Category Archives: playing along

Fall in Tennessee

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Yesterday when going to meet the Blind man at my house (he can actually see…he just sells blinds), I nearly wrecked my car when I drove by this scene.

Thank goodness I’ve taken everyone’s advice and I tote my camera EVERYWHERE I go.

I knew I had to turn the car around and shoot some photos, it was so beautiful! The orange leaves, the way the trees lined the road along the cemetery, the sun and how it filtered through the leaves…

I couldn’t wait to get home and play around on Photoshop with the photos, I had just Stumbled on some free textures on Flickr and wanted to see if I could figure out how to use them.

Of course I never have been able to figure out how to do the vignette in Photoshop, so I just added that part using THE GREATEST PHOTO SOFTWARE ON THE INTERNET, Picnik.  (PS…I’m giving away a PREMIUM Picnik subscription next week!)

There is a certain peace in having moved to Tennessee during the fall and makes leaving my beloved Indiana less painful.

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Don’t forget, you can still enter the Vintage Body Spa giveaway until tomorrow morning!

I don’t mind if you call me the “Yoda of blogging”

I’m not sure if you’ve heard or not, but NEXT weekend is BlissDom ’08 sponsored by Blissfully Domestic magazine. It’s being held in my new home state of Tennessee, just a few hours from me in Nashville.

Blissdom 08

I think the MOST important thing that I should mention about BlissDom ’08 is the fact that I will be speaking on a Question and Answer panel.  As your own personal “Yoda of blogging,” YOU can ask ME questions about blogging.  If this isn’t enough to pique your interest (???), maybe the fact that it’s a FREE CONFERENCE will.

So let’s review.

I’m speaking and it’s FREE!

Not enough?

Okay, how about this.  Jessie Baylin, a real live SINGER will be performing.  They originally asked me to sing at the conference, seeing as I do an absolutely FAB rendition of Five Green and Speckled Frogs and If You’re Happy and You Know It.  But with all those questions I’ll be answering, I figured my voice wouldn’t be in pristine condition for singing.  Jessie Baylin is a fantastic replacement for me, though.

And if the fact that I’m speaking, which by proxy means you’ll get to meet ME! and the conference is FREE, AND Jessie Baylin is singing still isn’t enough, then how about a list of attendees…

Check out this link for a list of attendees so far.

Impressive, yes!!!??

I’LL see YOU next weekend in Nashville!

(You all get that I’m making fun of MYSELF, right???  I’m not really this conceited!!)

Jazz Hands

This picture actually has NOTHING to do with jazz hands, but it is a picture of sun flare and whenever I hear the word “flare” it totally makes me think of “jazz hands.”

I don’t why, OKAY.   Humor me, won’t you?

Park day

More WW here.

Also!  I’m entering this photo in a contest sponsored by See Hear Speak No Evil.  Winner gets a $10 gift card to a place of their choice online.  The theme this month is “Nature.”  Sun-Nature…get it!?  Go enter a nature-y picture yourself!

A trip to Wrigley

Tate and I are huge Cardinals fans.  For those of you who don’t know, one of the Cardinals’ biggest rivals is the Chicago Cubs.

Although it would be a cold day in hell before I’d ever root for the Cubs, I do have the utmost respect for their stadium…Wrigley Field. Two weeks ago, we got to go to a game between the Cards and Cubs at Wrigley.   It sounds totally cheesy, but it was a dream come true to get to go to Wrigley Field.  SO THRILLING!!!!
chicago cubs

wrigley field

Without Cathy, this trip never would have happened…so THANK YOU, Cathy!
me and cathy

Cathy did all the very nerve wracking legwork to get the tickets, complete with desperate emails between us.  Where should we sit???  OMG, they are SO EXPENSIVE!!!  Right field side or left field side?????  For some reason it never occurred to either of us to just exchange phone numbers.   Don’t let the $22 price on the ticket fool you, we paid DEARLY for the tickets on StubHub.  (It was worth EVERY penny, though.)
chicago cubs

Not only did I get to meet Cathy, I also got to meet Mandie.  She met us for lunch on the Magnificent Mile.
me, amanda, cathy

Before the game, we sat and had a beer (or five) with Harry Caray himself.
j and harry

and the heavens smiled upon the ample beer consumption

Sadly my beloved Cardinals lost to the stinky ol’ Cubs. But on a positive note, we drank LOTS more beer, Old Style OF COURSE. (Also sadly, I regretted the last 5 beers that I drank the next morning.)
old style

The second best part of the trip was that I got to fall in love with this goofy guy all over again. It was wonderful to have him all to myself.
chicago cubs

This was my first time participating in Photo Story Friday!

