Updating

While I love to update my status on Facebook daily, and often I'll also tweet multiple times a day... I refrain for over-updating.  To me, over-updating would be more than 2 times a day on Facebook and with Twitter it just varies... it depends on the person and what they're tweeting, me personally I don't think I'm much more interesting generally than up to 4 tweets per day, maybe 5 at most.

And like my blog posts, I try to make sure there's some content, of some value in there.  I keep thinking about this book title about blogging I've always remembered, it's title is "I don't care what you had for lunch" ...that kind of content just really isn't interesting.  Now, I think I'm clever enough to be able to put a fun twist on what you had for lunch.

I've even thought about how much fun it would be to be a professional personal tweeter/updater.  For people who want good, original content, I have a friend or two on Facebook that have some automatic updating with one-liners, clean or not-so-clean themed.  I would keep myself in touch with that person, with the understanding of how often they wanted an update done on them, and I would call them up at random times and just ask.  I think I could put a fun spin on it, regardless.  This would be the coolest.  I wonder if people actually do this for other people.

Anyhow... back to over-updating, today I thought about what I would update if I were inclined to over update.

8:something - Golden Retrievers are beautiful and smart dogs, the one across the street I can't blame for barking so much, it's his stupid freakin' owners.
ACTUALLY on my Facebook:  (!!!!!  shocking!  Facebook is down! !!!!!!!)
10:something - huh... so the Mediterranean Sea was flooded about 5 million years ago http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8404363.stm
1:20 - yeah, the mini-van doing 78 in an 70 is just freakin' unbearable to be behind isn't it buddy?
2:30 - Wearing my hair down and with lipgloss... tomorrow, tights and a skirt... yes, I'm going to be so sexy. ha!
2:50 - I'm fed up with myself for not knowing this woman's name and I have such fun conversations with her! I'm calling somebody to find out (I did, she's Stacy)
3:35 why the hell can't either of my children hurry and hustle?

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I am currently at 412 Tweets... I'm thinking about making it a goal to get to 500 by the end of the year.  Let's see... there's 21 days left... I just need to tweet 4-5 times a day and I'll get there.  While that seems to be a bit much... I have a road trip coming up soon, and that is always a fun reason to tweet.  I think if I do 2-3 everyday plus somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-12 on road days, of which I will have 5... that should take care my goal.

Oh... today counts, I should tweet something.

http://twitter.com/kimbogle

Tempting Thai Peanut Chicken

SPICY PEANUT SAUCE:
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper (more if you like it hot!)

CHICKEN MIXTURE:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/3 lbs) cut into ½” slices
2 tsp vegetable oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced/pressed
1 tbsp bottled chopped ginger (I use the ginger in a tube)
1-2 bunches scallions for 3/4 cup chopped
1 can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1/3 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped up
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dry sherry
1 tsp sugar


Spicy Peanut sauce

Serve over Steamed Rice  (steamed broccoli very good with this)

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat. Cut the chicken into short strips about 1/2 inch wide, adding them to the skillet as you cut. Add the chicken, garlic and ginger and cook until the chicken is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. While the chicken cooks, cut the scallions into 1/4-inch slices, using the white and enough of the tender green tops to make 3/4 cup; drain the bamboo shoots, and chop the peanuts. Set each aside.

3.  Make the Peanut Sauce

5. When the chicken is no longer pink, add the scallions, bamboo shoots, peanuts, soy sauce, sherry, and sugar. Stir well, then add the Peanut Sauce and stir well again. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve over rice and steamed broccoli.

[for more vegetables I’ve added sliced red pepper, carrots, onion successfully before]

Recipe adapted from Desperation Dinners! A syndicated newspaper column, and their cookbook was one of the first cookbooks I requested as a gift – about 13-14 years ago. And now their website is http://kitchenscoop.com/  and with what little I’ve looked around… I need to spend some more time there… I like their recipes and what they write about!


