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Personal blog entries now here. Blogger Boobie-Thon moved here.
Want a new view? You're not stuck with this design -- skin the site!




Did we really need this show?
 How to tell cable TV has really gone in the toilet (pun intended)...last night Todd was surfing around and came across, I kid you not, a show devoted to the World's Best Bathrooms. Never fear! If you missed it, the program will run again on February 3rd. And in case that isn't enough for you, you can also vote on what you feel is the most important quality for a public bathroom. Sponsored by Charmin. *shudder*
posted at 07:03 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



And another shameless plug...
 Chris Pirillo just pimp'd the audience-voted best online freebies winners on Call For Help. Categories include Free Email, Free Net Access, Free Newsletter, Downloads, Instant Messenger, Photos, Greeting Cards, and more.
posted at 05:22 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



No taxation without (online) representation
 Seen at Chris Pirillo's: Electronic tax filers could get extra 10 days to file. "To encourage greater electronic tax filing, President Bush wants to give e-filers an extra 10 days to get their returns in and begin designing a system allowing more people to file directly to the IRS via the Internet for free."
posted at 04:02 PM | link--it | mail it | (1) shout it



And how, pray tell, did they put you through college?
 Coupons! Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching, so if you have a bit of online shopping to do, make sure to check out these sites first to see if any 'net coupons exist for the merchants (or shopping categories) you're thinking about: SlickDeals.net, Amazing-Bargains.com, and MyCoupons.com
posted at 02:48 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



As Heaven Is Wide
 Take it back, I dare you, take it back
No you can't, you should have thought of that
What's inside a man that goes so wrong?

Choke on guilt, that's far too good for you
Say one word, I'll laugh and bury you
And leave you in the place where you left me...

-- "As Heaven Is Wide", Garbage

Sometimes being an adult means knowing when to walk away from people, places and things and never looking back. I have made that choice. I would ask that you finally respect me (and my requested privacy) and do the same. You are not going to find what you are (or are not) looking for -- parts of my life are now forever off-limits to you. Just so we're clear on that. Please devote your time and attention to the one thing you already have that others continue to pray for daily, and spend your time looking at photos of your own life rather than mine. And now back to your regularly scheduled programming...
posted at 02:32 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



What he said
 *polite opera claps* from the pink haired twit to the right...no, your other right...
posted at 01:30 PM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



Show me your...
 Whoever came in searching for Gasparilla boobs (I'm #1 baby!), I suggest checking with Ryan later this weekend. I'm pretty sure he won't disappoint... Because this is about all I have to offer (rated PG-13).
posted at 12:52 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



Well ok then
 Should more than 10 very low fly-by's by a helicopter over our house in the middle of suburbia in the last 5 minutes be cause for concern...hmmmmm...
posted at 12:08 PM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it






There's always Paris?
 As expected, the Bloggies were a Wil Wheaton love-fest and the rest of us didn't stand much of a chance if up against him. Oh well, it was an honor just being nominated, right? However, there is absolutely no justice in this world that Dawn didn't totally sweep her category! Suddenly I wear a very evil grin that Christine's name/URL will forever be on the donor's list! Tee hee!
posted at 11:13 PM | link--it | mail it | (18) shout it



Just call me 'Suzy Homemaker'
 It's a nuthin' fancy bare-bones design (with my favorite postcard), but I wanted a category page to group all of the recipes I've posted over the course of the last few months. Expect more soon!
posted at 09:50 PM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



Phone Call Transcript
 (5:38 p.m. EST, 01.30.02) Riiiiing...
Robyn: Hello?
Todd: Hey I just thought of something!
Robyn: Yes?
Todd: You know why "West Wing" sucks so much this season? They won't let the writer guy do his coke and 'shrooms any longer. They can have their widescreen back if they'll just give us good story lines again.
Robyn: *giggle*
Todd: That's all. See you soon! I love you.

Ahhhhhh...marriage!
posted at 05:45 PM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



LMFAO!
 Todd and I tease each other back and forth about our stat-totals every day. This afternoon I mentioned that my hits had really dropped off now that voting links for the Bloggies had shut down. (Winners are announced later tonight so my day in the sun is gone.) His reply?

"Your weblink burned out long before your legend ever did..."
He never fails to make me smile!

At least my partner in crime donated to the awards fund to get her URL front and center!
posted at 05:13 PM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



Now let me get this straight...
 “We've searched the [San Francisco International Airport] terminal. It’s safe and secure.” Yet the guy had explosive residue on his shoes. “When they went to ask the gentleman some more questions he was not there anymore. He was lost in the crowd...The passenger was described as a white male in his 40s...” Well gee, that narrows it down doesn't it? “Officials did not know whether the check on the man’s shoes was random or the man raised suspicion. Airport officials were unsure if video cameras at the checkpoint captured the man’s image.”

