By: Angela,
on 1/14/2008
Salmon is a vegetable...right?
I think it should be, starting right now :)
And if it's not, and let's just say maybe I ate a little. What does that make me....a semi-vegetarian?
By: Angela,
on 1/13/2008
Woke up this a.m. and decided I meant to say vegetarian not vegan. I mean how will I go the rest of my life and not eat eggs? I can't do it.
I like eggs and a lil cheese now and then.
So I officially spent 1 day being a vegan and I can honestly say that I've had my fill of brown rice and legumes... Speaking of which---Who the heck calls them that? I'm so tempted to go to my local grocery store, find a young stock boy and ask "In which aisle can I find the legumes?
Back to the brown rice and legumes. Those are fine to eat as long as you have no qualms about expressing large amounts of gas in a public setting. It was a good thing I was off work yesterday. Seriously, I think I lost 10 pounds of natural gas yesterday and I scared my dog. My dog, Daisy is now convinced there is an African elephant hiding in our house somewhere. :)
Anyhoo,
So I'm now trying to be a vegetarian and I will post updates on my progress.
I just can't wait to laugh about all the items I find in the organic food section and to laugh at the price. Should be thrilling!
I'm off to eat some eggs...
By: Angela,
on 1/12/2008
I cannot say enough about this book titled "Skinny Bitch".
My "office-mate", Natasha recommended I read it as we both are constantly on the lookout for evil foods that could stunt our weight loss along with anything that can provide us with a good dose of our favorite exercise...
laughing our asses off.
Seriously, the way me and my "office-mates" laugh should be considered a sport for all the guffawing, snorting, knee slapping and head jerking frenzies we get ourselves into. And this book delivers some serious LOL, ass reduction capability along with dispelling some dietary myths that we take for granted.
When I saw the authors on the back cover looking just like skinny bitches and when I read that one of the authors, Kim Barnouin used to be a model and the other used to be a modeling agent, Rory Freedman, I was ready to give the book back to Natasha. I mean come-on, skinny people should not tell people how to lose weight. It's like a nun giving women tips on how to be sexy. They just have no idea. Unless they've walked a mile in fat lady moccasins, I don't think they should offer people dieting advice.
But Natasha raved about the book and she's a pretty smart bitch so I read it.
And yes, they are Skinny Bitches.
BUT, they're also Smart Bitches-- who back up everything in the book with statistics and scientific studies and...
they're Funny Bitches who swear like teenagers.
Here are some of my fave quotes from the book:
When ditzing dairy..."Go suck your mother's tits. Go on. Suck your mother's tits. You think this is ridiculous? It is. Get ready to use your head."
When ditzing coffee..."So coffee equals fat cells. PS. It also makes your breath smell like ass."
When ditzing govermental agencies..."Is everyone in the FDA on drugs?"
And thanks to these Skinny Bitches, I'm ready to become a vegan. Not so much because I think eating meat is bad for your body, but because the treatment of these animals is deplorable, horrific and sad. Not to mention the amount of grain we use to feed these animals that could be feeding people. I just hope McDonalds gets a McVegan 1/4 pounder soon...before I get weak.
By: Angela,
on 1/6/2008
I'm liking this Mr. Pullman more and more.
I read The Golden Compass...liked it.
I saw the movie...loved it!
I read this on his website...
"Don't listen to any advice, that's what I'd say. Write only what you want to write. Please yourself. YOU are the genius, they're not. Especially don't listen to people (such as publishers) who think that you need to write what readers say they want. Readers don't always know what they want. I don't know what I want to read until I go into a bookshop and look around at the books other people have written, and the books I enjoy reading most are books I would never in a million years have thought of myself. So the only thing you need to do is forget about pleasing other people, and aim to please yourself alone. That way, you'll have a chance of writing something that other people WILL want to read, because it'll take them by surprise. It's also much more fun writing to please yourself."
...now I adore him!
By: Angela,
on 12/25/2007
These cards are reproductions of illuminated manuscript originals, scripted in the tradition of the Book of Kells by artist, Kevin Dillon. For more information on the art Kevin has used - please click here
They can be purchased here.
By: Angela,
on 12/16/2007
I can't believe there's been no mention of this on any other site, besides Amazon, that I've seen in the past couple days. Maybe for once, I'm up to speed with international happenings but I really just happened to have come upon this by accident. Seems Amazon has purchased JK Rowling's handwritten and illustrated book,
The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Sotheby's auctioned it off at a final price of...
