Wordless Wednesday

What a wonderful day!

Wordless Wednesday

Are ya feelin' lucky?

My parents are here (yay!), and JJ is having a ball with Grandma and Grandpa. Only he doesn't call them that. Well, he's actually pretty close to calling my mom "Gramma". But what does he call my dad?

"Punk"

Two More Events Recorded For Posterity

One: Shortly after midnight last night, JJ awoke screaming. I went into his room to check on him and re-tucked him in, making sure both Elmo and (Curious) George were available for snuggling. After turning on his sleepy music CD, I returned to bed. Very shortly thereafter, JJ was crying again. Hoping that it would just take him a few minutes to calm down, I remained in my bed listening. After about five minutes, something changed. The crying seemed to be getting... closer. I rolled over in bed and found JJ coming through my door. For the first time ever, he climbed out of his crib. I'm not sure how he did it, especially since I didn't hear a thud. Apparently, angry determination works for him.

Two: JJ is enthralled with our Christmas tree. He loves taking off the ornaments and examining them closely. Of course, he then just leaves them in a pile on the floor, so I find myself redecorating often. Anyway, there is one particular ornament that he has been eyeing for quite some time now - a Hallmark motorcycle that was given to John by an old friend of mine. I placed this motorcycle just out of JJ's reach, and have, on more than one occasion, told him that he can look at that one, but not touch it. Tonight however, the temptation just got to be too much. JJ moved his stool (that he has recently learned is mobil) to the tree and was just able to reach his prize. Unfortunately, he still has not mastered the concept of lifting the ornament off of the branch, so he just pulled down - and eventually out - with all of his little might. And as it turns out, his little might is enough to bring a seven-foot, fully loaded Christmas tree toppling right over. Had it not been for my cat-like (uncharacteristically not sarcastic here) reflexes, which assisted me in catching the tree just in time, we'd still be digging the little guy out of pine and tinsel.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Revelation

I am a breather.

And this whole not being able to breathe thing that has been going on lately just isn't working for me.

Being sick sucks.

Reflection on Today

If I had to pick the one day of the year when I think human nature is furthest from the spirit of Christmas, it would definitely be Black Friday... you know, the start of the Christmas season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

May your hearts and bellies be full today, as you take time to reflect upon what is really important.

Wordless Wednesday

Cutest kid on the planet.

Period.

Wordless Wednesday

In honor of a few flakes of snow today...

One of my favorite Shel Silverstein poems:

Squeals of Delight

Did you hear the screaming?

I gave JJ popcorn for the first time today.

It appears he liked it.

Aren't nursery rhymes sweet?

So I'm reading a book of Mother Goose nursery rhymes to JJ when I come across this:

Goosey Goosey Gander

Goosey Goosey Gander where shall I wander,
Upstairs, downstairs and in my lady's chamber
There I met an old man who wouldn't say his prayers,
I took him by the left leg and threw him down the stairs.

Yikes!

Wordless Wednesday

November 11

Today is many things:

* This is the second anniversary of the day JJ was due.

* This is the birthday of a good friend of mine.

* This is an important day to honor those who have served, and are serving, our country.

Did you thank a vet today?

Happy Birthday!

JJ is two today!

(Although I'm not quite sure how that happened, since he was just born last week.)

Wordless Wednesday

It's Election Day!

VOTE!

Bad Ideas

John and I watched the movie Fun With Dick and Jane tonight. That probably wasn't the brightest idea. I don't think it was meant to be an educational film.

I don't think so.

A young teenage girl was about to finish her first year of college. She considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat but her father was a rather staunch Republican.

One day she was challenging her father on his beliefs and his opposition to taxes and welfare programs. He stopped her and asked her how she was doing in school.

She answered that she had a 4.0 GPA but it was really tough. She had to study all the time, never had time to go out and party. She didn't have time for a boyfriend and didn't really have many college friends because of spending all her time studying.

He asked, "How is your friend Mary." She replied that Mary was barely getting by. She had a 2.0 GPA, never studied, but was very popular on campus, went to all the parties all the time. Why she often didn't show up for classes because she was hung over.

Dad then asked his daughter why she didn't go to the Dean's office and ask why she couldn't take 1.0 off her 4.0 and give it to her friend who only had a 2.0. That way they would both have a 3.0 GPA.

The daughter angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair, I worked really hard for mine and Mary has done nothing".

The father slowly smiled and said, "Welcome to the Republican Party".

I think this scenario may be a little unfair...

What if the daughter was just naturally able, and didn't really have to study that hard for her good grades?

What if Mary worked really hard, but just wasn't as capable of earning decent grades?

And what about John, a guy that the daughter doesn't even know, who, for whatever reason, isn't making the grade either?

Surely there must be a scenario that would make the daughter happy to give up what she rightfully earned and assume responsibility for someone else...

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Anniversary!

Dear John,

The list of mistakes I've made in the past five years is really, really long. Marrying you isn't on it.

