Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Word of the Day

in·sur·gent
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin insurgent-, insurgens, present participle of insurgere to rise up, from in- + surgere to rise -- more at SURGE
1 : a person who revolts against civil authority or an established government; especially : a rebel not recognized as a belligerent
2 : one who acts contrary to the policies and decisions of one's own political party

Zappa Quote of the Day

I think "when" is a very important thing, but "what the fuck!" is also a very important thing to ask. Just keep asking "what the fuck?" I mean, why the fuck bother? See what i mean? The important thing is, deal with the "when". "When" will open a lot of shit for you. "What the fuck" really makes it easier to deal with it when you understand the "when".

Stick Men

This is just wierd.

Monday, November 29, 2004

Monday Update

Back to work today. I wish every weekend was a long weekend. I'm glad Thomas made it back to school in one piece and didn't get pulled over by the Hiawatha police. It looks like we got our first snow fall last night, so the road might be a little slippery this morning.

There is not much to update this morning. We did not have soup Sunday after all yesterday. Brian was having Thanksgiving at his Mom's and Jacob and Sarah were out of town. Ashley made more pumpkin pies, so Thomas could take some to school with him. After Thomas left we ate left over turkey, potatoes and gravy and dressing. It was still really good. Then we watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition. There wasn't much else on TV last night, so we read Trivial Pursuit questions.

Icon Story

This is what Windows does when your not watching.

Zappa Quote of the Day

Never stop until your good becomes better, and your better becomes the best.

Word of the Day

hibernaculum • \hy-ber-NACK-yuh-lum\ • noun
: a shelter occupied during the winter by a dormant animal

Example sentence:
It is late November and the snake hunter is in search of a hibernaculum in which hundreds of venomous adders may be bedded down for the winter.

Saturday, November 27, 2004

Saturday Update

This is nice, I still have two days before I go back to work.

Yesterday the kids and I went Christmas shopping. Thomas found his gifts for Diedre and Chloe found gifts for the two little ones she had to get gifts for at church. Ashley did not buy anything because she did not get her paycheck. Because of the holiday she gets her check today.

Everyone ate leftovers several times on Friday. This was nice because I didn't have to do any cooking. Tomorrow we will be making the traditional cream of holiday soup. It should be really yummy because our turkey turned out so moist this year.

Last night we watched Fahrenheit 911. This movie made us all very angry. How could anyone in thier right mind have voted for that man after having seen this movie. It makes me angry that we have to suffer four more year with him in office. And all of the soldiers and thier families will be suffering even more.

Today Thomas and I have to go to FedEx and mail some things. He has to return a Christmas gift that he got for one of the girls. He thought the movie was going to be on DVD and it was VHS. I am going to send the defective watches back to John and Elaine.

Word of the Day

boilerplate • \BOY-ler-playt\ • noun
1 : syndicated material supplied especially to weekly newspapers in matrix or plate form
*2 : standardized, formulaic, or hackneyed language

Example sentence:
Much to my disappointment, the mayor-elect’s speech consisted primarily of boilerplate and offered no information about his plans for his term in office.

Zappa Quote of the Day

I write the music I like. If other people like it, fine, they can go buy the albums. And if they don't like it, there's always Michael Jackson for them to listen to.

Frank was talking about his music from the Yellow Shark.

Christmas Wish List

Garden seeds - vegetables or flowers
Non-Stick Rolling Pin
Country Cottage 6-pc Silicone Bakeware Set
Cooks & Chef's 12-piece Silicone Bakeware Set
Ultrex Silicone 6 Cup and 12 Cup Nonstick Muffin Pan Set
KitchenAid Food Grinder
Indulgence Cookie Cutter 100-Piece Set
Salter 3001 Elite Chrome / Black Electronic Kitchen Scale
Proctor-Silex Rice Cooker & Steamer
Wilton Covered 13" x 9" Cake Pan (Set of 2)
Wilton Air Insulated 14" x 16" Cookie Sheets (Set of 2)
Basic Glass Pitcher
Solar 66-Ounce Pitcher
Tamarind Terra Cotta Balls
Wood & Metal Fruit
Yellow Calla Lily Vase
The Terminal DVD
Man on Fire DVD
The Girl Next Door DVD
Wartburg Jansport Orange Long-Sleeve Tee or other Wartburg Tee

Friday, November 26, 2004

Friday Update

Yesterday we had the best Thankgiving meal ever!! Everything came out tasting just the way it should, the day was very relaxed and everyone did an excellent job preparing the dishes they had selected. Diedre and Brian were our guests. Pictures were taken, which I will be posting later.

