The Laundry Cube

This, boys and girls, is what happens when you do the laundry like you are supposed to, but just as you are taking the last load out of the dryer, Tarzan comes home and has other things on his mind, so you leave it in the basket on top of the dryer and completely forget about it until the next time you have to do laundry:

This is me, with The Laundry Cube.

Compulsion

Why am I compelled to blog about DWTS every single week? It's not like my readers - all two of you - love you Rocketgirl and RHM! - watch the show and/or need to hear my puny opinion about what they can quite easily see on the TV anytime they want. So what makes me need to write about it? The show itself is beginning to annoy me and still, I have to create a post every week about the dancing. So here it is.

• Gilles hair was AWESOME for Cheryl and his Lindy Hop. I begin to see what the judges mean about the frantic nature of his dances lately. There were some tense moments, hoping he would get the lift right, and seeing them get out of sync. Watching him get that Cortisone injection was super painful.
• L'il Kim and Derek's Paso Doble was pretty awesome. It really had good musicality and the movements were sharp. The faces she was making were a lot weird but her dress was really gorgeous. She did not need to kiss all the judges though. That's just shameless pandering.
• Chuck and Julianne's Cha-Cha was very good. She needs to wear more clothes - I know, I know, the guys don't think so, but it doesn't emphasize the movement like it's supposed to - and his hips are in and out of movement. They certainly do not have to worry about the fan vote though. Everyone LOVES them.
• I thought Shawn and Mark's Samba was a little relaxed - it's usually a faster dance - but it was cute and I would say it was age appropriate. I disagree with Shawn though. I think Mark does an excellent job of portraying the girl's part.
• I am really bummed about Melissa and Tony's Jive. Even Tony wasn't doing the movements full out because it was just a rehearsal on the footage we saw. Their outfits sure did not add anything to the routine either. It promised to be a really cute number too.
• The back story for Ty and Chelsie is surely some of the funniest I have ever seen on this show. He is so dang cute. Their Salsa was highly entertaining. His hips were moving sometimes and sometimes not but his face was awesome. And Chelsie has chosen some great choreography for him. Len's comments were kind of mean I thought.
• The group Mambo was amazing in so many ways. Lacey sure did an amazing job filling in for Melissa on two hours notice, the choreography was amazing, the solos were great and the costumes were insane. Totally insane. The audience surely will vote for those couples.
• The group Tango was certainly more professional and far more precise. The pleather is a bit much. It was too bad about Kim's misstep but otherwise it was a very tight Tango. I wonder if it's because of Cheryl. She's always in the winning group.

The results show is less annoying, maybe because there is more professional dancing and less of Samantha Harris. The professional competition is extremely entertaining. It's a hard choice picking between Alec's brother and Mayo, who is 6'3", all limbs and so cute. I am always irritated by Sam's interviewing skills but cutting off Mayo just as we was about to answer the question she asked. Team Tango encored - of course - and it was better than the first time through. The "endorsements" were surely hilarious - I imagine Julianne and Chuck might be that cheesey in real life - and the Real Celebrity Dancers of Genius was really cute. So was Robin Thicke - who I have never heard of and mistakenly thought was Alan Thicke and was surprised that he was a Grammy winner - even though he can't sing particularly well. I was surprised that the audience sent Chuck and Julianne home after all that cuteness and cheese in rehearsals and dances. Plus, it's Julianne and they really love her.

This is me with my unaccounted for obsession.

How To Score Big

Is it really so hard to keep up with the patients one schedules in one's own office? I mean really. If the appointment is at 10:00 at least SEE the patient before noon. But noooooooo, let's have her sit for a little while longer. Let's give her the Novocaine and then let her wait so long that it WEARS OFF BEFORE THE PROCEDURE IS OVER. Yeah, that's a good plan.
Let's also not take her seriously when she suggests that you might want to start with smaller tools - it's sad that she can now tell what each of the little pieces are for now - and then when they're all used and useless and you've had to send the assistant for the CHILD sized stuff, then pat her on the head and tell her that she has a small mouth. That is a sure way to get a good customer feedback card.