I love you,
Marly

Wordless Wednesday

It must be the new math.

I stopped by McDonald's the other night for a quick dinner treat for JJ. I went through the the drive-thru:

Marly: Do you have a Happy Meal special tonight?

McChick: Yes.

(awkward pause)

Marly: Would you mind telling me what it is?

McChick: Hamburger and cheeseburger Happy Meals is a dollar.

Marly: Great! I'd like a cheeseburger Happy Meal, please.

McChick: Dollar fifteen, first window.

Marly: Thank you.

(I did some quick math in my head before reaching the window.)

McChick (hand out): Dollar fifteen.

Marly: How did we get to a dollar fifteen from a dollar?

McChick: Tax.

Marly: No, that would only make it a dollar six.

McChick (looking at register tape): A dollar nine, plus six cents tax.

Marly: I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood. I thought I heard you say that both hamburger and cheeseburger Happy Meals were a dollar.

McChick: They both is a dollar, but the cheeseburger is more.

Thanks, Danny.

I couldn't have said it better myself - 'cause JJ would pick up language like that in a heartbeat. ;)

This one's for you, Nik!

Even in a hole, the sun still occasionally shines.

I was in a parking lot downtown (or as downtown as we have) today. There, I saw a couple and their two young children. Because it is suddenly bitterly cold here today, I had my windows up, and didn't hear their interactions. Their body language told me what was going on however.

The mother was angry, her arms crossed over her chest, and she wasn't making eye contact with the father. He wore a rather exasperated look as he grabbed a small jacket out of the trunk of the car and handed it to the woman. Both boys were wandering aimlessly in small circles. And I could just tell that this was the trade-off. Thanks to some irreconcilable difference between the two adults, the children were now spending their time between the homes of two people who love them, but not each other anymore.

And I thought to myself that it could always be worse. John may have been laid off again, but we still have each other... and the cutest kid on the planet.

Wordless Wednesday

I have never tried illegal drugs, but...

I spent some time in a poorly ventilated room creating yard sale signs this afternoon, and I'm pretty sure I now know why they call those markers "magic".

Wordless Wednesday

My apologies

I've been rather absent lately, and for that I apologize. Unfortunately, I can't currently see an end in sight. Just as things started to take on an aire of normalcy around here, we've hit another one of those majorly life-upsetting issues that leaves you in a heap in the corner wondering what happened. And the blow is so fresh that I can't even talk about it right now. Quite frankly, I'm just not ready to face reality yet.

Like I mentioned in a previous comment, we're all healthy. And for that, I thank God.

Wordless Wednesday

Who needs the toy?

This evening, JJ found one of those big plastic "eggs" that you get out of the quarter machines by the door at the grocery store. It was separated, so he picked up both pieces and put one to each ear, like earmuffs.

John asked him, "Can you hear the factory?"

Wordless Wednesday

Have you ever pasted wallpaper behind a toilet?

There are people out there who are paid to put up wallpaper.

Smart people take advantage of this fact.

I am obviously not smart, people.

I just met with our realtor...

The house goes on the market two weeks from yesterday.

I must be out of my freakin' mind!

Want a sneak peek?

If you've spent much time perusing my blog here, you may have noticed a little section in the right sidebar called Business. These are the blogs of businesses owned by, or related to, friends of mine. The middle one is Bluebug Photography, showcasing the talents of professional photographer, and my friend, Meliss. For about as long as I've know her, I've wanted Meliss to take JJ's pictures. Unfortunately, that's been just about a year now, and you all know what this past year has been like for us...

So, a short while ago, my friend "NK" (she's commented here a few times) won a certificate for a mini session with Meliss at a local store opening. NK already had a family session planned, and she absolutely made my day when she offered the certificate to me! While jumping for joy, I contacted Meliss (who by the way, is going to have a baby pretty much any minute now), and we pushed the expiration on that certificate to the limit to hold the session yesterday. In her extremely pregnant state, Meliss chased JJ around the park for a good hour, snapping pictures along the way. I'm sure it will take a while to see the entire collection, but she's already posted a teaser on her blog.

If you'd like to see a couple of awesome pictures of the most adorable kid on the planet, check out Bluebug Photography!

A great big THANK YOU to my friends NK and Meliss. You ladies have really outdone yourselves!



Oh, and Kelly, can they count as this week's Wordless Wednesday?

Couples Tag

Picture courtesy of my sister... circa 2005, I believe.
I toldja John had a mohawk! ;)


Meme from Kelly:

What is his name?
John

What is her name?
Marly

How long have you been married?
Almost five years

How long did you date?
A little more than a year

How old is he?
40

How old is she?
35

Who eats more?
That's a toss-up. We can both really put it away!

Who said I love you first?
John

Who is taller?
John

Who sings better?
I think we're both actually pretty good.

Who is smarter?
I have the book smarts. John has the street smarts.

