Brainiac - You're Surprised?

You are a Brainy Girl!

Whether you're an official student or a casual learner, you enjoy hitting the books. You know a little bit about everything, and you're always dying to know more. For a guy to win your heart, he's got to share some of your intellectual interests. A awesome book collection of his own doesn't hurt either!

What Kind of Girl Are You?

Font Fanatic

My fonts folder has 490 files in it at the moment.? I've got everything from "Andy" and "fruitopia" to ""Varsity" and "Zoomorphica."? Several Disney characters, a number of brands, and even a movie or two have found their merry ways into my fonts folder.? To quote Over the Hedge, "enough just isn't enough."?

One of my peeves, though, is only seeing a small sample of the font when you're browsing.??Ooh, baby, not anymore!?Download free fonts and free dingbats?at Urban Fonts, and you get to see the entire font before you download it!? Oh yeah, and did you catch that they're free?

You're not looking at the same three fonts with slight variations, either.? There are lots of original, creative fonts.? The dingbats are nothing to sneeze at, either.? There's an entire font of foliage - really cool looking - and an amazingly detailed set of African artwork.? Check out the retro bats while you're there, too.? Trend followers will find it useful for the return of vintage chic.

All in all, Urban Fonts is a forerunner of the font industry, in my opinion.? Not because of quantity, but quality and user-friendliness.? Check out the Identifont and What the Font features, too.? I could have saved myself hours and eyestrain with that over the years!

So go, ogle, download; have some fun!

Today's Blogger Is...

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You Are a Life Blogger!

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

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What Kind of Blogger Are You?
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I'll take that over snarky any day!

Don't Just Dress, Fancy Dress

I know it's too late for Halloween this year, but it's never too late to start planning for next year, right? There's a new "fancy dress" site from the UK that's one of the most comprehensive I've seen.

They've got everything you need, from costumes to wigs, props to magic tricks, and disguise accessories.

Can't see having something eternally just to wear it for a few hours? Londoners can hire a costume from a dozen different categories from?animals and mascots?to United Nations national wear and western.

Even us "uncivilised Yankees" can partake of the fanciness - they ship worldwide. You'll find the most popular costumes for kids and a bigger selection of masks than anyone should have. But you're bound to have more fun than most, too.

Pop Quiz

"Quick, name a hundred things; go!"

- Chris Rice mid-thought while discussing the things in life that we value the most

PayPerPost Payoff

Michael's been into making money online for...well, since he discovered "online."? It seems like every week he's telling me about something else he's seen that's supposed to make "Josie America" rich in her pajamas.? We've tried?quite a few of them.? Okay, he's tried an incredibly insane amount of them.? He's managed to toss me on the bandwagon of a few of them.

So naturally I (inwardly, of course) rolled my eyes when he mentioned PayPerPost.? My first thought when he tells me about something is usually something along the lines of, "How much is this gonna cost us?" but surprisingly, it didn't cost a dime.? No, not even a penny, for you linguistic smarties out there.? The next thing I knew, he said that he had a stash of money in his PayPal account from PayPerPost.? I quickly asked him what on Earth that was and my darling, patient husband explained it yet again.

Writer's block story short, I signed up, started writing (eventually), and now Michael's aggravated at me because I've made $182 since my first payment on October 3 - which is more than he has.? I've got another $118 coming as of this writing,?and?the amount?will only increase day by day.? I've been able to buy gifts for people I love, treat myself and my family, and now I'm saving up for an iPod Nano.

Not bad for a stay-at-home mom in her pjs.

Walk Watchers Report 4

Okay, there I am stripped down to my skivvies standing on the scale after huffing and puffing through one lousy mile this morning and what am I rewarded with?

157

Moral of the story: Don't stop walking for a week, dope!