We had:
Turkey (Doug & Kathy)
Ham (Kathy)
Dressing (Doug)
Mashed Potatoes (Ashley)
Gravy (Thomas & Doug)
Green Bean Casserole (Thomas)
Scalloped Corn (Chloe)
Cranberry Jelly (Ashley)
Rolls (Kathy)
Pumpkin Pie (Ashley - Crust by Kathy)
Choco-Magic Pie (Chloe)
Ambrosia Fruit Salad (Kathy)
Cranberry-GingerAle Cocktail (Diedre)

Of course Mao had some turkey and got a little too nervous that Diedre was going to steal turkey from him. He went after her in the dining room and grabbed her pant leg. Later when I was cleaning the turkey from the carcass, he was begging for more turkey and when he thought I wasn't giving him enough, he jumped up on the counter right next to the turkey plate. He did not get any though, because I was quick to throw him off of the counter.

After the wonderful meal everyone settled in to watch movies or just doze off.

Today Thomas wants me to go Christmas shopping for Diedre with him. We are going to wait for the early morning crowds to clear before we venture out. I hope everyone who could not make it to our Thanksgiving celebration had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well.

Zappa Quote of the Day

It looks just like a Telefunken U-47!

Word of the Day

coe·la·canth
Pronunciation: 'sE-l&-"kan(t)th
Function: noun
Etymology: ultimately from Greek koilos hollow + akantha spine -- more at CAVE
: any of an order (Coelacanthiformes) of lobe-finned fishes known chiefly from Paleozoic and Mesozoic fossils
[coelacanth illustration]

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Happy Thanksgiving

Word of the Day

multitudinous • \mul-tuh-TOO-dih-nus\ • adjective
*1 : including a multitude of individuals : populous
2 : existing in a great multitude
3 : existing in or consisting of innumerable elements or aspects

Example sentence:
Considering the multitudinous family members that will descend on Gram’s house today, the two large turkeys probably won’t yield much in the way of leftovers.

Zappa Quote of the Day

And now....you are going to dance...like you've never danced before!

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Wednesday Update

The family is all together right now. Thomas drove home last night after work. He got here around 10:30 and came into the bedroom and gave me a big hug. Mao was a bit freaked out. I'm not sure if it was because he was tired or he just couldn't believe Tommy was home.

Today is my Friday for this week and then four days off. YEAH!!! I hope the day goes fast. Thomas is going to drive Chloe to work this morning at 8:00. Ashley will be making her famous pumpkin pie for our Thanksgiving meal. She is making an extra one for Johnny's clan, by request from Ethan. Chloe will make the Choco-Magic Pie this evening. Ashley will be closing at work today, so it will be 4-9 again.

Last night we bought the new Harry Potter movie. I think Doug and the kids watched it after I went to bed. I will have to watch it while I have the time off.

Last night Diedre, Carla and Bart stopped by with the parts for Doug to build Carla's new computer. I guess he will be busy with that sometime today.

Well it is time to get ready for work and start my day.

Word of the Day

hydromancy • \HY-druh-man-see\ • noun
: divination by the appearance or motion of liquids (as water)

Example sentence:
The store has a large section of books about hydromancy and other forms of fortune-telling.

Zappa Quote of the Day

If there's ever an obscene noise to be made on an instrument,
it's gonna come out of a guitar! On a sax you can play sleze,
on a bass you can play balls.but on a guitar you can be
truely obscene! Lets be realistic about this, the guitar can
be the single most blastomphous device on the earth!
the guitar makes a stink noise. thats why I like it!!

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Tuesday Update

Today is my work week Thursday because Wednesday is my Friday for the week. Yeah, I have a four day weekend coming. Thomas is coming home late this evening after work. Drive carefully and watch out for the deer.

I don't have much to say today. Last night there wasn't much on TV. After supper Doug helped me to renew my insurance information for work. We have to do this online now, I guess because our HR person is already too busy doing absolutely nothing. It was much easier to understand this year and it looks like I will be saving a little money with the plan we chose for this year. After the insurance thing Doug watched Anchorman and I washed dishes. After I was finished with the dishes, I watched a new episode of Battle for Ozzfest with Chloe in her room.

Today Chloe works about five hours, Ashley has a half day at school and then she works this evening. Ashley will be closing the floral department for the first time tonight. After work I have to go to conferences at the school. Ashley says all is well with her grades.

Sammy, the Turkey Snake

A silly Thanksgiving story.

Sammy is tired of being a snake.
Would he be happier if he were a turkey?

Word of the Day

reverberate • \rih-VER-buh-rayt\ • verb
1 a : reflect b : repel c : echo
2 : to become driven back or reflected
*3 : to continue in or as if in a series of echoes : resound

Example sentence:
The pastor's sermon on the importance of loving one's neighbor reverberated with special meaning during the holidays.