Who does the laundry?
Me. When John does the laundry, things have a tendency to come out different colors and/or sizes than when they went in.

Who pays the bills?
John hands the money to me. I hand it to everyone else.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
John

Who mows the lawn?
This weekend, our incredibly awesome neighbors did it - bless their sneaky hearts! It's John's deal... when he's home. Learning to drive the tractor is on my list...

Who cooks the dinner?
Whoever gets to the kitchen first.

Who drives?
I do... much to my dismay.

Who is more stubborn?
You would think that two brick walls would have a difficult time running into each other, but we often defy nature like that. ;)

Who proposed?
John

Who is more sensitive?
Definitely me

Who's next? I'm going to try to inspire some friends who haven't posted in a while:
Chris and Rob
Jennifer and Bill
Michelle and Brian
Shayna and Kris
Tarin and Dennis
Tracey and Micah

Just off of the beaten path...

Marly: Do you think we could afford that place?

John: I don't know. It looks like some prime real estate.

Marly: Yeah, look at the detailing.

John: I'm not sure we could even afford to ask about that one.

Marly: And I don't think it's for sale.

John: Of course not. They know what they have.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

I can't even figure out what to call this.

I love potato bread. Yet, I know that whole wheat bread is much better for me. So, when I go to the store, I buy Martin's Famous Whole Wheat Potato Bread.

I wish more things in life were that simple.

How cool do I feel tonight?

Last night, I tagged six people for a meme. It's a whopping 22 hours later, and three of them have already posted their own versions. And to make me even more excited, a friend I didn't even tag has also picked the meme up!

I really have no idea what that means, but it makes me feel good. Thanks, ladies! :)

Four Things

Over at My Second Journal, this meme ended with me being tagged! So, here we go...

Four place I go over and over:
Marly's Imagination Land
The Place of Senseless Worry
Rite-Aid
Walgreens


Four people who e-mail me (regularly):
John's mom
Karl
My mom
Spammers


Four places I would rather be right now:
Accepting a ginormous lottery check
Moved into our new home
On a cruise
Relaxing on my own island


Four TV shows/programs that I watch over and over:
The Office
Scrubs
Sesame Street
That '70s Show


Four things I have for breakfast:
Cake (when available)
Cereal
Fruit
Yogurt


Four animals I like best:
Cats - especially big ones
Dogs
Monkeys
Wolves


Four beaches I’ve been to:
Daytona Beach, FL
Myrtle Beach, SC
Ocean City, MD
Virginia Beach, VA


Tag 4 people (or 6 - 'cause I'm all about the rules):
Casey at Casey's Commentary
Nikki at Notes From Nik
Penny at A Little Of A Lot
Tracey at My kids are my life
Kelly at Our Many Mumblings
Frozen Star at Under Construction

Wordless Wednesday

Messin' with Kelly

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday a day early!

Eleven days shy...

... of one year between the day John was laid off on September 13th last year, and the day HE STARTS HIS NEW JOB on September 2nd of this year!

There is a lot of uncertainty ahead, as JJ and I will only see John on the weekends until the house sells and we move 150 miles to where he will be working. But I will take this uncertainty above the one we've been living in for the past year.

And I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have been there for us throughout this craziness. Your prayers, positive thoughts, kind words, and thoughtful actions have been what has made this ordeal bearable. Truly, we have been blessed by both the kindness of friends and of strangers.

Thank you!

Toddler television is a learning experience.

On Elmo's World this morning, Elmo interviewed a jacket (because his fish, Dorothy, asked him to). The jacket explained that she had sleeves and pockets. What goes in her pockets? Tissues and rocks.

Half of the things I saw as a daycare teacher were explained in one episode.

I forgot Wordless Wednesday!

To Whom It May Concern:

Please return my sanity as soon as possible. I do not have any money for it's ransom, but I do have an abnormal amount of junk for trade. Would you be interested in some back issues of several magazines, nail polish in gaudy colors, or half-empty bags of chips? Perhaps you would like some dead plants, a box full of expired coupons, or a cat? I seem to be surrounded by these things. I would gladly give them all to you in exchange for my ability to think straight, however.

I am eagerly awaiting your response.

Marly

Pardon me?

I think my hearing is starting to fail. Either that, or I'm slipping into some type of Freudian realm. A few examples...


During a commercial for a VOIP provider:

What I heard: "No nipples and dimes, like the phone company."

What was actually said: "No nickels and dimes, like the phone company."



During a commercial for a cleaning product:

What I heard: "Sometimes I play with my poops in the toilet."

What was actually said: "Sometimes I play with my boats in the toilet."



And by far the most disturbing - during a commercial for PBS Kids Sprout (toddler TV):

What I heard: "On The Goodnight Show tonight, we'll be learning about drugs and then sex."

What was actually said: "On The Goodnight Show tonight, we'll be learning about bugs and insects."