This is me, back from that awful place again, hopefully for the LAST TIME EVER. Except when the permanent crown comes in.

Totally Awesome

The concert last night was so amazing. ATL and I saw Celtic Woman live last night and it was everything I hoped it would be. I was a little worried at the beginning. We had never been to this theater before and the parking was a really weird arrangement. The seating was smaller than I expected, which was to the good, until we got to our seats and saw that while we would be able to hear them sing, the likelihood of seeing them was small. It was a tight angle. But then, as the lights went down, we saw that most of the chairs over by the edge of the rail in the terrace were empty and we, along with about twenty other people, scooted over the aisle to what ended up being really great seats.

We saw it and it was good.

They sang all my favorite songs not the least of which were these four:
The Dawn And The Sky And The Sun
The Call
The Blessing AND The Voice - love me some Lisa Kelly.

There were not as many new Irish songs as I was maybe expecting and I can't say as I am a huge fan of the "new" girls. I miss Meav though I understand why she isn't with the group right now and it gives me hope she will be back. Lynne was pretty good as her replacement but where was Orla? She's still on the poster...Maybe she and her harp were sick? Can that happen in such a tight interwoven group? Anyway, Alex just doesn't have the precision that Orla does and she doesn't play the harp. So there.

If it sounds like I'm whining, I'm not. Chloe and Lisa were as awesome as ever and the band was excellent - especially the percussionists, I always like the drummers - and the whole experience of seeing them live was well worth it. My opinion of Mairead has changed considerably from seeing her play live. That woman is athletic! It's like she directs the whole show from on stage - maybe that's the point - and I had to hold my breath watching her jump off the dais in her heels, while fiddling madly and tossing her hair. She was just amazing.

I don't remember the play list of the whole night but besides the ones listed above I was much pleased to see "At The Ceili" especially as it's not on any of their CDs, and ATL was so excited when they encored with "Spanish Lady."

It was a simply glorious experience and I will be purchasing the CD and/or DVD of the Isle Of Hope tour.

This is me, back from the concert and it was worth the chilly night air.

That Was The Song All Along

Does anyone else wake up singing parts of two songs, switching between them randomly because with their limited knowledge of music figure they're the same? Welcome to my life peeps.

This is me, singing two songs at the same time.

All In One

Last night you may have seen the show making my "review' is a little out of date but I can't really write about tonight's show last night now could I? And I have made up my mind that two days is too many to devote to this one subject. So, it's the all in one post. Last night's dancing and this night's results and musical guests. What say you? No objections? Excellent.

• Can I just say, that was the simplest, sweetest outfit Samantha has ever worn on this show. And her hair was cute too. Who designed HER clothes? Because, as you may or may not know, tonight the celebrities created the outfits for their partners and in some cases it was awesome, and some not so much.
• Well, Melissa and Tony's Argentine Tango was sharp and precise, and I think she found her aggressive side. What is up with the lift rule though? If they can have them in one dance why not others? It's not like they are following any of the other ballroom rules so what's with the quasi-lift debate going on?
• Lawrence should maybe consider a second career in clothing design - the dress Edyta wore for their waltz was gorgeous. The waltz itself was not bad - not great - but not bad. They missed some connections in the middle but he did have an adequate rise and fall, which is hard to master.
• I was so scared of L'il Kim's rumba. The potential for slutty was so high I almost didn't watch it. But. But, it wasn't as bad as I envisioned. The content was low for me, they seemed to spend a lot of time posing and as I have said, I just don't understand what a "good" rumba looks like.
• I think red is Chuck's color. Either that or he's at home designing little dresses with fringe. His and Julianne's samba was really good. Really, really good. He actually moved his hips, danced the steps, and embodied the character of the dance. It was really good. But, did anyone else notice that in the dip, Chuck's hand was all over Julianne's boob? Most of the guys hold their hand in a fist or flat out to prevent that occurrence, but not Chuck. so funny.
• Ty's waltz was sweet. The man is just what his wife (Jewel) said he was. A real man. He tries so hard, and his posture is awesome, his rise and fall is excellent. He doesn't extend his arms as much as he could, but he's a classic dancer, a smooth dancer. And I love him.
• Shawn's cha-cha was much better than it sounded like it would be from the rehearsal footage. It was older than she usually dresses and dances which was interesting. Don't know about Mitzi Gaynor, but whatever Bruno. But it was fast and on beat and had content, so good. It's really funny how Mark loves to play the nerd. Did anyone else notice how both he and Derek are having some acne issues this week?
• Gilles and Cheryl's (not) Viennese Waltz was very lovely. I didn't like Cheryl's dress all that much, the two tiered effect didn't work for me. But, one cannot fault her teaching methods since they work so well.
• The group dance was, as always, amusing. A little bit silly, a little bit weird, and a little bit good. I suppose they do these things to break up the strict dancing requirements and just have fun. It was purely for the entertainment value.

