I'm feeling better than I have been feeling for a little while, both physically and mentally. The physical part is no doubt related to just eating better and more regular exercise (and my whopping 40lb shrugs I did yesterday in Fitness class, hoorah). The mental part is probably related in a good part to that as well but I'm also allowing sunshine to claim a role. It's nice to peek outside of the fog (I say that both figuratively and literally).
I haven't let myself listen to sad music, or the music that makes me feel sad (because sometimes they are not one in the same) and I am always surprised at the role that music can play in one's mood. The kiddo and I were talking this morning about music and we thought it would be fun if everyone danced and sang as just a regular part of life...as if we were all in a musical...you may guess that our morning routine has become a scene from our very own musical. If it's not entertaining, it's at least motivating, and some how keeps us both perked up for the morning and that certainly has a small part in my good mood as well.
Anyway, I keep chugging along and emotionally I know that I'm on a roller coaster and the lows will come with the highs but I'll deal with them when the cart gets there. I continue to miss my brother, continue to panic at the overwhelming aftermath of his death, continue to worry about my mom and other family members, and I continue to keep myself busy with family, work, teaching, sewing, etc. and it helps. I'm enjoying this semester's students. They are good people, ask great questions, and make me laugh.
Why am I even writing this post? What you can't see is that for this one post I am publishing, is about 10 posts I chose not to publish because they are angry and sad posts written over the course of the past 6 weeks. And while each one represents, pretty accurately, how I've been feeling about myself and people in general, it's not the message I want to send out in the world. My last published posts here were all either sad, or me complaining about this or that. My past few years have been peppered with deaths, chaos, and messy things...but for the bulk of the time, they've been decent and I never write posts that say, "life is decent" and I thought I should. ESPECIALLY after looking at my 10 unpublished posts...
So, life is decent, even with the peppering of bad stuff that's usually followed up by lots of grief and stress, life is still decent. So go out and lift some weights, or run/bike a few laps, listen to delightful music, take care of your shit, and do good things. Sometimes it's foggy, and sometimes it's not.
Showing posts with label Blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogs. Show all posts
20110109
The Flatt 52 Photog
My friend Kelly has a new blog, a photo blog, I encourage you to visit it and check it out. It makes me want to have a photog sort of like the one I started to participate in, in 2009, Picture A Day with Madness. But then I think about being overwhelmed with everything I already attempt to do and I forget all about that...so I shall live through Kelly on this one...
Do enjoy... Flatt 52
Do enjoy... Flatt 52
20101101
NaBloPoMo Year Two
Welcome NaBloPoMo!
My goal this month, besides the mediocre task of giving birth, is to blog daily. Even if it's merely a photo, I shall try.
If you are uncertain what NaBloPoMo is, it happens to stand for National Blog Posting Month. Since my blogs are usually just worthless rants and raves that I feel the need to share with everyone, they mean little in terms of daily blogging, but it at least forces me to write daily. As it is therapeutic for me, I feel I should make the effort to write more, and this month, I at least have the excuse.
I'm trying to decide if I should require myself to blog here daily, or if I can combine the daily bloggings between here, BabyBlog, and HOK Life. What do you think?
My goal this month, besides the mediocre task of giving birth, is to blog daily. Even if it's merely a photo, I shall try.
If you are uncertain what NaBloPoMo is, it happens to stand for National Blog Posting Month. Since my blogs are usually just worthless rants and raves that I feel the need to share with everyone, they mean little in terms of daily blogging, but it at least forces me to write daily. As it is therapeutic for me, I feel I should make the effort to write more, and this month, I at least have the excuse.
I'm trying to decide if I should require myself to blog here daily, or if I can combine the daily bloggings between here, BabyBlog, and HOK Life. What do you think?
the tags:
Blogs,
Daily,
HOK,
NaBloPoMo,
Stephysite Baby
20100917
My Personality (Neurotic)
I read an HOK Work+Place blog today about how one's personality could affect the workspace. In that, Vivian included a link to a test for the "Big Five Model". I took it, and here are my results:
[To see my complete results, go here! My comments on the results are below, bracketed in italics.]
Scoring is out of 99.
EXTRAVERSION...............29
..Friendliness.............21
..Gregariousness...........25
..Assertiveness............57
..Activity Level...........82
..Excitement-Seeking.......22
..Cheerfulness.............12
Your score on Extraversion is low, indicating you are introverted, reserved, and quiet. You enjoy solitude and solitary activities. Your socializing tends to be restricted to a few close friends. [Yes, I do often like to be alone, I also avoid large crowds, and while I may appear to be loud and outgoing, I have to force myself to be that person.]
AGREEABLENESS..............34
..Trust....................29
..Morality.................20
..Altruism.................79
..Cooperation..............24
..Modesty..................60
..Sympathy.................43
Your level of Agreeableness is average, indicating some concern with others' Needs, but, generally, unwillingness to sacrifice yourself for others. [I'm disappointed that the results say I am unwilling to sacrifice myself, I think I sacrifice myself quite a bit when I can...however, the lack of trust and my real need for altruism I feel have shown up numerically. Morality of 20 pts...hmm, my morals are interesting I suppose]
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS..........63
..Self-Efficacy............64
..Orderliness..............60
..Dutifulness..............31
..Achievement-Striving.....48
..Self-Discipline..........65
..Cautiousness.............75
Your score on Conscientiousness is average. This means you are reasonably reliable, organized, and self-controlled. [Organized...been called that since childhood.]
NEUROTICISM................92
..Anxiety..................91
..Anger....................76
..Depression...............98
..Self-Consciousness.......66
..Immoderation.............52
..Vulnerability............93
Your score on Neuroticism is high, indicating that you are easily upset, even by what most people consider the normal demands of living. People consider you to be sensitive and emotional. [I am SO neurotic, I don't know how I didn't get those last 7 points!]
OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE.....29
..Imagination..............53
..Artistic Interests.......19
..Emotionality.............81
..Adventurousness..........2
..Intellect................37
..Liberalism...............49
Your score on Openness to Experience is low, indicating you like to think in plain and simple terms. Others describe you as down-to-earth, practical, and conservative. [I really hate change. I'm also very down to earth, gravity can be our friend.]
[Side note...wrote over at BabyBlog]
[To see my complete results, go here! My comments on the results are below, bracketed in italics.]
Scoring is out of 99.
EXTRAVERSION...............29
..Friendliness.............21
..Gregariousness...........25
..Assertiveness............57
..Activity Level...........82
..Excitement-Seeking.......22
..Cheerfulness.............12
Your score on Extraversion is low, indicating you are introverted, reserved, and quiet. You enjoy solitude and solitary activities. Your socializing tends to be restricted to a few close friends. [Yes, I do often like to be alone, I also avoid large crowds, and while I may appear to be loud and outgoing, I have to force myself to be that person.]
AGREEABLENESS..............34
..Trust....................29
..Morality.................20
..Altruism.................79
..Cooperation..............24
..Modesty..................60
..Sympathy.................43
Your level of Agreeableness is average, indicating some concern with others' Needs, but, generally, unwillingness to sacrifice yourself for others. [I'm disappointed that the results say I am unwilling to sacrifice myself, I think I sacrifice myself quite a bit when I can...however, the lack of trust and my real need for altruism I feel have shown up numerically. Morality of 20 pts...hmm, my morals are interesting I suppose]
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS..........63
..Self-Efficacy............64
..Orderliness..............60
..Dutifulness..............31
..Achievement-Striving.....48
..Self-Discipline..........65
..Cautiousness.............75
Your score on Conscientiousness is average. This means you are reasonably reliable, organized, and self-controlled. [Organized...been called that since childhood.]
NEUROTICISM................92
..Anxiety..................91
..Anger....................76
..Depression...............98
..Self-Consciousness.......66
..Immoderation.............52
..Vulnerability............93
Your score on Neuroticism is high, indicating that you are easily upset, even by what most people consider the normal demands of living. People consider you to be sensitive and emotional. [I am SO neurotic, I don't know how I didn't get those last 7 points!]
OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE.....29
..Imagination..............53
..Artistic Interests.......19
..Emotionality.............81
..Adventurousness..........2
..Intellect................37
..Liberalism...............49
Your score on Openness to Experience is low, indicating you like to think in plain and simple terms. Others describe you as down-to-earth, practical, and conservative. [I really hate change. I'm also very down to earth, gravity can be our friend.]
[Side note...wrote over at BabyBlog]
the tags:
Blogs,
HOK,
personality,
Tests,
Twisted Traits,
Vivian
20100913
Starting Now
Due to some prompting by Holly, I've started a blog devoted to that which is Baby Yadi and my daily (if I can keep up) rantings about pregnancy. Basically, I just want to be able to record the things I'll otherwise one day forget. For example, right now the kid is jumping on my bladder giving me this urge to run to the bathroom, but as soon as it starts, it stops thus giving me the giggles (it's funny to think what this thing can do). While it's really more of a personal diary for me, I am keeping it public so that those who wish to follow along may do so.
Should you wish to follow the baby stuff go to...
For the record, I'll still be writing here as randomly as I have been. I will attempt to keep most of the baby stuff relegated to BabyBlog, with the occasional sharing of information here at My Moblie Blog.
Should you wish to follow the baby stuff go to...
StephySite BabyBlog
For the record, I'll still be writing here as randomly as I have been. I will attempt to keep most of the baby stuff relegated to BabyBlog, with the occasional sharing of information here at My Moblie Blog.
the tags:
baby,
Blogs,
Diary,
Stephysite Baby,
Yadier Molina
20100809
The Parade of Mimes
I've always found my dreams to be bizarre, frightening, and interesting in such a way that I never want to forget them for reasons I can't begin to explain. I've written randomly about some of the dreams I've had such as the Chicken Pox dream and Future World/Past World; being the Angel of Death; onomatopoeia; the dream where they were going to take my shoes; and really, any one of the dreams about dead people!
Lately though, I've missed out on the blogging of dreams. I've simply lacked time or motivation. Today though, I spent some time talking to my buddy Eva about a dream I had last night. We analyzed the dream too, trying to figure out just what my brain wants me to know. It was fun, you should chime in and tell me what you think! So here it is...I shall call this dream, the Parade of Mimes.
Lately though, I've missed out on the blogging of dreams. I've simply lacked time or motivation. Today though, I spent some time talking to my buddy Eva about a dream I had last night. We analyzed the dream too, trying to figure out just what my brain wants me to know. It was fun, you should chime in and tell me what you think! So here it is...I shall call this dream, the Parade of Mimes.
There was a parade that was both creepy and festive at the same time. I was in
the parade for part of the time and watching the parade the rest of the time and
wore a beret of some sort. I don't know where I was but it had the feel of a
damp European city, the streets were wet, the stone of the buildings was damp,
my hair was frizzy, and the wind was chilly and sharp. While I can't recall many
detail of the parade, I do know that there were both Mustangs and Corvettes in
the parade (brilliant blues and yellows) as well as mimes. Lots of mimes. They
were creepy, as all mimes are, in typical mime gear (black and white, red
suspenders). Eventuallly it was time to go, I had to walk across a bridge from
Scotland to Ireland (or the other way around, who knows) and it was REALLY windy
and I lost my hat. The bridge was really close to the water so I crawled
on the bridge and I was so scared the wind blew the hat right off and I couldn’t
do anything about it cause my arms were stiff from holding onto the bridge.
