Ahnuld...

One of America's most famous immigrants spoke at the RNC tonight. His story about being a child and being afraid that the Soviet soldiers might take his father to a work camp really puts things into perspective. I wonder if any of the "protesters" have thought about what their lives would be like as Iraqis under Saddam? I can't help but think they would be out there protesting if NOTHING had been done. Then they would be bitching that we weren't helping the poor and suffering innocents that the asshole was slaughtering.

Rudy...

Both speeches tonight at the RNC were great. Rudy Guiliani's was exceptional. His words were moving, he was engaging and his points were well made. Andrea Mitchell in typical liberal media fashion criticized him for "painting" John Kerry in an unfair light without having facts to support the claims. What speech was she listening to?? He provided plenty of facts showing Kerry's flip-flopping. The man has more waffles than IHOP. Pointing out senate votes, the flip flopped issues, and his comments to Middle East leaders is not "painting" John Kerry as anything. It's pointing out John Kerry for what he is. I don't ever agree with everything a candidate stands for, but I can't support someone who doesn't freaking stand for anything longer than 10 minutes.

This just in...

I heard on the radio on the way home from work today that an elementary school in Marshalltown, Iowa turned away a 2nd grade girl because she can't speak Spanish....read again...not that she couldn't speak English (the legislatively sanctioned official language of Iowa), but that she couldn't speak Spanish.

The school is apparently part of a tax-funded pilot program to be completely bilingual. Si usted no habla español, ninguna escuela.

If this were reversed there would already be legal papers filed and it would be all over the national news. I looked on all of the major Des Moines TV news sites and there wasn't a single mention of it.

Menu woes....

Taco John's has a daily 99 cent special. In driving through, Paula wanted the 99 cent kid's meal (yeah, she's not under 12, but she also wasn't that hungry...and she's cheap). The person on the speaker told me that it was only for kid's 12 and under as if waiting for me to tell her I was 10. Hello....kid's aren't going to drive through the drive-thru. I told a white one and said I was taking it home to my kid (as if I needed to justify wanting something off the freaking menu). When we got to the window she informed us that the special was only for dine-in, not carry-out. HELLO.......then WHY have it on the menu for the drive-thru?????????

...wonder if she knows that she needs a cookie sheet?

Ah, the stupidity...

I was at a well known "Mart" after work today in the not-so-speedy 20 item or less lane with a not-so-swift checkout lady. The woman right after me was putting up her items on the counter and included were two packages of the ready-to-bake cookie dough that is pre-formed into little balls for you. The checkout woman says "Oh, I was so disappointed in those." "Really? I like them," replied the shopper. The checkout woman said (and I kid you not), "I learned the hard way that you have to pull them apart and put them on a cookie sheet before you bake them."

...and we wonder why people like this can't make change.

Brain Lateralization...

Brain Lateralization Test Results

Right Brain (66%) The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain. Left Brain (38%) The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain

Are You Right or Left Brained?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Chickened out...

Paula chickened out. That's right, folks...she bailed on the wax job. She bailed not because she was worried about the pain, or the expense, or the results, or me mocking her. She bailed because there were people in the shop. It was an embarrassment for her to ask for her eyebrows to be waxed in front of others. It's not like she was asking for a bikini wax!

I don't get it. We are NOT sharing a brain cell on this one. Maybe this post will prompt her to actually POST something!! She's a lurker (and a bit chicken to post anything.) That's right...I've thrown down the gauntlet. She's a chicken to blog! Bawk, bawk, bawk.

To wax or pluck...

Paula asked me if I wanted to go with her to get our eyebrows waxed. Personally, I'm a plucker. Waxing (at least some of the jobs I've seen) look fake. They tend to square off parts that should be more natural and the eyebrows look like they came out of a Mr. Potato Head.