The results show had Celtic Woman as the musical guest! (Maybe because they're performing in town Saturday? (We have tickets!)) I sort of wish they'd sung something more Irish than "You Raise Me Up" but it was still good. And I REALLY hope they had just a paired down version of the group too, because where were Orla and Meav? Natasha Bendingfield was also a guest - who I am a little shamed to say I hadn't heard of. I'm a little weirded out by how close Lacey dances with her brother - Julianne and Derek are not gross when they dance together - and I don't mean physical distance. The competition between professionals is an interesting idea and I guess we will see if the audience has any idea what makes a good dancer. Otherwise, Lawrence and Edyta went home and while that was no big surprise it is another bummer for Edyta because this is her eighth season and she has not come close to winning. It's a dirty shame.

This is me, all judgemental.

Goin' To The Chapel

Yesterday was the day that QC married SBB. It was a gorgeous day and despite the re-donk-ulous traffic from the wedding site to the reception site - were we high to plan an event for that time of day on a Friday? Probably - it was a lovely party and I am really impressed with SBB's acceptance of the insanity that comes with marrying an O'Grady man:Rocketgirl and I planned a welcome to the family kit that included some essential items. We were quite proud of ourselves: air freshener (I think you can imagine what that is for), ear plugs (because they are loud), an appointment book (because they forget things), cookbook (because they love to eat) and hugs and kisses (chocolate) because they are so sweet and need a lot of love. Awww, the cheese is melting off the screen and into your lap.)

She took it all with grace and a smile:

The ceremony was sweet and poignant - nary a dry eye in the place - and then it was to the celebrating. The grounds were just gorgeous and smelled amazing - Rocketgirl kept insisting she wanted to eat the flowers:

It was Tarzan's birthday as well, so this is one of many shots of us:

And speaking of shots of us, this was the very awesome dress that we bought for only $8 back in February:

My hair. I was going for a rat's nest look but I'm not sure that I achieved it:

Speaking of Tarzan, I wonder how he ended up the only one to wear a pinstriped suit?:

Our family:

Her family:

I was trying to improve my self photography skills and appropriated nearly everyone in the place. I don't know if I got any better, but the in-laws all look cute. Me and one of Tarzan's cousins I have yet to think up an acronym for but he's awesome and plays Mafia Wars with me:

Me and R123's son, also a cousin and also a Mafia Wars fan:

Me and Phatfiddle:

Me and Gamma, Tarzan's mom:

Me and Rocketgirl, who looked totally hot in her polka dots and bow. I "heart" her:

Then came the traffic portion of the evening, though one bright spot was this weird bridge:

Dinner was so totally worth the hours spent driving though. SBB's brother-in-law made the food and IT. WAS. GOOD:

People did eat much:

And then there was cake:

All in all, a successful party. And the bride and groom are muchly happy which is all anyone can ask:

This is me with the wedding details of a sort.

