I am not sure what she thinks she is doing there. Modeling I guess. lol

She actually brushed her hair and told me the night before what she wanted to wear to her first day back in school. Hmmm, and I thought I was raising a 'tomboy', but perhaps I was mistaken. There might be hope yet though, she left the head band in the car (knowingly).

Last night we picked Tori up, stopped at Subway for dinner, then off to get our haircut, and after that to Tori's school for Open House. Open House was uneventful, Tori knows where to sit and met the teacher. She was more interested in the Guinea Pig and Lizards that were in aquariums on the back shelf than anything else. :) We got home around 7pm.

I headed out the door for my 4 miler and did it in a nice pace. Other than some side stiches I had a really good run. After I got back Brian headed out the door with his bike for a 1/2 hour bike ride (we can't go out together because of Tori). He hasn't done that in forever, but I think my weight loss is finally making him want to do something about his pouch. :)

I cleaned the house while he was gone and got Tori's lunch ready. After he got back and a quick shower we headed to bed. We were tired!

Ericka is moving into school tomorrow. Brian and I are taking the day off to help her move in. Her mother is being quite a butthole so I am not sure what all we have to buy her to make her life comfortable in the dorm. We already bought school supplies and a sturdy computer/school bag. She did mention that she got a $500 for a dance scholarship, so that should take care of the books for this semester (or so I hope).

Brian is really stressing at work. I am not sure why. I think it's his boss. That guy has some serious mood swings, and is worried to piss anybody above him off. AND he (the boss) hopes to come up with this great invention/thing that will put his name in the book forever. But, the fact that he sometimes has no clue what's going on, and that he is a befuddle 60 something makes that goal impossible. In the mean time Brian has to put up with his stuff, which he feels is at time a waste of resources. But, like you said about Papa, he's the boss and in the end Brian's gotta do what the boss says.

In regards to Papa, I can't believe he's acting that way. I mean, I know that you can be a difficult (or is it stuborn?) person when you want to be, but I also know that you usually do what's right. I am not sure what he is thinking about putting his girlfriends to work like that in the shop. It doesn't seem like good business practice to me (considering he doesn't keep them for too long). He must be pretty serious about her if he acts this way. I try not to think about him too much, because it just makes my heart ache. I do hope that it all works out.

So, *deep breath* I am off tomorrow to go to Ericka's school, which is in Columbus, that should be fun. I'll be back at work on Friday though. We have no plans for the weekend as of yet. I would like to run 10 miles either Saturday or Sunday, depending on if I am going to a 5k heart walk with Brian on Saturday or not. We'll see. But that's it. I am looking forward to a quiet weekend. I think we deserve that.

I hope you'll have the same. Please tell Jan & Gertrud I said HI.

HDL

P.s.: If you can't come up with a title then just leave it blank. It will generate a number (it's the post count number) and post that instead. No need to stress. ;)

Gears of War II is another game (along with Fable II, Fallout III and Spore) that I am really getting sticky about (with joy, not my glistening entrails).

And apparently, there will be an alternate sound track if you turn the profanity filter on...

...Penny Arcade done THIS

The Website has been up for a while now, and on there you will find an excellent run through of a couple of game levels. Now apparently, this has caused some upset amongst our more despair-ridden kin (you know the ones; pierced lips, asymmetrical hair styles that require a lot of gel and black dye, names like 'Despair' 'Tenebrous' and 'Caliginous'), for they do not feel that the new game presents a grim or more specifically grey enough aesthetic, and they have taken matters into their own hands.

Penny Arcade (personal favourite web comic) ran a most amusing strip about it, and the designers of the new game actually Reviewed Some Screenshots.

My thoughts?

Well, I used to be a bit angsty myself, and spent long periods of time drifting mournfully around graveyards, weeping at the pure beauty of the dark, and contemplating the blackness of a bin liner. I would write bad poems (you know the sort of thing; "Oh tender darkness, take me unto thy bosom, fill my heart with bitter-sweet tears, and let me drift, oh drift, upon the waters of lethe....etc etc."), and I always feel slightly protective of goths / emo kids...