Zappa Quote of the Day

Anything played wrong twice in a row is the beginning of an arrangement.

Monday, November 22, 2004

Monday Update

Both soups were very good yesterday. I think my favorite was the Super Multi Bean and Lentil Soup, it had 15 different beans in it. The lemon bundt cake that Wanda brought was very good as well. Mark had to leave early because he was doing a skit for Clowns for Christ at his church. Everyone else stayed until around 8:00. Nick and Ana were fairly quiet all night. Doug got a little giddy from the wine (he hadn't eaten all day.)

Well, that is all for now. It is Monday morning and I have to work early again.

Word of the Day

feign • \FAYN\ • verb
1 : to give a false appearance of : induce as a false impression
*2 : to assert as if true : pretend

Example sentence:
"Had Edward been intentionally deceiving her? Had he feigned a regard for her which he did not feel?" (Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility)

Zappa Quote of the Day

Consider for a moment any beauty in the name Ralph.
-- Frank Zappa, on being asked by Joan Rivers why he gave his children such odd names

Sunday, November 21, 2004

Sunday Update

Friday night about 9:00 Kurt and Diana stopped by to show us thier new car. It is a Roundezvous. It was raining and I didn't have shoes on, so I didn't get a close up look at it. But it was nice looking and has flood lights.

Todays soups should be very good. We bought lots of different vegetables yesterday; egg plant, butternut squash, zuchinni, the yellow squash, carrots, celery and onions.

Last night Chloe's friend Katie came over to watch movies. They made a batch of puppy chow to eat while watching the movies. I think they watched Mean Girls and one of the Austin Powers movies. We watched The Iron Chef and at the end the challenger was tied with the Iron Chef, they went into a 30 minute overtime to decide the winner. The original theme was potatoes and the overtime theme was sweet potatoes. Of course the Iron Chef won in the end.

Well, there is alot to do today and I don't have much else to write about. Look at the Soup Sunday blog for todays menu.

Word of the Day

dilatory • \DIL-uh-tor-ee\ • adjective
1 : tending or intended to cause delay
*2 : characterized by procrastination : tardy

Example sentence:
Maura has been dilatory in paying her bills, and she now owes late fees in addition to the original amounts due.

Zappa Quote of the Day

Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production
deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid.

Pictures from Alaska

These are some really cool pictures taken in Alaska.

Christmas Cookie Recipes

I just wanted to let everyone know I found a site that has over 365 Christmas cookie recipes. Just in case someone was thinking of making cookies.

Friday, November 19, 2004

Friday Update

It is finally Friday!!

Yesterday I did not have any overtime at work. And no overtime again today. Today should be pretty good at work, my supervisor will be gone for the day.

Last night we had scrambled eggs and toast for supper. I love scrambled eggs! After supper we watched Will & Grace. We really liked the show much better when Leo was on. I don't care much for what Grace's character has become. After Will & Grace, Doug and I watched Elf. It is such a fun Christmas movie. I hope Thomas and Diedre find time to watch it while home for Thanksgiving. Thomas says he will be busy writing papers while he is home.

This weekend we will be busy getting ready for this weeks soup Sunday. We will go over the menu this evening and will shop tomorrow for everythimg that we will need.

The computer is so cool!! I can't wait for Thomas to see it. Doug says it will even shut itself down if it gets too hot. Thats all for now, I have to get ready for work.

Word of the Day

extremophile • \ik-STREE-muh-fyle\ • noun
: an organism that lives under extreme environmental conditions (as in a hot spring or ice cap)

Example sentence:
"Cold-loving extremophiles could show us what kinds of creatures might live . . . in parts of the solar system previously thought uninhabitable." (Michael Lemonick and Andrea Dorfman, Time Magazine, July 2002)

Zappa Quote of the Day

Tax the FUCK out of the churches!

Thursday, November 18, 2004

If You Were Santa's Helper, What Would Your Name Be?

Mine would be Lucky Monster-Tinsel.

Mao's would be Furry Berry-Cracker.

Word of the Day

flib·ber·ti·gib·bet
Pronunciation: "fli-b&r-tE-'ji-b&t
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English flepergebet
: a silly flighty person
- flib·ber·ti·gib·bety /-b&-tE/ adjective

Zappa Quote of the Day

"Those Jesus freaks, well they're friendly but, the shit they believe has got their minds all shut"

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Word of the Day

ker·fuf·fle
Pronunciation: k&r-'f&-f&l
Function: noun
Etymology: alteration of carfuffle, from Scots car- (probably from Scottish Gaelic cearr wrong, awkward) + fuffle to become disheveled
chiefly British : DISTURBANCE, FUSS

Zappa Quote of the Day

There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.

