just a littlle bit easier and not worry about replacing all your piles of zodialogical knick-knacks that I'm sure you have. :)
Carmen
This got me to thinking about something else I wrote awhile back (maybe even in the same post) about how the zodiac is/was changing and we were getting an extra sign. The new sign would mean, of course, rejigging the whole set of star signs.
Well, I didn't make a point to edit that post or post a follow-up at the time I heard this a little later (actually when I told someone at my old job about my post). It seems that the change doesn't affect/effect(?) anyone before 2009!
So I don't have to change everything I thought I knew about myself up until this point in time. Whew, that was a close one. LOL. Actually, it only makes sense that it would not be retroactive. But sense flys out the window when you "panic".
Anyway, just thought I'd let all my "peeps" know on a slow news day. Now you to can breathe just a littlle bit easier and not worry about replacing all your piles of zodialogical knick-knacks that I'm sure you have. :)
Carmen
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Dear Math: Not A Love Story
Another short post this time around.
I was at Urban Dictionary (see last post) and I came across something else. It reminded me that I had in the past heard a few Math jokes.
Yes, you heard it correctly, Math jokes. The one I saw on Urban Dictionary was on a t-shirt. That makes it neither more nor less funny than the other one I will tell you. LOL.
Ok. So for my one other Math joke that I still remember. Here goes... Did you ever notice how people get so excited when a store says that prices are a fraction of what they were. Unfortunately sometimes that fraction is 5/4ths. LOL.
Now for the Urban Dictionary t-shirt saying joke... Dear Math: I am not a therapist, solve your own problems. Again, LOL.
So which one is funnier? Or is it a draw?
I was at Urban Dictionary (see last post) and I came across something else. It reminded me that I had in the past heard a few Math jokes.
Yes, you heard it correctly, Math jokes. The one I saw on Urban Dictionary was on a t-shirt. That makes it neither more nor less funny than the other one I will tell you. LOL.
Ok. So for my one other Math joke that I still remember. Here goes... Did you ever notice how people get so excited when a store says that prices are a fraction of what they were. Unfortunately sometimes that fraction is 5/4ths. LOL.
Now for the Urban Dictionary t-shirt saying joke... Dear Math: I am not a therapist, solve your own problems. Again, LOL.
So which one is funnier? Or is it a draw?
The Curse Of The Jade ... Gummy Bear
For any of you who are Woody Allen fans, I'm sure you've heard of his movie The Curse of The Jade Scorpion. Well right now I'm going to talk a little about the Jade Gummy Bear.
Very little it seems because after hearing a tiny bit about an artist who actually made a jade gummy bear - size unknown - on a radio show I googled it only to find ...
... Nothing!
That's right. Nothing. Surely, the making of a piece of art so evocative of the later half of the twentieth century would come up in a google search in the first ten searches.
But nope. Apparently fine art is underappreciated by Google search engines. I did however find something from the Urban Dictionary ( http://www.urbandictionary.com/ ) about wet gummy bears. Get your minds out of the gutter!
Apparently, wet gummy bears speak in German, too. LOL. Don't ask. Ok, so maybe your mind being in the gutter (if you know anything about the urban dictionary it isn't surprising that that is where you would have went) is to be expected.
After all, most dominatrixes have German accents, don't they. Anyway, I am getting a little far afield. Seems this artist did a jade gummy bear. Based on my limited, lazy excuse for a search I can't find anything about it.
So, in lieu of the comments I have not been getting lately, I will ask you my dear followers, can you find anything about this. Do you perhaps have better search skills than I do. More endurance. If so, please do tell.
Of course this does mean leaving a comment. I trust I can count on you to do this little thing for me. After all, I've only slaved over just over 125 posts for you. Sniff, sniff. (Is it working yet?) LOL. See you soon.
Carmen
Very little it seems because after hearing a tiny bit about an artist who actually made a jade gummy bear - size unknown - on a radio show I googled it only to find ...
... Nothing!
That's right. Nothing. Surely, the making of a piece of art so evocative of the later half of the twentieth century would come up in a google search in the first ten searches.
But nope. Apparently fine art is underappreciated by Google search engines. I did however find something from the Urban Dictionary ( http://www.urbandictionary.com/ ) about wet gummy bears. Get your minds out of the gutter!
Apparently, wet gummy bears speak in German, too. LOL. Don't ask. Ok, so maybe your mind being in the gutter (if you know anything about the urban dictionary it isn't surprising that that is where you would have went) is to be expected.
After all, most dominatrixes have German accents, don't they. Anyway, I am getting a little far afield. Seems this artist did a jade gummy bear. Based on my limited, lazy excuse for a search I can't find anything about it.
So, in lieu of the comments I have not been getting lately, I will ask you my dear followers, can you find anything about this. Do you perhaps have better search skills than I do. More endurance. If so, please do tell.
Of course this does mean leaving a comment. I trust I can count on you to do this little thing for me. After all, I've only slaved over just over 125 posts for you. Sniff, sniff. (Is it working yet?) LOL. See you soon.
Carmen
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Instant Beauty (Pageant)
So I'm watching TV. Channel 33. Or for those of you outside of Edmonton it's Slice. Something called Instant Beauty Pageant is on. They are at a mall in Victoria, B.C. The tv people picked five pretty young women in the mall, asked them if they wanted to be part of an impromptu beauty pageant with a trip to Mexico for two as a prize.
Then the girls/women got $400 to shop for a bathing suit and an evening gown and a time limit that I don't recall. It wasn't a great deal of time though. There was a lot of running around being done. In fact, one girl, the surfer gal even lost the shoes she bought for with her evening gown. Luckily for her, someone found them.
The funniest thing about the show is that I pretty much picked the order of the final eliminations exactly. The only one I got wrong, I got wrong due to sentimentality. Otherwise it would have been five for five. I figured the black lady was/should be the winner but I had a soft spot for the underprivileged youngest girl.
My first instinct about the beautiful black women was the right one in the end. In addition to winning a trip for two to Puerto Vallarta, the winner got a $1500+ tiara. That's right $1500+. It was really quite beautiful. It had "pearls" on top in addition to the rhinestones/crystals. I still think that my tiara (yes I have one) is prettier though.
I'll end this with another question. Would you be up for something like this if you were suddenly approached by strangers with a camera crew at your local mall? If so, what would be your reason? Would the lure of participating be the notority of being on national t.v. or would it be the prize they were offering (remembering that the beautiful, expensive tiara wasn't even mentioned)?
Carmen
Then the girls/women got $400 to shop for a bathing suit and an evening gown and a time limit that I don't recall. It wasn't a great deal of time though. There was a lot of running around being done. In fact, one girl, the surfer gal even lost the shoes she bought for with her evening gown. Luckily for her, someone found them.
The funniest thing about the show is that I pretty much picked the order of the final eliminations exactly. The only one I got wrong, I got wrong due to sentimentality. Otherwise it would have been five for five. I figured the black lady was/should be the winner but I had a soft spot for the underprivileged youngest girl.
My first instinct about the beautiful black women was the right one in the end. In addition to winning a trip for two to Puerto Vallarta, the winner got a $1500+ tiara. That's right $1500+. It was really quite beautiful. It had "pearls" on top in addition to the rhinestones/crystals. I still think that my tiara (yes I have one) is prettier though.
I'll end this with another question. Would you be up for something like this if you were suddenly approached by strangers with a camera crew at your local mall? If so, what would be your reason? Would the lure of participating be the notority of being on national t.v. or would it be the prize they were offering (remembering that the beautiful, expensive tiara wasn't even mentioned)?
Carmen
Cute Commercials
I got to thinking about funny commercials. This happened the other day when I went out to an art event with my friend Karen. Not real sure how it came up, but come up it did. So here are a few of my favorites for you to ponder.
1. The Geico Piggy commercial
2. The Leon's Power To commercial
3. The Leon's Christmas commercials
If you haven't seen them go to YouTube and check them out. Especially the Geico Piggy commercial. Then tell me what you think about them. Which are your favorite commercials? Why do you like them?
As for me the pinwheels out the window and the exasperated "we're home" from the mom driving were the funniest parts of the piggy commercial.
The "Power To Turn Water Into Ice" was the funniest part of the Leon's Power To commercials. There were some other funny ones but that was definitely the funniest.
Finally the Santa sitting on the lounge chair and being bounced out of the chair because of his weight was probably the Christmas one I liked best.
So now it's your turn. Have your say! Like I said before which ones of these did you like/not like? Which other ones would you add to the list?
Carmen
P.S. These three came to me right away. One came on shortly after posting this that I just had to add as a P.S. The Whiskas Cat Love commercial. The guy is lying on the porch getting a little too cosy with his cat. LOL.
1. The Geico Piggy commercial
2. The Leon's Power To commercial
3. The Leon's Christmas commercials
If you haven't seen them go to YouTube and check them out. Especially the Geico Piggy commercial. Then tell me what you think about them. Which are your favorite commercials? Why do you like them?
As for me the pinwheels out the window and the exasperated "we're home" from the mom driving were the funniest parts of the piggy commercial.
The "Power To Turn Water Into Ice" was the funniest part of the Leon's Power To commercials. There were some other funny ones but that was definitely the funniest.
Finally the Santa sitting on the lounge chair and being bounced out of the chair because of his weight was probably the Christmas one I liked best.
So now it's your turn. Have your say! Like I said before which ones of these did you like/not like? Which other ones would you add to the list?
Carmen
P.S. These three came to me right away. One came on shortly after posting this that I just had to add as a P.S. The Whiskas Cat Love commercial. The guy is lying on the porch getting a little too cosy with his cat. LOL.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Do We Have To Talk About It?
I was talking to my friend Kevin a few days ago and he said the funniest thing. I thought I'd share it with you.
We were talking on FB chat and I asked him what for me is basically the inevitable question! That is "Did you read my blog lately?"
His answer was hilarious. His answer was "If I lied and said yes we would probably have to talk about it." Funny, huh? Well, it made me laugh.
Carmen
We were talking on FB chat and I asked him what for me is basically the inevitable question! That is "Did you read my blog lately?"
His answer was hilarious. His answer was "If I lied and said yes we would probably have to talk about it." Funny, huh? Well, it made me laugh.
Carmen
Orders Of The Day: A Bit Of Bragging
As anyone who is into noticing this kind of stuff will note, I have been posting/plan to be posting twice a day in the first and third weeks of this month and once a day in the second and fourth weeks.
Just a little bit of bragging in this post. I'll leave that for the end though. Yesterday being Valentine's Day my second post of the day dealt with that (V-Day that is). So this bit of "Toastmaster Talk" had to wait for today. Here goes ...
