My Kids Rock!

I have one of those annoying "summer colds" that's going around (I thought at first it was just allergies, but ...blech).

 

Anyway, while Rubi was at work today, I starting feeling extra cruddy so I crashed on the couch for about an hour or so.  When I woke up, there was lunch sitting on the arm of the couch for me (literally right next to my head - it was a "whoa! there's a cheese rollup!" moment), Elizabeth and Alexander had unloaded the dishwasher, Elizabeth had unloaded the clothes dryer, and Catherine had wiped down the kitchen table with a wet cloth. 

 

Elizabeth had made cheese rollups for everyone (a slice or three of cheese rolled up in a soft flour tortilla) and had glasses of water for everyone.  The little kids had already finished their rollups as I was waking up, and were asking her for freezer pops for dessert.  Elizabeth told them they could have one if they ate a package of mandarin oranges or a mozzarella cheese stick first (lots of cheese at lunch time!). 

 

At one point while I was dozing, one of the little kids said something to me and I heard Elizabeth tell them "Shhh, let him sleep!".  But it was time to get up anyway - Rubi was due to be home soon at that point, and 3 inches from my head was that cheese rollup with my name on it.

 

Oh yeah, and they made my bed for me!

 

My kids are so cool.

 

 

My Kids Rock!

MCF Test 19

Really? He's up to 19 already? MCF gives us another test.

Here are my answers:

1) Should film critics be genre-specific? Why or why not?

Yes and No. I think it would make more sense for fans of a particular genre to review films in that genre because they'd have more cred (at least to other fans), because they "get it". However, it could also be said they're not impartial. Whereas someone who reviews all movies can tell the general public that certain genre films are good and are worth going to see, and they'll be more likely to be believed than a "fan".

2) What are some of your favorite movies and/or episodes of television shows depicting time travel?

I don't really like time travel as a plot device, it's overused. However, Stargate SG1 had a really fun ep called 1969 with time travel involved, and their latest outing - the direct to DVD movie Stargate: Continuum - also involved time travel and was pretty good. There's a Star Trek:TNG episode involving time travel called "Yesterday's Enterprise" that is good (oh, and they have another ep that's just ok that kind of involves time travel - I can't remember what it's called - but Kelsey Grammar makes a cameo appearance at the end as a startship captain, and that alone makes the episode good ), and a Star Trek:DS9 episode called "Trials and Tribble-ations" that is really fun. Trek overused Time Travel though.

3) At this exact second, how did you get where you are in life?

I drove.

4) Will there be sex in heaven? (Hat tip to TheWriteJerry, who made this inquiry in an e-mail during the week that sparked an interesting discussion among the GeekFriends™. With their permission, I'll share some of their ideas next week.)

Sex as in copulation? Or sex as in differentiation between male and female?

I think Heaven will be so different from anything we can imagine that it won't matter. Sex is something given as a gift between a husband and wife to set their relationship apart from other relationships. I don't really know.

If you're talking about differentiation between male and female - I don't know that either.

SPECIAL BONUS QUESTION: What is “that” one thing Meat Loaf wouldn't do for love? I'll accept both humorous and serious responses.

Lose weight.

MCF Test 19

Necessity is the mother of...

really really bizarre invention.

Our old phone probably needs to be replaced. The contacts that allow it to charge on the base are pretty worn out, I think. The battery got worn down yesterday, and the darn thing wouldn't charge. Kev and I both fiddled with it a lot, to no avail. We wiggled it around in the base, and the charge light lit up when it was at a certain angle that was impossible to achieve unless someone was holding it that way. This morning I got up, determined to do something about it.

I messed with it for a while, trying to achieve that angle through various "Whatever is at hand in the kitchen" methods. At one point this included wedging an orange peeler in between the phone and the base.

I finally got it. No big deal, I just unhooked it from the wall, sat it on the bar propped up at a 30 degree angle, and placed two wadded up boullion cube wrappers between the handset and base. Duh. I have no idea why we didn't think of that in the first place.

I'm pretty sure that next payday will include a new phone.

Necessity is the mother of...

Here I go again!

I went out with some girlfriends for the second weekend in a row to see Mamma Mia. (I know, I know, I'm a terrible party animal, try not to be too jealous!)

Guys, I heart this movie. The soundtrack is stuck in my head and I can't wait to get the DVD. I heard someone describe it as "cheese-tastic and disco-licious", a beautifully apt description that EW should be ashamed of themselves for not thinking of first.

It's pure cheese, but so much fun that you revel in it. The Dancing Queen musical number made me so happy.

Meryl Streep is just...just...wow. I wanna be just like her when I grow up. What a beautiful woman, and not in that airbrushed-perfection way. And whoever that was that played Sophie is possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life. I nearly died from cute when she started fluttering her eyelashes at her dads, trying to charm them into staying.