I am so with Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon on this one -- do your airport security job, bitch, and we'll throw you a pizza party! Higest state of alert, my ass. The more things change, the more they stay the same...and I stay on the ground... <rant mode /off>
posted at 03:28 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it






Just in under the wire
 I barely finished in time for Ashley's This or That Tuesday! It's the day of meme.

  1. Soap operas or operas? I hate to choose soaps, but I'm not an opera kinda girl.
  2. Flowers or chocolates? Mmmmm...Godivas!
  3. Kiwi or strawberries? Strawberries, but I like both.
  4. Netscape or IE? IE, although I hate having to use Bill's stuff.
  5. Mac or PC? Both now! But switching to Mac slowly but surely...
  6. 800x600 resolution or higher? 1024x768 here, too.
  7. NBC or ABC? NBC.
  8. House or apartment? Finally I can say house!
  9. The word "apathetic" or the word "complacent"? I don't care. No really, apathetic. Maybe. ;-)

posted at 11:40 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



Food for thought
 Besides that "100 things about me" list being massively huge, and not really expecting you to get all the way through it -- I also realized it barely scratched the surface of my freaky eating habits. I understand exactly why and how Meg Ryan orders her food in "When Harry Met Sally", and I'm not ashamed to say so. Just in case you're reeeeally bored, here are my top 20 food neuroses. I'm sure Todd will think of a few others later!

  1. I don't eat ANY vegetables other than corn, potatoes, and green beans. (And very small diced onions cooked in things.)
  2. I like pancakes but not waffles.
  3. I like ketchup on my hashbrowns but not on fried okra like Todd. (Yes, my Gma was a Southern cook and I like fried okra. And fried pickles from Classic 50s in Norman, OK. Sue me.)
  4. I cringe when Todd puts syrup on his Egg McMuffins. I like syrup, but c'mon!
  5. I always pull bread out of the bag from the middle slices, like somehow it will make it "fresher".
  6. I love pickles -- all kinds and flavors. When I was 3 or 4 years old, I went into the kitchen of a guy my mom was dating and ate his entire jar of pickles. And I didn't get sick.
  7. But I hate cucumbers.
  8. When I eat at Subway I want white bread for a meatball sub, but wheat bread for a ham and turkey sub.
  9. I love ketchup, tomato sauces, and the like -- but hate fresh tomatoes.
  10. Nothing makes me want to vomit more than ordering something with no tomatoes, getting the item with tomatoes, asking the restaurant to remove them, and instead of getting a new item back -- I get the same one with icky tomato slime still left on top (or worse yet soaked into the bun).
  11. Vanilla pudding and lemonade make me phlegmy and therefore I do not like either and won't eat or drink them.
  12. I will drink lemon juice out of the bottle, however.
  13. The smell of sauerkraut has always made me physically ill. I cannot even walk by the Germany section at Epcot without holding my breath.
  14. I don't like coconut, but I love pina colada wine coolers.
  15. When eating chips and salsa, I don't want onion and pepper chunks on the chips -- just the "juicy" part of the salsa. Which is made of...tomatoes. (See #9.)
  16. Swanson chicken and turkey pot pies give me migraine headaches. Red wine does the same.
  17. I love chocolate but hate Cocoa Pebbles.
  18. I like chocolate gravy on my biscuits. If the thought makes you wanna hurl, you've obviously never had it. Just ask Todd and Nikki who are both fans of the recipe. And e-mail me if you want it.
  19. I don't like pecans plain, but love them in desserts. Then again, I don't like pecan pie.
  20. I won't drink white milk - only chocolate. And I'll only use regular milk on my cereal if it's less than 3 days old from the store. Otherwise, it starts to taste funny.
So there you go... And you just thought I was strange before now!
posted at 10:33 PM | link--it | mail it | (13) shout it



No worries!
 I like it. I like it ahhh-laaahhht.
posted at 08:48 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



Now I want one tooooooo!
 Make sure to check out Christine's new Pixelog if you haven't already! She and Jennifer did a fab job on the design and functionality of the site!
posted at 06:22 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



More than you never wanted to know...
 This was a lot harder than it looked! But thanks to Ashley, Nikki, Angela, Cheryl, and a few other blogs near you...I followed suit with 100 things you may or may or not know about me.

