Blogging problems...

Okay, so I haven't been able to post any photos here since last Friday, and it's really starting to tick me off... So, I'm not posting about Saturday's Shower (which went off quite well) yet. Instead, I'm bowing to the powers of Blog Quizzes...(plus, that way, I don't have to do any thinking. And I'm plenty tired tonight...)

So - here are my latest quiz results. If you want to take them, go ahead and let me know your results!

You Are Marge Simpson

You're a devoted family member who loves unconditionally. Sometimes, though, you dream about living a wild secret life! You will be remembered for: your good cooking and evading the police Your life philosophy: "You should listen to your heart, and not the voices in your head."

The Simpsons Personality Test

You Have Low Self Esteem 40% of the Time

Generally, you feel pretty darn great about who you are, even when you mess up or fail. Occasionally, a huge setback will make you question yourself, but you pick yourself up quickly.

How is Your Self Esteem?

This one above suprised me. I've come a long way baby! (Major improvement from high school, let me tell you!)

In Memorium

Theresa Jane Alteri

(Terri)

7/28/73 - 5/10/92

Beloved daughter, sister and friend

You are missed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, so blogger is being uncooperative, and not letting me post the photos that I had planned to post. I found some old shots of my sister and her horse, and a couple of things from a family trip to FL. I guess I will post those later, with some reminiscing. But, I wanted to post this little memorial today, since it would have been Terri's 33rd birthday.

It's weird to realize that I've lived almost 15 years longer than my sister, and that my youngest sibling (the 2 year old) will grow up never having known her. So, for a little time today, I'm giving in to my melancholy and shedding a tear or two. But, I know I'm not crying for her anymore. She's in a better place. I cry for myself and the empty space that she used to occupy in my heart. Even though we didn't always get along (siblings will be siblings), as a child I took it for granted that she (and the rest of the family) would always be around. And I think about her still, almost every day.

I am halfway up the hill...

And inching closer to the other side every minute. Here are the top reasons I know I'm getting old:

1. My youngest full sibling is turning 25 next week

2. Songs from my childhood are now being played on the oldies station

3. Songs from my childhood are now being remade by new artists, and kids think they're new songs.

4. I get irritated when people in the community pool are making noise after 10:30pm.

5. I had to stop myself from saying the following to a friend's child the other day. "I haven't seen you since you were this big!" (I caught myself after "since you" in horror - I used to hate it when adults said that to me!!)

6. I realized the other day that the Golden Girls were only 20-30 years older than I am now. (I know it's a lot, but it hit me anyway!)

7. My metabolism has slowed drastically (or that's what I'm blaming the constant need to diet on)

8. I find myself having to explain pop culture references from my childhood to my younger friends

9. I remember UHF/VHF and having to walk to the TV to turn it on.

10. White/gray hairs are popping up here and there...and they hide well in my hair - but they're there...taunting me with their evasiveness

11. When I was in high school, there were no cell phones. There were car phones, that were huge and were carried around in big cases that looked like camera bags, and few people had them. (There is no way you could lose one in your purse)

12. The internet was in its infancy when I started college...and if it shut down in this day and age, most businesses would shut down with it.

13. When I say "back in the day," I am not referring to last month.

14. I am completely out of touch with the current slang (except for "Snakes on a Plane!" - Thanks CAP!)


15. I remember when The Simpsons was a short sketch on the Tracy Ullman Show.

16. When I was little, there was only one MTV, and it actually played music videos.

17. My father is turning 60!

Okay, there's lots more, but it's past my bedtime now (another sign of my advancing years), so I'll toddle off to bed now.

Quizzes for Wednesday

You Are Not Scary

Everyone loves you. Isn't that sweet?

How Scary Are You?

So, um...I'm not sure this one above is all that accurate...let's see what you guys think.

You Belong in Sacramento

You're a little too down to earth to be considered a true Californian... But you still too weird to fit in anywhere else! With it's diversity and cultural opportunities, Sacramento is just enough California for you.

Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

This one is funny...since I lived in the Sacramento area for so long before moving to the bay!

Food Porn & Dieting

Here's a picture of the lemonade angel cupcakes I made for the shower. I would have included this with last night's post, but blogger was not cooperating. (I improvised - kind of poorly - on the dessert stand.)

Not much to say today, except that I'm back on the diet (tracking points and everything), this week. Or at least until next Saturday's shower. And yes, I even counted the points for the half slice of princess cake I had at work today (co-worker's going away party). I counted 6 points for half a serving of cake, and 4 points for the marzipan (the points book said 4 points for 2 TB, and I have no idea how much was on the cake...).

