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But when I see you darling, it's like we both are falling in love again - it'll be just like starting over

Do I have a great husband or what? After watching me code my little hiney off all weekend during his mini-vacation, he showed up with these tonight "just because". Sterling silver roses are my absolute favorite after working at a florist's in high school! The lighting in the photo just does not do them justice...
posted at 07:28 PM | link--it | mail it | (19) shout it



The secret to giving more than 100%
 "Office Math" -- who knew it could be so easy?! And to continue the Martha-bashing trend below, here's "Real Women vs. Martha".
posted at 05:27 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



Blue Monday
 Haven't done "news of the weird" for awhile...so here are a few headlines:

  1. Army Lieutenant Colonel: "porn made me kill my wife"
  2. Museum of sex couldn't get it up (Official site)
  3. CNN reads fark, too (originally blogged on 9/20)
  4. Bungee Jumper: "I guess he missed"
  5. Scientology could have saved Elvis from death (but not fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches)
And just in time for Halloween...the "Surrender Martha" site. Let Martha fry.
posted at 04:23 PM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it



New York state of mind
 This weekend before the OU game, we went to the mall because I needed soap. It was going to be a quick in-and-out to kill time before kickoff... What we got instead was an up-close history lesson that left me struggling not to break down and weep openly right there in public.

As haunting as it was to see so many of those images up close, I feel it's something everyone should see. There is a dignified elegance in this gallery having no frames around the artwork, no tuxedoed waiters with cheese platters and glasses of merlot -- just the images on simple clotheslines, letting their powerful messages speak for themselves. Please check to see if there's a viewing of "here is new york: a democracy of photographs"" in your area.
posted at 03:53 PM | link--it | mail it | (12) shout it



It's time to raise a little hell
 To kick off my week of insanity -- where I have not one, but four big projects launch back-to-back -- I'm proud to announce the birth of the very latest Sekimori creation! It's the redesign of "Raising Hell". If you've never been there before (and just why not?), Raising Hell is an excellent multi-author parenting ezine -- written just the way I'd parent if I could.

Stacy designed the top left official logo, and I did the rest of the graphics and built the site around it. This has been a very long-term obsession for all of us. I may not have a child of my own, but I've definitely had labor pains with this project -- and now I'm one proud momma. So please go check it out! Tell 'em Robyn sent ya'.

I have a project of my very own that kicks off on the first, one for Wendell that (knock on wood) should finally wrap up by week's end, and another blogging project that should finish up about the same time. Anyone got some No-Doz? Just one hit. That's all I need...


Special thanks go out to Stacy and Kristine for all of their MT-configuration help over the weekend!
posted at 03:28 AM | link--it | mail it | (10) shout it






Errrr, scratch that...
 It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind, and I'm doing so! Today is Sunday. While our football gods are at war, we're all going to be at peace. We're all going to hold hands, braid daisies in each other's hair, and we're all going to friggin' sing a chorus of "Kum Ba Yah" together even if it kills us. If your ears bleed, well then that just means you don't have to listen to your boss on Monday, mmmk? I've got the jumbo marshmellows. Todd's bringing the chocolate. Grab a box of graham crackers and we'll all make sweet S'more lovin' down by the fire. A-one, and a-two. Hit it!

I...love you man.
posted at 04:34 AM | link--it | mail it | (7) shout it



May we see your photos please
 Here's a few pics we snapped from tonight. I don't have time to organize them yet...sorry. The ones shown on the main page are of my new gym gear from Abercrombie & Fitch. I've been eyeing those colors ever since they came in, and they finally went on sale this weekend! It sure is nice to be able to shop there again -- the dieting is paying off!

And click the "read more" link to see a few photos from tonight's watch party. Fox 13 News actually showed up for a live feed at the beginning of the game and we had a record turnout -- over 35 in attendance!










posted at 01:24 AM | link--it | mail it | (17) shout it






Da' Bulls
 A win is a win, right? Pardon me for still grumbling. Granted, Woolfolk and Clayton didn't play at all, and when USF scored twice in the last coupla' minutes it against our second and third string defense -- but we still gave up a "sure" shut-out. I'm sure people are weeping openly right now in Vegas. We only made one-third of our third down conversions. Pathetic. Our O-line protection was non-existant. I couldn't blame Nate for anything tonight. And somehow USF managed 100 more yards on offense than we did. So much to work on. So little time before texas in two weeks... Amazing after the drought in the 90s, we actually bitch and moan about a 31-14 victory now. But we are.

I would like to ask Mr. Mittens if he's still doubting my picking abilities though? Did I call Iowa State over Nebraska or what? I'm really not sure that OU would be able to beat the Cyclones twice in one season. It. Just. Got. Interesting.

Oh by the way, you actually have to scroll a couple of screens through my e-mail inbox right now -- and it's not getting any better for the next few days with a big project launching on Monday, another one on Tuesday, and three designs at bat. So please continue to hold. Your call is important to us!
posted at 11:36 PM | link--it | mail it | (13) shout it



Here's to good friends, tonight is kinda special
 Today's a big day for friends and family. My Gma celebrates her 70th birthday. And an old friend from college finally makes it down the aisle this afternoon in St. Louis.

Just want to wish everyone well -- we're thinking of you today! Happy birthday Gma. And best wishes for a wonderful life ahead Brian and Lori.
posted at 01:27 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



Steal my sunshine
 [Note from Robyn: Since you can pretty much figure out from the comments where my template was duplicated, I'm removing that site's link off the main page now. The site in question has since replaced my template design with the default MT template. Thanks!]

Was my head just buried in the sand all this time? (Stacy's name, for all intents and purposes, and my template.) Yes, I made it in the "credits" (she didn't, however). But it sure would have been nice to have been asked...oh say, like this guy did. I'm really not mean when asked nicely. I swear. Try it sometime. You just might be surprised.
posted at 03:46 AM | link--it | mail it | (30) shout it






We've been good but we can't last
 Someone must have messed up the calendar somewhere, because I'm getting all of my Christmas presents early this year. Yesterday, I joined the l33t club -- and today, it looks like I've went and trapped my very first blogroach. (Blogroach™ Stacy. All future "Steve" comments will be BlogRaid'ed.) Shucks you guys -- you really shouldn't have. And I didn't even get you anything. Well, unless you count two days worth of entertaining reading...

For now, though, we're off to Sonic in Bradenton for dinner. I think we've earned it!
posted at 06:24 PM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



She's like, popular, and stuff
 In case you haven't seen it yet, there's an article about weblogging linked on the front page of MSNBC.com -- and THE WORKING MOM is in the "best of blogs" sidebar section! Congrats Jennifer -- it is very much deserved!
posted at 03:56 PM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



Do you have the bunny inside?
 Oh no, Christine -- what do you think Bunny is going to do? They've recalled the Rampant Rabbit! Guess death really does await with nasty, big pointy teeth...
posted at 02:47 AM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



Doctor, doctor...gimme the news
 A design I did a few weeks back finally went live today -- it's at LienDoctor.com. Not all of the graphics on the main page were mine, but I did my best to merge the parts they wanted to keep from the previous design with the new one. And I swear Wendell, the other new one is coming soon!
posted at 02:28 AM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it



Big Pink Birthday Cakes
 Today is one of my partners in crime's birthdays...HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTINE! I hope you get all your heart desires, and then some... Starting with the spankings, of course. *wink*


posted at 12:33 AM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it






More blending power than should be legally allowed
 So what do you do when you have a sore throat, there's a good fight going on around you, and your husband is home for a long weekend? Well the answer would normally be, fire up the blender -- but someone managed to do something very bad to ours during the last OU party we threw. When I went to make drinks during the Emmy Awards Sunday night, the base started smoking. Not good.

But never fear -- Dillards had their KitchenAid appliances on sale for 25% off. I now own my first-ever-anything KitchenAid! (It's just like this one only we paid much less.) Oh dear lord am I in heaven! So here are a couple of strawberry daiquiris to share with everyone. (I even have bendy straws just for you, Mikey!)

And check out these cute little candles I got at Tarjhét across the street. The scent is cabernet, and they come in cute little mini wine glasses -- with a wine glass charm around each stem! I couldn't resist... Especially since we're not blowing hideous amounts of money on Sooner football gear right now.
posted at 11:41 PM | link--it | mail it | (7) shout it



Let me make it perfectly clear
 A longtime friend of ours wrote, a little shocked, at the lengths I had gone to in this situation today. She wasn't defending her, but mentioned being surprised at how angry everyone got and how quickly they sprung into action on our behalf. So I just want to make sure ya'll understand...

If Miss-Thing had been a first-time offender, and/or a new blogger, and had no idea that thievery is wrong and not flattery, I would have made every effort to contact her privately, and get the situation worked out between the three of us, without opening the floodgates of hell on her ass. But she isn't a first-time offender. She has done it before. She will do it again. Go read the comments here. "Jani" actually made an appearance and claimed back on May 6th, "I never even knew there was some sort of etiquette on it all." She was told repeatedly what she had done was wrong -- and that it was, in fact, stealing. . She argued on her own behalf. And she did it again anyway. She knew what she was doing this time.

As such, I kicked it up a notch. Instead of just reporting her to AOL and Blogspot (which I also did) for TOS violations -- I took her Mensa bitch ass public. I sent a private plea to Evan. She deserves every single bit of treatment she got today, and then some. She isn't new at this. She's a pro. And you know what? I'm probably more than a little pissed off that even though she stole one of my designs today -- she didn't even take one of my best ones. If you're gonna steal something, steal something that's gooooood, yanno?

You may not "get it" now. But maybe just maybe you will when it happens to you. And believe me, she will do it again. Because she just. Doesn't. Care. So thank me later, ok?
posted at 07:16 PM | link--it | mail it | (69) shout it



Wedding disasters
 Today's Oprah is hysterical -- "Big, Fat Wedding Bloopers" (and disaster stories). If you have a chance to catch it today...don't miss it! It's still not as fun as this has been though.
posted at 04:32 PM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it



Take my work...please
 [Note from Robyn: The links to this individual's blog and guestbook have been removed on 9/27 because I'm not giving her any more traffic/publicity. Negative attention to her is still attention, and I'm no longer playing. E-mail me from the sidebar if you want it.]

