Music Friday

Distractions by Zero 7

And another thing about Christmas Eve Day

Um, well, at my sisters house on Christmas Eve day, I drank a whole bottle of wine on my own, so if I said anything I shouldn't have, I'm sorry.

Like telling my niece's new boyfriend that her brother calls him Hank as in Hank Hill from the cartoon because he sells propane equipment and the boyfriend said "Oh really?" in a "I'm gonna get him" tone of voice and I couldn't read him if he was serious or joking. So Phil if you got sucker punched over that one, I'm sorry.

Or like bossing everyone around when it came to distributing and opening presents. And here I thought I was always a follower and not a leader. Just call me Queen Cabernet Sauvignon!

And um, like when I might have embarrassed my other niece by declaring that if she ever breaks up with Andy, he should still come to our Christmas gatherings.

And if there was anything else, I'm sorry. But I had a really fun time! ;)

I'm Alive

Holy crap, where did the last 3 weeks go? Sorry I've been M.I.A. The busy side of the holidays are over and I'll start posting regularly again.

We had a nice time at our family gatherings this last weekend. Was a whirlwind tour with a 3 hour trip to hubbies parents and then a 3 hour trip the next day to my sister's house then a 3 hour trip home Christmas eve night. Christmas day hubby and I lounged around, kept the wood stove going and watched a few movies. Our Christmas meal was potatoes, cabbage and kielbasa - that's different!

We'll be hosting Christmas next year at our house for the hubby's family. I'm going to start cleaning right now. ;)

Have I Packed?

K-friend and I are headed to Seattle Thursday. We'll be visiting friends, doing some sightseeing and coming back on Monday with a Chinook puppy in our laps. The puppy will be joining K-friends pack.

Of my list of places I'd like to visit, Seattle is at the top. I feel a bit guilty that hubby is not coming along. Next time! I was chatting online with my sister tonight and she asked if I had packed yet. I chuckled. Last minute packer here. I'll be finishing the laundry an hour before I have to head out the door. Maybe I'll break my mold and be ready ahead of time.

I'll try to update while I'm gone if I am able. Don't tear the place up while I'm gone. Renny's in charge. ;)

The Gift of Gab

K-friend and I went to an art fair on Saturday at the beautiful Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul. Saw a lot of wonderful art, met some great people and picked up a few bobbles. K-friend has the talent of striking up conversations with anyone, anywhere. The gift of gab. I just adore that about her and am learning to be more open to people. I can usually start talking to someone but when it comes to holding a longer conversation with new people, I struggle.

I have learned a few things along the way that has helped me. Number one is that people love to talk about themselves - ask questions about their family, work, hobbies, etc. I'm a great listener and like to hear others stories. But then I run across someone who knows that pointer too and I become the questionee. I'll be talking then I'll stumble and up comes the image in my head of Chris Farley as a celebrity interviewer on Saturday Night Live hitting his head with his hand while saying "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

I guess we all have things in life to improve upon and that's just one on my long list of imperfections. To end on a positive note, I do have a great sense of humor though. After the art fair, K-friend and I went to a bar/restaurant for lunch and found this mural on the side of a building next to the place.
Taken with the cell phone so not great quality. "Big Wood - Timber Frames." OK, so the sense of humor is questionable too! ;)

Sunday Art

"Seattle"
3 dimensional lithograph by Michael Pierce

Strong Bad: Caffeine Experiment

Merry Geek-mas!

OK, I just need more geeks on my shopping list. Had to share these gems just in case you have a geek to shop for.

Some Like It Hot

USB Mug Warmer & Hub

This little baby does double duty. Using only the power from your USB connection, you can keep your beverages hot with a warming pad and also add 4 USB ports to your system. That's hot.


Some Like It Cold

USB Beverage Chiller

This is the only way to keep a drink cold while you're at your computer. Shortly plugging the chiller into a USB port (no external outlet needed), the coldplate chills to 45 degrees Fahrenheit, the perfect temperature for helping keep your beverage cool. I love the photo - notice they're keeping their Bawls cold. :D


You Are My Sunshine

Soldius 1 Solar Charger

The Soldius 1 Solar Charger can help you tap into this free source of energy; you just plug it in and point it towards the Sun. It generates enough power to fully recharge your device batteries in just 2 to 3 hours (in direct sunlight). Compatible with all iPod flavors it also includes adapters for more than 250 models of mobile phones. The device folds in half and it's light enough to fit in your shirt pocket or purse.