First of all, yesterday I was the grammarian. I offered myself up for the job sort of last minute after I found I wasn't on the agenda at all for the entire three weeks that are listed at one time.
Since I did this late in the evening before the meeting, I didn't really expect an email response so I didn't check my email before leaving for the meeting. As it turns out I got one as of exactly 10:00am.
I knew this ahead of the meeting only because I decided to go to the main library to print out copies of a really cute page or so of sayings about love by 4 to 8 year old kids that I came across through a fellow blogger in the blogger coffee shop.
I decided to check the email just to see if I got a Toastmaster response but not expecting one. After all, the page of sayings was saved in my hotmail "office". I love that you get the Windows Office setup for email.
I found out I was to be Grammarian and that I was also to pick the Word Of The Day. Normally, at my old clubs, it went without saying that the two went together but I had noticed this wasn't always so at the Kossowan Club. So I was surprised.
Not just surprised but a little off-guard because I was quickly running out of time since I got a bit later a start that morning than I'd planned. Then to add to the time crunch, the library "lost" my printing credits. Then the printer acted up.
And so it went. When I realized I needed a word on paper and A.S.A.P. I went to one of the two main desk area and got some comment card slips - the perfect size to write the W.O.D. on. Then to find a felt pen. That was the challenge.
I tried both desks. Finally, after it was clear I wasn't going to be finding a black felt and I literally had no time to spare (it was apparent I would likely be about five minutes late - which I was) I used the green highlighter I was lucky to get.
So I write out two possible words and high-tail it out of the library and walk the several blocks to the convention center. Down three really long escalators and I'm finally there. About five minutes late as I said before.
I sit down just minutes before my duty is announced. Thank God. So luckily when they ask for the word and I point out that I do in fact have one but the Toastmaster will have to find a way to affix it to the lectern, the tape just happens to be handy.
Of course, I don't get off totally unscathed. PK himself reminds me when I give the said word to the TM for affixing that I should define it. I point out I barely had time to find it. LOL. I tell them they can define it for themselves.
Seems to have worked. Probably because the word I picked was passion. Easy enough to use I thought. And so it was. I think all but one person used it. The only one not to use the word was a guy whose first language wasn't English so I can understand.
Well, as you can see by the thoroughness of this recitation of the meeting so far it shouldn't surprise you that my grammarian report was very thorough as well. So much so that I did a kind of weird report.
I properly listed the 1-1/2 uses of language that I found "off" for lack of the correct term. Then I gave 1 or 2 quick examples of "good" usage. Then I listed off everyone who I had made a note of in my lengthy report (which turned out to be all).
I then told everyone listed (as I said that turned out to be all) to check the grammarian sheet I filled out for their instances of interesting language and explained my method of noting things as it was a bit here and there. LOL.
It worked out though, as about half the people in attendance did exactly that and came by to check out which words/phrases they used that I happened to personally find to be interesting.
I also got a Table Topic. It was my fellow inductee Jeremy's first time as Table Topic Master. He did a pretty good job. The fact that I got a bit of a "softball" topic was nice too. He asked me about my my favorite t.v show.
This actually related in some way to Valentine's Day. I think it was through a reference to his wife (his Valentine of course) and her obsession since having their young son who is their first and only child. The obsession: reality tv. LOL.
So anyway, I smartly refrain from thanking him for giving me "an easy topic". Had I said that I probably would not have the following to brag about. I ended up sharing Best Table Topic honors with Walter. Who oddly enough, I voted for. LOL.
I brag about this because, my first week at the PKC club (my one week as a guest before immediately jumping into joining) I got Best Table Topic speaker. I chalked that one up to being the guest however. So this was nice. A "real" win. Well partial.
Carmen
Just a little bit of bragging in this post. I'll leave that for the end though. Yesterday being Valentine's Day my second post of the day dealt with that (V-Day that is). So this bit of "Toastmaster Talk" had to wait for today. Here goes ...
First of all, yesterday I was the grammarian. I offered myself up for the job sort of last minute after I found I wasn't on the agenda at all for the entire three weeks that are listed at one time.
Since I did this late in the evening before the meeting, I didn't really expect an email response so I didn't check my email before leaving for the meeting. As it turns out I got one as of exactly 10:00am.
I knew this ahead of the meeting only because I decided to go to the main library to print out copies of a really cute page or so of sayings about love by 4 to 8 year old kids that I came across through a fellow blogger in the blogger coffee shop.
I decided to check the email just to see if I got a Toastmaster response but not expecting one. After all, the page of sayings was saved in my hotmail "office". I love that you get the Windows Office setup for email.
I found out I was to be Grammarian and that I was also to pick the Word Of The Day. Normally, at my old clubs, it went without saying that the two went together but I had noticed this wasn't always so at the Kossowan Club. So I was surprised.
Not just surprised but a little off-guard because I was quickly running out of time since I got a bit later a start that morning than I'd planned. Then to add to the time crunch, the library "lost" my printing credits. Then the printer acted up.
And so it went. When I realized I needed a word on paper and A.S.A.P. I went to one of the two main desk area and got some comment card slips - the perfect size to write the W.O.D. on. Then to find a felt pen. That was the challenge.
I tried both desks. Finally, after it was clear I wasn't going to be finding a black felt and I literally had no time to spare (it was apparent I would likely be about five minutes late - which I was) I used the green highlighter I was lucky to get.
So I write out two possible words and high-tail it out of the library and walk the several blocks to the convention center. Down three really long escalators and I'm finally there. About five minutes late as I said before.
I sit down just minutes before my duty is announced. Thank God. So luckily when they ask for the word and I point out that I do in fact have one but the Toastmaster will have to find a way to affix it to the lectern, the tape just happens to be handy.
Of course, I don't get off totally unscathed. PK himself reminds me when I give the said word to the TM for affixing that I should define it. I point out I barely had time to find it. LOL. I tell them they can define it for themselves.
Seems to have worked. Probably because the word I picked was passion. Easy enough to use I thought. And so it was. I think all but one person used it. The only one not to use the word was a guy whose first language wasn't English so I can understand.
Well, as you can see by the thoroughness of this recitation of the meeting so far it shouldn't surprise you that my grammarian report was very thorough as well. So much so that I did a kind of weird report.
I properly listed the 1-1/2 uses of language that I found "off" for lack of the correct term. Then I gave 1 or 2 quick examples of "good" usage. Then I listed off everyone who I had made a note of in my lengthy report (which turned out to be all).
I then told everyone listed (as I said that turned out to be all) to check the grammarian sheet I filled out for their instances of interesting language and explained my method of noting things as it was a bit here and there. LOL.
It worked out though, as about half the people in attendance did exactly that and came by to check out which words/phrases they used that I happened to personally find to be interesting.
I also got a Table Topic. It was my fellow inductee Jeremy's first time as Table Topic Master. He did a pretty good job. The fact that I got a bit of a "softball" topic was nice too. He asked me about my my favorite t.v show.
This actually related in some way to Valentine's Day. I think it was through a reference to his wife (his Valentine of course) and her obsession since having their young son who is their first and only child. The obsession: reality tv. LOL.
So anyway, I smartly refrain from thanking him for giving me "an easy topic". Had I said that I probably would not have the following to brag about. I ended up sharing Best Table Topic honors with Walter. Who oddly enough, I voted for. LOL.
I brag about this because, my first week at the PKC club (my one week as a guest before immediately jumping into joining) I got Best Table Topic speaker. I chalked that one up to being the guest however. So this was nice. A "real" win. Well partial.
Carmen
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentines Day!
Well, well. So original. I decided to title this attempt at a Valentine's inspired post with exactly the same highly inspired title as last years version.
This is just a short post to say that oddly, I think, many of the blogs that I have been reading for their V-Day posts are pretty much all saying they hate V-Day.
I'm not sure what's up with all the V-Day hate. I don't have a Valentine which is the usual state of affairs for me but I still wouldn't say I h-a-t-e V-Day.
What do you think? Is V-Day a favorite holiday, a hated non-holiday or something else entirely?
Please do a little blog surfing from my list of blogs followed if neccessary then come back here an leave a comment on your V-Day thoughts.
Kisses...
Carmen
This is just a short post to say that oddly, I think, many of the blogs that I have been reading for their V-Day posts are pretty much all saying they hate V-Day.
I'm not sure what's up with all the V-Day hate. I don't have a Valentine which is the usual state of affairs for me but I still wouldn't say I h-a-t-e V-Day.
What do you think? Is V-Day a favorite holiday, a hated non-holiday or something else entirely?
Please do a little blog surfing from my list of blogs followed if neccessary then come back here an leave a comment on your V-Day thoughts.
Kisses...
Carmen
Two Times Two ... Plus Some
I got two new followers about a week or two ago and two new widgets at about the same time. This is the first chance I've had (or made) to "brag" about it. The followers are, in order, Sibi & karenchamchuk.
The widgets are Google Translate and a telephone translator that switches the number from words to numbers. Google Translate I hope helps me get foreign readers who pass through using the Next Blog feature. That's why it's at the top of my sidebar. The telephone translator is way further down (near the bottom) and is really for myself.
Actually, after coming up with the original title Two Times Two I got one more follower and two more widgets. The other follower is Acorn. The other widgets are a labels column and a new poll.
The labels widget I just found. I had originally (for the first two months of this blog) been putting in my posts. Then since they didn't show up - I thought it was an automatic thing which really it should be - I stopped adding them to the posts. So now I am going to have to add them for the previous 10+ months. A big job.
The new poll is also something that shows glitches in blogger/blogspot. I had an old poll which is still up on my sidebar but the results have disappeared. I leave it there to remember the question. So I got a new poll, which looks exactly like the old. Hopefully at the end of the polling period I set is over and a bit of time has passed the results of this one won't disappear too.
Carmen
The widgets are Google Translate and a telephone translator that switches the number from words to numbers. Google Translate I hope helps me get foreign readers who pass through using the Next Blog feature. That's why it's at the top of my sidebar. The telephone translator is way further down (near the bottom) and is really for myself.
Actually, after coming up with the original title Two Times Two I got one more follower and two more widgets. The other follower is Acorn. The other widgets are a labels column and a new poll.
The labels widget I just found. I had originally (for the first two months of this blog) been putting in my posts. Then since they didn't show up - I thought it was an automatic thing which really it should be - I stopped adding them to the posts. So now I am going to have to add them for the previous 10+ months. A big job.
The new poll is also something that shows glitches in blogger/blogspot. I had an old poll which is still up on my sidebar but the results have disappeared. I leave it there to remember the question. So I got a new poll, which looks exactly like the old. Hopefully at the end of the polling period I set is over and a bit of time has passed the results of this one won't disappear too.