Well, well, well...it finally happened. I feel like I now belong to some l33t club or something. I give you...Exhibit A (my design over at Dick's)... Now I give you Exhibit B (a little Blogspot wanker who's apparently had a penchant for stealing other's designs in the past so they are quite aware of what they are doing, and that it is wrong).

Wanna go have some fun boys and girls? Please...be my guest. It's Thursday. I know you're all bored waiting for Friday to get here. (Thanks to Annessa, Statia and Mike for the tip.)

UPDATE: If you're getting a 404, don't forget to sign/view the bitchtwit's guestbook since she broke her comments! As Stacy has pointed out, this is also the same person that stole her blog CONTENT not too long ago.

UPDATE 2: Sweeeet...I just got this to load in the idiot's guestbook!
posted at 04:01 PM | link--it | mail it | (80) shout it



A body like Arnold with a Denzel face
 I always try to keep my friends happy, so Christine and Jennifer - a.k.a. this week's birthday girls - this one's for you (not necessarily work safe). Find more just like it here and here. All better now? (Link from the fine folks at FARK.com.)
posted at 03:22 AM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it






Hook THIS, W!

[Hook THIS dumbass]

President Bush gives the texas longhorn sign with his fingers
during an awards ceremony at the White House on Tuesday.


Sorry. Every once in awhile I just have to stop and flip off the monitor at those who deserve it... Carry about your business.
posted at 10:26 PM | link--it | mail it | (22) shout it



Look at me, I can be centerfield
 "Between the legs tag"...so that's what they're calling it these days! *snicker*
posted at 09:56 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



I'll have a twist of lemon
 Here's one for all the Starbucks junkies out there. A new study has found that caffeine can kill pain, but only in women. Expect a double-caf espresso epidural with a twist of lemon in delivery rooms near you soon... (Read the full story at Yahoo! News.)
posted at 08:46 PM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it



I'm hot blooded - check it and see!
 Pop quiz time! If your fever has hovered between 100-101° for the last couple of days, should you be expected to settle the "where would you like me to get take-out tonight from" debate -- even if you are a very picky eater?



We thank you for your support...
posted at 07:30 PM | link--it | mail it | (7) shout it



C'est la vie - c'est la vie - that's just the way it goes
 Well, if this day would have gone as originally intended, we would be doing frantic last-minute packing right now. We have plane tickets back to Oklahoma on Southwest flying out tomorrow and returning Sunday -- but fate stepped in and will keep our feet firmly planted on the ground. Thankfully that's an airline it's easy to rebook on...

So rather than watching Saturday's OU vs. USF matchup in person at The Fock, we'll be watching from the private dining room at Selmon's with the Sooner Club instead. Rather than meeting Christine and Kymberlie during a 2.5 hour layover in Houston, we'll be passing along our happy birthday wishes from Tampa. And instead of wishing my Gma a happy 70th birthday in person on Saturday, we'll be phoning in our well-wishes to the big bash.

All's well that ends well though. I seem to have ended up with a nasty case of strep throat this week. Since my doctor FORGOT to call in the Rx on Monday and I didn't start anti-biotics until last night, I'm still not feeling so hot. I can't imagine flying like this... And Todd kept his vacation days on the calendar, so we'll have most of the "long weekend" together (when work doesn't get in the way). And we'll get to snuggle up to new "Ed" and "West Wing" tonight -- wahoo! Oh how I wanted a night at O'Connell's with my little sister (who's finally legal) though... Hopefully soon.
posted at 07:06 PM | link--it | mail it | (6) shout it



Happy happy joy joy
 And on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, God did open up the heavens. And He did rain down chili and cheese upon the masses. Hallelujah. Amen. Can I get a witness?
posted at 04:56 PM | link--it | mail it | (17) shout it



Who wrote the book of love? Velvet. It's as simple as that.
 “When a girl has sex and gets paid for it, most people call it prostitution and think of it as ugly,” [Heidi Fleiss] the ex-madam writes. “It is really an act of caring and consideration . It shows that the man cares about her bills getting paid, and that she has nice things like cars and clothes....things to make her life easier.”
-- Heidi Fleiss, in “Pandering”

"I knew from that very first moment that the three dollars I had spent on wine would not go to waste."

That's it. I'm going to start charging Todd. Viva la Revolución!
posted at 04:58 AM | link--it | mail it | (29) shout it



It's our favorite working mom's birthday!
 Happy birthday, Jennifer! We hope you have a fantabulous day!
Robyn & Todd


posted at 03:16 AM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



Shower the people you love with love
 I was just passing this link along to my sister-in-law, so I thought why not post it here, too! If you're planning a bridal shower, or know of someone who is, bridalshower.com has a lot of ideas for party games, menu suggestions, decorations and more.

And somewhat related...if you've been living under a rock and somehow managed to avoid "Etiquette Hell" in the past...well then go there. Now. You'll thank me later.
posted at 01:36 AM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it



I wanna know what love is...I want you to show me...


Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!
posted at 12:58 AM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it






Beauty school drop-out...go back to high school
 Anyone else find it odd that he's chosen to go by the name Sandy, rather than Frenchy? And now...your moment of zen...
posted at 06:12 PM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



Everything clean. Everything new...must be made clean.
 Todd and I watched this on the news last night, and to be honest we were shocked -- there is a company out there called "CleanFlicks" that will take existing videos/DVDs like The Matrix and Saving Private Ryan and "clean" them. What does that mean exactly? They will remove or digitally alter cursing, death scenes, flying bullets, excessive violence and nudity and then send you (obviously for a fee) a "clean" version of the movie that is more family-friendly.

As you can imagine, the studios and directors are going postal over this. And this is one instance where I honestly don't blame them. This goes beyond Ashcroft coyly draping blue velvet over artwork he happens to find in bad taste. This is more like making a Ken doll out of Michelangelo's David. It's completely overhauling someone else's art.

Think about it. Do you honestly think movies like The Usual Suspects, Traffic and Training Day were created with "family" in mind? Do Oscar-winning performances and directions really need to be "cleaned" for the Puritan masses? What do you think? (Read more at EOnline.com.)
posted at 03:53 PM | link--it | mail it | (37) shout it



Potty training
 We became first-time home buyers right about a year ago, meaning we rented until we were both almost in our 30s. As such, we're pretty clueless when it comes to home repairs. We're learning everything on the fly as we go along. So in case some of you might also be in the same predicament, I thought I'd link this site that's come in handy on two occasions now -- Toiletology 101.

In the last six months Todd has replaced an overflow tube on one, and a fill valve on the other. The site has really good diagrams and diagnostic tips. Both repairs worked like a charm. Just call him Schneider!
posted at 02:11 PM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



Silence is golden
 But apparently it is also copyrighted...so let that be a lesson to ya' the next time you dramatically pause to think. You may just owe someone a royalty check for it! (Read the full article at CNN.com.)
posted at 04:15 AM | link--it | mail it | (6) shout it



Photograph - all I've got is a photograph
 High-fives and congrats to Christine and Kristine! The site "Picture Yourself" hasn't even been active a full week yet, and it's already made the "Yahoo! Picks: New & Notable" directory! That's not bad at'all -- and well-deserved, too, I might add. Now if I could just do something about this silly boy...

By the way, I made Christine a link-button for Picture Yourself -- so if you want to add it to your own site, you can find it on her FAQ page. Just don't forget to submit your pics, too!
posted at 03:53 AM | link--it | mail it | (1) shout it



Monday night foosball
 By three, Mr. Mittens? Forget what Wesley says. Always bet on red.
posted at 12:11 AM | link--it | mail it | (12) shout it






Fire the cannons!
 Hey, Al Michaels! They set off the cannons when you get in the red zone, you big dumbfuck. Is John rubbing off on you? (Only during commercials, Todd says.) The people in charge of the pirate ship were quite aware we hadn't scored...yet. But now we have, so there they go again. Sheesh. That's a real crack research team you got there.
posted at 10:19 PM | link--it | mail it | (13) shout it



Finger-lickin' good!
 So THAT is what they mean when braggin' about the Colonel's secret blend of 11 herbs and spices!
posted at 07:58 PM | link--it | mail it | (7) shout it



Can't sleep. Clowns will eat me.
 Today I have to issue my own terror alert. The corresponding colors are red and pewter. Only this time, the alert issued is for a form of domestic terrorism -- or perhaps a crime against humanity. You make the call. The subject of this alert is one Brenda Warner. Should the St. Louis Rams do well tonight in their Monday Night Football game against the Tampa Bay Bucs, there is a very high probability that we will all be subjected to this face repeatedly on our television screens. Sometimes the subject appears cloaked in feather boas and Brighton leather goods. The fashions are provided by the Kmart Jaclyn Smith Collection, and Mrs. Warner's unfortunate hairstyling is compliments of Flowbee.

Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.
posted at 04:48 PM | link--it | mail it | (12) shout it



From the look upon your face, I see it's true
 Really crappy hold music is bad enough. Sitting through the worst rendition ev-ah of "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" is more annoying than Chinese water torture... After making it through the whole damn song, I learned it was Laura Branigan causing the bleeding in my eardrums. Is she even allowed to make music still?
posted at 02:47 PM | link--it | mail it | (10) shout it



The word of the day
 I declare it to be..."that"... I'm going to say it often, just because I can. Hopefully soon I'll be able to tell you why. But for now, I sleep! That, as they say, is that...
posted at 03:05 AM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it






There doesn't seem to be anyone around
 Hey Jane, Tiffany called -- she wants her gloves back. Apparently Wendy seems to think it's still 1986 as well. And whatever stylist described this as "figure-flattering" should be shot!

UPDATE: More play-by-plays in the comments.
posted at 09:58 PM | link--it | mail it | (19) shout it



SOLID GOLD! Putting rhythm in my soul...
 The meeester and I are currently in another faux-spat. His blog has an entry about "guilty pleasures" -- movies you secretly like, yet others roll their eyes over. [start long and useless explanation] For us, it's "Dude, Where's My Car?" We were quite tipsy the first time we saw it, and everything was funny -- from the "dude...sweet" scene, to the bubble wrap suits, to the special treats and pudding. Because I refuse to play your Chinese food mind games.

