SASF v.6.30.6 - Miscellaneous Grins & Giggles

Oh, suuuure. I get all these goodies lined up for you and go to upload the images, and my image host is moving like molasses in January. @(*#$)(*@&)(*&! It couldn't have done this last week when I had only one picture. Noooo. *snarl*

Anyhoo, we're in for a fun weekend here in the steamy Midwest, folks. The 4th of July is just around the bend, and tonight we have an outdoor concert on the capital steps (accompanied by some tasty BBQ) and fabulous fireworks following! I loves me some good fireworks. Fire! Heh heh Fire!

On with the goodies (that is if I ever get the crap uploaded. Erg!)

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Giggle-Worthy Gifs

This week's selections:





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Ha!
I SO badly want to do this to/for my neighbor. She's a cranky bitch.

Classic!

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Morning Kicks
Dude, I would seriously suspect that someone drugged my coffee if my breakfast did this!

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Precious Moments


Ah, a beautiful wedding on a lovely tropical paradise beach. It is advisable, however, to hire a photographer who pays attention to the background. *snort*

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Tattoo of the Week


That had to hurt! It's going to be awesome when he gets it all filled in. The Pooh bear, on the other hand, just doesn't seem to fit in...hmmm.

I'm starting to itch for another one. What should I get and where, peeps? Of course, nothing nearly this big!

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Big Bad Bird

Poor Mister Trooper man can't do his job due to feisty fowl. heehee! Go turkey!

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Man, I totally want to do this!

Convert your old TV into a fish tank.
Sweet!

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Worst Cosplay Ever

Oh, honey...

"Ok, dudes, what am I?" *coughdorkcough*

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WTF has she been blogging about?

The last couple of posts have been stories by the wonderful CornMo. He is awesome. I saw him perform with "Burlesque-a-Pades" last weekend. Never has a man with an accordion won my heart like him. He tells these stories between his songs and he's just freaking brilliant and tremendously talented. Check him out!

Oh jeez, I think I need this DVD.

(BTW, CornMo, if you're reading this, you were AWESOME, man! Had I not been so damned drunk, I would have chased you down after the show.)

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Shaved is Preferred

Shave my damned Yeti and get a reward!
What I want to know is WHY does he have shorts on under his fur?

Personally, I prefer this look. Heh

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Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Two Dudes Helping Out

Fortune Dave confessed to making placating concessions to his doorman, Undisclosed Steve. Steve eats salads that Dave makes at home and in return Steve acknowledges that Dave has a place to live. Code Red Days are the days that Steve requests a Dagwood salad. Those days, Steve will stand by the door for the duration of the meal. The rest of the day is spent at Steve's own place where he plays Worlds of Warcraft, all day, sometimes explaining to other warriors at the bar what a Dagwood is. Once, when all the warlocks were listening at a nearby table, they looked up from their ales at Fortune Dave, who then made his confession.

Then, there was Vampire Pokey, who was teeming with dead blood. Where and when he showed up depended on who was in need of a party favor and Pokey loved to give. Other vampires gave him the Dorian Gray look- you know, that vampiric looking down and closing eyes while turning back to the important party.

There was a gaggle- no wait- a murder of mummies who were never royalty but just experiments of a long gone indigenous group of people who had heart. Pokey gave them dead blood all the time.

And when Horse Day came-the day when parades provided tired Clydesdales for the chumley vampires- Pokey didn't hang around for idle chit chat ("Oh, did you see the jockey that Chauntey killed? He said he was like the end of a milkshake.") Pokey went to the mummies and gave them some dead blood from his wrists and then spent quality time with them, learning about berry picking and shell jewelry and sometimes just burning one of them in order to transfer the spirit to a wildcat. That kind of thing.

haaaaa ha ha ha
*sigh*
The noble Corn Mo rocks.

