Cinderella Panties

After a few months of Mommy pleases, I finally fell victim to those big blue eyes and took Lea Anna to the Disney store in the mall and bought her coveted Cinderella panties. She is so funny. The first thing she did when she got home (after she got finally got over her tantrum from her mean Mommy that wouldn't let her go on the Euro Bungee) was show all the guys in the house her "big girl" panties. She has been strutting around the house in them half naked like the queen bee all afternoon. I do solemnly swear however, that this will be the last time I set foot in any mall until the Christmas shopping season is over!

McDonalds benifits from big crime.

This weekend I went to McDonalds to get dinner, and as I rounded the block I saw a bunch of police cars, and CHP cars as well as a SWAT van. Whatever happened Went down a while back because everyone was pretty calm and relaxed. Another thing that helped was the fact that what happened was 20ft away from a McDonalds. Right outside the SWAT van there was a group of SWAT officers huddled together. They sent someone in to get food and were rummaging through some bags when seconds later I heard someone shout, " Now how the hell did you forget my nuggets!?" With that he stormed past me quickly into the line mumbling angrily & incoherently. The line inside was HUGE, with problably 14or 15 people in line, only a few of whom were civilians. Because of the surplus of customers The people in the back were going crazy shouting commands, and trying to make burgers and dropping fries constantly.

I've done alot lot of saving up lately in preperation for christmas and I've already got Daniel and Lea Annas gifts. I bought daniel one of those made for TV games with a few classic games on it, some of which are PAC-MAN, and Galaga. I bought Lea-Anna a toy guitar. I got her that because I knew Gary plays guitar and she'd love to have one too. In order to help keep Daniel acting good (in 6 year old terms anyways) I promised tht I'd get him a second gift if he behaves, and he has been pretty good at school, well, better than I hoped so this weekend I'm buying him a couple Star Wars action figures, and I'll get Lea Anna a stuffed animal or a doll or something else. Clearly I still havent decided.

Wax On, Wax Off

Daniel: Hey, what kind of belt do you have?

Miyagi: Canvas. JC Penny. Three ninety-eight. You like?
[laughs]

Daniel: No, I meant...

Miyagi: Daniel-san... karate here.
[he taps his head]

Miyagi: Karate here.
[he taps his heart]

Miyagi: Karate never here
[points to his belt]

Miyagi: Understand?

I was saddened to learn of the death of Noriyuki "Pat" Morita today. Happy Days fans will remember him as Arnold, but probably everyone will remember him best as Mr. Miyagi. He is the reason why I call Daniel "Daniel-san." I loved Karate Kid and was probably one of the few who didn't realize that Mr. Miyagi was teaching Daniel karate from the beginning. The lesson behind "wax on, wax off" hit me at the same time it hit Ralph Macchio's Daniel. What an important reminder that things aren't always as you perceive them to be.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I just wanted to take a few seconds to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope evryone enjoys themselves and I also want to say what I am most Thankful for today is my Family. God Bless everyone

Kickin those fish agian.

Hey everyone, sorry I havent been posting but my computer caught a mutant virus from hell so dad had to take it to the shop and get it fixed. Alot has happened since my comp tanked so I'll just try and summarize everything real quick.

About 3 weeks ago dad got me a bike and dad got his own a couple weeks later. Since then we've been riding everywhere from the mall to the park and I've been rding it to school and since then I havent been late agian :) For my bithday me and dad went to the movie theaters and after that I went over to my freind Charles house and played games for a couple hours. He had some other of his freinds over there and I pretty much spent the rest of the day there while dad was off doing whatever it is that he does. Mom sent me $50 in birthday money as well as dad, and Teresa sent me a $25 gift certificate for thinkgeek.com. Dad also gave me a DV camera that he never used and I'm in the process of writing a script for a short film already. I used some of the money to send out a care package to Ryan. I'll problably send something else out to David soon too. I sent him 2 movies (Anchorman and Spaceballs) as well as a couple of videogames.

"Mis Tatuajes"

Not to be outdone by his cousin, David sent this out this a.m.:

"my back is finally back to normal... now it's time to start thinking about what i'm gonna get on my chest and forearms... :-D"

I guess I'm the only one who gets this

I finally got my STFU University T-shirt from thinkgeek.com. While I thought STFU was a common acronym, no one but me seems to get. Have Y'all heard of it? I wanted to get the remote control UFO and the air bazooka, but I know I would get in a lot of trouble with it at work. {sigh} It's so hard acting grown up sometimes. I bought a Shrek fleece panel for Lea Anna for Christmas that I plan to sew into a throw for her. I tried to tell her it was for Mommy, and thought if I stuffed it away in my room she would forget about it. Not that girl, she don't believe me at all. She has been bugging Gary and I about it all day. This is just another example about why you don't lie to your children, even if they are two and it is for a good cause.

bad stuff

This is an e-mail from Ryan:

I was checking my e-mails today and I got an e-mail from a few days ago that said a few of our marines – the ones stationed on this ship – were killed in action a few days ago. I know there have been a lot of people that have died in this war, but somehow it just hit home because these guys were guys that I was talking to face to face only a few weeks ago. I knew two of the three and have seen the third one around. It would be nice if everyone would pray for these guys and their families.