Anyway, I'm trying not to cheat...and hopefully I can get all my veggies and fruits in. That being said, I'm off to go make a salad. (Oooh...exciting.)

Stick a Fork in Me

I'm done. I don't think I could possibly get any hotter than I was today. And no, that's not a sudden unexpected burst of self-esteem. Here's the weather from 4:53pm today...

Current Conditions
Reported from Concord 07/23/2006 7:53 PM EDT

Temperature: 112°F 44°C
Conditions: Fair
Winds: NNW 14 MPH NNW 23 KPH
Relative Humidity: 17%
Barometer: 29.69 Falling
Feels Like: 111°F n/a - Oh good! It feels like it's only 111!

Anyway, did I mention that my apartment doesn't have air conditioning? And that my car's a/c is broken? And that it was 112 degrees??? (Oh yeah, I did mention that part.) I felt like a walking ball of sweat in human form. Except for the 10 minutes I was in Starbucks and the hour I was in the library (why did I come home??). Sadly, I actually drove to church with paper towels in my car so I could wipe off the sweat that was dripping down my face and chest before heading into the building (which is also not air conditioned). Somehow, that made me feel old. And all those people that say that dry heat is better than wet heat...they need to come sit in my apartment for an hour and then tell me what they think. There's even a High Heat Advisory warning, telling people to stay in an air conditioned room. (Might be nice to have one of those.)

The shower was yesterday, when it was cooler. Yep, according to my friend's car readout, it was only 111 yesterday... Though it may have actually been 107, since she says the car's readout is usually 4 or so degrees off. Luckily, the bride's house is air conditioned. (Another reason we didn't have the shower at my place. Of course, even though the air conditioner was on and set to 74, it wouldn't cool off to less than 85, and it was hot inside. But still much, much better than outside!

But, because I'm evil I guess, we still headed outside for the pinata. And the shower went well, despite the heat. And despite the fact that I forgot to bring the favors with me...yeah, that's right...I left the favors that I was so proud of in a little bag by my front door. And that's where they remain... (And this is why I'm not a professional party planner...last year I forgot the big bag of baby shower games and decorations for my friend's baby shower that I was hosting...at least then I was able to get the boyfriend to go back for it. Couldn't do that yesterday.) So, I'll get the favors to people later.

Very few people bothered with the dessert I made. :( (I didn't do a very structured shower, and people ended up having to leave before I could really mention the desserts). But, the bride loved them, and wants me to make them for the next shower too. Next time, I think I'll substitute raspberry lemonade for regular, for a twist (it's actually mentioned in the book as a variation).

Next weekend is the other shower I'm planning for the same bride. This one will have more structure, but less work. It's at a restaurant, so I don't have to worry about feeding people. I just need to call the place, once the bride gives me the contact's name, and make sure it's okay to bring in my own dessert. (You never know...)

And I lied in my last post. I just didn't know I was lying when I did it. Apparently my printer does not do a good job of printing. I was able to return the wrong ink (they gave me store credit even though the manager said they weren't supposed to - sometimes good things do happen to good people!), and replaced the color cartridge in the printer. The ink light wasn't flashing for the black cartridge, so I figured I would replace that when it ran out. Well, I went to print out the sign I made, complete with photo of bride and groom, and it printed all in pink. The blue (cyan, I guess) part of the three color cartridge wasn't firing. So, I cleaned the print heads and tried again. All the color stuff came out fine, only now the black ink wasn't firing. And it's still not. So, after all that, I managed to print an abbreviated version of the sign using dark blue ink. And I can't change the black cartridge, because my printer sucks and thinks it knows better than humans (I can't position the cartridges to where I need them unless the bleeping empty ink light is flashing). Stupid machines!!

Next weekend is the other shower I'm planning for the same bride. This one will have more structure, but less work. It's at a restaurant, so I don't have to worry about feeding people.

As you all know, I have been preparing all week for my friend's bridal shower, which is Saturday. The other day, I took a trip to Staples for printer ink, as my color cartridge light on the printer has been blinking red for the past two weeks. Easy to ignore, when not printing much, but I wanted to make up some sticker labels for the favors and a sign to explain the honeymoon tree. So, I figured to snazz it up a bit, I'd do some schmancy color printing. And even though my printer is one of my parents' old cast-offs, it still prints amazingly well.

