Playing Catch-up

Wow, this week has just been insane! The days flew by long before I realized how remiss I'd been in posting. Now I'm going to play catch-up before my weekend takes off.

American Idol:
I can't say as I'm surprised that Lisa was voted off. I expected her to be the one. She seems so sweet and she's got a great voice, but I think she'll be famous for Broadway and not pop music. I was really shocked to see Katharine in the bottom three. I'll have to spend part of my voting time on her next week...

Bats in the Belfrey:
Actually, I don't have bats in my belfrey - I have squirrels in my attic. Their driving me nuts. They run around chasing each other all night long and their LOUD! Turns out theirs a whole in the roofline and they're squeezing in and nesting. I had a friend set some traps in the attic, but so far no luck. One squirrel managed to trip it getting at the peanut butter at 4 am, but the trap only got him partially. I woke up to hear the squirrel dragging the cage all over the attic 90 to nothing. He finally got loose and I heard him scramble out of the whole in the roofline. Tomorrow I've got a friend coming to help. I'm gonna set firecrackers off in a tin can in the attic to scare them out, then we'll patch the hole and reset the traps as a 'just in case'. I hope that will be the end of the partying squirrels.

My weekend is actually filling up pretty quickly. Tonight is the first of two performances by C.P.R.S., my alma mater. They've adapted my novel "Missing Pieces" as the school play. They'll perform it tonight and Saturday at 7 pm. I'll be on hand to sign and sell books both nights. I'm pretty excited. It may only be a High school play, but it should be cool.

Oh, and I have to work Saturday morning too. Maybe Sunday I can relax.

Have a great weekend!
A.

Quiz of the Week

New quiz for the week: What kind of Movie are you?

So, I'm a Suspenseful Thriller, that explains why I scare men away. :) Check out my results below and then take the quiz yourself. I wanna know what kind of movie you are.



April, if you were a movie, you'd be a Suspenseful Thriller

Nothing is simple. Especially you. Like your movie match, you've got lots of plot twists, and you'd like to keep it that way. That's right, you're no open book.Whether or not you actually lurk in the shadows, you do like to keep people in the dark sometimes. Mysterious and enigmatic, you keep people guessing. When they think they've got you figured out, you enjoy throwing a curve ball their way. Maybe it's the element of surprise that tickles your fancy. Perhaps it's the shock value. Or maybe you're just intensely private. In any case, you keep life intriguing and unpredictable. And that's what makes you such an interesting individual.

What Kind of Movie Are You?

Brought to you by Tickle

Gumming up the Works

I found this quiz called 'What kind of candy are you?' and this is my answer. I think I'm kind of insulted. Sure, I'm cute and squishie - but I taste unnatural? What flavor am I? Cinnamon would be okay, but I don't like the other flavors.

Actually I've always seen myself more as a Peanut M&M's girl. You know colorful, Nutty and sweet, hard on the outside but melty inside, loved by many... . Of course this would also mean I cause severe allergic reactions in many people, but that probably fits too. :)

Gummy Bears

You may be smooshie and taste unnatural, but you're so darn cute.

What Kind of Candy Are You?

So what kind of candy are you?

A.

Dr. Who - Who Cares?

Who's afraid of the Plastic Men, the Plastic Men, the Plastic Men? Who's afraid of the Plastic Men? Dr. Who, that's who!

Stargate Sg-1 & Atlantis wrapped for their mid-season break and my Friday nights for the next three months looked bleak. Then I saw a new show advertised on the SciFi channel. 'Dr. Who'. A remake of an old British SciFi show about an Alien that travels through time and space in a ship that looks like a phone booth outside, but is massive inside. The magazines touted it as fresh, funny and hip. Yay! A new show to fill my Friday nights. (I know, it's sad, but I'm man-free. What else have I got to do?) Anyway, I set the DVR to record because I actually DID have plans for that Friday. Last night Angel and I got together to watch the two episodes taped. I was so intrigued, and then...