The Relevancy of Time to the Time Clock at Work

Two guys walk into a showroom. One guy has construction helmet on, the other guy has a headpiece on just like Batman's. The helmeted fellow is eating a twinkie and the batman has a 99 cent bag of Doritos. The showroom is full of office furniture and they both want a desk. The helmeted guy takes a rubber mallet and starts hammering on one desk. The batman guy takes a ball peen hammer and starts hammering on the other. After 20 seconds of doing so, a salesman walks briskly towards the helmeted guy and says "Stop. Please, sir. Stop." He walks to the batman and says the same exact thing. The two guys look at each other and continue banging. The salesman walks back into the office and comes out with two other salesman who start yelling at the two bangers to stop. When this doesn't work, one of the stockers holds a lighter to a fire sprinkler because he feels he has a reason to create disorder. The showroom becomes wet and three fire trucks pull into the parking lot and the stocker man with the lighter goes into the break room and grabs three boxes of pizza because it's Pizza Friday and disappears into the back where he is picked up by batman and the helmeted guy and they go to the house where batman has a new Xbox, set up with 3 new games and they all eat pizza and laugh and drink Coca Cola.

The batman fellow's name is Pat and the construction helmet fellow's name is Mason. The stocker's name is Phil. They all agree that the new Batman is really good but love Michael Keaton. They also agree that Papa John's is really good pizza but not as good as the J and J's. Pat can take any topping he can think of to J and J's and they will put it on his pizza. He once brought some necco wafers to be put on his pizza and was sure that it would be good but he was wrong. Phil dated a girl who liked anchovies and wanted some but the grocery store didn't have any and neither did the pizza place so he bought some sardines and marinated them in salt and oil but she didn't like it, so he stopped trying. It might mean he didn't really love her and it's a good thing that they broke up. Now, a month ago, Mason started playing Resident Evil 4 and was amazed at the amount of time that went by during play. He felt like everyone around him aged faster than he did because of how fast time seemed to pass during the game. He was almost right because of his own mass. Meanwhile, the salesman who didn't know what had happened after the incident lives alone and watches Office Space once a week. Sometimes twice. His name is also Phil but goes by Philip. He doesn't eat pizza much but enjoys cereal. He has a Reservoir Dogs poster behind his couch and that's all he has that isn't functional. He feels the monotony of his life is diverted by going to Walmart instead of Kroger for his groceries. He also lies on the floor for hours not doing anything. He can do 100 situps a day. He can do 100 pushups a day. But, what he doesn't do is think up stupid ways to annoy other working people by dressing up like an idiot and pounding on office furniture in order to get free pizza.

Get OUT!

My anger and frustration was nearly out of control last night. I don't know what happened, but I was an idiot and today I'm hating myself for it. I said hurtful things to people I love. I said even more hurtful things to/about myself. Anxiety sucks and these last few days I can't seem to purge it. I have to get it out.

My clothes don't match today. I don't care.

My Weekend in Pictures

...in no particular order.

SASF v.6.23.6 - Friday Video Extravaganza!

A good place to get started:
You drive me crazy!
I really can't help but wonder if they have any idea what the hell they're saying.

Speaking of Crazy...
All bow down to the Purple One!

My absolute favorite
There are some very nice memories associated with this song.
*ahem* Oh, to be 19 again...

Skeeerry
happy morning

...another reason why I don't consume diet coke & mentos
yikes!

Game Show Goodies:
Classic Family Feud Moment

Cheaters Prosper!

Cheese alert!
I Wanna Love You Tender
OMFGLMAOBBQ! What a gem! The Dancers - oooh la la, the dancers. *snort*

Ahh, the 80s!
Double Cheese!
Head Over Heels
Dang, I forgot how ridiculously cute they were. Oooh, Omega, don't get this one stuck in your head. Lol (this is all your fault, you know)

I always wanted to know what the hell "Kajagoogoo" meant.

The best band of the 80s - I was SUCH a Durannie.
They were so purty, even if Simon was an Indiana Jones ripoff..

