noticed on the way.....

I love my new DVR.

For those of you who don't know, DVR is Digital Video Recorder. Think TiVo.

Comcast cable is now offering a DVR for just $9.95 per month. It's a sweet deal! :) All we had to do was exchange our old, regular digital box for the new DVR one. Unlike TiVo, I didn't have to actually purchase the recorder. A savings of at least $150.

So, now it's all hooked up. It's got surround sound, 5.something.. and it records in a digital format. No more nasty VHS tapes! I just pick the show I want from the on-screen tv guide, click record, and I'm done! I can even have it record it every time it's on, or just the once. I can have it automatically delete recordings up to two weeks in the future, or I can have it save them until I delete them.

Gone are the days of making sure the correct tape is in the VCR. No more wondering if I rewound the tape. No more missing the end of a show because I forgot to rewind and ran out of tape. No more wondering where my husband's recording ends and mine starts. It's terrific!

When I want to watch something I recorded I just hit one button! That brings up a list of all the shows on the drive, and I choose the one I want. It couldn't be easier.

This thing even warns me when my disk (yes, disk, just like your computer) is getting full so I can selectively delete old shows. Or, I can copy them to tape or DVD-R. (Well, tape for me. I don't have a DVD-R, but I imagine Puppy will want one soon.) Since it holds at least 30 hours worth of shows, I don't imagine space will be much of a problem for me.

And it appears I was wrong in my previous post about recording multiple shows. According to the manual, it's possible to record two shows at once. You can not, however, record two channels while watching a third. I suppose in the unlikely event that I want to record three shows, I can still rely on one of the three VCRs in the house.

Time for me to go play with my new toy!


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Sleep:

1. Side of the bed: Left or Right? Left, most of the time. I'm pretty flexible on this and will usually take the side closest to the bathroom! :D

2. Sleep with or without covers? With. I like being able to snuggle down under the covers at night. The only time I might do without is when it's really, really hot. Even then, I usually have at least a sheet over me.

3. Sleep with or without night light? I can sleep without one, but if I'm in a strange place, a hotel or whatever, I'll normally leave the bathroom light on and the door ajar.

4. Deep or light sleeper? Depends. Sometimes the earth could shake and I wouldn't wake up - other times, I spring to life if someone enters the room. I suppose it depends on how tired I am.

5. More annoying to be awoken by: alarm or phone call? Tough one. Probably the alarm. The phone I can ignore. I don't even have a phone in my bedroom, but the alarm screams that I have to get up.


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Richard just went to exchange our cable box. Comcast is now offering a DVR. It's only $9.95 per month added to the cable bill, which is the same price that TiVo charges each month. The difference is, we don't have to buy the box.

[Now that my prescriptions are finally covered, we should be able to afford this little luxury item. Hell, we're saving $200/month on just one prescription! Ten bucks should be easy to come up with.]

I've been looking over the FAQ on the DVR and the only thing it can't do that I wish it could is record two shows at once. Ah well..

I wonder if I can record one on the VCR and another on the DVR while watching a third on the TV? I'll have to check that out. Or maybe I want to record two overlapping shows while I'm out.

In any event, the box looks pretty cool and space-agey. It's loaded with inputs and outputs and buttons and stuff. Should make the hubby really happy to have something so cool to play with. :)

I'm pretty sure he's going to spend way too much time setting it up. What takes most people a few minutes, will take Puppy about an hour. He'll have to check all the in/outputs, then figure out which ones will offer the best quality, then he'll connect the stereo to it, so he can have surround sound. He'll probably move the speakers to achieve the best, most realistic sound available. He likes to get as close to a "real theatre experience" as possible. :lol:



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Mary was kind enough to actually find the definition of eejitous for me. You'll never believe it, but she searched the web to find it! And I was limiting myself to dictionaries. Guess I'm not that bright after all.

Thanks, Mary! You're the best!

Oh... you want to know what it means?

Well... Okay...

One entry found for eejitous.
Main Entry: eejitous
Pronunciation: 'e-jE-tOs
Function: adjective
Inflected Form(s): -er; -est
Date: 2003
1 : easily distracted by pointless Internet quizzes or tests
2 a : in the process of taking an Internet quiz or test: (Oh, he'll snap out of it in a minute, he's never eejitous for long.)

Now everyone who just learned a new word, go thank Mary for the lesson.

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Week 64

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Elastic :: Bands


2. Intervention :: drugs


3. Risk :: game


4. Junk food :: Evil!


5. Arrogance :: People who are chronically late


6. Responsibility :: kids


7. X :: Men


8. Marshall :: Fields


9. Kill :: Bill


10. Brother :: Sister

Junk food is only evil because I can't have it anymore!

And to me the epitome of arrogance is when someone keeps you waiting. Especially true of doctors who make you wait hours, even though you have an appointment! (I always complain and reschedule. They don't make me wait more than 10 minutes anymore. :grin:)



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I'm an irredeemably eejitous, liberal, tight as fuck, relatively well adjusted human being!
See how compatible you are with me!
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey

Does anybody know what "eejitous" means? I can't seem to find it in any dictionary.

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Here's a fun little flash for you to check out. Everybody's like "shit, shit! WTF?" It's The End of the World (as we know it).


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Recent Interesting (or just plain stupid) Headlines:

Penis Explodes During Sex - "I don't know what this couple were playing at, but there must have been tremendous pressure inside the penis to make this happen."

Wow... That's gotta scare the hell outta ya. What on earth do you suppose caused that to happen?

The Gay Rapper - OutKast's Andre 3000 summed up the mood of most rappers when he said: "One of the worst rumours I heard about myself was that I was homosexual. Especially in the hip-hop world, that ain't a cool rumour to hear."

Hmmm..... do I want people to think I'm gay, or do I want them to know I'm an asshole?

Governor Amends Anti-Gay Law in VA - "'We want to make it as inhospitable as possible for you all to live in this state.' I don't know how else you can describe this bill. No more, no less. 'Get out."'