20100111
Chet the Jet
I recommend books all the time that people probably end up hating and wondering why I'd even bother reading let alone recommending! But one of the books I once recommended to my brother was Dog On It by Spencer Quinn, seemingly enjoyed by all. My mom and both my brothers read it. Since then, and to my utmost delight, I found the blog by Chet the Jet (hero of the book, a dog named Chet). I also follow Chet on Twitter! Anyway, the new book is out, Thereby Hangs A Tail.
I chose to mention this because I was reading today's blog which made me chortle aloud at work, thus giving away the fact I wasn't actually working. [People don't laugh at work in this industry]. So it goes, Chet arrives home and realizes that there have been trespassers. I'm on edge with anticipation as to who might have been on his property...
...I have to laugh, that's just exactly what a dog would do; get everyone up in arms thinking some one is at the door or breaking into the house, you charge through rooms at the ready to find, but what, really?, that's just a squirrel taunting you with it's tail! Ohhhhh Dogs!
Anyway, good books, go read!
SMART ASS
WHAT AM I?
I am a form of dance.
I have companies throughout the world.
My lead dancers are called principals.
I have five main positions.
Edgar Degas’ paintings of me are well known.
The Nutcracker and Swan Lake are among my popular works.
Mikhail Baryshnikov is one of my most famous dancers.
My apparel can include tutus and toe shoes.
[easy peasy japanesy...and on that note, Mike, you were right, it was Degas...interesting that we just had that conversation yesterday]
WORDS
febrile: marked or caused by fever; feverish. This word, along with fever, are derived from the Latin word febris, meaning a fever.
confabulate: 1.:to talk informally; chat. 2. to hold a discussion; to confer. 3.:to fill in gaps in memory by fabrication. Confabulate, fabulous, and fable are all derivatives of the Latin word fabula meaning "conversation" or "story" depending on the usage.
kinesics: a systematic study of the relationship between nonlinguistic body motions (as blushes, shrugs, and eye movement) and communication. The formal study of "body language" is believed to have begun with the publishing of Ray Birdshistell's book Introduction to Kinesics in 1952.
I chose to mention this because I was reading today's blog which made me chortle aloud at work, thus giving away the fact I wasn't actually working. [People don't laugh at work in this industry]. So it goes, Chet arrives home and realizes that there have been trespassers. I'm on edge with anticipation as to who might have been on his property...
...I followed the scents: squirrel, bird, the mailman, toad, and several of my guys, including – Iggy?
...I have to laugh, that's just exactly what a dog would do; get everyone up in arms thinking some one is at the door or breaking into the house, you charge through rooms at the ready to find, but what, really?, that's just a squirrel taunting you with it's tail! Ohhhhh Dogs!
Anyway, good books, go read!
SMART ASS
WHAT AM I?
[easy peasy japanesy...and on that note, Mike, you were right, it was Degas...interesting that we just had that conversation yesterday]
WORDS
febrile: marked or caused by fever; feverish. This word, along with fever, are derived from the Latin word febris, meaning a fever.
confabulate: 1.:to talk informally; chat. 2. to hold a discussion; to confer. 3.:to fill in gaps in memory by fabrication. Confabulate, fabulous, and fable are all derivatives of the Latin word fabula meaning "conversation" or "story" depending on the usage.
kinesics: a systematic study of the relationship between nonlinguistic body motions (as blushes, shrugs, and eye movement) and communication. The formal study of "body language" is believed to have begun with the publishing of Ray Birdshistell's book Introduction to Kinesics in 1952.
20091223
Year In Review - Part I
I only have a few days left of this year and since this year has sucked so royally, next year, the big 2010, will be grand. One can only hope.
As today is my Friday, I'm feeling pretty good. I thought that I'd get started on my year in review. To say I don't know where to start would be completely cliche, but true. It's not that I did so much that I can't even begin; rather, I just don't remember. Lucky for me (and you), I wrote a blog this year!
Instead of recapping all that has happened in the year, I'll simply start with the topic of "Downtime- What I Did to Recharge". Wonder where I got this great [modified] idea? Well, check out this fellow here!
I Blogged at stephysite and hoklife!
There are the obvious things to make myself physically "unwind" and these consist of Nyquil and diphenhydramine. A lot of Effexor helps too!
I've spent some time this year "getting in shape" which translates to "tearing up my knees". I ran a couple of 5k's and tried to regularly stick to jogging that allows me to think alone while physically exhausting myself. The best benefit is the endorphin high.
Doodling has become a new "stress reliever" at work. I suppose it started one night after talking to @ironstef about zentangle. I recently purchased a lovely handmade [out of used books] journal to store my doodles. The lovely journal was made by @thefancylamb
Reading is always high on my list of things to do. It serves so many purposes (keeps the mind fresh with ideas and knowledge, kills the time on the bus, lulls me to sleep, tells me amazing stories, gives me things to talk about, and relaxes me). This year I've read more than most years because I've used public transit about 75%-85% of the year; which happens to be where I do most of my reading. Here is a small list of what I read in 2009:
Want some words? Here ya go...
jump the couch: A defining moment when you know someone has gone off the deep end. Inspired by Tom Cruise's behavior on Oprah.
Chrismukkah: the holiday mixture for Hanukkah and Christmas.
As today is my Friday, I'm feeling pretty good. I thought that I'd get started on my year in review. To say I don't know where to start would be completely cliche, but true. It's not that I did so much that I can't even begin; rather, I just don't remember. Lucky for me (and you), I wrote a blog this year!
Instead of recapping all that has happened in the year, I'll simply start with the topic of "Downtime- What I Did to Recharge". Wonder where I got this great [modified] idea? Well, check out this fellow here!
- A Dirty Job
- Fool
- Blood Sucking Fiends
- You Suck
- The Twilight Series
- Let the Right One In
- Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bible
- Broken
Want some words? Here ya go...
jump the couch: A defining moment when you know someone has gone off the deep end. Inspired by Tom Cruise's behavior on Oprah.