Carmen
Friday, February 11, 2011
Blog Lovefest Part III
Since I did my LiveBridge posts way back when as a trilogy, I have decided to do the same with my Blog Lovefest posts. So following is the final in this series. Since I follow so many blogs I obviously may direct you to more in the future but it will be under (a) different title(s).
For my final Lovefest post I have picked a blog that is called One Year of Rapid Fire Change ( http://oneyearchange.blogspot.com/ ) This is a blog by a guy named Michael Thiessen. He now lives in British Columbia but was previously an Albertan like me. He was born here and grew up on various farms as the child of Mennonites. His blog is meant to be a chronicle of 2011.
Even though the year in question is 2011, he actually started it with two posts on December 31st, 2010. These posts were meant to provide the background for what is essentially a one post a day blog diary. So far, as I have just found his site, I have mainly read his introductory posts. But they really set the stage for what appears to be quite an interesting journey. I encourage you to read it.
For my final Lovefest post I have picked a blog that is called One Year of Rapid Fire Change ( http://oneyearchange.blogspot.com/ ) This is a blog by a guy named Michael Thiessen. He now lives in British Columbia but was previously an Albertan like me. He was born here and grew up on various farms as the child of Mennonites. His blog is meant to be a chronicle of 2011.
Even though the year in question is 2011, he actually started it with two posts on December 31st, 2010. These posts were meant to provide the background for what is essentially a one post a day blog diary. So far, as I have just found his site, I have mainly read his introductory posts. But they really set the stage for what appears to be quite an interesting journey. I encourage you to read it.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Fuzz Was Abuzz
Not much happened today so I will just share a unusual little happening that occurred later in the day.
I was coming home from an errand downtown in the late evening. A bit of an odd thing happened. Police cars went in three different directions - multiple cars in each direction - from one intersection within about 5 minutes total. Crazy, huh.
I wonder if there is a full moon tonight. LOL. That's the only explanation I have. I mean three different directions from the same intersection and I don't think that there is a police station that close. I'm not sure but I haven't seen one.
Makes me a little curious what those calls could have been. On second thought, I probably don't want to know the details.
Carmen
I was coming home from an errand downtown in the late evening. A bit of an odd thing happened. Police cars went in three different directions - multiple cars in each direction - from one intersection within about 5 minutes total. Crazy, huh.
I wonder if there is a full moon tonight. LOL. That's the only explanation I have. I mean three different directions from the same intersection and I don't think that there is a police station that close. I'm not sure but I haven't seen one.
Makes me a little curious what those calls could have been. On second thought, I probably don't want to know the details.
Carmen
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A Gay Joke That's Actually Funny!
Just a short post again this time but a funny one I think.
I wish I could attribute this one but I was furiously site surfing - jumping from one site to another and back again so I don't know where I got this from but I thought it was so funny that I was tearing up when I read it.
Here goes... There was a recent study from the UK that asked gay people how they became gay. 44% said they were born that way ... 10% said it was a product of their environment ... and 46% said they were sucked into it!
I know, I know. Very bad. But very funny. Wouldn't you say?
Carmen
I wish I could attribute this one but I was furiously site surfing - jumping from one site to another and back again so I don't know where I got this from but I thought it was so funny that I was tearing up when I read it.
Here goes... There was a recent study from the UK that asked gay people how they became gay. 44% said they were born that way ... 10% said it was a product of their environment ... and 46% said they were sucked into it!
I know, I know. Very bad. But very funny. Wouldn't you say?
Carmen
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Blog Lovefest Part II
On Friday I did a post called Blog Lovefest Part I. Well today it's time for Part II. I am doing this so soon after the first because I have yet again spent the better part of yesterday "blog-surfing".
I'll cut to the chase and just tell you that the source of today's blog that I am going to share with you (minus the bonus one that you got last time) was the blogger "coffee shop" that I have spent a lot of virtual time in lately.
The blog that I'd like to encourage you check out is one that goes by the name of http://findyourselflove.blogspot.com/ It is a blog of a young girl named Angela. Her actual blog's title is ... "to put it simply, it's quite complicated" - and yes the first word isn't capitalized. Her url is different so if you remember only one remember the address.
Her blog is includes several different things. She uses lots of quotes. She often starts off a post with a quote. She also takes a lot of pictures. She writes poetry. She also talks at times about her struggles and challenges with her somewhat more dysfunctional than the usual family. This time I won't suggest any particular posts to read. Just go on over and browse for yourselves. See what you think.
Carmen
I'll cut to the chase and just tell you that the source of today's blog that I am going to share with you (minus the bonus one that you got last time) was the blogger "coffee shop" that I have spent a lot of virtual time in lately.
The blog that I'd like to encourage you check out is one that goes by the name of http://findyourselflove.blogspot.com/ It is a blog of a young girl named Angela. Her actual blog's title is ... "to put it simply, it's quite complicated" - and yes the first word isn't capitalized. Her url is different so if you remember only one remember the address.
Her blog is includes several different things. She uses lots of quotes. She often starts off a post with a quote. She also takes a lot of pictures. She writes poetry. She also talks at times about her struggles and challenges with her somewhat more dysfunctional than the usual family. This time I won't suggest any particular posts to read. Just go on over and browse for yourselves. See what you think.
Carmen
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Concrete Jungle
Toastmasters Induction Day - the theme was Spring - I had 3 jobs and a Table Topic. So as you can see I was busy today. At least at the TM meeting. Otherwise, all I really did was pick up my last paycheque.
The day didn't start out very well though. First of all, I didn't sleep at all last night. Well that's not entirely true. Well then again, yes it is. See, I did sleep. But it was in the morning after I took my morning pills. For about two hours. Then I had to be at Toastmasters. I couldn't really miss today, since it was my Induction Day - along with a fellow new member, Jeremy.
Jeremy also jumped right in and signed up to give his IceBreaker Speech today as well. I feel a bit bad that I didn't do mine even though I was asked. This is because I've been in Toastmasters before and Jeremy is just new so if he can jump right in then why the hell can't I. Well I guess that's just me. I also imagine it is better to make sure I'm fully prepared. This time around I want to do better than my first go round.
Anyway, the day continued to be bad after the sleep thing because, in order to get that two or so hours of sleep so that I would be at least functional at the meeting, I had to take a cab. That wouldn't be such a big deal as it is only an occasional thing now but after all, I'm not working anymore so it wasn't something I really wanted to do. Oh well. That was the least of it. The cab driver has a brand new GPS that he wants to screw around with. So when we get downtown and he seems to be going in the wrong direction (further west) at the last second just before going up the hill I stop him.
I get him to go up a hill that I think will get us close. It turns out that had I been right about the location of the building (based on the directions I was given at the previous meeting after all) it was exactly the right hill by chance. The one that goes up to the Chateau LaCombe and The Edmonton Journal building. So the building I was looking for was supposed to be just behind (to the South of) the Chateau LaCombe. So since there was no place to park on the hill, I had the driver drop me off in the Chateau LaCombe parking lot.
I then walk down the steep, curving hill that thankfully wasn't too icy. I find then that there is no front entrance, just two parking garage entrances. I walk back up the hill and the only thing I see is what appears to be an office or appartment building and not another hotel like I am looking for. So I walk back down the hill to see if I missed a side path to walk around to the front entrance. Nope.
I end up walking into the second entrance of the parkade and walking around the curving parkade for about a level. The first level had a card locked door so no luck there. So curving around the parkade I reach the second level. Finally a door that I could get in. It however, takes me to an area that has several doors that are numbered but seem to be hotel maintenance rooms only. The door to the hotel area is still a card lock door. So I decide the only thing left to do and hope for is that if I walk up the remainder of the seven total levels to the first main floor maybe it won't be key lock.
After all, how do new guests without the card get in. Luckily, at the top I am able to get in. But still, aargh. Seven levels through a damn parkade itself and it's stairwell. Turns out I was given faulty information. The main entrance is not actually behind the other hotel (the Chateau LaCombe), it's the parkade that is. The main entrance is off to the west side of the Chateau. It's on the top of the hill and off a couple of blocks as the river valley is wont to have strange ways. Perhaps if I had trusted the GPS I would have been taken to the front entrance.
Then when I get into the main entrance, there are several people in line at the dual check in/check out area. Even though I expected to be quite early I am only about fifteen minutes early at this point. I had to use the front desk as we weren't given the floor or room information at the previous meeting. While I was waiting, my luck changed though. Another Toastmaster walked in. He too needed to find out where to go
Since I was already in line, he waited by the elevators until I got the information. When we got up to the floor we were supposed to be on, I was glad he was there. It turns out that the hotel has hallways like a mouse maze. He found the way to the room. I'm sure I would have eventually but I would probably have gotten even more annoyed. Also, when we got there, we were only five minutes early.
I ended up with three jobs as I mentioned at the start. My assigned duty was to do an invocation. I chose to do it as a quotation which I was previously told was an acceptable alternative. I actually found the quote on the internet site Brainy Quotes
It was by the actor, comedian and all-around zany guy Robin Williams. The theme of the meeting was Spring of all things. The quote was short and sweet (and quite funny, not surprisingly considering the source).
It went like this... Spring is nature's way of saying "Let's Party!". LOL. I couldn't figure out why they picked spring as a theme though. At the meeting it was explained early on however that it was in relation to Groundhog's Day being a portend to spring. Still that is a minimum of six weeks away. Sheesh. A better theme might have been Groundhogs Day itself. Well I guess the Educational Vice President was being optimistic.
The second job I got was timer. I knew probably be doing this. The Ed. V.P. told me when he confirmed my main role that he didn't yet have a timer and if he couldn't find one would I do it. My final job was a big surprise. After the meeting had already started, a member who was sitting next to me that was doing the Speaker Evaluation (of Jeremy no less) asked me to evaluate his evaluation for his Leadership manual project.
I was surprised he picked me since I was just being inducted today as mentioned but I guess he remembered me saying that I had previously been a long term Toastmaster. I must say I enjoyed getting to do an evaluation and especially so early on. I will say it was a little bit of a challenge, though not as difficult as I thought it would be, to do the evaluation while trying to time Jeremy's speech. I slipped up a couple of times very minorly in timing the Table Topics due to trying to eat lunch but the evaluation and timing of the speech went without a hitch.
My Table Topic went ok. this time. It was definitely an easier topic this time than the last (first) time I got one since started at the Kossowan club. It had to do with the icy conditions. A lot easier than the previous one dealing with the possibility of an impending oil crisis. Lunch was simple. Hot dogs and hamburgers. There was also a macaroni salad but that didn't appeal to me. I would have preferred a potato salad. One nice thing was they didn't just serve coffee and tea but also had juice and pop to choose from.
