Five On Friday - Sweet Tooth

1. How often do you indulge in something sweet?

Too much. Especially if it's cake or cinnamon rolls.

2. What is your favorite kind of sweet food/beverage?

Food: Cake or cinnamon rolls. Beverage? I guess soda.

3. Do you have a preferred sweetener (artificial or natural)?

Sugar!  Unless I have to go artificial, then Splenda - because I'm allergic to NutraSweet.

4. Chocolate or fruity?

Hmmm... Depends. Probably chocolate. But I'm not big on the "candy" thing, or candybars. Give me a white cake with white frosting any day. But fruity-flavored stuff is okay - like a fruit drink.

5. What is the sweetest thing anyone has done for you?

Rubi does sweet things for me all the time.

I'm a loser though, and can't think of a one.

 

 

from: http://friday.criminalgrace.com/

Five On Friday - Sweet Tooth

THINKS July 25, 2006

Time once again for another exciting installment of things and links Kevs has found while wandering the 'net.

 

First off, download for free (and perfectly legal) Done The Impossible, the story of the Firefly fans' quest to get more Firefly. Then go buy the DVD, because the torrent doesn't have all the cool bonus features.

 

Like getting free stuff by torrents? How about Christian stuff?

 

This website is just high-larious in a high-brow kind of way. 

  

Here are some good guidelines for blogging about work.

 

Awhile back, I reviewed Angelos. Stacey Harp interviews the author here.

 

And to wrap up: the first sandwich on this page sounds interesting - the rest are just gross, don't scroll down past the first one.

 

Enjoy.

 

 

"THINKS": Kev's term combining the words Things and Links: an assortment of images, links, games, trivia, memes, minutia, and whatnot found while browsing and mentioned collectively in a blog or message-board posts.

 

 

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THINKS July 25, 2006

What Day Is Today?!

Happy

Birthday

Rubi!

 

 

 

 

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What Day Is Today?!

Astonishing Test Fourteen

Once again back is the incredible M.C.F.A.T. We're up to test number fourteen!

 

1) Friends and family often offer advice or share experiences with the best of intentions, sometimes with the opposite of the desired effect. What are some of your more memorable “you're not helping...” moments?
Hmmm... Great question! And know I've had plenty of them. I just can't think of a single one right now. I may have to revisit this question at some point.

2) You enjoy this actor's work, but many people just don't get it. Who is it?
Bruce Willis doing comedy. See "Hudson Hawk" and "Moonlighting".

3) In general, when it comes to movies, are originals better than remakes, or vice versa? Feel free to cite examples that support either or both positions.
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy by Peter Jackson was definitely better than the cartoon versions from way back when. I can't think of any others.

4) If it were scientifically possible to live on any other planet in our solar system, through the development of faster-than-light travel and genetic enhancements or protective suits, which planet would you choose to live on?
Luna, Earth's moon. It's close enough to still Earth in all her glory frequently, and still close to the Sun also.

5) Who would win in a war: Hobbits or Smurfs?
Definitely Hobbits. Why? One word: Feet.

SPECIAL BONUS QUESTION: The year is 1985; who is Flora?
I haven't the slightest idea.

 

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Astonishing Test Fourteen

I want to play too!

So it's the ABC Meme for me as well. Here goes:

ACCENT: I'm going to have to go with generic midwestern as well.

BIBLE BOOK THAT I LIKE: I'm reading Ezekiel at the moment, so I'll say that.

CHORE THAT I DON'T CARE FOR: Cleaning the bathroom. [groan]


DOG OR CAT: I'm a cat person. But like Kev, I'm happy with no pets at the moment.

ESSENTIAL ELECTRONICS: Air conditioning. My cell phone. The computer.


FAVORITE MOVIE: Don't really have one. The last one I saw was Failure To Launch. It was cute.

GOLD OR SILVER: My wedding set is gold, but I think I prefer silver. So both!


HAT: Thank you, no.


INSOMNIA: Occasionally. The lie-awake-and-fret kind.

JOB TITLES: Christian. Wife. Mommy. Housekeeper.


KIDS: Three. Girl, boy, girl. I'm so lucky.


LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Fixer-upper.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Marrying Kev. Again, I'm so lucky.

NAUGHTIEST CHILDHOOD BEHAVIOR: I'm not going to answer that. My parents read this, and I don't know what they don't still know about. (Hi guys!)

OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: More thanI care to count. Three births, which were all good hospital stays. A bad reaction to a medication led me to a three day stay. A hysterectomy. An illness while I was pregnant with Elizabeth also landed me in the hospital. (What's UP with all that? I'm hardly a frail little blossom, why do I keep winding up in a hospital bed stuck full of needles?? Yeesh.)

PHOBIAS: Any flying insect. Looking stupid in front of people. You would think I'd have gotten over that one by now.


QUOTES: "A Christian is held captive by anything that hinders the abundant and effective spirit filled life God planned for him or her." Beth Moore.

RELIGION: Christian.


SIBLINGS: Hi Sara!

WAKE UP TIME: 5:30.


UNUSUAL TALENT OR SKILL: Uh...


VEGETABLE I REFUSE TO EAT: Haven't found that one yet. I'll usually take a pass on Okra and Asparagus, but I can't say I've ever really tasted them. Need to do that.


WORST HABIT: Procrastination! It takes me forever to do anything.

X-RAYS: I can't even remember. Do they even X-Ray anymore? I seem to have had a lot of ultrasounds instead, pregnant or not.

YUMMY STUFF I COOK: The fam likes my pancakes, so I'll go with that.

ZOO ANIMAL MOST LIKED: What? I don't know. When was the last time I went to the zoo? Can't even remember.

I want to play too!

ABC Meme

ACCENT: Generic Midwestern - what you'd hear from the news anchor on the national news, or if you're from the North, I have a Southern Indiana accent. I occasional say "Y'all", but never ever say anything a twang.

BIBLE BOOK THAT I LIKE: Proverbs
(cheating?) I can't really recall any non-fiction Bible books that I've read, so I have to go with Christian Fiction: Nightbringer.

CHORE THAT I DON'T CARE FOR: Yes.
(That's cheating too?!) Mowing the lawn.

DOG OR CAT: Yes, they taste like chicken! Sorry. Actually, I like both. I had a dog growing up, and Rubi and I had a couple of cats early in our marriage. I'd have both again, except I think we can do without pets in our house for awhile still.

ESSENTIAL ELECTRONICS: Again: Yes. I'd probably be at a complete loss without electronics of any sort. Most notably, Air Conditioning.

FAVORITE MOVIE: Star Wars.

GOLD OR SILVER: My wedding band is gold. That's it for jewelry for me.

HAT: I like my Star Wars hat. But I usually only wear a hat when I'm mowing the lawn, so I wear my old USPS hat.

INSOMNIA: No thanks. Seriously trying to quit.

JOB TITLES: Nerd/Geek. Skater. Employee (at Little Caesar's Pizza). Afternoon DJ. Midmorning DJ. Morning Show CoHost (glorified DJ). Geek. Program Director/Music Director/Chief Operator. Husband. Master Control Operator. Part Time DJ (x3). Master Control Operator. Evening DJ. Father. Afternoon Drive DJ. Dispatcher. Telecommunicator II (Public Safety Dispatcher). Father. Communications Supervisor. Father.

KIDS: Three. I'm got `em on sale cheap.

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Fixer-upper.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Answering this meme.

NAUGHTIEST CHILDHOOD BEHAVIOR: Doing anything my parents didn't want me to.

OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: Only when Rubi was there.

PHOBIAS: Not really a phobia, but I really don't like spiders or really any kind of bug.

QUOTES: "I aim to misbehave." Malcolm Reynolds.

RELIGION: Generic Christian. Which means I know Jesus Christ as my personal savior. I didn't earn and do not deserve his grace; but because of his love for me, I can enter into His kingdom. Generic means I'm not Catholic, not Baptist, not Lutheran, not some other title. I'm a child of God.

SIBLINGS: Four: three sisters and a brother. All older. Two (a sister and brother) missing and presumed blacksheep, or just weird. One really smart sister that's married and raising two cool kids too far away from the rest of us. And sister that's smart and has really turned her life around.

WAKE UP TIME: Summer: As late as I can get away with. Usually around 7:30am. During the school year: 5:30am.

UNUSUAL TALENT OR SKILL: I took one really hot chick and turned her into a really hot geek. Also: making cute kids.

VEGETABLE I REFUSE TO EAT: That is completely true.

WORST HABIT: I don't know, ask Rubi.

X-RAYS: Ring finger on my right hand. And I think I had a chest x-ray at one point whilst investigating my allergies.

YUMMY STUFF I COOK: Delivery.

ZOO ANIMAL MOST LIKED: The ones that don't display bodily functions while we're watching.

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ABC Meme

Song Titles (Not the Whose Line Game)

Go to your music player of choice and put it on shuffle.
Say the following questions aloud, and press play.
Use the song titles that come up to answer each question.