And for me, it's "Grease 2". Before you start throwing things at me, I do not think it's better than the original. But just try to stop me from singing the "Reproduction" song! I want a cool rider. I'll be your girl for all seasons. The whole year through. However, I thought then, and I think now, that Adrian Zmed is icky. Yuck, nasty gross. My crush was on Michael. So when Statia secretly confessed that she likes Grease 2 as well, I sat here for a second wondering what else Adrian Zmed had been in...was it Solid Gold? No. Dance Fever? Yeah, that was it. [/end long and useless explanation]

So then Mr. Pollman tries to tell me that he never watched Solid Gold and Dance Fever as a kid. Yeahhhh...right. What child of the 70s didn't watch them? The Solid Gold Dancers, c'mon! Hello. (Sure they're nasty looking now, but apparently everything in the late 70s / early 80s was nasty and we were just too young to realize it.) Raise your hand if you believe him...
posted at 03:08 PM | link--it | mail it | (18) shout it



I love...quarterbacks eatin' dirt
 Just overheard from the living room...Butthead style laughter and, "Huh huh uh uh...muffed punt..." Ahhhhh, football season!
posted at 02:31 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



And five, five, five for my lonely
 I have to send out major props and kudos to Kristine. What she helped me accomplish today is one of the few things I've ever done where I blew myself away with the end result. I am sooooo excited for October first now. Need more than that? Well all you get is this and this. So nyah nyah! You'll just have to be patient, now won't ya'? (By the way Wendell, this was also a big ol' test / baptism by fire for you -- and I'm happy to report that it was a very big success!)
posted at 02:53 AM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it






I'm takin' what they're giving 'cuz I'm workin' for a living
 And you thought your job was bad? How about putting the title of odor sniffer, crack filler, or tampon tester (this one is a guy) on the ol' resume? Check out the full slide-show here. "Beer taster" doesn't sound all that bad to me, but then again, he does work at Coors...
posted at 02:44 PM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it



School yourself for oral ease - learn your dental ABCs
 Have you tried the Listerine Oral Care Strips yet? We first discovered them when Statia passed the strips out after dinner at T.G.I. Fridays. And we both wanted to buy our own pack after that. Instead of sucking on a mint, you just pop one of these strips in your mouth and it instantly dissolves. And whoa -- they're strong! But in a good way. If you can't brush after a meal, it's definitely the next best thing. You can find another funny review online here. P.S. I said "oral ease".
posted at 04:54 AM | link--it | mail it | (16) shout it






You treat me like...I'm a princess


Lookee what showed up from Statia off my wishlist today! A copy of "Kiss My Tiara: How to Rule the World As a Smartmouth Goddess". Could there possibly be a more fitting book? Thank yooou Statia!
posted at 05:48 PM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



The bird cage
 There are many things I might describe Ms. Flockhart as... However, "rather shapely" is definitely not one of them.
posted at 04:13 PM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



More reasons to love Google
 A bit of interesting Googling thanks to FARK for your Freaky Friday.

First, the Google Glossary for "I love you"... You will find the only definition listed reads, "Something that is good to tell your friend if you want oral sex from him/her."

And guess what the top search result is if you type in "go to hell"? Quite fitting I must say! Duke fans will probably like the results too.
posted at 03:55 AM | link--it | mail it | (12) shout it



Be all that you can be
 Since a lot of my visitors are either in the military or have spouses and relatives that are, I wanted to pass along a new link that Keith tipped me off about -- GI Party.

"The site is centered around providing insight into life in the military, while also offering a medium of communication between military members and their friends and family back home, and between the military members themselves. The site uses Movable Type to allow the military members to publish their thoughts." (Link also spotted recently at Michele's.)
posted at 02:18 AM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



Nas-tay
 Mini-throw-ups suck.
posted at 01:47 AM | link--it | mail it | (10) shout it



A creature conditioned to employ matrimony
 Here's an online quiz I can handle -- "Which celebrity wedding style are you?" (My results were "beach wedding", which is one of the options we considered when we ran off. We honeymooned at the beach instead.) There's more at People's Celebrity Weddings 2002.

And Amy has linked several Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale wedding pics here. I just adore the pink in Gwen's gown/veil!
posted at 01:15 AM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it






All the things to get and keep getting...
 I know quite a few of you out there are sushi addicts, so here's the perfect pair of pajamas to lounge around the house in while eating take-out... Only $86. That's about the price of four spring rolls, huh? (Find more cute jammies here, as featured on MSNBC.com.)
posted at 11:46 PM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



I love a rainy night - such a beautiful sight
 It was a dark and stormy night here in central Florida, so we went to Tarjhét to pass the time (four new photos now up in Shutterblog). Who says we don't know how to have a l'il fun?
posted at 09:54 PM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



Isidore isabore
 First year of living in Florida during hurricane season: Oh my God! It's near Cuba now! Keep Channel 8 on 24-hours a day for all breaking news. Pack up the car. Get the pet crates. Gather all the insurance papers. We're off to Georgia...

Second year of living in Florida during hurricane season: Crap! Get to the store. We need tons of water -- let's stand here 'til they bring more cases out. A two hour line for batteries isn't that long, I guess... Grab all the Vegetarian Vegetable soup you can find and I'll go get the granola bars and meet you back here.

Third year of living in Florida during hurricane season: E-mail friends and family and let them know you aren't going to die. Curse GTE for blaming their crappy phone service on this "thing" they claim is a tropical storm, even though a real storm in Oklahoma could kick its ass down the peninsula and back.

Sixth year of living in Florida during hurricane season: Category 2 at peak? What a wussy. It better not freakin' knock out my DirecTV -- it's a football weekend! Thank God OU has a bye week. Honey, we need to go to Target. I'm out of Tootsie Roll Pops again...

You better bring your stuff Isidore. 'Cuz I'm ready for ya'. I have a whole liquor cabinet on standby.


posted at 06:30 PM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it



The nose always knows
 A few days ago, I learned that it was somehow "wrong" to put noses in smileys. Like this:    :-)    All these years...and nobody said anything to me... Well a-ha! The very first smiley had a nose, and today is its 20th birthday. I feel all vindicated and stuff now.
posted at 04:18 PM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it



When office supplies attack
 This one is courtesy of Melly -- spew warning ahead! Don't get any ideas out there... These are trained professionals.
posted at 04:16 AM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



Wedding bells are ringing
 Another new advertiser over at WM! -- "Virtually Married". They offer package wedding website design and hosting. Check 'em out!
posted at 02:48 AM | link--it | mail it | (1) shout it



Yo ho ho, a pirate's life for me
 Today is September 19th. What does that mean? It's the first annual "Talk Like a Pirate Day"!

Go here to read about the event (courtesy of Dave Barry), and also for links to brush up on your pirate lingo.

C'mon, me bucko -- who can't get behind a new national holiday that celebrates booty, ho'in and rum?

UPDATE: Lookee there. Just noticed. Post number 2000, baby!
posted at 12:26 AM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it






There's no place like home
 Don't want to live in a luxury home made from a converted missile silo? How about a home shaped like a woman's naked body instead? You can sleep in her boobies! Suddenly our cookie-cutter home in the 'burbs seems so...boring.

UPDATE: Here's the missile silo's auction on eBay. No bids yet. And here's the official website for the home (in dire need of redesign).
posted at 11:11 PM | link--it | mail it | (9) shout it



Don't ask, don't tell


So many crude jokes to be made...so little time... Oy.
posted at 08:20 PM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



Hopelessly Devoted to You
 I got chills, they're multiplyin'
And I'm losin' control
Cause the power you're supplyin'
It's electrifyin'!

You better shape up
'Cause I need a man
And my heart is set on you
You better shape up
You better understand
To my heart I must be true

Nothin' left
Nothin' left for me to do...

You're the one that I want
You are the one I want
Ooh ooh ooh honey
You're the one that I want
You are the one I want
Ooh ooh ooh honey
You're the one that I want
You are the one I want
Ooh ooh ooh honey
The one that I need
Oh yes, indeed!

If you're filled with affection
You're too shy to convey
Meditate in my direction
Feel your way

I better shape up
'Cause you need a man
I need a man...
Who can keep you satisfied
I better shape up
If I'm gonna prove
You better prove...
That my faith is justified

Are you sure?
Yes, I'm sure down deep inside!

You're the one that I want
You are the one I want
Ooh ooh ooh honey
You're the one that I want
You are the one I want
Ooh ooh ooh honey
You're the one that I want
You are the one I want
Ooh ooh ooh honey
The one that I need
Oh yes, indeed!
posted at 05:17 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



I'm a playah hatah, yo!
 Ok boys and girls -- the event you've all been waiting for! Let's open the "Please P. Diddy, Ruin This Song, Too" mailbag once again... (New entries starting here.) Select gems from this crop include:




Who the fuck are you to talk about P. Diddy like that?! Your ass isn't even famous...maybe you should consider that in your reply. And who the hell would want to put your bitch ass on national tv anyways...if they do they'd just be hating on you...no one in their right mind would side with you. Your site doesn't even serve any purpose except to get your ass kicked by P. Diddy...I'm sure if he knew about your site your ass would be banned from the internet forever...just like P. Diddy will kick ass forever. And if he doesn't find out about this site...I'm going to be famous one day, and I'll have you removed from the internet. I have a lot more to say, but I don't feel like wasting any more of my time with you...I have things to do unlike your bored ass. oh...one more thing...What's with all your corny ass sayings on your webpage?! That's all.


And...


u fuckign dick ass how ur mad ass fuck.


And...


hey i just wanna let u kno that u are a fuckin bitch...P didys the shit and u suck...Too badd ull never be as famous or as rich as him..hmmm u just must be a lil jeleous...It's just too bad that Biggie had to give him the name of an "average" Nintendo character! Coincidence? Nahhhh!
  ^And uhh that waas wicked rude...Biggie was awesome...Never diss him, Have some respect hes dead....You deff. Must have a life makin this web-site to beat up diddy like this..Well i already wasted like 2 minutes of my time with this..
  So see ya bitch!




For those new to my blog, I started the anti-Puff Daddy P. Diddy site as a joke in 1998. It has been updated exactly once (when Puffy changed his name) since then, other than to add to the mailbag 2-3 times a year. But still the hate mail pours in... Some even describe new mail days as better than opening their Christmas presents, because you don't have to stand in those pesky return lines afterwards.