After the meeting I made the trip over to Xentel to pick up my final cheque that I should have picked up Friday. That was rather uneventful. A few of the staff noticed me and said hi. One asked if I had found a job yet. I told him I hadn't even really started to look. My friend Debbie wasn't there though. The person who asked me about a new job, who is also close to Debbie, told me that she was off sick. She has had something for quite awhile that she hasn't been able to shake. I'm glad I never picked it up.
Well as you can see, the day started badly but in the end turned out ok. After all, it ended with me getting money. LOL. So my time in the concrete jungle of the parkade was a case of all's well that ends well.
Carmen
The day didn't start out very well though. First of all, I didn't sleep at all last night. Well that's not entirely true. Well then again, yes it is. See, I did sleep. But it was in the morning after I took my morning pills. For about two hours. Then I had to be at Toastmasters. I couldn't really miss today, since it was my Induction Day - along with a fellow new member, Jeremy.
Jeremy also jumped right in and signed up to give his IceBreaker Speech today as well. I feel a bit bad that I didn't do mine even though I was asked. This is because I've been in Toastmasters before and Jeremy is just new so if he can jump right in then why the hell can't I. Well I guess that's just me. I also imagine it is better to make sure I'm fully prepared. This time around I want to do better than my first go round.
Anyway, the day continued to be bad after the sleep thing because, in order to get that two or so hours of sleep so that I would be at least functional at the meeting, I had to take a cab. That wouldn't be such a big deal as it is only an occasional thing now but after all, I'm not working anymore so it wasn't something I really wanted to do. Oh well. That was the least of it. The cab driver has a brand new GPS that he wants to screw around with. So when we get downtown and he seems to be going in the wrong direction (further west) at the last second just before going up the hill I stop him.
I get him to go up a hill that I think will get us close. It turns out that had I been right about the location of the building (based on the directions I was given at the previous meeting after all) it was exactly the right hill by chance. The one that goes up to the Chateau LaCombe and The Edmonton Journal building. So the building I was looking for was supposed to be just behind (to the South of) the Chateau LaCombe. So since there was no place to park on the hill, I had the driver drop me off in the Chateau LaCombe parking lot.
I then walk down the steep, curving hill that thankfully wasn't too icy. I find then that there is no front entrance, just two parking garage entrances. I walk back up the hill and the only thing I see is what appears to be an office or appartment building and not another hotel like I am looking for. So I walk back down the hill to see if I missed a side path to walk around to the front entrance. Nope.
I end up walking into the second entrance of the parkade and walking around the curving parkade for about a level. The first level had a card locked door so no luck there. So curving around the parkade I reach the second level. Finally a door that I could get in. It however, takes me to an area that has several doors that are numbered but seem to be hotel maintenance rooms only. The door to the hotel area is still a card lock door. So I decide the only thing left to do and hope for is that if I walk up the remainder of the seven total levels to the first main floor maybe it won't be key lock.
After all, how do new guests without the card get in. Luckily, at the top I am able to get in. But still, aargh. Seven levels through a damn parkade itself and it's stairwell. Turns out I was given faulty information. The main entrance is not actually behind the other hotel (the Chateau LaCombe), it's the parkade that is. The main entrance is off to the west side of the Chateau. It's on the top of the hill and off a couple of blocks as the river valley is wont to have strange ways. Perhaps if I had trusted the GPS I would have been taken to the front entrance.
Then when I get into the main entrance, there are several people in line at the dual check in/check out area. Even though I expected to be quite early I am only about fifteen minutes early at this point. I had to use the front desk as we weren't given the floor or room information at the previous meeting. While I was waiting, my luck changed though. Another Toastmaster walked in. He too needed to find out where to go
Since I was already in line, he waited by the elevators until I got the information. When we got up to the floor we were supposed to be on, I was glad he was there. It turns out that the hotel has hallways like a mouse maze. He found the way to the room. I'm sure I would have eventually but I would probably have gotten even more annoyed. Also, when we got there, we were only five minutes early.
I ended up with three jobs as I mentioned at the start. My assigned duty was to do an invocation. I chose to do it as a quotation which I was previously told was an acceptable alternative. I actually found the quote on the internet site Brainy Quotes
It was by the actor, comedian and all-around zany guy Robin Williams. The theme of the meeting was Spring of all things. The quote was short and sweet (and quite funny, not surprisingly considering the source).
It went like this... Spring is nature's way of saying "Let's Party!". LOL. I couldn't figure out why they picked spring as a theme though. At the meeting it was explained early on however that it was in relation to Groundhog's Day being a portend to spring. Still that is a minimum of six weeks away. Sheesh. A better theme might have been Groundhogs Day itself. Well I guess the Educational Vice President was being optimistic.
The second job I got was timer. I knew probably be doing this. The Ed. V.P. told me when he confirmed my main role that he didn't yet have a timer and if he couldn't find one would I do it. My final job was a big surprise. After the meeting had already started, a member who was sitting next to me that was doing the Speaker Evaluation (of Jeremy no less) asked me to evaluate his evaluation for his Leadership manual project.
I was surprised he picked me since I was just being inducted today as mentioned but I guess he remembered me saying that I had previously been a long term Toastmaster. I must say I enjoyed getting to do an evaluation and especially so early on. I will say it was a little bit of a challenge, though not as difficult as I thought it would be, to do the evaluation while trying to time Jeremy's speech. I slipped up a couple of times very minorly in timing the Table Topics due to trying to eat lunch but the evaluation and timing of the speech went without a hitch.
My Table Topic went ok. this time. It was definitely an easier topic this time than the last (first) time I got one since started at the Kossowan club. It had to do with the icy conditions. A lot easier than the previous one dealing with the possibility of an impending oil crisis. Lunch was simple. Hot dogs and hamburgers. There was also a macaroni salad but that didn't appeal to me. I would have preferred a potato salad. One nice thing was they didn't just serve coffee and tea but also had juice and pop to choose from.
After the meeting I made the trip over to Xentel to pick up my final cheque that I should have picked up Friday. That was rather uneventful. A few of the staff noticed me and said hi. One asked if I had found a job yet. I told him I hadn't even really started to look. My friend Debbie wasn't there though. The person who asked me about a new job, who is also close to Debbie, told me that she was off sick. She has had something for quite awhile that she hasn't been able to shake. I'm glad I never picked it up.
Well as you can see, the day started badly but in the end turned out ok. After all, it ended with me getting money. LOL. So my time in the concrete jungle of the parkade was a case of all's well that ends well.
Carmen
Friday, February 4, 2011
A ...Kiss... By Any Other Name
I can't remember what brought me there but I was at Dictionary.com. I ended up looking up a lot of different things as the site is more than just an online dictionary. It has quotes and a thesaurus too.
One word I found did stick out though. In honor of Valentine's Day, which is just around the I've picked a word to highlight for today's post. Osculate. Just another slightly fancier way of saying kiss.
I actually prefer the simple, straightforward word kiss. Osculate sounds like a medical term don't you think. LOL. Kiss is much nicer, far more romantic. At least I think so. What do you think. Will you be osculating or kissing this Valentine's Day?
Carmen
One word I found did stick out though. In honor of Valentine's Day, which is just around the I've picked a word to highlight for today's post. Osculate. Just another slightly fancier way of saying kiss.
I actually prefer the simple, straightforward word kiss. Osculate sounds like a medical term don't you think. LOL. Kiss is much nicer, far more romantic. At least I think so. What do you think. Will you be osculating or kissing this Valentine's Day?
Carmen
Blog Lovefest Part I
Well today, I'm here to talk about blogging. The AAYSR people would definitely say %$#@, not again! In my defense, it isn't so much "blogging about blogging" but instead blogging about other bloggers. I had the idea of doing three in mind. But I've changed my mind and I'm just going to do my very favorite one.
First off too, I should probably give credit where it's due. And oddly enough, that's to AAYSR again. I hadn't been there at their extreme review site ( http://www.iwillfuckingtearyouapart.blogspot.com/ ) much since not long after my review in August last year. I decided to start with the present and work my way back in the previous posts to when I was last there. It just works better that way based on how they are set up.
I only got to the beginning of December/the end of November because of all the digressions I was taking to the reviewed blogs, the blogs on their blogrolls, and the blogs of those on those blogrolls too! LOL. Even after planning to avoid the reviewed blogs themselves (and therefore all that came after) until catching up on all the reviews. Aah, "the best laid plans of mice and Carmen".
It's a blog called http://mrlondonstreet.blogspot.com/ It is a blog that is actually up for an award right now. If you like it as much as I did please vote for it to help the guy win. You can click on the link to the awards on the top right hand side of his blog. When you get there click on the European choice on the left side as he is in the running for Best European Blog. Hurry though, voting ends on February 20th and the prize is awarded February 27th.
When you go to vote, also know that when you get the nominees pop up after you click on the European option, there will be about five different choices. If you click on both the name of the blog or the picture either way it will take you to the blog to have a look (in case you want to check out the other nominees). To actually vote you have to look a little harder.
In the bottom right hand corner of the picture is a little white box. click on that and it will check it off and then ask for your e-mail which is required for voting so that they know you have only voted for each category once. In order to finalize your vote you must then check your e-mail and click on a link in the e-mail they then send you within a day (if you don't get it go back to the site and do it again). Then your vote will have been cast. Not that difficult really.
The winner of the 2011, 11th annual weblog awards or Bloggies as they are also known gets the astounding prize of 2,011 U.S. cents, or $20.11 U.S. But more important, are the bragging rights. I can't remember if Mr. London Street has won before or not. I seem to remember reading that he did. If so, it wouldn't be a surprise to me as, from what little I have read, it is extremely funny.
Now I have probably, no definitely, put the cart before the horse in telling you all about voting for his blog before even telling you a little about it. I will correct that oversight now. Without cribbing his very funny stories, I will simply tell you a few that I read that I think you should check out. On the right hand side again, a little ways down you will find a section called Selected Highlights, 2010 Edition - The One... Under that pick ...about the Other Side, ...where I explain the birds and the bees, and finally ... which contains shaved testicles.
There is also two recent ones. One is from February 3, 2011 called Chemistry. It is about a quirky friendship of sorts with a rather unique male co-worker. One is from February 6, 2011 and is called Running Mates and is an interview with a fellow nominee for a Bloggie Award but in a different category. His category is Best Entertainment Blog. The guy he interviews writes a movie review related blog called The Kid in the Front Row. You can link to it at the bottom of the Mr. London Street post. There is a companion post on TKITFR's blog where Mr. London Street is being interviewed by him as well.