She's all for it and willing to spend ten bucks to have her hairs yanked from her eyelids. She claims that she is incapable of plucking - they turn out uneven, they hurt, they bleed. Having hot wax pasted close to my eyes and then having someone (that I paid) rip it, the hair, and the first layer of skin from my face sounds more unpleasant. I'm passing on the S&M torture and sticking with the good ole pluck.

Urban Legends...

Take the Urban Legend Quiz

I love urban legends. I think they are easy to spot. As a rule - the more detail, the better the chance that it is a load of crap. When I get a juicy one, I just love it.

On the other hand...if one more person (however good intentioned) sends me one more "virus alert", I'm going to scream. I'm an internet professional (not just a surfer, but an application programmer). I keep up on these things. My computers are guarded like Fort Knox. I have never - NEVER - received word of a legitimate virus in an email forwarded from your Auntie Em. Norton (symantec) and McAfee both offer alerts. Their websites offer up-to-the-minute breaking news and update downloads.

There are some other Internet urban legends that have been around for years. Bill Gates is NOT going to share his wealth if you forward emails. There is nothing that tracks forwarded emails. This goes for Applebee's too. Poor Applebee's. They even had to post something on their website that they are NOT behind the emails promising free stuff if you forward the emails.

How many urban legend emails have you fallen for? Check out the hoaxes here .

Amazing Charla...

Amazing Race won't be the same without Charla. Nothing like a dwarf chowing down chocolates while wearing an oompah loompah outfit. Now that's some good TV.

Seriously - she was incredible. Her cousin was horrible and rude to everyone - including Charla at times. Mirna whined and made Charla do almost every challenge which she did enthusiastically and well. I'm going to miss her.

Aiken and Achin'...

Clay was fun. His voice is really amazing. The audience was unlike any I have ever seen at a concert. We saw everything from little girls in ponytails to scary bikers in ponytails. I want to post some pictures, but just got a new laptop and have yet to set up all my software - including my digital camera stuff.

I gave my other laptop to my oldest to take back to college with him. He left this morning - computer in tow. Paula asked if I was sad that he left today and ever since I've been trying to decide exactly how I feel about it. True, it's not the first time he has left for college (something Paula will experience with her oldest in a couple of weeks), but it is probably the last time he will leave my house.

Next summer he is not planning to move back in here. He and his girl are getting married and will move into married housing at school. I don't really feel sad exactly, but if I think about it too hard I get a bit verklempt. Mostly it's a sense of weirdness that he won't ever "live" with us again.

Keeping that in mind--I'm planning on painting his room--maybe this weekend. I have been looking forward to making it a guest room/office for some time, so a part of me couldn't wait for him to leave. I have no idea what I'm feeling and it's giving me a headache because I think I should be able to pinpoint the emotion. Weirdness is the best I can do.

State Fair...

It's state fair time again. This is one area that Paula and I disagree (and there are very few of them). She hates the fair - although she has only gone once and didn't really give it a college try - I like it.

Growing up I never would have imagined that I would like it. I was not a farm girl, had little interest in farm animals, and could not spend hours contemplating John Deere tractors. Then I actually went. I enjoy watching the people (the freaks really turn out for this stuff), perusing the photography exhibits, watching the horse competitions, watching the herding dog competitions, and eating.

My gawd, the shit they will put on a stick amazes me. Of course, the original state fair food on a stick is the tried and true corn dog. This year's addition to the "stick food" menu is meatballs on a stick. The desserts are the best though - deep-fat-fried Twinkies, Snickers, and Milky Ways. You literally have to sit down after eating a fried candy bar. The world is spinning amidst the sugar rush.

Paula IS going to the fair with me for the Clay Aiken concert though. She said she is fine with the concert and a trip to the beer tents, but she is NOT petting any animals. So much for seeing the prize winning hog.

Conformation...

Paula and I received "conformation" emails for a class we signed up for at work. While I'm not saying that I never make a typo, this was in the email not once, but twice, leading one to believe that it was not an typo but a full blown screw up.