Plastic mannequins came to life like B movie zombies and proceeded to try and take over the world. They were controlled by a plastic mass conscience that had infiltrated the utility rooms beneath the giant Ferris wheel in London. Plastic mass conscience. At one point a mannequin arm stalked are heroes home and tried to strangle them to death. Not the WHOLE mannequin - just the arm. In another scene a plastic trash can stalks are heroine's boyfriend down a side walk. When he opens the lid and sees that it's empty, he finds that his hands are stuck to the plastic lid. The trash can flips him into it's empty belly and spits out a plastic replica of him in order to get closer to the girl and discover the Doctors plans. Of course our girl doesn't realize her man is now a stuttering plastic doll. In the end, the Doctor can't just destroy the alien plastic. He has to negotiate with it. Spout universal laws and protocols. Of course he get captured by two more mannequins. Our girl has to swing in on a chain and knock the bomb out of the doctors hand and into the mass conscience in order to save them all.

Cheesy doesn't even cover it. Cheesy is an insult to a very nice Dairy group. I couldn't even watch the last five minutes. We finally just shut it off. It was easily one of the worst acted, written, produced shows I've ever seen. I deleted the second episode without even trying to watch it.

So now my Fridays are back to being nearly empty. I do still have Numb3rs and InJustice - at least until their seasons wrap too.

Come back Stargate, I need you! :(
A.

And the loser is...

We say farewell to Chicken Little and Bucky survives to sing another week. YAY, Bucky!

The bottom three weren't a surprise last night and Kevin's loss wasn't really either. I have to say though, he handled the stress of the spotlight unbelievably well - especially for being 16. I figure in a couple of years, and with the help of a vocal coach, we'll see a lot more of Kevin. He's a natural in the public eye.

It's really begining to be painful to see these singers drop off one a week. I'm probably being blindly optomistic, but I hope that at least 6 of the top 12 end up with contracts by the end of the show. If Justin Guarinia and Diana DeGarmo can release albums then we can have hope right? Actually, a more positive example would be Josh Gracen. He was about number 5 I believe before he was voted off and now he's got a very succesful Country Music career. Bucky could do that, right? Given a little time and some coaching, I think he could.

I'd buy it.
A.

V.O.W. - Emergency Rooms

Here's the Video of the Week - 'Keeping Emergency Rooms in Business". I cringed for everyone of these and yet here I am passing it on anyway. Some are pretty hysterical.



Enjoy,
A.

Idol Chatter

So last nights show has to be the best in the history of the 5 season show. Other than a few minor foibles, I have to say that everyone sounded fabulous last night. I don't think they've ever had this many in the show before that are this talented.

First off, Mandisa was amazing. She looked really incredible too. Chris Daughtry stole the show with his version of Johnny Cash's 'Walk the Line'. He's definitely in a class of his own and the more I see him perform the more I lean toward him as the AI winner.

Taylor didn't sparkle as much this week, but he's still an incredible performer and I'm looking forward to seeing him next week. Kelly Pickler came through with a fantistic performance too. The only ones I didn't just absoloutely love, were Lisa, Kevin and Bucky. I expect they'll be our bottom 3 tonight. I just hope Bucky doesn't go yet. He needs another week or two. My vote is for Kevin to be off tonight. I guess I'll know in a few more hours.

A.

What's in a face?

Here's an interesting quiz that asks you to choose whether the picture your being shown is a Serial Killer or Computer Programer.

Surprisingly hard to tell at first glance, but I managed to get 8 out of 10 right. How did you do?

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Ripp Off

Here I go again, ripping off Amy's blog ideas... I might as well admit to it and give her props for good ideas rather than claim them as my own.

I noticed as I was perusing her site, that she has some really cool extras. For example, her list of what she's reading now. I thought that was a great idea. So I added it to mine. Don't hate me Aim. They say immitation is the greatest form of flattery.... :)

It took me a while to figure out how to do it, too. HTML is not something I know how to do, so figuring out how to fix the template code and then getting the image to look right took some effort. Kudos to you for knowing how. Below the cover image is a link to the author's site where you can read a synopsis. I'll try to keep it updated.