A picture - just because they're so purty:

...and this post needs at least one picture.
Bonus points to who can tell me where in the hell they got their name!

Oh, the flashbacks. lol

Ok, moving onward...

rollergirls!
These girls kick ass - literally! Woot!

Jed Inside
Um...intriguing.

Uh...are we live?
Yay Fox!
*snort*

Scarface (short Version (caution - major vulgarity)

And finally, the ultimate GOD WARRIOR!
Damn skeeery!
Embrace the dark side, baby.

Ok, just a few more
Cup o' Noodle Theater
These made me giggle entirely too much.

Aw, hell...one more 80s flashback, eh?
You, babe.
Actually, that might be 70s...? Oh well, sit back and enjoy the cheese.
*swoon*

Help! I can't stop!
I think this shall be my theme song for today.

heh heh - ok, back to work ya freaks.

Midsummer Night's Dream

Ahh, yes...today is Summer Solstice, and here I sit stuck with entirely too much work for one woman to do and NO FREAKIN' THUNDERSTORM. Yes...mother is taunting me. Yesterday's storms decided to veer North with the southern portion disappating, leaving me with a pathetically unsatisfying trickle of rain. Aw, Poo. Today, once again, our neighbors to the North have their windows rattling with another of her beautiful hissy-fits while my shoulders are dry. Double poo. Oh well, I can stamp my foot and whine as I wish and she'll give me my release when she's damn good and ready. erg.

Ok...now that I've got that out, I can get on to the business at hand.

Summer solstice - the longest day of the year, is a day for celebration. "This midsummer festival celebrates the apex of light, sometimes symbolized in the crowning of the Oak King, God of the waxing year. At his crowning, the Oak King falls to his darker aspect, the Holly King, God of the waning year." The days will be getting shorter from here on out as we creep into my favorite time of the year - Autumn.



For more information on Summer Soltice and it's meanings, see last year's post. My work load was apparently much lighter at that time as I was quite windy. lol

Tonight I personally intend to seek out a gathering, perferably around a mighty fire.


Happy Summer Solstice, everyone!

Fresh Perspective

Ahhh, yes! ...just what I needed to relieve this cranky mood I've been in:

Damn, I love a good, butt kicking midwestern thunderstorm.

I found this in my e-mail and wanted to share it with you:

The Difference Between Rich/Poor People

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad."

"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.

"Oh yeah," said the son.

"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.
We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."

Now, pardon me while I go out and dance around in the rain for a bit. :)

*snort*

soooo freakin' busted.

Muaaaahahaha!

You know, perhaps I am evil. May as well just go ahead and embrace it, right? heh

Some say that it's in my chart. I am an Aries with a Saggitarius moon and Leo rising - cardinal fire, fire and fire, baby. I have been told that I can shoot fire out of my eyes. I've blown things up by concentrating my fury on them. I kid you not - I have witnesses.



I am, however, very good about controlling my temper and weighing the consequences of my actions before I take them. This has been my saving grace time and time again.

Per my chart, I am: independent, arrogant, confident, dominant, charismatic, high-spirited, an idealist, optimistic, quick-witted, opinionated, stubborn, agressive, passionate, aloof, intense, direct, blunt, honest, innovative, an instigator, proud.

All of these can be hard to handle when wrapped into a single package, but I manage. I am, indeed, proud of who I am and I know that I am not evil. I'm just a pussy-cat.

*mrowr*

Fair Weather Angst

I've noticed an interesting trend in visits to my blog in the last several months. Most of you that have been coming here for a while know that there's been quite a turn-around in my mental health since last fall. Prior to that time, I was suffering from horrible depression and anxiety. Though some of my posts here were positive, most of them were filled with frustration, angst and insecurities - symptoms of suffering.

Since I sought help and got my head straightened out, I have been a much happier person and I know that it shows in my posts. Some times, however, I feel like all I post these days is fluff and insignificant blather. My stats certainly do seem to reflect this.

