And now for something completely different...

OK not that different since I've done it before, but hey, I like Monty Python, so the quote had to be the title :)

A friend posted a blog thing quiz on my board, and well, it reminded me that I needed to post some since I haven't in a while. SO without any further ado...

You Are 24% California

You're not from California - don't try to game this quiz!

How California Are You?

No huge surprise there...

Your Mood Ring is Orange

Stimulating ideas Daring Full of desires

Mood Ring Generator

yeah...ok...

Your Love Song Is

Yellow by Coldplay "Look at the stars, Look how they shine for you, And everything you do, Yeah they were all yellow" You're so in love, it's like a drug.

What Love Song Are You?

What? By who??

How You Life Your Life

You are honest and direct. You tell it like it is. You're laid back and chill, but sometimes you care too much about what others think. You tend to have one best friend you hang with, as opposed to many aquaintences. You tend to dream big, but you worry that your dreams aren't attainable.

How Do You Live Your Life?

OK THAT one was pretty darned accurate lol

And last but not least, I couldn't resist this one...

Snickers

Nutty and gooey - you always satisfy.

What Kind of Candy Are You?

Whoa...too funny...and my favorite candy to boot :)

NOW I'm going to tag Carrie at "Chocolate the Other White Meat" and Lynnae at "From Under the Clutter", so find some fun blogthings girls and get posting :)

I've been tagged!

Yeah, I KNOW I was tagged days ago, but alright already, I've been busy!

So Lynnae...here are mine :)

Four jobs I've held:
1. Helicopter Mechanic in the Army (still my favorite job)
2. Restaurant manager
3. Cashier
4. Tupperware (liked it too)

Four movies I can watch over and over again:
1. Gone With the Wind
2. Phantom of the Opera
3. Secondhand Lions
4. O' Brother Where Art Thou

Four places I have lived:
1. Petal/Hattiesburg, MS (they're neighboring cities)
2. Watertown (area), NY
3. Ft. Bragg, NC
4. Poplarville, MS

Four TV shows I watch:
1. Any of the Law and Order shows
2. Survivor
3. Heroes
4. CSI (original one...don't care for CSI: NY or CSI: Miami)

Four places I've been on vacation:
1. Fantasy Kingdom
2. Epcot
3. Disney-MGM studios
4. Animal Kingdom

OK OK OK...
Four places I've been on vacation:
1. Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL
2. DisneyLand, Anaheim, CA
3. Smokey Mountains
4. Little Rock, AR

Four of my favorite foods:
1. strawberries
2. sweet gherkins
3. sweet potato ANYTHING
4. snow crab legs

Four websites I visit:
1. October 2002 Playgroup
2. PvP Online
3. American Family Radio
4. Looking For Group

I have no one to tag...sad isn't it? LOL I'll think of someone eventually...

The pool...is cool...

yeah yeah I'm corny. Seriously though, the pool rocks :) ALL day I've wanted to go out and jump in, but Justin did all the work, and I didn't want to get in without him first. He walked through the door at 4:45 and said "What, you're not in the pool?" So we changed and out we went.

Its really nice, a lot bigger than we thought it'd be, and came with an included volleyball game. The net mounts on poles on each side, and the kids are going to LOVE it. They have NO IDEA that we got a pool, much less got it put up. Justin built a 19' square frame and filled it with sand, making sure it was levelled, and the whole set-up is just really nice.

And yes, we ended up skinny dipping in broad daylight. I was stunned that Justin was so risque, but hey, I rolled with it ;-)

Audubon Zoo

On Memorial Day, Justin took the kids and me to The Audubon Zoo. We had a lot of fun and I got to try out my new digital camera. However, the pictures were so many, and so large, that I never could get them uploaded on our dialup connection. But...we got WildBlue satellite internet Friday...and while I can't play WoW on it (bummer, cause we're probably going to cancel the house phone) our speeds are SO much better.

So I uploaded most of the decent pics here. Well these are of the family. I'll make another sub-album for the animals...and another for the flora and fauna pics I took. I took WAY too many of those...but I just had to try out my new camera right? Some of the pictures could definitely be better, because I didn't figure out the auto-focus feature until we were about halfway through the zoo *blush*.