I'm also going to try for some other new features. You've probably seen a few videos here. I'll try to do one a week. I'm also going to try to add some other fun stuff like quizzes and such. I may even post some personal pics.

I really want to keep this site interesting, so if you have things you would like to see or read about, let me know and I'll give it a go.

A.

Must Read Book!

I just finished a fabulous book by Dee Hederson titled 'The Witness'. (Of course it was fabulous, Dee wrote it.) Anyway, it's her latest and I had been waiting on pins and needles to get it. I finallay had time to read it and I just spent the last two hours finishing it.

It was awesome, suspensful, compelling, intricate... I love her novels. I got hooked with her first book 'Danger in the Shadows' when it first released. That was followed by the O'Malley series in which I chewed every fingernail to nothing while reading and then waited impatiently for the next in the series. Her True Hero's series was more of the same, but soon I was at an end of her books and it seems like the waiting was more torterous than ever this go round.

The sad part is that the down time between books, even when short by publishing standards, is still too long. Once I've waited that long, there is no way I'm going to pace myself and make the book last. No, it gets devoured. Many times in one evening. Then I'm right back to waiting. Sure, I've got other authors I love to read, but Dee Henderson has a special gift. According to word on the net though, I shouldn't have to wait too long for the next one. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's true.

But back to the most recent novel... The Witness follows Amy, a girl on the run with a secret worth killing for and Luke the Cop who would rescue her. Through in long lost relatives and hords of cash, several murders and a ticking clock and you've got a great suspense novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Plus, as a bonus, you get a little romance and inspirational push as well. And every bit of it seems so effortlessly woven together.

You can get her books at Barnes and Noble as well as Amazon or click the link below to go directly to her listing on Christian Book.com . You can also check out her website by clicking Dee Hederson. Check her out, you won't be dissapointed.


Buy Dee Henderson Books


Happy reading,
A.

Ain't no sunshine when it rains...

So, I didn't get as much done this weekend as I wanted. No laundry or critiques finished. Guess that will go on my list tonight. I ended up with company late into Friday night and most of the day Saturday.

Sunday I spent the afternoon at a family lunch helping my nephew with a paper for History class. He had to write a 2 page paper on Whitcomb L. Judson, the Father of the Zipper. You know what? There isn't enough information known about the man to fill two pages. After helping him go through his research, I think I could quote the man's complete bio, including the dates of all the patents and his fellow investors in the Universal Fastener company. Somewhat interesting, yes - but it's just more useless trivia to be floating through my head contributing to my LFS (Loose File Syndrome). Why the date of a zipper patent sticks in my mind but the date Pearl Harbor was bombed tends to elude me, I'll never understand.

As for today, all I can say is it's Monday. The calender promised me the first day of spring, but we have nothing anywhere near Spring-like weather right now. The suns not even shining. In an effort to feel more cheerful this morning, I chose a new shirt that is bright yellow. Not a typical color choice for me. Angel called me her ray of sunshine when she saw it so I started singing 'I am your sunshine, Your only sunshine, I'll make it sunny when skies are grey...' Needless to say, I now have that song stuck in my head.

I don't think the yellow shirt helped either. Blame it on the Rain if you want, but I've been in a really odd mood today. I have little patience for my co-workers and I just want to go home and hibernate. Some days I think that bears have the right idea. Except for the whole 'eat bark until you're butt's plugged up until spring' bit. That has to suck.

Sorry for the mental image,
A.

Found my soul mate...

So, I've found my soulmate. Ewan McGregor. Who knew? I always new there was this 'force' about him that is very seductive, but I wouldn't have figured him as my soulmate. Now, to find a way to hollywood where we can meet, gaze longingly into each others eyes from across the restraunt and fall madly in love. Yeah, right!