1,950,000.
Whew!
Of course, the generous literary genius is donating these funds to The Children's Voice Campaign.
I'm real curious to know what Amazon will do with this priceless work? I can't wait to see the illustrations and read the five tales.
See pics here
See video here
You know I heard she's writing an adult mystery..Are you guys gonna read it and how do you predict it will fare against Harry Potter?
By: Angela,
on 12/13/2007
So sorry Colbie, It's time for me to move on.
Here's some brand new chick music for my peeps.....
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't have any peeps, just a couple of lurkers from Germany & Asia, some fine family members and a handful of faithful blogger buddies:)
Check out this new music from Sara Bareilles
More info here
She has a nice voice and she plays a mean piano. Enjoy!!
By: Angela,
on 12/13/2007
With all the Christmas shopping that is upon us the following scenario is a very real one that we as women will surely face sometime this month while out doing our shopping. It is freakin hilarious and I apologize that I could not give the writer credit, but it was sent to me via email by my hilarious and germaphobic co-worker who wields Clorox wipes and Lysol spray before entering a room and I think she covers her furniture in plastic as a preventive measure...I'm just kidding!!! She's perfectly normal, even though she does drink antibacterial cucumber-melon soap before every meal. Hey! Don't knock it! I've never seen her with a cold. Who knew?And it's cheaper than echinacea.
Enjoy!
When you have to visit a public restroom, you usually find a line of women, so you smile politely and take your place. Once it's your turn, you check for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied. Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall.
You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter, the wait has been so long you are about to wet your pants! The dispenser for the modern "seat covers" (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty. You would hang your purse on the door hook, if there was one, but there isn't-so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck, (Mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR!), yank down your pants, and assume "The Stance".
In this position your aging, toneless thigh muscles begin to shake. You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold "The Stance".
To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, "Honey, if you had tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!" Your thighs shake more.
You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday-the one that's still in your purse. (Oh yeah, the purse around your neck, that now, you have to hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the same time). That would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It's smaller than your thumbnail.
Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work. The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest, and you and your purse topple backwards against the tank of the toilet. "Occupied!" you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor, lost your footing altogether, and slide down directly onto the TOILET SEAT. It is wet of course. You bolt up, knowing all too well that it's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper-not that there was any, even if you had taken time to try. You know that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because, you're certain her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, dear, "You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get."
By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire hose against the inside of the bowl that sprays a fine mist of water that covers your butt and runs down your legs and into your shoes. The flush somehow sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the empty toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in too.
At this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet toilet seat. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks. You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past the line of women still waiting. You are no longer able to smile politely to them. A kind soul at the very end of the line points out a piece of toilet papet trailing from your shoe. (Where was that when you NEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand and tell her warmly, "Here, you just might need this."
As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used, and left the men's restroom. Annoyed, he asks, "What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?"
This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with public restrooms. It finally explains to the men what really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked questions about why women go to the restroom in pairs. It's so the other gal can hold the door, hang onto your purse and hand you Kleenex under the door!
By: Angela,
on 12/2/2007
Tis the Season....and maybe you've never entertained the possibility of purchasing goats, pigs, camels or chickens as Christmas presents. Sure, they may be a tad bit hard to wrap. But you just can't go wrong by giving a good goat to a family in a 3rd world country, knowing they will now be self-sustaining for years to come.
I'm not a big fan of Christmas. Don't worry though, my teenagers are and that makes up for my disinterest by leaps and bounds.
Maybe I shouldn't say Christmas. Maybe, I should say, I don't care for all the excess I see in the form of decorations, the umteen toys and gadgets, novelty gifts, etc.,etc.,. Santa's list never ends.
Now the way we make time for togetherness and good will...That's what I like about Christmas!
So, here's my question to you? Can you even remember what you got last Christmas and what you gave? There's probably one or two gifts you can recall that were somehow distinct and special. And while you're at it, ask your children if they remember what they got last Christmas.
So hopefully this Christmas you give what's special(No, the Xbox is not special) and receive that gift you will cherish and remember forever.
The family you purchase livestock for, will remember, without hesitation, their Christmas gift on a daily basis as they get milk, cheese, eggs, wool, etc.,etc., You can even purchase clean drinking water (doesn't that sound sad?) bees, llamas, cows. The giving list is never ending.