But hey, we had fun, right? Here are a couple of my favorite pics of the family:

Wild Blue

Well Justin got us hooked up with Wild Blue today. The good news...I can go anywhere in the house and outside with my laptop and have a fast internet connection. The bad news...WoW doesn't play well on it at ALL, despite the assurances of the sales rep that his son played on it better than on dialup. NOPE. Still, Justin needs the faster connection for work, and if we can't have this AND Bellsouth, its bye bye dialup and limited WoW playing for me. I'll be unhappy, but I'll live :)

About Justin's work...they finally got the server problem fixed Monday and he's sleeping better now. WHEW.

Movie Review - The Last Unicorn DVD release

I saw this movie in theaters back in 1982 or so, whenever it was released. I remember it was the early 80's, because I met my best friend Phyllis in 3rd period English class on the 1st day of school in 7th grade, and that was in 1981. We saw the movie together. We loved it...it was very strange compared to other animated features we'd seen at the time, but we loved it nonetheless.

Until the DVD release, I was unaware it was based on an actual book. I'm definitely going to be getting a copy of the book to read.

Regardless, the DVD release itself was extremely disappointing to me. The movie is ONLY available in full-screen, not a wide-screen format, which I much prefer, and which the movie deserves. The quality of the images themselves doesn't seem to be as sharp as my VHS version was (it bit the dust in my house fire in 1999). The menu is pathetic, and the special features aren't really very special at all, although I enjoyed the commentary from author Peter S. Beagle VERY much.

Now. The movie itself...I don't recommend it for the average small child...I was concerned about Bekah watching it at 4 1/2, but I'd forgotten some of the elements when I bought it, and let her watch it. She enjoyed it and loves watching it repeatedly, but some of the themes can be disturbing for a small child.

The movie is a little disjointed...the dialogue is rapid and includes a LOT of run-on sentences, or so it appears due to the quickness. This causes a feeling of being rushed, as if they were trying to cram too much into too little space, and perhaps time was an issue when the movie was first made. It doesn't ruin the movie, if anything it makes it somewhat unique...but it does irritate me a little. However, all three of my kids love it, and its a great work of literature, and now the older two are wanting to read the book also, so hey, that's something!

The story line itself is very strong, and I love the understory with Molly and Schmendrick. You're left wondering what will happen to Prince Lir, and how Molly and Schmendrick's lives will turn out.

If you've never seen this movie, I highly recommend it, but don't expect Disney quality animation. The animation is very simplified, which in turn gives you more of a chance to focus on the excellent storyline. The soundtrack is performed by America...VERY nice.

If you have small kids, you may wish to watch the movie first without them, but depending on the level your child can handle, it may end up becoming a new family favorite (or an old favorite in my case).

Newest Addition to our Family

We haven't picked a name yet...in fact I put up a poll on my board because there is a fierce debate raging between the kids and me right now. Justin doesn't know that we have her...in fact our last conversation was not too positive...but I'm hoping I can work him around. If worst comes to to worst, she can go outside once she's used to us...but I really don't want to lose another animal to the road...so hopefully I can convince him, AND live up to my end of the bargain.

So anyway, I'll update as soon as a name is chosen!!!

An attempt to divert myself...

Yeah, I'm in a ton o'pain this morning. I'm having to sit out of church, and that really bothers me. I'd much rather be in church with my family than on pain pills and in the recliner right now.

SOOOO in an attempt to divert myself, I've decided to do some more of those fun quizzes I ripped off from Kristina's blog yesterday. Of course, I only took 2-3 from her blog itself...the others I found from doing those, and liked them so put them here :)

Enjoy ;-)

You Are 78% American

You're as American as red meat and shooting ranges. Tough and independent, you think big. You love everything about the US, wrong or right. And anyone who criticizes your home better not do it in front of you!

How American Are You?

Wow, I would have thought I'd be 100% American, considering my patriotism and pride in my veteran status. Whoops!

You Are a Powdered Devil's Food Donut

A total sweetheart on the outside, you love to fool people with your innocent image. On the inside you're a little darker, richer, and more complex. You're a hedonist who demands more than one pleasure at a time. Decadent and daring, you test the limits of human indulgence.