So there you go. A full evening's worth of free entertainment!
posted at 04:25 PM | link--it | mail it | (14) shout it



Can you my darling, can you picture this?
 Our first submission to "Picture Yourself" is up -- a photo we snapped at the 2001 Orange Bowl.
posted at 01:23 PM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it



PSA
 A couple of great new projects out there to pass along...
1. Picture Yourself: a cool self-portrait Mirror Project spin-off
2. pick up your own damn socks!: blog for wives and girlfriends
posted at 04:19 AM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



It's raining men - hallelujah
 "I'm just looking for a little security. If I get a sugar mama out of this, that's great," [Ronald] Williams joked.

On the heels of Playboy's "Women of Enron", Playgirl is about to release a "Men of Enron" spread. Playgirl editor-in-chief Michelle Zipp declined to say how much the men, who were culled from more than 50 applicants, were paid. However, she did offer that, "We paid them more than they made on their stock options." (Full article, with photo, at Yahoo! News.)
posted at 02:32 AM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



My mind on my money and my money on my mind
 Well it's official. Too much Beavis and Butthead has rotted my brain over the years. My last official IQ test in high school was 156. The iVillage IQ test says I'm at 143 now -- in the "highly intelligent" category. While that's debatable, it still proves my theory that math is hard. I wonder if the older, dumbed-down me will still qualify for Mensa? Since I still have a few brain cells to spare, pass the Hooch!
posted at 01:38 AM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it






We will, we will, Fock you!
 Last week, OU announced that Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (not to be confused with Owen Field as we have separate names for our stadium and field...don't ask...) would be renamed. The Gaylord family -- hated by just about every single Oklahoman in and out of the state -- had donated 12 million towards the stadium's expansion and completion. Because of their generosity the Sooner Shrine will now be called "The Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium".

Not that gay isn't a lovely word -- it just doesn't seem to go with a football stadium. So almost immediately Sooner fans began to dub it the Gaylord Focker Memorial Stadium instead. Rally cries such as "Rock the Fock", "If this Fock's a Rocking, don't bother kn- kn- knocking!", "Fock the Kasbah", and "Fock Me Amadeus" were heard. For those about to Fock, we salute you! Who says not everything can be bought?
posted at 11:02 PM | link--it | mail it | (6) shout it



Flow it, show it, long as God can grow it
 I get an insane amount of Google hits now for "Ben Affleck toupee". So to satisfy the curiousity of the masses, I'll share this photo I found on a Detroit radio station's website. Toupee or not toupee -- that is the question!
posted at 09:29 PM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



Lollipop, lollipop, oh lolli lolli lolli
 A very dangerous season is upon us. I discovered the winds of change blowing while browsing the aisles at Tarjhét the other night. The Halloween candy has arrived. It's Tootsie Roll Pop time again (last year #1, and last year #2)! I cannot say "no" to them. They call out my name, at first very sweet and innocently -- and then an hour later after the fourth one has lost its wrapper they all start screaming, "SAY MY NAME BITCH! SAY MY NAME!" For the love of god, make it stop. Well, wait 'til I make it through the chocolate ones first, ok?
posted at 08:07 PM | link--it | mail it | (12) shout it



But it's the pelvic thrust that really drives you insaaane
 I swear wedding biz DJs make this stuff up on purpose. Now not only do we have to suffer through the Macarena, Chicken Dance, and Electric Slide...soon we will be subjected to "The Ketchup". Because you just know it's only a matter of time before it crosses the Pond. Boogie woogie, woogie! I wish grown adults could find other ways to make up for the fact they never made the pom pon squad back in high school! ("The Ketchup" dance link from FARK.com.)
posted at 06:13 PM | link--it | mail it | (1) shout it



Speak 'n' spell
 So what are words that no matter how many times you try, no matter how old you get, no matter how many times spellchecker thumps you over the head for messing it up yet again, you still can never spell right? For me it's genius (I always manage to type out genious and then correct myself) and weird (that whole i before e thing gets me every time). Yes, I is a colludge grahdewit.
posted at 05:30 PM | link--it | mail it | (23) shout it



Soup is good food
 In an effort to finally kick this cold / flu thing I've got going on, I made up a big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup this afternoon. Want some?
posted at 05:09 PM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it



Sleepin' single in a double bed
 Just in case you were not aware -- this is national Singles Week (September 16-20) -- "a time to celebrate being free of any balls and chains". So go send someone a cheesy ecard, and rejoice in the fact those dirty socks on the bathroom floor are your own for the rest of us, ok?
posted at 04:58 AM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it



Love to think that you couldn't love another
 It's official -- Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale were wed this past Saturday in London! I hope we get a bigger photo soon. Please Gwen! They'll have another stateside ceremony in LA on 9/28.
posted at 04:17 AM | link--it | mail it | (10) shout it



Only trust can inspire soggy lungs to breathe fire

Well since I probably can't get in his pants, at least I can get in his mind? Rivers Cuomo's personal assistant has a blog of sorts -- the closest thing to a 'personal site' as we'll probably ever get for him. (Yes, it is listed as an official Rivers Cuomo site on the Weezer site.) Quite an interesting read -- check it out if you are so inclined! =w=
posted at 01:58 AM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it






Almost famous
 I forgot to mention earlier -- the September 2002 "Fifteen Minutes of Fame" wedding feature is up!
posted at 11:35 PM | link--it | mail it | (1) shout it



Flowers for the birthday girl
 I seem to have been called out... And not being one to deny a birthday girl her "just desserts", a second card has been made by request. Not necessarily work-friendly, so think before you click!


posted at 05:46 PM | link--it | mail it | (7) shout it



Bunny hop
 I noticed in my referral stats that I've been getting quite a few hits for "Playboy Girls of the Big XII" lately. Sorry, don't subscribe -- therefore have no pics to share. (Go here.) But I went to the website to see what the Sooner gal looked like, and ran across the Coed of the Month from OS-Who, Jessica. She hopes to pursue a career in agricultural journalism. (Honestly, what else is there for an Aggie grad to do?) She also gave us this pearl of wisdom:

Have you ever had calf fries? They're cow testicles. They taste like chicken. I know that people say everything tastes like chicken, but they really do. They're good with ketchup on them. Honestly, it's not that unheard of around here. Everyone in Oklahoma has eaten calf fries at least once. In the dorm I lived in last semester, they even had calf fries in the cafeteria.

I would beg to differ, Jessica. Go ahead and say that to make yourself feel better 'n' all, but only Aggies go around putting animal balls in their mouths. We're a little more refined on down I-35 at OU. I lived in Oklahoma for 24 years and I can say with 100% certainty that I have never eaten calf fries. Not once did I ever even dine in the same vicinity with someone who ate them, and they are not on the OU cafeteria menu.

You keep your kind up in that cow pasture they call Stillwater, mmmk? We'll be dining on Bevo burgers in Norman instead...
posted at 02:49 PM | link--it | mail it | (13) shout it



He's racing and pacing and plotting the course
 And this designer thought this concept was a good idea for his new fashion collection...why? About the only person I could see wrapping herself in those duds would be Madonna.

So in order to lighten the mood a bit after that, I offer up "Cheese Racing". You know what we'll be doing around here next weekend! (Link from FARK.com -- where else?)
posted at 02:50 AM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



Hap, hap, happy birthday!
 Today is Gretchen's birthday! Go wish her a happy one. Yes, now!


posted at 12:59 AM | link--it | mail it | (7) shout it



Hey now, you're an all-star - get the show on, get paid
 Christine needs your help. She's in the Big Blogger All-Star game, and the final round of voting ends tomorrow night at 9 p.m. EDT. Go give 'er a hand, please!
posted at 12:02 AM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it






Beauty's where you find it
 It's no secret that I hate my hair right now. But at least I didn't fork over the money these folks did to look that bad. For more celebrity fashion disasters, check out "People's Best and Worst 2002".

Some of these people seriously need to skip the limo and ride the short bus instead.
posted at 11:30 PM | link--it | mail it | (4) shout it



Watching my team win...with the twins
 Because I care... The twins from the Coors Light commercials -- Diane and Elaine Klimaszewski. (Read more here. But why are you reading? They're naughty twins.)
posted at 07:36 PM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it



One and one...we're havin' some fun
 Chucky's record with Tampa Bay goes to 1-1 as the Bucs hand Baltimore their first shut-out in five years, winning 25-0. I'm beginning to brace for a full weekend worth of withdrawl next Saturday and Sunday, as OU takes a bye week and the Bucs meet St. Louis on Monday Night. Thank goodness for the Sunday Ticket!
posted at 04:05 PM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it



Slide, slide, slippedy slide

During last night's rain delay, Sooner fans turned the sidelines into their own personal slip-n-slide to pass the time. Ahhhh, to be young and panty-free once again!
posted at 02:29 PM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



Note to self
 Party clean-up is much easier when you're not hungover and you use disposable dishes and silverware.
posted at 12:34 AM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it






Not bad at'all
 68-0 with 278 yards passing for our QB Nate, who only played 2.5 quarters before we burned the redshirt on a freshman. I think I can deal with that. (I could've done without that 51-minute lightning delay though.) Of course it was against UTEP, but definitely a much-needed confidence boost for the Sooners going into our bye week.

It was an interesting day out in college football land to say the least. Michigan loses to the Irish. Nebraska gets spanked by Penn State. And USC rolled over Colorado. Glad I didn't have any money on the first two games... All this, and the NFL week hasn't even kicked off. Somebody pinch me! No not there. Here.
posted at 11:45 PM | link--it | mail it | (11) shout it



I...love...football on TV
 In a couple of hours the Sooners will kick off against UTEP. The only way to get the game out here in Florida is via DirecTV pay-per-view. (As a matter of fact, it's the first time Oklahoma has offered a pay-per-view telecast outside of the state of Oklahoma.) Thankfully we already have DirecTV. So the Sooner Club will be joining us at our house around 7 tonight. I've fought some evil cold/flu all week long, and cleaning has been a real challenge. Thank goodness I woke up with the ability to breathe today! Boomer Sooner!
posted at 05:00 PM | link--it | mail it | (7) shout it



Please read this
 If you truly believe the U.S. should invade Iraq, please read this -- "A Military Wife's View". We owe it to them, so we know what we're asking first -- even if we still ask it after we've read and understood. We owe them so much more than that, but at least this is a start...
posted at 02:40 AM | link--it | mail it | (13) shout it






Icky icky pucktang
 Does anyone else have a spouse / S.O. that just can't let go of old bedding? You know...old pillowcases...nice and soft, but yellowed after a coupl'a years of use and abuse? Approximately two years ago, we bought this entire bedding set from Eddie Bauer (comforter, blanket, dust ruffle, shams, and sheet sets in tapestry vine and tapestry stripe).