...But they are wrong in this case. Dead wrong. As wrong as wrong can be. Much as I thrive on darkness in my games (both video and tabletop), I can't bloody play them if everything is so desaturated and grey that they become indistinguishable from the background. Like wise, a blob of beauty and light here and there, emphasises the darkness and malevolence of the antagonists.

So, my black lipstick wearing, eye-liner smudged, unwashed gloom-babies, shut up - or I will summon some nameless abominations from the howling depths of Emeth'Shentanyrr and send it's frothing and boiling madness into your very soul.

Muwahahahahahahaha!!!

And in other news, CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT NICE, LIZ AND MEGAN ON THE ARRIVAL OF YOUR NEWEST SPAWNLING. YAY!!!!

There. I'm done.

I saw photos of Lance that actually made me gasp, as he has grown SO MUCH! His appetite has to be seen to be believed- is it any wonder I have transformed into Suzie Homemaker, preparing batches of cookies, muffins and other diabetes-friendly taste sensations. He's morphed from a little boy into my best pal. We chit-chat and laugh all day long, and never tire of each other's company. I'm so blessed to have him. :D

I recalled historical events like World Diabetes Day, and the ousting of our former stale and tiresome Prime Minister.

I read comments from all of the wonderful, supportive and unfailingly kind D Bloggers, when Lance was diagnosed with his first complications.

I also marvelled at the many new and special friendships I have made.  I am so proud of the people that I call "friend" in my Blogroll, each of them are entirely different, and it's that diversity that I dearly cherish .

Over the past year, I have reinforced my friendship with my good friend, Shannon, who is a fantastic confidante, and so unbelievably kind. Even though we have an ocean between us, we walk in very similar shoes. (Of course, I am Lance's Mum, and Shannon is Brendon's Mom, Brendon being Lance's penfriend and link to what's happening in the States.) Dan, my younger brother, has taken some collosal steps over the past year, and as a result is sitting in a very cosy nook, where the sun is always at its brightest. I am so proud of who you have become, sweetheart. Then there is Kerri, the first D Blogger I ever made contact with. She too, has had a fantastic 12 months, and a result, made a stunning bride in May.

I have also made some fascinating friendships along the way.  Janek-possibly the most charismatic man I have ever known. I swear, he is the equivilent of Human Valium-his ability to transform me from inconsolable and exhausted, to tranquil and calm is a true gift. He feels more like family these days. Dae is a really funky chick who Lance has taken an extreme liking to-her posts are very inspiring and fresh, despite lugging Type 2 Diabetes alongside her. Oh my, then there is Kezza. This gorgeous creature has left me wheezing from attacks of manic laughter. He also talks my talk, and without fail, has something interesting or inspirational to say. If Lance could grow up and manage to squeeze his Diabetes into his back pocket the way Kezza can, I would be a very content mother. Other "Mom's" like Rhonda and Penny are inspirational women, and it's been comforting to learn about their daily struggles and successes as parents of beautiful kids with Type 1 Diabetes.

To every person who reads my posts, and has sent love, prayers, best wishes and hope for Lance, thank you, thank you, thank you. A sentence with a kind sentiment included can make such a difference on a trying day. It also means a lot to Lance that people from all over the world have him in their thoughts.

This post is dedicated to each of you. You continue to provide me with glimmers of hope, and some raucous cackles thrown in for good meaure. The worst day can be turned around by some gentle, patient words of encouragement.

On the same note, please know that I am always really eager to know how your lives are progressing, and that catching up on your posts is always a special time of my day.

Ah, you are just a bunch of shiny, happy people.

You may have seen this hillarious TV Commercial.

For more of these gags go to YouTube Penny Pranks

It was great having them all in the house. Tori had a good birthday. Micha wasn't doing so good, she wasn't feeling well, but she was nice enough to post for pictures.

Not to worry. Even though it was fun, they are not ours. The one I am in belongs to my father in law and the other one to my brother in law. They were going out at a lake near our house so we stopped by and tried them out. It is fun, and more work than it looks like!