Kitty Sitting Places

Cats sure pick the weirdest places to relax. I get that they don't really care about Tarzan's suit, all dry cleaned and ready to wear, or about the fact, I had been sitting in that exact spot and got up merely to use the facilities. Those are irritating but make a sort of sense, if I were a cat. Some of the place they choose to lay down certainly do not make that much sense, and even go so far as to be completely opposite of what you would think a cat would be looking for as a napping location.
Some of my favorites:

• My chest, nose to nose with me, totally sleeping. I know this because when I wake up the ears flick, the breathing pattern changes, the eye cracks and I get the look of "Really? You have to move now?"
• My chest, slightly to one side so I CAN still breathe, but I get an excellent view of the hindquarters. And the little twitch of the tail that tickles my ear, or right over my eyebrow so I couldn't sleep even if I wanted to.
• My lap, while I am on the toilet, or at the desk, but not just on my lap. On my lap, after kneading for a while, and then with two paws sprawled over one, or both, of my arms so I can't move it or incur the wrath of the claws.
• My shoulder, draped over my shoulder, with her hind legs on one arm, and her nose buried in my hair.
• The newspaper that I am reading - which is quite common and I understand to a point - but does it have to be in such a way so her tail goes IN the milk from my cereal bowl and then all over the newspaper I am still trying to read?

And then, and then, if the imposition was not enough, should I choose to move, my arm, leg, paper or nose, I get such a look of disgust, sometimes an irritated meow and then complete snubbing for a day or so. Until I sit in a position that appears comfortable to the feline again. Then all is forgiven and we are friends.

This is me, with where the cats sat.

Open Wide-r

It seems as if I have spent an awful lot of time in the dentist's chair AGAIN this spring, and I have to say it's not my favorite place to sit and read for three hours. Yes, that's correct, THREE. HOURS. Three hours just hanging out and anticipating the fun of having a crown and post removed so another dentist could mess around in the back of my mouth only so the first dentist could go back in for a new crown and post. Just the way I wanted to spend my first free day since we got back from The Frozen North.
Of course it didn't turn out exactly like that or what would be the reason for my posting about it? The initial post and crown removal went according to plan, except for the three hours part of it. I barely made it to the specialist on time for the rummaging part of the day. After the "fun" part of the appointment involving Novocaine (Note to the curious, Novocaine is much better AFTER you have had it once, the same day, because then you don't notice the needle jabs and only have the fun of the tongue that doesn't work right anymore.) I was given the news: my tooth was apparently broken during the inital root canal and might have to be pulled instead of fixed. We chew on the last molar in our mouth only about 18% of the time, and if it had to be pulled, "you wouldn't know it was gone," said this special endontic surgeon. Thank you, that's very comforting. And I suspect a little inaccurate in my case. I have to come to be excessively familiar with the fact that my mouth is small. Tiny even. Minuscule. Geckos have larger mouths than I. WORMS have larger mouths than I. (The little skinny ones that come out after it rains.) I mentioned the time they had to pull out the child's plate to take the impression for my crown? Today was much the same. The dentist removing the previously installed crown had two things to say. To me: open wider honey. And to the assistant: get me smaller tools. Awesome. Some things never change.

This is me, back in the chair and wishing it had a higher voltage.

Dancing Lately

I keep forgetting which day it is since we got back, so I've been running a few steps behind. I did the post about the trip last night, not even remembering that DWTS was on right at the same time. So we can discuss the jive and rumba AND THEN go right into who got kicked off for their crappy dance and then all will be well. Aren't you glad I always have a Plan B?