Quotes that mean something to me lately:

"All my life, I always wanted to be somebody. Now I see that I should have been more specific." - Jane Wagner

"Anybody can win, unless there happens to be a second entry." - George Ade

"As long as people will accept crap, it will be financially profitable to dispense it." - Dick Cavett

"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." - Douglas Adams

"I have been described as a lighthouse in the middle of a bog: Brilliant but useless." - Connor Cruise O'Brien

“I have met a lot of hardboiled eggs in my time, but you're twenty minutes.” - Oscar Wilde

“Just because nobody complains doesn't mean all parachutes are perfect.” - Benny Hill

"Just because somebody doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have." - Anonymous

"Just remember, if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off." - Author Unknown

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans” - John Lennon

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

"Sometimes you're the windshield; sometimes you're the bug." - Mark Knopfler

"What we're saying today is that you're either part of the solution or you're part of the problem." - Eldridge Cleaver

"You are entitled to nothing." - Patrick Jacobi

"You can't have everything... where would you put it?" - Steven Wright

The worst kind of peer pressure:

While rummaging through a cupboard, I found a bag of catnip. If you've never seen catnip before, it looks a lot like oregano... which (I hear) looks a lot like something else. I handed the bag to John, who regarded me with arched eyebrows, until I suggested that he refill some of the cat toys. He immediately walked into the family room, where all four cats were feigning aloofness, and asked, "Who wants to be cool?"

This is my 200th post.

Quick! Somebody bake a cake! Or better yet... how about 200 cupcakes? Then I could share them with all of you. After all, is there a better way to say "Thanks for reading!" than:

Maybe a career change is in order.

As we stood outside yesterday evening, John looked up at the sky darkening with clouds. "It looks like a storm's coming," he said.

"Yeah. The Weather Channel said it is supposed to rain tonight," I replied.

I had to smile as I barely heard him mumble under his breath, "I could so do that job."

Wordless Wednesday

Stuff

I haven't posted in a while because there has just been too much disorganized "stuff" going on my head. Please allow me to purge (like you have a choice - it's my blog)...

* If you've been reading the comments, you know that my sister sent me a picture that she would like me to post here. She says it is a wonderful picture of John and I... and she's half right. John looks fantastic with his big, burly self. I, on the other hand, do not. And I'm not sure why I am so very stuck in the land of the ridiculously vain, and cannot suck it up to post a picture in which I feel I look... really bad. But I am obviously having issues with the idea.

* John and I have decided that we would like to take a safari drive sometime. We would prefer not have an elephant sit on our car.

* If there is a disease that can be prevented by eating scrumptious local sweet corn, our family has no worries this week.

* I swear, in that picture, I look like I live in a tree and bake cookies for a living.

* This has been keeping me up at night. (I apologize for directing you to another host, but it is quite lengthy, and I did not want to re-post it here. Also, please note that Snopes's declaration of "false" refers to the fact that it was incorrectly attributed. However, the person to whom credit was given did pass the message at some point in time.)

* Next door, there lives a wonderful family, the matriarch of which is Carla. She is the only person for whom JJ will wriggle out of my arms and run, arms wide. Recently, he has taken to calling her "An LaLa" (Aunt Carla). Love it!

* I don't know whether to be flattered that my sister loves me so much that she cannot tell that this picture is incredibly unflattering, or worried about her eyesight.

* truTV's slogan claims that it is not "reality", but in fact, "actuality". Can someone please tell me the difference?

* My car is in the shop, and the dealership loaned me a Mercedes-Benz ML350. I don't want to give it back.

* Fine! Here's the picture:

Wordless Wednesday

He knows me too well.

For a while now, Pepsi has been airing a commercial featuring their "gift monster", a 60-foot tall abomination made up of things you can win by looking under the cap of your bottle of Pepsi product. In this commercial, a few friends are sitting on what appears to be the porch of a farm house. One of the people opens a bottle of Pepsi, and looks under the cap. Next thing you know, this conglomeration of stuff in monster form wanders out of a corn field, plucks a hat from himself, and hands it to the guy. The guy looks up and says, "Thanks".

After watching the commercial last night, John looked at me and said, with great sarcasm, "'Thanks.' That's what I'd be saying if that thing wandered into our yard."

"I'm pretty sure I'd have wet my pants," I said.

"Of course you would," John laughed, "That thing's made up entirely of FREE STUFF!"

"No, I think something of that magnitude would have me running away," I retorted.

"Maybe," John said, "But not before you asked it for a coupon."

Bring it on...

Let's fast-forward about 17 years (only 17 years?), and let me throw a hypothetical situation at you:

JJ has been accepted to a college about an hour away from home, where he is going to live in a dormitory on campus. He will certainly miss home, and we will definitely miss him. So, in an effort to make the transition easier for everyone, John and I have decided to rent a room and stay on campus with JJ for his first week at college.

Honestly... no holds barred... what do you think?

The kind of laughter that produces tears...