During the worst time of suffering, last fall right before I got help, several of my "best blogger buddies" - people who swore themselves to be true friends, dumped me. They turned their backs on me, mostly due to the person who claimed to have been my "best friend" deciding that she thought I was evil or dangerous or something. Yes - at the time when I needed her most. Even though the only person I was a danger to was myself, she gathered up her little herd of sheep and off they pranced to greener pastures leaving me to die/suffer/whatever. Great friends, huh?

Am I bitter? Hell yes, I am. But more than that, I'm disappointed. It's always disappointing when you think you've found a true friend and they turn out to be otherwise. I never really posted about it because I'm not the kind of person to sling mud. They were far too fond of gossip and picking out others' shortcomings anyway. If they would rather go along with a vindictive back-stabber rather than a friend in need, I'm better off without them. In a big way, it made me skeptical regarding people in general and much more hesitant to offer friendship to anyone.

Anyway, it's not that I really give a shit about my stats - I watch them mostly to see where people are coming from and how they get here. I've noticed, though, that the numbers are dropping. I used to get around 175-200 hits per day. Now I get around 100-125. It's almost as if people are no longer interested now that my posts are not filled with negativity, suffering and misery. Is that what people want to read? Gads, I would hope not. Perhaps they came here to make themselves feel better about their own lives since mine was so miserable. I guess I'm just not nearly as interesting now that I'm happy.

The original point of this was reflection on the quality/substance of my posts. Sure, there's a good one now and then, but lately they've mostly been crap. I've always been at my most creative when I was either miserable or crazy-in-love. Since I am neither now, I guess I've settled well into the realm of the tedious and mundane. I'm not finding it particularly comfortable.

Alas, it's my curse in life - never satisfied, always something missing.

Breathe

Breathe, breathe in the air.
Don't be afraid to care.
Leave but don't leave me.
Look around, choose your own ground.

Long you live and high you fly
And smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry
And all you touch and all you see
Is all your life will ever be.

Run, rabbit run.
Dig that hole, forget the sun,
And when at last the work is done
Don't sit down it's time to dig another one.

For long you live and high you fly
But only if you ride the tide
And balanced on the biggest wave
You race towards an early grave.

-Pink Floyd

Yeah, so I have a shitty attitude today. You know what's really cool, though? I am the #1 result on Google for "Bitchin Camaro Sandwich". WOOT!

Pleasure, Pain, & Lacy Things

I'm starting to understand what it means when I hear "ooh, hurts so good." After hiking and climbing what seemed to be about 50 miles on Sunday, I faithfully did my pilates routine (despite the temptation to skip it) at lunch yesterday. I wasn't really sore yesterday, but today my calves are complaining a bit. The weird thing is that I am actually enjoying it. Each twinge of pain reminds me of what I've accomplished, how motivated I've been and reinforces the fact that it's working. I can't even explain how good that makes me feel.

So...as a bit of a reward to myself, I went shopping. I bought myself, for the first time in ages, some sexy new panties. That, in itself, is remarkable because I never go out and buy myself "unnecessary, frilly foofoo stuff." In fact, I didn't actually go shopping for this purpose, but when I saw that one of my favorite stores had a buy 3 get 3 free sale, I couldn't resist.

I LOVE THEM. I had forgotten what it feels like to wear sexy underwear. I'm just amazed at how wearing sexy underthings can affect your self-confidence and demeanor.

Here's what I got:

cute & simple light green thong, much like this:

cute & simple light blue thong
light blue all-lace hipsters like these:

multicolor marbled silk bikini
multicolor sheer boy shorts, similar to these:

blue two-tone checked sheer boy shorts

Hooray! Now I'm all set for one pair for each day of the week. I guess I'll have to go commando one day, though. lol

I've never worn a thong before but I had to try it. I must say that it's not nearly as uncomfortable as I thought it would be, and it certainly is nice to not have panty lines.