And all this time I thought "Virginia is for Lovers." Boy, was I way off on that one! What's wrong with these people!

Three cultures, three proms for high school- In what might be a first for Georgia, students from one high school will attend three separate proms. Toombs County's dubious distinction demonstrates the evolving arithmetic of race in America, where white plus black plus brown doesn't add up to ''one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.''

Do you ever get the feeling we're moving back in time? I thought we were past this kind of bigotry.


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Would you rather...

1. Win the lottery or have a guarantee that your family would be together forever?
My family will be together forever anway. We love each other, ya know! So, by default, I guess I'll have to take the lottery winnings.

2. Have a makeover for yourself or for a dear friend?
Too easy. For a friend. I don't need a makeover for many reasons. I'm not all that hung up on what I look like, and I never go anywhere anyway. Let's make it a gift to someone who would enjoy it.

3. Work out at the gym or have plastic surgery to remove the "ick"?
Now this one is tough. I'm mobility impaired so the gym isn't really an option. Besides, I'm incredibly lazy and wouldn't want to work out anyway! (Although I used to walk 6 miles a day so maybe I'm not that lazy.) Plastic surgery isn't a nice option either. Recovery is painful and often long, not to mention the risks inherent in any surgery. Just how bad is this "ick"? Can't I just accept it and move on?

4. If you are single or when your were single, would you rather have a blind date or go out with a someone you are a friend with first?
Hmmm... blind dates can be rather scary. The only blind date I ever had became my first husband. That did not end well at all! Then again, dating a friend isn't always a good idea either. It's often difficult to get back to friendship once you break up. I used to date people I knew casually. Friends of friends or co-workers that I had spent little time with.

5. Win an Extreme makeover or an Extreme Home makeover?
The Home makeover. My house could use it a lot more than me. Can I just get a whole new house instead?

I didn't have any easy answers this week did I? I asked my husband the lottery question and he didn't hesitate a moment. "The lottery!" ::grin::


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My Dearest Sara,

You are my first born. My only daughter and the light of my life. I have never for a single moment regretted having you. Your father I both learned how to love by loving you.

As the first grandaughter, you were always everyone's favorite. Your intelligence and sense of responsibility still astound me. The drive that you have and your willingness to work for whatever you're after are traits I admire. I wish I possessed the strength and character that you have.

Your life hasn't been an easy one, yet you never place any blame. Quite simply, Peachie, you are amazing.

I was only a child myself when you were born. We grew up together, although I often think you grew up much better than I did. I know I made mistakes in raising you, and I'm very sorry for any hurt or pain my incompetence may have caused you. I tried to do what was best for you, always.

Know that I love you with all of my heart and soul. You have turned into a beautiful, intelligent, wonderful young woman. I know you will accomplish whatever you set out to do in life.

I love you always,
Mom

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Are you the type of person that can look at someone and just know what their name is?

Do you think people look like their names?

Want to waste a few minutes? Need something to do everyday?

Check out this quick game. 0tv.com - Guess My Name

I usually get it on the first or second try, but sometimes it totally throws me off. How about you?

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For some unknown reason I woke up at 5:30 this morning.

What's worse, I actually got out of bed. I had intended to start working on the logos I need for my new sites. It's now almost 9:30 and I haven't even started.

I read my mail, checked in with Bloglines, looked at some new web templates, browsed around for graphics, read the mail that came in while I was futzing around, noticed new updates on Bloglines and read them, had some breakfast, took my morning meds, read some more mail, and finally logged into my blog.

I have yet to work on the damn logos!

I can see this is going to be a productive day.


BTW... I also came across this... Morning Poem

I woke early one morning,
the earth lay cool and still.
When suddenly a tiny bird
perched on my window sill.

He sang a song so lovely,
so carefree and so gay,
That slowly all my troubles
began to slip away.

He sang of far off places,
of laughter and of fun,
It seemed his very trilling
brought up the morning sun.

I stirred beneath the covers,
crept slowly out of bed,
Then gently shut the window
and crushed his fucking head.

I am not a morning person

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Oh, I almost forgot..... Check out fotoopa.
I especially like the high speed section.
Check out the "dancing droplets" and
the "water figures" areas. Amazing stuff

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What Is Your Battle Cry?

Hark! Who is that, running over the freeway! It is Beth, hands clutching a vorpal blade! She howls ominously: "I'm going to fuck you into the danger zone, and throw you out the window!!"

Find out! Enter username: Are you a girl, or a guy ?

created by beatings : powered by monkeys

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1. Virginia:: Woolf
   
2. Soft:: Fluffy
   
3. Carol:: Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
   
4. Vanity:: Plate
   
5. Feminist:: Gloria Steinem
   
6. Alias:: Criminal
   
7. Coward:: Cowardly Lion
   
8. Beer:: Yuck! Tastes like panther piss.
   
9. Chance:: Luck
   
10. Honest:: Truth
    

Okay, so those were my first thoughts on each word. Looking at them now, I can come up with bunches more. But the whole idea of the game is to put the first thing that pops into your head.

And let me just qualify that I've never actually tasted panther piss. When I was younger my brother used to refer to beer as "expensive panther piss." (He used to drink the imports.)

I imagine I've dated myself with at least one of those answers.



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ABC13.com: Wrong pair of pants lands suspect with more charges

I guess he was screwed no matter what he did.

It seems that police in Nashville got a freebie with this guy. Kendrick Gibson was arrested on Thursday after not surrendering on a misdemeanor charge for driving with a suspended license.

I guess Mr. Gibson just wasn't having a good day.

Authorities went to Gibson's residence to arrest him. With police inside his residence, Gibson began getting dressed, putting on a pair of blue jeans. He then suddenly took them off for another pair. The officers became suspicious and found plastic bags containing crack cocaine and a small amount of marijuana in the pockets of the first pair. Gibson is also now facing drug charges.