Chrismukkah: the holiday mixture for Hanukkah and Christmas.
20091124
NaBloPoMo Day 24 Post 24 - A Test of Your E-Mail System
This is a test and only a test of your broadcasting system, or rather my ability to upload a blog to blogger from my e-mail! It's very simple from what I can tell, but as things have gone for me lately, I won't hold my breath. I should though, hold my breath until I go brain dead or something of the sort. Again, with my luck, I'd live through to be a paralyzed carrot with restless leg syndrome and a brain that runs a million miles a minute.
Anyway, with that little rant over with I thought I'd continute my testing by sharing a link and an image. So here you are:
A Link about Owl Tattoos
And an image of one of my favorite bull dog friends That One (or as I like to call him, EBD)...by the way, I stole your picture EBD!
SO...if neither of those work, well now you know it's because I've been unsuccessful at this, and if they do work, well good, there you have it!
20091121
NaBloPoMo Day 21 Post 20 - Donations
First of all let me say that I am fully aware that I'm cheating! Instead of doing a post a day for National Blog Post Month, where I've already missed three, I'm "catching up" by posting several over the last few days. Meh, as everything goes with me: I tried, I failed, I now perform a mend to the situation. Hence, a post...
Anyway, if you've read the blog as of rather recently you will know that I'm participating in a 5k. Please feel free to come along with me. Also, I am collecting donations (that can be made online or by mail in check). To check my status you can look in the upper left of this blog or by checking on my fundraiser site!
Thanks!
Anyway, if you've read the blog as of rather recently you will know that I'm participating in a 5k. Please feel free to come along with me. Also, I am collecting donations (that can be made online or by mail in check). To check my status you can look in the upper left of this blog or by checking on my fundraiser site!
Thanks!
20091109
NaBloPoMo Day Nine Post Seven - Oops!
Okay, so by the title I would hope you could infer that I missed two posts. I would hope more so that you are one of my two readers that pay attention often enough to simply know that I missed two posts.
Anyway, I'm way off the course of topic which is "how and why I would miss blogging"! I would like to blame work, since it is after all overwhelming me these days! I cannot though. As you may know, I was off to Berkley, California for a couple of days for a volunteer meeting for SEI (Structural Engineering Institute) that I am involved in since I am the local St. Louis Chair. It's not grand. You could even go so far to say I am Chair only because I lost the election. To be true though, I enjoy it some times as I altruistically love structural engineering. Sorry, off track, I won't dwell there but will get back to my point. I returned on Saturday, my first missed blog day/post. I would have sent a short blog from my phone, but was traveling non-stop in such a manner that my phone was on airplane mode most of the day. When I did get back to St. Louis, it was late, and so I only got a chance to do anything besides move at around 10pm; at which time I crashed into bed holding on snugly to my dogs that I missed dearly. It didn't occur to me until later in the day Sunday that I'd missed a day. I had sort of made a silent vow to blog Sunday with an extra to make up for my mistake. Well, you see how that went!
None the less, the bloggity guilt has overwhelmed me...and as such I will spend an enormous amount of time today catching up! Now is the time to either really try to focus with me, or to simply scroll to the bottom for your words!
-Thursday mom had surgery. She is doing well, but in a lot of pain. Thanks for all the well wishes!
-Thursday I flew out to Oakland, took the BART to the North Berkley station where I waited for a hotel shuttle to pick me up. Turns out two of the other meeting attendees were also waiting, so I got a head start meeting people!
-Friday I went to my meeting that went well. We then took off for a boat ride around the bay to look at the old, new, and still under construction Bay Bridge. I encourage you to go check out baybridgeinfo.org. We had a great guide and an all around great trip on the bay (despite my innate fear of water, I enjoyed myself). See pictures below.
-Upon returning to the hotel (that sits in a marina) I discovered that I didn't need to go to any meetings that evening, but only to a dinner that was several hours away. I decided to take that time to go for a jog in a nearby park, Cesar Chavez Park (see below for location and pictures). While jogging I literally had to stop to catch my breath from the over powering view. At the North end of the park as one turns the corner from the East, you can see out over the bay to the mountains, to Yogi Bear Island (see a map for real Island name), to the Golden Gate and Bay bridges, and even to San Fransisco. Breath.Taking!
- I flew home on Saturday leaving some meetings early. Saturday was the 7th, my anniversary. Considering how this year has gone, it's a small miracle we've even made it to three years. I choose not to air laundry on my blog, not the place nor the time. But, it should be noted that we did have a third anniversary and I did make it home for part of it!
- Sunday was a gorgeous day that started by taking the dogs to meet Amanda and Lou in a dog park in Edwardsville. They were worn out pretty quick, thankfully! From there we took the pooches home to then headed over to Kitchen Conservatory where I bought a knife as a gift, but the best part was that it was made in Germany (not China). I also bought some Vanilla Extract Paste.
-I made a small donation here...
Words...
disco nap: Sleeping when you have something going later on that you need to get ready for.
Kraft singles: Dollar bills. Derived from another slang term that refers to money as "cheese".
audible: To make an unexpected, last-minute decision. This definition is derived from its meaning in football.
Anyway, I'm way off the course of topic which is "how and why I would miss blogging"! I would like to blame work, since it is after all overwhelming me these days! I cannot though. As you may know, I was off to Berkley, California for a couple of days for a volunteer meeting for SEI (Structural Engineering Institute) that I am involved in since I am the local St. Louis Chair. It's not grand. You could even go so far to say I am Chair only because I lost the election. To be true though, I enjoy it some times as I altruistically love structural engineering. Sorry, off track, I won't dwell there but will get back to my point. I returned on Saturday, my first missed blog day/post. I would have sent a short blog from my phone, but was traveling non-stop in such a manner that my phone was on airplane mode most of the day. When I did get back to St. Louis, it was late, and so I only got a chance to do anything besides move at around 10pm; at which time I crashed into bed holding on snugly to my dogs that I missed dearly. It didn't occur to me until later in the day Sunday that I'd missed a day. I had sort of made a silent vow to blog Sunday with an extra to make up for my mistake. Well, you see how that went!