I ran across this today. I needed it... a lot.

Be sure to check out both pages.

Wordless Wednesday

It's that time again...

I'm back over at the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival, commenting like a mad woman! Once again, there are lots of great giveaways... even John has one going! He'll be representing the family this week. ;)

So get on over there and check things out. You just may be a winner!

True Confessions

After helping John with a little house project this afternoon, he said to me, "You know, that wasn't that bad with you helping."

I was thinking about what a great team we make when he added, "Of course, it would have been even better if you had done it yourself."

Wordless Wednesday

Just in the nick of time...

Happy Birthday, Karl!

You've worked really hard, and in this last year things have really fallen into place for you. I hope next year proves even better. You deserve only the best.

I love you, little brother!

This is John.

This is his blog.

This is what our local paper, The Daily Times, had to say about them on the front page of their Business section.

One Size Fits All

I had a wonderful opportunity to relive some old memories with my mother the other day, as we were going through a box of "stuff" that I had left behind when I moved out of their house. Among other things, we found sweatshirts from all of the productions I was involved with in high school, a vast and varied collection of keychains, my Tae Kwon Do gear and boards, and a black satin robe. As I started to put the robe on, I realized what it was. "This is my college graduation gown!"

And as I zipped it up, my mother excitedly proclaimed, "And it still fits!"

Breakin' the Rules

You may have noticed that, in all this time, this blog has only sported one single, solitary, tiny picture of JJ. It is primarily because I am the teensiest bit paranoid. I have this fairly irrational fear that somebody (let's call him or her a "bad person") will see JJ, and agree with me in my assessment that he is the most adorable kid on the planet. And then my not-even-two-year-old son will have a stalker. Truly, I am not prepared to deal with that kind of drama right now (or ever, thankyouverymuch).

But alas, I have recently heard tell that the world does not revolve around me, and the possibility exists that I may be just slightly prejudiced in my completely nonobjective opinion regarding the adorability of my son. I am not only shocked, but appalled as well. However, I am also just a bit relieved, because now I can show you what we did today...

BEFORE:





AFTER:

Wordless Wednesday

JJ needs a haircut.

As it is falling in his eyes, I'm reminded of a miniature "skater" from high school, circa the the ever-so-popular (in my world, at least) '80s era.

He's totally crush-worthy.

It is time.

I received this award a while back, with instructions to pass it on to a few of my favorite blogs. Instead, I held on to it, selfishly savoring it, peeking at it every once in a while, basking in it's glory. In case I haven't mentioned it before, I have an amazing sense of intuition, and I'm thinking perhaps it was telling me to hold on to this award for something special.



The creation of John's The Ultimate Job Search blog has helped bring about exactly what I was waiting for. Friends, both near and far, have chosen to help by passing on John's information. Many of them have posted a link on their blogs, and for that I am very grateful. Therefore, I have decided to award the Excellence in (Friendship and) Blogging award to the following:

* Casey at Casey's Commentary

* Emma at Charming the Birds From the Trees

* Frozen Star at Under Construction

* Kelly at Our Many Mumblings

* Kris at Devine Diaries

* Maria at Zanti

* Penny at A Little Of a Lot

* Stephenie at Zdrojewski Mom

* Tarin at The Keener Family

And these are only the blogs I know about. If you have posted a link, but were not mentioned, please send me a note. I want to be sure to thank you, because your help means so very much to me... to us.

I also want to express gratitude to all of my friends (and lots of people I don't even know) who have posted a link on their MySpace pages, or blasted their email address books, or just told somebody. With your help, John's blog has had over 400 hits in less than three days! And he has received several good leads which he is researching furiously.

For the first time in a long time, we are feeling something other than frustration and depression. It is hope. And for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Say what you will... I *heart* the internet.

Casey was my best friend, and according to my mother, the other half of probably one of the most beneficial and healthy relationships I have ever had. We had a lot in common, aside from the fact that we spent the most angst-ridden of early teenage years together. We were both cute, and funny, and sweet, and smart, and competitive. I know that she pushed me to work for a lot more than I ever would have aspired to achieve on my own. I can only hope I did the same for her. We had many of the same interests as well. I think the highlights at that time were reading, music, and boys - sometimes even the same boys. We spent every possible waking moment together. We were best friends.

But then... I guess life happened. Things changed. We changed.

And the next thing I knew, it was my senior year in college, and the phone rang. It had been over four years since the last time we spoke. Casey told me that she was a wife. And a mother. "Can you believe I'm somebody's mom?" (Those were her exact words.) A short time later, when I was home for a break, I met her daughter and her husband... her new family.

That was the last time I saw her - over 12 years ago. More life happened, I guess. It feels like a sad excuse.

And then, two weeks ago, she left a comment on my Roll Call! post. I followed it to her blog, Casey's Commentary, where I read all about her and her husband and their four children. I found that she is still cute, and funny, and sweet, and smart, and competitive. And I'm so very glad she found me here.