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Arringdumb Strikes Again

You know, you'd think that someone so supposedly smart would get it eventually, but Mike Arrington just doesn't seem to have the cranial lobe that can grasp the concept of paid blogging connected.? Once again, he rants about the transparency of the blogosphere and the ethics of disclosure without changing his own disclosure on TechCrunch.? Read through his blog sometime when your sense of the ludicrous is severely numbed - granted, you'll have to sift through a number of anti-PayPerPost propoganda posts - and see how many posts mention people and companies that, hmm...he has some connection with, but man, my eyes are bad because I missed him mentioning that fact....

A New Word

We have now, no, wait, now, I mean, now...stretching on into eternity.? But what do you call all the nows that have passed that stretch back to.....?

Behindernity - all the nows that have happened before this now.

Disclosure Dispute

There's been a lot of hype about disclosure since the advent of PayPerPost.? Now there's a disclosure policy generator to help bloggers in their quest for transparency.? Answer a few questions, and it generates the policy for you.? Will this solve the disclosure dispute?? Hardly.? With guys like Mike Arrington out there, rest assured that nothing will ever be enough.? And while I know my readers to be intelligent and have already figured this out, Mike and his buddies will need to be told that all posts on this blog that have been compensated for?can be found in the "Reviews" category.? And here's the "official" Three Stairs disclosure policy:

This policy is valid from 30 October 2006
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact? design@unfettereddesigns.com.
This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers? own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

The owner(s) of this blog would like to disclose the following existing relationships. These are companies, organizations or individuals that may have a significant impact on the content of this blog. We are employed by or consult with: PayPerPost.
To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

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A New Philosophy

So you know by now that I find Chris Rice's music and songwriting to be very inspiring.? He's also very humorous.? I'd like to share the little gems I pick up from Chris along the way.? These shall henceforth be know as Riceisms.

Enjoy!

Walk Watchers Report 3

Drumroll, please....

156

UGH.

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Lookie, lookie!

How cool is that?!?!

Anticipatory Exclamations

"It's today; it's today; it's today!!!!"

- George Little, the morning he was to get a little brother in the movie "Stuart Little."

Alternately, me all day looking forward to the Chris Rice concert tonight.

Oops, Did I Read That Out Loud?

"I actually thought about that for a minute..."

-Michael, upon my reading of the last item in the Sons list.

You Are Cordially Invited...

Being a graphics designer and virtual assistant, I design all our invitations, announcements, etc. at home.? Yes, it can be a time-consuming project, but the kids love it and I get to exercise my creative juices.

? Baptism invitations?at Wedding-Needs.com are perfect for those of us that don't have the energy or time to make them, though.? There are several absolutely beautiful die-cut invitations of christening gowns (and even a boy's baptismal romper), and the drawing of the sleeping baby is just adorable.? So save yourself some time - you have my permission.

Currently The World's Funniest List

Check this out:? Some?interesting things you find out when you have sons.? This is the funniest list I've seen in ages.

Here's a few teasers:

When you hear the toilet flush and the words 'uh oh,' -- it's already too late.

Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.??

You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.
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What Would Polonius Think?

Some weeks there just doesn't seem to be enough money.? That's when all those payday loans seem so tempting.? But I know there's got to be a catch in there somewhere like huge interest rates, massive fees, and doling out your checking account information like candy on Halloween.? Now there's instant payday loans online, just in case you don't have a ride to your local loan shark.? I can only assume it's gotten better over time, but I still don't trust it.

Walk Watchers Report 2

157...Well, isn't that NOT lovely??

Tell me why I walked a mile and a half the last three days of last week.? It obviously wasn't to lose weight.? I guess it was just to make the insides of my thighs hurt for three days.

Wonderful...

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Renaissance Man

While I do business online, it's not the be all and end all of my existence.? It's a dangerous (and seriously limiting) thing to focus on only one thing all the time. Internet business has its place in our lives, but if that's all you have you're one extremely boring person - tons of money or not.? James Brausch has figured this out.? The guy took off from June 2004 to January 2006 to experience the first several months of his son's life without distractions!? Yeah, I'd like to know what he does to be able to do that (which is why his blog is going on my favorites list), but his articles on living life and becoming a well-rounded person are what snag me the fastest.

So go get rounded out...