Penny D. (2005). An Interpretive review of the origin of life research. p. 633-671

"Life appears to be a natural property of matter, but the problem of its origin only arose after early scientists refuted continuous spontaneous generation. There is no chance of life arising ‘all at once’, we need the standard scientific incremental explanation with large numbers of small steps, an approach used in both physical and evolutionary sciences. (…)"

Texto em inglês

Download aqui ]]> http://sayanythingtwice.wordpress.com/?p=790 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:19:31 +0000 Running Ragged http://sayanythingtwice.wordpress.com/?p=790 Let me know if you need me to send you a raft or something so you'll stay afloat. lol

I don't mind running in the rain. If it isn't raining right into my eyes and it it not super cold I actually enjoy it. Perhaps because my theory is that once you are wet you are wet and I don't wear a waterproof jacket to run, only when it snows. And running in the rain brings back childhood memories of not caring. :)

I have been watching Die Tageschau on the internet and reading articles on their website. I am hoping that it will improve my German. Whenever I don't remember what a particular word means I look it up. But, sometimes I have to stop reading, because I say the words (in my head) and the contents of what I am reading is not registering in  my brain. It doesn't help that some of those words are so friggin long and there are tons of them in one sentence alone. Have I gotten lazy or what! ;) Let me know if there are any other news websites out there that I can watch and read. For some reason my work blocks ZDF, it consideres it P0rn. :( No clue why.

I did not tell you to send Omi a card, but just thought maybe as a reminder it would be great to mention. After all that I FORGOT to send the card in the mail. Go figure. Tori got a card from Omi in the mail yesterday. After all her birthday is just one day after Omi's. Kind of sad that Tori's Great Grandma remembers her birthday, but her Grandparents don't. But no worries. That used to bother me, but not so much anymore.

Last night we had Subway. I called Roger and Carol (parents in law) to see if they would like to meet us there and they did. It was a nice dinner. We didn't get home until 6, which cuts the evening really short. I watched some TV with Brandon, cleaned the house a bit, and put Tori to bed. I crawled into bed around 9:30 and turned the lights out at 10. (I am getting old lol)

Today some guy from the Satellite company is suppose to come by and fix our Sattelite dish so we can get local channels again (ABC, CBS, & NBC). We pay for the service but haven't been able to receive local channels in forever. With NBC showing the Olympics we had to get that fixed. Brandon really wanted to watch them and I'd like to have the local channels so I can check on the weather and school closings. :)

I am leaving work at 1pm today. I am taking 2 hours vacation and with working through lunch I can leave at 1 instead of 2. Oh, did I mention my boss is not in today, that helped me make my decision. ;)

I plan on stopping at the grocery store, then get Tori, and head home. There I plan on cleaning a bit (yeah, always gotta clean), ride the stationary bike for about an hour and then maybe paint a little in the basement. We'll see.

Sometimes, when we have these out of whack work weeks it makes you appreciate the really monotone ones, doesn't it? :)

Well, I better get back to work. HDL

SC Simon Bale and colleague PC Simon Penny were dealing with an incident on A39 in Minehead, West Somerset, when they saw another vehicle pull up.

Driver Wayne Green leapt out and called for help explaining his partner Helen Bradbury was about to give birth.

The officers called for an ambulance, but it soon became apparent the unborn baby was not about to delay its arrival into the world on Saturday.

Conveniently Chris Moiser, of the nearby Tropiquaria Animal Centre, was close to hand and called his business partner, Jane Bassett, who was until recently a theatre nurse.

She and SC Bale then helped the pregnant woman as she gave birth to baby girl Ruby inside the car on the side of the road.

PC Penny said: "When Mr Green pulled over, SC Bale could see baby Ruby may not wait until the ambulance arrived. We were very lucky Ms Bassett wasn't too far away and was able to assist. The pair did a fantastic job delivering Ruby under difficult circumstances."

Link

I hope you are having a good week. :) Don't forget to send Omi a card, her birthday is the 15th. 95th I think.  :o I am sending my card out today. "Fly little one..."

HDL

After the parade I took Brandon and Micha back home. Brian had to return the trailer, etc and didn't get back to the house until 2pm. We lounged on the couch watching "Boston Legal" season 3 episodes. He was only able to watch 2 episodes with me and then got bitten by the restless bug. He needed to get things done for his trip to Michigan. I continued to watch more episodes (had to get them all watched so I could return them to the library). I love that show. It is sooo funny. After a few more I stopped and made dinner.