A very few downsides. While they had an admirable lack of profanity, some of the things were a little too adult for kiddos to see, which is a shame, because I think Elizabeth would love it. Some of what they showed in Tanya's number Does Your Mother Know made ME blush...yikes.

And Pierce Brosnan. Oh...oh sweetie, you're so pretty. Why did you have to sing? You were just fine until you opened your mouth and THAT came out...eek. When he started singing, my friend Jen sitting beside me burst into giggles. Afterward she asked "Was that supposed to be funny?"

Oh, and Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! stressed me out. When the bachelorette party guests got hold of two of Sophie's dads, I kept thinking "If that were reversed and it was two girls at a bachelor party, and that was happening...it would be sick and there would be outrage and and giant uproar...". I don't know - am I weird? (Don't answer that.)

That wasn't enough to keep me from salivating for the DVD release date, though. What a fabulous chick flick.


Oh! The previews! There were quite a few shoot-em-up guy movie previews, I guess to pacify the guys that got dragged there by their better halves. But there were two significant ones. One for Twilight! First big screen Twilight preview I've seen!! I've devoured all the Twilight books and am waiting anxiously for Breaking Dawn. And Kev knows that we'll be flocking to the theater at midnight with all the other Twilight fans at midnight on December 8th. Yay!

The other one made me and every other mommy of a tween girl smile, roll her eyes, shake her head, and yes, sing along a bit. HSM3. People! They're not even bothering to spell out High School Musical now. HSM3, I ask you. It looked as astoundingly overdone as the last two, and annoyingly catchy. I'll be singing along to the songs just like I did the other two, even as I'm rolling my eyes so hard they hurt when everyone busts out a coordinated dance number in the middle of The Big Game.

In fact, I'm already thinking it'd be fun to stuff a pack of Elizabeth's friends into the minivan on premiere day and take them to see it. I'll pretend to gag and think it's dumb but I'll secretly have the songs stuck in my head, I'm sure.

Here I go again!

A Plea: Revisited

Back in February (dang that extraneous letter R!), I posted a plea for leads to a good Christian Geek website.

I want to find a good website/blog that caters to Geeks who are parents who are Christians. I don't want Creation-bashing, I don't want cursing, I don't want links to NSFW items, .... Something that caters to geek parents who like Science Fiction and Fantasy, books, TV, Movies, games, computers, comic books, cons, etc.

I've found one... but it's not very active.  MisfitChristians is a place (and podcast) for Christians who also happen to be fans of science fiction, fantasy, horror, anime, or writers of those genres and other similar genres.  The guy who started the website, Taylor Kent, says

This is how I see this ministry working. I believe that there will be those who go out into the fandom communities, building credibility as both Christians and Fans (throught various means like writing, music, podcast, service, expertise, etc.), forming relationships with other fans and through those relationship showing them the love and grace and hope and freedom and truth that the Lord offers with no strings attached. But for those people to be successful, they need a strong base camp to return to when they are beaten and battered by the storm. And a place where they can bring those new to the Lord, where they will not be judged for their fan-ish beliefs, to learn and grow.


And I believe that the Misfit Christian Network is at a place right now where we are building that base camp. God has opened the eye in the storm and provided the raw materials. We simply have to begin building the community.

Go over there. Sign up.  Help get that community more active!
 
 

A Plea: Revisited

Meme Again

Found this meme at MCF's blog.

1) What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Wow... start off with a deep, serious question. I think the lowest depth of misery is living a life of lies, not knowing Jesus Christ as a personal Savior and thinking everything will turn out okay.

2) Where would you like to live?
A huge house with many rooms, secret passages, and a large underground component to it.

3) What is your idea of earthly happiness?
I'm living it, babee!! I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ the risen son of God, and I'm happily married with three great kids. The rest is just decoration.

4) To which faults do you feel most indulgent?
Whoah... all of them! Procrastination probably the most.

5) Who is/are your favorite hero/heroes of fiction?
I don't know... don't really have favorites; I like to read about many of them.

6) Who are your favorite characters in history?
Nikola Tesla

7) Who are your favorite heroines in real life?
I dunno. Can't think of any.

8) Who is/are your favorite heroines of fiction?
See # 5.

9) Your favorite painters?
Don't have any.

10) Your favorite composers or musicians?
Mozart, Beethoven, John Williams, Michael Kamen.

11) What qualities do you most value in a man?
Humbleness.

12) What qualities do you most value in a woman?
Loyalty and humblenes.

13) Your favorite virtue?
Loyalty.

14) Your favorite occupation?
Pirate!

15) Who would you like to be?
I like being me.

16) Your most marked characteristic?
Kindness.

17) What do you most value in your friends?
Lack of jerkitudeness.

18) What is your principle defect?
Quick to anger.

19) What is your favorite color?
blue

20) What is your favorite flower?
Whatever makes Rubi smile.

21) What is your favorite bird?
Eagle.

22) Who are your favorite prose writers?
James Rollins, James Luceno, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, I'm sure I'm forgetting plenty.