What Donut Are You?

Ummm...ok...

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions. You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.

What European City Do You Belong In?

Ireland...FUN!!!

You Are 79% Borderline

Many signs point toward you having a borderline personality. It's probably a good idea to seek therapy. Or at least read a self help book.

Do You Have a Borderline Personality?

Couldn't resist this one! Thank goodness I'm not 100% borderline LOL! Actually I have been diagnosed borderline, before I was diagnosed bipolar.

You Are Iceman

You tried to live a normal life, but it just wasn't possible A bit of a slacker, you rather tell jokes than cultivate your powers Powers: turning self and others into ice, making ice weapons, becoming nearly invisible

Which of the X-Men Are You?

So much for my secret crush on Wolverine...

Your Life is Rated PG-13

Your life isn't totally scandalous, but you definitely don't shy away from adult themes!

What is Your Life Rated?

Now if I'd had to take this back during my college/Army years...it probably would have maxxed out the bad scale LOL

You've Changed 48% in 10 Years

You've done a good job changing with the times, but deep down, you're still the same person. You're clothes, job, and friends may have changed some - but it hasn't changed you.

How Much Have You Changed in 10 Years?

Glad to know I was as boring 10 years ago as I am now!

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary. If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

That's about right.

You Are Lightning

Beautiful yet dangerous People will stop and watch you when you appear Even though you're capable of random violence You are best known for: your power Your dominant state: performing

What Type of Weather Are You?

How the HECK did they get that from MY answers?? (I do love lightning though)

You Are 48% Impulsive

You're quite impulsive, but you never are reckless. You qualify as a very spontaneous person, but you still know how to honor your commitments. And while responsibility doesn't come easy to you, having fun does!

Are You Impulsive?

OK, I can see that...although financially, I'm VERY impulsive and have a hard time not buying something I see and like.

Your Aura is Red

You have a high level of emotion. This can mean passion, but it can also mean rage. Usually, you don't take these emotions out on others. You just use them as motivation - and it works! The purpose of your life: embracing all the wonders of the life, lots of travels, and tons of adventures Famous reds include: Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Jennifer Lopez Careers for you to try: Dancer, Boxer, Surgeon

What Color Is Your Aura?

Close enough...although I certainly never aspired to emulate Madonna :p

Your Hidden Talent

You have the power to persuade and influence others. You're the type of person who can turn a whole room around. The potential for great leadership is there, as long as you don't abuse it. Always remember, you have a lot more power over people than you might think!

What's Your Hidden Talent?

Wow...

You Are 16% Phobic

Wow, you're scared of very little. And you're always conquering new fears that come up. Have you considered a career as a stunt double? You should at least go on one of those crazy reality shows where you eat bugs!

How Phobic Are You?

True, I didn't choose more than 3 or so...BUT I consider myself a very cowardly person in general LOL

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

Wow. I could be a US citizen. Whoo hoo!

You Are 65% Addicted to Blogthings

You lead the pack when it comes to posting Blogthings. And your friends (mostly) thank you for it. It's cute that you insist on being called your Japanese name. Just stop bragging about your IQ score!

How Addicted To Blogthings Are You?

Couldn't resist this one!!!

And that'll do it for this morning. I've totally wasted my free time. Usually by this time of the morning I'm well on my way to a new WoW level. Oh well...my hunter will still be there later :)

Just some Saturday fun...

So I'm shamelessly stealing some cute things from other blogs today. Sue me. Seriously though, I thought my results were fun, and thought ya'll might like to play too :)

You Are Japanese Food

Strange yet delicious. Contrary to popular belief, you're not always eaten raw.

What Kind of Food Are You?

LOL...ooook whatever...I'm not into ethnic foods AT ALL...although I DO enjoy eating at a certain Japanese steak house in Jackson, MS, whenever I can!

Your Attitude is Better than 60% of the Population

You have a good attitude. While a realist, you do see the positive side of most things. People love to be around you.

How's Your Attitude?