That's gotta suck. At least remembered he didn't want to wear the first pair. How good would it be to show up for jail with crack in your pocket? So, it makes sense to put on the second pair of pants. Who knew the cops would check the pockets of the first pair? Is that considered a reasonable search? Did they have a reason to check those pants?

I guess he could have said they were dirty. Or not his. Or offered some explanation as he changed.

I guess he should have just turned himself in to begin with. Maybe he got high and forgot.


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I finally got around to registering a new domain and found a great deal on hosting. Less than $60/year for 600MB storage with 20GB transfer and the ability to host five domains. Add in the subdomains, pop email, easy to use control panel and Fantistico Deluxe and you've got a deal that's hard to beat!

So, I'm going to be busy for a while playing with all the new tools I have and getting some sites set up. I'm hoping to use PHP-Nuke to make CadenasMarketing.com fully interactive and I'll also be working on setting up b2evolution as my new blogging software.

This is probably going to take me a while. I'm not all that technically inclined, but the software looks pretty cool, and it's skinable so I guess I'll have to learn how to make skins too. I couldn't get notw.com or noticed.com or any reasonable variation registered, so I've gone with a play on my name. CasaCadenas.com. Yes, I know... that translates roughly into "House of Chains." Opens up all kinds of alternatives, doesn't it?

Check it out and let me know what you think. Just remember, this is a work in progress and still in it's early stages!



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You know how you get a song stuck in your head and it just won't leave? Those are called earworms and I've got one. It's not even the whole song. Just a little snippet of it swirling around in my head, over and over.

I think I'm going to lose my mind!

I've decided that the only effective way to rid yourself of an earworm is to give it someone else. Guess what? I'm giving it to you. I hope you know the song so you can get the tune going too. From the Vapor's big hit, Turning Japanese...

No sex,
No drugs,
No wine,
No women,
No fun,
No sin,
No you,
No wonder it's dark.

Everyone around me is a total stranger,
Everyone avoids me like a psyched lone ranger,
Everyone

Over and over in my head. It just keeps playing.

And now it is my gift to you. Enjoy!





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The tobacco template that I was trying out wasn't a big hit with anyone, myself included. So.. that one has come down and a summer theme is up in it's place. I have a feeling it's going to be a while before i change this site, but at least I'm getting in some HTML practice!

In other news...

Using this site you can generate a map showing the states you've visited. There are also maps for Countries, Canadian Provinces, and European Countries.

It appears I've only visited 70% of the country. I knew I was due for another road trip! Since I don't fly I guess I'm limited to the US, Canada and Mexico for now. That's still plenty of area to explore.

Now that I'm an old person I need to travel with more comfort than I used to care about. I'll have to figure out how to get one of those big motor homes so I can ride in comfort, cook, relax and stay out of the weather. I just love the idea of being able to wander. Anywhere you want to go... any route you want to take.. no destination, no timetable. Just travelling the backroads, meeting people, taking in the sights. That's my dream. ::sigh::

Here's my map of where I've been.



create your own personalized map of the USA
or write about it on the open travel guide

You have any road trip stories to share?


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This just cracked me up.

The author twists a basic right-wing thought process around and comes out with this brilliant satire!

On The Flip Side... Richard Williams*, a former straight man, who is now involved in a long-term homosexual relationship, is speaking out against his former lifestyle. "It just didn't feel natural to me." He says. With the recent focus on gay rights, Mr. Williams felt that his message is important. "For all of the straights, who feel trapped in that unnatural lifestyle, I want them to know that there is hope." He feels that there is a lot of propaganda about being "straight", and that the truth must be known. After struggling for years in a marriage, he says after turning to his friends, and his faith, he realized that he was living a life that was wrong. "My wife and I hardly ever sex, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I found the female form repulsive." His ex-wife, Patricia, who is now a lesbian, agrees that their marriage was awkward. "We dated in high school, so after we graduated, we faced a lot of family pressure to get married. We did, having never touched each other, or anything." Patricia is now joining his efforts to start an organization that offers counseling to straights to help them come to realize that their lifestyle is wrong. "In today's society, with overpopulation, pestilence and famine, it is wrong to continue to endorse heterosexuality and procreation." Williams claims. He is currently seeking funding through the federal government's faith based initiatives to start his organization, which he intends on naming Stop Straightness Now. Many activists in the Christian Community have taken exception with Mr. Williams claims, arguing that the Bible clearly states that homosexuality is an abomination. While representatives for Focus on the Family, Concerned Women for America, or the 700 Club were unavailable for comment, a Mr. Spud Rainey, of the small sect, Christ against Homos, had many things to say about Mr. Williams proposed organization. "God is gonna come down from Heaven to smite this guy. I can't believe this. Doesn't he know he is going to hell?" When asked about his personal religious beliefs, Mr. Williams says he follows a mix of different religions, and his own personal belief is that while God may have once said homosexuality, he believes, after seeing how straights messed up His creation, he feels that God might be more willing to give them a second chance. "Back in the day, being gay was very hedonistic, but now, with the proven facts that gays are usually more affluent, and a more peaceful people, he feels being gay is the new direction the planet needs to follow. "Look at how people's lives have been improved after a small exposure to gays, like on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. If the entire world was gay, there would be no time for war or crime. We would be too busy redecorating our homes and clearing out last minute sales at Neiman Marcus." When asked about the innate problems of a 100% homosexual population, like the stagnation of population growth, Mr. Williams responds with what he feels is obvious. "No matter what we say, there will be some who keep a devotion to a straight lifestyle, even though it is destructive. I feel that these people can be corralled and used to continue a small amount of population growth." When asked about the morality of housing people in camps, to be used for the sole purpose of procreation, Mr. Williams replies, "The Bible has advocated keeping women in the home, for bearing children for thousands of years, so I feel that many members of the Christian Coalition would be happy with that state of affairs. And I wouldn't use camps, I would create little self suffiecient societies for them to stay in." Who would raise the children? "Well, I haven't thought this out to its ineviable conclusion, this is still very much a work in progress." * The names used in this article are totally made up. To all the Richard Williams out there, remember satire is protected speech for a reason:) Thanks to Morons.org

(*** note for the satire impaired: This is a JOKE. A satire. Please do not send me nasty emails about god, hell and gays. Thank you!***)


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Taxes:

1. "Eek, I owe" or "Show me the money!"
Show me the money! Although now that the kids are gone, it's not nearly as much as it used to be. I need more deductions!