23) Who are your favorite poets?
Don't have one.

24) What are your favorite names?
I guess Alexander and Elizabeth. Those are the names Rubi and I knew we wanted for our first two kids without much discussion at all.

25) What is it you most dislike?
Scientist pretending they've figured everything out, have all the answers, claim theories are fact, and then leave God out of their worldview.

26) What historical figures do you most despise?
Politicians.

27) What event in military history do you most admire?
When Joshua trusted God and led the Israelites around Jericho and caused the walls to tumble with just the sound of their voices and musical intruments (and the power of God).

28) What reform do you most admire?
That Unicron is a planet and can re-form into a giant robot. How cool is that?!

29) What natural gift would you most like to possess?
A fast metabolism.

30) How would you like to die?
Quickly and painlessly (and rich!).

31) What is your present state of mind?
getting better.

32) What is your motto?
Nothing's the motto, what's the motto with you?!

Meme Again

YAM: Yet Another Meme

Been awhile since I've blogged, well, anything... so stealing from Carrie, here's a meme.

Accent: Generic mid-west. With some southern thrown in y'all.

Breakfast or no breakfast: I absolutely adore breakfast. I could eat breakfast all day for every meal. Eggs, Bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, biscuits with jelly, buttered toast, dry toast, toast with jelly, blueberry muffins, cinammon rolls, pancakes, donuts, my mother-in-laws breakfast casserole, fast food, home-cooked, microwaved, packaged, brown-bagged - I love breakfast. But I rarely eat it. I've read lately that I'm supposed to eat a good breakfast to curb hunger the rest of the day... but if I get started with breakfast, that just gets me started and I don't want to stop! Lately, though, when I do have breakfast, it's usually an egg and turkey bacon on a whole-wheat tortilla shell, or a slimfast shake.

Chore I don’t care for: Yes.

Dog or Cat: Yes, if I can give them back to the owner. I like animals; I've had a dog, and cats, I just don't want the responsibility anymore.

Essential Electronics: meh... Take `em all away. Then I'd have more time to read good books.

Favorite Cologne: Nope.

Gold or Silver: Gold, I guess. Just my wedding ring.

Handtools or powertools: Whatever makes the job easiest.

Insomnia: Sometimes.

Job Title: needs more money.

Kids: need to wash more often

Living Arrangements: I'm blessed to have a home.

Most Admirable Trait: I don't have any, I'm a grumpy old man.

Naughtiest Childhood Behavior: Whoa, I plead the Fifth on this one.

Overnight hospital stays: None that I can remember that were for me. I've always stayed with Rubi when she had to stay overnight for birthing or whatever.

Phobias: Not really a phobia, but I don't like spiders or any other bugs really.

Quote: "It's my day off!!"

Reason to smile: see Quote.

Siblings: I have three older sisters and an older brother.

Time I wake up: Depends. During the school year anywhere between 5:30am and 6:30am. Saturdays or during the summer when we don't have to be anywhere, I could sleep in until anywhere between 7am and 9am.

Unusual Talent or Skill: I can get steaming mad, let you know it, and then be fine an instant later.

Vegetable I Refuse to Eat: Refuse? I don't know. There are a bunch I really don't like though.

Worst Habit: hang on... I'll get to this later.

X-rays: I've had some, yes. Can't remember all of them. A finger injury in elementary school, a skateboarding accident with a really badly sprained ankle, my entire chest and head to search for headache problems, dental x-rays...

Yummy Stuff: Cake, cinammon rolls, cheesecake, pizza, steak,

Zoo Animal I Like Most: I'm not fond of zoos, really. I'd rather see animals out in their own habitat where they could come up and eat me for a snack. I don't know, bears, tigers, etc... furry four-legged things.

YAM: Yet Another Meme

I loved this article.

Gasoline is insanely expensive. You may have noticed. Here's a great article on using less easily, quickly, and with little to no major inconvenience to already-busy families. Awesome.

I loved this article.

Yay! Also, I'm dumb.

My garden is fine. Still flourishing, even the one tomato plant I thought was lost for sure. It's flat out on the ground, still growing away. I had some really yummy veggies from the garden for lunch today. YUM.

Oh yeah, the dumb thing. The Guild Wars Dragon Festival started today. Which, hooray. Kev and I have been levelling new characters all week so we (I) can scrounge for Victory Tokens. I'm hoping to get my Sweet Tooth title this weekend.
Anyway, only the boardwalk games were open today, and because I'm an idiot, I played Nine Rings. Every year. Every year I do this, every year I lose a ton of money in five minutes, then curse myself because I couldn't care less about the Lucky title, and I only do it because I think that maybe THIS time I'll come out ahead. See? Gambling is always a bad idea, even if it's only pretend gambling. SHEESH. I'm grounding myself from Nine Rings, and this time I really really mean it.

Yay! Also, I'm dumb.