How does the world see me?
Complicated.

Will I have a happy life?
Real Cool World

What do people really think of me?
The Right Kind of Wrong

Do people secretly lust after me?
If I Had a Million Dollars.

How can I make myself happy?
Ballad of Serenity

What should I do with my life?
Don't Let Me Get Me

Will I ever have children?
Reach

What is some good advice for me?
Whoop! There it is!

What do I think my current theme song is?
Don't Dream It's Over (Sixpence None The Richer version)

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
Walk This Way (Run DMC/Aerosmith version)

What song will play at my funeral?
Battlestar Galactica Theme (long version)

What type of men/women do you like?
The Animal Song

What is my day going to be like?
Come On Eileen

Why am I here?
Peace & Love, Inc.

What will people remember me for?
A Kind Of Magic

What song will I get stuck in my head tomorrow?
Grade 9

Are there people outside waiting to take me away?
Under Pressure (Queen vs. Black Legend)

What will this year be all about?
When You Say Nothing At All

 

 

Bonus points to readers that can name the artists for all of the above on the ones I didn't give.

 

(Note: I just added every song on my hard drive to a playlist in Winamp and hit shuffle - seemed to work out pretty good as answers for many of the questions. Also, I didn't actually read the questions aloud.)

 

 

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Song Titles (Not the Whose Line Game)

Book Review: Angelos

Jerome went on, "Our Lord is the Lord of all, Lord of all worlds." The cat nodded. "So He's Lord of the old world and Lord of the New World." Quant shook his head wearily. "You don't really get it, do you?" "Get what?" "Precisely."

Angelos, Christian fantasy fiction written by Robina Williams, tells of a recently deceased friar named Jerome and his travels through the afterlife and through time. Jerome is accompanied by a pet cat that is much more than he seems. With the gentle naggings of the cat, Jerome comes to realize that even in the midst of great paganism and the worship of many "lesser gods", God - the God of the Bible - is still the one true God.

The friars in the book are somewhat comical in their lackadaisical approach to their friarly duties. The cat (called Leo, or Quant depending on where he's at), is both somewhat amusing in the way he puts up with the ways of the friars, and somewhat awe-inspiring in his methods in the afterlife.

Art plays a strong role in the story; art influences the head friar's religious life, art is made by another friar, and art leads Jerome to realize where it really was he was standing.

Some readers might find it odd that reincarnation and "lesser gods" play a role in the series. I don't think reincarnation has any place in Christianity; and "lesser gods" (the gods of the various "mythological" pantheons") aren't deserving of worship, but arguably may have existed in one form or another with the fallen angels pretending to the thrones of these pantheons to lead civilizations away from the one true God - which, in a veiled way - seems to be what the author to the reader, and Quant to Jerome, is hinting at.

Angelos is the second book in the Quantum Cat series. The ending of this book is somewhat bittersweet, but leaves the way open for the third book in the series, which the author says she is working on now.

The author's afterword tells of her living near a monastery in the Welsh mountains, where a cat would come to visit her during the summer. This, along with the Schroedinger's Cat paradox, were some of her inspirations for writing this series.

While this book is the second in the series, it reads more like a second chapter or a second part of a whole - like one book was spit into three short books. This book is only 171 pages long, including the afterword and author's notes. It's a short, quick read.
Quite enjoyable, but I feel I would have gotten more out it had I read the first book first.

That having been said, I'd still rate it a 7 out of 10.

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Book Review: Angelos

Yay and rats

Yay! The Stargates season premiers are this Friday!

 

Rats! I have to work.

 

 

Yay and rats

Blog Party Returns!

WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS IN YOUR LIFE THAT HAVE RETURNED?

MCF has brought back the ever-popular blog parties!
The basic concept is this: bloggers around the world unite on an arbitrary day (this time: July 6) to blog about a particular topic picked by the host (MCF).

Today's Topic: What are the best things in your life that have returned?

My oldest daughter went on a trip to Florida with her grandparents and returned safely. Rubi returns home safely everyday after work. Every February when I file my federal taxes, everything I've paid during the past year is returned to me (and more, thanks to the kids). My efforts at work are returned to me usually in the form of thanks - sometimes in the form of more work. A little bit of time and work for a CafePress store has returned three checks so far and another on the way. MCF's Astonishing Tests return occasionally - and Whoo! So has the Blog Party! The Transformers return to world in a big way about this time next year.