2. "Finished already" or "It isn't the 15th yet, so why rush?!"
You're kidding, right? I got a refund. Mine were filed back in February, and my refund was in the bank less than two weeks later. Gotta love direct deposit! Really a shame the money was gone two weeks later.

3. "Taxes suck" or "I don't mind because some of it goes to social causes"
Taxes so suck! I wouldn't mind if those "social causes" actually helped the people that need help, but I know better. (See my Aaaarrrrgghhh! post for details)

4. "1040EZ" or "How the heck does anybody understand all this crap?"
Sort of in between. I have a home business so I have to fill out all that paperwork, but it's not too confusing. Especially easy if you file online, just walk through the program and you're done. The hard part for me is having all the proper numbers available.

5. "Receipts? What are those?" or "I keep everything just in case *knock on wood*"
Again, I'm in the middle here. I keep my own records for nearly everything, but often misplace (read throw away) the receipts. Fortunately I don't make enough to raise any red flags at the IRS!



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I don't know what purpose a light-up bra serves, but I simply must have one! I haven't the faintest idea where I would wear it, but still, I must have it!

They're so practical. So affordable. So well made. So comfortable. So easy to care for. Just look at what the site has to say:

Our custom electronics are compact and well-suited to being hidden in small or tight-fitting garments, such as bras, corsets, and bikini tops. We also make matching light-up accessories such as belts and wristbands. Most of our bras are powered by a single 9V battery that can be hidden in a pocket under the arm or inside the cup. An easy-access on/off switch lets you choose between light and dark, as needed. All electronic parts are concealed within the bra lining or padding, for maximum comfort. The electronics are sealed, so they are perfectly safe and resistant to moisture during normal wearing. When the battery is removed, they can be immersed in water to be hand washed and dried flat. Our light-up bras are custom made in your choice of size, style, and color. We sell replicas of the bras shown here, and will also create new designs by request, if you'd like a particular light layout or color combination. Pricing is typically $20 for the base bra, plus $10 per LED light or $10 per foot of EL wire.

Only $20 plus the cost of the lighting.. let's see.. for the one in the picture above that's 20+(32*10)=340. See.. $340! For a bra that twinkles.

I mean, honestly, who could resist that?


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I've been playing with different looks for this blog, but I just can't decide which one to go with! So, I'm asking for your help. After all, you're the ones that get to stare at this page while you read.

Anyway, I've set up a testing site here. Take a look and let me know if you prefer this look, (the red one with Mr. Death) or this look (let's call it tobacco). The one that isn't popular will be replaced with yet another choice and we'll go through this again.

Just leave me a comment with your preference. Thanks!


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While blogsurfing this morning I came upon another one of those silly quizes. This one was pretty amusing, so here goes:


Take the Affliction Test Today!
A Rum and Monkey disease.

Thank you Bonnie for sharing!



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My Darling Eric,

I need you to know how much I love you. You were always my little Ducky. The child I had on my own. You were mine and mine alone. You were my world.

I'm so proud of the man you've become. You are sensitive, caring, intelligent, in short, everything I hoped you would be.

Always everyone's favorite child, you were quick to give a hug whenever you felt one was needed. How often you made my day just by giving me a quick hug and an "I love you, Mom" is more than I can say. Please don't ever stop hugging people. Although most will never admit it, everyone needs to feel someone's arms around them.

Your quick wit and easy smile endear you to people. You care deeply about your friends and family and will fight to the death to defend them. I don't know anyone that cares as passionately as you do. Please don't ever become jaded and lose your love of life and people.

I know I made mistakes when you were growing up. I only hope you can forgive me for any pain I might have caused you. Please know that everything I did, I did because I believed it was the best thing for you.

I'm confident that you will accomplish great things in your life. I want you to know that I have never for one second regretted having you. I love you with all of my heart and soul and you are exactly the person I hoped you would be.

I'm proud and lucky to be your mother.

I love you forever.
Mom

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My ex-husband called me today. Recently his girlfriend broke up with him, shortly after they became engaged, and it's really tearing him apart. Now, maybe I'm biased, cause I really like my ex, but this woman sounds like a cunt to me.

They had been dating for about three years. They seemed to be doing well, never fought, active in the local chapter of an organization they belong to, took trips together, all that stuff. This was probably the healthiest relationship D has ever been in. They shared activities and beliefs. Everything was going great.

Then, one day, she just dumped him. She didn't want to talk about why. She simply "fell out of love." What? One day you announce to all your friends that you're engaged to a "wonderful man" and the next day you leave him. That just seems odd to me.

Looking back at their relationship I can see some warning signs.

They never fought. I mean never. Not about big issues, not about small stuff, never. How can you know someone intimately for three years and never have a disagreement?

She never became, or even tried to become, close to his son. Caleb lives with his dad. In three years they never got beyond a "Hello/Goodbye" relationship. If I were dating a man who had a teenager, I would try to become friendly with that child. At least I would chat with him, ask about school, stuff like that. I guess she had no interest in any child but her own.

Her child treats her with disrespect. In my opinion, you can tell a lot about a person by how they raise their children. My son Caleb tells me this woman's child is "a jerk." When asked to shovel the driveway, a chore expected of most teenagers, he would respond with, "do it yourself." He would often talk back to his mother and treat her with disdain. What kind of parent allows their children to behave that way? What does this say about the example she set for him while he was growing up? (My kids may not always agree with me, but they always treat me with respect and consideration.)

