Random thoughts of a webmistress, mother, wife, and...

Isn't blogger a love / hate relationship? When it works great - it works great. But then, at other oddball times, it SEEMS to work, but doesn't....hmm.....Well, seems to be fine now :-)
posted by ...deb at 9:25:24 PM

Grrrr! Blogger is NOT getting my stuff to my server!!!
posted by ...deb at 9:22:56 PM

More tests to take...

What type are you?I'm an ENTJ. You can visit the Keirsey Temperament and Character Web Site to learn more. And I STRONGLY believe that this stuff is RIGHT, by the way. I have the Keirsey books....

And did you ever wonder What Kind of Knight are you?
I'm a White Knight. You might be found in most of the thriving kingdoms of the time. Don Quixote was a White Knight as was Joan of Arc, the Lone Ranger and Crusader Rabbit. As a White Knight you expect nothing in return for your good deeds. You are one of the true "Givers" of the world. You are the anonymous philanthropist who shares your wealth, your time and your life with others. To give, is its own reward and as a White Knight you seek no other. On the positive side you are merciful, sympathetic, helpful, giving and heroic. On the negative side you may be impulsively decisive, sentimental and misdirected. Interestingly, your preference is just as applicable in today's corporate kingdoms.

Weirdness Purity Test Results
You are 83.6% weirdness pure (16.4% weirdness corrupt). According to the scoring guide, your weirdness experience level is: Slightly Weird - You're weird, but not too weird, a very comfortable place to be.

What Kind Of Tree Are You??
Me? I'm a Chestnut Tree. (The Honesty)
Of unusual beauty, does not want to impress, well-developed sense of justice, vivacious, interested, a born diplomat, but irritate and
sensitive in company, often due to a lack of self-confidence, acts sometimes superior, feels not understood, loves only once, has difficulties in finding a partner.
posted by ...deb at 3:24:06 PM

Need Candied Wallpaper?

Want a Halloween Inspired Wallpaper? Check out This Hershey's Halloween Wallpaper. Or are Cows and Chocolage more your speed? Prefer something hard instead of chocolate? What about Jolly Ranchers? Or are you more of an "M&M's"(r) Mini's type?
posted by ...deb at 1:21:02 PM

And check THIS out...

Angie's Challenge Project Isn't it cool? I love the detail, the Sleepyside Gazette, the tea cup, the quilt.....
posted by ...deb at 5:02:06 PM

Does anyone need a back-up internet service? Barnes & Noble FREE Unlimited Internet Service It looks to have pop-up ads, but for free, hey!
posted by ...deb at 2:32:49 PM

Support Breast Cancer Research...

Go Here & Click on the Pink RibbonThey will donate $1 for every person's click to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
posted by ...deb at 10:08:03 AM

Morning clickies...

Good Housekeeping: Everything You Need to Know About Chocolate Hmmm...where did that giant Hershey Bar go??!!

Your Weight On Other Worlds Hmmm...Maybe I can move to the Moon or Mars....but STEER CLEAR of Jupiter!!!
posted by ...deb at 10:05:57 AM

Magazine leads me to this article...

My boss gets Time Magazine, and the cover story drew my attention. Teens Before Their Time (Time Magazine) Since I hand the magazine over to him, I intially looked up the article on line because I have a daughter that is beginning to develop. Is she in this catagory? The catagory of girls developing too early? Not quite - but it's still scary. She's only 9. But I had my first period in the 6th grade (barely 11), so I've made sure she is well aware of the things going on.

But something else jumped out in the article - they used Lupron in the situation of a young child going into puberty too early.

"So after a series of medical consultations, the Carters (all these names have been changed at the families' request) put Sharon on lupron, a hormone that slams the brakes on puberty--only to see their happy little girl go into terrible mood swings. "I had a child acting like she was in menopause," says Carter. The parents decided to stop the treatment, and by age 9, Sharon had full-blown breasts and was getting her period."