Wednesday Update

I have been working overtime all week. Yesterday was 7 AM to 5 PM. Today I am going in at 7 and will find out how late I have to stay later.

Last night we had patty melts for supper. I tried to watch the new episode of The Great Race, but I had other things on my mind and I don't remember much of the show now. Thomas called after work and said he did his first bit of teaching. He was teaching the kids how to use a microscope. He thaught three classes and said he was only nervous for the first.

I am angry once again because Bush is still in office. We found out our insurance at work is raising again in 2005 and the co-pay for a visit to the doctor will also double. Just had to get that off my chest.

That is all for now.

PS: I am excited, Doug got his computer stuff yesterday and will be updating the computer today. Yeah!!!

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Monday, November 15, 2004

Zappa Quote of the Day

I wrote a song about dental floss but did anyone's teeth get cleaner?

In response to Tipper Gore's allegations that music incites people towards deviant behavior, or influences their behavior in general.

It's a little late for Halloween. But here are the pictures I said I was going to post.


Ana, the alien princess. Posted by Hello

Nick, the frog. Posted by Hello

Mao, the stud. Posted by Hello

The pumpkin that cannot stomach Halloween!! Posted by Hello

Word of the Day

pleth·o·ra
Pronunciation: 'ple-th&-r&
Function: noun
Etymology: Medieval Latin, from Greek plEthOra, literally, fullness, from plEthein to be full -- more at FULL
1 : a bodily condition characterized by an excess of blood and marked by turgescence and a florid complexion
2 : EXCESS, SUPERFLUITY; also : PROFUSION, ABUNDANCE
- ple·tho·ric /pl&-'thor-ik, ple-, -'thär-; 'ple-th&-rik/ adjective

Sunday, November 14, 2004

Sunday Update

Not much going on yet today, I am the only one awake so far. I have just been checking my e-mail and looking for good freebies on the web. Not much out there today.

Yesterday morning Ashley wanted to go to the bank to cash her first Hy-Vee check and do some shopping for herself and Christmas. After she went to the bank we stopped into the Marion Hy-Vee to pick up a few things. She saw some of her friend from school selling apple pies for a band trip. The pies were $8 dollars, we did not buy one. Doug said, "I would rather they just ask for $8 than sell a pie for that much." While Ashley was talking to Audrey, I was being amused by the person dressed like the Cocoa Puff bird. He had a big orange fluffy suit on and was wearing yellow tights. The amusing thing was his legs, through the tights you could see big black clumps of leg hair.

At work we were given a gift certifiacte for a free 16 pound turkey. While at Hy-Vee I picked up a 21 pound turkey and it ended up costing only $5. While checking out, we saw Chyler's (spelling?) twin brother Whittney (he works at the Marion Hy-Vee). It is spooky how much he looks like Chyler.

After going home with the groceries and having a quick lunch, I took Ashley shopping. She bought herself two pairs of shoes. She got a nice pair of brown shoes to wear to work at Payless. Then we went to Hot Topic where she bought a pair of classic black Converse hi-tops.

After we left the mall we stopped at the Lindale Hy-Vee to pick up some dried beans that I forgot to buy for today's chili. That reminds me, I need to start cooking the beans in the crock pot right now. I will be right back.

The beans are now cooking. Anyway, at the Lindale Hy-Vee I found the wine for today's Soup Sunday in a clearance cart they had at the front of the store. We now have two red wines by Pepi; Cabernet Sauvignon, vintage 2002, black cherry and blackberry flavors accented by vanilla, toffee and toasty oak notes. And Sangiovese, vintage 1999, with cherry, strawberry and spice flavors. Hopefully they will both be good.

We then went to Barnes & Noble. Ashley was looking for gifts for her two best friends at school. She says she found the perfect gift for both friends. After we left Barnes & Noble we went to Target to look around. When we were walking in Ashley said, "I am not going to walk out of this store with a bag." We were not in there more than 5 minutes and she decided she needed a new pair of jeans. After she found the jeans we both looked around. We were trying to get ideas for the upcoming wedding shower for Mary's duaghter, Amanda. The girls and I are invited to the shower on December 4th. The shower theme is "friends". We also decided to look in the toy section to get Christmas ideas for the little people we will be shopping for. Lots of fun stuff over there, but it mostly just brought back memories of what I used to buy for Ashley and Thomas at Christmas time. The Barbies have gotten much more ugly, the faces have too much make-up and the eyes are not pretty. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are about the same as ever.

By the way, Ashley also bought Diedre's Christmas gift, but I cannot say what it is.