It took him at least a week to get any kind of reason out of her. Finally the reasons she came up with pretty lame. He doesn't bathe the dog often enough. The house isn't tidy enough. Give me a break! If it bothers you that much, feel free to do it yourself. D is actually a pretty tidy person. I think she's just looking for an excuse.

She has been overheard telling her friends that she gets "bored" with "men and jobs." I suppose she just got bored with D. Too bad that in the process she broke his heart.

I hope that he recovers soon. He's a warm, witty man and a loving parent. He certainly deserves much better than this cunt.



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... and Passover... and Spring. So, Happy Holiday to all for whatever you're celebrating these days. I realize I'm a bit late for Ostara, but hey, at least I remembered to mention it eventually.

I have all kinds of thoughts swirling around in my head, and I'm sure eventually I'll get them formed into some sort of order so I can get them down on paper... er, online... for perusal and feedback.

Tomorrow is Ducky's birthday so you can expect to see another love letter to one of my children. He'll be 20. And next week Sara will be 25, and that will be the end of the mushy letters to my kids for another year.

For today, in honor of the Christian holiday I offer you the Easter Bunny Rap.

If you've always wondered just why the Easter Bunny lays colored eggs, this tale is for you.

Enjoy. And be sure to tell your family and friends that you love them.


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A fun game of word association.

1. Boxing:: Gloves
   
2. Lewis:: and Clark
   
3. Bodyguard:: Security
   
4. Burnout:: or Fade Away
   
5. Cruising:: the strip
   
6. Easter:: Sunday
   
7. AA:: David
   
8. Research:: grant
   
9. Redemption:: Sin
   
10. Snickers:: satisfies
    

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... just another boring night. I was at the local dive bar hanging out with friends, drinking too much Jack, not doing anything in particular.

I sat at the tall table and listened to the band, chatted a bit, laughed a lot. I excused myself to go to the ladies, and when I came back there was a man in my seat. He was kinda cute. Tall and lean, with a great smile. I wondered why I hadn't met him before.

"Excuse me. I was sitting there."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

He rose and offered me my seat back. I sat and he moved on. I finished my drink, and my cigarette. (For some reason I could never walk out of the bar with a lit cigarette. Strange quirk.) I rose to leave and spotted this guy, the who had vacated my seat, at the bar.

I wandered over.

"Hi, you can have my seat now. I'm leaving."

"That's too bad. If I follow you home, will you keep me?"

Interesting line. I hadn't heard it before anyway. I smiled, "There's only one way to find out." and walked out.

I got in the Banana Boat ?

Note:

(hide)

The Banana Boat was a mid-late 70's model Oldsmobile station wagon. It was huge and yellow and a gift from an old boyfriend. It got about 3 gallons to the mile and the children insisted we sing The Banana Boat Song whenever we got in it. "Day-O, Daa-aay-O.. Daylight come and me wanna go home..."

and started it up. I looked up and here came the guy from inside. He had cancelled his drink order to "follow" me home.

He climbed into the car beside me. Not a problem. I was invited to a party, I'll just bring him along. We swing by my place on the way so I can pick up some things I was supposed to bring to the party. He followed me in, to help of course.

We never made it to the party.

We didn't leave the house for three days.

When we did finally leave the house, it was to pick up Puppy's belongings. His clothes, some toiletries. He officially moved in three days from when we met.

He had already proposed marriage by then. Okay, he was drunk, but it still counts, right?

Less than two months later, we were on a ten-week road trip. One of these days I'll tell all about that trip. We were close. Closer than any other couple I've ever known. We didn't spend a night apart until six months into our relationship.

That was seven years ago. Four years ago we got married. The only time we've been apart was one week that he was gone, and the month I was in the hospital.

Damn, I love him.


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How funny is it that I stumbled upon this little quiz today? The very day I change the format of two of my three sites, and seriously considered changing the third.

So, according to this quizlet, I am an ISTP. Here's the scoop:

As an ISTP, you are Intraverted, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving.
This makes your primary focus on Introverted Thinking with Extraverted Sensing

This is defined as a SP personality, which is part of Carl Jung's Artisans (Sensation Seeking) type, and more specifically the Crafters or Mechanics.

Because of your desire for action and independance, you will change the format of blogging or design frequently to keep it interesting and different. Your loyalty may have you reading the same blogs over a long period of time. Even though you could be easily bored with blogging, you might find that because you like following a project through, this is a good way for you to use your alone time to sort the facts you pick up through the day.

It seems I share this personality type with the likes of Frank Zappa, Tom Cruise, Keith Richards and Archibald "Harry" Tuttle from the movie "Brazil." That's quite an interesting mix of characters.

Since I'm an "Excellent 'trouble-shooter', able to quickly find solutions to a wide variety of practical problems," it's no wonder I did so well as a working supervisor with a publishing firm, or why I went into tech support years later.

There's a detailed portrait of an ISTP here, if you're really incredibly bored, you may want to take a look.

Overall it's some interesting feedback. I enjoyed the links providing additional information more than the quiz itself.

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As I mentioned earlier, I've been doing this low-carb thing on my doctors advice. Protein Power is the diet of choice. The last time I did this the weight just fell off me. This time, it's a bit more difficult.

Of course, this would be easier if I had a bit more support on the home front. My husband does all the shopping and cooking for the family. He still makes potatoes and rice and sandwiches. He still buys me breakfast burritos loaded with eggs, bacon and potatoes. Tonight he served me chicken (good), mashed potatoes (bad), corn (bad) and cornbread (bad). He gets insulted if I don't eat what he's prepared for me, so I try not to eat too much of the bad stuff. But I'm weak. I love all that starchy food. It's hard to say no when it's all ready and sitting in front of you.