  1. I've had three last names and I've never been divorced.
  2. I was born Robyn [edited for safety].
  3. I was adopted by my step-dad as [edited for safety].
  4. And I married Todd to become Robyn [edited for safety].
  5. Even though I'm from Oklahoma, I haven't worn cowboy boots since I was 5.
  6. I was raised an only-child until I was 9 years old.
  7. I was brought up Southern Baptist, and I was saved on Easter Sunday. I was baptized on Mother's Day. I no longer consider myself Southern Baptist, but rather a Christian. We still haven't found a church we like in Tampa Bay.
  8. My half-sister Jennifer is nothing but a full-blooded sibling in my mind.
  9. I have three other half-siblings I didn't meet until I was 21.
  10. My grandmother owned a children's specialty clothing store, which meant as a child I had all of the free Izod, Guess, Ocean Pacific, etc. clothing I could ever want.
  11. My friends hated me for it.
  12. I was a Duranie.
  13. I was a cheerleader.
  14. My photo has appeared in Sports Illustrated. I knew Mark Price when he played for Georgia Tech, and was photographed with him. He went on to play for the Dream Team II that won gold in '94.
  15. I wore a fork around my wrist, stolen from the cafeteria, in high school.
  16. My little sister wore a spoon around her wrist when she went to high school almost 10 years later.
  17. I was voted Honor Society secretary, sophomore class president, and participated in student council.
  18. I attended three different high schools in three different towns.
  19. I was a Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) delegate -- any others out there? I went to the national congress in Baltimore in 1989, and served as the Oklahoma Alumni secretary for four years.
  20. I got mono when I was 15 and have fought chronic illness ever since.
  21. Even though I was on the yearbook staff my senior year, my name is misspelled in the 1991 Po-Hi yearbook 3 different times.
  22. Three of my boyfriends in high school came out of the closet after graduation.
  23. My friends never let me live it down.
  24. I have kissed a girl. I was then, and still am, straight.
  25. I went to OU on a full "tuition, books, and fees" academic scholarship.
  26. I lived in the Honors Dorm, but couldn't have beat any of the residents in a game of Jeopardy.
  27. I noticed Todd a full year before noticed me.
  28. I don't do well with the subject of Botany. I flunked it the first time, trashing my honor roll average at OU, and made a D the second time (barely passing).
  29. I still managed to keep my GPA high enough to keep my scholarship.
  30. And I made a B+ the following semester in Physical Geography.
  31. Todd and I only dated six consecutive weeks in college, but were friends my last three years at OU.
  32. Our engagement story has been published in this book.
  33. I was elected "prom queen" at the 1994 El Pollo del Mar Ball.
  34. I made it on national TV three times during OU football games when I was in college -- once for having the ABC logo painted on my stomach (while wearing a sports bra).
  35. I also appeared in a local Channel 5 sports commercial.
  36. I've had to file a restraining order against someone.
  37. I have never smoked a cigarette in my 29 years.
  38. I didn't take my first drink until just before my sophomore year of college.
  39. I quickly made up for lost time.
  40. I can't stand the taste of beer. Any beer. I was a "girl-drink-drunk".
  41. I have never used 'illegal' drugs.
  42. All of my friends in college did though.
  43. I went to two OU/tx games in college and OU lost both of them.
  44. I think there is a special swingin' lounge in hell reserved for boy bands.
  45. I'm still not over the grunge era being over.
  46. I miss flannel shirts.
  47. I still wear Doc Martens.
  48. I own over 30 bras in various designs and colors.
  49. I wear Comptoir sud Pacifique's Vanille Abricot and Obsession perfume.
  50. Todd drives me legally insane when he wears Obsession for Men.
  51. I am a natural blonde, and no, you can't check. Just ask Todd.
  52. I cried the day I learned Michael Hutchence had killed himself.
  53. I'm addicted to Schweppe's Ginger Ale.
  54. I don't like eating at Chili's or Applebee's, but Todd does.
  55. I had never turned on a PC until the Blizzard of '96 in the Philadelphia area.
  56. I graduated college using an Apple IIE and friends' Macs.
  57. I am entirely self-taught with HTML.
  58. I do all of my coding in Notepad.
  59. I don't even know how to use Dreamweaver or Frontpage.
  60. I think Photoshop is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
  61. My favorite movie is "Jezebel" with Bette Davis and Henry Fonda.
  62. My favorite actor is Cary Grant.
  63. My favorite actress is Katharine Hepburn.
  64. I never seem to be able to reply to e-mail in a timely manner.
  65. I'm a really good cook.
  66. My mom has been married four times, but has finally found love.
  67. I don't speak with my former step-dad.
  68. My biological father only seems to show up for big life events, and I haven't heard from him since shortly after our wedding when we moved to Florida.
  69. My husband doesn't have contact with his biological father either.
  70. We didn't become homeowners until we'd been married five years.
  71. We still don't know our neighbors.
  72. We met our closest friends in Tampa Bay online.
  73. Yes, that bothers me, because I've always made friends easily no matter where in the country I've landed.
  74. I miss driving. I haven't driven a car since 1996 and unfortunately don't see that changing any time soon.
  75. I used to take off for cross-country trips by myself "just because".
  76. My favorite vacation destination is New Orleans.
  77. We ran off there to get married with about 30 friends and family, and scrapped our 400+ guest wedding. I wouldn't do it any other way.
  78. I still look at my husband when he's asleep and feel that "rush" of falling in love all over again, over 5 ½ years later.
  79. My happiest time of day is when I wake up to see "I love you" from Todd on our private forum each and every morning.
  80. I didn't step foot inside of a Disney park until I was 25, and then we got annual passes.
  81. I didn't step foot on a beach until I was 22, and two years later we moved to Florida.
  82. I'm the whitest shade of pale, but I don't sunburn.
  83. I am at least 1/8 Cherokee but I can't claim it because my relatives didn't go on the rolls.
  84. I am 3/128 Choctaw and I am a card-carrying member of the tribe, blonde hair and all.
  85. I like the smell of gasoline.
  86. I hate the smell of cut grass.
  87. Even though I'm 5'10", I have never played basketball.
  88. This visibly crushed guidance counselors when I would enroll at a new school.
  89. I played softball and soccer instead.
  90. John was my favorite Beatle.
  91. I think more things in life should have chili and cheese on top. Right Christine, Ashley, and Tara?
  92. The first places I want to go when I step foot back in Oklahoma are always Braums and Sonic.
  93. My favorite ice cream flavor is Braums peppermint.
  94. I'm a horrible speller with poor grammar.
  95. The TV is constantly on but I rarely "watch" it.
  96. My favorite waste of time is InStyle Magazine.
  97. I am a Democrat and darn proud of it.
  98. I'm getting tired of thinking up things for this list.
  99. I'm wondering if you're even still reading...
  100. I'm so vain, I do think this blog is about me. Don't I. Don't I.
For a list of my top 20 food neuroses just click here.
posted at 05:23 PM | link--it | mail it | (19) shout it