This is gooooooood!  The kids now love peanut sauce - the next step is for them to love broccoli with peanut sauce.  Peanut Sauce is really one of those things that can make just about ANYTHING taste better.


It's easy to make, much of what is needed I already have in the pantry.  My shopping list this afternoon only needed the chicken, broccoli, and green onion - I checked and already had an extra can of the bamboo shoots on hand.  It comes together quickly, with not too much slicing and dicing...  


This was originally written as a 20-minute recipe.  Even when I don't have the time, I take the time... I don't like instant "minute' rice and  I don't like garlic in a jar.  Ginger in a tube is great thing. The broccoli I cut up, it goes into the microwave, sealed up with a bit of water - 2 minutes is all it takes to be crisp-tender... there's nothing wrong with the broccoli in a bag either, but a few fresh crowns of broccoli is cheaper.


Pile on to your plate in this order - rice, broccoli and the chicken peanut mixture and YUM YUM!  You will have a great meal.


[this blog writer does hereby declare she is not a food photographer nor a food writer]

Kidnap me

I just had the idea to post on Facebook - taking applications to kidnap me.  I would  like an escape, please set the ransom too high to realistically be met.

On one of those Facebook questionaire type things that gets passed from friend to friend, one of my most favorite questions to answer was "Someone is knocking on your bedroom window at 2am, who do you want it to be?"  I replied... Season 5 Sawyer from Lost coming to kidnap me to the island.  Season 5 Sawyer had matured, was kinder and nicer, he was in love.  If I got to the island on Lost, I would probably have to consider Sawyer taken... but wait, Juliet is probably dead.  But then, WHEN and HOW are they going to show up in time when the new season starts?  Would there be a place for me to cozy up with Sawyer?  He would be my first pick of the men of Lost.

Jack is a mess, and he's all mixed up in his head about the island.

Locke is just too intense for me.

Desmond would be dreamy, but he's pretty well coupled up as well. Its been very nice seeing him and Penny together.

Charlie is dead.

Faraday died.

Boone died quite a while ago and he was never my type at all.

Michael could have had potential, but he blew up.

Jin is a total HUNK, and I would drool over him every time I saw him, but he's taken as well.

Sayid..... why didn't he come to mind right away?  This actor has made me drool since I saw him in The English Patient.  On Lost, he lost the love of his life Nadia, but the since then he's been an assassin, I'm just going to have to consider him a bit "damaged".

Miles could have potential, but he's just coming out of his "angry and with issues" phase, and this communicating with the dead is a little creepy.

Maybe I'll need a different island, and a different cast of characters.

Blogging More

How many times in a month do I tell myself I want to blog more?  I want to WRITE more.  I want to write BETTER.  Heck!  I've even changed my major in school to WRITING.  I really don't aspire to write a novel but who knows!  Maybe I do have it in me.

In the meantime though... I firmly believe in the advice - to improve at writing you need to write! Write as much as you can.  At each bit you will improve.  So... I need to write more.  I will write more.  What else is writing but telling a story?

I have a story I haven't told too many people.  I'm a bit sensitive to being called a snoop or a busy-body.  I think that if information is out there, it's mean to be found. I'm not uncovering any secrets here.

I first made mention of my ex-husband being remarried and two kids here  We were friends in high school, fell in love a few years after high school, had a brief marriage (11 months) and that's how I came to live in Tennessee all the way from the Northwest.  I guess it was just over a year ago I saw his profile on the high school reunion website and learned he had a spouse/partner by the name of Jennifer and I wasn't sure to contact him or not.

I did contact him in February. I wrote to him, a day later he wrote back to me... general catching up with our lives kind of chit-chat.  I didn't write back to him though... my life got really messed up in February... and now, it just seems so long ago - why bother.