Now, I don't want to give the impression that Puppy is all bad. I mean, he tries. He buys me sugar free sweets and cookies. I have more nuts available to me than most people could eat in 3 months. I have cans of tuna and chicken in the pantry. He's made two turkey breasts in the past 10 days. (I have a terrible weakness for turkey.) Perhaps I just need to be stronger and learn to say no. He knows this is for my health, so he shouldn't be hurt by it, right? Right?

At least this diet is working for someone. Lego looks much slimmer than she did just a few weeks ago. Is it possible that I'm on the diet and the dog is losing the weight?


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... over the next few days. Well, probably more than that. I'm trying some new looks for the blog. I'm looking for something somewhat original, without having to do any actual work on my own.

So, I'll be running through some different templates looking for something that seems right. If you see one you love - or hate - drop a comment or an email and let me know.

In the end, of course, it will be my decision, since it's my blog, but I appreciate input from you.

thanks!

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I love the Outback Steakhouse. You can get a decent steak at a good price served by some of the friendliest people in town. All right.. I know it's a chain, but as chains go, it's a good one!

This is the third time ?

Note:

(hide

Outback also sent food for the troops in June/2002 and January/2003

that Outback has sent it's own employees overseas to feed the troops. This little bit of Americana is sometimes just what's needed to boost the morale of our men and women who are fighting this insane war.

In January of 2004, "Operation Outback" sent 21 employees to 3 Iraqi cities and fed 21,000 US and coalition troops. Wondering what was on the menu?
How about:

• Bloomin' Onions


• Victoria's Filets


• Rockhampton Rib-Eyes


• Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie


• Aussie Chips


• Jacket Potatoes


• Mixed Veggies


• Cheesecake Olivia

Sounds yummy, doesn't it? They had originally wanted to bring along some beer, but that was vetoed. Apparently no alcohol is allowed where the troops are located.

Overall, I think "Mission Outback" is a nice way to let our men and women overseas know that while we may not believe in the war they're fighting, we haven't forgotten about them.

They all deserve a taste of home.



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When my kids were little, they were pretty much permitted to play with whatever toys they wanted.

My daughter was quite a tomboy and played with trucks and tools as well as the typical girl toys like dolls. Nobody cared that Sara was interested in trucks and digging in the dirt. After all, girls can grow up to do anything, be anything, they desire. We should encourage them to break out of gender roles, yadda, yadda, yadda.

When Caleb was about 3 years old his papa asked him what he wanted for Christmas. Caleb, without a moments hesitation, answered, "A kitchen and a baby doll." I thought my dad would pass out. He offered other choices, trucks, race cars, a train set. Perhaps C would enjoy a toy gun?

"No, Papa. I want a kitchen and a baby doll," Caleb insisted.

I suppose he wanted the kitchen because what boy doesn't like food? C ate a lot. All the time. The boy was born hungry. He even nursed on the delivery table. A kitchen made perfect sense for him.

The baby doll? I'm not sure. It could be he was tired of playing with his sister's French Barbies. ?

Note:

(hide)

French Barbies are naked and headless. I don't remember when we started using this, but it has stuck in our family for years.

Besides, Barbie is a fashion whore and not exactly a baby to love and nurture. Caleb wanted a baby to parent.

Now, you don't think for a minute that my father, retired cop and macho man, actually got his grandson what he desired? Of course not. He bought him a GI Joe ?

Note:

(hide)

GI Joe is the closest my father would get to dolls for boys. Notice that it still had to be offset with the aquisition of a tank at the same time.

and a tank. I guess it's okay for boys to blow things up, kill and destroy but not to love and nurture.

It all worked out in the end. I got the boy his kitchen and his baby doll. He spent many happy hours cooking for his baby and GI Joe.




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Apparently Channel 4 in Britian will be showing a documentary about abortion. Included in this will be an actual abortion done at 4 weeks, as well as fetuses aborted at 10 and 21 weeks.

Of course, we'll never see anything like this here in America. We are far too prudish and sensitive as a whole. Maybe it would be good for us to watch something like this. It would certainly give us all something to talk about, wouldn't it? And that seems to be just what the film-maker wants.

Black is the daughter of the founder of the Marie Stopes Clinic, one of the leading pro-choice advice centres on abortion in the country. She said she wanted to challenge her own instinctive pro-choice view on abortion. She now has a child born when she was 34. 'After giving birth to my daughter I [knew] why it was important to make this film,' she said. 'I didn't want her, or her friends, years down the line to still have to feel it is something they couldn't talk about. I wanted to kick-start the debate and make society re-examine its views on abortion.'

I tend to agree with the view expressed on GreenFairy.com. "I want abortion to be the subject of choice around the office water cooler the day after all across the country." I think we should be discussing this issue. Not only with each other, but with our spouses, our sons and most certainly, our daughters. No matter what your stance on the issue, let your family know where you stand. Let your sons and daughters know if this is something you feel strongly about.

This is a very personal issue that I don't think any woman takes lightly. Much thought and agony go into deciding what's best for the people involved. I find it hard to believe that women are using abortion as a form of birth control. If you know a woman in a position to consider abortion, I urge you to offer her comfort and support. That's what she needs right now. If she chooses to abort, she'll face her share of hate from the ultra-right-wing strangers that picket Planned Parenthood. (among other places, but that's a whole other post)

So, whatever your stand on abortion, please respect the opinions of others. See if you can discuss the issue. Calmy.

And in case you think this is going to be blatantly one sided, "In the film, both pro-life and pro-choice protagonists give their views on the issue."





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... leave me alone with my computer and nothing to do and just look what happens.

I made some buttons for those of you looking for something a little more exciting than a text link. Just look in the right hand column, below the blog links and you'll find them. If you want to use one to link to me, just grab a button, save it on your own server and link back to http://www.cadenas.blogspot.com. If you have no place to keep the image online, let me know. I'll either help you find a place for it, or I'll let a let a limited number of people hot link from me.