We have a king-size bed, but use standard size pillows, so I had to buy extra pillow cases for those. I just compared the (still unused) king cases inside of their shams to the ones on our regular pillows and got grossed out. The color difference was way obvious. So since I had a 20% coupon code from Amazing-Bargains.com -- and Eddie Bauer still carries our bedding -- I went ahead and bought new, replacement pillow cases just now.

Well it seems I'm in trouble -- and it's not for spending the money. It's because he knows I'm pitching the old cases when the new ones show up. He had a pillow case when we got married that his mom hadn't been able to get away from him since at least junior high. I won. Even the "old and busted...new hotness" line didn't work this time though. I'm such a bad, bad wife.
posted at 11:43 PM | link--it | mail it | (16) shout it



You might be a geek if...
 11. Monitor tan.
10. Before heading to the bathroom you inform your friends you're off to download and log out.
9. You become physically ill at the mention of the RIAA, and visibly excited at the mention of object-oriented programming.
8. You have a poster on your wall of the Linux penguin.
7. You're mad because all your friends got goodnight kisses after prom, but your sister just slugged you in the arm and said "Thanks, bro."
6. You think having twice as many computers as there are people in the house is a bare minimum.
5. You feel that living life like the movie "tron" wouldn't be so bad.
4. In your little black book, you list (both) the girls you know in order by IP address.
3. You can type faster than you can speak.
2. When your shrink says "Mother . . . " you say " . . . Board."

And the Number One Sign You're Becoming a Geek...

1. If, by some happy accident, you someday have kids, you want to name them after your favorite fonts.
posted at 02:56 PM | link--it | mail it | (18) shout it



Pinch, poke, you owe me a Coke
 Todd and I have always had this "knack" for thinking and saying the exact same thing at the exact same time. Sometimes it's cute, and we giggle about how long we've been married. Sometimes it really freaks us out, because we can be miles apart and still share the same thoughts. Like today regarding all of this brouhaha going on down south of here...I had just typed this to my mom:

"Any time something like this happens though, I get terrified about decoys. Like these people may have purposely been stupid to deflect everyone's attention to the wrong place while something else gets ready to go down."

At the same time (with the same exact timestamp) Todd wrote this:

"What I worry about is what if they aren't stupid, this is calculated to draw law enforcement assets away from something like Disney, and they're playing us all for schmo's. I mean, how cheesy is it to have said what they said in a restaraunt! Out loud! It's almost as bad as if they'd screamed 'You'll rue the day!' while twirling their evil mustaches. Something else is fishy here..."

I think I smell a rat, too. I just hope it isn't going after a Mouse...
posted at 01:19 PM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it



The glass is moving - no, I was NOT pushing that time
 Leave it to FARK to have me laughing so loud, I just knew I was gonna wake up the better half -- "Failed Board Games". Off to add the Weezie Board to my Amazon wishlist...
posted at 02:50 AM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



I'd like to tell you about the Daves I know
 These are the Daves I know, I know
These are the Daves I know
These are the Daves I know, I know
These are the Daves I know.....


A few blog reads for your "it's finally Friday" slacking off time:
  1. Guess who's back? Back again... Blog Anon! Tell a friend.
  2. Spitting Llamas -- and check out the "Llama Tails" section, too (just not at work for that second link).
  3. On My Mind -- Southern girls rule.
  4. frankie & hoecakes -- Todd is a four-time hoecake champ!
  5. swirly-swirl-swirl -- I love it when I discover local reads.
Is that not enough for you? Sheesh! Well ok, go here next... And if it's still not enough, well then I have to punish you and send you to ILL Mitch's site.
posted at 01:57 AM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



Hail to the Chief
 "There's no doubt in my mind that we should allow the world worst leaders to hold America hostage, to threaten our peace, to threaten our friends and allies with the world's worst weapons."— President George W. Bush, South Bend, Indiana, Sept. 5, 2002

Let's hope that chat with the U.N. went a little more smoothly...
posted at 01:32 AM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it



13 is my lucky number

posted at 12:08 AM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it






And I am a material girl
 The ultimate take-that for a woman... While tabloid reports about ex Ben Affleck now suggest that he's sporting a toupee (link from Christine's), rumors are swirling around Gwyneth Paltrow's camp that she's nabbed herself a real-life prince charming. Prince or J-Ho? I believe Cartman said it best. "Revenge is so very, very sweet."
posted at 08:16 PM | link--it | mail it | (6) shout it



I'd like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company
 I grew up in Oklahoma. If someone asks, "Do you want a Coke?," it's not uncommon to reply, "Yes. I'd like a Dr. Pepper...," right back. When I was in grade school and junior high, we lived in an Air Force base town. New transfer students would always get teased for calling it "pop", but especially so if they dared call it "soda". Now CNN.com has an article on the great Coke-soda-pop divide -- based on the "Pop vs. Soda" page. So what do you call it? (Go here to take the official survey.) I'd like...a Coke, please. That means a Mountain Dew Code Red. K? Thanx.

UPDATE: Kristine, Christine, and Gretchen blogged it, too, btw!
posted at 05:38 PM | link--it | mail it | (15) shout it



You want me to put that WHERE?
 Uhhhmmm...this pop-up just showed up after visiting a lyrics site, and it was too good not to share. 4restore.com: Restore Foreskin and Enjoy Lovemaking Better.

"Congratulations! You have just taken the first step toward restoring one of the most gifted parts of the body. At 4Restore.com, we are dedicated to addressing important unmet health needs of foreskin restoration, by introducing a medically designed exerciser, ForeSkin Nature Restorer, to naturally restore your foreskin. With ForeSkin Natural Restorer, the remaining skin of the circumcised penis is expanded in order to produce a new foreskin. The tissue generated by the process is your own skin and is almost exactly like the original foreskin. In fact, the appearance of the new foreskin is so much like the original that few would ever know the difference."

Some products just don't need their own website. No, really... I'm already crossing my legs just thinking about it, and I'm a girl.
posted at 03:09 PM | link--it | mail it | (12) shout it



Spam spam spam spam
 Actual e-mail spam I just received... But the real question is, can it hammer a six-inch spike through a board with its penis? A girl's gotta have her standards.
posted at 04:09 AM | link--it | mail it | (6) shout it



It's a conspiracy - like JiFK
 So three guesses what the winning numbers were in tonight's New York Lottery? Yep, you got it -- 9-1-1! "The numbers were picked in the standard random fashion using all the same protocols," said lottery spokeswoman Carolyn Hapeman. "It's just the way the numbers came up." For the evening numbers game, the New York Lottery selects from balls numbered zero to nine circulating in a machine at the lottery office. Three levers are pressed, and three balls are randomly brought up into tubes and then displayed. (Read the full article at CNN.com.)   <insert Twilight Zone music here>
posted at 12:54 AM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it



Yesterday, I cried
I came home, went straight to my room,
sat on the edge of my bed,
kicked off my shoes,
unhooked my bra,
and I had myself a good cry.

I'm telling you,
I cried until my nose was running all over
the silk blouse I got on sale.

I cried until my ears were hot.
I cried until my head was hurting so bad
that I could hardly see the pile of
soiled tissues lying on the floor at my feet.

I want you to understand,
I had myself a really good cry yesterday.

Yesterday, I cried,
for all the days that I was too busy,
or too tired,
or too mad to cry.....

I cried because there really does
come a time when the only thing left
for you to do is cry.....

Yesterday, I cried.
I cried because I hurt.
I cried because I was hurt.
I cried because hurt has no place to go
except deeper into the pain that
caused it in the first place,
and when it gets there,
the hurt wakes you up.

I cried because it was too late.
I cried because it was time.
I cried because my soul knew that I didn't know
that my soul knew everything I needed to know.

I cried a soulful cry yesterday,
and it felt so good.
It felt so very, very bad.

In the midst of my crying,
I felt my freedom coming,
Because yesterday,
I cried with an agenda.

-- Iyanla Vanzant

posted at 12:00 AM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it






I'll be back on September 12th...

[Back on September 12th - Visit A Small Victory Instead]


"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." -- John F. Kennedy


Why am I not blogging on 9-11? Please click here for an explanation. If you would like an "I'll be back" image for your own site, visit Zoe's.
posted at 10:22 PM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it



I don't do Windows
 Heads up! If you've been under a rock and haven't heard about it lately, there's a huge XP security flaw. "There is a file that can be called in web pages and in html-based emails. By calling this file, a web page can access and delete the contents of any folder(s) they choose. For example, you click on a link and nothing appears to happen. Then your Windows XP help pops up. Next time you restart, maybe your entire windows folder is gone and the computer won't boot. A second (and scarier) example would be a link that is hard-coded into an html email. Just by reading the message you could lose an entire directory."

For more info, and the simple fix, please stop by Kevin's blog.

UPDATE: This is not a hoax -- it's been mentioned on Tech TV!
posted at 03:09 PM | link--it | mail it | (7) shout it



Reflection time
 Tomorrow a lot of us won't be blogging -- but a lot of us still very much need the sense of "community" and to talk. That's where Michele's blog comes in. "I want to hear different voices. I want to hear your voice. And I want to open up this site to you tommorow, to your thoughts and emotions. I'm handing my September 11 post over to you.....Where were you when it happened? How did you react? What was the rest of your day spent doing? What is your most vivid memory of that day? Of the days that followed?" For more info, please visit her site.
posted at 02:45 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



Snubbed
 The St. Pete Times did an article on blogging yesterday, and not a single Bay area blogger I know was mentioned. That just ain't right.
posted at 03:13 AM | link--it | mail it | (6) shout it



Is that a hot dog in your pocket, or are you...
 So amazingly NOT work-friendly -- "The Puppetry of the Penis". Two men who are experts in the art of genital origami with Flash dick tricks including "the hamburger" and "the Eiffel Tower". And if the website isn't enough for you, you can also catch the cabaret show on world tour. I do believe I've seen just about everything now... And I don't know how I've missed it in the blog-world thus far!
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I ♥ NY
 I linked this here last year, but thought I should again now: Photos from our 1995 trip to NYC -- images of the World Trade Center.
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I just called to say "I love you"
 You know how you always hear "don't forget to tell someone you love them because you may not see them tomorrow"? This is your wake-up call to hug your spouse, call your parents, or e-mail your best friend and let them know how much they mean to you. Because you just never know...
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Monday, Monday, can't trust that day
 Wow -- on time! The Monday Mission 2.36.
  1. Where were you and what was happening in your life the moment when you first became aware of what was happening at the World Trade Center in New York City last September 11th? What was the first thing you did when you heard the news? I was at home alone. I was extremely sick that week and had slept over 14 hours because I wasn't reacting well to a new medication.