A Title Reveals So Much...

P	utrefying
O	blivious
L	oathsome
I	ncorrigible
T	actless
I	mbecilic
C	alculating
I	nsensitive
A	moral
N	oisome

Straightening Out Your Symptoms

While WebMD offers lots of medical advice on everything under the sun, sometimes we want to know what other people have experienced with certain conditions.? Many times what worked best for me was something that another mom or patient shared with me.? OrganizedWisdom.com combines the expertise of doctors with the experiences of patients.? Help others by sharing 1 piece of health wisdom at OrganizedWisdom.com, and learn something about what you're going through at the same time.? The information is concise, well-presented, and thorough.? You won't spend hours clicking through links to find all the information you need - it's all one one page.? And searching for it is easy, too.

...as long as your condition hasn't made you forget your ABCs...

Be Gone, Bully!

I am so sick of bullies.? I can't stand it when people do things just out of meanness or spite.? And I really can't stand it when we let them get away with it because they're bigger, or richer, or have connections.? What happened to "all men are created equal?"? Why are we defeatists who say that the way it has been is the way it has to be?? Columbus was the minority - everyone thought he was crazy.? And we just celebrated a national holiday for him!? Galileo, Aristotle, Magellan - all great men that were viewed as lunatic because they believed in something that no one else saw.? Where are those that believe so fully in justice, truth, and right that they'll shout it to the thundering masses until they see their folly?

DVD Clubs Take a Turn for the Ridiculous

As if there aren't enough DVD clubs, now there's one from your favorite All-American goof-offs, National Lampoon.? While the current selection is minimal, the reviewed stock promises to be hilarious.? The premise is that these guys will only offer you the funniest movies ever made that never got the wide distribution they deserved.? This is a movie club for adults only - the humorists featured include the likes of Luke Wilson, Jack Black, and Andy Dick.? If you like raunchy humor and what mainstream society calls tasteless, you'll love it.

Frankly, I'll pass, since I get plenty of potty humor from my six-year-old...

Funtagious Vocabulary

Did I mention that I love books?? That I read the dictionary for fun?? Well, here's a dictionary you normal people might like to read: Mixtionary.? The description on Amazon quotes this:?

"Presenting a special hardcover guide to communicating efficiently in the modern world, in which newfangled ideas and phenomena leave us at a loss for words. This humorous hardcover offers mixed-up modern words for our mixed-up world, each one illustrated by veteran comic artist Shawn McManus. "

There's a video clip about it (where I first learned about the book) at Expanded Books.? Dude, it'll be, like, funtagious.

Who knew reading the dictionary could be so enjoyable?

Party Time!

Chris Rice is giving a free concert in Tyler on October 23.? The doors open at 6.? I'm trying to figure out what to do with the kids between the time they get out of school and Michael gets home so that I can be there at 4.? This nut's gonna be on the front row!? I'm actually hoping to get to meet Chris.? How cool would that be?!

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Smashing Schedule

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.? Most people blow it off, but you shouldn't.? Breast cancer?is a high risk in my family since my great-grandmother died from it.? It's been a constant reminder - Check your breasts - you don't want to end up like Granny, I think.? My grandmother is the most vocal about reminding the women in my family to get checked.? We had a scare last year when she felt a lump in her left breast.? Thankfully, it wasn't cancer and the lump is now gone thanks to treatment.

Early detection is the key to survival.? Breast cancer information abounds, so you have no excuse?for not doing self exams and getting a mammogram.? Annual mammograms are a must for any woman over 50, and they must begin at 40 for women like me that have a family history or high risk of cancer.? I have 10 years for laser mammograms to become commonplace!? All kidding aside, monthly self exams and annual mammograms make more and more women breast cancer survivors than statistics...

So go take your shirt off and touch yourself!

Alliteration Addict

If you haven't noticed from my post titles, I love alliteration (that's when consecutive words start with the same sound).? I think it's fun to come up with alliterative titles and phrases - it works the linguistic?brain.