What do you think of the quote of the day? Some of them are amusing, but if y'all hate it, I can always take it down. (I just love it when you're forceful! :-))

I also made a banner for the blog. I went a different route than most people and used a table instead of an image. I know thats weird but I think it'll work pretty well. This way the header resizes to adjust for your browser size and settings. Go ahead and resize your browser window to see what I mean. I'll wait here. Did you notice that the header adjusted across the width of your screen? No dinky little picture stuck up there. The other reason I did it this way is because I'm basically pretty lazy. When I get tired of the background I have on it now, I just change one word. No creating a new .gif or .jpg file. I just change the background and I'm done.

There are tons of background available out there. Robin has some interesting psychedelic backgrounds on her site. A few of them are a bit like a flashback to the 60s. If you click on any of the images in her gallery, it will show you what the background looks like on a full page. For most of them she's also put in some text in every color so you'll know ahead of time what works and whether or not it's for you. Robin also has some pretty holiday themed backgrounds.

Fractovia is another site I love, but they are more suited to desktop wallpapers than background tiles. Very cool fractals here. A couple of really trippy pictures.

Not ready for bold color and freaky designs? That's okay, squidfingers has some more sedate backgrounds for you. These are muted and much more sedate than what Robin offers. You may find something that suits you here.

There's bunches more out there, but you know how to find them. Let me know what you think of the new banner. And, be careful out there.


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1. What are the last two movies you saw?
Something's Gotta Give and The House of Sand and Fog

2. What are the last two TV shows you saw?
American Chopper and Family Business

3. What are the last two items you purchased?
Feather alternative mattress topper ?

mattress topper

(hide)

Easily the best $50 I ever spent. This has made my bed so comfortable I can't stand to get out of it in the morning. It's soft and fluffy and just wonderful.

and Flannel sheet set (both from Overstock.com)

4. What are the last two beverages you drank?
Diet Dr Pepper and Caffeine-Free Diet Coke

5. What are the last two sites you surfed (before coming here)?
Bloglines.com and Backwash



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When I was a kid we had a darkroom in the basement. I loved watching photos develop. It amazed me. My dad would hand me the tongs and let me swish the paper in the tray. An image would appear. Faint, at first, growing more distinct as I immersed the paper in the solution. I was a magician, and the photographs were my trick. I would move them from the developer, to a bath, to the fixer... down the line of trays until they were ready to dry. Then fastened with clothespins to a line strung from corner to corner, turning this little room into a gallery of family memories.

Family pictures weren't the only things dad developed down there. He was also a Trooper with the NYS Police and for a while was taking pictures of crime scenes and accidents. I used to help him with these pictures too. I can remember mangled cars and bloody bodies. Strangely, these images never bothered me. I never had nightmares or even thought about them after leaving the darkroom. My father and I would spend hours locked in our little room. It helped me to feel close to a man that was hard to be close to.

Dad and I would use this time to talk. I was just a kid, but in the semi-darkness of that room. In the quiet and the presence of magic, I could open up and talk to him about things that were important to me. I could tell him how my brother beat me up, how scared I got at night in my dark bedroom, how badly I wanted to break out of my shell and have people like me. Dad would listen. He never tried to fix things for me, or belittle me for my feelings. He would just listen. Then, he would break into song in his terrible, off-key barritone and send me off into a fit of giggles.

In high school I took photography as an art elective. We learned some cool exposure techniques, but most of us took the class for two reasons. Access to the darkroom, and passes that read: "Beth, Jenny, Liz, Phil, Larry & Ron to the south woods 6th period." Of course, we were supposed to be taking pictures in the woods. Of course, we weren't.

Kids today may never know the magic of developing their own prints. Now everything is digital. Cameras plug into the computer and the pictures appear on your screen. Any resizing or editing that needs to be done is now accomplished through programs like Photo Shop.

I can't help but think these kids are really missing out on something good.



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What position do you normally fall asleep in? According to Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service, your body position while you sleep can offer clues about your personality.

Of the six positions studied, I come back as a Yearner. (I checked with my hubby to be sure I picked the right one.) This means I have an "open nature, but can be suspicious, cynical." I am "slow to make up my mind, but once I've made a decision, I am unlikely ever to change it."

Amazingly accurate.

I believe I have an open nature. I'm pretty accepting of most people, and rarely make judgements. I can, however, be cynical too. I often try to figure out what people are 'getting' out of things. Humans are selfish by nature, so we rarely see people willing to give of themselves or leaving their comfort zone without wanting something in return. (Did I just contradict myself?)

I will spend days agonizing over a decision. Once I make up my mind, watch out! Things are likely to start happening very quickly. I'll stick to my decision no matter how hard someone tries to change my mind. The more you try to persuade me I made a bad decision, the more I will argue about it.

My second favorite position is the Starfish, which is also true to my personality. I truly hate being the center of attention and everyone I know tells me I'm a good listener.

I'm also guilty of using my foot as a temperature regulator. If I get too warm, I stick my foot out from under the covers. It used to drive me crazy as a kid when my Uncle Eddie would come check on us kids at the ski house and cover my foot back up.


So, click the picture to check it out... and let me know if it's accurate.



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CNN.com - Texas prisons bar sexually explicit mail - Apr 4, 2004

It seems that Texas prisons are now banning sexually explicit mail to their prisoners. I wonder who defines sexually explicit.

If a wife writes to her husband and says "I can't wait till you get out and we can fuck like bunnies again." Is that sexually explicit? How about, "I dreamed you gave me a blow job last night." Does that get the axe? Suppose a wife or girlfriend has some tasteful, but suggestive, photos taken. Is that considered explicit?

How about, "I miss you, I love you and dream of making love to you." Or "Remember the time we made love under the stars while we were camping?" Both mention sex, but is it explicit?

What if we change the phrase "making love" to "fucking?" Does that change these examples and make them more explicit?

"I miss you, I love you and dream of fucking you."
"Remember the time we fucked under the stars while we were camping?"

Does the change in verbiage change the sentence?