None the less, the bloggity guilt has overwhelmed me...and as such I will spend an enormous amount of time today catching up! Now is the time to either really try to focus with me, or to simply scroll to the bottom for your words!
-Thursday mom had surgery. She is doing well, but in a lot of pain. Thanks for all the well wishes!
-Thursday I flew out to Oakland, took the BART to the North Berkley station where I waited for a hotel shuttle to pick me up. Turns out two of the other meeting attendees were also waiting, so I got a head start meeting people!
-Friday I went to my meeting that went well. We then took off for a boat ride around the bay to look at the old, new, and still under construction Bay Bridge. I encourage you to go check out baybridgeinfo.org. We had a great guide and an all around great trip on the bay (despite my innate fear of water, I enjoyed myself). See pictures below.
 |  | |
 |  |  |
-Upon returning to the hotel (that sits in a marina) I discovered that I didn't need to go to any meetings that evening, but only to a dinner that was several hours away. I decided to take that time to go for a jog in a nearby park, Cesar Chavez Park (see below for location and pictures). While jogging I literally had to stop to catch my breath from the over powering view. At the North end of the park as one turns the corner from the East, you can see out over the bay to the mountains, to Yogi Bear Island (see a map for real Island name), to the Golden Gate and Bay bridges, and even to San Fransisco. Breath.Taking!
 |  |  |
- I flew home on Saturday leaving some meetings early. Saturday was the 7th, my anniversary. Considering how this year has gone, it's a small miracle we've even made it to three years. I choose not to air laundry on my blog, not the place nor the time. But, it should be noted that we did have a third anniversary and I did make it home for part of it!
- Sunday was a gorgeous day that started by taking the dogs to meet Amanda and Lou in a dog park in Edwardsville. They were worn out pretty quick, thankfully! From there we took the pooches home to then headed over to Kitchen Conservatory where I bought a knife as a gift, but the best part was that it was made in Germany (not China). I also bought some Vanilla Extract Paste.
-I made a small donation here...
Words...
disco nap: Sleeping when you have something going later on that you need to get ready for.
Kraft singles: Dollar bills. Derived from another slang term that refers to money as "cheese".
audible: To make an unexpected, last-minute decision. This definition is derived from its meaning in football.
20091101
NaBloPoMo Day One Post One - My Baby Brother
I saw today (just in time) that it is NaBloPoMo, or more lengthily known as National Blog Post Month. Are you a blogger? You better get to posting!
Essentially it encourages bloggers to post once a day. 30 posts in 30 days, or something like that. I used to keep up with posting most days, then work overwhelmed me. Well, it's still overwhelming me, but I've mentally committed myself to doing this. I'm going to post once a day.
What's my content going to be? I actually thought about this for a bit. I have a whole list of ideas...topics ranging from questions I like to ask people that I would answer; topics discussing my daily activities; music; clothing; shoes; television; engineering, etc. I finally stopped at stories of yore. So here we go, blog one for day one...
My Baby Brother
Drew, my youngest brother, was not yet old enough to walk. He was still one of those feeble toddlers put into a "walker" and sent on his way. If you are unfamiliar with the walker, please let me explain. A walker is like a small child sized table with a hole in the middle. In that hole is a seat sized for small toddlers. At the bottom of the table are casters. The point of this contraption is to get kids little legs moving to aide them in learning to walk. So, Drew was in his walker. I was in the bathroom washing Barbie's hair. It was a very important task for her (she probably had a date with Ken). Mom and Dad were busy but keeping an eye on Drew to be sure he didn't go tumbling down the stairs in his contraption. Mom calls to me to say she's busy for a moment, that I must watch Drew for a few minutes. No problem, how hard can it be to keep a feeble toddler from going down the stairs? Yea, well, it's harder than you think when Barbie's hair is tangled. So much brushing to do. Before you know it the comb is stuck and ...what was that sound, what's that screaming ...oh, right Drew! Yea, so needless to say, I was a poor baby sitter. But Drew's okay, I mean, no broken bones from the incident or anything!
Essentially it encourages bloggers to post once a day. 30 posts in 30 days, or something like that. I used to keep up with posting most days, then work overwhelmed me. Well, it's still overwhelming me, but I've mentally committed myself to doing this. I'm going to post once a day.
What's my content going to be? I actually thought about this for a bit. I have a whole list of ideas...topics ranging from questions I like to ask people that I would answer; topics discussing my daily activities; music; clothing; shoes; television; engineering, etc. I finally stopped at stories of yore. So here we go, blog one for day one...
My Baby Brother
Drew, my youngest brother, was not yet old enough to walk. He was still one of those feeble toddlers put into a "walker" and sent on his way. If you are unfamiliar with the walker, please let me explain. A walker is like a small child sized table with a hole in the middle. In that hole is a seat sized for small toddlers. At the bottom of the table are casters. The point of this contraption is to get kids little legs moving to aide them in learning to walk. So, Drew was in his walker. I was in the bathroom washing Barbie's hair. It was a very important task for her (she probably had a date with Ken). Mom and Dad were busy but keeping an eye on Drew to be sure he didn't go tumbling down the stairs in his contraption. Mom calls to me to say she's busy for a moment, that I must watch Drew for a few minutes. No problem, how hard can it be to keep a feeble toddler from going down the stairs? Yea, well, it's harder than you think when Barbie's hair is tangled. So much brushing to do. Before you know it the comb is stuck and ...what was that sound, what's that screaming ...oh, right Drew! Yea, so needless to say, I was a poor baby sitter. But Drew's okay, I mean, no broken bones from the incident or anything!
the tags:
Barbie Dolls,
Blogs,
Drew,
NaBloPoMo,
Stories
20090922
I Lost the Election
Phew, it's one of those days, but thus far productive!