I heard a quote once: "If you love someone, set them free. If they don't return, hunt them down and kill them!" Not really sure what that has to with the topic, but ...there you go.

Blog Party Returns!

Happy Independence Day

What a way to celebrate our country's freedom:

Getting drunk, acting stupid, and maybe getting arrested.

 

Ah... job security!

 

 

Happy Independence Day

Yay for Elizabeth!

Elizabeth got to watch Discovery launch today, thanks to her grandpa.

 

Rubi's dad has been wanting to see a shuttle launch in-person for years, and since the STS program is soon-to-be retired, this was a great chance for him to see it!

 

 

Yay for Elizabeth!

It's looking good!

I'm starting to get excited for mom, dad, and Elizabeth. Today's launch is still a go. Latest update from the NASA site:


Tanking BeginsThe loading of Discovery's orange external tank with 500,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and hydrogen began at 4:32 a.m. EDT today. The "topping off" of propellants into the tank will continue until Discovery's launch. All systems onboard the space shuttle are functioning normally and are ready for launch. Currently, there is a 80 percent chance of favorable launch weather for Today. If the weather cooperates this will be the first Independence Day launch of a space shuttle!

It's looking good!

Foam is a "Go"

From NASA's Shuttle page:

"Discovery's a "Go" for Independence Day
After analysis of available data (re: the foam   --Kev), the Mission Management Team has given a "go" for Tuesday's launch of Space Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station."

 

Now if the weather will just cooperate: Elizabeth and her grandparents might actually get to see this thing launch!

Foam is a "Go"

28 Questions - An Oh So Fascinating Meme

1. Have you ever been searched by the cops?
No.

2. Do you close your eyes on roller coasters?
I absolutely do not ride roller coasters

3. When's the last time you've been sledding?
I think sometime last winter with the kiddos.

4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone?
Depends on the size of the bed.

5. Do you believe in ghosts?
Depends on your definition.

6. Do you consider yourself creative?
Kinda.

7. Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie?
Angelina..

8. Do you know how to play poker?
Not really.

9. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight?
Not that I can remember.

10. What's your favorite commercial?
The DQ Blizzard commercial on the airplane.

11. What are you allergic to?
Aspartame (the evil that is NutraSweet).

Plus your basic allergies to dust/pollen/work/mold/lint/air.

12. If you're driving in the middle of the night, and no one is around do you run red lights?
I plead the 5th.

13. Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees?
I don't follow sports.

14. Have you ever been Ice Skating?
Yes.

15. How often do you remember your dreams?
Occasionally.

16. When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?
Recently, I'm sure, with Rubi - she can really get me laughing sometimes.

17. Can you name 5 songs by The Beatles?
Maybe if I tried...

18. What's the one thing on your mind now?
Sleep (or the lack thereof, since I'm working 3rd shift).

19. Do you always wear your seat belt?
Absolutely.

20. What cell service do you use?
Cingular.

21. Have you ever narrowly avoided a fatal accident?
Probably.

22. What do you wear to bed?
Old sweat pants or shorts and ratty t-shirts.

23. What shoe size do you wear?
9ish. Depends on the shoe and the brand.

24. Favorite Song?
Tie between "He Reigns" by the Newsboys and "Blessed Be Your Name" by Tree63.

And of course, my all time favorite song is "One Vision" by Queen.

25. Have you ever sang in front of the mirror?
I plead the 5th.

26. What food do you find disgusting?
Veggies, seafood, soy... how long do you have for me to continue?

27. Do you sing in the shower?
No. Unless I'm trying to make my kids laugh.

28. Have you ever been punched in the face?

Probably. I can't remember a specific violent incident - wrestling with my kids usually ends up with someone getting an elbow or knee or foot or fist or something punched into someone else.

 

 

28 Questions - An Oh So Fascinating Meme

Scrubbed again

Due to thunderstorms, NASA scrubbed the shuttle launch again today - until Tuesday.

Elizabeth and her grandparents were bummed. They had just arrived at the launch area when NASA announced the delay.
Rubi's parents are going to stay in Florida long enough to catch the shuttle launch Tuesday and then come home.

Note to Mother Nature: Cooperate with NASAs weather planning so they don't delay the launch again!

Scrubbed again

Shuttle launch scrubbed for today.

Phooey. Elizabeth is down there with her grandparents (Hi mom and dad!) to watch. She's bummed that it's not happening today, but excited that they'll try again tomorrow. So everyone cross your fingers, and think "liftoff!" tomorrow.

Shuttle launch scrubbed for today.