I'm a Swiss Miss

Swiss Memory USB

This gorgeous Swiss Army knife, with a built-in USB flash drive, is probably causing you to become very excited. This is a geek's dream gadget brought to life. The Swiss Memory USB is the perfect marriage of technology, practicality, materials, and quality design. It perfectly pulls together four important tools that no geek should ever be without: USB flash drive, LED light, Swiss Army knife, and ballpoint pen. So double 0.


Oh, and Santa,
I was really, really, really, really nice

Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard

This tiny device laser-projects a keyboard on any flat surface... you can then type away accompanied by simulated key click sounds. It really is true future magic at its best. You'll be turning heads the moment you pull this baby from your pocket and use it to compose an e-mail on your bluetooth enabled PDA or Cell Phone. With 63 keys and and full size QWERTY layout the Laser Virtual Keyboard can approach typing speeds of a standard keyboard... in a size a little larger than a matchbook. Beam me up!

Wicked good!

A Book
by Emily Dickinson

He ate and drank the precious words,
His spirit grew robust;
He knew no more that he was poor,
Nor that his frame was dust.
He danced along the dingy days,
And this bequest of wings Was but a book.
What liberty A loosened spirit brings!

I no longer have the patience to sit and read books but I love the art of the written word. I have compromised and become a great fan of audio books. A cassette player, CD player or now my iPod are often hanging off me and plugged into my ears while I'm doing chores, walking the dog or on a long drive.

I've just finished listening to "Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire. Wicked good! Maguire did a beautiful job of winding a more "adult" story before, in and around the original children's version of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

Maguire successfully added layers of complexity and new viewpoints without rearranging the original story. There were many similarities to world history throughout. I kept thinking L. Frank Baum's story is the snippet you would see on the TV network news where Gregory Maguire tells the rest of the story.

The audio book was narrated by the talented John McDonough who has a wonderful reading voice and keeps the story interesting. I'd highly recommend either the audio book or the printed version. Now if the musical would just come to Minneapolis/St. Paul!

Black Friday - What a strange frenzy

Did you get sucked in? Did the day after Thanksgiving "6-Hour Sale", "One Day Only" sale flyers entice you into joining a mob of underslept, cranky, "it's mine! get out of my face!" maniacs? I did it once about 5 years ago.

I decided to go to Shopko in our smallish town at 6:00 a.m. The prize was a set of three artificial pine trees standing 3, 4 and 5 feet tall for some amazingly low price I have now forgotten. I had spotted them in the sale flyer and decided I NEEDED them. I pulled into the parking lot at 6:00 a.m. sharp. I didn't think it would be a huge crowd, it's just River Falls for pete's sake! There was a crowd of people walking in the doors when I parked my car near the end of the aisle as the lot was almost full. I should've left right then. But I "needed" that set of three artificial pine trees standing 3, 4 and 5 feet tall! My three trees from the orient (made in China I'm sure). I joined the crowd.

My frustration level rose immediately with people pausing and looking in the aisles. I needed to get to the middle back of the store to the Christmas decorations! I silently screamed in my head 1000 times "get out of my way!" I wondered if people could see the craze in my eyes. My need to get to the back of the store as quick as possible and they were in the way!

It took an amazingly long time to get to the holiday department. When I finally arrived, face warm and flushed with raised blood pressure, I spotted the display. There was a Shopko associate standing near the three pine trees from China. The display trees only, no boxes. Sold out already. I walked up and got a closer look at the three remaining display trees just in case the associate would find the box in back and let me take them home for the amazingly low price. But once I got up and looked at them, they were the ugliest things I had ever seen. What was I thinking? Damn. All this fuss and I didn't even want them. My blood pressure dropped immediately and I started to see the humor in it all. My trip out of the store took just as long even with empty hands. But it was a more enjoyable trip as I did some people watching on the way out. I had a grin on my face all the way to the exit. I said to myself "never again."