First I want to say that I in no way intend to offend anyone who reads. For instance, the whole "strictly 2 kids per couple" ideology...well, I am part of 4 siblings; my sister has 4 wonderful children; my dad was 1 of 5 children and my mom was 1 of 5. I love each of these people completely independent of some numeric embodiment. My ideas are just that, my ideas. So, never take anything I say personally. I don't want to judge you. I don't want to judge anyone! I'd rather see that you are different and learn from you than for you to think I'm unswayable in opinion! Got it? It's just that I honestly write for me, so I splatter my slobbery words all over this blog, and rarely think before hitting the "Publish Post" button!
Now I want to say that I made awesome apple pies. I plan on writing my first food blog soon! So stayed tuned for that!
I heard from Shane again, who claims he will be "ok". I can only assume he won't lie to me, and while he appears to have never made a huge effort to lie to me, I don't trust people, so I can only have some faith in this instance [faith is something I have little of].
I also heard from Holly, I am glad to see she is alive and functioning about the best she can! Keep the chin up sis! She was also able to provide me with some insight and opinions, which I always appreciate!
I made this blog/site for an organization I am involved in: http://www.seistudents.com. I volunteer for a lot of stuff, SEI-St. Louis for one, of which I am the chairman only because I lost the election. I need to learn to say no, so, yea, give me any tips you can. I typically feel guilty for saying no, and yet I can be so mean...how does this work exactly?? Really though, I blog for work and enjoy it. I used to do a newsletter for SEAKM (another eng. org.) and I enjoyed it for a period of time. This little web thing I'm doing it fun for the moment. I feel so compelled to help people I almost don't notice the stress and socialization required. It all catches up with me though! Eh, whatcha gonna do?
First I want to say that I in no way intend to offend anyone who reads. For instance, the whole "strictly 2 kids per couple" ideology...well, I am part of 4 siblings; my sister has 4 wonderful children; my dad was 1 of 5 children and my mom was 1 of 5. I love each of these people completely independent of some numeric embodiment. My ideas are just that, my ideas. So, never take anything I say personally. I don't want to judge you. I don't want to judge anyone! I'd rather see that you are different and learn from you than for you to think I'm unswayable in opinion! Got it? It's just that I honestly write for me, so I splatter my slobbery words all over this blog, and rarely think before hitting the "Publish Post" button!
Now I want to say that I made awesome apple pies. I plan on writing my first food blog soon! So stayed tuned for that!
I heard from Shane again, who claims he will be "ok". I can only assume he won't lie to me, and while he appears to have never made a huge effort to lie to me, I don't trust people, so I can only have some faith in this instance [faith is something I have little of].
I also heard from Holly, I am glad to see she is alive and functioning about the best she can! Keep the chin up sis! She was also able to provide me with some insight and opinions, which I always appreciate!
I made this blog/site for an organization I am involved in: http://www.seistudents.com. I volunteer for a lot of stuff, SEI-St. Louis for one, of which I am the chairman only because I lost the election. I need to learn to say no, so, yea, give me any tips you can. I typically feel guilty for saying no, and yet I can be so mean...how does this work exactly?? Really though, I blog for work and enjoy it. I used to do a newsletter for SEAKM (another eng. org.) and I enjoyed it for a period of time. This little web thing I'm doing it fun for the moment. I feel so compelled to help people I almost don't notice the stress and socialization required. It all catches up with me though! Eh, whatcha gonna do?
20090820
Mike M. (ahem) "Hearts" Monitors
Few of you may know the daily tribulations of an engineer. It’s boring! So boring, the only thing perhaps worse to hear about is data entry. At least we get to think once in a while! But really, I’m straying off course like a Catholic priest! What I’m getting at, is that most days, I would like to bang my head against a wall only long enough to allow time for someone to come shoot me. Today, there is a lot of head banging going on! [You could insert here…Quiet Riot’s Bang Your Head and throw some goat baby!]
There are days that I can be cheered up by a number of small things. Sometimes it’s exercise; randomly it’s chocolate; most days it’s music. Yesterday, I chose to write about sheep. Upon reading comments (thanks to all of you that chimed in), it occurred to me that there's one person that could really get me laughing. We used to work together at a different "head banging" company. This person is a crazy fellow, Mike M., that is special in ways no one else comes close! Example: he likes to hump things "Beavis style". But really, don't we all occasionally like a good hump? Maybe we're talking about a camel's back, the middle of the week, or a good shag; in any case, the hump is good! Mike M. though, he's real special like! He makes dirty thoughts blush!
Don't get me wrong, he's good people! He does good things like Locks of Love, super fun things with his kids, and has even done his share with Doberman rescues!
So about now you are thinking, "cut to the chase jerkwad". Okay, here it is, the point to this rambling, the cutting of the chase, the..okay, I'll stop!
Mike M. sent me a video that had me laughing tears! So now, I present to you,
There are days that I can be cheered up by a number of small things. Sometimes it’s exercise; randomly it’s chocolate; most days it’s music. Yesterday, I chose to write about sheep. Upon reading comments (thanks to all of you that chimed in), it occurred to me that there's one person that could really get me laughing. We used to work together at a different "head banging" company. This person is a crazy fellow, Mike M., that is special in ways no one else comes close! Example: he likes to hump things "Beavis style". But really, don't we all occasionally like a good hump? Maybe we're talking about a camel's back, the middle of the week, or a good shag; in any case, the hump is good! Mike M. though, he's real special like! He makes dirty thoughts blush!