Sunday morning the in laws picked Tori up for Bible school and Brian left with Jenny for Michigan about 10. Peace and quiet in the house. I used that to clean out some of the kitchen cupboard. Some of the food in there, I am not kidding you, was 3 years past it's expiration date. I tossed all that out. I also had a bag of cut up walnuts in the cupboards that was infested with little bugs...Yuck!!! Cleaned and sterilized that. I cleaned some more around the house and watched another episode of Boston Legal. Ahhhh :)

Around 12:30 I woke Micha and Brandon up. After all they had slept long enough! We went to the grocery store, then picked Tori up, stopped on the ice cream shop, and headed back home. Micha and Tori kept getting into eachother's space so I had to separate those two once we. Reminded me of you and I! lol We had dinner then I mowed a little outside while Micha rode the quad. Tori went to bed around 8, I watched the last episode of Boston Legal 3rd season and went to bed.

It was kind of strange not running during the weekend, because usually I have to go to bed early on Friday in order to get my bones out of bed on Saturday for my long run. Then I am usually very tired for the rest of the weekend. Not this time. I did not run. My calf is still sore, but it is getting better. I am hoping to be able to run by this weekend. But we will see. I am glad thought that this does not appear to be a tear, but rather just a pull.

The kids and I baked chocolate chip cookies last night before we went to bed. It was interesting and fun. The cookies turned out really good, but so that they won't overeat I left them just one and took the rest to work. Brandon is trying really had to loose weight and to watch what he eats. So I don't want to encourage the unhealthy eating. I say that as I take another bite of the cookies that are now at my desk at work (to share with the rest of my co-workers). :)

Tonight, after I pick Tori up we are going to the Dollar Store to buy Midknight (our dog) a surprise birthday present. His birthday is this Saturday, on the same days as Tori's. (Actually we moved his b-day to match hers). So, Tori wants to spend her $3 on a present for Midknight. Somehow I feel I'll be helping her purchase other, non birthday related items for herself. Should I survive the Dollar Store we are going to the library to return the DVDs I had rented. Depending on what's there I might pick up one or two new ones.

One of the kids' favorite dinner is Mac&Cheese, Tuna fish and Peas. Don't ask me why, but they LOVE it. So, tonight I'll be making the wonderful feast! ;)

So, that's it's for today. I think...

HDL

I don't quite know if men have a problem with this the most. They treat women with grace but they do't do the same for their wallet? Why?

No seriously. However, this tip of mine is not for everyone because this tip really boils down to WHAT kind of woman you are dating. But in the end also comes down to the kind of guy you are when dating.
Most guys I know DON'T want to restrict themselves in spending for their girlfriend. Most guys, like yourselves have adopt this thinking that if you don't spend a lot on a date, the girl will think you're cheap.
But I'll be frank here. Most guys I know will always complain about having not enough money, or finding a survival guide to survive the next date, and some even work harder just to support going out with their girlfriend. Sure it's nice, but it's down-right stupid and I'm not joking.

So You know what this tip is about? It's making you the CHEAPEST SHIT you can be in dating.
...now now, hear me out. You may be thinking that this is going to be pointless but I'm I can promise you it won't be by the time you finish reading this. There is a good reason why you should be cheap and by using this tip, you will kill two birds with one stone.

Step 2: Knowing your Budget
If there is one training I received that I could be thankful for, is how a friend would give me $20 SGD and tell me to spend only that amount for a date the first time I had to train for this. Seriously, I know the feeling.

Standing beside me is the girl I like, and we're out walking, window shopping and talking, the date was in a city, not the kind of place you'd bring $20 with you. However, I manage to pull it off and I'm going to tell you HOW. Be it in the city, or in a local community, any man will HAVE the urge to spend more then $20 SGD for a girl in hopes to impress her by buying her food, buying her cute accessories like hand phone chains (which is totally pointless and useless) and seriously lah, we all know guys like you buy a bunch of really totally useless and pointless stuff.