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

You? Have opinions. I? Want them.

Brutally Honest Mondays” border=

This is my first time participating in Mrs. Flinger’s Brutally Honest Monday.

I’d like your (brutally honest) opinion about a recent incident.

The kids and I went to watch Tate play softball last week.  Being a magnet to puddles, Carson immediately found the biggest, muddiest puddle and jumped right in.  Within seconds of getting to the ball field, Carson was soaking wet and dirty. 

There were lots of other kids around Carson, laughing at him getting all wet.   The next thing I know, I look over and a girl who looked to be at least eight or nine, was throwing handfuls of mud on Carson (and cackling manically…or so I imagined.  I mean, maybe she was.)

I was FURIOUS.

I marched over there and yelled at her to stop.  I told her how ashamed she should be for picking on such a little boy and that she should know better.  There was lots of huffing and puffing (on my part.)  Also, my face was most likely all sorts of red.

I was SO PISSED.

I made the girl apologize to Carson.  She did, half-heartedly.  Then I grabbed Carson’s hand and we marched off, with me saying the MOST mature, parental thing ever…”Let’s go play over HERE away from those MEAN kids.”

When I made it back to the bleachers, a few of the people who had witnessed THE INCIDENT, looked a little horrified.  I’m not sure if they were horrified by how I reacted or by the girl’s behavior.  Of course I assumed it was all about me.  Also, I’ve told a few people what happened and each person acted like I overreacted slightly.

Here’s what I’d like you to consider when forming your opinion…

1.  She was DEFINITELY old enough to know better than throw mud on a little kid.
2.  She was throwing the mud at his head.
3.  (Don’t forget the maniacal cackling.)

But also consider this…

1.  He was already filthy, dirty from jumping in the puddle.
2.  I probably could have left out the huffing, puffing, and stomping away with the immature retort.

I am a little nervous since this is “BRUTALLY HONEST Monday.”  Don’t think the BRUTAL part means to be, you know, too BRUTAL.  I’m tender hearted.  **bats eyelashes**

*****

Pssst…Nikon!  Hi there!  I entered your contest to win a D60 last night!  You know, I could say really nice things about your WONDERFUL cameras here on my blog…I’d sure love a camera to review!  PUH-LEASE!!!!  Kthnxbai!

Excuse Me While I “Scratch” My Balls and Pee All Over the Toilet Seat

Haiku Friday

Thanks to Neil from Citizen of the Month for this week’s Haiku Friday theme…Write like the opposite sex.  Mine is full of cliches and stereotypes!  Enjoy! 

E.S.P.N. time
Sit back, relax, *SEX*, drink beer
Is my wife talking?

Damn!  “Pick up my socks!”
All she does *SEX* is nag me
I’ll just ignore her

*SEX* I’m sure hungry
Maybe if I whine enough
Wife will bring me snacks

I work HARD all day
Can’t the kids play somewhere else?
I sure am horny

Look at Wife folding
*SEX* laundry.  I should grope her!
What?!  What did I do?!

Oh great.  Now she’s pissed.
Can’t I get some affection?
She used to be fun.

*SEX* Women’s soccer!
They should take their clothes off *SEX*
Why’s Wife mad again?????

To play along for Haiku Friday, follow these steps:
1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. What’s a haiku, you ask? Click here.

2. Sign the Mister Linky below with your name and the link to your haiku post (the specific post URL, not your generic blog URL). We will delete your link if it doesn’t go to a haiku. If you need help with this, contact Christina or myself. REMEMBER…ONLY sign Mr. Linky if you have a HAIKU POST.

3. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button above.

You Shouldn’t Be Reading This

It’s supposed to be 82 degrees today!  FIN-A-LLY!  Buh-bye cold, icky weather!

I’m going to be outside today enjoying the weather!!!   I swear that if I find out that you were sitting at your computer reading this drivel, I’m going to be MAD!  Well actually, I’d be flattered, but seriously…GO AWAY.  Go enjoy the weather while it’s not too hot.

Go.

Oooh, but wait…one more thing.  Christina and I have a theme for tomorrow’s Haiku Friday!   Neil at Citizen of the Month is asking people to write like the opposite sex tomorrow.  He’s even having a contest and I KNOW you all LOVE contests!  So that’s our theme:

Write like the opposite sex day!  This will be fun, don’t you think?  You certainly don’t have to write your haiku in this theme to participate in Haiku Friday tomorrow, but if you don’t you’ll make Ella cry. 

Photobucket
Look how happy she is!  Wouldn’t you feel bad if you made her cry?

Now GO.  Click that little red X in the corner and enjoy life outside of your computer!  See that yellow orb in the sky?  It’s called the SUN.