4000 Questions: Question #14: What is your most memorable toy?

Well, I remember so many of them, it is hard to just choose one. I loved my Cabbage Patch Kid dolls, especially the smallest one that was pretty much bald except for a little tuft of "hair" (aka, yarn) that stuck straight up.

I also enjoyed my Barbie dolls. There was one that I liked the best. She wasn't quite as tall & had a rounder face making her look a little more heftier that the others. Being an overweight child, I really liked her. She was always athletic, though, particularly in gymnastics & swimming/diving (my favorite sports as a child).

I had some of the My Little Ponies as a kid & also the My Little Pony Dream Castle. The ponies were nice & we played with them every once in awhile but my favorite was the small purple dragon that came with the castle. I loved him. He was so cute. I think I even took him to college with me. I'm sure he is a drawer in my bedroom now. I'm just not sure where. I should look for him sometime.

Kim & I, before really getting into Barbie's, loved playing with our Little People (back when they were only about 1.5 in. tall & didn't have arms or legs). We had a Little People airport & zoo. We had such a good time playing with them.

We also enjoyed playing with our Lego people. Kim got a Lego Disney castle one Christmas which dad spent pretty much all day (maybe more but I can't remember) putting it together while we played with our other stuff. He also built us a roofless Lego house that we played with a lot too. We would occasionally add a floor or make modifications but essentially it stayed the same. I don't know about if you ever had Lego's or if your kids or grand kids ever had them but you know whenever they were brought out at least one small Lego would be left out. Then a few hours or days later you would be walking across the floor barefoot & step on it. The pain of doing that is indescribable. It is like stepping on an ember. You can feel the pain all they way up to your teeth.

Play-Doh was a great invention, wasn't it? We loved it. Just squishing it in your hand & letting the cool creaminess ooze through in between your fingers. Hehe. A great stress reliever. Maybe I should by some now. We had a Play-Doh hair salon & spaghetti factory. Sometimes mom would let us play with it in the dinning room but usually she would set up a folding table outside to use it on. She didn't like it getting on the floor & we were forbidden to take it on to the carpet. Whenever it rained she would back the car out of the carport & let us play with it in there. It was nice when the rain would cool down those hot days & we could hear the rain dripping all around us.

Mom would sometimes build us tents in the music room. She would stretch sheets over the chairs & tables then tape them down or use heavy books to hold them down. We loved running in & out of the shelters playing house. It was great. We would build little rooms. We would use cushions & pillows for beds, place our play dishes in the kitchen, etc... Great fun.

We would spend hours at the dining table putting kid puzzles together, painting in watercolor books (always mixing up our kool-aid cups with our brush water, ick), coloring in coloring books, or working on puzzle books.

Being a kid was great, wasn't it?

4000 Questions: Question #13: Who did you think was the smartest person in the world?

This is a tough question. I know it is referring to who did I, as a child, think was the smartest person because it is in the Childhood & School section of my book but I don't really remember. I guess I would say as a kid I probably though my dad was the smartest person. He seems to have an answer for everything. It really gets annoying sometimes. :) I use to think he was just acting like a smart Alec but he usually, not always, but usually he turns out to be right.

I don't know who else I would have said as a kid. I don't really remember thinking much about it back then. I guess, Solomon (from the Bible) was a pretty smart guy. Hehe.

I googled "world's smartest person" & it came back with a few interesting responses. One is the Guiness Book of World Records naming of Marilyn vos Savant as the person with the highest IQ. Michael (Mic) Tienken named himself "The World's Smartest Person" to prove to his son that he was the smartest person on earth while helping him with his homework. Very cute. Stephen Hawking has also been deemed by many as the smartest person. The International High IQ Society held a contest to name the "Smartest Person in the World." The contest ran for several months and 1,780 people from 34 different countries submited their answers. In the end, Andy Nierman from Washington (state) won the contest.

I would also mention Einstein, Ben Franklin, Charles Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton, Leonardo da Vinci, Blaise Pascal, Martin Luther, Michael Faraday, Galileo Galilei, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the scientist working on the Manhattan Project, among others. (For a list of smart people, including these, visit here.)

But really, if you take every person ever to have been on earth, excluding all aliens that may or may not have visited this plant, I would have to say Jesus was the smartest. Okay, you can throw in the aliens with that census. I'm sure, that being God & having created the earth, universe, & everything in them including all aliens & earthlings, he must be the smartest person to have been on earth. Some will say that he was God & so that excludes him. However, he was human in all forms at the same time so I included him.

News: Gustav hit the Caymans, now he's on Cuba, could New Orleans be next again?

Being that I have friends who live in the Caymans, I have become more interested in storms headed their way. The Cayman Islands seem so small to me in such a large ocean & those storms always seem so big. One of the storms a few years ago (I can't remember the name of it) actually caused one (if not all) of the islands to be submerged for a few moments. I cannot imagine how frightening that would be.

I've never been in a hurricane but I have experienced a few tornadoes. I've never been so close to actually see a funnel cloud but I've certainly seen the destruction & experienced the nervousness of, "will it hit here?" But, even with tornadoes, you aren't certain that it will hit you. It may just pass you by & go somewhere else or fade out all together. It is an isolated attack. However, with hurricanes, it is such a wide spread area that if it is headed your way, you will be it. Not to mention that hurricanes move much slower than tornadoes.

Anyway, back to Gustav. According to Cayman Net News, the storm was a category 1 (Winds 74-95 mph. Storm surge generally 4-5 ft above normal. No real damage to building structures. -- NWS) & left no major damage. The east end of Grand Cayman was said to have reported light damage & power outages were reported all over the island. Cayman Brac had some light poles destroyed and Little Cayman had some docks ruined & 2 people were treated for injuries after being washed off a dock. Tell me, what were they doing out on a dock late at night during a hurricane? That better not have been you, Marsha or Melanie.

Now, Gustave it hitting Cuba as a Cat. 4 (Winds 131-155 mph. Storm surge generally 13-18 ft above normal. More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof structure failures on small residences. -- NWS) To put that catergory in perspective, Katrina at on point was a category 5 but hit Lousiana as a category 4 & moving on to New Orleans as a strong category 3 with winds possibly reaching category 4 at times. Katrina then moved on to the Gulf coast of Mississippis as a category 3. (All this according to Wikipedia) So, you can imagine what it is like for Cuba right now. Not to mentiong that Cuban structers are more than likely not as sound as those of America. More than likely, Cuba will sustain major destruction. Although, they are not the "best friends" of America, we should all be praying for them.

After Cuba, Gustav is expected to make it's way to the States. According to the Associated Press, via Yahoo! News, " The hurricane was projected to plow into the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico at full force Sunday, and reach the U.S. coast as early as Monday afternoon. A hurricane watch was issued from Texas east to Florida, an area that includes New Orleans, which Hurricane Katrina devastated in 2005."

According to The Weather Channel, Gustav is expected to maitain his strength if not increase to a catergory 5. This is going to be a big one for sure. We here in Dallas may also be able to expect weather from this storm Tuesday or Wednesday. A little rain for us is always welcome but we hate to be the ones to benefit from tragedy.

New Orleans has apparently learned their lesson with Katrina because they are emptying the city. The mayor has told everyone to leave & there will be now emergency shelter offered this time. Everyone must get out. The interstate exiting New Orleans is packed but they are planning on opening both sides as an escape route in the morning.

So far, 81 people have been reported killed from this storm & meterologists are warning southern Florida about breakoff storms. The keys right now are under severe thunderstorm warnings with the chance of tornadoes. So, Missy & Jennifer, becareful.

4000 Questions: Question #12: Was there anything unusual about your birth?

Well, yes, a few things. First, my mom was over due by 2 weeks then she was in labor for 24 hrs. The doctor apologized later, telling them that he should have done a C-section earlier.

The nurses who were monitoring my heart beat kept telling mom that I was going to be a boy. Maybe that had to do with what I'll mention later on in this entry.

Another thing that happened was during the last two weeks I must have flipped & so I was presenting face up instead of face down. As a result, they had to use the forceps to flip me over before the delivery.

Also, my mom actually had gas (aka, was sedated) & my dad got to see me before her. The first time she saw me I was in the incubator & they warned her I might have a cone head for a few hours due to the forceps. She said that I kept falling asleep while she was trying to nurse me & they kept telling her to pat me on the feet. Mom still likes to tease that I must have never really gotten over the gas since I like to sleep so much.

Mt. St. Helens had been erupting the week before & (due to the extra ash in the atmosphere, in my opinion) it decided to snow on April 12 or 13 (I can't remember if it was before I was born or after). My dad actually had to leave the hospital to go home to cover his tomato plants. Imagine it snowing in Texas in the middle of April (it actually did that this past year & the year before that, crazy, I know). I like to use those two occurrences to say I wanted to announce my arrival. Hehe.

The last unusual thing isn't really about the birth itself but of 2 week later. At my two week check up, the pediatrician heard a heart murmur. He scheduled an appointment for me at Children's Medical Center in Dallas in 2 weeks from that time & told my parents to watch & make sure I didn't start turning blue. Can you imagine how freaked out they must have been?

During the tests done at Children's, they discovered I had a ventricular septal defect. That is where a hole exists between the right & left ventricles of the heart. I continued to go to Children's every 2 years until I became an adult. They didn't want to do surgery because they thought it might close during puberty, which it didn't. When I turned 18 or 20 I had my last appointment with them & they told me to find an adult cardiologist in the next 4 or 5 years. It was about 8 - 10 years before I did this.

This past April, after a year of experiencing a few palpitations & finally deciding to start taking care of myself, I made an appointment with a cardiologist here. They did an echo (an ultrasound of the heart), an EKG (or ECG, same thing), & just listened. He told me everything looked fine. He wanted me to come back in a year for another check up & to go to his other office in October for another echo since their machine in their Lewisville office wasn't their best machine (I suspect this has more to do with me being well endowed up top making it harder to penetrate all my tissues than with the quality of their machine). I'm probably going to cancel the October appointment since I'm no longer having palpitations & haven't had any other problems & since my last appointment cost over $1,000 (charging me about $300). I do plan on keeping the yearly appointment unless I move away & even then I will find another doctor. This time I won't wait so long.

Every since I've started having my teeth cleaned by a dentist, I've had to take antibiotics to prevent an infection settling in my heart. However, new research has pretty much done away with this practice. Yippee! Taking those horrible tasting pills was one of my worst childhood experiences. Blech! Of course, as I got older they started offering gel caps which made the experience much easier.

Well, I guess that pretty much sums up my birth. Talk to you tomorrow. :)

Couch-to-5K: Day 2

Well, I did it again. I did day 2 of the Couch-to-5K program after working out with my trainer this morning. I'm telling you, I believe this is one of the hardest things I've ever done. I'm not sure how far into the program I'll be able to get but I'm going to try my darndest (more southern talk). That's pretty much all I had to say on that so I guess I'll let you move on to more exciting things. Later.

News: McCain chooses his running mate

McCain announced his choice of running mate this morning (Friday). He chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Who is Sarah Palin? That is what a lot of the country wants to know. She is pretty much an unknown in the political world. Which, in my opinion, may be a good thing. Obviously, she has not been tied up in lots of scandal, right? (She is being investigated for a small scandal. Something about her asking for her ex-brother-in-law to be fired from law enforcement. However, her response was pretty much "bring it on." She was even quoted as saying, "Hold me accountable.")

The Associated Press, via Yahoo! News, reports her as "Palin, like McCain, is a conservative with a maverick streak who has shown a willingness to clash with others in her own party. A self-styled hockey mom and political reformer, she has been governor of her state less than two years."

Another AP article said this of Palin. "A suburban mother and PTA member who described her fisherman husband as a proud union member and "champion snow machine racer," Palin brings to the ticket the blue-collar, everyday-American qualities that Sen. Joe Biden brought last week to Obama's ticket — with a distinctively Alaskan twist."'

It went on to say, "The pick earned McCain praise Friday from evangelicals and other social conservatives who have been skeptical of him. "Conservatives will be thrilled with this pick," said Greg Mueller, a conservative GOP strategist. ..... McCain's announcement of Palin made clear the paucity of her experience."

'"As the head of Alaska's National Guard and as the mother of a soldier herself," the statement said, "Gov. Palin understands what it takes to lead our nation and she understands the importance of supporting our troops."'

Another AP article stated, "She brings a strong anti-abortion stance to the ticket and opposes gay marriage — constitutionally banned in Alaska before her time — but exercised a veto that essentially granted benefits to gay state employees and their partners."

'"She knows where she comes from, and she knows who she works for," McCain said in introducing her to an Ohio rally. "She stands up for what's right, and she doesn't let anyone tell her to sit down." He said: "She's exactly who I need."'

"Said Palin: "I didn't get into government to do the safe and easy things. A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not why the ship is built."'

"The Palins' five children are Track, 19; Bristol 17; Willow 14; Piper, 7, and baby Trig."

"Track enlisted in the Army in 2007 on the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and has been assigned to Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks."

"Palin was born Feb. 11, 1964, in Idaho, but her parents moved to Alaska shortly after her birth to teach. She received a bachelor of science degree in communications-journalism from the University of Idaho in 1987."

She is 44 years old making her 3 yrs younger than Obama. Not to mention, she's gorgeous.

I think I already like her. She sounds great. She sounds like the Republican version of Hillary.

This looks like a great strategy by McCain, though, doesn't it? I think he held off making a decision until Obama had made his. If Obama had chosen Hillary, would McCain have chosen a black woman? Just a question.

So, it looks like McCain has got most of the bases covered, the women's vote because she's a woman, the younger vote because of her age, & the men's vote because she's a hotty. Basically, they are leaving out the gay vote, the pro-choice vote, & the environmentalist vote which wouldn't have voted for a Republican anyway.

This will certainly be an exciting election year.

Below is a picture of her parents, Chuck & Sally Heath, watching Sen. John McCain announce his running mate.

Below is a 2006 photo showing Palin with her husband, Todd, in Anchorage, Alaska.

4000 Questions: Question #11: Do you have any siblings?

Yes, Kim is her name. Actually it is Kimberly Rena (pronounced Re-nay). She is 2.5 years younger than me. She is smart, a hard worker, determined, beautiful, a musician (she plays the piano, guitar, french horn, & is now learning the harmonica & banjo), almost a dentist, adventurous, bold, independent (to a point), a Christian, probably a future missionary, loves kids & is good with them, drives too close to the car in front of her, likes English peas mixed with macaroni & cheese (gross), loves everything Disney (a requirement in our family), likes Christian rock music, likes Christian romance novels, gets frustrated fairly easily at times (usually when she hasn't had enough sleep), likes to fish, loves the mountains, loves the western US, is my travel companion of choice, speaks German, has been to London & Germany, wears glasses, a leader, sings beautifully & writes music, is beginning to gain an appreciation of dogs (particularly the larger breeds), wore the poofiest dresses & hair in elementary school, did not wear jeans until jr. high or high school, went to college at Baylor University, use to eat a ton of cheese but has cut back now, pink use to be her favorite color (I think it is blue now), was scared to jump off the diving board when we were in swimming class as kids & hated getting her face wet, has finally become a The Office addict like myself, doesn't like to take medicine, loves to do athletic things but doesn't really have the time right now, wanted to be an air traffic controller or a cop that directed street traffic when she was a kid (I wanted to be the dentist), wants to adopt a child from every continent one day (I guess she'll adopt a penguin from Antarctica),.....I could go on for a while...but I'm getting tired.

She's coming back on Sunday from Alaska. She has been in Barrow, AK for almost 2 weeks now somewhat interning. She wants to work for the Native American Health Services (I think that's what they are called) when she graduates this spring. She really wants to be located in AK too. So far she is loving it up there. She has had her share of mishaps, adventures, & tragedy while there but that is the life of AK. It is much like the old west of yesteryear.

I love my sister. She's my best friend. We argue a lot but we are sisters & that is what sisters do but when other people treat her badly, it really gets my blood pressure going. I'm not a confrontational person, but I guess I've got this "big sister/brother" gene in me that wants the fight the person who is giving her a hard time no matter if it is some friend of her's, a teacher, a patient, some kid, a body builder, a wimp, I'll take them all on. The weird part is that I don't think I've always felt this way. It just seems to have come on in the last 5 or so years. Interesting?

Couch-to-5K: Video 1

I cannot believe I'm doing this.

Sarsy (http://www.youtube.com/user/sarsy) is a huge inspiration to me on this endeavor.

If you pray, pray for me, guys. I know the first few weeks are going to be the toughest. I'm so afraid I won't commit & that I'll give up. I wonder to myself if I'm doing this too soon. I think hitting the 40 lbs down yesterday inspired (made me go a little crazy) to take the next step.

Music: "Yeah" by Usher (not typically my music but it was what came on...obviously, I didn't sync this well with the video, oh well) & "Where Are We Running" by Lenny Kravitz

Breaking News!!!

Weigh In #20

Weekly loss: -0.25 lbs
Total loss: -39.25 lbs

I'm a terrible daughter

I forgot my dad's birthday yesterday. I pretty much forgot my mom's earlier this month. I didn't really forget her's but when I did remember it was too early in the morning to call her. I still haven't gotten anything for either one of them. I know they are reading this. So, I publicly appologize for being a cr...er...bad daughter. (My mom said for me not to use the c-r-a-p word) They know I love them but still it is very insensitive & irresponsible of me. I'm sorry & I really do feel like you-know-what. :(

4000 Questions: Question #10: What were your first words & who told you what they were?

Well, this is going to be short. I had to ask mom this morning what they were. She said she thought they were "Da da." However, I later began calling my dad, "David" because that is what she called him so, I guess I just figured I had gotten it wrong somewhere. So, she had to start calling him "Daddy" & he had to call her "Mama" & well about 28 years later they are still calling each other that. I think it is cute. Very southern, too.

4000 Questions: Question #9: What is your saddest memory?

Wow, what a difficult one.

I can't really think of one individual moment. I've had a few sad things happen to me indirectly such as family members passing away. Other than when I was dealing with depression, I can't really think of anything.

Depression isn't just sadness it is a deep, aching in your core. That is the best way I can describe it. It feels like the center of your chest is going to implode. I remember crying a lot when I was in high school when I was alone in my room but not because anything truly was sad going on in my life, which was part of the problem. I had nothing to be depressed about. I had everything I needed & much of what I wanted. I had great friends. A great family. I belonged to a great church. But that just makes it worse. I would think, "What do I have to be depressed about?" & that just made me feel guilty for feeling the way I did which, in turn, made me feel more depressed. "I must really be screwed up. How selfish am I really?" were common thoughts.

Sadness is a real odd emotion for me even though I've had lots of practice with depression, but like I said sadness & depression are two completely different emotions. I'm very odd & I often wonder if something really is wrong with me. I can cry like a baby while watching a movie or even in church sometimes but at a funeral of a close loved one, I can't shed a tear no matter how much I try. When my young cousin died, I really tried to cry at her funeral. I couldn't. I was so worried people would wonder, "How callous is she!?" Stories, songs, movies, no problemo. A funeral, where you are supposed to cry, forget it. I've talked to my mom about this once & she said that some people just mourn differently. Maybe, but I still feel like a freak. Maybe it has to do with the way I react to stressful situations. I tend to "leave my body" & become "possessed" but some calm, controlled creature. There have been times when I was in an extremely stressful situation (i.e. piano concert, my dad being nearly bitten by a rattlesnake) where I even blacked out & did not remember doing the things people said I did (I didn't do weird things, I was very calm & responded in such a calm matter that it caught people off guard). Maybe my morning has something to do with that.

Well, I've gone on long enough. I'm about an hour late getting to bed & I still have to throw my clothes in the dryer, start the dish washer, & read my bible. Have a great day. I hope it is happier than this question. :)

4000 Questions, Question #8: Do you consider your childhood a happy one?

Question #8: Do you consider your childhood a happy one?

Oooo, good one. This could be a tricky one to answer since several of my family members read this blog. Yes, blissfully happy. Next question.

Just kidding. For the most part, I would say yes. I have a great family. I never wanted for necessity & most wants. I got to see a lot of America growing up. I have been so lucky in my life. However, & I know I've talked about this before, but it was a major part of my life & still effects me today, the times I was teased & mentally abused by bullies/classmates was a terrible part of my childhood & when I think back on those times, I would say they were definitely not happy times. But really, other than the teasing, what I remember of my childhood was a happy one. :)

Noise & a bit of positive stuff...great title, I know

It is quite possible that I may murder some people this week. There are a bunch of "carpenters" working on the exterior of the buildings of our apartment buildings. Thank the Lord for head phones. I think when I go to Wal-Mart tomorrow I may buy a package of ear plugs. I've thought of doing this before but I do need to be able to hear my alarm clock when it is time to go to work & that makes me nervous. Especially since yesterday I had a nightmare that I was 1.5 hrs late for work. I kept looking at the clock while I was getting ready for work worried that I wasn't reading it properly.

Ok, here I better add a disclaimer. I can hear my mother now telling me I shouldn't say that I may kill someone. So, for any of you who think I was being serious let me reassure you that I was joking. I believe murder is very rarely the answer to a problem.

Alright, so what else? Oh yeah, so my AC was finally fixed & cleaned & the carpet guys finally finished everything they had to do. However, last night I walked into the bathroom & the rug closest to the toilet was damp. I heard a dripping sound every few seconds. I finally traced it to a pipe in the back of the toilet just under the reservoir (or whatever it is called). I really don't want to deal with it until maybe Thurs. or Fri. so I just stuck a small bowl under there for now. Arrrrhhh!!! This place is falling apart. I'm afraid that the people in the office will just see me as a complainer or that I'm causing these problems. Really, what do I care what they think? Most of the appliances are older than I am so why shouldn't they be craping out.

Ok, enough complaining. Here's a few positive notes. First, I got back onto my cardio today after not doing any for about 2 weeks due to my respiratory infection (I still cough a little but it is tolerable). I got on the elliptical for about 15 min before I was to work out with my trainer. It was not hard at all. I was having so much fun on it (relative fun of course, I'm sure lying in a hammock next to a mountain stream or playing at Disney would be way more fun but this was fun for working out). I was going so fast on it today. I started noticing my heart really beating so I decided to check my heart rate. I was running around 170 - 175; way above the "red zone" & way higher than I've ever been able to get it. I only stayed there for about the last 3 min but afterwards I asked my trainer what was too high for me. He did some type of calculation & said that 170 is pretty much the cut off for me & I should probably keep it in the 150's & 160's, which is where I usually keep it. I was pretty thrilled about being able to get it that high in the first place, though. After working out with him, I did another 35 min on the elliptical keeping it in the 150-160 range. I actually had to kind of work at restraining myself at first. Amazing.

The second thing is Brian (my trainer) keeps talking about how great my endurance/stamina is. Imagine that. Me, Miss I-Can't-Do-It-Never-Exercises-Can't-Stick-To-Anything, Kristy has endurance. You couldn't have convinced me a year ago or ever in my life that I would be doing what I am doing. Blows my mind. This just proves that God works miracles. He's working one in my life every day.

Third, keeping on the exercise topic, I realized today that after leaving the gym, I'm always in a better mood. Stupid, Dallas drivers don't tick me off near as much. Work issues are less annoying. I smile more at people & feel more confident.

Ah, confidence. I'm going to leave you on not quite as good of a note as I thought, but it is funny. There is this girl at the gym who annoys the crap out of me. I've seen her every time I've been in the gym since day one. The first few times I worked out there I noticed her staring at me with the weirdest expression on her face. Maybe she had just finished doing a few really difficult reps or maybe she had to toot, but it left me feeling really odd & self-conscious. You know how you can get "vibes" from people sometimes? Well, she just strikes me as a not-very-nice person. I always get the feeling that she is judging me & wondering why such a fat person would be there or that she is motivated by me so she never looks like me. I know these are probably paranoid, irrational thoughts but still, that's what I feel. My thought, though, is, for someone who works out so much you would think she would look way better. Don't get me wrong, the girl looks great but you would think she was some kind of body builder or something by how much she is there. Just a thought. ........ Now who's judging? Forgive me. :)

News: McCain ad on Obama/Biden ticket

clipped from www.youtube.com

Joe Biden On Barack Obama

Added:
August 22, 2008
(Less info)

Go to http://www.youtube.com/johnmccaindotcom to watch more John McCain YouTube videos.

You can receive the latest official YouTube videos from the McCain campaign by watching this video or going to http://www.youtube.com/johnmccaindotcom, logging on to your YouTube account, and clicking "Subscribe" just above the box where this message is displayed on the page.

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John McCain for President: http://www.JohnMcCain.com

4000 Questions: Question #7: Talk about a time when you got into trouble at school.

Question #7: Talk about a time when you got into trouble at school.

I don't really remember getting into much trouble at school. Usually it was after school. My mom was a teacher & so we would stay late after school a lot. She sent my sister out to get me one time & I told her, "Oh, she never leaves when she says she will." and something to the measure of she would come get me herself when she was really ready. Amazingly enough, she was not thrilled with my attitude. I actually got the school paddle for that one. :)

I never liked doing my homework much & for some reason my 3rd teacher didn't think to tell my mom. I guess she thought she could handle it herself. And, boy did she. She scared the fire out of me (to use a Southern expression). She took me out into the hall & shook her finger at me & gave me "the what for" (another expression that cracks me up).

There was also an incident once with another "teacher" when I was in either 1st or 2nd grade. She thought a group of us were yelling at her. She happened to be a bit older & kept asking us "what?" so what else were we supposed to do? Still, to this day, I'm not really sure what exactly happened or why exactly we got into trouble. Oh, well, it really wasn't that big of a deal.

I also remember in 3rd grade having to stay in from recess to copy out of the encyclopedia as a punishment for something (probably not doing my homework, again...probably before the big speech in the hallway). I actually remember loving it. That was about the time I was beginning to get teased & so I got to avoid that & learn something cool at the same time.

In high school, I got sent to the office to get a tardy slip because I was scooting my desk up some when the bell rang & my teacher said that since I was not fully seated in my chair then I was late. She was a real piece of work. Another girl, Julie (another student who never got into trouble), was sharpening her pencil so we both had to go to the office. That was a hilarious sight for sure, I imagine. The two least likely in the school to get into trouble having to go to the office. Haha. Man, I couldn't stand that teacher.

Other than that, I don't remember much else. Like I've said before, I was a bit of a goody-two-shoes. I guess I still am a bit. I was always terrified of having to go sit out in the hallway or being sent to the Principal's office. I was also afraid of being in trouble at church & being sent to the preacher's office. I guess I saw him as a kind of principal of the church. :)

Fishin' Trip 2008 Videos

Grandma's Surprise 91st Birthday Party

Some how, during all the editing & uploading & all, the annotation of "60 & holding" ended up on the pic of Levi & not Grandma. Oh well, you guys get the message. Enjoy.

News: "Biden got Obama call during wife's root canal"

clipped from news.yahoo.com

Biden got Obama call during wife's root canal

Sat Aug 23, 10:48 PM ET

DENVER - Joe Biden got the call from Barack Obama while accompanying his wife as she was getting a root canal.

As he waited in the dentist office Thursday, Biden's cell phone rang with the presidential candidate's invitation to be his running mate.

It capped a six-week process of elimination that always pointed in Biden's direction even if the Delaware lawmaker couldn't believe he would actually be the pick.

Biden said he would and submitted the requisite paperwork to the vetting committee, but was skeptical that it would ever happen. A longtime friend who requested anonymity to speak freely said Biden wouldn't allow himself to believe he was in serious consideration because his hopes and expectations had been beaten down so much by such a miserable showing in the Democratic presidential race.

4000 Questions: Question #6: Are you the same person you were as a child, or much different?

Question #6: Are you the same person you were as a child, or much different?

Wow, is that a question or what? I mean there isn't enough room on the entire internet to discuss this one completely.

I would say, both, but I believe I'm more different than the same. I'm more confident, self-assured, & happier than I remember being as a child. I'm not where I want to be but I feel like I'm on my way. I don't really want to go into much more right now. Sorry, if this disappoints anyone.

News: Biden chosen as Obama's running mate

clipped from news.yahoo.com

Obama taps Biden to be running mate

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama named Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware as his vice presidential running mate early Saturday, balancing his ticket with a seasoned congressional veteran well-versed in foreign policy and defense issues.

Biden, 65, has twice sought the White House, and is a Catholic with blue-collar roots, a generally liberal voting record and a reputation as a long-winded orator.

Across more than 30 years in the Senate, he has served at various times not only as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee but also as head of the Judiciary Committee, with its jurisdiction over anti-crime legislation, Supreme Court nominees and Constitutional issues.

Biden is seeking a new Senate term in the fall. there was no immediate word whether he intended to change plans as he reaches for national office.

4000 Questions: Question #5: What did you hide from your parents?

Question #5: What did you hide from your parents?

Oh, I have a great one for this. My mom loves telling this story. When I was a kid I hated taking vitamins (I still do, something I'm working hard at trying to change). There was not one kind that I would take. I finally came up with an ingenious idea of putting the thing in my mouth, running to my room, & hiding it in my nightstand drawer. I don't know why I didn't just throw them away or flush them down the toilet. I guess I wasn't as smart as I would like to imagine, or, maybe, I thought completely destroying them would be even to malicious or rebellious & karma would be back to bite me in the butt. Either way, a small mountain began to grow in my drawer of deceit.

Also, as a child (& adult) cleaning was not my favorite past time. One night my mom was cleaning my room (I guess she had given up on trying to get me to do it that day). She started cleaning out my drawers too. As she removed the treasures of doll clothes, drawings, & other small goodies children prize she reached a collection of half dissolved, once wet chewable vitamins.

I remember her coming into the living room announcing what she had found & me being embarrassed & scared I would have to eat them all in one sitting but I don't remember really getting in trouble over this. Probably due to the fact she probably found it to be one of the more hilarious things she had ever seen. I sure keeping a straight face during that should have won her the Oscar for best female performance that year.

DJ Spock

This picture makes me laugh. =D Dad may not appreciate it as much as Kim & I will. Hehe.

clipped from flickr.com

News: Officials say US, Iraq finish draft security deal

I'm wondering why this didn't make a bigger splash in the news. Or was I just out of touch that day? This seems like a pretty big deal, if you ask me. I'm not really for or against time lines or withdrawalment because I'm not privy to all the info & far from being a war expert but still, this seems like it would be a pretty big deal to most Americans.

clipped from news.yahoo.com

Officials say US, Iraq finish draft security deal

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer
Wed Aug 20, 2:54 PM ET

BAGHDAD - Iraqi and U.S. negotiators have finished work on a draft security agreement that would see all American troops leave Iraqi cities by June 30 and the rest of the country by the end of 2011, Iraqi officials said Wednesday.

The deal still needs approval by both governments — and some members of Iraq's Cabinet oppose some of its provisions.

The security deal is to govern the status of the more than 140,000-strong U.S. military force after the U.N. Security Council mandate for its mission expires at the end of this year.

Iraq's Cabinet must sign off on the deal and then refer it to parliament for final approval. The Shiite-led government has been pressing for some sort of timeline for the departure of U.S. troops, saying that is essential to win legislators' approval.

Eiffel Tower gets a new observation deck

This is pretty cool. I have mixed emotions about it, though. I'm a fan of history & not making modifications to historical emblems & such, but, at the same time, I find this pretty cool. I don't know. What do you think?

clipped from io9.com

Eiffel Tower's Massive New Observation Deck to be Made of Kevlar Webbing

The Eiffel Tower has remained exactly the same for 120 years, but this year builders will be attaching a temporary, carbon Kevlar observation deck to its uppermost reaches. French architecture firm Serero will help Paris celebrate the 120th birthday of the tower by more than doubling the floor space at its top. We've got a full frontal tower view below.

The beauty of this addition to the tower is that there will be no modification of the existing tower — the observation deck will simply be bolted in place. This is one of the most ambitious temporary modification projects ever undertaken.

Image by Tristan Nitot

Great Video: Lighthouses & waves during very stormy weather

Weird Furniture

clipped from www.darkroastedblend.com

Psychedelic Furniture Showcase

clipped from www.darkroastedblend.com