OKAY! Step 2. Budget. It's the most basic and the hardest to control where-as Planning is hard because men are lazy. Budget is hard because of pride and ego, the need to impress. But seriously man, don't grow brains the size of golf balls can? Think ahead, and think beyond today for another date. Teenagers especially have the tendency to spend a lot for pretty girls. Spending and PAYING for girls like dolls, clubbing entries, jewellery. But guys, can you fuckers at least think about yourself first?

Budget in dating comes with thinking about yourself FIRST, then the girl. How much do you need to survive the month ahead before your next payroll? Calculate your expenses and your needs. That includes how much you have to save...which none of you toots do anyway. So go ahead and die for your future for all I care, you dim-witted Buffaloes. Once you calculate you expenses, and have spare cash, that's the money range you are going to use to date you girl. However, spare cash can also be a lot of cash. So to keep dating to it's minimum.

However, when you are trying to keep in control, one of the best ways to save money is to do Step 1: Planning.

That's why Planning your outing and calculating you budget are two steps that must be done at the same time. When you are looking for proper dating spots, at the same time, look out for makan spots also that serves good food and something you and your girlfriend have not tried. New locations, different sense of style in your outings, and finding unique and cheap spots is all important. Money don't grow on trees

If you are in doubt of where you want to go, get a copy of Singapore Sights that can be found in Times Bookshop, or go to this link http://www.singaporesights.com/70 . Though updates in this site are slow, I sometimes get my ideas from there. Even with events being held in Singapore, get ideas, and go visit those places. Even when events are held in where you have chosen to pick for your date doesn't mean you should focus on the events. LOOK and use your fucking eyes and also observe for future possible dating sites in around that area that is cheaper cost for you and your gal. There are so many cheap spots yet with great sensation perfect for dating everywhere. You can save so much money.

But you know whats the greatest thing about being a penny-saver? If you can be optimistic, and enthusiastic about always sticking to your budget, and letting you gal know, she may come to respect the fact that you think ahead, and behind every woman's mind they are always thinking about whether you can support a future family. If the woman insist you spend like no tomorrow, my advise, dump her. You deserve better. Being a penny-saver lets you see what kind of girl you have and if she is thinking for your well-being as well. So think it through. I'll cover more on budget some other time.

The next tip will be up soon. It focuses on the day of the date, after you plan you budget and your plan is executed. Its going to be long, but one thing I can assure you...is that it determines how much a decent girl would appreciate you after that.

Source: Sole Collector

Nike is really stepping it up with all these Penny re-releases

These are beyond words.

Cost: $225

Pics courtesy of Sole Collector

Other than running we really didn't have any plans for this weekend. Well, there is the parade that Jenny and Patches are in. That's Saturday morning. It's part of the Baltimore Festival tha's going on (that includes the 5k race). (Baltimore is Brian and his kid's hometown, 10 min from our house) So Jenny's 4-H dog group is in the parade. Roger provided them with the trailer, which the 4-H kids decorated and Brian will be towing with our Blazer in the parade. I am hoping that none of the dogs will try to jump off! lol

Brian is leaving for Michigan with Jenny on Sunday sometime. He's planning on coming home Thursday. I really don't have anything planned with my kids during that time. I have to work. :(

We are currently painting the basement. We are painting it baige, blue, and yellow. I wanted bright colors, after all it will be a workout room, that serves as a safe place in case of tornados. I can't wait for it to be done. I think it will look great. I am also looking forward to creating and putting up my Wall of Achievements. I am mentally designing it right now. :)

That's it in a nutshell. I'll take some pictures Saturday and post them next week.

I hope you had a great weekend with lots of sunshine and time to get into your pool without freezing to death. :-)

HDL

One person I have not seen anyone actually dressing up as is Penny. Let's face it, she doesn't have a costume so it's kind of hard to be her. Right? Wrong. I'll get back to why this is wrong later because right now this leads me to a new pet peeve of mine; People so-called cosplaying as Penny by wearing a Captain Hammer fan tee. Umm...I'd hate to break this to you, and even if you have red hair, wearing that shirt only makes you a Captain Hammer groupie...You remember them right? You know, "We do the weird stuff!". Yeah, that is who you are. Do not try to kid yourself into thinking you are Penny, because you are not Penny. Hmph!