• I REALLY want Ty to do well but his jive was not as loose on the floor as it was in practice and it seemed like Chelsie was doing a lot more of the actual dancing than he was. It's a shame really. He's SO cute and SO nice and I want a cowboy of my own just like him.
• Mark is so very funny when he teaches. He and Derek crack me up when they get silly in the rehearsal studio. Mark and Shawn's rumba though, was interesting. Shawn needs to work on her hip movement. It played a little awkward with Mark grinning like a fool and Shawn almost biting her lip in concentration. Not my favorite dance of hers but not stinky.
• Lawrence and Edyta's jive was a relaxed jive, like he was grooving on a riverboat or something. His knees weren't high, and he didn't bounce much but his kicks were good. I feel bad for Edyta in this situation because she's been on this show EVERY SINGLE SEASON and has yet to win.
• The rumba bugs me as a dance. It's so hard to figure out, even just watching it, and the hips sometimes move and sometimes not, and it's just...blwleaaah. Tony and Melissa's was not bad. She likes the floaty movements and airy lines and usually that works, but depending on the music the rumba should be a little more grounded, *I* think.
• I really think that when Derek and L'il Kim were DOING the jive it was good, but there were a lot of unnecessary movements that were frenetic - is that a word? It was a faster jive than anyone else has done, which is good, but it didn't hit me exactly right.
• I didn't hate Steve-O and Lacey's rumba, which totally surprised me - and Lacey's shoes were AWESOME. Though the hips were certainly not in the dance and Lacey did most of the actual dancing, it was oddly compelling as Carrie-Ann said.
• Cheryl knows how to get her partners to relate the dance steps to something they already know in their real lives. It's amazing. And whatever Gilles said about not relating to the dance, it all went away before the performance. That was a SUPER fast song, some weird selections for the jive tonight, and even Cheryl's kicks were slowing down by the end of it, but I thought the musicality was excellent.
• Chuck and Julianne's rumba was really great for a lot of it - he certainly didn't worry about the steps too much - and I did not like what Julianne was wearing. The lace leg things were weird. But the connection was certainly there, they were comfortable with each other, no doubt.

And regarding the results show; the number from West Side Story was good. I wonder if they left out the men for a specific reason or if that's the way it goes on stage. Rascal Flatts were cool - though if we want to talk about frantic, Julianne and Tony's dance seemed a little over the top. She almost got her head smacked a couple of times on the floor and then she surely hurt something on the way down from that jump. Who said that Carmen Electra could dance? I ALSO think the two-at-a-time business was the weirdest way to announce the couples that would be continuing on to next week.

This is me, trying to get caught up AGAIN. How often does this happen to me? Too often.

These Things Are Priceless

That was the kind of trip that absolutely needed to be taken, glad I was able to go and help, taught me many things - most of them good - had a great time, was the sort of thing that happens only once in your life, and when it's over, feels SO FREAKIN' good to come home.

Seriously.

There are some things I can't remember about the trip.

There are some things I don't WANT to remember about the trip.

There are some things I would LOVE to tell you, but my father's head would explode should my mother let him know that I wrote it where other people could see it.

These being the restrictions, I will relate only the best parts. The things that I enjoy remembering. The flight up was simple - though it started awfully early in the morning for me - the finding and procuring the rental car was tres easy and getting to SO's house was none too difficult. The drive across the border into The Frozen North was uneventful and the actual crossing was not as complicated as it could have been. We made the ferry earlier than anticipated and were in town before the sun set. This meant we could start rooting through the items in the garage and setting aside the things we wanted to save.

That was Thursday.

Friday was one long series of runs from the house to the thrift store. Yay Sallie Ann! Seven to be exact, with a whole lot of dust, dampness - it was threatening to rain the entire weekend - and mildew. Fun.

Saturday was like Thursday, only in reverse. And the border crossing took much longer. No problems, just the border guard was multitasking and thus not able to devote his attention to those of us wanting to leave The Frozen North. This was the line of cars when we got there:

It was much longer behind us before we got on our way again. There was much time to ponder the Peace Arch that guards the border. I was highly amused by it:

Fortunately the weather held out for us and we made good time getting to the airport and home again.

That is a brief summary of our trek. The best stuff was, in a large part, the food. All the treasures from my childhood that I hadn't thought of for years.

Friday, during one of our stops for boxes we purchased Ketchup chips to be brought home:

Now, if you come to Ketchup chips as an adult, as Tarzan did, I completely understand the initial recoil of horror at the name. They sound disgusting. BUT. If one grows up with them, as I did, it's like coming home, to have them on the shelf again, if only for a little while.