Anyway, do check out these two blogs Mr. London Street and The Kid in the Front Row. Especially Mr London Street as this is the one I actually picked to talk about. The Kid in the Front Row is just a bonus because of the post on the dual interviews being one of MLS's best recent posts. Also, who doesn't like a movie blog. As well, if it wasn't Mr. London Street who previously won a Bloggie, then it was Kid in the Front Row. I know I read that one of them did. Maybe even multiple times. Well that's it for today.
Carmen
First off too, I should probably give credit where it's due. And oddly enough, that's to AAYSR again. I hadn't been there at their extreme review site ( http://www.iwillfuckingtearyouapart.blogspot.com/ ) much since not long after my review in August last year. I decided to start with the present and work my way back in the previous posts to when I was last there. It just works better that way based on how they are set up.
I only got to the beginning of December/the end of November because of all the digressions I was taking to the reviewed blogs, the blogs on their blogrolls, and the blogs of those on those blogrolls too! LOL. Even after planning to avoid the reviewed blogs themselves (and therefore all that came after) until catching up on all the reviews. Aah, "the best laid plans of mice and Carmen".
It's a blog called http://mrlondonstreet.blogspot.com/ It is a blog that is actually up for an award right now. If you like it as much as I did please vote for it to help the guy win. You can click on the link to the awards on the top right hand side of his blog. When you get there click on the European choice on the left side as he is in the running for Best European Blog. Hurry though, voting ends on February 20th and the prize is awarded February 27th.
When you go to vote, also know that when you get the nominees pop up after you click on the European option, there will be about five different choices. If you click on both the name of the blog or the picture either way it will take you to the blog to have a look (in case you want to check out the other nominees). To actually vote you have to look a little harder.
In the bottom right hand corner of the picture is a little white box. click on that and it will check it off and then ask for your e-mail which is required for voting so that they know you have only voted for each category once. In order to finalize your vote you must then check your e-mail and click on a link in the e-mail they then send you within a day (if you don't get it go back to the site and do it again). Then your vote will have been cast. Not that difficult really.
The winner of the 2011, 11th annual weblog awards or Bloggies as they are also known gets the astounding prize of 2,011 U.S. cents, or $20.11 U.S. But more important, are the bragging rights. I can't remember if Mr. London Street has won before or not. I seem to remember reading that he did. If so, it wouldn't be a surprise to me as, from what little I have read, it is extremely funny.
Now I have probably, no definitely, put the cart before the horse in telling you all about voting for his blog before even telling you a little about it. I will correct that oversight now. Without cribbing his very funny stories, I will simply tell you a few that I read that I think you should check out. On the right hand side again, a little ways down you will find a section called Selected Highlights, 2010 Edition - The One... Under that pick ...about the Other Side, ...where I explain the birds and the bees, and finally ... which contains shaved testicles.
There is also two recent ones. One is from February 3, 2011 called Chemistry. It is about a quirky friendship of sorts with a rather unique male co-worker. One is from February 6, 2011 and is called Running Mates and is an interview with a fellow nominee for a Bloggie Award but in a different category. His category is Best Entertainment Blog. The guy he interviews writes a movie review related blog called The Kid in the Front Row. You can link to it at the bottom of the Mr. London Street post. There is a companion post on TKITFR's blog where Mr. London Street is being interviewed by him as well.
Anyway, do check out these two blogs Mr. London Street and The Kid in the Front Row. Especially Mr London Street as this is the one I actually picked to talk about. The Kid in the Front Row is just a bonus because of the post on the dual interviews being one of MLS's best recent posts. Also, who doesn't like a movie blog. As well, if it wasn't Mr. London Street who previously won a Bloggie, then it was Kid in the Front Row. I know I read that one of them did. Maybe even multiple times. Well that's it for today.
Carmen
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Hey Rocky, Watch Me Pull A Rabbit Out Of My Hat
Happy Chinese New Year's. This year is the "Year Of The Rabbit". According to http://www.theholidayspot.com/chinese-new-year/ the year of the rabbit is "a placid year" following the "ferocious" year of the tiger.
It starts today, February 3rd and lasts 15 days until the next full moon when it ends with a night-time lantern festival.
I didn't do anything to celebrate it today but I think I will in the very near future make up a list of indeterminate length of resolutions. After all it is my last chance of sorts.
Chinese New Year's has always been my last minute resolution stop ever since I can remember. First there is New Year's Day, then comes my second kick at the can, Ukrainian New Year's. Finally, third time presumably lucky (and Chinese being more into lucky things I think) Chinese New Year's.
I guess the future is now. Now being as good a time as any. So what are these resolutions? How about a list. I've seen so many on other blogs. My first I think. The time seems ripe for it here. So here goes...
1. Lose some weight. A serious amount! No less than 25 pounds and no more than 100 for now as I worry about baggy skin.
2. Go swimming 10 laps to start/3 times a week at least and take a "brisk" 30 minute walk daily (in a mall if necessary).
3. Do my taxes in a timely fashion. Fix up the previous years in need of it. Further resolve to do it on yearly basis.
4. Read and save my mail in a serious, adult fashion that involves a filing system. Do not wait to open my mail ever!
5. Get a new part-time job at H&S temporarily before trying back at Xentel in April of this year as per Jatin's suggestion.
6. Pick a charity to sponsor for the year and donate the $30ish dollars I save on an AISH bus pass monthly when working.
7. Blog on a regular basis. Eventually resubmit to AAYSR review site. Save for a Cutest Blog On The Block package.
8. Read 5 different blogs on a daily basis for inspiration for my blog as well as for my Toastmasters speeches.
9. Go to the library and read 5 different newspapers & newsmagazines weekly for the above reason as well.
10. Take Mom out to lunch/dinner once a month after I start working. Try and get her to go to new places sometimes.
11 Call friends/family on a more regular basis. Remember that we do have un-limited long distance for a reason.
12. Write letters where calling is not possible or when a card/letter is the more appropriate choice.
13. Always have my calling cards and my "info-lets" to hand out as needed. Make sure to always have pens and extra paper too.
14. Write in a paper version of a diary daily - both as inspiration for blogging regularly and to have an alternate "voice".
15. Go through all the papers/magazines I have on my desk and nightstand on a regular basis and keep the piles to a minimum.
16. Sort through the 3 or 4 remaining drawers in my plastic cabinets and organize/rework/purge what is in them.
17. Plow through the 3000-5000 backed-up emails at live.com main email and get it down to a daily amount then check daily.
18. Go to Goodreads, AVEN, IMdB, and other sites I belong to on a more regular basis of at least once per week if not more.
19. Complete my new CTM/equivalent in 1 TM dues period if possible - 2 tops. Do some "outside" speeches if necessary with 1/2 @ my club.
20. Take a TM officer position if they continue to offer it but find out exactly what's involved & plan accordingly.
21. Re-do my parlimentary procedure & my contest judges training again by end of calendar year. Also do a speech contest as participant.
22. Attend this years AGM at UCE to put parlimentary procedure skills to work as well as attend some city council meetings when I can.
23. Learn about civic/provincial/federal issues and candidates well in advance of the next elections for each of the above. Then vote strategically.
24. Find a volunteer job. UCE Sunday School, Lung Association, Food Bank, Bissell Centre, Food Not Bombs, etc. are all some good possibilities.
25. Go back to O.A. Ask K.C. if she wants to do this too. If L.U. is still there try to "make amends". Get and use a sponsor this time. Make a F.P & E.P.
26. Use a mentor in TM this time around. When I reach CTM/equivalent level offer to be one. Keep/get new mentor as needed for next level of certification.
27. Take a sales training &/or writing/editing course through continuing education if it is a "reasonable" price. Find a partner to go with if I can.
28. Keep up with Laura at Mental Health about job status and also about my possible attendance at Highwood to do my diploma and not a G.E.D.
29. Help Katherine with potentially finding a new apartment in a better location transportation-wise and use that experience to consider my options.
30. See if L.B. is willing/able to be reasonable and if I can get my stuff back from her. If she does decide to do this, don't let her "bully" me this time.
31. Use my digital camera and learn how to upload and print (after getting printer hooked up finally). Get Virginia, etc. to show me how to do it.
32. Start adding pictures to my blog or if it doesn't suit the background and I can't or decide not to change it then start a 2nd blog for pictures too.
33. Get my scrapbooking materials from Mom's place, cautiously buy what else I need to do a full, smail album. Is Jin or K.C is interested in doing it too.
34. Find out from Karen about the writing for money (to a paypal account - set one up) site she uses called __________. Try & write sometime daily/weekly.
35. Get Larissa to make good on her promise (of 1-1/2 years! ago) from back at the Life Without Limits Challenge. Try and get this done by the 2 year mark.
36. Buy a single Lotto-Max ticket weekly as it is hard to hit the jackpot without an actual ticket. LOL. Have "my pie" divided and my exit strategy in place.
37. Continue to do the Random Acts of Kindness gifts both small (Werthers, Sweet & Low Candies) and larger (Purdy's, etc. cards). Set a goal and a limit.
38. Always carry adequate money for a payphone/to use someone else's cellphone esp. but not limited to if I decide to stop using my Telus cellphone.
39 Have one package or portion thereof of bus tickets in case my bus pass is ever lost/stolen & to possibly help out people. Keep separate from pass.
40. Clean out purse & any carrying bag daily. Do this so I can safely carry food, important papers needing later filing, etc. Give set time to do this.
41. Remember people's birthdays/special days with a card. Try to find a blank card to personalize when possible. Use dollar store/find sales due to volume.
42. Save money in a rainy day (emergency) fund. Try to save $25 per check when working and $25 a month when simply getting my monthly benefits.
43. Drink more water. Try for the oft-quoted 8 glasses a day amount. Carry a non-toxic water bottle with me in my tote bag or in my purse, ie. Nolan one.
44. Eat salad or raw vegetables every day. Use far less dressing and possibly even low-fat/low-sugar varieties. Vary the vegetables even if I end up buying.
45. Tell ten people something nice every day. Try and make it specific & out-of-the-ordinary when I can. Do this for family/friends/strangers alike.
46. Make a list of affirmations for myself. Post them within my room at "Veggie House" and at Mom's, and general ones in common areas incl. work.
47. Continue to use bus link, and the complaints and commendations line at ETS on a regular basis. Also start utilizing the safety line as well.
48. Write a to=do list daily and also do a weekly and a monthly version. Use the check off boxes & numbering system. Write in pen and check in red felt.
49. Be prepared to add/subtract from this list as needed but check it daily either first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Be flexible about it.
50. At the end of each month (and finally at the end of the calendar year or next Chinese New Years!) make a written list of now well I did. Then celebrate.
As I said, and then amended myself, at the beginning the time went from in the near future to now and as you can see the "indeterminate length" was soon to be decided on 50 items.
I picked 50 because a lot of my resolutions where in twos and therefore 50 was the best number for a major (and in some cases minor or "glossy"/"detailed") list to fully renovate my life. A resolution make-over if you will.
A make-over seems appropriate since it is also a bit of a do-over what with the 3rd time lucky Chinese New Years version of resolution mania. Now it's just a matter of starting out keeping them.
One thing will make it easier though, I think. I picked both small and large things and with the large things made them "measureable" as they say for the most part. And to further make it easier I will try to capture my successes (and failures) here in periodic update posts.
I'll end this with a few final thoughts. First, do let me know what you think of my resolutions. Too much? Not realistic? Ambitious? Silly? Also, which ones do you think are more important to keep? Which ones inspired you (if any) or made you laugh at their triviality perhaps? Second, if you blog, consider a list of your own.
Carmen
P.S. If you aren't a blogger but are a commenter consider giving me a few of your resolutions - big or small - to see how they compare. And Happy (Chinese) New Year. Again.
It starts today, February 3rd and lasts 15 days until the next full moon when it ends with a night-time lantern festival.
I didn't do anything to celebrate it today but I think I will in the very near future make up a list of indeterminate length of resolutions. After all it is my last chance of sorts.
Chinese New Year's has always been my last minute resolution stop ever since I can remember. First there is New Year's Day, then comes my second kick at the can, Ukrainian New Year's. Finally, third time presumably lucky (and Chinese being more into lucky things I think) Chinese New Year's.
I guess the future is now. Now being as good a time as any. So what are these resolutions? How about a list. I've seen so many on other blogs. My first I think. The time seems ripe for it here. So here goes...
1. Lose some weight. A serious amount! No less than 25 pounds and no more than 100 for now as I worry about baggy skin.
2. Go swimming 10 laps to start/3 times a week at least and take a "brisk" 30 minute walk daily (in a mall if necessary).
3. Do my taxes in a timely fashion. Fix up the previous years in need of it. Further resolve to do it on yearly basis.
4. Read and save my mail in a serious, adult fashion that involves a filing system. Do not wait to open my mail ever!
5. Get a new part-time job at H&S temporarily before trying back at Xentel in April of this year as per Jatin's suggestion.
6. Pick a charity to sponsor for the year and donate the $30ish dollars I save on an AISH bus pass monthly when working.
7. Blog on a regular basis. Eventually resubmit to AAYSR review site. Save for a Cutest Blog On The Block package.
8. Read 5 different blogs on a daily basis for inspiration for my blog as well as for my Toastmasters speeches.
9. Go to the library and read 5 different newspapers & newsmagazines weekly for the above reason as well.
10. Take Mom out to lunch/dinner once a month after I start working. Try and get her to go to new places sometimes.
11 Call friends/family on a more regular basis. Remember that we do have un-limited long distance for a reason.
12. Write letters where calling is not possible or when a card/letter is the more appropriate choice.
13. Always have my calling cards and my "info-lets" to hand out as needed. Make sure to always have pens and extra paper too.
14. Write in a paper version of a diary daily - both as inspiration for blogging regularly and to have an alternate "voice".
15. Go through all the papers/magazines I have on my desk and nightstand on a regular basis and keep the piles to a minimum.
16. Sort through the 3 or 4 remaining drawers in my plastic cabinets and organize/rework/purge what is in them.
17. Plow through the 3000-5000 backed-up emails at live.com main email and get it down to a daily amount then check daily.
18. Go to Goodreads, AVEN, IMdB, and other sites I belong to on a more regular basis of at least once per week if not more.
19. Complete my new CTM/equivalent in 1 TM dues period if possible - 2 tops. Do some "outside" speeches if necessary with 1/2 @ my club.
20. Take a TM officer position if they continue to offer it but find out exactly what's involved & plan accordingly.
21. Re-do my parlimentary procedure & my contest judges training again by end of calendar year. Also do a speech contest as participant.
22. Attend this years AGM at UCE to put parlimentary procedure skills to work as well as attend some city council meetings when I can.
23. Learn about civic/provincial/federal issues and candidates well in advance of the next elections for each of the above. Then vote strategically.
24. Find a volunteer job. UCE Sunday School, Lung Association, Food Bank, Bissell Centre, Food Not Bombs, etc. are all some good possibilities.
25. Go back to O.A. Ask K.C. if she wants to do this too. If L.U. is still there try to "make amends". Get and use a sponsor this time. Make a F.P & E.P.
26. Use a mentor in TM this time around. When I reach CTM/equivalent level offer to be one. Keep/get new mentor as needed for next level of certification.
27. Take a sales training &/or writing/editing course through continuing education if it is a "reasonable" price. Find a partner to go with if I can.
28. Keep up with Laura at Mental Health about job status and also about my possible attendance at Highwood to do my diploma and not a G.E.D.
29. Help Katherine with potentially finding a new apartment in a better location transportation-wise and use that experience to consider my options.
30. See if L.B. is willing/able to be reasonable and if I can get my stuff back from her. If she does decide to do this, don't let her "bully" me this time.
31. Use my digital camera and learn how to upload and print (after getting printer hooked up finally). Get Virginia, etc. to show me how to do it.
32. Start adding pictures to my blog or if it doesn't suit the background and I can't or decide not to change it then start a 2nd blog for pictures too.
33. Get my scrapbooking materials from Mom's place, cautiously buy what else I need to do a full, smail album. Is Jin or K.C is interested in doing it too.
34. Find out from Karen about the writing for money (to a paypal account - set one up) site she uses called __________. Try & write sometime daily/weekly.
35. Get Larissa to make good on her promise (of 1-1/2 years! ago) from back at the Life Without Limits Challenge. Try and get this done by the 2 year mark.
36. Buy a single Lotto-Max ticket weekly as it is hard to hit the jackpot without an actual ticket. LOL. Have "my pie" divided and my exit strategy in place.
37. Continue to do the Random Acts of Kindness gifts both small (Werthers, Sweet & Low Candies) and larger (Purdy's, etc. cards). Set a goal and a limit.
38. Always carry adequate money for a payphone/to use someone else's cellphone esp. but not limited to if I decide to stop using my Telus cellphone.
39 Have one package or portion thereof of bus tickets in case my bus pass is ever lost/stolen & to possibly help out people. Keep separate from pass.
40. Clean out purse & any carrying bag daily. Do this so I can safely carry food, important papers needing later filing, etc. Give set time to do this.
41. Remember people's birthdays/special days with a card. Try to find a blank card to personalize when possible. Use dollar store/find sales due to volume.
42. Save money in a rainy day (emergency) fund. Try to save $25 per check when working and $25 a month when simply getting my monthly benefits.
43. Drink more water. Try for the oft-quoted 8 glasses a day amount. Carry a non-toxic water bottle with me in my tote bag or in my purse, ie. Nolan one.
44. Eat salad or raw vegetables every day. Use far less dressing and possibly even low-fat/low-sugar varieties. Vary the vegetables even if I end up buying.
45. Tell ten people something nice every day. Try and make it specific & out-of-the-ordinary when I can. Do this for family/friends/strangers alike.
46. Make a list of affirmations for myself. Post them within my room at "Veggie House" and at Mom's, and general ones in common areas incl. work.
47. Continue to use bus link, and the complaints and commendations line at ETS on a regular basis. Also start utilizing the safety line as well.
48. Write a to=do list daily and also do a weekly and a monthly version. Use the check off boxes & numbering system. Write in pen and check in red felt.
49. Be prepared to add/subtract from this list as needed but check it daily either first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Be flexible about it.
50. At the end of each month (and finally at the end of the calendar year or next Chinese New Years!) make a written list of now well I did. Then celebrate.
As I said, and then amended myself, at the beginning the time went from in the near future to now and as you can see the "indeterminate length" was soon to be decided on 50 items.
I picked 50 because a lot of my resolutions where in twos and therefore 50 was the best number for a major (and in some cases minor or "glossy"/"detailed") list to fully renovate my life. A resolution make-over if you will.
A make-over seems appropriate since it is also a bit of a do-over what with the 3rd time lucky Chinese New Years version of resolution mania. Now it's just a matter of starting out keeping them.
One thing will make it easier though, I think. I picked both small and large things and with the large things made them "measureable" as they say for the most part. And to further make it easier I will try to capture my successes (and failures) here in periodic update posts.
I'll end this with a few final thoughts. First, do let me know what you think of my resolutions. Too much? Not realistic? Ambitious? Silly? Also, which ones do you think are more important to keep? Which ones inspired you (if any) or made you laugh at their triviality perhaps? Second, if you blog, consider a list of your own.
Carmen
P.S. If you aren't a blogger but are a commenter consider giving me a few of your resolutions - big or small - to see how they compare. And Happy (Chinese) New Year. Again.
A Marmot, A Mass And A "Memo"
Yesterday, for various reasons, I neglected to note in my two posts for the day that it was, in fact, Groundhog Day. This can not be considered a slight oversight as Groundhog Day has assumed, in my mind anyway, the position of actual holiday.
If for no other reason than one of the better films of fairly recent times in the greater scheme of movie history is, of course, Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. So much so that I even bought it with the idea of celebrating the day with a yearly viewing. LOL. That's the marmot aspect of this post.
There is also a "fantastic occasion of greater importance" according to http://www.theholidayspot.com/ called Candlemas. This is a religious holiday for Roman Catholics and Anglicians, etc so I won't go into it much except to say that if I was more religious then the idea of blessing all the candles to be used throughout the coming year as it does would seem "quaint" for lack of a better term. This is the mass aspect of the post.
Finally the "memo". I told FJ, in the comment section of my last post, that I would probably talk briefly about the details of "the funny" that I purposely left out of the post. I did this under the impression that it was more of a you had to be there moment, but well, he did ask. So here goes.
The three funniest words or phrases that people on the blogger coffee shop forum came up with that annoy the shit out of them were "that's sick", "bangin'", and especially "a whole 'nother". Like I said you had to be there. The nominators reasons really made it. For instance, the "whole 'nother guy was practically frothing pointing out that it would have to be short for "a whole another" which makes no sense. Truly. And he's absolutely, hilariously right.