Well that is all for now. I have to shower and get started with todays chores for Soup Sunday.

Word of the Day

dis·com·bob·u·late
Pronunciation: "dis-k&m-'bä-b(y)&-"lAt
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -lat·ed; -lat·ing
Etymology: probably alteration of discompose
: UPSET, CONFUSE

The offensive had discombobulated all the German defensive arrangements -- A. J. Liebling

The Coloring Spot

This site is for those bored college students looking for something to do.

Zappa Quote of the Day

You can tell what they think of our music by the places we are forced to play it in. This looks like a good spot for a livestock show.

The Mothers of Invention were opening for Cream in April of 1968 in Chicago. The place was very large and did look like it had been used for displays of cattle and other such animals.

Saturday, November 13, 2004

Word of the Day

eruc·ta·tion Pronunciation Guide
Pronunciation: dotted schwasecondarystressrschwakprimarystresstamacrshschwan, (secondarystress)emacronsecondarystressr-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): -s
Etymology: Latin eructation-, eructatio, from eructatus + -ion-, -io -ion
1 : the act of belching gas from the stomach : BELCH
2 : a violent belching out or emitting (as of gaseous or other matter from the crater of a volcano)
3 : something that is emitted by belching

Zappa Quote of the Day

The concept of the rock-guitar solo in the eightees has pretty much been reduced to: Weedly-weedly-wee, make a face, hold your guitar like it's your weenie, point it heavenward, and look like you're really doing something. Then, you get a big ovation while the the smoke bombs go off, and the motorized lights in your truss twirl around!"
The Real Frank Zappa Book.

Dumb Laws

One-armed piano players must perform for free.
Location: United States, Iowa

Having sexual relations with a porcupine is illegal.
Location: United States, Florida

You may not have more than two dildos in a house.
Location: United States, Arizona

A license is required to keep a lunatic.
Location: United Kingdom

It is considered an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane.
Location: United States, Alaska

It is illegal to wipe one's car with used underwear.
Location: United States, California, San Francisco

Friday, November 12, 2004

Friday Update

There is nothing much to update about again today. Television was not good again last night. For supper we had bacon, scrambled eggs and toast. We watched a Japanese Trivia show which was very corny. I can't remeber the name of the show this morning. It must be too early for my brain. We decided this Sunday we will be making chili. More overtime this morning, so I have to go get ready now.

Word of the Day

ser·en·dip·i·ty
Pronunciation: -'di-p&-tE
Function: noun
Etymology: from its possession by the heroes of the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip
: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for

Zappa Quote of the Day

Who are the brain police?

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Thursday Update

Nothing much has happened since I wrote in the blog so late last night. I see Thomas updated his blog. I can't wait to see the pictures of the Aurora Borealis that he is going to put on his blog. I have to get ready to go in early for overtime. Maybe I will have more to write about tomorrow.

Word of the Day

de·fen·es·tra·tion
Pronunciation: (")dE-"fe-n&-'strA-sh&n
Function: noun
Etymology: de- + Latin fenestra window
: a throwing of a person or thing out of a window
- de·fen·es·trate /(")dE-'fe-n&-"strAt/ transitive verb

Zappa Quote of the Day

If it sounds GOOD to YOU, it's bitchen; and if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty.

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Wednesday Update

Sorry about the late update today. I have been going in for overtime in the mornings and this morning I had a problem with the computer password, I forgot it. Silly me.

Today was very busy at work, four of the direct sales people were gone. Needless to say, I answered phones all day. So there will be overtime again tomorrow morning to work on emails.

Ashley got an academic letter and a pin for one year on the 3.5 honor roll. She didn't get it last year because you had to have two full years in first. We are proud of her.

Tonight we had oven fries with tartar sauce for supper. We watched another episode of "Lost." The show never loses my interest. Well I can't think of anything else to write about and I have to go to bed soon.

Word of the Day

inveterate • \in-VET-uh-rut\ • adjective
1 : firmly established by long persistence
*2 : confirmed in a habit : habitual

Example sentence:
It started with an occasional cigarette in college, but by her late twenties, Lilly was an inveterate smoker.

Zappa Quote of the Day

Now imagine a Moebius vortex inside a spherical constant, and you've got my cosmology.
1992

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Tuesday Update

Not much to update today. The deer are getting thicker on East Post Road, I saw one run into the road on the way to work and two others on the way home. It was fairly busy at work yesterday and everyone had to work overtime. When I got home Doug had supper started, we had fish sticks. There was nothing on TV last night. We ended up watching two episodes of Battle For Ozzfest. Battle for Ozzfest searches for the next great band to rock Ozzfest's main stage alongside Black Sabbath. Doug ended up going over to Johns to help with his computer. After Battle For Ozzfest, I watched Amazing Vacation Homes on the travel channel. Ashley watched Amalie in her room. She watches this movie at least once a month. I didn't get to see Doug before I went to bed, but I think he may have said something to me when he got home.