This prompted a conversation contemplating whether we really wanted to receive a conformation. I know that I have made a concerted effort to be independent and unique. Receiving a conformation somehow dimishes this effort.

Was this word usage a symbolic slip of some kind? Everyone is taking this class...conform. Makes me want to say, "the hell with it."

Blogrolling...

Thanks to my sister, I have become addicted to blogging (and reading others' blogs). But also thanks to her, I can keep track of my favorites with blogrolling. It lets you list your blogroll right on your own blog. Check it out if you haven't already.

Not so much...

Paula pointed out today at lunch that this is my favorite new saying. It does seem to be popping out constinuously (no that is not a typo - it is a shrinofus word).

Do you want a salad for lunch? Not so much...
Do you like the new girl? Not so much...
Do you think he's cute? Not so much...

It seems to fit so many situations. Similarly, another fitting saying is "Good hit". This is a Paula-ism that was adopted by all who know her. Anything can be a good hit. It originates with a slot machine "hit". Good hit is a good thing. A person can be a good hit. An idea can be a good hit. You name it - if it is good, chances are we have said "Good hit." In the event that we want to put extra emphasis to describe the full extent of the good hit, we will say "Way good hit."

I know....we're dorks.

Chick Trip 2004...

We're home again from the annual girls only trip. As usual, my face still hurts from laughing. I swear I punctured a lung laughing so hard. The weather was phenomenal - low 80's and sunny during the day, low 50's at night. We covered up with blankets and sat out on the deck drinking, talking, and laughing until the wee hours. Even had the management come and shush us one night. (Not bad for a bunch of old hags!)

Even though the main fun is just hanging out and relaxing together, the consensus was that we missed the canoeing. Doubt we will return to this resort next year because there are no canoe outfitters anywhere close. There is something irresistable about floating down a river with a cooler of beer! Hopefully we'll be able to find the best of both worlds - a cabin on a lake so we can do some boating, skiing, and tubing coupled with a canoeing river close by.

Only 12 more months until Chick Trip 2005...

My big news of the weekend is that my oldest son got engaged. He called and said he was going ring shopping. Then he called to tell me that he was asking her. Then she called to say they were engaged. He told me today that she bought a bridal magazine 25 minutes after he asked her. They are telling her father tonight. Her mother and stepfather are on vacation and have no idea. I hope they will be as happy as I am when they hear!

Wicked storms...

We had terrible storms tonight and I lost satellite during BB5!!!! NOOOO! Did get to see most of it though. WHAT was Diane thinking during the veto challenge? Thought she was smarter than that. What a wasted opportunity.

Signal was restored in time for Amazing Race....yeah, I'm a junkie. So what? Sharla just cracks me up. Mirna is such a baby about all the challenges and Sharla always saves the day. It's great.

I'm sick to death of the "worker bee" mentality at work. There are too many that don't have a personal interest in their work and drop everything (leaving others hanging) instead of sticking around to finish the job. They are the ones that bitch that there is no room for advancement. HELLOOOO! Show some freaking ambition, ownership, and a willingness to give more than 50%. buzz, buzz, buzz.

Opposites

Opposites really do attract. I am a very tech oriented, football loving female who is married to a football hating man who can't set the clock in his truck. He would rather just drive around with the clock wrong because "it will be right again in the fall". He would miss all of his shows if I didn't program the VCR for him. He's computer-phobic, and I work as a web application developer. I guess we have just enough in common...we've been together almost 23 years. (I was married as an infant.)

Misspellings that make my teeth itch: seperate (should be separate), definate (should be definite) These seem to be running rampant! What is up??

Sunday doldrums...

Sunday nights about this time I start feeling blue...just a few short hours and it's back to work. Thank God that it's a short week! We leave Thursday morning! Another reason Sunday nights suck is that there is no reality TV. I'm a complete junkie. Currently loving Big Brother and Amazing Race.

Word that makes my teeth itch -- paradigm (shifting or otherwise)