Another confession - I have 33 hours towards an English major.? Now you know the secret of my infatuation.? I constantly correct my husband and children in their grammar.? It drives Michael crazy, but he doesn't use "due to" anymore - YES!?

Dr. Roth would be so proud.? He was my professor and mentor at college.? His pet peeve was people using "due to" instead of "because of" because it's incorrect grammar.? To this day, I can't use the phrase, and I can't?see it without thinking of Dr. Roth.

Yeah, I'm sad...

Money Mojo

It seems that there's a song for everything and everybody.? From adulterers to zebras, and babies in utero to the dead.? TheRiskmaster is a song for today's webophiles.? Making money seems to be the muse for most of us, but I haven't heard a song that actually addressed it.? I like it; it has a slight classic Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers feel to it that makes it a feel good tune.? I found myself refreshing everytime the song ended.

And yeah, it's a little snarky (my word for the week) with the line, "Anyone this rich must have lied."? But really, isn't that how we feel about rich people when we aren't rich?? He's not like us and we're good people, so he must be bad.? I've also found that we have that attitude toward people that come up with a great idea before we do.

Hmm....kinda like Mike Arrington and Rob Hof's view of Ted Murphy.? Maybe jealousy is rearing it's scaly little green head...

50-Cent Word Junkie

I read the dictionary for fun.? RefDesk is my friend.? Yes, I use new words in a sentence within a day of learning them.? My favorite place is the library.? I have more books than food items at any given time - even after I've been on a grocery shopping spree.? I've been told more than once that I could (some say should) start a book store.? I refuse to get rid of a book.? I have a box of books in the back of my van that I got for free from a local thrift store.? I just saw a box of books and didn't look at them twice before squealing in delight and picking it up.? I love vocabulary, hate profanity, and actually use words like banter, blather, and vacillate in the course of daily conversation.??I usually have to define a word I've used at least once a week.? I can tell when Michael's been reading my?blog - I'm his new vocabulary source.

It's an aural exhilaration to hear a fresh syllabic homage to language.

Home Security In Podunk

I live in a small town with about 5,000 people.? Home security around here consists of nosey neighbors and the streetlights every 50 feet.? Not to mention the fact that instead of six degrees of separation, we have about 3.? It seems like everybody's either related or at knows at least 3 people from the same family.?

Take me, for instance.? My grandmother and mother also live in my town, so just about anybody in town knows at least 1 of us, if not all of us.? I can't get away with squat.? If I went to Ace Hardware (which I don't very often), rest assured someone that knows I'm Pat's granddaughter saw me there and mentioned it to her.? Within 24 hours of me doing something out of the ordinary, my grandmother or mom are going to ask me what I was doing because so-and-so saw me there...and I'm 30!

Now imagine what the teenagers that all grew up here have to deal with.? Who needs home security in Podunk?

Walk Watchers Report 1

I've been walking now for about a month to lose weight.? I walk between a mile and a mile and a quarter.? To make me accountable and to encourage myself, I'll be posting my weight every Monday.? Today's magic number is...

153...Barf.

Well, it's better than 158, so I guess I should be happy.? My goal is to get down to 115.? Only another 38 pounds to go!? At a pound a week, I should hit my goal around...the beginning of July.? Ugh...Maybe I'll aim for 2 pounds a week.? That'd put me at the middle of February.? Oooh - I'd be skinny for my birthday!

Go me; go me; it's my birthday; it's my birthday!

Okay, official goal:? to be at 115 on my birthday, 13 April 2007.

Wish me luck...

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PayPerPostie

So I've made almost $100 since 20 September from PayPerPost.? I've already got another $150 scheduled to come my way in the next 30 days.? Not bad for expressing my opinion about stuff and finding some cool sites and products along the way.? It sure beats 4 jillion surveys to make five bucks.

You want in on the secret??Go to PayPerPost, sign up, and make money.? Want to thank me for inviting you to the world's greatest money-maker for SAHMs?? List my e-mail (design@unfettereddesigns.com) in the referrer's field when you sign up.? What's it all mean?? Major money for you, and five bucks for me.