So, if you're looking for that perfect gift for someone who has everything--
Give em a goat!( Actually the goat goes to 3rd world family, but they can get pics and updates)
Here's the sites for where you go when you need a good goat. I think they even come with a warranty, just hold on to your receipt. :)
Goats R Us
*Buy 1 Bee Get One Free (*no coupons needed)
PIG-MART
Livestock Emporium ("THE" original company that started this concept)
By: Angela,
on 11/26/2007
Okay, I'm not against technology and I admit, I read my local paper online. Saves me from recycling and I do my part conserving trees:) Except for Sundays. On Sundays I go out on the porch or to the kitchen table with a hot mug of joe, happy for the extra time to read the local news in it's pristine paper form. Who cares that I get ink smudges all over my face and don't realize until way later in the day? Or that the paper refuses to crease right where I need it to, causing me to spill the large mug of joe? Or that my arms get tired from holding up all that weight so early in the morning?
Well, apparently you can now for the low, low, price of $399.00(That's low for some people..I'm not one of them) you can purchase a KINDLE...A what?! A Kindle...roll eyes...duh? Go ahead, I'll wait while you move your rock aside and attempt to get current.
A Kindle is revolutionary because it can store up to 200 books (like my bookshelf), has access to 88,000 books (like Amazon) and all the top papers are auto delivered daily(like the internet). (The death of the paperboy and the quaint bookshops are upon us people, it's a sad day indeed) Plus, you can purchase the books for only $9.99 and they're instantly downloaded. (The ADD in me would like that feature, but I will fight the urge)
A KINDLE, not to be confused with a HINDLE,
is now the latest thing...........
that I think will be a big bomb.
Here's why,
1) Who wants to curl up in front of the fire and read one of those?...
2) I want pages, not buttons.
3) I want a book cover not a screen.
4) I want tattered corners to tell me I loved it over and over.
5) I want a book to put on my shelf to show others my adoration and that it meant something to me.
6) What the hell should I get the author to sign?(if I meet one)
7) Do you know how many books I can buy for $399.00? Books take priority over electronics (yes, I'm a nerd)
8) So what if Toni Morrison, one of my favorite all time authors, likes it and is saying so on Amazon. com. I prefer to think she did it for the $. James Patterson did it for the press ;)
9) Did I say it's $399.00!?!
10) I'm obviously old fashioned at the tender age of 39 and they're is nothing I see earth shattering about this product.....unless, I was only allowed one item and was stranded on an island alone. Then and only then, would I want one of these.
And, if by chance I happen to succumb to all the hype and I purchase one...and I, gulp, like it....I will post an update and talk about how wrong and old-fashioned I was:)
By: Angela,
on 11/25/2007
I think this poem is perfect. My son, Josh shared this with me and I'd like to share it with you guys. I marked my favorite stanza and I'm going to somehow incorporate it into my WIP, Where the Stones Speak. Enjoy!
Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
By: Angela,
on 11/15/2007
Apparently in Australia, the local Santas are not allowed to say, Ho! Ho! Ho! anymore. For fear that it might be construed as offensive to women.
Thank Goodness.......I can't tell you how many times I have walked through the local mall and felt violated by that bearded, large man in red calling out his derogatory names for women, sometimes even patting his leg, enticing me to sit on his lap? I mean the nerve!!! How dare he call me a HO.
WHAT is wrong with people?
Who could be offended by St. Nicholas?
So now Santas in the outback have to replace ho,ho,ho with ha, ha, ha.
What?!?
It's not gonna be long before the elderly or even Santa's own elves with their short stature, start to feel that Santa's jolly, ha, ha, ha is just his way of mocking them.
And then what's poor Santa gonna be allowed to say?
How about hi, hi, hi?
Nope, then people with a stutter will be offended.
Anybody got any politically correct phrases that poor Santa can say?
And before you guys think I made this up, check it out here!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071115/wl_asia_afp/lifestyleaustraliachristmasoffbeat
By: Angela,
on 10/27/2007
Try & guess what place this card is an advertisement for.
Here, I'll give you some hints:
1) I found it in my daughter's pocket when doing laundry (God help me)
2) You can sing as horribly loud & bad as you want in this place and noone will say anything.
3)This is NOT a place to take naps.
4) Bring lots of money to give.
That last hint was too easy.....
You guessed it, it's for the church where my daughter attends youth group(Don't worry she's too young still for the Sat nite program..whew!) Apparently they have a 20 something group that meets on Saturday evenings. Here's my question, do you think they watch christian porn and eat pancakes? Because there's no real explanation on the back-- just a when and where kind of thing. Something tells me this church isn't hurting for membership(or maybe they are and they're getting desperate). And I know you're curious and maybe thinking it's a catholic church, but rest easy...it's a Baptist church. Moral of the story---Always check your daughter's jean pockets before doing laundry, never assume you're children are up to no good and think again before you label Baptists as conservative.