Back then though... I typed into Facebook, his wife's name!  and what a surprise THAT WAS!  He is married to his ex-girlfriend from before when he and I were a couple. They first met and dated that summer he and I were roommates.  I think they met through a friend of mine, Jennifer W. came over one time with her friend Jennifer E. and Jennifer E. and Daniel really really liked each other. They dated for I don't know how long - I didn't pay much attention to his love life.

So sure enough, there she is Jennifer E. now His-Last Name.  and there's a pic of the 4 of them, him, her and two kids.

This made me grin grin grin... I couldn't stop grinning... even though this has been MONTHS I've had to ponder this... it still has a grin factor.  I find it interesting now that I looked over that email he wrote in February that he made no mention of his wife and kids.  Especially since I would know who his wife is.

Part of our marriage splitting up had to do with hidden letters and hidden phone bills that had to do with a former girlfriend.  I don't know if it was her.  I don't know if I knew then when we were married.  I knew facts were being hidden and to me THAT's where the problem was - I didn't need to know WHO it was.

He did not attend the 20 year high school reunion.  I had heard he was at the 10 year, which I missed.  I had this "stick it to them" fantasy where he would be there with Jennifer. I'd be very nice and gracious and really, that would have flowed out of me naturally - I simply don't have hard feelings.  But it would have been devilishly fun to monopolize his time some. Somehow get away with insisting I needed to see him for several hours the next day.  And just hold him hostage with incessant chatter!  Keep him in my company long enough to make Jennifer squirm a bit.

This didn't happen, it would have been fun.  I'm pretty sure I would have been capable of it.  Of all the things I did do after the reunion that night was spend about 2 hours with Daniel's on-and-off high school girlfriend, Toni.  Her and I had been friends, and we REALLY had a great time talking until about 3:45am that night.  and I wasn't holding her captive, and as far as I know it made no one insecure or jealous.  Well, maybe Toni's dog missed her that night.... but that's just a dog.

New Motto!

This new motto is going to be at the top of this blog... I'm just now absolutely struck by it, I love it!  Of course as I'm writing this, it isn't up there yet... but as you are reading this, you have likely already noticed it.

NEVER STOP LEARNING

I love learning.  This world is grand and beautiful and there will never be a mortal who will ever run out of things to learn.

I've just finished up studying for my Pre-Calculus midterm... and in just a short while I'm going to run up to the testing center at my school to take this exam - it's proctored (supervised) as it is a major exam for an online class.  I finished the review - well, all but the last question and I'm just cranky at it and I'm relying on THE TOUGHEST question to not be on the test.  So, I'm re-doing problems and none of them are stressing me out.

So my original plan was to leave the house around 10:30, get up to Nashville by 11, at which time my favorite chimichanga place should be open for a "treat-myself-well" brunch before my test.  Well, it's 9:45 now... way too early for a lunch place... well, actually, I bet this place is open and would make me a chimichanga at 10:30... I bet I bet... 

Anyways, I thought about what else I wanted to do today... and that was swing by a yarn store where the owner was super nice and invited me to come back for simple knitting instuctions... for example I said I didn't understand increases and decreases, she commented 'oh that's easy... if your youtube videos don't help you with that, just come on in and I can show you in less than 5 minutes.'   So, I'm working on a scarf, and I've dropped a stitch or two in different areas... but I have never been able to truly figure out how to fix this, it's a simple repair once you know how... So, on Sunday I set this aside for Tuesday when the store would be open... it was my plan to go there on my way home this afternoon after my test.

But since I had this extra time this morning... I thought!  I can go there now and learn this before I go take my mid-term!  and then I thought, whoa whoa whoa!  ONE THING AT A TIME.  I mean really!  I really need to reign myself in, learn one thing at at time!  So... I will wait until after my mid-term for this mini-knitting lesson.

And this is exactly when and where the inspiration for NEVER STOP LEARNING came to my mind... I love learning.  I need to make a point this mid-term break to re-learn Hiragana and Katakana.  I've learned most of it before... I just need to make a point to work on just a little bit every day.