Word of the Day

mountebank • \MOUNT-ih-bank\ • noun
1: a person who sells quack medicines from a platform
*2: a boastful unscrupulous pretender : charlatan

Example sentence:
In his newspaper column, Gavin criticized the talk-radio host as "a mountebank whose 'expert' opinions and advice are complete hooey."

Zappa Quote of the Day

Speed: It will turn you into your parents.
1970 public service announcement regarding drug (namely, speed) use

Monday, November 08, 2004

Word of the Day

devise • \dih-VYZE\ • verb
1 *a : to form in the mind by new combinations or applications of ideas or principles : invent b : to plan to obtain or bring about : plot
2 : to give (real estate) by will

Example sentence:
As a young scientist, Constance devised ingenious ways of collecting and interpreting data.

Zappa Quote of the Day

"I don't want to see any religious people in public office because they're working for another boss"

Monday Update

Back to work after a three day weekend. Bahh!!!

Right now Mao is making it difficult to type. He decided to jump up on my lap and lay across the key board. Now there is hair on the keyboard.

Yesterday went really well. We did the usual cleaning and I made more krispie treats. Ashley made one of her famous pumpkin pies, at Chloe's request. Doug's beef stew was outstanding. Wanda brought krispie treats with a butterscotch/choclate frosting, yummy... And Deb brought an apple salad, it had Jonathan apples, pineapple, celery, grapes and pecans in a container on the side, for those who can have nuts. Deb also brought two white wines. I was only able to try one of the wines. For some reason I was not in a wine mood and it was all I could do to finish the first glass.

After everyone left I did a few of the dishes and went to bed. About a half hour after going to bed, Doug came into the bedroom and said, "Get up and come outside with me. It will be worth it!' I was tired and confused, but I did it anyway. Doug and Ashley were both outside when I got there. Ashley was in her slippers and Doug was barefoot. Thomas had originally called earlier in the evening while on his way home and had told Doug he thought he was seeing the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. He had called again and when Doug went out side he could also see them. When I got outside it was amazing, I had never seen anything like it before. The only other time I think I may have seen the Northern Lights it was nothing like this, so now I think this was actually my first time seeing them.

Sunday, November 07, 2004

Zappa Quote of the Day

Number one ain't you...
You ain't even number two.

Sunday Update

Nothing much exciting happened yesterday. The girls and I went grocery shopping. Doug made honey mustard chicken strips for supper. They were very good. After supper we went to get Gordon gassed up and then decided to rent some movies. We ended up with Saved (very funny) and Jersey Girl (not bad). At first Jesey Girl did not seem like a Kevin Smith movie, but later on you could see where parts of it were his material. I like the extras on the Jersey Girl DVD. In the Roadside Attractions Kevin goes to Howe Caverns.

Word of the Day

Pickwickian • \pick-WICK-ee-un\ • adjective
1 : marked by simplicity and generosity
*2 : intended or taken in a sense other than the obvious or literal one

Example sentence:
"It was tough, but I survived" was Carl’s Pickwickian response when I asked him about his weekend "boat-sitting" a 50-foot luxury yacht.

Saturday, November 06, 2004

Zappa Quote of the Day

Remember there's a big difference between kneeling down and bending over.

Word of the Day

diffident • \DIF-uh-dunt\ • adjective
1 : hesitant in acting or speaking through lack of self-confidence
*2 : reserved, unassertive

Example sentence:
Always diffident and soft-spoken, Tony did not raise any objection when the cashier overcharged him for his purchase.

Saturday Update

Not much to update today. I won a pair of movie tickets from the Frito Lay Polar Express contest. These should arrive in 3-5 weeks.

Last night Doug made the best mac n cheese with wienies ever. It had a combination of Monterey jack and cheddar cheese. It was sooo creamy! Today we will go grocery shopping for the beef stew ingredients. I hope we are going to the library book sale either today or tomorrow. Today it costs $1 each to get in, so we might wait until tomorrow when it is free and you get a whole box of books for cheap.

I almost forgot, last night Johnny brought Doug some Lofbergs Lila ground Swedish blend coffee to try. He says it is really smooth. I hope there will be some left for Thomas to try next time he comes home. He also brought a jar of salsa that he got at Dollar Tree. He says it is not as good a Doug's, but for a dollar it is good.