For anyone who's interested, I believe next month's theme is going to be Bestiality & Burritos and they meet Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Have a good time.
By: Angela,
on 10/23/2007
You know what's scary as h-e-double hockey sticks? What if I'm the only person that gets my writing, you know? The only one that likes it and appreciates it? Is that enough? I mean Thank God I have a great day job that pays the bills and puts wine on the table... but can I still feel like a good writer if I never get an honest dollar for my work? Sometimes I feel like I've shut myself up in 4 walls to pursue the unattainable, missing too many good times as I sit here typing away with enough nerve to think that what I think or imagine needs to be written down and offered to the public.
How vain can you get?
Maybe I just need to get a laptop:)
I remember once reading about a lady who was still trying to get published after 15 years, and I was like, somebody needs to give that lady half a clue. Needless to say, I needed the clue.....because I can see myself doing that, hoping year after year, that someone comes along and not only gets it but pays me for it. However, there is a little part of me that will look and think of how much time I've wasted, like the way you feel when you sit in traffic with no cell phone conversation, fast food or good music to partake of,wasting 30 minutes staring at the back of a semi. Where's the purpose in that?
So here's my question, what if you could see into the future and know that you would never be published...Would you still write???
By: Angela,
on 10/17/2007
"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. "
~Anne Frank
I keep this quote in mind when I'm raking all the leaves upon leaves that have fallen from my 26 Oak trees. What is this "leaf blower" they speak of ? Happy Fall guys!! The pic, titled The Tree of Life is compliments of Gustav Klimt, my favorite painter.
By: Angela,
on 10/17/2007
Check out this new book series, Hallowmere. The trailer is seriously spooky, so watch if you dare...This book is somewhat similar to my WIP, Where the Stones Speak, so I'm a little afraid to read for fear that my idea has been done, and done well :( But I'm intrigued and I can't wait to read it, so I thought I would share. Here's the link also....
http://ww2.wizards.com/books/mirrorstone/hallowmere/home.aspx
By: Angela,
on 9/29/2007
I consider myself to be well educated, however I work hard at downplaying my smarts so I don't threaten others with my level of intelligence (dry sarcasm*grin*). However, I was humbled when I attempted to help my 9th grade daughter with an Earth & Space Science assignment the other day. Apparently, there's been a huge change in our universe and somehow, I have been unawares for years now.
Kinsey: "Mom. How do you like my solar system drawing?"
Me: "That's very, ooh, ahh, nice honey!"
Kinsey: 'Thanks mom."
Me: "Uh, Kinz? You forgot Pluto."
Kinsey: Rolls eyes, followed by look of utter disdain at my incompetence. "Pluto is NOT a planet."
Me: "What? What is it?"
Kinsey: "I don't know, who cares?" (good point, but I care)
Me: "Kinz are you sure? Let me see your book."
Kinsey: "Here."(Very smug like, I might add)
Me: Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus.... I very smug like, turn the page expecting to see Pluto. Nothing, not even a mention of "Chapter 6- Pluto: Used to be a planet"
Ever since I placed 2nd with my 5th grade gumball diorama of the solar system suspended with fishing wire in a spray painted glitter box(My mom is a distant cousin of Martha Stewart) AND it was edible, I reasoned that my knowledge about the solar system was complete. I could move on to bigger and better knowledge. Silly me!
But my point is, there was a Pluto, nine planets. What happened? Did they simply decide, No. We here at Nasa, in a very official way, were wrong, "Pluto is just a large chunk of ice." Did Nasa lose it? Or was it simply a matter of it's too far out to study, let's just have eight planets. I mean how can this happen? If I had been on Jeopardy and they had asked me for the planet farthest away from the sun for $50,000....shoot. I wouldn't have hesitated, "What is Pluto?" You better believe though, that Alex Tribeck would have had his hands full with my initial reaction upon learning that I wasn't correct.
Good thing, I wasn't on Jeopardy, because I would have made a complete fool of myself. But for those of you who don't know this and could possibly win big on Jeopardy, I will save you the humiliation by giving you this info now. Plus, why wasn't this info on the news, was it during the time that OJ Simpson and his bronco captivated the world or farther back, when Michael Jackson got his nose job?