Oddly enough, I always think I'm rather pessimistic. Guess that's the bipolar talking...

You Are a Believer

You definitely believe in God - and you're very unwavering in your religious beliefs. In fact, religion and spirituality are definitely big parts of your life. Religion shapes how you view right and wrong, as well as the decisions you make. It's hard for you to imagine how your life would be without your beliefs.

Are You an Atheist, Agnostic or a Believer?

No surprise there!!!

You Are 44% Brutally Honest

Honesty is important to you, but generally, you try not to be brutal about it. You'll sugar coat the truth when you need to... and tell a white lie when necessary.

How Brutally Honest Are You?

I don't like to hurt feelings, that's for sure, but I will tell people I care about what I'm thinking...

You Are 45% Normal

While some of your behavior is quite normal... Other things you do are downright strange You've got a little of your freak going on But you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself

How Normal Are You?

Yeah...I'm not normal!

You've Experienced 84% of Life

You have an amazing amount of life experience. In fact, you've seen and done more than most people. So congratulate yourself on what you've done so far. The future is only going to be more of the same!

How Much Life Experience Do You Have?

It ain't the years honey, its the mileage!!!

Your Famous Movie Kiss is from Spiderman

"I have always been standing in your doorway. Isn't it about time somebody saved your life?"

What Famous Movie Kiss Are You?

OK I guess this one is kinda cool...although I definitely don't look as good in a wet t-shirt as she did!!!

You Are 45% Redneck

The wheels still turning, but the hamster's dead. You're just fakin' bein' a redneck.

How Redneck Are You?

ROFL...Guess I'm not as bad as I thought I was!!

You Are Not Destined to Rule the World

You are destined for something else... Like inventing a new type of cupcake. You just don't have the stomach for brutality. But watch out - because many people do!

Are You Destined For World Domination?

That's me...Queen of the Cupcakes!!

You Are a Conservative Democrat

Frankly, the way most other Democrats behave embarasses you greatly. You pride yourself on a high level of morals, and you have a good grasp on right and wrong. It's likely you think America needs to get back to its conservative, Juedo-Christian values. Why aren't you a Republican then? Because you believe the goverment helps more than hurts.

What's Your Political Persuasion?

OK, the Conservative I get...but Democrat? Ok maybe...probably cause of my answer on the Pot question...

Well that's enough for now...I could easily be here answering these all day (considering I've been playing for about 3 hours straight now!!!)

Tattoos

So I want a tattoo. Justin is livid. I've never *really* wanted a tattoo before. Since the surgeries last year though, I've really hated the way my scar looks. No one is ever going to SEE my scar except for doctors. Why NOT get a tattoo across it? I'm thinking of a dragon. I like dragons. Plus, I've heard that dragons are for protection. I definitely could use some added protection ;) I can't find a good picture that I like though. It'd have to be something PERFECT...something that I wouldn't regret the next day. I'm thinking purples and green...but I can be flexible.

To be honest, its probably just window shopping. Most likely I'd never be brave enough to actually do it...not to mention, I'm not even sure that tattooing over a scar like mine would be even possible.

I'm 37 years old and contemplating my first tattoo. Maybe its an early mid-life crisis type thing?

From the mouths of babes...

So I'm laying here on the bed, watching the SNL special that's on NBC tonight, and Jared goes to my bathroom to get q-tips and nail clippers. Adam Sandler is on the TV, and this is the conversation that ensues:

Jared: How old is Adam Sandler?
Me: Not sure, around my age I think.
J: 36?
M: I'm 37 son.
J: You look 36.
M: Dang son, you're SUPPOSED to say 29 or something!
J: You don't look THAT young!
M: You are GROUNDED for a MONTH!
J: Seriously Mama, you don't look any older than 30! You just don't look 29 is all!
M: Keep digging, keep digging.
J: Aw crap.

My firstborn son loves me sooooo much ...

ENOUGH of the Bad Times!

I was looking at my list of posts and realized that I have 36 (this makes 37) posts, and of that number, SEVENTEEN of them are labeled Bad Times. My life is NOT all pain and gloom and doom. OK well its not all gloom and doom anyway. I realized I tend to journal (and thus, blog) more when I'm hurting emotionally, but I need to journal when I'm not hurting as well. The "Hot pink robe and a dirt road" post for instance. That was a funny experience. I have fun/funny experiences all the time. I just need to remind myself to blog about them.