- Ryan

The Inevitable...

Well...I've decided to get a tattoo.

I figure that not only will I have some cool ink, but I'm hoping I'll get over my fear of needles. I'm not gonna get anything big...like a sleeve or something (I can't afford one anyway). I'm gonna get a barcode on my arm. (Maybe my wrist 'cause I can always hide it at work with a bracelet or watch.) I figure if I can endure that I'll get another small one (like, an itty-bitty heartagram on my other wrist...or something). I'm not totally sure what my 3rd one would be, but I like the idea of a bat with SOB (Save Our Bats!) under it...in support of bat conservation.

That's only if I survive the 1st tattoo though...I have to have my friend, Emerald, go with me because I'm a big chicken... Someone's gonna have to pin me to the chair.

Hey, What's That Little "Bot A Blog" Button Subscribe Thingie For?

Yeah, that one down there below the left-hand sidebar links. Gee, I dunno - why don't ya click on it enter your e-mail address and find out?

(Lisa, you don't have to subscribe - I used your e-mail address as the guinea pig since I'd already subscribed by virtue of the fact that I set it up.)

I'm disappointed Bot-A-Blog wouldn't work. Not sure why, but it may have something to do with the fact that the company that bought it out runs a blogging site and they don't like the competition from Blogger. Bummer, 'cause I liked their cute little button.

This is not a pure e-mail notification because I believe they'll e-mail you once a day whether there are updates or not. But we'll try it out. Y'all let me know how it works for you and we'll ditch it if it disappoints. But I'm hopeful : ) It's provided by Bloglet - how cute is that?

Free Movies

If you have a high speed Internet connection and Windows 2000 or XP I have a Movielink code for you. This was a gift with purchase, good for two free movie downloads up to $10 in value. You can find out about the terms of the offer and if you're interested e-mail me or just leave a comment here. First one to speak up gets it. Oh, and don't even try going to the site with any browser other than Internet Explorer version 5.0 or better - it'll just route you to an error page. Apparently Movielink hasn't figured out the trick to offering content to everyone like the iTunes store does : )

Fugly Weather

Well, we finally had something to do besides watch the grass grow last night. There were reports of 11 tornados in the middle TN area but they all hit either north or south of us, so they weren't really all that close. Just enough to make me extremely nervous. We didn't have any damage in our area either, so that is a blessing. It was kind of funny though, because as the sirens went off while we were eating dinner and were debating whether or not we should head for the basement. I heard a knock on the door and my niece-in-law and her Aunt wanted to hole up in our basement. We ended up with our family plus 5 neighbors holed up down there for a while, while our other neighbor was outside watching the wind pick up as the tornado sirens went off a second time. I like the guy, but I do think he is nuts. Daniel and Lea Anna just enjoyed the party. It was in the 70's yesterday and it's in the 40's today. This place is crazy!

Turkey Day

David is coming home for Thanksgiving after all. Yay!

After piddling around until the last minute he realized his options for air travel were limited and expensive, so he called to tell me he wouldn't be home after all. This was the same day that Amanda ran short of time and cancelled our lunch date so I was feeling pretty unloved (this is what y'all have to look forward to when your kids are grown!).

My friend Angela, also known as David's Other Mother, called him several days after I'd talked to him about his Thanksgiving plans. Oh - I forgot to mention that since he couldn't come home he was going to drive with a buddy to El Paso and maybe then to Juarez to party. Grrrr. But anyway, I suspect Angela let him know how disappointed I was. Like, just in case he couldn't tell when I told him how much it sucked.

So a little while after that he goes out and buys a used - but good - little truck and calls me to tell me he's driving here from Ft. Hood for Thanksgiving. How cool is that?

So what're y'all doing?

fish-kicker is off line

Adrian's computer has croaked. I don't know if it is terminal or not, but he'll be out of touch for a bit. I relayed to him all your Birthday wishes. He said thank you to you all, and he will check in when he is back on line.

Trying to get back to reality

Well Janet and I had a great cruise, I made sure she didn't get into any trouble. The ship was so huge it took a while to find things. One morning a blind lady asked us for help getting to the dining room....we did get there eventually. I got a tan and a tatoo (air brushed). We both tried new things, I didn't try the escargot (snails yuk). I did try quail, strawberry soup and few other things. I wish I had someone come in my house twice a day and clean, make my bed and leave cute towel animals. I did go to a towel animal thing and bought a book on it so if you visit you may find towel animals on your bed.
They newest thing in my life is my new business. I am selling stamps and accessories and making crafts. I hope this business goes well and I don't buy too much. I am real excited and they have alot of help getting organized (which goes against my nature) and great gift ideas.

Happy Birthday Adrian

This Day in History -

1918 - World War 1 Ends with the Allies and Germany signing the armistice agreement at 5 a.m. in a railroad car outside Compiégne, France.

1933 - A massive dust storm sweeps South Dakota. Within two days, dust from the South Dakota storm had reached all the way to Albany, New York. The cause of the Dust Bowl is still unclear. Widespread drought-which killed crops and turned the topsoil into a light powder-was undoubtedly a factor. However, some have argued that the farmers played their part by replacing native grasses with wheat and less hardy crops.