Don't get me wrong, he's good people! He does good things like Locks of Love, super fun things with his kids, and has even done his share with Doberman rescues!
 |  |
| Before Locks of Love - hippie! | After Locks of Love - ship shape |
So about now you are thinking, "cut to the chase jerkwad". Okay, here it is, the point to this rambling, the cutting of the chase, the..okay, I'll stop!
Mike M. sent me a video that had me laughing tears! So now, I present to you,
Mike M. Hearts Monitors!
...a short film by Mike Marfell and produced by Sprocket...
Preface...a long time ago, on a hunk of land approximate to where the Mississippi River meets some other big rivers...a group of friends worked at a company. One of those friends chose to wimp out to the land of humidity, old people, and mouse ears (also known as Florida). Suspecting that his dear friends missed him insanely, Mr. Florida called to ask if his friends had turned his former office into a "shrine". The sad friends, Sprocket and Mike M., had already turned their sorrows to some Crack-House blend coffee; adding to this mixture was a newly owned Sprocket camera; and of course the now brilliant idea of a "shrine". You see, one thing led to another in the "shrine"...and well, eh, just watch!
20090804
Interventions
I will let you be the judge. You know I hate discussing politics or anything of any seriousness because I either have extremely STRONG opinions, things can/will get ugly; -OR- I have no strong opinion and prefer to ride the fence until I can gain a first hand understanding. In this case, not likely I'll be gaining a first hand experience, but I do have strong opinions on the topic(s) ... so, as I said, You can be The Judge.
The following paragraph was mentioned in an article brought to my attention by @ibificus (via Twitter). [ed note: I'm not being friends with the person (I swear), just following his recommended blogs (yea, I guess that's like stalking his library register, but, not really (I swear))]
Now, go read the article yourself (click here), and as I said, go be your own judge. Then if you feel like arguing (or not arguing) with me (or really want to know my opinion) I might share it. Curious to see what others think!
Word...
check your vitals: To check your e-mail, myspace, facebook, blog, and/or any daily essential Web sites.
[ed. note: I check my vitals so often, they should be embedded in my head to save time ... Amanda, stop shaking your head at me!]
The following paragraph was mentioned in an article brought to my attention by @ibificus (via Twitter). [ed note: I'm not being friends with the person (I swear), just following his recommended blogs (yea, I guess that's like stalking his library register, but, not really (I swear))]
Missionaries like Shari believe that sex workers are always victims, that nobody –and certainly not a decent woman, can possibly choose to sell sex willingly and that if offered with the possibility to flip burgers in a Mc Donald they would. But would they? There is little evidence that this is the case, mostly because there are not that many Mc Donald in Cambodia. Their solution? Confining women to traditional craftwork, or offering them goats a tad colonialist, demeaning and patronising but reassuringly decent.
Now, go read the article yourself (click here), and as I said, go be your own judge. Then if you feel like arguing (or not arguing) with me (or really want to know my opinion) I might share it. Curious to see what others think!
Word...
check your vitals: To check your e-mail, myspace, facebook, blog, and/or any daily essential Web sites.
[ed. note: I check my vitals so often, they should be embedded in my head to save time ... Amanda, stop shaking your head at me!]
20090730
Please Comment
Hi! Please comment on this blog to tell me how you are doing! I don't care who you are or how you got to seeing this blog, but if you are here, it means you should be commenting to tell me how you are doing! Sick? Lonely? Excited? Overjoyed? Missing someone? Loving someone?
Anything you have to say, I want to hear!
Now, for regular readers (who should also be commenting), I have updated my picture blog. Very slowly getting those images added! Check it out at stephysite-picaday.blogspot.com
Word of the day . . .
couching distance: The distance one can reach without leaving the couch or sofa.
Anything you have to say, I want to hear!
Now, for regular readers (who should also be commenting), I have updated my picture blog. Very slowly getting those images added! Check it out at stephysite-picaday.blogspot.com
Word of the day . . .
couching distance: The distance one can reach without leaving the couch or sofa.
the tags:
Blogs,
Daily,
Friend,
Just Other,
Photos,
Pictures,
Smile,
Steph's Rants,
Thinking
20090728
The Words
I wrote a blog yesterday, then stared at it for a few minutes randomly through the day, though ended up not publishing it. (Duh, that's obvious).
While I have a lot to be said, I don't think I'll say any of it. Too exhausted.
So onward with the words...
one time: The police. So called because you can only look at them one time, since doing a double take might attract attention. Used in Sir Mix-A-Lot's song "One time's Got No Case".
oxygen theif: Someone so completely lazy or useless that their only effect on this earth is to use up oxygen that could otherwise have been consumed by someone who doesn't deserve a solid kick in the arse. [Oh how we all know at least one of these people]
hell to the no: A phrase used to express disbelief, shock, disgust, or incredulity.
While I have a lot to be said, I don't think I'll say any of it. Too exhausted.
So onward with the words...
one time: The police. So called because you can only look at them one time, since doing a double take might attract attention. Used in Sir Mix-A-Lot's song "One time's Got No Case".
oxygen theif: Someone so completely lazy or useless that their only effect on this earth is to use up oxygen that could otherwise have been consumed by someone who doesn't deserve a solid kick in the arse. [Oh how we all know at least one of these people]
hell to the no: A phrase used to express disbelief, shock, disgust, or incredulity.
20090724
20090710
A-List Party
Yesterday was the A-List Party!
I have mentioned it before that the HOK Blog made the A-List in the St. Louis Magazine for best company blog. We rock, of course we'd make the A-List. Anyway, I got to go to the party and it was interesting! As soon as John, Jeannette, and I walked up to the roped off street party, we thought, "There is no way Justin would go in there". I later confirmed with him, that would have been the likely result!