If you're sedated and you know it, clap your hands
 It looks like Jeb's daughter was jealous that Jenna and Barbara are the ones who get all the tabloid action! (Thanks Todd!)
posted at 01:15 PM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it



All in the name of cheap plastic beads
 Well I'm up at almost 5 a.m. because I can't sleep which sucks, but what doesn't suck is the upcoming annual Gasparilla pirate invasion here in Tampa Bay. We were just issued our official day parade invitation for the festivities this coming Saturday -- and in addition to meeting Ryan and Chel there, we've also managed to talk Stacy and her husband Daniel into tagging along.

Gasparilla is Tampa Bay's version of Mardi Gras -- a multi-week celebration of debauchery, parades and plastic beads that officially kicks off this Saturday when a flotilla of pirate ships invades the city for the day parade. And if you just can't wait 'til then for the photos, here are a few from the Sant' Yago Illuminated Knight Parade last year... Anyone else wanna join us?
posted at 04:48 AM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it



Things that make you pause and reflect
 I went to one of my new reads tonight and found this story about a young blogger, 18 years old, who was killed over the weekend in a car crash along with her boyfriend. This girl's last post was a joke of sorts, and the comments have now turned into a lovely memorial. Really makes you stop and think about how each word you type very well could be your last, and never to take the mere fact you are alive and breathing for granted... I had never visited your site until tonight, Becky, but may you rest in peace, and both of your families and friends find comfort.
posted at 01:20 AM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it






I'd like a million of them all 'round my cell
 Since I've started blogging (and we got a digital camera) I've been absolutely awful about archiving our photos. So if you're coming to the party late, and want a quick-rewind of what you've missed, here are the new photo archives (link also located in the sidebar). Hopefully someday soon I'll get around to actually setting up an MT photo-blog, but 'til then, deal with it.
posted at 10:53 PM | link--it | mail it | (1) shout it



It don't mean a thing if you aint got that ping
 Remember last week when MT users were having trouble pinging weblogs.com? Ben has posted a patch for the problem. (Thanks to Christine and Kristine for the tip!)
posted at 04:51 PM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