    I got up about 2 p.m. on the 11th. I let Claire out and went to flip on the TV. There was the image of the two towers -- still standing, but in flames -- with a headline "BREAKING NEWS: Two Planes Hit World Trade Center". I was too groggy to even connect it could be a terrorist event. I rushed to the phone (which we unplug at night when I'm having trouble sleeping) and noticed a half-dozen phone calls on Caller ID. So then my heart really began to stop.

    I called Todd at work, who was very relieved to hear my voice. Before I could even get out "What happened?", in the most somber tone I've ever heard his voice, he told me it had been a very bad day. I said, "I see the World Trade Center on TV...," and he cut me off with, "They're both gone." I argued with him, because I still thought I was watching live TV and said they were still standing. He was trying to explain the other planes at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania when the "live" footage I was watching showed the first tower collapse. It finally hit me that I wasn't watching live TV -- and getting the news of everything at once made my knees buckle. I hit the floor and couldn't stop crying. Todd tried to give me the recap as best he could and I never wanted to hang up the phone with him. When we finally knew the other one was going to be ok, we ended our conversation so I could check my messages. My mom, grandmother, aunt and sister had all called. So I began calling each of them back to check on everyone.

    To this day Todd and I still can't decide which way was worse to learn of the events -- to be at work, but with people around you, not knowing what was happening, hearing all the true and false reports, and wondering if it was ever going to end -- or being by yourself totally alone and having to digest and process all of it at once the split-second you woke up.

  2. When those truly responsible for the attack are apprehended, what do you think would be the most fitting form of justice? There is NO earthly form of punishment that would be fitting. The worst form of torture I could possibly imagine would be too humane.

  3. This will probably be much like when our parents respond to "Where were you when JFK was shot?"- an event never forgotten by those who were there. But how do you think the history books should present the 9-11 attacks? Should it be included for all future generations? How can we truly convey the shock, the outrage, the emotions and pain of that day to the children of our children? How could you not include it? More people died on our own soil that day than at any other time in our nation's history. I don't believe it's possible to convey the shock, outrage and emotions however. Reading first-hand accounts of Pearl Harbor and hearing my mother's first-hand account of the JFK shooting just do not convey what it was actually like to live through them. You can do your best with stories and photos, but even those of us not in Manhattan that day can't possibly comprehend all that was seen.

  4. No one in that building, in the Pentagon, or on the planes (other than the terrorists) knew that 9-11 would be their last day to be alive. For me, it brought home the reality that I could be gone at anytime, without any warning. Now, I really want each day to have some value. Did the events of 9-11 bring about a change in the way you live your life? To some extent most definitely. I always try to leave Todd a note every day, be it through e-mail or something tucked in his work clothes, letting him know that I love him and how much he means to me. And it breaks my heart to think of the wives who may have been late to work or getting the kids to school and may have missed that last kiss. I don't ever want to miss one again.

  5. Several who loved to fly in planes will not step foot in one anymore. Many parents are more protective of their children. A year later, do you find yourself feeling more secure than back then? Or is it just a matter of time before something else happens? They have all made it quite clear it's just a matter of time before they attack us again, and I fully believe it to be true -- especially if we end up invading Iraq. But we can't live like prisoners. I swore I would never fly again, and still haven't. But we have a trip booked home at the end of the month for my grandmother's 70th birthday. I may have be sedated to get there, but my family is there and we are here -- sometimes you have to face your fears like it or not. It's the choice we made the day we moved to Florida, and then bought a house to settle here. I don't think I'll ever feel more secure, however. The fear will always be in the back of my mind.

  6. The best way for me to honor the those impacted by the attack will be to refrain from any media that day. No papers, no radio and especially no television. Others will light candles, and others will attend special services. What, if anything, will you do to personally reflect on the tragedy? As mentioned earlier, I will not be blogging that day. I also will not have my television or radio on. I refuse to let this become a pre-packaged commercial holiday, no matter how many news agencies make up theme songs and graphics for the event. No matter how many Hallmark cards are sold.

  7. One of the visuals that touched me the most were the walls and walls full of hand made "Missing" posters. What image will you always have in your mind when you recall the events of 9-11? I think the image of the firemen raising the flag over the rubble will always stay with me. The star spangled banner yet waves...
BONUS: Who's gonna come around when you break? Who's gonna drive you home, tonight?
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Oh baby, just you shut your mouth
 Spotted over at badh*p: "Is your website on the Chinese ban list?" I'm safe...for now.
posted at 06:13 PM | link--it | mail it | (6) shout it



Shiver me timbers!
 In case you were not aware, this September 19th is "Talk Like a Pirate Day". And should you need a refresher course, visit "Pirate Speak 101" and "How to Talk Like a Pirate". (Dave Barry column spotted in the Miami Herald, Houston Chronicle, and BayArea.com.)
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I'm a rocket man
 Since that whole Russian space deal didn't work out for Lance Bass, apparently rocker Ted Nugent is offering to make it up to him for a mere one million dollars. Nugent said he'll train Bass in bow hunting before taking him on a weeklong bow hunt -- and even throw in a few guitar lessons. Nugent said Bass needs to quit worrying about going into outer space and "embrace and celebrate life by learning how to kill his own food".

Why didn't anyone ever bother to tell me that is how you embrace and celebrate life? All these years I've been doing it wrong...
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9-11
 Just a heads-up that my blog will sit empty on Wednesday. I don't feel right about blogging the trivial on a day that is anything but. I don't want to play the "my pain is more than your pain" game that so many in the media and in Washington seem to insist we play. I just want to spend a whole day reflecting on what goes through my mind every time my eye happens to catch a glimpse of this:




I can't bear to look at it sometimes. Yet I can't bear to put it away. As much as it hurts to remember, I won't let myself forget. We received this snowglobe as a Christmas present a few years back from dear friends in New York (now in Texas). Michael was in the Twin Towers on an almost daily basis at one point, but because of their upcoming cross-country move, he had taken a half-day off the morning of September 11th.

When I unwrapped the snowglobe for the first time and wound it up, I burst into tears. It plays "New York, New York". My adopted father's side of the family is all from New York (Wantaugh, Long Island to be exact). My grandfather was a big, jovial Irishman that always reminded me of Tip O'Neal growing up. And he loved "New York, New York". If we were at a country club, a restaurant, or anywhere with a piano when I was a child -- by the end of the night, that song would be played. And at his funeral, that song was his recessional. So the snowglobe had always been a bittersweet reminder of him every time I would see it. And now, it's a bittersweet reminder of so much more we've all lost.

I'm still very thankful that Todd and I chose to visit the World Trade Center rather than the Empire State Building when we visited New York in 1995. The city seemed endless from the observation deck. I can still remember him pressing up against the glass in the viewing area as I stood far, far behind the rail -- terrified of the height. And to think that fear I felt was nothing compared to what went through the minds of those who stood there after me six years later...

So many other bloggers can say it better. So on September 11th, I won't be saying anything at all. All I can really offer to show my respect to this day and those who were lost doesn't come in the form of a Hallmark. It comes with my silence. May the God I believe in with all my heart keep safe and protect us all, and comfort those who will never stop hurting.
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Glory days, well they'll pass you by...
 It was the best of times It was the worst of times. My bangs were so tall as to be illegal in 47 states. My clothing choices were what could only be described as questionable at best. But that's what happens when you graduate in '91, and spend the majority of your junior high and high school years in the 80s. At least I listened to Depeche Mode and The Cure before they were "retro".

But now we can make fun of the high school photos of Hollywood stars thanks to Classmates.com (Page 1, Page 2, Page 3). I won't give away who's who -- but let's just say I did not even come close to guessing who the Highland Secondary Comox grad was!
posted at 02:39 AM | link--it | mail it | (7) shout it



You're so ugly, you have to Trick or Treat by phone
 So if you think all babies are cute, well then you've obviously never seen a baby ant-eater before...
posted at 02:13 AM | link--it | mail it | (15) shout it






Your love is better than chocolate
 Ok, you want something girly? You got something girly! I have just seen a glimpse of what heaven will be like. At "The Paint Shop" in Beverly Hills, for $75 you can have a footsie white chocolatté pedicure. It comes complete with a Godiva white chocolate liqueur foot bath. I've never been to L.A., but it sounds like a good time to change that! (Tip courtesy of InStyle Magazine.)
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Pa-thetic
 Sorry for all the football talk this weekend, but it's the first week of Saturday and Sunday non-stop coverage, and well this is my blog so you'd best get used to it thru January. The Bucs lost to the Saints today in OT. I'm not sure if you saw the game or not, but in my opinion, we deserved to lose. Sure we came back in dramatic fashion at the last minute to tie it up -- but out of 60 minutes of regulation play, I'd guesstimate we only saw maybe 4 minutes of actual offense out of the Bucs. The defense didn't play up to par either. Yet another week of mouthing off to the press and not backing it up on the field. I have to give the new coaching staff credit for not rolling over and playing dead in the fourth quarter -- but that's about the only credit I'll give anyone.

And now my football rant of the week... The biggest football rant I ever have, really. What in the fuck do defenders think they are doing by all those diving body blocks? Nine times out of ten they end up with slip-in-slide action down the field...and oh, say, five yards ahead of them...and still running on their feet...is the person they were trying to bring down. How do coaches not teach players to make -- then stick -- tackles? I would be greasing up pigs to catch and locking those boys in pens with them for some of the crap I've seen over the last two days. (Don't tell PETA, ok?) You don't look like a hero if your diving effort results in grass in your helmet and 10 extra yards for the other team. You look like an dumbass. Period. That's advice from a girl and I'm sticking to it.