The intense workouts of the nether regions are really starting to pay off already. When I modeled my new skivvies and checked them out in the mirror, I no longer have to cringe and say "ew!" when I look! That makes it all worth it!

Ledges Edges

Those who say that living in Iowa is boring because "there isn't anything to do" simply aren't looking. Sure, we have a lot of pigs and corn, but that is certainly not all. There are times, like this past weekend, that I am reminded what a beautiful state this is.

We spent the weekend hiking, picnicking and geocaching in Ledges State Park. This huge park is well known for it's beautiful creeks, stunning views and cliffs/ledges that are great for climbing, hiking and exploring. I was excited to find that there are four geocaches hidden there!

Chris, the D-Man, our friend Matt and I set out to find the caches, do some hiking and have a picnic. It turns out that three of the four of the caches involved lots of climbing. Steep hills and stairs were the norm for the day, giving our legs quite the workout. Fortunately, it was delightfully cool (around 60 degrees) so we didn't sweat our butts off.

After finding the second cache, we found a picnic table and had our dinner - some awesome sandwiches, broccoli slaw and home made strawberry rhubarb pie. Yum!

Here are a few pictures from our day:

Gads, his brand new shoes! Why did I let him wear those? Oh well. You can't take a boy to a creek and expect him to stay out of it. lol


First cache of the day found. The D-Man got a toy motorcycle out of it and we left SpongeBob, as seen in the lid there. You can't really tell from the pic, but the hill I'm standing on is quite steep.


The waterlines: Ledges State Park suffered some horrible damage during the floods of 1993. This pole documents the water level in the lower parking area of the park during various times of flooding, the very top marker being the water level in 1993. See that little guy at the bottom? Yep, that's the D-Man. Judging by his height of 45", that would put the water level of '93 at about 27 feet. Yeah. Fortunately, the park has recovered nicely from the flood though you can still see remnants of many huge trees that were lost.


Ahh, the view from the top of one of the ledges. It was pretty scary up there - I'd guess about 150 feet up or so, but what a gorgeous view.


My favorite picture of the day.

By the end of our adventures even the D-Man was tired of hiking (which is quite an accomplishment). He wanted me to carry him but my shaky, tired legs refused to allow me to carry a 45 pound kid when they were having trouble carrying me. Yes, we all slept very good last night.

I love the wilderness and I'm so happy that I've managed to pass that love on to the D-Man. At one point, as we were hiking, he informed me that he wants to live there because he loves it so much. Oh, how I wish we could...

SASF v.6.8.6 - Buh buh buh

I'm not feeling particularly wordy today, so let's get right down to bizzness, shall we?

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Monkeying Around

Careerbuilder.com has Monkey Mail It's really quite silly, but I don't really see how it fits into the whole careers thing – unless you want to send the talking monkey to your boss yelling "I QUIT!" *snigger*

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Skatezilla

Skatezilla takes on Brighton. Hilarity ensues. heh

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Bad Margarine!

I do NOT use margarine - it's butter or dry, baby. Did you know that margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys? When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back. It was a white substance with no food appeal so they came out with some clever flavorings and added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter.

DO YOU KNOW...the difference between margarine and butter? Read on...this gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories.

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.

Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years.

And now, for Margarine...

Very high in trans fatty acids.

Triples risk of coronary heart disease.

Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol).

Increases the risk of cancers up to five fold.

Lowers quality of breast milk.

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

Here's the most disturbing fact...Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC.

This fact alone was enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the
substance).

You can try this yourself:

Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value; nothing will grow on it even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly plastic.

Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

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Holy Batwings, Soldier Boys!

Now this is just too cool - "elite special forces troops being dropped behind enemy lines on covert missions are to ditch their traditional parachutes in favour of strap-on stealth wings." They can glide in from high altitudes covering up to 120 miles making their approach practically undetectable. Sweet!


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!337$p34k roxx0rs

Finally! A friendly guide to deciphering some of the crap that kids text and post in chat rooms & message boards. Kewl, dood!