Saturday morning we ate Shreddies for breakfast:

They LOOK like Wheat Chex but they soooooo aren't.

And before we left town we HAD to stop at the greatest donut shop in the world. Tim Horton's:

Not just for the donuts, though those are fantastic:

All the flavors that they have. I seriously didn't know there was another kind of apple fritter until I was 21. Still think they should all be like Tim Horton's apple fritters. But the Timbits:

Donut holes that come in the same varieties as the full grown donuts. So, so good. Totally worth it just for the Timbits.

This is me, back in town and thankful for it.

Fix Me

Today makes the fourth time in two years I have gone to see my doctor with a symptom he didn't have an answer for. Not that he didn't prescribe something for me, because they always have a pill or something, but he didn't know what was causing the issue and so couldn't say definitively, "this will fix you." That has got to be some sort of a record isn't it?
First was my chest, when I had that carrot stuck halfway down. Which cleared itself, so I suppose that was good.
Then about six months ago I was dizzy for a lot of the day, especially mornings and while Tarzan held his breath I went to see the doctor - we weren't pregnant - but he didn't know what it was. That also healed itself, but it was a mighty weird sensation while it lasted.
Last week was my ear; I had a dull roaring in my ear constantly. That also got better...I wonder if I need a doctor on call, who would just look at whatever is bugging me and then it would get better. How much would I have to pay for that do you think?
Now it's my thumb. With a different problem that's not trigger finger. And he doesn't know what to do about it.
Yes, I am that good.
******************************************************************************************************
And because I couldn't let it go without a mention, David Allen Grier got eliminated from Dancing With The Stars. Which was a little unexpected if you ask me. Steve-O is clearly the worst dancer on the show right now, but I think the viewers saved him because he did improve but the judges and scores did not reflect that.
Etta James was the musical guest and she was really excellent. Not that I would expect less. And La Reve was very Vegas.

This is me, a pile of issues.

This Week's Dancing

The dancing for this week. (Does anyone else think the changes this season are a little much? The dances that aren't ballroom, new orders, pushing the timing, and can we please make a decision on the lifts.)

• I appreciated Chuck's efforts to be "more" with his Viennese - don't make me repeat the rant about how they do not do a real Viennese Waltz on this show - Waltz and I ended up liking it mostly. He did mess up the footwork in the middle there, but the emotion was better, and as we've learned, that can make all the difference.
• I think Lawrence and Edyta got gypped on their music for the paso doble - don't make me rehash THAT one either - because it did get a lot better once the beat dropped. And I really liked Edyta's dress - it's rare that she wears what could be CALLED a dress - it was really pretty.
• I thought for a moment that Shawn and Mark's Viennese Waltz would be a real one, but then they broke the hold and it was all over. It was lovely though. I love the stiff edging for the dresses that make them float. I want one like that.
• While Melissa and Tony had GREAT music for their paso doble, I felt a little cheated because I expected more out of her. Melissa was kind of stiff, like she was trying TOO hard. Though the costumes tonight have been really great. The slight Indian influence for the music and costumes for this number was really cool.
• Looks like I spoke too soon. Did not like David OR Kym's costumes for their Viennese Waltz. They also had weird music, but it could have been overcome...somehow.
• I was expecting great things out of Gilles and Cheryl, with his passion and ability and her being the most awesome instructor. And let me just say, they did not disappoint. Oh. My. Gosh. That was the best paso doble I have EVER seen on this show. EVER. And the costumes and music were excellent again. The man even grew stubble for effect.
• Steve-O and Lacey danced a Viennese Waltz that was not bad. He is a few weeks behind the rest of the group and thus will be eliminated soon, I believe, but it was better than the weirdness of weeks past. I think some of the fault lies with Lacey who does not bring out the best in her partners. If anything, she encourages their weaknesses.
• Ty and Chelsie's paso doble was good but not great. I really thought he had the attitude right during the rehearsal but he was *too* tough in the show, like he was really fighting a bull, rather than just dancing like he was fighting a bull. I also think the choreography did not match the music and that might have led to some dissonance.
• L'il Kim and Derek did a very lovely Viennese Waltz. I noticed her posture was not consistant and her heel leads are lacking, but it did look great. If only she wouldn't talk.