Tobynopoly
 Have you ever seen our main Tobynopoly site? Then you'll understand why I get a very big kick out of these!
posted at 04:26 PM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it



I gave him a Shiner
 If you're wondering why I've been so quiet today, I was helping my husband through an early mid-life crisis. He was starting to wonder why he didn't feel "smart" anymore, so I made him a simple flowchart to illustrate why!
posted at 02:44 PM | link--it | mail it | (10) shout it






Now serving #647
 I get a lot of e-mail requests that say "where do you get the images you use on your blog?" A great place to start is the Absolutely Celebrity Network -- you can literally spend all day combing through the various image archives there. Just keep in mind that I almost-always Photoshop-polish the images you see here first, so they won't exactly be as-is.
posted at 08:30 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



Goin' to the chapel?
 For those of you who are about to be married and like using pin-ups for your blog designs, I ran across an artist with a few bridal hotties today...
posted at 07:47 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



Karma Chameleon
 As expected, I played around with the site skins a bit more today, and added two new ones (one with a white background and one with a black background). I'll let you be surprised -- there are 5 total choices there now. Have fun!
posted at 07:34 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



Anything more than a handful...
 This one courtesy of Nikki: "Groom Killed By Stripper's Boobs". So let that be a lesson to ya'!
posted at 04:26 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



Gimme some skin
 Hey guess what? Thanks to Christine you can now skin this site (over in the sidebar)! Look for me to go a little crazy as I understand all this a bit more -- but for now you can go crazy, too, with the last couple of designs I had. THANK YOU SCHMOOPIE!
posted at 02:37 AM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it






Oh Lisa, you with your stories...beer kills brain cells...
 Here's one thanks to Angela: the "Guess the Beer Label" test
posted at 11:39 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



Looking for something?
 I Shirley'ed up the advanced search page and the 2002 archives a bit today as well. You can find the links over in the sidebar.
posted at 10:07 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



You can take the girl out of Oklahoma...
 And now I shall lead you all in a chorus of "It's a Small World After All". Make sure to stop by Kevin's new MT blog. He loves OU, hates Mack Brown, drinks Shiner Bock, and knew (of) me in high school...and doesn't hold it against me...
posted at 07:20 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



Ah...one, and ah...two!
 I just updated/overhauled my blogs and links page (located over in the sidebar). If you're linking to me, and don't see your site listed, just drop me a line!
posted at 07:04 PM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



Oh happy day
 Lookee what we got in the mail today! The credit union sent the title to our '98 Explorer because we somehow managed to pay it off there a few months early... We're scheduling it to completely fall apart about 4 p.m. next Tuesday since we officially own it now. Is that good for you?
posted at 02:17 PM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



Drumroll please...the big review
 I'll state from the start this will be a very hard review to give because I am biased (see below). That said, I thought I am Sam rocked! The best way to describe how I felt about the film would be to make a negative-imprint of my Vanilla Sky review. I am not a chick flick kinda girl. But I do cry at AT&T commercials. You know the one...husband/dad leaving town..."Rocket Man" playing in the background...him twirling his wife's barrette in his fingers on the plane... And I cried during this film. A lot. Then again, I saw 350 lb. men walking out of the 7:30 showing who were also puffy-faced and swollen-eyed.

Sean Penn's acting is simply amazing. And the little girl that played his daughter is an adult in a child's body. She was incredible as well. There are so many star cameos that don't "cheapen" the film either. They actually enhance it. As Todd says, "Anyone will work for scale to work with Sean Penn." It has moments of true joy -- and true pain -- just like life. It makes you really stop and think "are any of us really, truly prepared to be a parent?" And it makes you appreciate the love you do have in your life. At least it did for me, and I couldn't ask for any more of my $7. No more at all. Beyond all of that, the soundtrack was fantastic as well. (The movie is a must for any true Beatles fan and history buff.) Expect to see a lot of the songs showing up on my MP3 list over in the sidebar during the next week. I don't want to give away too much of the film's plot, but if you do go and see it, be sure to let me know what you think. And happy weekend everyone!
posted at 02:06 AM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it






I kissed a girl
 Todd and I have been teasing back and forth today between ourselves and Christine about the whole "threesome" thing, which brings up a most-amusing college tale he insists I share...

I've kissed a girl. For money. Live on the radio. In front of Chong (of Cheech and Chong fame). It's something I will probably never, ever live down. And it's so darned amusing, I don't even try.