So now my daughter has lost faith in me and thinks I'm dumb as a box of dirt. I'm going to have go online and find out some interesting tidbit to restore her faith in me. I'll let you know what I come up with. :)
By: Angela,
on 9/26/2007
Finally! Music to make me reach for my ipod, actually my kids have the ipods, I have an MP3 that looks like a solar calculator. But who cares. I want this new artist's music close as possible to my ears.
"Think of the kind of vintage, organically-crafted albums that Carole King or Joni Mitchell used to make. Thankfully, it's a tradition that is being kept alive today by the likes of Norah Jones, Jack Johnson - and now Colbie Caillat."
This is ....
Sing out loud good.
Happy to drive good.
Smile while listening good.
Karaoke, I can sing like Natalie Merchant good.(and I can, but only in my car...some odd type of phenomenon or something )
This woman could sing the Barney theme song and make it sound fresh. Really. I mean it. So please go check her out.
Your ears will be glad you did.
Here's her site
http://www.colbiecaillatmusic.com/
and the words to her song "Bubbly". Because, trust me, as soon as you hear it, you're going to want to sing it. Enjoy!
V1: I've been awake for a while now
you've got me feelin like a child now
cause every time i see your bubbly face
i get the tinglies in a silly place
C: It starts in my toes
and I crinkle my nose
where ever it goes i always know
that you make me smile
please stay for a while now
just take your time
where ever you go
V2: The rain is fallin on my window pane
but we are hidin in a safer place
under the covers stayin safe and warm
you give me feelins that i adore
C: It starts in my toes
makes me crinkle my nose
where ever it goes
i always know
that you make me smile
please stay for a while now
just take your time
where ever you go
B: What am i gonna say
when you make me feel this way
I just........mmmmmmmmmmm
C: It starts in my toes
makes me crinkle my nose
where ever it goes
i always know
that you make me smile
please stay for a while now
just take your time
where ever you go
V3: I’ve been asleep for a while now
You tucked me in just like a child now
Cause every time you hold me in your arms
Im comfortable enough to feel your warmth
C: It starts in my soul
And I lose all control
When you kiss my nose
The feelin shows
Cause you make me smile
Baby just take your time
Holdin me tight
Where ever, where ever, where ever you go
Where ever, where ever, where ever you go…..
By: Angela,
on 9/23/2007
By: Angela,
on 9/18/2007
My friend Sheri is in the running to have her picture book published, should she receive the most votes and win ABC's picture book competition. Her entry is titled Spider & Fly and it is c-u-t-e! But don't just take my word for it, check out the video and see for yourself!! Good Luck Sheri!!!
http://www.abcbookcompetition.org
By: Angela,
on 9/16/2007
By: Angela,
on 9/15/2007
I absolutely adore Lois Lowry. I think if I had to choose a style of writing that I would like to emulate, it would be hers. I first fell in love with her writing after reading "The Giver". Then after I found out that her first book wasn't published until she was 39 or 40, I became even more intrigued. That was actually a defining moment for me as I realized my long ago, tucked away dream of writing could be realized after the age of 33. Don't ask me why I thought I could only realize one professional life goal at a time or why I thought I was too old to be published. I guess I assumed all writers had to have a MFA(don't get me wrong I"m sure it helps immensely, but it's not in my immediate future)
Nowadays, I'm happy to say I'm almost 40 and the writing world is my oyster, so to speak.
All thanks to Ms. Lowry.
Anyway, I came upon this speech she gave as an acceptance for her Newbery Medal for The Giver. It tells how she came to write The Giver and also explains to me why she's able to write so well---
She gets it.
But not only that,
she captures it.
She wrote what she questioned about herself & others. She wrote about ambiguous societal nuances that we all blindly accept until someone points out that maybe, just maybe, there's another way to think about things.
I get the willies each time I read this speech, and maybe Its just me and I need to get a sweater and a mug of hot chocolate but I think this speech is literally perfect. This speech could have been an acceptance for a Nobel peace prize or an ambassador's plea for his country's solidarity but it is not. It is the shaping of a writer's idea. Something that can make magic...An "elsewhere" that's "somewhere" a reader wants to be.