This is me, with another week of the DWTS.

Right Kind Of Stand

Previous to this month's insanity, I had been able to catch up on most of my recorded television shows which is about to prove fortuitous for you my friends in the Internet.
Privileged is one of those TV shows that bugs me, and yet I still watch it because I hope each and every week that the main characters will figure out that they are causing their own problems and will then grow up and live happily ever after – I am a big fan of happily ever after. Not that HEA means one's life is a done deal; those looking for HEA still have to work at their relationships, but at least you know they are going to try when the credits roll. That’s all I ask.
My original point was that while Megan Smith – main character of the show Privileged – bugs the crap out of me because she just won’t grow up and what are the writers thinking giving a person lines and attitudes like that – I was impressed with the way they handled the situation between Sage – Megan’s charge and super rich teenager – and Luis, her boyfriend. When the subject of gay marriage came up I rolled my eyes, really afraid this would become a soap box for the writers to preach to us all about how someone somewhere is being intolerant AGAIN and where are we going and why are we in a hand basket? But they didn’t and it wasn’t. The crazy kids broke up because they didn’t agree on a really big issue, and that made total sense to me, BUT - and this is big - they allowed each other to go their own way, with their own opinion; no one was called names, no one belittled anyone, no one was a bad person, they just weren’t right for each other. And I really, really appreciated that.
So much of the media and influence being pushed at us – and teenagers in particular – these days says there is only one opinion and if you don’t agree with ‘mine’ you’re a bigot, a racist, a sexist, a prejudiced, a chauvinist, an intolerant, a hypocrite, a fanatic, a ugly, horrible person. And that’s just isn’t so.
Tolerance is, according to the Encarta English Dictionary, precisely that; recognizing other people’s rights to have different beliefs or practices without attempting to suppress them.
It's a lesson we should all adopt. We don't have to associate with people we don't agree with, but they are allowed to believe what they want. One day it will all settle out. Or it won't matter.

This is me, pleasantly surprised at the depth of a teen drama. Once.

I Screwed Up 18% Of My Teenage Life

Stole this one from RHM. With all the whining and TV reviews I thought you might like a meme AND a glimpse into my past. What could be better?
Have you ever:
[ ] Gotten detention.
[ ] Gotten your phone/pager taken away in class.
Cell phones were still a futuristic thing when I was in school, and there was no way my parents were getting me a pager.
[ ] Gotten suspended.
[x] Gotten caught chewing gum.
[ ] Gotten caught cheating on a test.
Total: 1
[ ] Arrived late to class more than 5 times.
[ ] Didn’t do homework over 5 times.
I was such a nerd. I liked homework and felt like there should be more of it.
[ ] Turned at least 3 projects in late.
[ ] Missed school cause you felt like it.
[x] Laughed so loud you got kicked out of class.
It wasn't so much the laughing loudly, as the fact I couldn't stop laughing. Even after being kicked out in the hall I was still fizzing with giggles for a good 20 minutes.
Total : 2
[ ] Got your mom/dad etc. to get you out of school.
[ ] Texted people during class.
We had no idea what texting was.
[x] Passed notes.
Got my first love letter that way. He was a nice guy too. Especially for the age we were.
[ ] Threw stuff across the room.
[ ] Laughed at the teacher.
Total : 3
[ ] Pulled Down The Fire Alarm.
[ ] Went on Myspace , Facebook , Xanga , etc. on the computer at school.
No conception of that - we were excited over the delete button.
[ ] Took Pictures during school hours.
[ ] Called someone during school hours.
[ ] Listened to an iPod , CD , etc... during class.
Total : 3
[ ] Threw something at the teacher.
[ ] Went outside the classroom without permission.
[ ] Broke the dress code.
[x] Failed a class test.
[ ] Ate food during class.
Total : 4
[x] Gotten a call from school.
[ ] Couldn’t go on a field trip cause you behaved badly.
[x] Didn’t take your stuff to school.
[ ] Gotten a detention and didn't go.
[ ] Stuck up your middle finger at a teacher when they were not looking.
[ ] Cursed during class loud enough so the teacher could hear.
Total : 6
[ ] Faked your parents signature.
[ ] Slept in class.
[ ] Cursed at a teacher to their face.
[ ] Copied homework.
Total: 6
MULTIPLY YOUR NUMBER BY THREE : in my case 6 x 3 = 18
Then repost this & put the Title as "I Screwed Up XX% Of My Teenage Life"