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Carlton Draught Beer Ad

The silliness is astounding.

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WHY WHY WHY?

I've never been one to mix weird combinations of food together. In fact, I'm down right picky about this. When I was a kid, I would freak out if the portions of food on my plate would collide. ...and sweet things don't go with meat unless it's sweet & sour sauce. Some people like these weird combinations, but not I.

Case in point: the Luther Burger Not in A MILLION YEARS will you catch me eating one of these. *ack*

How stoned do you have to be to invent something like this?
"duuuude, we don't have any buns. Oooooh, we've got Krispy Kremes - that'll work! Duuude!"

Another fine example:
The Monte Cristo
It's a friggin' french toast sandwich!? Blargh! That's just WRONG.

I can't even stomach those McGriddle things. It just doesn't compute. Oh well - to each his own, I suppose.

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RatherGood

The Rathergood.com boys have been at it again. Here are a couple of their ditties to enjoy:

Especially for Owl:
fooooootball!

...and for me, just because.
I like your pants.
*sniggers*

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GIFS!

Here are my favorites from this week:

The Jessica Bashing Continues. Heehee


Bad girl! ;p



Holy Shit! It's Christopher Walken!

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Well, on that note, I'd better get this up there so as not to disappoint. I'm tardy. D'oh!

Y'all have a fabulous weekend.

Feeling the Burn

I have a new exercise program - I've been doing Pilates. I'm quite proud of myself, actually as it's no cake-walk. I'm feeling myself starting to limber up, but the first day some of the exercises made me raise one eyebrown and say "Yeah, right...like I'm going to be able to pull that off!" They're getting easier now, though. Pilates reminds me a lot of Yoga, which I suppose is good since I've always been interested in Yoga, but have never actually done it.

The damn weight loss hasn't been going well lately. After losing about 70 pounds, it's like my body caught on to what was happening and said "Ooooh, no, we're not going to have that!" so the loss came to a screaching halt. It's been so frustrating and it's become apparent that eating as I have been is no longer going to allow me to shed pounds, so I've resigned myself to the fact that I must exercise. No, chasing a 5 year old around doesn't count apparently.

When the weather started getting nice, I started walking on my lunch hour. That was all fine and good until the good old official Iowa summer kicked into gear. Recently, I would finish my walk (2.25 miles around the lake) dripping with sweat. Ug. It's no fun going back to work feeling like your clothes are all sticking to you.

So, last week I started Pilates. I go home at lunch (only a 10 min. drive), let the dog out and eat a bite. Then I strip and do pilates for the rest of the hour. I'm nice and comfy in my air conditioned carpeted living room with no one around to giggle at me. ...and nothing motivates you like looking at yourself stripped down in the mirror, that's for sure. lol

I'm pleasantly surpised that I'm actually enjoying this. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and I haven't had the afternoon sleepies as bad as usual. If it's not my imagination, I think it's working, too. I haven't stepped on the scale, but various areas (such as the butt/hips/thighs which I have been working VERY hard on) are starting to firm up. yay! So...I'm encouraged by how it's been going and looking forward to getting closer to my goal. I'm almost half way there. I'm already wearing pants that are 6 sizes smaller than before. Woot!

Unholy Holiday?

Revelation 13:16-18:
"16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."

Could that man be among us now? *snigger*

June 6, 2006.

For many, it's just another day, but for some it is a day full of fear, paranoia and foreboding. For some, this day is the beginning of the end days.

But for some more apocalyptic theologians, the end of times is coming, even if not specifically today. The evangelical Raptureready.com web site puts its "rapture index" at 156, calling that "fasten your seatbelts" time. Yeah. Get in, sit down, shut up, hold on.