Unfortunately, I don't think they make that model anymore, so while flipping through the "find your correct ink cartridge" pamphlets in Staples, my printer is nowhere to be found. I remembered this also being the case a few years ago, which was the last time I had to buy ink. I chose what seemed like the closest model match, made my purchase (why is ink so expensive?) and also picked up a PrintMaster program that was on clearance for $8. (It's an old version of PrintMaster, but it was only $8, and the computer is old anyway…and I've been meaning to get a new print shop program for a while.)

Fast forward to last night, when I installed the print shop program and was messing around with the fun stuff contained therein. First off, I was quite impressed with how well the program ran on my computer, since it's so old and slow, and full of programs I should probably uninstall. I was ready to print the test project I'd made up for the honeymoon tree, and opened up the printer to change the color ink cartridge… First thing I notice is that the model number of the cartridges don't match. So, being the apparent moron that I am, I unseal and unwrap the cartridge, ensuring that I cannot return it if it is the wrong type - which makes no sense, as I had just confirmed that it was not the same as the old cartridge…but it was late, I was tired, and oh yeah, did I mention the moron thing? So, I pull out the old cartridge and notice that the new one has these plastic tabs on the sides, that the old one does not possess… Like I needed more evidence that it was the wrong type. No, I don't give up that easily, do I? I attempt to fit the new cartridge into the printer, and it almost fits. Now, you and I know full well that almost is not going to work. So, what do I do? I remove the yellow sticker tab and attempt to close the cartridge into the slot (or whatever you'd call it…cell?). Duh moron, it's not going to work!! Don't worry though, even my stupidity has limits. I didn't press hard enough on the top to break either the cartridge or the printer.

By now it's 11pm, which I know because Will & Grace has already started on the TV behind me and I know I really should have already been in bed for a half hour. And I still have to scoop out Gracie's litter box (this really can't wait). There's a reason I am always late to work. Well, to anything really. Anyway, I figure I'm already out $25 for the color cartridge, but I can still take back the black ink I had also purchased, and not go through this again. So, I find the receipt and the unopened black cartridge and throw it in my bag to take to work. --What is wrong with me people? Will I never learn? Why did I open the first cartridge to start with??? I think in the back of my head I thought it possible that they'd changed the cartridges and it might still work - quite a long shot.

And today is the 4th day I have to look at the same freakin' crocheted filet fairy on my crochet-a-day calendar…this is getting out of hand. (And yes, I know it has nothing to do with ink. Or my stupidity.)

But in happy news, I figured out what dessert to make for the shower - Lemonade Angel Cupcakes with Lemonade Frosting, from Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor. (I love her cookbooks. I have 3.)

busy, busy

Aside from my last minute shower plans (which are coming along nicely...I've delegated food to a few unsuspecting victims...um, I mean generous guests. It's their fault, they volunteered!), I am rather swamped at work! So, today's will be a short post. And you all (you know, all 5 of my loyal readers) can blame or thank Christyn for this one...

In my profession, I see a lot of "interesting" names cross my desk. Christyn found this site that lists quite a few odd ones...none of which have crossed my desk...but I've seen similar ones. I haven't had much time to peruse all of the pages yet, (hit the home button to get more links), but this was a good one.

Oh, and my Crochet Pattern-a-Day calendar has been on the same pattern for 3 whole days. I feel cheated... Do I expect too much?

Now, back to work.

Wedding Season

Yep, it's that time of year again...kicked it off with my cousin's wedding last month. Now, it's prep time for another one...local this time. I'm throwing 2 showers for the bride (I was planning on throwing one, but no one else volunteered to do it for her family aside from her aunt - who she absolutely did NOT want to plan it, so she was going to host it herself. That just wasn't acceptable, so I stepped up. I'm too nice sometimes.)

Anyway, the first shower, which is mostly the younger crowd, is this weekend at the bride's house. I'm trying to go a bit more non-traditional, so I thought it would be fun to have a pinata. I found a cute little turtle today at the party store, on sale (bonus for me, since I was going to buy it anyway!). So, I found some candy and little gifties to put inside - gotta love the dollar section at Michael's! - and borrowed a rope from a co-worker. I think it'll be fun. (Besides, why should kids get all the fun?) And yes, I made sure the idea worked for the bride before buying everything.