In A Nutshell

Before you all pummel me into the earth because of what I am about to say, let me preempt it with, I KNOW we are ALL super busy, ALL OF THE TIME. We are. Everyone has so much to do and not enough time to do it in. That's just the way of life.
But the month of April this year is going to kill me. Almost literally, down on the ground dead. There are so many places I have to be and little or no notice that I had to be there. I'm usually pretty accommodating but I need some time to talk myself into things. You might not know it but I am a shy individual. I've got to work at this personality on a daily basis. And there just isn't time to do that in the next 30 days. Let me break it down for y'all:
1 - Doctor appt. and running things to Tarzan's school for the Academic Decathlon kids.
2 - Food bank volunteering
3 - Dentist in the a.m. - something is not right with this crown that went in last year, check that, TWO YEARS ago. Apparently it's not the worst case scenario he talked about then but it can't be good. I will find out then what day I have to come back to get the actual work done. (Editor's Note: Apparently it IS the worst case scenario because they have to take out the crown and the post, re-clean and disinfect all three roots of the tooth, and then put a new post and crown back in. Yeah. The tooth didn't hurt before the original root canal so why am I going through all this hassle?) Then, tomorrow afternoon I am going out with a female missionary because her companion had to go home suddenly and they don't like the ladies to be out on their own.
4 & 5 - Thank goodness for General Conference. This is what church should be like every week, with the calm and the quiet and the listening and the me not having to run around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to catch people before they rush out the door.
6 - Doctor appt. and then sitting with Tarzan's grandfather in the afternoon.
7 - Different doctor's appt. and the stove technician is coming to tell me why my stove won't heat up. Hopefully he will fix it the same day or I'll have to schedule another date.
8 - Fetching Tarzan's aunt from the airport so SHE can sit with her father for a few days.
9, 10 & 11 - My dad and I are FINALLY going to The Frozen North to get his brother's things packed up. And the sad part is, it is still frozen up there. It's nearly Easter people, that's too late for snow.
12 - Easter itself. Don't know when the Easter Bunny is going to find time to get a new tie for Tarzan and some of those little cream eggs he likes so much...
13 - 16 Preparations and fetching people from the airport for QC's wedding to SBB.
Editor's Note:
15 - This is the day of days, when I will see not one but two (2!) dentists who will scrabble around inside my mouth, pretty much all day long.
17 - Tarzan's birthday AND QC's wedding.
18 - Wedding brunch with family AND Picnic Day at BHB's school in the Temperate Zone. I don't think we're going to make it this year, though it's her last year at the school and I haven't missed one yet. Curses.
19 - I think this might be a normal Sunday - as normal as our lives EVER are.
20 - Return Tarzan's aunt to the airport after her extended stay for the wedding and all.
21 - Doctor appt.
25 - There's an activity for all the kids of the church in our region so I will have to chaperon/supervise and probably bring a game or treat or something. AND there's more; ATL and I have tickets to see Celtic Woman that evening. So excited I can't even think of it yet or my head will explode.
That's all I have so far but I am sure the rest of the month will fill up quickly. It always does...

This is me, and I'm thinking timing, timing, timing is more important than location, location, location. Thoughts?

The Call

I can't find a video that has the group singing this live but it rocks nonetheless:



This is me, hoping they perform this one in three weeks.