Warning, don't ever buy the French dressing at Dollar General, it tastes like sewage. We bought a bottle that I have to return. The label says "We guarantee the quality of this product."

Friday, November 05, 2004

Friday Update

Today I am just taking it easy. It's nice not working on Friday. The most I have done today was some dishes and some laundry. Ashley finished baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies she started on Wednesday for a class project. She used a new recipe which was ok, but, personally I think she should have used her old recipe.

I also did some reading. I am almost done with The Bourne Supremacy, about 100 pages to go. Bobo is here early today. She didn't have school or work today. Ashley is working on a school project about castles. I think we will be having mac n cheese with wienies for supper tonight. This morning I talked with Thomas for a while on the phone. He was trying to get Christmas gift ideas. I think I will start posting a wish list here on the blog. Well that is all for now.

Word of the Day

phantasmagoria • \fan-taz-muh-GOR-ee-uh\ • noun
*1 : an exhibition or display of optical effects and illusions
2 a : a constantly shifting complex succession of things seen or imagined b : a scene that constantly changes
3 : a bizarre or fantastic combination, collection, or assemblage

Example sentence:
The phantasmagorias of artist Joan Miró convey a ghostly impression by showing objects free from the bounds of time and space.

Zappa Quote of the Day

It would be easier to pay off the national debt overnight than to neutralize the long-range effects of OUR NATIONAL STUPIDITY.

Subliminal Messages

These images will do wonders for your eyes.

Thursday, November 04, 2004

Zappa Quote of the Day

May you never hear a vloerbedekking again.

The beginning of "Theme from Lumpy Gravy," performed in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Vloerbedekking means "carpet" in Dutch. It must be one of Frank's made up musical terms translated into Dutch, just like putting eyebrowes on something.

Word of the Day

acumen • \uh-KYOO-mun\ • noun
: keenness and depth of perception, discernment, or discrimination especially in practical matters

Example sentence:
"For a man who was never in the country, and who did not evidently do much in the way of business, his knowledge and acumen were wonderful." (Bram Stoker, Dracula)

Thursday Update

I am sad that Kerry lost and Bush weaseled his way back in. It is too bad that America has been weakened by all of his scare tactics.

Today is my Friday because I took a vacation day for this Friday. Ashley also has the day off from school. They sure do give the kids a lot of days off.

This little story is for Thomas...
Yesterday I received a call at work from a retired Reverend. I know this because that was the first thing he said when I asked him his name. As I was entering his order, he asked me the name of our company. I said it was Riverdeep. He said "Cedar River, that runs through Waverly, Iowa." Remember this is an old guy, I never said Cedar River. I asked him if he had lived in Waverly or if he had gone to Wartburg. He said he had gone to college at Wartburg. His best memory of his college days was one winter when he went to the Cedar River and it was frozen. He walked on the water. Unfortunately, he walked over a thin patch of ice and fell in. He says he went under the water three times before he was able to get himself out. He went back to the dorm and took a shower. And he said to his surprise he never caught a cold. That is pretty much exactly how he told me his story. He than added that after college he pastored a church in Dubuque for several years and he never walked on the river there, because it was much bigger and if he fell in he would have been run over by a barge. I told him my son is a freshman at Wartburg this year and he wishes Thomas luck.

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Word of the Day

tergiversation • \ter-jiv-er-SAY-shun\ • noun
*1 : evasion of straightforward action or clear-cut statement : equivocation
2 : desertion of a cause, position, party, or faith

Example sentence:
The tergiversation of Ken's speech left his listeners confused about where he really stood on the issue.

Zappa Quote of the Day

You're an asshole! You're an asshole!
That's right! You're an asshole! You're an asshole! Yes yes!

Wednesday Update

Thomas, Diedre and three others all drove down to vote last night. Unfortunately, a decision has still not been made. I still have hopes that Kerry will win. I don't know how this country can survive four more years of Bush in office.

Doug and I went to vote as soon as I got home from work last night. We saw Willie at the voting place. Because we vote at the Marion library, we also saw Dawn. Doug bought a Midnight Oil CD for $2 and an Archaeology magazine for $.75 at the library book store.

We went home and ate leftovers for supper and watched the electon results all night. At first we were pretty confident. But, as the night went on we were getting worried and angry. What is up with Ohio? Hopfully it wont be too long before we know the results. Bush is such a liar and a cheat, it is 2000 all over again.

Ashley had to work until 7. When she got home she had to make cookies for an experiment at school. Unfortunately, she used a new chocolate chip cookie recipe and they were not as good as usual.

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

Word of the Day

scrutinize • \SKROO-tuh-nyze\ • verb
*1 : to examine closely and minutely
2 : to make a scrutiny

Example sentence:
Signora Bernasconi scrutinized the painting, said to be by Fra Angelico, and declared it a fake.