Your celebrity soul mate is someone who's Classy

It's all about subtle style and sophistication with you. That's why when it comes to matters of the heart, the celeb who'll snare yours will be a classy character both onscreen and off. Whether you're strutting the red carpet or sharing a romantic rendezvous on Rodeo Drive, only a class act will be right for the part of your soul mate.Someone like Ewan McGregor has just the right combination of good looks, charm, and smarts to keep up with a star like you. Dinner dates filled with intellectual conversations and soft candlelight would keep this silver-screen dream burning bright. So reserve a table for two. You never know when you might meet someone special who's as classy as you!

Who's Your Celebrity Soul Mate?

Brought to you by Tickle

Fun

Angela sent me a quiz through Tickle.com (one of my favorite places) and I thought I'd share the test with you. If you're already married, do it anyway. It's fun and its free! It also seems very accurate.

My results are below. Click the link, take it yourself and feel free to share your answers with me.




You're looking for a Soul Mate

Who needs a fling when what you want is the whole fairytale: long walks on the beach, up-all-night conversations, and watching sunrises/sunsets in each other's arms. You're probably a picky dater who doesn't connect with just anyone. Sure a strong intellectual streak, loyalty, and a great sense of humor are terrific selling points. But if your dates can't savor romance like you do, it might be the perfect match you're dreaming of. You're hoping to find your other half, that one person who can finish your sentences, someone who really 'gets' your inner emotions. And until you find them, you probably don't mind flying solo every now and then. That's because deep down, you know that being with the wrong someone is just an obstacle to being with your one-and-only. So even as you're reading this and thinking about how to find them, know that somewhere out there, they're probably wondering the same about you. It's just a matter of time.

What Are You Looking for in a Relationship?

Brought to you by Tickle

Enjoy,

A.

It's Finally Friday

Yay! It's finally Friday! This week seemed to take forever. It didn't help that it was beautiful and sunny all week and now we're going to get snow on the weekend, but I won't complain because a day away is a day to play.

Tonight I'm going to see "She's the Man" with Lindz and Angel. I love Shakespear remakes as Teen flicks. Twelfth Night will never be the same after Amanda Bynes does her thing.

Other than that I've got adult responsiblities that have to take over, like having my car fixed. They had to replace a water pump, power steering pump, change the oil, patch a tire, fix the hood hydraulics and put die in the oil to find the leak there. I know it sounds like I'm a terrible car owner, but I'm really not. I've also got about eight critiques to do for my critique group. I've gotta get them done before they all hunt me down and give me mass paper cuts as punishment. I should probably do some laundry, clean house and work on my current novel, but hey, there's only so much time in my weekend and a girl's gotta have some fun too. We'll see how much I manage to accomplish.

Have a great weekend,
A.

Idol Addiction

I am so addicted to American Idol, this year more than most. This has got to be the most talented group of people they've had yet. It's almost impossible to really predict the winner. Chris, Taylor, Katherine, Kelly, Bucky, Elliot, Ace, Mandisa... they've all got tremendous talent. Even my lesser fav's - like Paris, Kevin, Lisa and Melissa - they're still a talented bunch, I just don't see them winning.

Last night's episode had the potential to be really disapointing. Stevie Wonder is hard to sing, but surprisingly, a lot of them managed to pull it off fabulously.

Chris Daughtry, in my opinion, outshone them all. He continues to just blow me away every week. Taylor Hicks though, man, he OWNS that stage. He's just phenomenal. I smile just watching him.

There have been a few surprises too. Bucky Covington is good, but has a pretty raw talent. However, he's really grown a lot in the last few weeks and I thought he did a great job last night. And I have news for Simon. I LOVE Bucky's hair. Don't cut it Bucky, stay strong.
Kellie Pickler has also grown a lot. I stick with my predictions, give her time, she's going to amaze everyone.

It's so hard to start picking who you want to see cut. Really, they're all very talented. I'd buy an album from just about any one of them. However, since this is a competition, someone has to go. If I could choose, I'd say Paris or Kevin. They're my least favorite right now. Not because they don't sing well, but they're just not there yet. Paris still needs to find herself and Chicken Little a.k.a. Kevin needs to mature a little. He's adorable yes, but he needs a few years on him.

I'm not choosing though, America is, so my feeling is that tonight we'll lose either Kevin Covais or Melissa McGhee. That's strictly based on their performances last night. I guess I'll just have to wait and see if I'm right.

Keeping the fingers crossed,
A.

Inspirational Video

I find this woman so amazing. What an inspiration!

Amazing Art

Nancy sent me a great email and I had to show you all. The babies look so real, it's amazing. They were created by the very talented artist, Camille Allen, from polymer clay and resin. She was even featured on the Montel Williams show. You can see her website at: http://www3.telus.net/camilleallen/camilleallen/index.htm

Enjoy,
A.

Something Sweet

Just as added proof that I'm not a complete weirdo, here is something else that was emailed to me. It's so sweet. Dogs are really just short, furry humans.

A.

What's behind a smiley?

Another fun little link I received by email. This one is NOT gross though, so feel free to click away.

http://d21c.com/terri1/flash/smile.swf

A.

Rubberneckin' Gene

Wow, I've really been slackin' on my posts. Thank you, Amy Jo, for cracking the whip for me. I've actually thought of several things I wanted to blog, but just can't seem to find the time. But enough whining - on to the good stuff.

First off, I've gotten some really interesting emails lately, and they just go to prove how sad we humans are. I've watched carwrecks, stupid gags and commercials all courtesy of the 'viral video'. I've seen jokes and quizzes (lots of quizzes) and 'friend poetry' to name a few. Some of it is really funny, some sweet and some just really gross. And it's the gross ones that get me. Not just because they make me go "Ugh!", because obviously they would make anyone do that. But also because after the sender goes 'Ugh!' they think "Who can I send this to?"

A few days back a guy I used to sing with sent me a couple of emails. The first one warned me that if I had a weak stomach, that I shouldn't scroll down to the picture. It went on to tell the tale of a man from the Florida everglades and his three dogs, who flushed out an aligator and attacked it. The picture was of the dogs chewing on the gator. What do I do? Out of what I can only call sadistic curiosity, I scrolled down. There they were. Three of the cutest, fluffiest puppies I've seen - all chewing on a stuffed gator toy. Awww! How Cute!

Obviously, when I opened his second email with the same 'gross out' warnings attached, I expected more of the same. HELL NO! Pardon my french, but it was the furthest thing from cute little puppies. It was a news article about a comepetivie weightlifter, who while squatting and straining to lift the massive weights, suffered a prolapsed bowel. The picture accomapanying the article was of the back view- with all the intestines exploded out the rear of his spandex suit. I almost lost it.
It was horrible.
Terrible.
I cringed in pain at just the thought.
I wondered who I should send it to.

See? Did I forward the cute little puppies? No. I forwarded the poor guy with his butt blown to bits. (He lived by the way. I'm not THAT sick.) I can't, however, bring myself to post the image here. According to snopes, it's not a real article, and although Prolapsed Bowel is a real medical condition, they're not sure the picture is real. Looked real enough to me. So if you're really sick, like me (and my friend), then just google it. It's not hard to find.

What is it in our human nature that makes us so fascinated with the terrible? It's like a car wreck. You may feel horrible for those involved, but you'll still slow down and rubberneck. Is it genetically coded within our DNA?

Or maybe you wouldn't - would you?
A.

Chocolate Fever

I got this really cute email from a friend of mine. It's titled "PMS Diner". However I think most chocaholics would agree that you DO NOT have to be PMSing to have a craving like this. There are some days that I would whole heartedly agree with the following menu. Just need to toss a little Hot Chocolate and brownies in to finish it off. :)

Mmmm, I need Lindor truffles...

A.