It was St. Patrick's Day circa 1994, around 7 a.m. Anyone that's ever lived in Norman, Oklahoma on St. Paddy's knows what I'm talkin' 'bout. (O'Connell's opens at the crack of dawn for green beer and green eggs & ham. If you even go to class that day, your tongue is green and you're hung-over by 1 p.m.) So during the live KJ103 broadcast, they started talking about an upcoming episode of "Roseanne", then shocking, where she was going to kiss Mariel Hemingway. They decide right then and there to hold a radio contest for best female-female kiss. The grand prize? Five hundred bucks. I was young. I was impressionable. I was flat broke. And I was grabbed by my RA and somehow ended up in line. At the last minute two actual lesbians showed up - with props - and won. But our kiss was judged "most original" (yes, I'm proud) by Chong and instead of the cash we won 2 tix to see Gallagher that night (which I gave to Jana because it was her birthday). I ended up getting so much attention on campus because of it, I dyed my hair red the next day.

And you wonder why my husband loves me so much? Well there you have it! He sticks with me, and maybe, just maybe, one day he'll have his harem...
posted at 05:18 PM | link--it | mail it | (15) shout it



The Day After
 I just wanted to grab the mic for a few and say a big ol' "THANK YOU" to all of you who have sent well-wishes (publicly and privately), nominated my site in the first place, voted for it to be a finalist, and for those who have recently voted for me to win the big gold Can o' Spam. Spam, spam, spam, spam. I was just telling Kristine that it's almost like that Sesame Street song (being up there next to Wil and Mena)..."one of these kids is not like the others, c'mon can you tell which one?" And I've literally had three-times the traffic in the last two days that I normally get, so please forgive me for awhile if I'm checking for lipstick in my teeth or squares of toilet paper stuck to the bottom of my shoe before I post... Although most bloggers secretly crave the spotlight, it's pretty bright and I forgot to pack my sunglasses. Thanks again everyone -- it really was an honor just to be nominated!
posted at 01:38 PM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



A sphincter says what?
 In case you might have missed it, my husband Todd has a very special meme each and every Friday called "Spot the [Movie] Quote". Make sure to give it a whirl today!
posted at 12:51 PM | link--it | mail it | (1) shout it



Sam I am
 I think Todd and I are going to make Friday night a "date night" and go see I am Sam (Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer). I've wanted to see this film since the moment I saw the first preview, and thankfully I haven't read a negative review yet. I'm sure I'll need a purse-full of Kleenex though. When I was in college, I worked at a group home for mentally handicapped adults. I started off as a habitational aide working one-on-one with Jennifer, helping her learn daily routines such as shopping, balancing a checkbook, and general "living on your own" training. Eventually I was promoted to weekend shift leader and recreational therapist for the whole house, where I had six other clients including Glenda and Danny. I loved the weekend shift. Everything was so casual and laid-back -- and it was just like being at home. Only without the yelling. (Just kidding, mom!) We'd do silly things like sneaking into the stadium during OU's fourth quarter, dyeing the girls hair red, and late-afternoon trips to the Duck Pond.

After I graduated from OU, I ended up in Philadelphia with more of "desk job" as an activities therapist at mental health day treatment program -- but there was never the same sense of accomplishment and satisfaction there as I had at the group home. The day I learned Jennifer had moved out into her own apartment (and was down to four visits a week by an aide) was one of the happiest days of my life. I'm sure the movie will be hard to watch, not just because of the plot line, but because I can't physically do my old job again right now -- but I have to see it nonetheless. Man, I really miss all of them!
posted at 12:40 AM | link--it | mail it | (7) shout it






Words of wisdom
 Just overheard on The Screen Savers: "An Apple a day keeps Control+Alt+Delete away!"
posted at 08:26 PM | link--it | mail it | (6) shout it



If only they really made these...
 This one is courtesy of my my sister-in-law: a suggested line of Hallmark cards for 2002
posted at 05:17 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



A veritable cornucopia of randomness
 If this is your first visit to my blog, my catchy l'il domain name is courtesy of my lovely 'net wife, and the inspiration behind my blogging, Christine. Next, I'd say my real-life MCSE husband seems extremely pleased I've made the conversion to Mac. And last but not least, I am very happy Todd has never publicly taken me to task like this in his blog before. Of course, I told him if he had, he'd be praying and crossing his legs very tightly before going to sleep every night for a very long time. Tee hee!
posted at 03:39 PM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it



Happy birthday Holly!
 We have another birthday girl -- go give 'er some love!
posted at 01:31 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