Others find it a reason to party: Hell, MI planning a "hellish" party on 6/6/06

Out of curiosity, I checked out the Church of Satan's website (quite the interesting site they have there, by the way) to see what their take is on this date. I must admit that I was surprised by their answer: "For Satanists, numbers are just numbers, and June 6, 2006 is a day like any other. We are amused by Christians superstitiously being afraid of this number, as well as the date-which is not mentioned in any scriptures. Since we enjoy mocking irrationality in all its forms, we embraced this day to have a celebration of our organization's freedom from such nonsensical fears. Anton Szandor LaVey called Satanism a "Cosmic Joy Buzzer" to emphasize our function as iconoclasts and pranksters, so going where others "fear to tread" is par for our course." - High Priest, Magus Peter H. Gilmore

Hmmm...

Not surprisingly, today is the release of the newly remade The Omen. They've set up a rather intriguing website (for those not easily spooked, anyway). This most interesting part for me is the "Mark of the Beast" Quiz... "How will you interpret the signs all around us? The prophecy is clear. His day will come."

My results:

(Click it if you want to see it bigger/easier to read)
Wow. Now isn't that captivating?

They also discuss, on the Omen website, the Biochip. You can find some interesting views on the biochip here as well. If one interprets Revelations as being a prophesy, the Biochip could very well become the mark of the beast. I shudder to think of the possibilities for abuse of this technology and the danger it poses to everyone. If there is any possible way around it, neither I nor my child will be getting one. The implications simply creep me out.

Personally, I think today will pass just like any other normal day. ...that is, unless terrorists decide to use the occasion to strike as I've heard they might. There will surely be a lot of hoo-haw going around from the paranoid, the superstitious, and those who take the Bible quite literally.

"A pessimist only sees the dark side of the clouds, and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides and shrugs; an optimist doesn't see the clouds at all - he's walking on them." - Leonard L. Levinson

I wish you a happy, stress-free, and peaceful day.

Keeping Gaelic Alive

Although the most common language in Scotland today is English, the oldest language still spoken there is Scottish Gaelic. It is one of the few surviving Celtic languages. Gaelic has existed in the British Isles far longer than English, and is the source of numerous English words. It is closely related to Irish and Manx, and more distantly to Welsh, Cornish and Breton. Gaelic is at the core of the culture and history of Scotland.

It is unknown exactly when Gaelic began to be spoken in Scotland, but placename evidence shows that the language was spoken in the Rhins of Galloway (a hammer-head peninsula off the southwest coast of Scotland) by the 5th century AD. However, the traditional language of the Gaels who lived in the Highlands, Islands and southwest, is now spoken by only 1.2 per cent of the population. No community in Scotland is entirely fluent - even the Western Isles, which has been the major stronghold for the language, has an approximate fluency rate of only 60 per cent. The language is dying as the largely elderly Gaelic-speaking population pass away.

Gaelic is often described as a language stuck in the past, with no way to discuss modern ideas and culture which is one of the reasons it has failed to take hold in this generation of young people. In order for the language to survive, it needs to be spoken by young people who will pass it on to future generations, and for this to happen something fairly drastic must be done. An important step forward for Gaelic was taken a while back as 2000 new words were added to the language, and a purpose-built Gaelic primary school is currently under construction in Inverness.

In 2003, the SaveGaelic.org project was developed with the purpose of preserving Scottish Gaelic and promoting its use. It is an online forum for the Gaelic community which collects news and provides a rudimentary Gaelic lesson, advice on further learning resources, a history of the language, and other related information. Their website is an excellent resource for anyone interested in Gaelic.

Although I only speak a tiny bit of Gaelic myself (and I'm hoping to learn more), I hope the language and it's heritage can be preserved. Much of my ancestry lies in the beautiful land of Ayreshire - I am a direct descendant of the Burns family. Though Gaelic does not flow fluently from my tongue, it runs in my blood.


Perhaps one day I can go visit my favorite Scottish lass MissusEss and take a crash course! After all, there's no better way to learn a language than to submerse yourself in it (though there's a distinct risk that I'd never come back). :)