Hi, Casey! ;)

Welcome!

Yesterday morning, I received an email from Gwenn Garland, an editor for our local paper. It seems that somebody recommended she check here (no link, because she actually meant HERE here, not someplace else here) (extra thanks to those who already knew that) for an interesting and funny mom blog! She then asked if she could feature it on the paper's website: DelmarvaNow!, and it's sister site: DelmarvaMoms.

I blushed, giggled all giddy-like, and told her yes. And then I found this, which explains the extra hits I've been receiving within the last 24 hours!

Gwenn, thank you! And, for those of you new to my little corner, Welcome! You'll have to excuse the mess. I'm really not much of a housekeeper, but I hope you will find that what I lack in neatness and polish, I more than make up for in comfortability and warmth. Please, make yourselves at home.

Just be careful of the zebra.

Desperate times call for desperate measures...

Click HERE to view our new tactic.

I am asking... no, I am begging for your help.

Please, please, please pass this on to everyone you know. Post it on your blog. Start a spam email. Tell all of your friends. I will love you forever...

Wordless Wednesday

Meme'd

Penny tagged me for a meme! I've done this before, so now I have to come up with six more random things about myself. No problem.

1. I have developed something that could almost be classified as dependence on McDonald's Sweet Tea. The good news is that one of my "special talents" is recreating tastes I like. I'm *almost* there with my homemade sweet tea.

2. A boyfriend in college was once warned about me, "She may seem all sweet and innocent on the outside, but there's a wild woman in those eyes." I think that's one of the coolest things anybody has ever said about me.

3. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. Lately, I've found this revelation quite disturbing and depressing.

4. I miss the commercials where they sang, "You bet your Aspercreme!" As relaxed as the FCC has become in the past decade, why couldn't that continue?

5. Penny is on the brink of convincing me to train with her for a marathon. Me. I whine about having to drive 26 miles.

6. We have three big dogs, and I do not love them equally. There is a distinct order in my intensity of love for them. The first two are actually pretty close, but unless he saves my life, or something equally amazing, the third doesn't even have a chance.

Now, the rules state that I have to tag 6 other people, but I've never been one to follow the rules too closely. So, I'm going to repeat what I did last time: I am tagging all of you, dear readers. Please leave me a comment revealing at least one weird or random thing about yourself. And if you find yourself so moved, blog about it!

For Kaje...

Chipotle Ranch Pasta Salad

I start out by making a box of Betty Crocker Suddenly Pasta Salad in the Chipotle Ranch flavor... And because I have an aversion to both following directions AND leaving well enough alone, I then, add half a can each of black beans, corn, and petite diced tomatoes. Top it off with about half a cup of shredded cheddar.

Easy peasy.

I'll breathe again... tomorrow maybe.

JJ has this toy. He loves to bounce and spin on it, which is fair, because it's called the Bounce and Spin Zebra. What it's not called is the Stand Up On the Seat and Take Your Hands Off Of the Handles Thereby Giving Your Mother a Freakin' Heart Attack Zebra. Will somebody please tell my son that?

Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout.

I deserve a merit badge for this one...

After swimming at my friend's house yesterday, I was ready to change JJ out of his swim diaper and floaties, and back into his street clothes.

(As an aside... I just wanted to mention how very funny that just struck me. My 20-month-old son wears "street" clothes. We're not drug dealers, nor are we destitute... really.)

So, I had two bags and a naked baby in front of me. The swim bag was full of swim suits, swim diapers, towels, and pool toys. The diaper bag was full of everything... but diapers. As I always keep at least three diapers in the diaper bag, I was completely stumped.

(As another aside... I still have no idea where those diapers went. I would suspect somebody broke into my car and stole them, but that would just be ridiculous... right?)

Some of you may be asking, "What about the swim diapers?", and I will admit that is a valid question. But, those of you who didn't ask will be nodding your heads as I explain that swim diapers are definitely not a viable substitute. You see, swim diapers are designed NOT to absorb liquid. That is why they don't swell up in the water. It seems they are mainly designed to hold the poop in.

(Because I seem to be on an aside kick... For suddenly concerned pool owners and swimmers, I wanted to throw out the possibility that perhaps these swim diapers filter the pee as it passes through. Please note that I am not a swim diaper expert however, and cannot assure you that is the case. The thought makes me feel a little better, though.)

So, I had completely dumped both bags, and was telling myself off under my breath when I suddenly noticed the monster of all, super duty, truly, you should be dying if you need this maxi-pad in front of me. And I had an idea.

(You know the drill... Oh, yes I did.)

I removed the backing, stuck that maxi-pad in the swim diaper, and put it on my son. And we had a lovely evening.

(As a final aside... If you ever meet JJ later in life, and somehow end up playing a revealing game such as "Truth or Dare" with him, please try to refrain from using this knowledge against him. Unless, of course, he gave you a really nasty dare first. In that case, all bets are off. It's a dog-eat-dog world, son.)