It's frustrating that a magazine like Time would get part of this wrong. Lupron is NOT a hormone, but a chemical that supresses the production of hormones.
posted by ...deb at 9:21:51 AM

Do you ever...

know what you need to do to fix something - or work towards something, yet can't force yourself to do it? I'm talking about my body. I know what I should be doing to best take care of it - what helps me with stress, what keeps my weight down.

I know I need to do more cardio - but I hate it - and my stamina sucks. I do well for about 45 minutes, but then I fade fast. I didn't get up to the gym this morning since my sleep was so restless, so I went after work. I did 35 minutes on the net bike, and planned on another 20 on this air-runner thing. But 10 minutes in, and I died out. AND I was starving. Working out at night is a vicious cycle. It's hard to get up and hit the gym the next morning early, so what do you do? Skip a day all together? Keep going at night (I HATE going at night - too many people)? Before my surgery, I could do it. I'd hit a Yoga class in the evenings, get home after 8 PM, and still get up early for my morning workout....sigh.....

The other thing I know I need to do, but don't do well at? Well, it's my eating. I go for months at a time, eating very well. With the weight training I do, my body requires lots of protein. So I do best on a high protien, low carb diet. The goal is to get your carbs through natural sources, such as fruits and fresh vegies, not through processed things, like cake. Since summer, I've been well off of it. I just can't seem to help myself some days :-)

The other thing, is to eat enough to sustain your body's activities. Otherwise, your body will want to "hang on" to the fat. Hmmm...let's see what I've had today: Between 8 and 5: 3 cups of coffee w/ milk; 2 poptarts; a couple of "slim jims" for lunch; ice tea. After the gym, I was STARVING. So, what do I do, but we hit Sonic. Yep! Had a DOUBLE burger w/ mayo - and some tater tots. Oh! someone help me!!!

I know, I know. you can't. It's all a matter of mind over matter - or is it mind over my tummy - LOL... Gosh, sorry this blog has been so boring and unispired since Thursday. I need to guide myself back on track. I had a great conversation with a friend Friday night, and there were some issues we discussed that I wanted to get here - but they are some great observatoins, so I'm sure I'll remember to add them later. As for now, I'm tired and I'm going to bed. Maybe that way I WILL get up early.

Nighty Nite....
posted by ...deb at 9:57:18 PM

Excite Horoscopes: Fun: Love-O-Meter
Love-O-Meter has calculated your results.

Deb & Mark, this is your relationship:
You two go together like April showers and May flowers. You can achieve states of bliss illegal in certain jurisdictions. Love-O-Meter is seething with jealousy just thinking about it. Grrr. But enough about me.
What makes you two so wonderful? Hard to say. Perhaps it's the stars. Perhaps you two are just so CUTE together that other couples shrink in shame.
Your chances of survival in this relationship are great, as long as you don't forget to eat and sleep.
posted by ...deb at 2:28:00 PM

Restless night...

Don't you hate those nights when you don't really sleep? Where you see the clock once an hour? I stayed up til midnight reading a book (Beyond Eden by Catherine Coulter) and was woken by the dog at 1:15. Got up, put her up for the night. I swear. Then I woke up at 3:15, 4:15, 5:15 and then got up at 5:45. Geez! Better drink a couple gallons of coffee...
posted by ...deb at 6:24:51 AM

Slow thinker?!?!

Hmmm....well, it didn't take me THAT long to pull some thoughts together ;-p

Weekends are like that for me. I plan on getting something done on the computer, but never get time to get back to it...
posted by ...deb at 6:16:42 AM

Oh my goodness, I haven't blogged in more than 24 hours!!!! Let me grab some coffee and I'll pull my thoughts together in a bit...
posted by ...deb at 7:21:56 AM

Ophrah - Time for YOU
posted by ...deb at 10:43:45 PM

Oprah.com - Past Shows "Explanation of Karma"
posted by ...deb at 10:38:10 PM

Save me from my children...