I hitched a lift from John Gilmore who was also taking Jeannette to the party. We didn't want to stay at work until party time, so we took off and went to Llywellen's for some pre-party drinks! I went with a Tennant's and snacked on some chips and rarebit. We then walked on over to Maryland Plaza in the fabulous Central West End.
There was a red carpet that led into the party. Inside the roped off street party, tables were set up for A-Listers wares (restaurants, etc.). I sampled here and there, but didn't check with enough to have any sort of review on that! It was all free for the sampling though, so I did take advantage of some adult beverages. There were a handful of other HOKer's at the party enjoying the samples and company. Time passed quickly for the party that started up well before the 7:30 pm ticket time! Towards the evening, our group meandered upstairs to the bar Mandarin where we stood on the rooftop to look down on the party below. I had a refreshing but sweet martini (with a cucumber in it) and a lovely gin and tonic!
It was about quarter after ten when I took out of the party to catch a train home to the East Side. Along my journey I heard, "Stephanie Spann, how are you?"; it took me no time at all to recognize Seth Teel's voice, as it's one of a kind. He was hanging out at the Majestic enjoying his own adult beverages with friends (and tossing around a spiderman beach ball, hmm...).
Anyway, despite the fact that I didn't dress in any shabby-chic wardrobe with fabulous-too-tall-for-me-stilettos and carried my messenger bag with me in a sort of unclassy manner; it was a great party. I didn't fit in, but I was proud to not fit in also. No need to match the masses! I was asked what I did wear. The answer: a simple black dress (knee length, boat neck, pocketed front, loose fitting, belted at middle, cotton) with my pink and gray loafers! Yes, loafers and dress. It's me. Did you expect anything else?
[This was updated at a later date and time!]
Word-
8008135: A way to spell "boobies" so no one knows what it is, usually indicating porn or pictures of boobies. Used by computer nerds.
I have mentioned it before that the HOK Blog made the A-List in the St. Louis Magazine for best company blog. We rock, of course we'd make the A-List. Anyway, I got to go to the party and it was interesting! As soon as John, Jeannette, and I walked up to the roped off street party, we thought, "There is no way Justin would go in there". I later confirmed with him, that would have been the likely result!
I hitched a lift from John Gilmore who was also taking Jeannette to the party. We didn't want to stay at work until party time, so we took off and went to Llywellen's for some pre-party drinks! I went with a Tennant's and snacked on some chips and rarebit. We then walked on over to Maryland Plaza in the fabulous Central West End.
There was a red carpet that led into the party. Inside the roped off street party, tables were set up for A-Listers wares (restaurants, etc.). I sampled here and there, but didn't check with enough to have any sort of review on that! It was all free for the sampling though, so I did take advantage of some adult beverages. There were a handful of other HOKer's at the party enjoying the samples and company. Time passed quickly for the party that started up well before the 7:30 pm ticket time! Towards the evening, our group meandered upstairs to the bar Mandarin where we stood on the rooftop to look down on the party below. I had a refreshing but sweet martini (with a cucumber in it) and a lovely gin and tonic!
It was about quarter after ten when I took out of the party to catch a train home to the East Side. Along my journey I heard, "Stephanie Spann, how are you?"; it took me no time at all to recognize Seth Teel's voice, as it's one of a kind. He was hanging out at the Majestic enjoying his own adult beverages with friends (and tossing around a spiderman beach ball, hmm...).
Anyway, despite the fact that I didn't dress in any shabby-chic wardrobe with fabulous-too-tall-for-me-stilettos and carried my messenger bag with me in a sort of unclassy manner; it was a great party. I didn't fit in, but I was proud to not fit in also. No need to match the masses! I was asked what I did wear. The answer: a simple black dress (knee length, boat neck, pocketed front, loose fitting, belted at middle, cotton) with my pink and gray loafers! Yes, loafers and dress. It's me. Did you expect anything else?
[This was updated at a later date and time!]
Word-
8008135: A way to spell "boobies" so no one knows what it is, usually indicating porn or pictures of boobies. Used by computer nerds.
20090701
You're The Last Thing That's On My Mind
Driving home to be with you ... the highway's dividing, the city's in view ... As usual, I'm almost on time ... You're the last thing that's on my mind ... Wish I could tell you, the way that I feel ... but tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel ...
Those are the lyrics from a Barenaked Ladies song called "Tonight Is the Night I Fell Asleep At the Wheel". In replacing my Zune (and thusly losing all music so refinding all music), I found this song that I had not heard in ages. I've always loved it because the song itself means something. "You're the last thing on my mind" is something I want someone to think of me in their few last moments. To know I had a wonderful and loving effect on someone so dearly that they want me in their last thoughts is just endearing! The second reason I like the song is because it has this soft melodic music that makes you think the song is about something other than dying in a car wreck ... ha, not funny, but really funny!
Anyway...Yesterday I met Amanda at the gym at SIUE and the deer were out in forces. In fact, at SIUE, they've gotten so used to the humans, they just hang out in the open with the humans. I have a picture of one the fawns that was hanging out in the grass! I saw two others hanging out in the open on my out as well!
I am yet again consuming the breakfast of champions! Yum-um-um!
 | - Which yields this fine looking superhero to your right - |  |
Now, if you were paying attention, you'll see my really cool friends at work in that picture. Didn't see them? Okay, well here, I'll point them out!
One more thing, today is Canada Day. As you likely know, my blog crush Justin is in Canada! So to him I say, "Happy Canada Day", may it be a merry day. Do whatever it is you do today with great joy! [Ed. Note: I suggest doing whatever it is you do everyday with great joy!] Be sure to check out his blog post, The Story of Canada Day.
Word-
on chill: Having a relaxed state of mind. In chill mode.
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