So this week I'm tying up loose ends for this weekend's shower. That would pretty much be all the ends, aside from having invited people. Why am I such a procrastinator? I finally decided (TODAY) what to do for favors. I found these cute little multi-colored take-out containers at one craft store, and plastic multi-colored shot glasses at another, and here's what I came up with. I think they're cute, but naked. I need to buy a new ink cartridge for my computer, and then I think I'll print up some kind of label. I don't know, any ideas?


Now...I have to organize some good games (aside from the pinata). I have a few ideas. And I need to delegate some more of the food prep (very unlike me not to have the food planned out by now).

Fun with Photos

I take a lot of pictures. Some of them don't totally suck. And I have an affinity for taking extreme close ups... So, enjoy or don't, but I had fun taking these! :)

Flowers from my cousin's wedding last month.

More flowers from the wedding... A close up of the vintage handbag that my aunt took to the wedding. This was my Grandmothers. Possibly from the 60's, but we thought it might be earlier.
And this one is out in front of my apartment (pest control, anyone?)...I liked how the sun played across the web. Now...I wish I had a better quality camera, but I thought it wasn't too bad for a digital.

New Addiction

Okay, so I broke down the other day and bought the Weezer CD, Make Believe. I usually don't buy a CD unless there are 3 or more songs on it that I know I like (I'm cheap and like to get my money's worth). But, I was so into the song "Perfect Situation," which they hardly ever play on the radio (I think I only heard it two or three times), that I decided I had to buy it.

And I am now addicted. It has been playing almost non-stop in my car since I got it. I did not expect to enjoy it this much - more upbeat than I had expected. Happy surprise! And after visiting their website, I see that one of the current members is from Buffalo (extra points!) and one of the past members is from Syracuse (more extra points!).

I feel like I'm jumping on the bandwagon rather late here...as they've been around over 10 years, and I've always liked the songs of theirs that got air play. So, what took me so long? Oh well, I always was a late bloomer.

(And isn't that Scott Bell cute?)

Funny thing though...as I'm on my way home from work yesterday, I'm singing along to We Are All on Drugs (doesn't sound like a song I'd be that into, does it? But it's really catchy!) while driving along the local notorious speedtrap. I see a cop car ahead that's pulled over 2 drivers, and think wouldn't it just be my luck to be pulled over while rocking out to a song about everyone doing drugs? My head was filled with visions of me in a police station being made to take all kinds of tox screens...(which I would agree to, knowing I am 100% clean). No worries though - I was not speeding and didn't get stopped.

Speaking of addictions...I am so addicted to online quizzes. It is not funny. Stop laughing! It's making me wonder if I've got an addictive personality or something (man, good thing I don't drink). And, since I'm on the music theme right now, here's the latest little quizzie that relates:

Your Taste in Music:

80's Pop: Highest Influence

90's Rock: Highest Influence

90's Pop: High Influence

80's Alternative: Medium Influence

80's R&B: Medium Influence

80's Rock: Medium Influence

90's R&B: Medium Influence

Adult Alternative: Medium Influence

Alternative Rock: Medium Influence

Classic Rock: Medium Influence

Hair Bands: Medium Influence

90's Alternative: Low Influence

Old School Hip Hop: Low Influence

How's Your Taste in Music?

Goodies!

Ahh....I just love getting packages in the mail. See the goodies I got from my secret pal this weekend? It's recycled silk, and the colors are great. Lots of jewel tones for me. I've been eyeing this stuff for a while, but haven't been able to justify the cost (believe it or not!). So, now I get to play!

And gum is always fun...speaking of gum...makes me think of chewing things...(sorry for the bizarre train of thought here, but that's just how my mind works). Tonight, for the first time in almost a full month, I bit into a piece of toast. Yes! Bit into - with my front teeth! I'm so excited! (Wow, how boring my life has become...) I finally (FINALLY) got the permanent veneers on my front teeth today, and I cannot tell you how much I have missed being able to eat normally. And they look pretty good too (though the bite isn't like it used to be, not that it was perfect before...). I go in yet again next week, to check on them. And so far, my only peeve is that the top two don't come in contact at all with the bottom two (makes my habit of chewing the inside of my lips difficult...yeah, I know, TMI). So, we'll see how much that annoys me, and if need be, the dentist will fix it next week.

And just for fun, I'm blaming Dagny for bringing this quiz to my attention...

What Classic Pin-Up Are You?

You're Brigitte Bardot!
Take this quiz!