So my plan now is to leave here in about 10 minutes, with my knitting, current lucky pencil and graphing calculator - go get that chimichanga I've been craving through this mid-term studying, go take the midterm, visit the yarn store, stop at the grocery store for dinner, and be home by 3:30.  I can do it!

Vegetables

So, today was a moderately busy day for me.  I had the kids in the afterschool program and stopped at the store for a quick and easy dinner before getting them about 5:30.  I decided on burgers and a fresh salad of cucumbers and tomatoes.  The kids of course won't eat THOSE vegetables, so I knew the carrots in the 'fridge would be just fine for them.

As we're walking into the house, the son is asking me if we have cheese to go on his burger.

"Yes".

"You know I like it MELTED on my burger, right? So you will put it in the microwave if you have to, right? Because that's the way I like cheese on my burger"

"Got it, I know - I like mine the same way, no big deal"

"Do we have bacon?"

"Yes"

"oooooo, can I have a bacon cheeseburger?"

I consider this, and while he's way too slender and I would LOVE to fatten him up just SOME, I say no. Then I quickly reconsider.

"If you eat the same vegetables as me and Daddy I'll let you have a bacon cheeseburger"

"NO!"

"Fine, but I'm tellin' ya... tomatoes and cucumber are REALLY EASY to like.  Especially with Ranch dressing - it's good!"

"No way!"

"fine"

This is a favorite, simple, easy salad to prepare - perfect in the summer.  Sometimes I'll sprinkle feta cheese on it.  More often though I will have it with Ranch dressing.  This night though, my husband sprinkled Montreal Steak Seasoning on it.  I know the kids would actually LIKE this if they gave it a chance.

Another thing... I recently learned this "trick".  Keep bacon in the freezer, well wrapped up.  When you just need a little bit - a little does add plenty of flavors, you just need to take it out of the freezer and slice off a few small strips that would equal an inch or so... that would equal about 1-2 slices. and the rest goes right back into the freezer.  These little pieces of bacon are called lardons a French word for... little strips of fat ! and I thank Melissa D'Arabian for sharing this tip on her show.  I'm curious to know whether she is getting a 2nd season for her show - which I like A LOT. I like HER. Her recipes are good and exactly as good as they appear.

Confronting my Jr. High School Bully at the High School Reunion

Very recently I went to my 20 year high school reunion. I had an absolutely great time talking with so many people. It was just awesome! I was moving around a lot, talking to a lot of different people. I was even told I wasn't “Where's Waldo” I was “Where's Kim” because I was very much everywhere.

At a certain point in the middle of the reunion I saw a familiar face. He's actually the person in the room I had the longest history with as we were even in the same preschool together. We could even walk to each other’s houses in elementary school by cutting through the woods. I can remember being in tiffs with him as a kid. Once I threw a rock at him from my front porch and hit him on the head (!!!) as he was riding his bike on the street. He told on me and I remember my dad lecturing us both about getting along better.

So – there he is. I recognize him and there's recognition in his face too. I approach him with a big smile because IT IS FUN to run into people from your past.

“Hey I'm Kim Cushman, remember me?” He replies he does and he's somewhere between a real smile and a grin. The chit-chat is only going one way as he’s not really saying much. So I asked him, “do you want to hear about who you were to me?” My eyebrows go up, I want to give him an out. I even tell him this isn’t a good story. If someone doesn’t want to hear it, they don’t need to have it forced on them. He says he does.

I begin by informing him that I absolutely do not think he is the same person NOW that he was 25+ years ago. I just don’t. I almost see that as impossible. And so I remind him of when he assaulted me in the 8th grade.

Back then, even at 13 years old I had boobs. I sat next to him in a Math class and I can remember him harassing me every day before class began. He would tease me that my boobs weren’t real, that I was stuffing my bra. He went further with claiming I used water balloons in my bra. He called me ‘Water Balloons’. Then the day he went too far he said he was going to pop one of the water balloons and he JABBED me HARD in the breast with a sharp pencil. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can clearly see this as a form of assault now, but then… I just don’t remember what happened next. I know it hurt. I was stunned. I was embarrassed because his taunts always drew attention. But I have no memory of what happened after that. I suspect he got in trouble because he absolutely did not bother me again in junior high. In high school I don’t recall even being in the same room as him. This incident wasn’t forgotten but I didn’t think much of it either. It generally comes to mind when I hear about kids tormenting other kids, and just how awful junior high school can be (I think I have a good story to support that!)

So, here we are face to face at the reunion. We are in our late 30’s now and while I’m not seeking an apology or anything from him… I’m thinking he can and will at least ACKNOWLEDGE THIS HAPPENED! And he’s not acknowledging it; he’s saying he doesn’t remember. But his eyes and his grin absolutely say otherwise. I tell him “bullshit, you remember” but again he grins and says he doesn’t.

I am so not buying this from him, and while I’m expecting nothing from him – I presumed he would at least acknowledge what he did. And he wasn’t acknowledging anything.

I, gently but firmly, punch him in the chest “I owe you a pencil jab HERE” and I’m hitting him with every word. Again, this isn’t hard, just firm. He kinda laughs. I repeat it, still hitting him in his upper chest, “THIS is what I owe you”. He’s not going to say a thing. I do this a third time “I fucking owe you a fucking pencil jab HERE” with every word I’m hitting him. (Have I stressed enough, I’m not clobbering him, but I firmly have my fist on his chest). He’s grinning, this is amusing to him. I realized this whole pseudo-conversation was for the birds, it absolutely wasn’t going anywhere… I think I said something to that effect and I walked away from him.

WHAT AN AMAZING FEELING AFTERWARDS!!!!! OMG! I was absolutely high on this story for the next 36 hours. The phrase “living well is the best revenge” came to mind and it sums up this story for me. I am ONE THOUSAND TIMES the better person than him. I approached him with friendliness. My spirit was light the entire time, I knew I was strong and powerful, totally confident. I was kind to him. I gave him a chance to not even hear this from me. If he had something to say to me, I have no idea how I could have made it easier for him. Yet he didn’t. He is just a small person, probably just the same small person he was 25 years ago that felt he had to harass and assault someone else just so he could feel bigger and better about himself. I can’t help but think I showed the exact opposite of that, and that makes me the bigger person.

Ooo! la la...

I absolutely want to, NEED to, HAVE TO

BLOG MORE!

I just have too much stuff rolling around in my head that I want to get OUT of my head and have it firmly land someplace else.  I guess this is what "needing an outlet" is about.  I never thought of myself in terms like that before, but here I am.

So to start this blog (again, for the 27th time... ) an Ooooo la la kind of post.  I won't say anything directly but I will let your mind wander.

I had a most shitty night of sleep last night.  I was simply wide awake from 3:15 until 5-ish something.  Last night I wasn't feeling too well and easily could have fallen asleep at 8pm.  But noooooo... I stayed up until 11, and didn't exactly fall RIGHT asleep. And then this business with being so awake for so long.  Ugh.  It just sucked.  There were and ARE things I want to do today that being ALERT and PERKY is all but mandatory.  I have a quiz for a math class and I wanted to go rollerblading inline skating.  No skating today, I will just take it easy and NOT nap. I want to be sure that I get a good night sleep tonight.

It was the chilliest it has been this fall, definitely time to put an extra blanket on the bed.  The big thick extra blanket, and only on MY side of the bed, I don't know how The Husband does it. Oh well.

So, as I'm first up with the kids getting them ready for school, I'm wearing my morning dress.  But I don't wear that out of the house.  I knew I wanted lounge wear for the morning.  So I dug out my flannel pajamas to walk to the bus stop in.  My neighbors wear long pajamas to the bus stop, so why can't I (finally?) So I did.

And as I was getting dressed I couldn't help but think - it seems a little bit weird to get out of bed and THEN put on pajamas...
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do you see the ooo la la factor there?

How's this for a bad day?

So I missed class today. I have never missed class for a bullshit reason before, but it's a very rainy day here in Middle Tennessee, POURING actually more than just raining. So I swung by the kids school to drop off (what else... money) and I make my way to my school. I have a choice of 2 routes, I chose one and head north.

Why is there traffic on this road at this time of day in this direction? It really made no sense until you realize that the dump truck in the middle turn lane with his dumper thing mid-way in the air has pulled down power lines which are laying in the road and people are driving across them. So just as I'm realizing this situation, the fire truck comes up behind me. I stop where I am to let him get to where he's going. The car in front of me goes past, over the wires... the fire truck then COMPLETELY BLOCKS the road right in front of me. I dont' have time for this. I just quickly turn myself around to get myself back on the other route I could have been on! On THAT route I get stuck in FUNERAL traffic. It's pouring down rain, traffic is heavy for 9:40 in the morning!!!

I realize I'm going to be late, so late it isn't even worth going, I can make better use of my time AT HOME... and then I come across another traffic jam in the form of a stalled vehicle blocking the road.

FATE! I CAN TAKE THE HINT.

but then I get home... and the home network is being an asshole again. So I do the sure thing as advised by the Comcast guy late yesterday, I unplug the router from the modem and directly connect my desktop to the modem. ITS A SURE THING. yeah right. Then nasty messages showed up that are beyond me in my networking knowledge. and I have NO connection whatsoever. So I reboot... and even more nasty messages and still no connection.

So I **finally** get on the phone for a conversation that includes the phrase "I need help, come to my house"... they're coming out this afternoon.

Well, I'm slob. A REAL SLOB. So I start cleaning up the computer area so I'm not embarassed. I ended up unplugging EVERYTHING, vacuuming around and under everything in that area. I plug everything back in. And VOILA! Things are working again. no error messages. But I'm still not trusting anything and will still have someone come out this afternoon.

O

M

G

I am a college student

I really am. I'm at a state community college before I transfer to the state university. I live at home.. ha ha... I'm married with two kids, of course I live at home!

So, the other day I was leaving the grocery store and I let the young guy carry my groceries to my car. Yes, Shopping Is A Pleasure at Publix. I'm a chatty person, so I blathered on about yay - the kids are back in school, we had a fun summer... blah blah blah...

Then I mentioned how joyful it was going to be to tell the kids that I was playing MarioKart during the day. That kind of news burns them up to a mild degree, and its just fun to rub it in slightly.

Then this young guy and I start talking about MarioKart. I'm really talking up the game with him and we're each sharing playing tips, comparing goals (mine is currently to get a One Star Ranking in all 50cc Class races, his is to get THE BEST possible time for each race). I mentioned watching MarioKart races on Youtube helps a lot and he totally reiterated this and heavily reccommended watching World Records... I gotta remember to do that, he said it was just CRAZY, INSANE crazy at how fast they go. Cool.

I asked if he was in college because he was totally the age to be in college and he totally had the this-is-a-summer-job kind of vibe about him. Yes, he goes to a private university not far from my community college. So then we compared start of class dates, cuz I knew the start dates of other schools in the area. We talked some about what we were studying for... but I can't remember what, or even if he said what he was studying. When I said I was going for a Math degree, he was quick to ask if I was going to teach. Not too many people actually get a Math degree and not teach with it.

Through all this conversation this guy DID seem to be into the topics we were discussing and it would have totally have been a blast to keep talking with him... but alas, he was at work and I had groceries sitting in a warm vehicle.

I couldn't help be think afterwards - I AM SOOOOO VERY MUCH A COLLEGE STUDENT. I'm 38, married, two kids... and I play Wii and I'm really looking forward to my two pre-calculus classes this fall.

Thought Processes

Often enough I come across ideas and things that I just don't understand... I assume these things have a purpose but the thought process behind them is what eludes me.

For one, on Twitter about once a week I get an email letting me know that so-and-so is now following me on Twitter. Yay, I think because I have a whole whopping 8 people following me so any increase is exciting. But then I go see who this is and it's a chick who on her Twitter has something like "I want you to rip my pants off and bend me over and fuck me hard" yeahhh like that's going to happen. But then I wonder about the 700 followers she has and she only has THAT ONE tweet. I presume these are all male. So, the thought process I'm thinking here is... "oh yeah... I'm cool, she wrote that to ME, she wants me, I'd do her in a second." ... is this the thought process that this wanna-be Twitter porn star relying on? is this what losers really think? If so, I wonder how much money they've lost to those emails that promise to increase their manhood - guaranteed.

And then after blocking that unsolicited Twitter follower, I started thinking about various thought processes. I was reminded of this little-itty-bitty chapel near Lebanon, KS where the Geographic Center of the lower 48 States. I was there this summer and there's a stacked stone monument with a flagpole on top. It's in a tiny park-like setting and there's a little chapel there. I had read something about it before going there - it's been there since the begining and was destroyed not too long ago (a few years ago at most? and goodness! I did a search to find out more about this and holy smokes! There are A LOT of tiny tiny churches... I had no idea this was a 'thing' - tiny churches link ).

So, to get back on topic here... so there's this chapel at the location of the Geographic Center of the lower 48.... WHY? Is the thought process behind the organization that put the church there and maintains it this.... "people will be so moved by their location, or perhaps this feeling can happen anywhere at anytime - it's God calling you - that they want THEIR church there to be the first to guide you into what is presumably their Christian beliefs." This makes a little more sense or at least is a bit more palatable than the Twitter porn.

I admit I have plenty of my own personal screwed up thought processes. My family has fun making up other thought processes for odd things we see. Lately we've gone on an odd-ball angle with things just to REALLY get a good laugh out of this game.

Summer Begins

I really need to get this blog going again. I have so many thoughts run through my head throughout the day - THOSE THOUGHTS just need to go somewhere.

So, I just placed an order on Amazon.com - some scribble/drawing/activity books for the kids (and me) plus ANOTHER Calculus book and I got Infinite Jest.

I'm going to do the Infinite Summer online book club - here. Infinite Jest is supposed to be a mother of book (around 1,000 pages) but really really good reading. The Infinite Summer is supposed to be from June 21 to September 22 and at the number of pages divided by 93 days, that's only 75 pages a week. So... we'll see. I know I've read about this book before and was intrigued - so this summer will be it. I'll have a group to do it with. Again, we'll see.

I'm totally the pessimist lately. ugh.

Ticketmaster is a freakin' joke. Good Lord!!! It's been years and years since I actually went to any kind of show held at a Ticketmaster place - the service fees were nearly 44% of the total ticket price! Give me a fucking break! Internet sales are supposed to be cheaper. Yeah, its not entirely cheap to run an internet operation - but I am disgusted by what they charge.

If this wasn't for an artist I've been listening to for 10+ years, and never caught her when she was in town playing smaller venues... I would have skipped this. But Neko Case is playing the Ryman ... I really should have caught her earlier.

Oh! Summer has started because the kids are out of school now. I miss my freedom. I need a babysitter. Everything I say to the kids during the day gets argued about. Then in the early evening they come around and realize I actually made some sense... and by this point I'm totally worn down from the arguing, I don't give a damn at this point. But then as I'm going downhill, the kids are having a marvelous time because of the wonderful things they just realized about their day they can now take advantage of... ain't life grand? I hope my kids can look back on this time and NOT wonder why mommy left the country when they both become young adults.