You like me -- you really, really like me!
 Ok, that's about as Sally Fields as I can get...but imagine my shock when I woke up all groggy like and uncaffeinated earlier this morning to find congrats on making the Bloggies! (Thanks to everyone that tipped me off!) I thought I had about a snowball's chance in Tampa in August...but whoa! There's Gwen's smiling face snuggled right next to Wil Wheaton's. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, just go here (I'm in the new weblogs category). And make sure to go vote for Dawn in the best design category! I think this deserves one of my rarely used w00t's!
posted at 12:08 PM | link--it | mail it | (20) shout it



How 'bout them Apples?
 Snagged from Chris Pirillo: An article titled "Why Did Apple's iBook Have To Grow Up?" I thought it was pretty interesting considering the reasons it cites are some of the very reasons that lured us in and sealed the deal!
posted at 12:27 AM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it






Erase and rewind, 'cuz I've been changin' my mind
 I updated my blast from the past design archive section over in the sidebar to include the old pink page (which can still be accessed from the sidebar), and make the conversion to Apple official.
posted at 10:53 PM | link--it | mail it | (1) shout it



The real me
 To all of the people coming in from "Inside the Real Lisa" -- welcome! And if you're wondering why all the pink, purple and Gwen lately, here's a quick recap. If I kept sweater girls up all the time, people would get bored too (and I'd get hot just looking at it living here in south-central Florida)...so I just try to keep myself happy instead... It is my home afterall! (Don't forget to use the AOL-CD coasters.)
posted at 06:55 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



She's baaaaaack...
 In case you've been missing Holly the last few days, her blog is back and functional again!
posted at 05:49 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



Ping-Pong
 Is anyone else running MT having trouble pinging weblogs.com when you make a new post today? It was fine this morning, but I've had troubles with my last three posts (this one included) now. Just curious...
posted at 05:38 PM | link--it | mail it | (9) shout it



Stunning!
 A friend of mine has a friend with a wedding coming up this weekend and just sent me a photo of what the bride's dress will look like. This is simply one of the most beautiful wedding gowns I have ever seen! And after four years of running the Dress Contest, I've seen just a few. Can we get married again, Todd?
posted at 02:33 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



Spaceballs - the breakfast cereal
 Kids today are so ripped off. Besides the lack of Saturday morning TV for them (which is a whole 'nuther blog rant unto itself) -- no Smurfs, no Bugs, no Pac Man -- just news and the Today Show -- have you looked at non-Super Colon Blow cereals at the grocery store lately? I never grew out of the kids cereal phase. Bring on the Sugar Smacks ('cuz dammit they STILL have sugar), the Fruity Pebbles, the Frosted Flakes, the Fruit Loops, and the Apple Jacks! I remember literally standing in the cereal aisle for what seemed like hours (to me and my poor mom) when I was a kid trying to figure out which one had the best prize. And then having my mom want to kill me after we got home as I dumped the ENTIRE box of cereal out in a big mixing bowl to dig for the loot inside. Today they put mazes on the back of the box. "Ooooh, you mean I get to draw on it?! Well gimme a case then!" Kellogg's had it right a few months back by putting little Sesame Street beanies in all of their boxes. I darn-near passed out the day I opened my Rice Krispies to find a little Oscar the Grouch inside. But as quickly as the promotion started, it also ended, and the boxes went back to nuthin' inside. It's even more lame than the stupid cardboard squares you find in boxes of Cracker Jack now! Which brings me to...whatever happened to the cool tattoos...
posted at 02:17 PM | link--it | mail it | (6) shout it



FashionDish at the Globes
 FashionDish has out their best and worst dressed of the Golden Globes list. Thank goodness Sarah Jessica Parker made their worst list! I felt like I was alone in thinking that. They made a Barbie doll quip, but I was thinking more along the lines of a Kewpie doll...
posted at 09:12 AM | link--it | mail it | (7) shout it






Blog Blog, Baby!
 Ok, so I got bored with the purple really darn quick. Erika unveiled a cool new design today, so I figured that was my license to take all the ribbing and switch things around again. Plus just look at that pic of Gwen! How could I not use it?
posted at 10:16 PM | link--it | mail it | (22) shout it



=w=hoopee!
 We're going to see Weezer! We're going to see Weezer! =w=ahoooooo!
posted at 06:44 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



This or That Tuesday
 It's time for Ashley's "this or that" Tuesday!