Oh well, at least the Cowboys look like idiots in primetime tonight. The day they fired Barry is the day they made me a sworn enemy for life. Too bad Mr. Roy Williams got stuck with them.
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We've got spirit - yes we do!
 Here are a couple of pics from Saturday (me with my OU shoes and Claire with her OU collar, us with the Tampa Bay Sooner Club ).
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Oh yeah...postscript...
 It's 11:21 p.m. on Sat., Sept. 7th, 2002 -- and I still hate texas.
posted at 11:21 PM | link--it | mail it | (6) shout it



Notes and Quotes
 OU Senior Tight End Trent Smith: "I've got a few more gray hairs after this game. All I said to the guys was that this is why you came to Oklahoma ... to be in these kinds of situations. [On Alabama] I applaud them. That was a great surge they put together. They fought their butts off. Anyone watching them today has a lot of respect for that team. The way they played was a credit to their program, their coaching staff and their history."

Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops: "Let's face it as I told the players -- that's not East Popcorn State that was just in here. It was Alabama. I knew at halftime, when we were up 20 points, Alabama was not going away. They're going to continue to play and they're a good solid football team. We need to play to the level we did at the first half. They played better and made plays. We didn't play as well. I think coming from behind to win showed good character and may help us in the long run."
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Sooner Magic
 "Sooner Magic" first appeared in 1976 in the fourth quarter of the Nebraska-Oklahoma game. It was born on a cold and windy afternoon in Lincoln in '76 when the fourth quarter found the Sooners trailing the Cornhuskers 17-7. With three minutes to play, and the lead down to four, hope for a comeback had all but vanished into the Nebraska clouds. Oklahoma was stuck at the 'Husker 16-yard line when Woodie Shepard completed a 50-yard halfback pass to freshman end Steve Rhodes, whose catch was nothing short of miraculous. Two plays later, Rhodes ran a curl pattern and then pitched to halfback Elvis Peacock on the old hook-and-lateral. Peacock was finally knocked out of bounds at the Nebraska three.

Peacock scored the winning touchdown on next play with 30 seconds remaining, vaulting the Sooners into a three-way tie for the conference championship.

Further proof of the pixy dust that filled the air over Lincoln that day was the pregame prayer delivered in the Oklahoma locker room by defensive back and team captain Scott Hill at the behest of coach Barry Switzer: "Please dear Lord don't let any injury or harm come to any player. And please, please, please, dear Lord, please don't let the best team win."

The youthful Sooners were outmanned and outgunned that day. But "Sooner Magic" never failed them. (Article from ESPN Classic.)


What do I say? As much as I prayed we wouldn't, we obviously bought into our own hype. I called Stacy eight minutes into the fourth quarter to concede. I told her that even if we somehow managed to win -- we wouldn't mentally. The minute Jason's ACL snapped, my heart broke in two. Again, I just knew before he even stood up. (Anyone remember Nebraska last year? The poor kid has fought so hard to come back, only to blow out the other knee.) I am one of Nate's biggest and most vocal critics. The guy just doesn't have what it takes to be an OU QB. He'll take a sack before throwing the ball away. He's got that deer-in-the-headlights stare when defenders are coming at him. He just freezes. And now the rest of our season rests on his shoulders...again...for better or for worse.

But I don't want any of that commentary to take away Alabama's game. We had the most points. We didn't deserve them. We walked away with the "W". We didn't earn it. Bama played their hearts out today -- especially in the second half. We were out-coached. We were out-played. Our special teams made Norman High's squad look like a Fiesta Bowl-bound team. Anything that could have went wrong...did. And it was all at the hands of the Crimson Tide.

The only thing that made the final score 37-27 was Sooner Magic. Thank God.
posted at 08:24 PM | link--it | mail it | (7) shout it






O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A!
 Just wanted to wish Christi and Stacy a bit of blogger luck tomorrow. Our Sooners take on their Crimson Tide at 3:30 p.m. EDT Saturday on ABC. Boomer Sooner!


posted at 08:25 PM | link--it | mail it | (7) shout it



Take this column and shove it
 If only we could all fire her from our lives so eloquently... (Here's the column that started this all, from FARK.com. And here are some of her past antics. Also seen today at Stacy's.)
posted at 06:26 PM | link--it | mail it | (6) shout it



Brides gone wild
 It seems the media is just now figuring out that bachelorette parties can rival bachelor parties in raunchiness and rowdiness. You'd think all those "suck for a buck" shirts would've clued them in by now!

If you're married, did you get a little wild at your own bachelor/ette party? We actually found out the stripper plans in advance and opted to spend the night - together - with friends drinking in bars instead. Afterwards, the guys stayed at O'Connell's with their pitchers to watch a sporting event and the girls went back to our place to swim and watch movies. We figured with the wedding in New Orleans, it would be hard to top the French Quarter atmosphere in Norman, Oklahoma, anyway... (Article from WSJ.com.)
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Don't be silly - wrap your willy
A new study shows that college men may need help with condom use. "In a survey of 158 heterosexual males who used a condom in the previous 3 months, 30% said they had initially put the condom on upside down and had to flip it over. Forty percent said they did not leave space at the tip of the condom after they put it on, a technique that reduces the risk of breakage, according to the report in the August issue of the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

What's more, 43% of the men reported that they put condoms on after they started sex and 15% noted that they took condoms off before they were finished having sex, the report indicates.

Overall, nearly one third of the participants reported condom breakage and 13% noted that their condom slipped off during sex...

...In other findings, the researchers found that 60% of the men did not discuss condom use with their partner before sex, and 42% reported that they wanted to use a condom during sex but did not have any available."


So...have you ever had a condom break?

Even though this study is somewhat small, I still find the results to be quite frightening. And having survived four years of college...I think the results are also quite accurate after talking with my (mostly male) friends. Not many high school and college-age kids would play Russian roulette -- but that's exactly what they're doing without properly using condoms. I think one of the most sobering days of my life was when I learned someone from our very small, tight-knit dorm was HIV+ after graduation. So pass the word along...and if you don't know how to use one properly...ask someone (or look it up online)! (Read the full article at Yahoo News.)
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She is the queen of the goddamned internet
 Today is Stacy's one-year blogiversary. As if we didn't have enough reasons to show her love already, go give her some sugah so we'll have 365 days more!
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I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn't bind up
 One of Todd's birthday gifts finally showed up today -- so if you're planning on ordering one, allow for plenty of time. (The sucker shipped on the 22nd of August!) But all's well that ends well -- he's a very happy boy now!
posted at 10:50 PM | link--it | mail it | (10) shout it



Oh Mickey you're so fine...
 In honor of the 2002 NFL season kicking off tonight, here's a poll to pick your favorite Houston Texan cheerleader. Is it just me, or were some of those girls beaten with the fuhgly stick a few times? (You'll have to zoom-in on the pics to see what I'm talkin' 'bout.) Oh yeah, and I have to issue a "big hair alert". This is Texas, after all...
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You're invited but your friend can't come
 It's good to have friends with connections! The Suncoast Sooner watch party for the OU vs. Bama game this Saturday will be held in the private dining room at Lee Roy Selmon's place. Bring on the Dreamsicle Martinis!
posted at 03:32 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



We already have one - and it's in Massachusetts
 Well I guess that this now legitimizes all of those blasted Hallmark cards and displays. Funny, somehow I just don't need anyone to buy me a card in order to remind me "we're all in this together"...

Excuse me. I have to go throw up now. (Read the full article at CNN.com, and please take Pepto before visiting Hallmark's site.)
posted at 04:52 AM | link--it | mail it | (13) shout it



Because I care...
 Sites that have "wow'ed" me recently -- since I'm busy, visit them:

  1. Scarlet Letters
  2. the ispot showcase
  3. spacegirl
  4. Just smile and act nice.
  5. Institute of Official Cheer
There, I feel much better now. Do you?
posted at 01:45 AM | link--it | mail it | (1) shout it






A moment like this
 So the husband / Darrin's Dance Grooves devotee had to watch the final American Idol tonight. I was actually working through most of it, but stopped for the "winning moment".

I have to say that I was way bummed she didn't at least get a freakin' tiara or something. As I mentioned over at 'Nessa's...an "OHMYGOD!" crown, sash, and screw in lightbulb wave was very much called for. Instead we just got confetti cannons. Because that's really what winning is all about, now isn't it? When times get tough, you can always go and dust the house in your tiara...
posted at 11:46 PM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it



Of colors proudly gleaming red and white
 Todd just passed along a cool link -- the Sooner Awards. Hats off to whoever created the site -- it looks phenomenal. For examples, check out a couple of the player pages (Quentin Griffin, Teddy Lehman). Definitely one of those "why didn't I think of that" designs!

By the way, ever wonder what in the heck a Sooner is? Check out the "Sooner History and Traditions" page.

"The Oklahoma Territory opened with the Land Run of 1889. Settlers from across the country, seeking free land, made their way to the Plains to stake their claim to a new life. One of the few rules to claiming a parcel of land was that all participants were to start at the same time, on the boom of a cannon. All settlers who started then were labeled as Boomers and those who went too soon were called Sooners." Thus the Oklahoma rally cry of Boomer Sooner.
posted at 07:36 PM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



Let me be your guide
 I thought I'd let everyone know about an affiliate program I'm in, in case you haven't heard of it before. A lot of the banners might work well for your own sites. (Please note, I'll get a small commission per free software order, so if you should have a problem with that, go to lifeserv.com directly.)

For FREE, this company will send you a software CD guide geared to planning any life event you choose. Some of the topics include weddings, pregnancy, toddler care, preschooler care, buying a home, selling a home, home improvement, starting your first career, retirement planning, caring for a pet, fitness guides, etc.

I sent off for the "buying a home" guide when we purchased ours last year, and a lot of the checklists came in very handy. So for more information, visit the LifeServ website. Did I mention the software is free? You don't even pay shipping!
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More wedding stuff
 Well since today seems to have a wedding theme, thought I'd let everyone know that the video of the "Today Wedding" is now online. And the MSNBC article WM! is mentioned in is linked from the Today Wedding page!
posted at 04:19 PM | link--it | mail it | (0) shout it



Happy happy joy joy
 Wholly Matrimony! just made it on MSNBC.com for the second time in a year! (Click here for the 09/09/2001 article.) And I'm equally excited that Andrea of Getaway Weddings made the article as well. She's one of my advertisers, and I helped put the article's author in touch with her recently. Here's what the new article said about me:


Not all weddings in exotic places end with a rainbow. But if you opt to have a destination wedding, there are several one-stop, shops online to help make the arrangements.