So the "memo" aspect of the post is in actual fact a "in-the-body-of-the-post P.S." that made for better alliteration and the ability to use the law of the threes in my title and I'm nothing if not "pedantic" about my titles. Almost as much, maybe more than my spacing as mentioned in a long ago post.
Carmen
P.S. Both quaint and pedantic were put in quotation marks because I wasn't sure - until checking with dictionary.com - that I had the essense of how I wanted to use the word right. I did, but I left them that way to show that there was some thought put into those words and using them correctly.
If for no other reason than one of the better films of fairly recent times in the greater scheme of movie history is, of course, Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. So much so that I even bought it with the idea of celebrating the day with a yearly viewing. LOL. That's the marmot aspect of this post.
There is also a "fantastic occasion of greater importance" according to http://www.theholidayspot.com/ called Candlemas. This is a religious holiday for Roman Catholics and Anglicians, etc so I won't go into it much except to say that if I was more religious then the idea of blessing all the candles to be used throughout the coming year as it does would seem "quaint" for lack of a better term. This is the mass aspect of the post.
Finally the "memo". I told FJ, in the comment section of my last post, that I would probably talk briefly about the details of "the funny" that I purposely left out of the post. I did this under the impression that it was more of a you had to be there moment, but well, he did ask. So here goes.
The three funniest words or phrases that people on the blogger coffee shop forum came up with that annoy the shit out of them were "that's sick", "bangin'", and especially "a whole 'nother". Like I said you had to be there. The nominators reasons really made it. For instance, the "whole 'nother guy was practically frothing pointing out that it would have to be short for "a whole another" which makes no sense. Truly. And he's absolutely, hilariously right.
So the "memo" aspect of the post is in actual fact a "in-the-body-of-the-post P.S." that made for better alliteration and the ability to use the law of the threes in my title and I'm nothing if not "pedantic" about my titles. Almost as much, maybe more than my spacing as mentioned in a long ago post.
Carmen
P.S. Both quaint and pedantic were put in quotation marks because I wasn't sure - until checking with dictionary.com - that I had the essense of how I wanted to use the word right. I did, but I left them that way to show that there was some thought put into those words and using them correctly.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Serendipity, Friends ... and Berries ... and Cows
Back again. I was just sweeping the floor and I came across a fancy picture frame that the main staff lady here at the house bought on shopping day a few months back.
It is a black frame the has the word Friends written on the top and six smaller boxes for individual pictures to be placed in.
I was looking at it again as I have in the past since it was first purchased and aside from being quite attractive with it's six b&w pictures of model versions of friends in a matching b&w frame it never fails to impress(?) me about the serendipity of Virginia having found it.
You see, there are six women living here in this house and that was what made her buy the frame. While friends may be overstating the roommate situation most of us have a little bit (friendly is more the word) it was a nice thought that worked out numbers-wise.
When I was looking to write a little something on the picture frame and my musings I questioned whether I really was using the word serendipity right. So I checked it out on dictionary.com. Yes, I was right but for those of you still wondering about the word I will give the definition(s) they gave.
The first one of the two listed was what applies here. It is as follows ... "an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident". The second in case anyone is wondering was simply "good fortune; luck". I guess it applies as well, if not as nicely. It also listed a synonym that I also like ... happenstance.
I would also like to direct those interested to the dictionary.com site as they have other things on there like the listing of the origins of the word. For instance, if we go back to the word serendipity, it actually was coined in reference to the characters in a book from the 1700's called "The Three Princes of Serendip".
If you are interested in the origins of the above in a little more detail, check out dictionary.com yourself. Other things they have on the site are lists of "like words", quotes(!) and a thesaurus. I will briefly mention the like words and the quotes before stepping back and talking a little more about the friends angle.
The like words included serendipper if you can believe it. Personally, I think that is a stupid way to conjugate (if that is the right word) the word serendipity. Another "like word" was serendipity-berry. Also known more commonly it seems, as the miracle berry, it is African berries (2) that when chewed turn sour things sweet!
Now for the quote. There is a random quote button that I tried about a dozen times but none of the quotes that came up rivaled the original quote that brought me to the button. The first quote was by advice columnist Ann Landers from what they attribute to a August 21, 1989 Time magazine article. Here it is ...
... "I don't believe that you have to be a cow to know what milk is." It goes on to say that she was 'explaining why, despite her untroubled Midwestern upbringing, she felt qualified to advise people with serious problems.' Well said.
Maybe not the best way to look at the subject considering the proliferation of advice doctor's like Dr Phil, Dr Drew (oh so gorgeous Dr Drew - sigh - lol), but still it does make some sense and is a pretty cute saying.
Well back to the friends. I said that me and my roommates aren't exactly friends but I can definitely say that I am not worried that it's a Leighton Meester movie (the soon to be released The Roommate) waiting to happen. LOL.
Carmen
It is a black frame the has the word Friends written on the top and six smaller boxes for individual pictures to be placed in.
I was looking at it again as I have in the past since it was first purchased and aside from being quite attractive with it's six b&w pictures of model versions of friends in a matching b&w frame it never fails to impress(?) me about the serendipity of Virginia having found it.
You see, there are six women living here in this house and that was what made her buy the frame. While friends may be overstating the roommate situation most of us have a little bit (friendly is more the word) it was a nice thought that worked out numbers-wise.
When I was looking to write a little something on the picture frame and my musings I questioned whether I really was using the word serendipity right. So I checked it out on dictionary.com. Yes, I was right but for those of you still wondering about the word I will give the definition(s) they gave.
The first one of the two listed was what applies here. It is as follows ... "an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident". The second in case anyone is wondering was simply "good fortune; luck". I guess it applies as well, if not as nicely. It also listed a synonym that I also like ... happenstance.
I would also like to direct those interested to the dictionary.com site as they have other things on there like the listing of the origins of the word. For instance, if we go back to the word serendipity, it actually was coined in reference to the characters in a book from the 1700's called "The Three Princes of Serendip".
If you are interested in the origins of the above in a little more detail, check out dictionary.com yourself. Other things they have on the site are lists of "like words", quotes(!) and a thesaurus. I will briefly mention the like words and the quotes before stepping back and talking a little more about the friends angle.
The like words included serendipper if you can believe it. Personally, I think that is a stupid way to conjugate (if that is the right word) the word serendipity. Another "like word" was serendipity-berry. Also known more commonly it seems, as the miracle berry, it is African berries (2) that when chewed turn sour things sweet!
Now for the quote. There is a random quote button that I tried about a dozen times but none of the quotes that came up rivaled the original quote that brought me to the button. The first quote was by advice columnist Ann Landers from what they attribute to a August 21, 1989 Time magazine article. Here it is ...
... "I don't believe that you have to be a cow to know what milk is." It goes on to say that she was 'explaining why, despite her untroubled Midwestern upbringing, she felt qualified to advise people with serious problems.' Well said.
Maybe not the best way to look at the subject considering the proliferation of advice doctor's like Dr Phil, Dr Drew (oh so gorgeous Dr Drew - sigh - lol), but still it does make some sense and is a pretty cute saying.
Well back to the friends. I said that me and my roommates aren't exactly friends but I can definitely say that I am not worried that it's a Leighton Meester movie (the soon to be released The Roommate) waiting to happen. LOL.
Carmen
Laugh Till You ... Cry
Hi again. So I was at the blogger coffee shop forum and I was reading about some non-blogging topics. They had me laughing so hard that I was gasping for air, my stomach hurt (and I mean really hurt) and I actually vomited. Yes vomited.
I didn't actually cry (this time) but the title would have been gross if I had made it more accurate. So this is just a little post where I am going to ask the question what makes you laugh till you ____________.
Oh, and if anyone is interested one of the two "offending" forum post questions I was reading (can't remember the other) was about words/phrases that annoy the shit out of people.
Now I could tell you what some of them were, but I think that if you aren't already a blogger member you should join so you can start blogging too and I can find even more blogs to read. Then you can find out too.
Carmen
I didn't actually cry (this time) but the title would have been gross if I had made it more accurate. So this is just a little post where I am going to ask the question what makes you laugh till you ____________.
Oh, and if anyone is interested one of the two "offending" forum post questions I was reading (can't remember the other) was about words/phrases that annoy the shit out of people.
Now I could tell you what some of them were, but I think that if you aren't already a blogger member you should join so you can start blogging too and I can find even more blogs to read. Then you can find out too.
Carmen
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
"Schooled" By A Religious Drunk!
Hi again. When it rains it pours. Second time posting today. When I was at the aforementioned (see last post) movies something funny happened on the way home. I thought it deserved it's own post/title.
Katherine and I had just gotten on our second and final bus to head back to mom's place for dinner and were sitting in our pretty much usual places on the bus when they are available. Up front near the driver. Call us Bus Driver Loonies, Greg. LOL
Well, that meant I was sitting in the first seats facing the side and Katherine was sitting in the first front facing seats just behind me. About one or two seats separated us.
I was just starting to tell Katherine what I considered to be a very funny story - which because this story was funny but infuriating at the same time I don't actually remember! LOL.
Anyway, just as I start to tell my now forgotten story a homeless type man gets on. He was a pleasant looking man albeit quite scruffy and carrying a big black plastic bag. Well the pleasant looking younger, darker version of character actor Cecil Kellaway was only pleasant in that one regard.
Immediately after boarding the bus and only seconds into my planned story, this man plunked himself down directly between Katherine and me and started talking to Katherine even though I was clearly already talking to her!
As this was pointly and not the slightest bit just mildly rude but really pretty outrageous (to me anyway) I decided I was not going to stand for it. Just about seething would be an accurate description of my mood.
Nevertheless, I didn't tell him where to go and how to get there. I merely decided not to "give up the floor" to him, so to speak. So I tried to continue talking as if he wasn't even there. A mere pesky little fly if you will. Didn't work.
I tried this numerous times over several minutes (or what seemed like it). As I said it didn't work. Probably because he was directly in between Katherine and myself. It didn't help matters any either that Katherine was actually responding to him. The nerve.
This of course, made me even madder. LOL. At the end of this story though, you will see why I ended up actually being glad that she was paying some attention to him. If she hadn't we might never have known why he did what he did. And it's funny! At least I think so.
So, back to where I left off. I had been trying, without success, for several minutes it seemed to get him to stop interrupting me until I finally snapped. Well, snapped might be a bit of an exageration but I did get snappy at the very least.
I finally stopped trying to talk over him (pointless!) and said to him directly "Do you mind if I finish my conversation with my friend!". And sweet as pie (aargh) he says something like "not at all". As if nothing had happened!
As I said before, the story I told Katherine is now lost to the sands of time (and infuriation!). What happened next, happened after we got off the bus. I confronted Katherine (mildly - as I could concede even in my state that it wasn't that much her fault) about her actually letting that oaf interrupt me.