Today was 50's day for Emily at school (thus the reason we needed jeans last night). So, what movie did they pull out tonight? Grease. I was on the phone with Shana ("at least 1 1/2 hours, Mom!") when I heard the strains of "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and THEN I heard it AGAIN! They watched it by fast-forwarding through the "boring" parts, and hitting the songs a couple of times each. Yep! Each song - at least twice each...
posted by ...deb at 9:57:45 PM

Wanna giggle?

There is a page called "Flame Warriors" and I thought the visitors to my blog might enjoy peeking at these: Jeckle and Hyde, Lurker & Xenophobe

Check the others out as well, I'm sure you'll get a giggle - or maybe even a chuckle :-)
posted by ...deb at 10:35:29 AM

Mysteries of the Stealth Child...

...and other stories

For anyone who has talked to me on the phone, they know my children, especially Katie, cannot be described as "quiet". Can someone explain to me then how this child manages to crawl into my bed without waking me or Mark? I got up at 4:15 for a visit to the potty - and the child was NOT there, yet at 5:15 she was. Right in between Mark and I. This is the child who told me that she cannot breathe without talking, so HOW does she do it?

And how is it that the oldest, with that "I know more than you - you are only my mother - you are an idiot" attitude sometimes, can be such a pleasant person to have a conversation with sometimes? This morning, we left the house a tad earlier than usual so that we could hit Starbucks for breakfast. We got a paper, she read some of the articles. We discussed the stories - like why the paper was focusing on the death of ONE sailor that died on the USS Cole when there were many others. Why can't she be this pleasant all of the time?

Hmmm....
posted by ...deb at 8:11:47 AM

On my mind...

I pulled out my aromatherapy books this week. Last night's mixture (lavendar - manderin - lime - marjoram) did wonders for my sleep. I burned my aromatherapy pot for a bit and sprinkled some on my pillow case. Best sleep I've had in weeks. It was supposed to help reduce the night sweats / hot flashes, but I was asleep and didn't notice *g*

After some discussions with one of the ladies at work about "scents" and how it might help us at work, I brought her some lavendar spray (to mist her chair with) so that she can de-stress. My problem is my reduced ability to focus, so I brought in a lemongrass candle for my desk. And I think it works - I've gotten more done these last couple of days and feel less stressed.

Tonight? Well, I want to blog, I want to reply to some e-mail and I must get some laundry switched over (why do towels take so long to dry?), so I'm listening to some relaxing music (Bach - Pachebel - Handel), burning an aromatherpy pot w/ grapefruit (helps reduce tension, relieves depression, helps bring focus) and sipping on a glass of water..

I do this many nights now - think over the day, try to decide if it's been good, what I've accomplished, what I've neglected. Today? Well, on the things I've accomplished: hopefully I've worked towards the healing of some hurt feelings, stood up for some things I believe in, tickled my youngest child, purchased some Christmas presents, and picked up a pair of jeans for my oldest to wear to school tomorrow. Let my friends know that I care about their opinions. Converted more files at work out of RoboHelp. Helped out another department. Things I've neglected? My body's needs (McDonald's for dinner, no workout today, only 2 glasses of water). My house (laundry, dishes). Will it balance out in the end? I think so...at least I hope so (but on the laundry thing, it must be done soon or my family will need to wander around naked)

It does encourages me to strive harder tomorrow to check off those accomplished things and have fewer issues that are neglected...I think I only strive for what many of us do: to be a better person - better today than yesterday...to allow the good karma of the world to wrap around me, and chase the bad karma away...
posted by ...deb at 10:51:54 PM

What a Day...