1942 - The Road to Morocco premieres starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour, opens. The comedy was the third of seven Road pictures, which brought fame and fortune to its actors.

1988 - In the wee hours of the morning at 8 lbs. 15 oz, a not so little darling baby boy was born, soon to be the terror of elementary school teachers everywhere. Now at 6' 5" and growing he has successfully defied his Nana's prediction that he would be short "just like your Grandpa", and has long ago surpassed his first goal in life - to grow taller than his father.

Happy Birthday Adrian! Sorry I can't get you your Lamborghini. Maybe next near :)

Today Reality Will Mold to Adrian's Specifications

Well, at least if his horoscope is true it will. Happy B-day, Adrian!

Yay! YAY! YAAAYYYY!

Rumors have been swirling about for a few months now, but now we have written proof from a credible source: Trader Joe's is coming to Atlanta - whoopeeee!

More Kiddy Crafting

The kids are on a roll. We have spent most of the morning making collages by gluing leaves to construction paper. I got Lea Ann started on it just to give her something to do besides destroy the house. It's really cute watching both of them get excited by simple little things like that. We also spent this evening making candy cane ornaments - like the cool ones Aunt Janet made us a few years ago. It's a good thing the beads are dirt cheap. After falling victim to two sets of puppy dog eyes, along with a couple of Mommy pleases, and two trips to Hobby Lobby we should have enough to cover half the trees in the city. They are plotting to make more tomorrow. Still, it's a win-win situation. Even if the little booger rips them of the tree again, at least I managed to keep her destruction confined to the kitchen table for one day.

BTW, guess what we are watching again tonight. Yep - Shrek. AGHHHHHH!

Photo Editing For Us Cheapos

I still have an ongoing quest for photo editing software. This one is similar to paint shop and is pretty basic, but it has some neat effects. You don't have to register to use it, so you won't get spammed. Best of all, it's free (my favorite price!).

http://www.photofiltre.com

Who can post? Who can comment? And what's up with this Kilroy dude?

In case you've missed it, we had a strange visitor to our blog, who left a comment on Jonna's Glamour Shot post. I didn't remove it because even though it was a shameless attempt at self-promotion, he also included a bit of flattery (okay, so it was B.S., but still...) and actually took the time to write something that specifically mentioned our blog. Also, his blog actually has stuff on it and is well-written (no, I'm not endorsing it). Spam blogs, or splogs, on the other hand are nothing but links to other sites and are intended to generate advertising or pay-per-click revenue from people clicking on the links on them.

To set the record straight, anyone can comment on our blog as long as they do the word verification step. This discourages outright spammers because it's a hassle to do this when you're spamming blogs a hundred at a time. And it encourages interaction among the blogging community and any friends of the family that might drop by.

One last thing on the topic of posting - you don't need to "sign" your posts. Every post and every comment you make automatically includes your name, or the blogger ID name you created, at the end of your post or comment. You can change what displays if you like. Just go to "Edit Profile" from the Blogger Dashboard and look under the "Identity" heading for a field labeled "Display Name." It's separate from your Blogger username so you can change it if you want and it won't affect your login.

How is everyone?

Okay, now I get it. I was entering the blog thru a different pathway and it did not have the picture icon. Well, since I am here, I might as well tell everyone how I am doing. I just got my progress report and I am doing well in school-A in P.E. and a B+ to an A in Spanish. I just got my TB test done (negative, of course) and that almost clears me to volunteer at Chela's school. Now I have to submit to a background check by the Sheriff's dept. Guess they can't be too carefull nowadays with all the abuse that's going on in the world. Today is so beautiful. I took a ride up by the beach and it was awesome. I want to work in Manhattan Beach. Actually I would like to live there too-but I am being realistic as we could never afford the rent/mortgage. Anyway How is everyone? Are you finished with your Halloween candy or did you have to put some of it in the freezer? What's good about Chela's school is that they have a candy donation program where you give your excess candy to be put in lunches for the homeless thru the salvation army. Pretty cool. Well, I have to go do something productive. I've been too long on this computer! BYE Y'All

Jonna

Testing one two three

Okay this is just practice. This is not what I really look like nowadays. this is a before picture of when I first met Luis 7-8 years ago.

Here Is Your Freaking Tiger Adrian

I was going to wait until I acquired some halfway decent photography skills before I posted any more photos. Since that day is a long way off and my cutesy little meercats were not gory enough for Adrian here's the elephant and tiger pictures as requested. Sorry Son, the elephants are not trampling anyone or the tiger isn't chewing off anyone's limbs but the brownish red lump she is licking on is the blood popsicle I mentioned a few days ago. Does that make it any better? The tiger is a white Bengal (due to a recessive gene - she's not a true albino, she doesn't have the pink eyes), and is absolutely gorgeous up close. This photo does not do her justice. Ta Ta! I'm off to the living room to watch Shrek with Lea Anna for the 500th time this week.

Posting Pictures

How do you guys post pictures?