Happy Independence Day!

I just finished making a yummy chipotle ranch pasta salad. We will be taking it to my friend's house for a cookout shortly. I'm going to celebrate the birth of our country... with an English woman... and Mexican food.

Thank You!

I really appreciate all of the comments left under Roll Call!. I wanted to find out who is behind the sometimes cryptic location information provided to me by SiteMeter, Map Loco, and Google Analytics.

Oh yeah, I have all three, discreetly located at the bottom of the page. ;)

Although they give me a bunch of interesting information, none of them tells me exactly who you are, how you came to find me, or what keeps you coming back. And I find that much more interesting than my hit counter, or even the span of hearts on my nifty little map.

Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday

Roll Call!

I need an ego boost, so I thought I'd look to you all. Back in January, I asked for a shout out to see who was reading, and I had 17 people comment. I think there are more of you now, but I want to check. So, if you're reading this, please send me some comment-love. And, as there seem to be several of you that I don't know personally, tell me how you found my little corner of the blogosphere here. I'm pathetically desperate AND curious.

Oh, and if I don't get more than 17 comments this time, I will be totally. bummed. out. :(

No pressure. ;)

Possession by Playskool

JJ owns this nifty little toy. It's actually very cute. The farmer and all of his animals are all removable. And when you snap them into place, it makes the sound of the animal, or in the case of the farmer, it starts to sing, "Old MacDonald". It even knows which animals are in place, and will tailor the song to reflect the present crowd. It's a smart toy.

John and I realized exactly how smart the other night when, long after JJ had gone to bed, completely out of the blue, the farmer proclaimed, "I can't drive!"

After our initial shock, because this toy chose to speak of it's own volition, John and I looked at each other and said, in our best farmer imitation voices, "'Cause I've been drinkin'!"

I told you it was a smart toy.

And on a more personal note...

Hi Jim!

Wordless Wednesday

Is there a shrink in the house?

I just finished "Dark Lover", the first book in this series. I really enjoyed it, but I did encounter one slight problem. I don't know if everyone operates like this, but when I am reading a book, I am not just reading the words. In the back of my mind, I am actually viewing the action as well - like a movie. But perhaps, like in all other things, I am a bit lazy in my creation of the movie. To the point where, instead of creating new characters, I will often take the description, and put in place a character I have seen before.

WARNING: If you enjoy this series, and you have the same movie-theater mind that I have described, you may not want to continue reading - lest I destroy these works for you.

J.R. Ward's main story characters were a prime example of my character regeneration. Wrath is a huge, burly, almost frightening beast of a vampire, and Beth is a beautiful, innocent woman who can take care of herself. And their inevitable romance didn't help me escape the forms of characters I already knew...

Beth = Belle (Beauty)
Wrath = the Beast

Yes, I have taken a book that, if books were rated, would warrant an NC-17, and played all of the scenes out with rated G characters. Overall, I guess it makes that a PG-13 story... and one very disturbed Disney fan.

Wordless Wednesday

Overheard...

As he was picking chip remains out of the carpet, John says to JJ (who was begging for more chips):

I don't think so, dude. You don't get any more when you throw them on the floor. That's a new rhyme we're going to live by, little man.

Surprise!

One of these showed up on our doorstep this afternoon:

Apparently, JJ wanted to wish us a Happy Father's and Mother's Day. He's such a thoughtful young man.

They're absolutely beautiful. Thank you - We love you, too! ;)

Mother, are you sitting down?

I went to the library a little over a week ago and reserved a book.

I picked it up a few days ago and finished it today. (I enjoyed it very much, by the way.)

I returned the book, reserved the next two in the series, and checked out the first book in another series I've been wanting to read.



For those unfamiliar, I could practically open a library myself, because I own nearly every book I've ever read... or want to read... or somebody gave me... or came in a box for a dollar at a yard sale... etc.

My name is Marly. I am impatient, and I am a hoarder.

Happy Father's Day!

I love you, Daddy!

Hurricane JJ

It's 4:30 in the morning. We've been awake for the past four hours. John and I have been incredulously watching JJ, who normally sleeps for a good 12 hours at night, run around like somebody laced his before-bed sippy cup of milk with sugar... and speed.

Deja Vu?

We're going to try this again.

We lowered the reserves this time.

Please notify the wealthy.

Wordless Wednesday

Attention Spammers:

I do not need my colon cleansed! Please... Stop sending me emails offering various products to perform this action. It's creeping me out.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my mother's birthday!

I hope you have an outstanding day, Mom. And as a special present, I'm not telling everyone how old you are... They wouldn't believe me anyway. ;)

We love you!

Just a couple of observations:

* The residents of Sesame Street must be extraordinarily fond of toast. Luis and Maria have had that fix-it shop for years, and I can't say I've ever seen them working on anything but toasters. I'm thinking they might have a little extra cash to throw around as well, 'cause I don't know how much it is to fix a toaster, but a new one is like, fifteen bucks.