It's a win-win-win!

Breakthrough

I laughed and smirked in snarky delight tonight as?I blogged and listened to Chris Rice.? Not the calming, hurting Chris Rice playlist - just Chris Rice.? I'm currently bebopping along to "Good News" and find myself somewhat jovial.

"There's hope and peace and freedom...ain't it about time?"

Oh yeah!!!

Princess Prestidigitation

Sarah's all into princesses.? I saw a commercial today for Disney World where a little girl dressed normally opens a door and is suddenly a princess on a red carpet leading to a carriage.? If only all florida holidays were like that.? I'd love to go and become a princess for a day or two...

or a lifetime...

I have an uncle that lives in Odessa.? I'm still trying to figure out how to convince him that he wants to send my family to Disney World just 'cause he loves us so much.? He's the crazy one in the family, but I don't think he's that crazy.?

I must be, though.? Who wants to go stand in a huge line everywhere you go?? And does a depressed woman really want to see grinning, oversized, furry rodents every time she turns around?

Energizer Zombie Wit

Bethy started throwing up mucous on Monday afternoon.?? Tuesday morning I took her to the doctor and she was diagnosed with "allergies."? Wednesday evening I discovered what I thought was the real reason for the sieve-nose, fever,?and colic:? she's cutting her top two front teeth.? Thursday night I started feeling a scratchy, sore throat and having a headache.

Hmm...contagious allergies.? That's a new one.? As of this writing, four of the five people in our family are coughing and/or sound hoarse.? I've spent the last six days holding the baby and wishing I could sleep because I feel like...well, let's face it:? crap.? She refuses to be put down.? This child could be sould asleep - comatose - until you try to lie her in her crib.? Then she starts screaming at T-3 inches from your chest.

So here I am, forced to trudge on as Mom and take care of the sick baby, the sick hubby, the coughing elder daughter, and the Rambunctious Rebel while I feel so wiped out I'm thinking I'm must be running on some preternatural energy source reserved for moms.

On the up-side, I've noticed that my wit is as sharp as my body is dull.? I guess all the energy my body isn't using while I lie around is fueling my brain.

Long live the snarky zombie-wit!

TechCrunch-Dee & ARobbing-Dum

Mike Arrington (or is it Arrogant?) and Rob (hop off yer high horse) Hof "interviewed" Ted Murphy and Josh Stein earlier this month.? That's what they called it.? It was more like a propagandizing, mud-slinging, ignorantly accusatory slander-fest about blog advertising.

Cast aside the blatantly condescending attitude of the hosts; forget the leading questions meant to plant myths in the minds of listeners.? If their definition of "civilized" (as they called it in their post about the meeting) is to continually interrupt the guests and to allow your cohort unabridged soliloquies on his own merits as a "real" journalist, I must be a Neanderthal.

Rob blathers on about how ?true? journalists don?t accept payment to promote something, and the deception of not disclosing payment, yet is a hired hand for Business Week.? Hey Rob, how much did they pay you to slam PayPerPost on Business Week Online?? Surely you don?t mean that the big-wigs over at BWO just donated a post to you on their blog so you could get your feelings off your chest?? Oh, they pay you to write about the tech industry?? Gee, Rob, ever hear of editors?

Journalism is the precursor to PayPerPost.?? Since paper and ink were combined and distributed, there have been ?advertisers? paying to have their propaganda spread far and wide.? If it weren?t the case, you wouldn?t have decidedly liberal and conservative publications.? They would all appeal equally to both sides of the fence.? How many conservatives do you know that read American Prospect or Washington Monthly?? How about liberals reading National Review or Human Events?? See how far a piece like ?Five Squandered Years? makes it in the offices of National Review, then tell me journalism isn?t bought.

Then there?s the allegory to Tremor ? getting free stuff to promote it.? Hmmm?.I haven?t received any free products for promoting something off of PayPerPost.? Ted hasn?t even sent me the shirt I asked him to (hint, hint, Ted!), but here I am promoting him and PayPerPost.? Somehow Rob and Mike have completely missed the point of PayPerPost.? Could it be that they really don?t know what they?re talking about?