For instance, yesterday was Cinqo (spelling?) de Mayo...and we have a huge Mexican population in our area, so Wal-Mart had a lot of decorations and specialty items for it. Now apparently, Friday night, after I left, a very intoxicated Mexican decided he really wanted to celebrate early. He came running out of the bathroom singing something (another worker said she thought it was the Mexican National Anthem) at the top of his lungs and ran throughout the whole store...stark naked. Ya know, I would have loved to have seen the managers and CSMs and on-duty cop trying to catch him. Where exactly does one "grab" a naked drunk? He was finally cornered back in the garden center. I'm not sure what happened after that. I'm sad that I missed it.

I'm also making progress on the pain front. I got a notice in the mail that my surgeon was as good as his word, and got an appointment for me with a pain specialist at Ochsner. With any luck, I'll have a resolution or at least an improvement with my pain issues very soon.

OK I'm going to get very crude here and say something with a bad word, but I have to share this. When I went to Ochsner last week for my 3 month check up, it took 7 sticks to get an IV and 3 small vials of blood. I started tearing up after the first one, and the whole thing was just really emotional. During the process, the tech asked if I'd ever done drugs, because my veins were in such bad shape. I got sooo mad and explained, not very nicely, that I'd almost died from cancer and THAT was why my veins were shot, that I'd never so much as smoked pot thank you very much. My friend Jer said I should have asked her "Have you ever been a man in prison? Because your ass is flapping." I laughed SOOO hard. I swear, I'm going to remember that one. Yeah its crude and nasty but omg its hilarious, because its true. When people say idiotic, hurtful things like that, they ARE talking out of their ass, not their mouths. It made me feel better to know I have a good comeback now :)

I'm off work today and tomorrow. I'm going to make the most of it. Its probably the last time I'll have Sunday and Monday off since I opened up my availability, but its all good. Once the schedule starts rolling out, and I see how the trend is going to be for Money Center and Customer Service, I'm going to talk to Michelle about having my days off be together if at all possible. I need those two days together to recuperate. Having your days off spread out make it really hard to feel rested...it feels like you work all the time. I don't think it'll be a problem at all. I hope it isn't anyway!

So anyway. Enough bad times. I can do this. I'll especially be able to do this once I get back on my meds...which hopefully will be soon. In the meantime, I'll just keep plugging away :)

WoW (World of Warcraft)

The same friend who cursed me with my Neopets addiction also convinced me that WoW is a really great game...I finally got it (before my old laptop fried) but today is the first time in over 2 weeks of owning the game that I've gotten to play it. My free trial was only for 30 days, so I have less than 2 weeks to figure out if I want to continue to play. The problem is money...I have a new laptop to pay for and sadly enough I doubt if I can afford the $15 a month to play.

So far its a fun game. I made a human priest on Wildhammer server named Khandei (cute huh?), and I also have a gnome mage on Onyxia server named Rinandra (I let the game pick the name). I haven't gotten to play Khandei yet because the server went down for patching as I was logging in, but I've spent about an hour playing Rinandra, and so far I really like it. Its very similar to EverQuest but of course since I don't know how to do much yet its still a bit confusing. If I continue with it, I'll be making a binder (or several) like I did with EQ...maps, equipment, quests, etc. Its simpler than EQ, but the graphics are truly awesome. Maybe its my new laptop that make the graphics seem awesome...either way it looks great :lol

The only real downside I can see right now is money. I'll have to figure that one out if I decide to keep playing. Speaking of money...Movie Gallery is hiring...its only minimum wage but I could work while the kids are in school, have free rentals, and make a little spending money...so I may put in my application. I really hate to work for minimum wage...but its hard to find a job paying more with flexible hours I suppose.

Off to frag some more troggs ;-)

A New Dell!!!

Woo hoo! I ordered a new Dell last night...it should be here on September 21 if all goes well. I can NOT wait! The auto/air adapter won't ship until October 4 though...what's up with THAT?