That brings us to the funny. Seems he told her something like that he was 1) very religious and 2) had just had about 10(!) beers - not sure how the two connected in his mind other than maybe they were just the two biggest things of note about him.
I guess, according to Katherine, these revelations were both followed with "praise the lords" "hallelujahs" "hail mary's" or somesuch. Most of what else he said she said she didn't understand. Probably because of the 10 beers. LOL.
But she did get one last important thing. Apparently, he told her why he planted himself between us and interrupted. It seems it was on purpose.
Being God's little angel he decided upon boarding the bus that we were gossipping. And it was his job to save us from this!
How sweet! How noble! How very big of him! LOL.
Carmen
Katherine and I had just gotten on our second and final bus to head back to mom's place for dinner and were sitting in our pretty much usual places on the bus when they are available. Up front near the driver. Call us Bus Driver Loonies, Greg. LOL
Well, that meant I was sitting in the first seats facing the side and Katherine was sitting in the first front facing seats just behind me. About one or two seats separated us.
I was just starting to tell Katherine what I considered to be a very funny story - which because this story was funny but infuriating at the same time I don't actually remember! LOL.
Anyway, just as I start to tell my now forgotten story a homeless type man gets on. He was a pleasant looking man albeit quite scruffy and carrying a big black plastic bag. Well the pleasant looking younger, darker version of character actor Cecil Kellaway was only pleasant in that one regard.
Immediately after boarding the bus and only seconds into my planned story, this man plunked himself down directly between Katherine and me and started talking to Katherine even though I was clearly already talking to her!
As this was pointly and not the slightest bit just mildly rude but really pretty outrageous (to me anyway) I decided I was not going to stand for it. Just about seething would be an accurate description of my mood.
Nevertheless, I didn't tell him where to go and how to get there. I merely decided not to "give up the floor" to him, so to speak. So I tried to continue talking as if he wasn't even there. A mere pesky little fly if you will. Didn't work.
I tried this numerous times over several minutes (or what seemed like it). As I said it didn't work. Probably because he was directly in between Katherine and myself. It didn't help matters any either that Katherine was actually responding to him. The nerve.
This of course, made me even madder. LOL. At the end of this story though, you will see why I ended up actually being glad that she was paying some attention to him. If she hadn't we might never have known why he did what he did. And it's funny! At least I think so.
So, back to where I left off. I had been trying, without success, for several minutes it seemed to get him to stop interrupting me until I finally snapped. Well, snapped might be a bit of an exageration but I did get snappy at the very least.
I finally stopped trying to talk over him (pointless!) and said to him directly "Do you mind if I finish my conversation with my friend!". And sweet as pie (aargh) he says something like "not at all". As if nothing had happened!
As I said before, the story I told Katherine is now lost to the sands of time (and infuriation!). What happened next, happened after we got off the bus. I confronted Katherine (mildly - as I could concede even in my state that it wasn't that much her fault) about her actually letting that oaf interrupt me.
That brings us to the funny. Seems he told her something like that he was 1) very religious and 2) had just had about 10(!) beers - not sure how the two connected in his mind other than maybe they were just the two biggest things of note about him.
I guess, according to Katherine, these revelations were both followed with "praise the lords" "hallelujahs" "hail mary's" or somesuch. Most of what else he said she said she didn't understand. Probably because of the 10 beers. LOL.
But she did get one last important thing. Apparently, he told her why he planted himself between us and interrupted. It seems it was on purpose.
Being God's little angel he decided upon boarding the bus that we were gossipping. And it was his job to save us from this!
How sweet! How noble! How very big of him! LOL.
Carmen
Movie! Movie! and (One More) Movie!
The title was supposed to be Movies, Movies and More Movies but I changed it since "we" will be talking about exactly three. Two and then one. Just like the title says.
About two weeks ago I went and saw two movies in a row again (the time before it was Life As You Know It and Due Date as I mentioned in a previous post). This time it was The Social Network with Jesse Eisenberg and How Do You Know with Reese Witherspoon.
Got to the theatre a little late, what with the ticket and concession lines both to contend with, to see the trailers or even the first few minutes of The Social Network. Not an auspicious start. Especially considering the point where I came in.
The Mark Zuckerberg (Eisenberg) character was reeling off a list of colleges where he wanted to get into their info and was explaining the tech issues at each one - in about a mile a minute voice. Snore. Annoying snore.
But it got better from there. Much better. I had wanted to see TSN sort of, but when it came time to put money and time into it I wasn't really sure. I thought it might be quite dry/boring. It really wasn't.
Surprisingly, there were a lot of funny moments. None of which I can really put my finger on. Partly because it was two weeks ago and partly because it was mostly one liners I think. Mainly, the Zuckerberg/Eisenberg character being a smartass.
I thought it was worth seeing. Being in a "dollar" theatre didn't hurt matters either but although I wouldn't have bothered seeing it in a first-run theatre, I'd say it would have been worth it. It definitely had its share of laughs.
Then came How Do You Know. This one was a surprise of sorts. First of all, I wasn't really sure I'd be going to two movies that day as I wasn't sure about Burlesque (which I still haven't seen - more on that later maybe). I hadn't planned on seeing HDYK since although I was looking forward to this movie for some time, it's name had me drawing a blank.
I only amended my choice to it, instead of likely seeing Burlesque with TSN, because I spied a poster of it in the entrance. I was a bit surprised it was already in the cheaper theatre. I'm not sure why as I guess it had been out long enough.
HDYK not only stars Witherspoon but also Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd along with a small but funny part for a favorite actor of my mom's - Jack Nicholson. The baseball angle was thankfully kept to a bare minimum.
Perhaps it was because, as my brother said when he asked me what I saw (he knows when I've been to the movies because he gets the leftover popcorn - lol), he commented on how unbelievable he thought it that RW would be baseball star.
I r-e-a-l-l-y enjoyed this movie. I think I am a poor judge of a movie's originality as I think of myself as a pretty easy audience for the most part but I definitely enjoyed this and would say it "didn't smell like day-old fish" to me.
Even more so than Social Network maybe, I would say check out How Do You Know. It was certainly a fun movie considering it's two "themes" were about unfortunate situations. I say maybe because while I liked HDYK a bit more, TSN was very good too.
See what I mean about an easy audience! LOL. Anyway, the final movie I saw I saw this last weekend with my friend Katherine was the Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp movie The Tourist. I also enjoyed this. I'll leave it at this - really liked the ending.
And no I don't mean, I was glad it was over. LOL. Although it was very predictable in many places (except for two notable exceptions at the beginning) and not at all realistic even for this type of film I enjoyed it. The leads were a nice pairing.
Well, that's it for my Roger Eberting for this week. I would have had to say that with the recent loss of my job that I probably wouldn't be seeing as many movies till I start working but for my Christmas gift of a bit of a sizeable gift card.
I will however, probably be cutting back at the concession though as you can literally eat through a gift card pretty fast at the concession.
Carmen
PS. One nice thing happened when Katherine and I were waiting in line for our single show we saw this past weekend - turns out someone passed Katherine (who gives off a charming older lady vibe - lol) several coupons to get in for seventy-five cents each. And I thought $3.50 was good!
About two weeks ago I went and saw two movies in a row again (the time before it was Life As You Know It and Due Date as I mentioned in a previous post). This time it was The Social Network with Jesse Eisenberg and How Do You Know with Reese Witherspoon.
Got to the theatre a little late, what with the ticket and concession lines both to contend with, to see the trailers or even the first few minutes of The Social Network. Not an auspicious start. Especially considering the point where I came in.
The Mark Zuckerberg (Eisenberg) character was reeling off a list of colleges where he wanted to get into their info and was explaining the tech issues at each one - in about a mile a minute voice. Snore. Annoying snore.
But it got better from there. Much better. I had wanted to see TSN sort of, but when it came time to put money and time into it I wasn't really sure. I thought it might be quite dry/boring. It really wasn't.
Surprisingly, there were a lot of funny moments. None of which I can really put my finger on. Partly because it was two weeks ago and partly because it was mostly one liners I think. Mainly, the Zuckerberg/Eisenberg character being a smartass.
I thought it was worth seeing. Being in a "dollar" theatre didn't hurt matters either but although I wouldn't have bothered seeing it in a first-run theatre, I'd say it would have been worth it. It definitely had its share of laughs.
Then came How Do You Know. This one was a surprise of sorts. First of all, I wasn't really sure I'd be going to two movies that day as I wasn't sure about Burlesque (which I still haven't seen - more on that later maybe). I hadn't planned on seeing HDYK since although I was looking forward to this movie for some time, it's name had me drawing a blank.
I only amended my choice to it, instead of likely seeing Burlesque with TSN, because I spied a poster of it in the entrance. I was a bit surprised it was already in the cheaper theatre. I'm not sure why as I guess it had been out long enough.
HDYK not only stars Witherspoon but also Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd along with a small but funny part for a favorite actor of my mom's - Jack Nicholson. The baseball angle was thankfully kept to a bare minimum.
Perhaps it was because, as my brother said when he asked me what I saw (he knows when I've been to the movies because he gets the leftover popcorn - lol), he commented on how unbelievable he thought it that RW would be baseball star.
I r-e-a-l-l-y enjoyed this movie. I think I am a poor judge of a movie's originality as I think of myself as a pretty easy audience for the most part but I definitely enjoyed this and would say it "didn't smell like day-old fish" to me.
Even more so than Social Network maybe, I would say check out How Do You Know. It was certainly a fun movie considering it's two "themes" were about unfortunate situations. I say maybe because while I liked HDYK a bit more, TSN was very good too.
See what I mean about an easy audience! LOL. Anyway, the final movie I saw I saw this last weekend with my friend Katherine was the Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp movie The Tourist. I also enjoyed this. I'll leave it at this - really liked the ending.
And no I don't mean, I was glad it was over. LOL. Although it was very predictable in many places (except for two notable exceptions at the beginning) and not at all realistic even for this type of film I enjoyed it. The leads were a nice pairing.
Well, that's it for my Roger Eberting for this week. I would have had to say that with the recent loss of my job that I probably wouldn't be seeing as many movies till I start working but for my Christmas gift of a bit of a sizeable gift card.
I will however, probably be cutting back at the concession though as you can literally eat through a gift card pretty fast at the concession.
Carmen
PS. One nice thing happened when Katherine and I were waiting in line for our single show we saw this past weekend - turns out someone passed Katherine (who gives off a charming older lady vibe - lol) several coupons to get in for seventy-five cents each. And I thought $3.50 was good!
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