* I'm guessing the tune to "Jingle Bells" isn't copyrighted. At the end of every mini-episode of "Elmo's World", Elmo sings a song (which is a stretch in itself - he just repeats one word) about whatever he was thinking about that day, and it is always to the tune of "Jingle Bells". I hope it doesn't ruin Christmas for me JJ.

My Little Runaway

I noticed the grill first. I saw it in my rearview mirror. There aren't a lot of cars like mine around here, so it stood out. The car passed me on the left. I felt like I was moving in slow motion. As it passed, I noticed the headrests for the back seat. The one on the passenger side was up higher than the one on the driver side. I instinctively glanced at my own back seat, and found that the same headrest was raised in my own car. I felt a sudden out-of-control panic, as I realized that I had left the headrest up after attaching JJ's car seat to the LATCH system.

And I lost touch with reality for a moment. I started to wonder if I was actually IN that other car. As I veered off of the highway, down my exit lane, headed for the reality of the errands I had to run, I felt like a part of me (my alter-ego, if you will - her name is Molly) continued on that highway, headed for destinations unknown.

Right before the other car vanished out of sight, I saw the flash of break lights. Enjoy the trip, Molly.

Ouch!

I mean really... How completely unfamiliar with yourself do you have to be to jam the fingers of your right hand into the side of your car, and then, about an hour later, slam the fingers of your left hand in the laundry room door?

I am 35 years old, and I still have no idea where air stops and I begin.

Wordless Wednesday

Offer:

First off, let me say that I am not one to lecture about vices. I have more than enough of my own - I once sustained second degree burns trying to deep fat fry a Twinkie at home. However, many of you know that I recently lost a good friend, due in part to a long history of smoking. I'm not going to pretend that there is a single person out there who doesn't already know that smoking is detrimental to your health, so I'll spare you the details. I am well aware of the fact that it wouldn't do any good anyway. After all, several of my friend's close relatives have resumed the habit - knowing full well that they are genetically predisposed to developing Cancer from it.

THAT IS A TESTAMENT TO HOW POWERFUL A HABIT SMOKING CAN BE.

So, if you are a happy smoker, and content with your habit, so be it. But... if you are a smoker, and wish not to be, you have a long, hard road ahead of you. And I know this may sound silly, but for some reason (Deb?), I really feel driven to post this:

I have a coupon to save $5 on Nicorette 100 ct. or larger. And, if you have a Rite-Aid near you, they have an additional $5 Single Check Rebate available on the 100-120 ct. packages this month. That's $10 to get you started. I know it's not much, but aside from my support, it's what I have to give right now.

I will be happy to send the coupon to the first person to email me (marlylynk at yahoo dot com). Your identity will definitely be kept confidential - unless of course, you would like me to post about your progress (talk about a kick in the pants!). I may not have many readers, but what I lack in quantity, I more than make up for in quality. I'm certain you would receive some heartfelt support.

There's a children's book in here somewhere...

While we were in New York (if you read the comments, you know we were in NY), springtime apparently descended upon us, as we found ourselves surrounded by a multitude of caterpillars. John's nephew Jack took a liking to one in particular and named him Carl. Carl was a special caterpillar, in that he could perform tricks on a stick. His most spectacular trick was holding on while Jack ran approximately 50 miles in the driveway/parking area holding the stick.

At one point in time, however, (much to no one but Jack's surprise) Carl disappeared. Jack was searching frantically for him, and I was just close enough to hear him quietly admonishing, "Carl, this is no time for playing games!"

Luckily, someone on the far side of the parking area was paying attention, and Carl (or another caterpillar bearing a striking resemblance to Carl) was found. And for the next few days, every caterpillar that wandered onto the parking area received a jubilant round of, "Hey! There's Carl!"

Until I found one in the garage. I called Jack over, and told him that I had found Carl. "Don't be ridiculous, Aunt Marly," he corrected me, "That's not Carl."

"It sure looks like Carl," I tried.

"Of course it does. That's Carl's dad, Jerry!"

"Of course."

We took a little vacay...

Very early last Friday morning (think 2:00 am), I discovered the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge. It's not nearly as fantastical as I would have hoped. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for the green road sign, I would have missed it entirely. But then, I really wasn't looking for it... in Pennsylvania.

It was located just south of the Pennsylvania Turnpike - the most horrid excuse for a road I hope you never have to travel. Last year, upon paying my few dollars to enter this poorly maintained stretch of pavement, we asked the toll-taker if we could request that the money we gave her be used to improve the road surface. She said no (fabulous sense of humor on that one). And so, it came as no surprise that the road still sucks. I'm guessing that all of the money that they collect from the poor souls who have to travel that stretch of endless potholes and uneven surfaces ends up maintaining the call boxes found at each and every mile-marker. I bet they get a lot of use.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday