WTFF v.9.22.6 - Um...I dunno.

Woo hoo! It's Friday and that means another edition of WTFF, peeps! It's been a long week, so I'm sure we could all use some giggles...

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Good Gifs

Y'all know that I'm a freak for .gif files.
My favorites for this week:





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Oh Nooooes!

Ben Affleck does an interview and attempts to do the interviewer. He's got to be drunk or on ecstasy or something.
Heeheehee

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Code Geek's Sign Off


heh

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Um...

Don't you hate it when you find notes that you obviously wrote yourself but have no idea what they mean!? I pulled out a note pad just now, and read this:

Troll assist W
Prairie village

What?? *scritch*

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Tattoo of the Week


Very clever. Heh

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Dang!

Can you say "too much time on your hands"?
That's freaking amazing.

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Even Closer

Star Trek geekdom meets Nine Inch Nails perversion. I love it!


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Freaky

This is a video of a giant doll. It is operated somewhat like a marionette, but it's huge!



These video stills show just how huge she is. She is so realistic; it's fascinating and somewhat disturbing at the same time.

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Amazingly Crazy

This comic/stunt man/whatever he is has a death wish, I swear
Check this out.

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heehee


What would YOU put in the speech bubbles?

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Well, that's all I've got for today. This weekend is Oktoberfest (WHY do they have it in September?!?) so we'll be enjoying some bratwurst and lederhosen. Heh heh

I would like to make next week's edition a reader submission post, so PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send me your wierdness - your links, your stories, your pictures. Send them to meee! Celticcross at gmail.com. Do it! Thankyaverymuch.

You all have a fantastic weekend!

Heading for the Blues

For our anniversary less than a month ago, I bought a Blue Man Group DVD for Chris. I got the idea when we were watching them on a PBS special and we both thought they were awesome. I've always thought they were funny, but had never really seen them perform before that. We were hooked.

We've watched the DVD at least 5 times since then.

Well, Chris' birthday is tomorrow. I happened to find out that the Blue Man Group will be coming through our area on tour in November, so Chris is getting 2 tickets for his birthday (taking me, of course. Lol)

On past tours and projects, they've worked together with Dave Matthews, Tracy Bonham, Venus Hum and many others. I hope they have some cool guests coming on tour with them this time. They're keeping it rather hush hush so far.

They're doing this thing where you pre-register your cell phone and you participate in interactive text messaging during the concert. It's called mobkastr and sounds like it will be pretty cool. I, of course, have already registered. Woot!

We can't wait to see them - looks like it's going to be a really cool experience.

Here is one of my favorite songs/videos of theirs, for your enjoyment:

Shouldn't be Surprised *urp*

Several months ago, I discovered that the sugar-free fruit flavored soda I'd been drinking mixes very nicely with vodka. You can mix them really strong & they still taste good, so you can get your buzz on rather quickly.

Well...

Considering the amount of stress I'd been handling, and other factors - hell, I have no idea why, but I started enjoying a couple of drinks late in the evening to wind down. You know how it goes - a couple of drinks becomes a few, each having a few shots in them, getting a bit stronger, and in a short while I found my self imbibing these tasty and very relaxing treats pretty much every night and in large quantities.

Now, I've done my fair share of drinking throughout my life, but it's never been what I would refer to as an "issue." I never got hangovers - could get completely hammered and be just fine the next morning. Alas, as one gets a bit older, the body changes and handles things differently. *sigh*

After a couple of months of peach (my favorite flavor) vodkas, I've been feeling the effects to an alarming extent. I've noticed that my kidneys hurt some times and I've been getting horrible stomach aches in the mornings. I also noticed that, when I cut myself, I bleed like crazy - there have been a few times that I had a terrible time getting the bleeding to stop. Even though I haven't changed my eating, I've gained a little weight (much to my dismay). I've had a lot of nose bleeds, and have been suffering from frequent headaches. I've also been having this very annoying trouble with clenching my jaw so that the muscles hurt.

I've also noticed that my tolerance is building up quite a bit. I'll spare myself the embarrassment of telling you how much I've been consuming - let's just say it's a lot.

It's been almost like a sick kind of experiment, really. Now, I'm not stupid nor am I particularly fond of this kind of pain and discomfort. As of about last Friday, I stopped drinking the peach vodkas. You know what? I'm feeling MUCH better! Amazing, eh? Quit abusing yourself and your body recovers rather quickly.

So, last night, after several days "off," I had a couple of peach vodkas. This morning, I'm paying the price. I awoke to a dull ache in the head and a wonderfully crampy stomach. I guess that's that - no more peach vodkas for me.

I've never had an addictive personality - hell, I quit smoking cold-turkey and never had problems with any cravings. I can see how someone could become an alcoholic, though. I'm glad my body has sent me so many signals saying "stop, damnit!" so that I can stop before it becomes an addiction. I get the hint! Sheesh!

Considering all this (as if it isn't enough!) and the recent health scare I had, I'm done. So, here's to drying up and getting back on track with my weight loss - and feeling "normal" again. Cheers!

WTFF v.9.15.6 - Worth 1000

Woo hoo! It's Friday! I thought today would be a good day to forego all the blah blah blah and provide you with some of the most fabulous WTF pictures I've gathered recently...


Beware the dreaded K9 unit.


Can anyone tell me what the HELL is up with this statue?

Carmen Electra's hair lives up to her name:

She must be a shareholder in Aquanet


Doood, these greens are aahhhhhhsome!


"hum dee dum"

Poor guy...maybe he needed some of this:


Too much cat smack, though, and he might end up looking like this!



Dang cats, anyway. lol


*snort* - Sorry, couldn't resist. *chortle*


Iraq security patrol encounter Osama's new defense plan


Heh heh


Problem solved.


...and there ya have it. Have a great weekend!

One of the Most Beautiful Words

...in the English language?

Benign

I don't have cancer.

Of course, I have to keep going back to keep "checking on" things and make sure nothing develops, but I've got the all clear for now.

I can't even tell you how relieved I am. Thanks so much to all of you who offered words of support and encouragement. It means a lot to me. Nothing like a little episode like this to reevaluate your life and what's most important to you.

*whew*

Life is beautiful.

Facing the Music

Isn't it funny how we swallow our fear and let it eat away at our insides? Why do we do that?

Some of you may have noticed that I've been unusually quiet lately - haven't blogged much, have been reading but not commenting much, haven't been responding to comments - just haven't been myself. It's because I've had a lot more than usual on my mind.

Today, I am going to see a surgeon who is a breast specialist. I will have a digital mammogram to determine if I have breast cancer. There are a few "calcifications" I have in one breast that they have been watching the last couple of years with mammograms every six months.

A dear friend of mine just had a mastectomy due to a very agressive form of breast cancer - and hers started exactly the same as what I have going on - calcifications. She recommended that I go see her specialist, and I thought it a good idea as I'm tired of doing what, to me, has effectively been "beating around the bush" with these mammograms. The digitals are supposed to be much more revealing and can catch what's going on earlier, so I'm getting one to get to the bottom of this. I'm tired of wondering what will happen.

I know that these "calcifications" are not that uncommon and that they are normally nothing to be concerned about, but I can't ignore them. The thought of having...well, cancer, frankly scares the shit out of me. My little boy needs me and what if it takes me away from him? I simply cannot stand the thought of not being there to see him grow up.

I tried to call my best friend to see if she would go with me, but she hasn't been answering her phone. I didn't ask Chris to go because I don't want to worry him, have him miss work and I honestly haven't wanted to admit how afraid I am. Stupid, I know.

Aw shit, I can't type this any more or I'm going to make myself cry. I have my giant envelope of films and off I go to determine my fate. The only way I can think of facing it is exactly as I am - head on.

I'm scared, people, but I have to do this. Denial, in a situation like this, can cost you your life.

Shawn E. Powell - His Glass Was Full

About a Month ago, my wonderful friend Nanner posted a note about a project called the 2996 Project. The goal of the project was to have one individual blogger pay tribute to each and every single victim of the 9/11 tragedy. I signed up for the project, and I was asked to pay tribute to Shawn Edward Powell, Age 32, a NYC Firefighter who died in the collapse of the WTC.


Shawn Powell

On August 28, the 2996th name was assigned a blogger, assuring that the project would be complete. For more information about the project, you can also go here.

On September 11, 2001, I came home early from work where a hundred employees crowded into a tiny break room staring at an equally tiny television in disbelief. I sat at home watching the television coverage, hugging my 11 month old son tight and feeling such a huge spectrum of emotions that I was overwhelmed. Anger, frustration, helplessness, fear, anxiety and so many more ripped through my mind. I cried and cried. I remember telling my baby that the whole world changed today and he's too little to understand. I knew that he, like the rest of us, wouldn't truly understand this day's impact for many years to come.

After five years, I thought that I had run out of tears for those lost on 9/11/2001 and what that day did to our country. I was wrong. While researching for and putting together this tribute, I read and watched tribute after tribute and read survivor stories and stories of heroism, and I have shed what seems like at least 2996 more tears.

I am honored to pay tribute to Shawn and the rest of the 2996.

I wasn't able to find very much information about Shawn on-line but what I did find told me that Shawn E. Powell was a firefighter with a soft touch. An exceptional man of courage and dedication, he worked at Engine Company 207 in downtown Brooklyn. Whether he was there, at home in Crown Heights, or camping with his 5 year-old son, Joshua, he had a way of lifting spirits. "If there wasn't any fun going on, he would find a way," said Matthew Dwyer, a fellow firefighter. "With Shawn, the glass was half full, never half empty."

Firefighter Powell brought unusual skills to the Fire Department. An artist and woodcarver, he had built props and volunteered at several New York City theaters, including the Apollo Theater, and studied architecture at New York Technical College.

At Engine Company 207 - where the slogan is "The House of Misfit Toys" because of the company's specialized, somewhat bizarre-looking fire-fighting equipment, Mr. Powell made the point in comic relief with a poster that includes a square-wheeled fire engine.

Firefighter Powell and his wife, Jean, who had been teenage sweethearts in Brooklyn, married in 1989. Their son, Joshua, was 5 years old when his father was taken from him. Theirs has been a long road back to normalcy, if that's what you can call it without Shawn.

I hope that Jean and Joshua Powell have found peace and solace, and that Jean is doing everything she can to assure that Joshua remembers what an exceptional man his father was (as I know she is). He was, and still is, a hero.



Another beautiful tribute to all of the FDNY firefighters can be found here.

Thank you, Shawn, for making the ultimate sacrifice to help others. You will not be forgotten.

Culinary Delights

Feeling better today - I'm not sure what got me in such a funk yesterday but I guess I just needed to whine.

I've been exploring some new ideas in the kitchen lately, and I must say that several of them have been smashing! Thought I'd share...

Pork Chops
I have always liked pork chops - would normally do them on the grill or with shake-n-bake but that seemed boring. One evening I got a wild hair and thought that maybe breaking the chops before slapping them on the grill would be good. I didn't want to over-do it, but the results were fabulous.

I mixed together some seasoned bread crumbs (Old London are the best I've found) and some Lawry's season salt and coated the chops with the mixture - no egg or milk, just used the naturaly wetness of the chops. I then grilled them, turning them often. I've done this several times now and they come out so moist and tasty! Mmmm. I got brave last night and used "Iowa chops" instead of the regular ones. "Iowa chops" are simply fat pork chops - they cut them at about 1" thick. You have to cook them slower to make sure they get done all the way through, but damn they were good.

Egg in the Basket
I discovered a treat that I suspect has been around for a long time - I just didn't know about it. Until I did a little googline, we were calling it "eggy bread" but in Europe that's what is known here as French toast. I discovered this morning delight while watching V for Vendetta - it's the egg in bread that V makes for Evey for breakfast. You cut a hole in the center of your buttered slice of bread and drop an egg in the hole and fry it up in a skillet. It's awesome and I've become stuck on them. Is this a British thing?


Beef Stew
I've tried to make beef stew several times, but it's always turned out badly. The beef always comes out tasteless - like meat that's been boiled in water for far too long. Well, this time I got it right. I looked on-line at some recipes, and used an Irish beef stew recipe from Epicurious.com as my base. I sauteed the stew meat in butter (it said veg. oil, but butter's better!) with lost of minced garlic. Then, I added beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings and simmered it for about 45 minutes. I then sauteed all the vegetables in butter and added them to the stew. Cooked it for another 45 minutes or so and it ROCKED. This stew was a vegetable explosion - I added green beans, corn, onions, green peppers, celery, potatoes, okra, carrotts and asparagus. Damn it was good. I have to giggle when I eat it, though, because my son and his father refer to farting on eachother as "beef stew". I have no idea why. lol

Garlic Bread Pizza
This is nothing of my making, just a freezer-section discovery, but it's worth mentioning. DiGiorno is now making a "garlic bread pizza" that we tried for the first time a few nights ago. DAMN, it was good. Now, I am a huge garlic bread freak (though I've been depriving myself for the last year or so) so this was right up my alley. The best way to describe it is that the crust is made of garlic bread. I got the "four cheese" variety, loaded on some mushrooms and italian sausage and it was THE BOMB. It's a carb-counters nightmare, but hey - you've got to live now and then!

Damn, now I'm really hungry. Fortunately, I have a big fat Iowa chop waiting at home for me for lunch. Mmmmmm!

Feels Like Monday

Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter, was killed. He was swimming with a stingray (on film, mind you) and the stingray speared him through the heart with it's poisonous barb. He pulled the barb out of his heart and died right there. I'm really sad because he was a huge nature/wildlife advocate and I liked him a lot.


RIP Crocodile Hunter

There was a lot more to this post, but I decided to move it. If you are particularly interested in reading my whiney drivel, then go here. That's where I may end up if I decide to completely dump blogger.

There's so much more just under the surface. *scritch*

Did it ever occur to you how screwed up it is that people say "Hi, how are you?" when they greet you? Half of the time they don't even listen to your answer and the expected response is "oh, fine, you?". Have you noticed how it throws people off and they get all uncomfortable and fidgety when you say "Horrible, and you?"

I think I need coffee.

WTFF v.9.1.6 - Long Weekend!

I've been sicker than shit all week. Today is the first day that I haven't had to dope myself up to get out of the house. I can't afford to miss any work, so I've been schlepping myself in to the office all week and I am SO glad it's Friday. I am so ready to just kick back and relax. Plans? HA! I don't WANT to make any plans - just chill.

OK, no more whining. On to the fun stuff, eh?

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Good Gifs

Y'all know that I'm a freak for .gif files. My favorites for this week feature some of my favorite characters from movies/TV:


Damn, I miss these commercials. This guy is just so silly, he always made me smile.

Yes! Season three of Lost begins in just a wee bit over a month!

Wheee! Name that character.


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Slow Mo Home Depot

This is just too funny. I want to participate in one of these things but they never do fun stuff like this in Iowa. Hmmm...

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Eat Your Peas!

Here's a cute and creepy cartoon that caught my evil eye. The D-Man likes peas, so he WON'T be seeing this!
Eat yer PEEES!

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Put that thing...

In a book! "This book contains no nudity. No profanity. No sexual material of any kind. And yet it just might be the most obscene thing we've ever published!
Penis Pokey is an illustrated board book with a large die-cut hole in its center. Every spread features a dazzling full-color illustration with one thing missing—a banana, perhaps, or a fire hose, or a sea serpent. Male readers can complete the illustrations using the talents God has given them.
Are we serious? Yes! Is this funny? Absolutely! Will this be a terrific hit with college students, bachelorette parties, and exhibitionists of all ages? Of course! Penis Pokey is far and away the strangest and funniest novelty book we've seen in a long, long time."
Get your copy here: at Amazon.
Now I know what to get for the man who...never mind. lol

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Too Freakin' Cute

These have got to be quadrulplets. I feel sorry for the mom, but they sure seem to be having a good time! It almost makes me want to have another one...almost. heh

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Whoa, dude!

Here is the place to go if you have a lot of time on your hands and like things that are "trippy." It gets weirder the more you play with it (does that sound bad? lol).
Mezzowave

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Sweet!

I really like this tattoo:

I'm looking for designs for my next ink, and this one is #1 as of this date. What do you think?

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World's Top 100

This is a pretty cool page: www.hillmanwonders.com
It's the 100 top wonders of the world. So far, I've seen:
Grand Canyon
Louvre Museum
Carlsbad Caverns
Chartres Cathedral
Mont St. Michel
Eiffel Tower
NYC Skyline
Yellowstone National Park
Niagara Falls
Acropolis/Parthenon
Delphi
Versailles
Chateau Chambord

13 down, 87 to go. That's quite a challenge. Where've you been?

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Sea Monster!

Once again brought to us by the amazing eBay, you've all missed your opportunity to own your own sea monster. The auction is over, and the guy got $1500 for it! I think it looks fake, but the guy insists it's real. It IS creepy, I'll give him that. Sure would scare the shit out of me to encounter this while deep-sea diving.


Meep!

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Well, that's all I have for today. I do, however, feel compelled to mention my EXTREME DISPLEASURE regarding the rumor (gads, I hope it's only a rumor) that John Mayer is dating Jessica Simpson! WTF!?!?! He is so much smarter than that! John, say it isn't so!

Anyway...you all have a fantastic weekend, now. ...and remember, comments make Celti a happy girl!

*smooch*