So I hope you guys will read this speech in it's entirety and let me know if you appreciate it as much as I do.
http://www.loislowry.com/pdf/Newbery_Award.pdf
By: Angela,
on 9/13/2007
My new house is an arachnophobic's nightmare. Daily batterings are commonplace and can occur at a moment's notice within my household. I have found these sneaky petes in towels, shoes, counters and cupboards. Don't get me wrong-I am not scared of these 8 legged creatures. I mean let's use some logic here. I'm much bigger. I have thumbs. And I'm not scared to use a fully loaded flip-flop. BUT this spider that you see in the image to your right is the grand-daddy Einstein of them all. Yes, that HUGE spider, called a fishing-spider(even though it lives in the woods DUH!) knows how to play dead. I kid you not! Let me repeat myself---It knows how to play dead.
Give yourselves a minute to think that over and let the willies subside before I continue with my traumatizing experience.
My cat, Mr Millie(yes,we thought he was a she and then after a year we had to give him some dignity,hence, the Mr.) whose scared to death of the vacuum(even when it's not on) and a slight wind, was playing with this bohemoth abomination. Upon seeing this, I silently prayed in earnest, please let that be a big cricket. It wasn't to be. So, I did what any normal person would have done, I grabbed a shoe and slapped it a good one. Now poor Mr. Millie has been scared of me for the past three days, but I got it(or so I thought)..I reasoned to myself that this creepy thing with thick hair like a Greek man's ear would surely be poisonous. No arachnid is that big and hairy and not lethal. So silly me, I go get a paper towel to pick it up and I proceed to examine it two inches away from my face. I look at it's markings. Any normal person would've flushed it. Not me. I wanted to know exactly what I was dealing with. I mean there could be a nest of them right?
I place it down on a hat box under a window to get better light. I make a mental note of the markings and go search on google for Pennsylvania spiders. I'm calm, it's dead. I'm logical, just want to know if it's poisonous but I'm not sure about some of the markings, does it have small brown bands?...mmm, let me go see. I reach the doorway and I find that spider hobbling, rather quick like on my hat box...No sir ree, impossible! It had been all scrunched up and still when I ...shudder... held it up my face for a good look. Wishing i had flushed it, I took a step towards it and reached for my trusty flip flop. As soon as that spider sensed my movement, it immediately went into dead mode. Now explain to me...Is this normal? What kind of spider does this? Needless to say I pounded that SOB so hard my hatbox has a huge dent. Not only that but I flushed it...
2 times.
So people if you live in the woods of Pennsylvania, and you come across one of these so called fishing spiders, and you can't bring yourself (either due to stupidity or lack of weaponry) to slap it 20 times and flush it twice, run for your lives. Although I have come to find out spiders do not like glass cleaner, so that might do in a pinch. But don't worry, I was considerate enough to call the entomology department at Penn State to let them know that I have some gargantuan smart ass spiders living in my house and that I would be more than willing to donate any they would find to research.
They haven't called me back yet though.
By: Angela,
on 9/13/2007
Please look at the "normal" photo of Faith Hill on the right and compare it to the published photo on the left. Someone please explain to me why that photo needed altered to the degree it was altered. She has some bags under her eyes, a lil' bit of back fat and well-endowed, womanly hips. God Forbid!! Is she still not pretty people?? Then please draw your attention to the caption under the title of "faith and tim",---WHAT'S
By: Angela,
on 9/13/2007
In light of the recent toy recalls, I find it incredulous that the general public could lay the blame on
China has experienced export growth of 500% across the last 17 years In late 2007 or 2008 China is set to pass the US as the 2nd largest exporter on earth.
China, this year for the first time, has dislodged the United States from it’s long reighn as the main engine of global economic growth, with it’s more than 11 % growth eclipsing sputtering US growth of about 2 %, according to the International Monetary Funds 2007 projections released yesterday.
Angela...
I was an Octo-Lacto Vegetarian for years...I wouldn't eat meat, but would eat cheese, milk, eggs, etc...
The Vegetarian Channel is a good place for info and recipes...good luck with it...
And good luck with the "gas" thing...one good thing is...if you are talking to someone you don't have time to talk with...let one rip and see how quick they leave...grin...
Brenda...
Why did you stop being an octo(no idea what that is) vegetarian?
I didn't even know there was a vegie channel. Good thing, cause I only know how to make tofu 1 way. All I can say is thank goodness for spices.
LOL I guess passing gas has it's benefits:)
I was 13 when I decided to become a vegetarian and 20 or 21 when I quit. My first husband and his family thought I was weird and had no problem telling me this...grin... So little by little I started eating meat again.
I have my moments when I think about going back to being a Vegetarian...but just never get around to it...grin...
Good luck...