It would appear that I'm an undiscovered sultry French beauty... oh the things you learn about yourself on the internet...Now, I've got to figure out how to "make 'em cry!" Tips are encouraged...

Plants & Progress

Plants

A few days ago, I attempted the impossible (for me). I actually replanted the morning glories that I started from seed. Okay, the impossible part of it really is the part in which this plant has not yet died. I have the blackest thumb ever, and am amazed that I have not yet managed to kill this plant (or the lemon tree out on my balcony, for that matter). I guess it helps that morning glories grow like very pretty weeds... Even so, I'm still impressed that it's still alive. So, here's a picture of the plant before the re-potting.

And here it is after. I was afraid that I tore too much of the root structure when I pried it out of the tiny pot, so I threw a few more of the seeds in the pot after I piled the new dirt over the stumpy roots. And they've already sprouted. So, I am predicting good things for this plant...which might be my downfall. I should have learned by now not to be so optimistic, right? Oh...and the greatest part? This was from a $1 grow kit from Target!

Progress

I've been on a roll since the knitting class. I finished the scarf that I started while in class, and need to block it to give it a normal shape. While I haven't gotten to that yet, I did manage to hit the craft store and get some new yarn and chunky needles. And with a little inspiration from crazy aunt purl (on whose site I spend WAY too much time...), I started this scarf -------------------------->>> The pattern is a takeoff on the pattern halfway down this post, and so far is coming out great!

Ah.....I'm so easily amused...and impressed by myself.

Good Kitty

Ah...it's good to know that in times of need, my cat has my back.

I swear to God Gracie single-handedly (single pawedly?) got me out of bed this morning. As usual, I had been hitting snooze for far longer than was good for me (a daily occurrence). The last time the alarm went off, I must not have woken up. But, what did wake me up was 3 hard taps next to my shoulder. I opened my eyes, and there was my cat staring at me and looking annoyed. And it was definitely a tapping, not her usual pawing at the comforter. (I'm sure the irritating alarm was driving her nuts. If she's sleeping at the foot of my bed, it makes her jump when it goes off - poor kitty!)

So...I glance at the clock, assuming that the alarm had just gone off and annoyed the cat. Nope! It must have been going for a while, because it was 8:25!! By my calculations, it would have gone off at 8:16am...(so you know...I was pushing it anyway, since it usually takes me 45 minutes to get to work, and I *should* be there by 9am). So, I shot out of bed and scrambled to put myself somewhat together and run out of the house. And then I hit nasty nasty traffic, and called in to let my boss know I'd be late. (Make that later than usual.)

But, just imagine how much worse it could have been. So...kitty should get some treats tonight. :)

Happy 4th of July!

I'm celebrating my freedom with my friend Kerri by taking blog quizzes. Unfortunately, I would not be able to pass the U.S. Citizenship test...nor 8th grade geography! (And yet I passed it when I was in 8th grade.)

So, in celebration of the 4th - here's some fun little quizzes:

You Are 40% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird... But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

You Are a Black and White Cookie

You're often conflicted in life, and you feel pulled in two opposite directions. When you're good, you're sweet as sugar. And when you're bad, you're wicked!

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

Your 2006 Summer Anthem Is

Dani California by the Red Hot Chili Peppers "She's a lover, baby, and a fighter Shoulda seen it comin' when it got a little brighter With a name like "Dani California" Day was gonna come when I was gonna mourn ya A little loaded she was stealin' another breath I love my baby to death"

What's Your 2006 Summer Anthem?

Have fun!! (And now I'm off to another American Institution...Starbucks!!)

Busy Bee

It was a busy weekend...

Yet another of my college friends is moving this week, and this weekend was their last in town. So, Saturday I hung out with her and her 3 kids (4 year old twins and 9mo old infant). I'm sad to see them go - it seems like everyone is moving lately.

So...I'm in the living room with the kids and my friend was in the other room, and her daughter looks at me and starts firing off some questions... "Where's Fred? Do you live with him? Does he not talk to you anymore?" (No, it wasn't so rapid fire as that, and I did explain that he wasn't visiting.) Ouch... I wouldn't have expected them to wonder where he was. He wasn't around the last few times I've seen them, and they never asked about it before. And now it's been almost 5 months that we've been apart. It was a little weird. It made me tear up a bit, but I pulled it together. He was great with those kids though - which is why I was expecting them not to bring it up now, since they hadn't before.

And I still haven't received a response from Fred after my last e-mail. What is he waiting for? Is he trying to piss me off more?