Just what we all need - a little venom and vile thrown about. Hopefully no one is worse for the wear. (looking left - looking right - everyone still looks pretty good...) Well, the upside is that it allowed me an opportunity to explore some things I had thought were put in the past - and it also encouraged me to make some decisions about "off site" fan fic writers and how I'm going to handle some things in the future. So, if you are reading this and have your own site, expect mail from me later - hopefully tonight...but realistically sometime tomorrow :-)

One thing I have to say though, is that I will always stand up for a writer's right to portray the characters how she sees fit. Does it truly matters who marries who? What sexual orientation a character has? I applaud those that take the risks, and have non-traditional pairings. And I cheer for those brave enough to put the characters in unpleasant situations (the trailer house comes to mind). But I also applaud those who feel things should be all white picket fences and high school sweethearts. It's what makes what I do on the web more interesting - seeing the visions of different folks. So, no matter what my personal opinions or personal preferences might be, I will ALWAYS fight for and stand up for the right for each person to express themselves in their writing (or art) the way they see fit. What I will always fight against is those who dis people for being brave enough to put their work out there - and feel they have the right to criticize.
posted by ...deb at 10:29:38 PM

How to make sense more common
posted by ...deb at 11:11:12 AM

Morning Surfs...

1. The Sex Position Master decide who is the dominate, and a couple of other things, and they recommend a sexual position...

2. Wanna reduce stress?

3. Do you hate sit-ups? But want a flat tummy?

4. Red & Yellows Bright Ideas

OK - The Answer to #2 could be found by clicking on #1. And if you listen to the advice in #4, of COURSE you won't have a flat tummy, so why click on #3? Still, #1 and #4 are the most useful - What's better than Sex and M-n-M's?
posted by ...deb at 10:58:00 AM

Yawn..s t r e t c h...

Talk about sleeping like the dead! Jeez! Even after a shower and a cup of coffee, I still feel asleep *g*

And YOU are welcome. E-mail me if you need to :-)

I'm taking a moment to enjoy my coffee while I type. Usually I go for the large heavy ceramic mugs for my coffee. My fave is this black Beauty and the Beast mug that I got for free when I purchased 2 pounds of coffee at Starbucks. It has a lovely maroon rose on one side, and the outline of the beast in white. I use it so often that Mark teases me that we can't keep it clean. Not today,though. Today, I wanted something different. Coffee this morning is in a beautiful little porcelain cup sitting on a matching saucer. Very delicate. Very peaceful. And it's new - bought some new dishes on Sunday at Kroger.

Grocery Store Dishes...

Yep, Kroger is one of my local grocery stores. I was grocery shopping, minding my own business, when the dishes display LEAPED out at me :-) First off, they were really pretty. They are a pale white (not bright white) porcelain w/ a double lattice on the edges - the outside lattice is seafoam green & navy and the inner lattice is pale blue w/ the white showing through. The plates and saucers have some small blue and rose flowers w/ pale green leaves. The cups have larger flowers growing from the lattice. They spoke to me. Then the price spoke to me: $1.59 for a 3 piece place setting. So for a whopping $6.36, I have new dinner dishes :-)

I guess my love for grocery store dishes started early. When I was a senior in high school, I discovered I had NOTHING in my "hope chest" (though there was no chest, it was a closet) and I saw these heavy pottery dishes - tan with a dark navy rim and navy flowers (it was the 80's, okay?) My mom saved little stamps and got me two sets. Now, when I got married, my husband and I would each have a dinner plate, a salad plate, a saucer and a cup. Well, my husband HAD dishes. I've since added a set from Mervyns.

And last fall, for the first time since I got those two sets of tan and blue dishes, I bought Grocery Store dishes. These were a bold fruited design - cream plates with a black trim - bold pears, grapes, oranges and cherries on a yellow rim. Katie refused to eat out of them for a long time, as she wanted me to get the pretty flowered ones they had (they were purple). I know it may seem odd, but new dishes give me a lift. And when I can get a bargain, hey, may as well go for it!

Now, I saw that Tom Thumb had cookware, and I need an extra skillet...
posted by ...deb at 6:44:50 AM