OK so even though Penny didn't have a costume there is still a way to dress up as her. You know the scene where she is trying to get signatures for the homeless shelter? All I did was find some clothes similar to what she wears there (haven't bought them yet) and then all I'd need is a clip board and there you have it! Instant Penny. I decided on this outfit because it is fairly easy to replicate (plus I thought it was cute) and she has a prop...that isn't a laundry basket. ;) I was trying to keep things on the cheap side, which may have left me with less options, but that's fine (for me anyway). So here are the things that I found (hover over items you'll see that they are linked) a belt at Kohls that I liked, a tank top at Target, a hoodie that might work (from KMart) and some cute shoes from Payless that I thought would be just right. As far as the jeans go I was thinking of checking stores like Fashion Bug or Marshalls. Get something with the 'distressed' feel and details on the back pockets (or add some iron on type embroidery that can be found at a craft store for the details). Another idea is try to copy the outfit from when she was at the park on her date with Captain Hammer and you can walk around with some frozen yogurt...and a spork. lol

So if you want to wear a Captain Hammer "fan tee" then you need to be holding an autographed photo of Captain Hammer...Or maybe a piece of paper with a lock of hair on it...Or both. Because, and I will say this one more time, you are a...wait for it...

GROUPIE!

"Are you a fan of texting?  I certainly am.  There have been months when I blew through my texting plan, and got a nasty bill in the mail.  I was thinking about this today and It's amazing how badly we are being ripped off by the phone companies for what amounts to just standard data.

Did you know that a full text message, including text and headers is only about 160 bytes?  That's right.  BYTES,  not kilobytes, not megabytes.  Bytes.  And even if you have a texting plan for lets say 1000 messages for $10.00 a month,  you're still paying 1 cent per text.  1 cent for 160 bytes.  In that sense, that doesn't sound like much, I know.  It's hard to get angry over 1 cent.  But in this time of high speed mobile internet, and $30 unlimited 3g data plans,  charging 1 cent for 160 bytes, is the internet equivalent of throwing you on a bed of hot coals and raping you.

Let me explain.

You're average MP3 from iTunes or Zune, or wherever you get your music, is somewhere around 4 megabytes.  Thats 4,194,304 bytes.

So, if you were charged the same amount of money per byte to download your music,  guess how much that single mp3 would cost?

$262.14.   OVER TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS.  For a single song, downloaded once.

Hell, if you were charged that data rate,  guess how much it would cost you JUST to load the homepage of this site?

$32.00.  Just to go to ONE web site, ONE TIME.

Ridiculous isnt it?  And that is pricing based on having a texting plan.  Now granted, my math is off if you're paying 10 cents per text,  or if you have an unlimited texting plan.   Also, you wouldn't want to, nor be able to, transfer that much data over SMS, but the fact is, that since SMS messages are just standard data, there is absolutely no reason that Cellphone companies should charge you so much for so little data, especially in addition to an unlimited data plan.

The funny thing is, that people who would complain about tiered internet access, with 5GB per month caps, have no problem forking over the extra $10 per month for thier text plans.

This needs to stop, and it needs to stop now.  I would like to suggest sending a snail mail ( so that they actually read it ) letter to your mobile carrier, letting them know that you are fed up with the high prices for SMS data, and that a change needs to be made.  I'll be sending mine to T-Mobile today."- Justin Flood

I found this at

http://justinflood.com/

For this exact post go to:

http://justinflood.com/?p=300

Anyway, I figured I'd better put something up here before my blogging license gets revoked. Also, the SAB I wanted to do is teetering on irrelevance, so I have to get on it.

A little while ago Courtney Love was photographed walking around in her granny underpants looking all pale and skeletal and fucked up. Some people thought she looked like a ghost but with that white skin and blood red gaping maw, I thought she resembled someone else altogether:

I think they'd get along great, don't you? They could share makeup tips and and talk about chaos together. CUTE.

P.S. If you haven't seen TDK you have problems and I don't even know how to help you.

And as punctuation on this very quick mini-postette, I give you two recent Penny Pie pictures. Yes, they are of her in bed again. She's just so cute in the morning! Enjoy.

I'll try to post my favorite ever picture of Amy Winehouse before the week is out. Ciao!

KP as captain
Seems to be invisible
But v effective