Start with Wholly Matrimony! because it has the most comprehensive FAQ about destination weddings. The “Delphi Forum,” as it is called, now has an elaborate accessories e-shop. Check out the selection of bubbles!

I just knew it was going to be a good day when my horroscope said: "If the old adage that you reap what you sow is true, Robyn, you are in for a great harvest in the months to come. Your hard work and focus will start to pay off handsomely with promotions and raises just when you may have given up ever being acknowledged for all you do. Hang onto your great energy, passion and enthusiasm. Doors are about to open for you. Get ready to walk on through them."

The lottery rolled from $53 million this weekend. I'm thinkin' it just may be time to play again. The day hasn't even started for most folks and already I'm on cloud nine. (P.S. Thanks Wendell!)
posted at 04:57 AM | link--it | mail it | (21) shout it



The lady in red
 The September 2002 (Wedding) Dress of the Month is up now. I just love it when non-cookie-cutter dresses get submitted!
posted at 03:25 AM | link--it | mail it | (1) shout it



Chucky's in love
 How could you not love this face? However, that means both of my teams (college and pro) have now received the dreaded SI cover curse. One, I could handle...but two? C'mon SI -- you're killing me here!
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He's my very special boy
 And to think his high school guidance counselor said he'd never amount to anything... *sniff* This is my personal favorite. Damn, wish I was your lover. Oh wait -- I am. Nyah nyah!

UPDATE: Now Statia and I are hoecakes too! w00t! Thanks Frankie!
posted at 09:05 PM | link--it | mail it | (10) shout it



Eight days a week
 When you close your eyes, do you dream...dream about me(mes)?

Here's this week's Monday Mission by PromoGuy:

  1. What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you on a date? It wasn't something I did. But once a date ordered gator tail for an appetizer and I refused to try it. (I'm a very picky eater.) So he made this huge scene in the restaurant and soon faked a hypoglycemic attack. They brought him juice and a fruit plate to try and help him with his sugar levels -- free, of course. He later confessed on the drive home that he didn't have hypoglycemia. He just wanted something for free since I'd cost him the the price of a half-eaten appetizer. Yeah. First and last date.
  2. Do you eat your veggies? Absolutely not. (See above.)
  3. Most people are comfortable going to the bathroom in front of at least one person. Has anyone ever used the restroom in front of you that you wish wouldn't have? What happened and how bad was it? It used to freak me out when I lived at home and my mom would just walk right in and start going. Did I say that outloud? Oops. LOL!
  4. Have you ever had a bad online transaction? You know, the item wasn't what you thought it would be, you got totally ripped-off, no refunds, it just plain sucked? What's the story there? Not really. Been very lucky I guess. Although Todd's red stapler has still yet to show up, and it was shipped on August 22nd, so that may change...
  5. Ever have a current love find any old love letters (or similar item) you kept that probably should have been thrown away? How did that turn out? Yeah, Todd found a box with an ex's letters and pics shortly after we moved in together right before the wedding. I didn't even realize I had moved them back with me to be honest. I was escorted to the trashcan with them.
  6. A secretary at work was telling me about a trip she took to Mardi Gras. She showed off her beaded necklaces and proudly said she "earned' each and every one of them (for those not familiar with this tradition, ladies walking up Bourbon St. in New Orleans will flash people who are upon the balconies, in return the guys will throw them worthless plastic necklaces). I was shocked, I had no idea this quiet gal had a wild side. Was there ever a time when you did something totally outrageous because you knew no one would know who you were, or maybe didn't care even if they did? I have earned one set of beads on Bourbon Street (with Todd's encouragement, go figure) and they were really nice beads. He made sure no one had cameras in the area before I flashed. So at least I can die telling the grandkids about it... However, after everything that went on in our hot tub over the weekend, something tells me that my friends will have much more interesting stories for theirs -- and my husband for ours.
  7. Hey, what happened to you last night? I waited forever! Last night...she said...oh baby I feel so down...
BONUS: I know I could break you down, but what good would it do? I used to get all of these. Now, not so much. How 'bout an INXS reference for a former Okie next week?



And now This or That Tuesday:

  1. Tom Hanks or Tom Cruise? Tom Hanks from Bosom Buddies days, I guess.
  2. Julia Roberts or Julia Stiles? Julia Gulia?
  3. Kevin Costner or Kevin Spacey? Kevin Spacey.
  4. Ben Affleck or Ben Stiller? Ben Stiller.
  5. Sean Connery or Sean Penn? Sean Connery.
  6. Jennifer Lopez or Jennifer Aniston? Jennifer Aniston.
  7. Courtney Love or Courtney Cox-Arquette? Pass.
  8. Sarah Michelle Gelllar or Sarah Jessica Parker? Sarah Michelle Gellar-Prinze Jr.
  9. Michael Douglas or Mike Myers? Mike Myers.
  10. Nicole Kidman or (Anna) Nicole Smith? If anyone actually answered Anna Nicole (other than quoting the Guess years), please get out of my blog. Just. Go.

posted at 08:48 PM | link--it | mail it | (2) shout it



Behold the power of cheese(ball)
 I just put two of the party-fave recipes up over at The Red Kitchen. One is for a yummy homemade cheeseball, and the other is for a great finger-snack food (seasoned oyster crackers).

And did you realize I have an archived page of my recipes here?
posted at 06:24 PM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



No gnus is good gnus
 What -- you didn't think I'd forget to do a news recap did you?


  1. McDonald's to cut fat in their fries. Introduces Super-Duper Trough-Size to make up for it.
  2. Would ya look at the size of that kid's head! It's the size of a planetoid and it has it's own weather system.
  3. Ain't no lie. Bye, bye, bye... And you think it's bad when your credit card is denied at the mall!
  4. I think this pretty much punches your first-class ticket direct to hell.
  5. Idiot pays over $75K for last bitchin' Camaro. (Link from FARK.com.)

posted at 03:52 PM | link--it | mail it | (9) shout it



Keeping track of things
 Spotted at kd's blog: "In the 'ping' section of my individual entry pages, there is now a link that will go out and list entries that have pinged the post, and entries that have pinged those entries, up to three levels. It doesn't work unless it's a very active discussion, but for those it will be very useful..."

Go here for TrackBack threading info from the Movable Type site.
posted at 04:45 AM | link--it | mail it | (1) shout it



He could...go...all...the...way
 ESPN has made a list of the best sports movies of all time. How on earth is Caddyshack number eight and Bull Durham number one?! And the glaring omission of Baseketball's quite frankly unforgivable.
posted at 03:20 AM | link--it | mail it | (5) shout it



I scream, you scream, we all scream for Guavaween!
 So...are you bummed that you missed the first annual ToddConDex? Have we finally shown all of you that Florida bloggers know how to party best? Well never fear -- because Tampa Bay has festivals scheduled year-round, and next up is Guavaween. We have an already-confirmed list in the works which includes him and her. Think your name needs to be on the list? You know where to find me... It's an OU bye-week, so the event will have our full and undivided attention.

Just 53 more days to go! We don't even have the glasses all washed from the last shindig and we're already counting down. Go us!

UPDATED: Check out this Guavaween photo gallery. And for details of this year's meetup, go here!
posted at 12:32 AM | link--it | mail it | (10) shout it






I went to class uphill both ways while barefoot in the snow
 Ok. That's it. I've had it! First, they put a Taco Bell in the dorm cafeteria at OU after I graduated -- and the Sooner Sense meal-plan worked in exchange for cash there. Then the Honors Dorm got a TV screening room with leather couches and bigscreen television, a computer room with drop down video monitors, a full kitchen (we didn't have so much as a microwave), an elevator (we had to carry our fridges upstairs the old-fashioned way), and a multi-million $$ building renovation that included a stone courtyard and fountains.

But now it's gone too far. Now spoiled students everywhere are getting washing machines that are "monitored by computer from students dorm rooms to see when the laundry is done". Back in my day, we waited on top of the vibrating machines for cycles to finish, and we liked it. (Actually, I still do. Shhhh.) Kids today. Sheesh!
posted at 10:51 PM | link--it | mail it | (3) shout it



Too shocked to think of a witty caption
 So did anyone happen to catch any of the Labor Day telethon today? I heard Todd shriek, "Good god!" this afternoon. I took off running to see what was wrong -- only to discover the monstrosity that is now Jerry Lewis staring back at us. Todd is convinced it's not really him -- that somehow Fat Bastard has taken over his body. I hope that it's some sort of medical condition. Otherwise someone needs to tell the poor guy to put the pudding pops down and slowly back away. That shit just ain't right. Eeep!
posted at 10:30 PM | link--it | mail it | (21) shout it



Picture page - it's picture page!
 Finally up...30 new photos from this past weekend in Shutterblog!

UPDATE: Annessa has her photos from this weekend online now.
posted at 06:45 PM | link--it | mail it | (10) shout it



Hey baby - I like it like that
 On the first day of ToddConDex my true love gave to me.....twelve hour flight delays, eleven cam pose requests, ten minute waits to blog, nine melon shooters, eight MB flash cards, seven lovin' in the hot tub, a six pack of Shiner -- five Goldschlager shots -- four Advil each, three to a backseat, two bloggers Frenching, and a return ticket for 2003!
posted at 12:43 AM | link--it | mail it | (10) shout it






Breakin' the law...breakin' the law....
 So.....on a mission for Starbucks, Annessa got pulled over and ended up with a $150 ticket. To her credit, it should have been over $500 (speeding in a construction zone), so her feminine wiles are still very much intact. We're thinking of hosting a little "help pay my ticket" cam fest tonight with a tip jar. Anyone in?
posted at 05:49 PM | link--it | mail it | (8) shout it



Flesh for fantasy
 Eight! Eight! I forget what eight was for...






For the rest of the birthday pics at our house, visit Shutterblog.
posted at 03:57 PM | link--it | mail it | (20) shout it



The immortal words of Socrates, who said, "I drank what?"
 I do believe the current cam pic says it all.....
posted at 02:02 PM | link--it | mail it | (7) shout it