So specs...its an Inspiron...dual processors, 2GB memory, 120GB hard drive, 256mg video card, 17" reallllllly nice widescreen display...all in all its a fully loaded, very nice laptop. I can't wait until it gets here...but a little part of me is hoping Justin can fix my old laptop when he gets home. I'd love the new laptop (and it may be too late to cancel it) but I hate to see my old laptop just get thrown away. Sentimental I suppose...

Mom took Bekah to daycare for me today...she's staying with me while Justin is in Houston. We've been pretty busy the past couple days...its really helped me a lot. I've been so down and depressed that I've needed the distraction.

Had a worrisome doctor visit yesterday...I think that I'll post about that later...I'm not feeling up to it right now and I'm pretty sleepy too!

Hot pink robe and a dirt road!

What a morning! I sat on the porch to watch the kids off this morning...usually I sit out there in my pajamas or night shirt because with the "roof" up no one can see me...this morning it was slightly nippy so I put my robe on. Thank goodness for small favors!

Katie came back in to get her jacket, and on her way back out she managed to lock the door. So I'm locked out, barefoot and wearing just a thin nightshirt and a fuzzy hot pink robe. I told Katie to ask the bus driver to stop at my FIL's (father-in-law) house and ask them to come let me in (they have a spare key). I saw them stop...and then I heard the bus honking and pull off, so I wasn't quite sure if she was successful at waking FIL or not. I waited and waited...then I found an old pair of Justin's shoes outside the door, and put them on and started walking up the dirt road. Halfway there (1/2 a mile) I saw FIL's truck pull out and come my way. I was slightly embarrassed so to cover it I flashed a little leg and stuck my thumb out. FIL didn't miss a beat and acted like he lost control of the truck from my leg flashing LOL.

Long story a little shorter...he had the spare key and I was able to get back inside. Thank you Lord. I must have been a sight though...I hadn't even brushed my hair yet so I had "bed head" on top of the fashion statement I was making. Thank goodness no cars came until AFTER I'd gotten into FIL's truck...

My bedroom is finished, furniture-wise. I still have to organize stuff...I piled boxes of clothes and junk in the bathroom where I'd HAVE to do something with it...so today I'm going to work on that. I'm rewarding myself with computer time because I earned it after the morning I had LOL. That and I didn't get online much at all yesterday and I worked all day on my room.

The laptop IS having a few glitches now...apparently the floppy and DVD drive are both shot :( Oh well, it could be much worse!!

Neomania (new addiction to Neopets!)

A couple weeks ago, a friend either did me a huge favor or a gross disservice...she introduced me to Neopets. Since then, I'm on that website pretty much the entire time I'm online. Its not a HUGE amount of fun, so I'm not really sure why I'm so hooked. I mean, I can only register scores on my favorite games 3 times a day...my fingers cramp up from playing the games on a laptop keyboard...I don't shut the laptop down when I should (i.e. for BED) and so I'm losing even less sleep than normal.

Have you played Neopets? Depending on how you view your online time, you may or may not want to explore this option lol. If you do decide to try it out, feel free to use this link: http://www.neopets.com/refer.phtml?username=xanthgyrl . You don't have to of course, but if you do I get a small reward of neopoints (the currency used on the Neopets site) or, once I have a certain number of referrals, an item or benefit (such as a level gain for my pets).

I'd advise only starting out with one pet...until you really familiarize yourself with the site, it can be hard to take care of more than that. Yes, you have to feed and play with your pet.

Some of my favorite games to play are Cheat, Attack of the Revenge, Scarab 21, Deckswabber, Destruct-O-Match II, Igloo Garage Sale - the Game, Pterattack, Snowball Fight, Sutek's Tomb, among many others :)

Give it a try...its free, its fun, its family-friendly. Even my almost-4-year-old has a pet on her own account. Of course, I do the "work" but she tells me what to do :lol My oldest and I regularly play together, which makes for good family bonding time.

Man, this reads like a paid advertisement or something. Truth be known, I just didn't have anything really worth talking about today and realized I hadn't posted anything since my first post on Friday lol.