Oops.? Ignorance rears its ugly head.

Here?s one for the circus:? Mike says if a company is so uninteresting that it can?t get it?s own marketing anyway just because it?s interesting, then it?s probably something we don?t need to know about.? Honk your big red nose if you?ve asked someone where they got something you hadn?t seen before within the last, oh, say minute??

Okay, all vernacular aside:? we?ve all learned about something we didn?t know existed because someone else told us about it.?

Hey, I got a free sample of Betty Crocker?s Seasoned Skillet the other day.? If I make them but don?t tell my husband that I got them free, am I being an unethical, non-disclosing shiller?

PS:? Lest Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum question my ethics, I got paid to be snarky about their ignorant propaganda.

Chronicling Zs

I've now seen two documentaries about C.S. Lewis and The Chronicles of Narnia.? I had to force myself to watch the last half of each.? Both used the same scenes or (bad and unimaginative) computer graphics repeatedly, and the commentators they found were about as lifeless as old Jack himself is now.? Neither had any new information, as such, that couldn't be found in a basic encyclopedic article on the author.? All told my question is this:

How can a documentary about such an interesting person and such adventurous stories be so boring?

Vonderful Vonage

I keep hearing "Vonage" and wondering what exactly it is.? "VoIP," I'm told.

Yeah, okay, that makes sense.? "Voice over Internet Provider."

Getting closer...

VoIP Forum?is a lifesaver for those of us behind the telephonic times.? With FAQs, direct links to Vonage, forums galore, reviews, and the latest news about everything VoIP, it's the only stop you need to make an informed, intelligent decision on whether or not to cut the landlines.

Happy VoIPing!

Snarky, Snark, Snark

I came across this neat little quiz about what kind of blogger you are - I'm snarky.? What is snarky, anyway?? According to?RefDesk, it's all about anger.? Yippee.? Even computer-generated mathematical algorithums have me figured out.?

You Are a Snarky Blogger!

You've got a razor sharp wit that bloggers are secretly scared of. And that's why they read your posts as often as they can!

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

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Floors To Be Fond Of

I've always wanted wood floors in my home.? I currently have wood floors in part of it.? What a pain!? And how many trees did it take to floor my kitchen?? How long did it take those trees to grow?? How long will it take to replace them?

See, I'm a bit of a tree-hugger at heart, and while I love the beauty of wood, I cringe at the thought of killing half-century-old trees just so I can worry about denting, scratching, harming the very material that is naturally bored into everyday.

?So I discovered a way to have the beauty?of a light wood without killing Grandpa Tree:?bamboo flooring.? The gorgeous plank you see to the left is not pine, oak, or maple, but bamboo.? Because of its rapid growth cycle (as much as 47 inches in 24 hours), it's becoming a popular choice for those of us that don't want to seriously impede conservation efforts.

Bamboo is also easy to install and care for, and has a wide variety of hues available - just like other wood floors.? Pricing ranges from 2-8 per square foot, so it'll also fit in just about any budget.? You can also choose to install prefinished tongue-and-groove planks, unfinished planks, or have it installed professionally.

Hopefully you'll be able to do it sooner, but rest assured, when I do get my house, I'll be serenely bebopping on bamboo.

The Box Tops Bomb

More vernacular:? I'm the bomb.? Oh, that cracks me up...

Anyway, the meeting was just a beginning-of-the-year, let?s-get-on-the-same-page meeting.? And they love the spreadsheet I do every week letting them know which classes have turned in how much and what our running totals are for the year.

Go me, go me, go me!

Happy Place, Happy Place...

If I had been able to calm down enough to even read this weekend, this looks like a good one:? Simone and Elvis.? Hey, when it?involves cats named after the?King, it's bound to be the best self help book out there.

Box Tops Drama

Who knew little pieces of cardboard could cause such a stir in my innards?? I get ecstatic when Box Tops brands are on sale.? I get a rush when I see a stack of collection sheets in my bin on Thursday afternoons.? I thrill at the prospect of making one of those ridiculously large checks to Coach Wyman for $2500.

And my stomach churns at the thought of 8:15.? The assistant principal asked me Friday morning if I could meet with him and the librarian at 8:15 Monday morning about Box Tops.? I have no idea what the meeting is about.? Am I doing a good job and they just want to encourage me?? Are we just having the beginning-of-the-year, let's-get-on-the-same-page meeting?? Are they going to ream me or "fire" me because I've somehow made them mad?? I can't stand it.? I wish they'd just grab me and say, "Hey, I want to talk to you for a second."

Never set an appointment three days in advance?with a obsessive-compulsive without giving her an agenda.

Camera Cravings

My dad's hobby is photography, and I inherited his shutterbug gene.? I've got a cheap digital camera, but the thing is such a pain it makes me miss the clunker from my high school photojournalism class.? Maybe I should have checked out digital camera reviews before I bought a camera.? I think I would be a lot happier with my choice.?

And there's so much information, I might be able to actually take a good picture.

Fan

I've not considered myself a real fan of any musician in years.? Only two artists have inspired me to collect every album they've made - Sting and Enya.? It's time for a confession:? I'm a Chris Rice fan.? I've now gathered every album he's made and listen to him as a matter of course on a daily basis.? I've found his music to run the gamut of human emotion and experience within the Christian walk.? Whatever my mood, there's a Chris Rice song that helps me feel it fully.? He's a talented songwriter, musician, and singer.? I enjoy his intelligent, witty lyrics.?

Who else finds a way to use the word prestidigitator in a song???

Alice in Webland

My current list of paying?"identities"?includes website designer, graphics designer, and virtual assistant.? I'd love to find something that doesn't involve quite so much "me" time, though.? Michael's made an art of researching internet marketing, but it's more from his perspective of a man finding a way to come home from a JOB (just over broke).? I've yet to really figure out this whole thing.

Well, I found my own white rabbit of internet marketing, Alice Seba's Internet Marketing Blog.? How cool to find a blog from a fellow mom that understands why I want to take advantage of internet marketing and that I don't have time to be taken in by all the scams out there.? Alice guides moms through the tangled webs and warns you of pitfalls before you take a nose-dive with your wallet.? She even shares her own best finds, like the guide that got her started.

Now excuse me while I go learn more from the newest addition to my favorites list...

Trapped

I'm a happy, organized, ambitious person trapped in an overweight, depressed body.? It's like the two sides of my brain are battling each other.? I'll think all day long, "I want to..." or "I need to..."? or any number thoughts about projects that would make my life more organized, peaceful, productive.? Yet somehow they get stuck there.? My body refuses to cooperate.? I'm tired - exhausted, really - and can't seem to get going.? I'm walking a mile or more 5 days a week, but can't seem to use what little energy I have to actually do something.? It's amazing to be living your life and all the while feel like a tiger pacing in a zoo cage.? I find myself restless - legs constanting wiggling, fingers fidgeting, brain racing, but unable to focus the restless energy to do anything more than finally wiggle myself to sleep.? My current playlist is one consisting of Chris Rice's more mellow tunes.? I don't even feel like listening to his peppy tunes, which usually perk me up.? I just don't even want to perk up.? I know it's a slump.? I know what to do to get out of it, I?just don't want to...

and that's not good.

Trivitopia

Oh man!? You gotta see this blog!? It's purely for us nerds that love completely useless trivia:?Aviva Trivia Blog.? This thing is a utopia of trivia!

Did you know you know that Africanized (killer) bees didn't even originate in Africa?? And that they were bred to produce more honey, but actually produce less than other breeds?? It's all on Aviva.

Check out the article on Joan of Arc.? How often have you heard that she was martyred for her beliefs?? Find out why she was really burned at the stake.? Let's just say it's a good thing the Church of Rome doesn't abide by the same views on women's dress -

the world would be short a few billion.