Zappa Quote of the Day

It is always advisable to be a loser if you cannot become a winner.

Monday, November 01, 2004

Monday Update

Wow, I haven't updated since Friday. When I wanted to update on Saturday morning, the connection to the Internet was gone and I got too busy to try updating later that day. On Sunday I was just too busy.

I just got done calling in sick to work. I'm not really sick, just have to go sign legal papers for the mortgage refinance thingy. It's easier to call in sick than ask to take part of the day off at work. Especially today, an ad campaign was sent out over the weekend and it is expected to be very busy. I feel bad for my co-workers when I call in sick. But, like Doug says, they all have taken sick days this year and this will be my first.

We had a very busy weekend. Friday night we made homemade pizza, very yummy. Diedre, Sara, Nick and Ana all came over. We ate pizza and then carved lots of pumpkins. After Sara and the kids left we watched "Mean Girls." It is such a good and funny movie.

Saturday morning the girls and I went grocery shopping. It was very windy and cold. Chloe was planning a Halloween party with her friend Anna and received a call from her during our shopping trip. They decided Chloe needed to get to Anna's house earlier than expected for the party preparation. Chloe called Thomas and he came to pick her up from Hy-Vee so that Ashley and I could continue our shopping.

Later on Saturday we also needed to go to Sam's Club. Doug, Thomas, Ashley and I went to Sam's. On the way there we had to drop off some things Chloe had forgotten to take to Anna's for the party. When we got home we made lasagna (as requested by Thomas). The lasagna was very good, but Doug thought we should have added more tomatoes. Thomas went to a party with Diedre, they watched a bad "scary" movie.

Because Thomas was home for a few days, I decided to spoil him with all kinds of goodies to take back to the dorm with him. On Saturday night I baked a Magic Chocolate Swirl cake (for Soup Sunday dessert). I also made for Thomas, rice krispie treats, banana bread and puppy chow.

On Sunday morning I made peanut butter pixies (a favorite for Thomas). Of course, I did make enough of all the goodies so that we have some left at home as well. Doug was very busy Sunday morning making three soups. He made chicken egg drop, french onion (requested by Diedre) and pumpkin. He made the pumpkin because we still had two very small pumpkins left from our garden.

Chloe ended up leaving early because Anna called and invited her to her house for homemade pizza. Our guests started arriving around 3:00, Diedra being the first.
She brought little Halloween candy bags for Thomas and the girls. Mark, Wanda and Matt were the next to arrive. Wanda brought frosted cupcakes with choclate chip things that looked like orange pumpkins. Doug was so excited because when they got thier soup each took a different kind. Matt chose the pumpkin because he liked it the last time we had it. Brian showed up while we were eating and enjoyed the soup as well. We had banana bread and baguettes along with the meal. We also had two white wines, a White Merlot and a White Zinfandel. The best part was they were very inexpensive at $2.99 per bottle from Fareway.

When it started to get dark we waited for trick or treaters. We love our trick or treater so much, we bought 90 full size candy bars for the little ones and a mix of small candies for the older ones who should not be out anymore. We had one come early on and then we waited and waited and nobody came down our street. Ashley was very upset by this, she had gotten out her old cat costume and put on the ears, tail and bow tie just for the kids. We even strung out Christmas lights and put the lit pumpkins in the yard and on the side walk to try and attract the kids. Still nothing. Finally, Jacob and Sara called and said they were coming over with the kids in costums. They were so cute, Ana was an alien princess, Nick was a frog and Sara was a skunk. While they were here we did finally have a couple more trick or treaters.

Thomas had to go back to school Sunday night, the time just flew while he was home. He called when he got back to tell us his freezer frosted over into a block of ice and he had to defrost it. This was a new experience for him. He says next time he comes home for that long he will shut the refrigerator off.

Well, this is getting to be long enough. On Tuesday Thomas, Diedre, Bart and another of Diedre's friends will be driving down to vote. I am so happy that they are voting in thier first Presidential election. I know they will make a difference.

Bahh! Scary Posted by Hello

Word of the Day

ensconce • \in-SKAHNSS\ • verb
1 : shelter; conceal
*2 : establish; settle

Example sentence:
Jan was already firmly ensconced in her position at the publishing house when she met the not-yet-famous young writer.

Zappa Quote of the Day

Those Jesus Freaks
Well, they're friendly but
The shit they believe
Has got their minds all shut
An' they don't even care
When the church takes a cut
Ain't it bleak when you got so much nothin'
-- Frank Zappa, "The Meek Shall Inherit Nothin'" ††