  1. Car or SUV? We have an SUV but I miss my car!
  2. Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve? That's a tough one, but I like Todd's answer the best!
  3. Candy or cake? Cake...mmmm...cake...
  4. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate!
  5. Tuesday or Wednesday? Hump-day -- you're half-way there.
  6. Jacuzzi or pool? Well we do have the James Brown Celebrity Hot Tub at our house...
  7. Left-handed or right? I'm right-handed, but my mom was left-handed so I iron and twirl a baton with my left.
  8. Do you say "tissue" or "Kleenex"? Kleenex.
  9. Correct typing or two-finger tapping? Correct.
  10. Blue cheese or ranch salad dressing? Blue cheese -- I'll order a Caesar if they don't have it rather than get ranch.

posted at 06:22 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



Blog stats! We got yer blog stats!
 I finally got around to adding that nifty little script by little green footballs (seen everywhere at blogs near you) that tracks your last 50 referring URLs. It's added as a pop-up over in the sidebar under "la la love you", which also happens to be a song title. Anyone? Anyone?
posted at 05:54 PM | link--it | mail it | (9) shout it



Cool clip art
 Need really good and funky 'clip art'? Check out this site -- over 20 pages of some really cool stuff (on white backgrounds)!
posted at 04:14 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



The no-rub express
 Being a homebody, I have heard just about every commercial there is on TV. I rarely look up and couldn't pinpoint any of them by sight -- but by sound -- oh yeah, been there, heard that! And I was just able to share with Todd the one that sends me into fits of giggles every afternoon...the "no rub express". Now you might think by the name and URL that it's a porn site -- especially with the slogan "it's so express, no rubbing is needed!" But alas, it's not. It does, however, remove protein. Yeah, you know where my mind is. Quit looking at me like that!
posted at 12:12 AM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it






Monday Mission
 Just in under the wire again...the Monday Mission from PromoGuy dot Net.

  1. What was the most romantic moment you remember from last year? The first night we spent in our first home.
  2. What is your most recent obsession? Getting my new iBook in my greedy, impatient little hands and taking down Dell in the process.
  3. One of my favorite things in the world is to watch the sunset/sunrise, although rainbows are a close second. Tell me about your favorite natural occourance? The shade of green the sky turns in Oklahoma just before a tornado. There's just nothing quite like it, and you have to *experience* a sky like that to know just what I'm talking about.
  4. I've always been told bad things come in "threes." I really don't believe in the rule of the "threes," but have you had some experiences where it has proved to be true? It seems each and every time we have something bad happen, it's in threes actually! When the first one happens, my stomach flip-flops knowing more is to come...
  5. But then again, I am usually a positive person, takes a lot to "p" me off. Let's talk about good things for a sec. What's the most recent "good news" you have heard? A good friend found out the sex of her baby, and Todd guessed right and did a victory lap around the living room!
  6. I'm not double-jointed and I can't stop a fan-blade with my tongue. But I can curl my tongue as well as cross just one eye. Do you have any stupid human tricks? I can do a Pee Wee Herman imitation of "I'm trying to use the phone!" Does that count? That's about all I've got...
  7. I have to say, that really was a good movie. It is pretty early still, I think there are some things going on downtown. Anything strike your fancy? Centro Ybor, baby!

BONUS: Who can take a sunrise...sprinkle it with dew? The candy man can!
posted at 11:29 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



Behold the power of cheese
 Ashley's "this or that" last week made us both hungry for lasagna, so I made one tonight. If you'd like the recipe, here it is!
posted at 10:31 PM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



More from the great beyond
 Catherine asked for more detailed pics of our yard, and I must confess, there's a reason I shot a lot of close-ups today. We're in the process of removing a tree in the back right now, and it's really hard to shoot wide-angle shots until we get it all cut up and bagged for removal. Here are a few of the yard that were taken last summer during the inspection though (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3). The first is the fish pond right outside our bedroom window, the second is Todd's second home when he's a very naughty husband (a.k.a as the G.R.O.S.S. - Get Rid of Slimy girlS - headquarters), and the third is the bench across the yard from the pond. I also have a photo of the front yard, taken last week, here. We have a lot of work to do this spring post-drought, but we're looking forward to the challenge!
posted at 09:41 PM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



Wookin' pa nub
 LOL! Chris Pirillo just sang a chorus of "Wookin' Pa Nub" on a Call For Help re-run I'm watching. At least I know someone that has visited the site gets that reference in my sidebar, now!
posted at 05:44 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



Sunny days...sweepin' the clouds away
 This is one of those picture-perfect Florida postcard days where you just feel lucky to be alive! I spent a great deal of this morning out in the yard just taking in the great outdoors -- and here are fifteen photos from my journey. Enjoy!
posted at 02:36 PM | link--it | mail it | (10) shout it



The Bloggies™ - part deux