Just how far are prison officials going to go on this? Here's a quote:

Gary Johnson, executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said the aim is to "strike an appropriate balance between an offender's privilege to correspond with the outside world" and the prison system's need to prevent inappropriate mail. Publications such as National Geographic, artistic materials and medical or anatomy reference books might be allowed "on a case-by-case basis."

Might be allowed? So, some of the works of Michelangelo, who painted plenty of nudes, might not make it. National Geographic? Oh, because those emaciated African tribal women are so sexy they might... what? Encourage men to masterbate?

Don't the prisons already read the mail that inmates send and receive? Don't they already censor it? How long before this spreads from Texas to other states?

What's the harm in letting men read "sexually explicit" mail?

Maybe I'm stupid, but I just don't get it.



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The Plain English Campaign is a group that's fighting for public information to be written in plain English. With over 6,000 registered supporters in 70 countries they want the paperwork we deal with on a regular basis to be written in a language that most people will understand in a single reading.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

This quote was taken from a press release dated 23 March 2004.

At the end of the day... we're fed up with clichés.

Plain English supporters around the world have voted "At the end of the day" as the most irritating phrase in the language. Second place in the vote was shared by "At this moment in time" and the constant use of "like" as if it were a form of punctuation. "With all due respect" came fourth.

I am, like, so glad I'm not guilty of this. At this moment in time, I prefer to, like, avoid clichés whenever I can. But, with all due respect, at the end of the day I suppose it's up to the writer to decide what's appropriate.

Anyway... they took a survey of some 5,000 people to find the most over-used phrases. "At the end of the day," came up as the most-hated. If you're a writer, or a professional speaker, you'll want to avoid these suckers. People tend to tune out when they come across these worn expressions and are likely to miss the message you're trying to convey.

For the complete list, take a look at the press release.



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It's been spring-like for weeks. Warm and sunny with temperatures in the 80s. I totally enjoyed it. Last night it all went to shit.

About 2:00 this morning I was awakened by a deafening clap of thunder. The entire house shook and I was sure we had been struck. A second later I was joined in bed by my dog Phredd. He wasn't frightened, of course, because he's a big dog and knows no fear. He was simply concerned that I might be afraid of the storm and so, decided to join me in bed. Just to keep me safe, you understand.

A few seconds later, Lego was at my bedside. She was whining and crying, bitching and complaining. These are things she is very good at. Especially when someone or something interrupts her sleep. (Well, I don't think she really sleeps. I believe she pretends to sleep while she formulates new plans for keeping her lackey, my husband, her slave.)

And so, there I was, lying in bed with one dog on my right arm, while my left hand stroked the other dog's head. I wonder exactly when I stopped mothering my children and started mothering the dogs? I found myself murmering to them, "It's okay now... don't worry... I'm right here... shhh... everything's allright." Is that weird?

A few minutes later, the power went out. Lego panicked and cried, Phredd placed his paw on my shoulder. My oxygen compressor beep, beeped it's warning that something was wrong. My husband jumped up from his (now useless) computer and rushed to my side with an oxygen tank.

Puppy (that's my husband) shooed the dogs out of the way and switched me over to the tank. Okay... everything is good now. I'm breathing fine, it's the middle of the night. I'll just go back to sleep and in the morning wonder if it was all a dream.

No such luck.

The dogs returned to check on my well-being. (They are very caring and concerned animals, after all.) My husband came back with three, yes three, candles. Now, why he thinks I need three candles at 2:30 am is beyond me.

"Are you all right, honey?"

"Yes, Puppy. I'm fine."

"Can you breathe? Do you have enough light? Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart. Don't worry about me. I don't need anything."

He went off to light more candles. Now remember, it's the middle of the night. He's a little bit, well... let's say he's had a few beers. He had a flashlight and an electric camping lantern. He also lit about a dozen candles. The house was brighter than it is with every light turned on. Oh well, who wanted to sleep anyway.

I finally convinced him that we didn't need every candle in the house lit. He went around, accompanied by the dogs, and blew them all out. Then he sat on the couch and was done. He was out. I was rejoined by the dogs, who both slept with me until the lights came on about 4:30.

Yep, we've had a change in the weather. I hope it changes back soon.



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Today my baby is 17. Happy Birthday Caleb. I hope your every wish and dream comes true. Here is the letter I wrote for you.


My Dear Caleb,

It's important that you know how much you mean to me, and how much I love you. You are my baby, the light in my world.

You came into the world small (well, maybe not small - at 9 lbs. 11 oz. you were the largest baby in the nursery), blue and silent. When you actually cried, your dad and I finally breathed. When you started to talk, it was in complete sentences. You had a vocabulary that amazed everyone. I've always joked that you came out of the womb 35 years old. You have always had wisdom that exceeded your years.

You are sensitive, caring and nurturing. Nana always tells me how wonderful you are. I'm happy that you take the time and effort to keep in touch with her. You tend to take on responsibilities that may not be yours. Try to be kid for a while longer. I know you're seventeen now, but adulthood really does come way too fast. Linger in your childhood and try to enjoy it.

I know we haven't spent a lot of time together the past few years, but I am so proud of the young man you've become. I just know that you're going to accomplish whatever you set out to do in the world. I've never met a young man with more intelligence, drive or determination than you.

I know that I've made mistakes raising you, and I'm very sorry for any pain I may have caused you. Every decision made regarding you was with the intention of improving your life. I hope it's been happy so far.

I love you, and I'm proud to be your mother.

Love,
Mom

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Okay... this made me giggle like an idiot. I don't know why.

I also found a cool little IM program. Do any of you use AIM, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger or ICQ? How about a combination of them? I have 2 (or is it 3?) names on AIM, one on Yahoo and one of MSN. By using Easy Message I have one small program that I can log into with all my messaging accounts!

Here's some info from the page:

a simple unified interface

Using multiple services is made easy by grouping all of your contacts in a single contact list. All of your instant messaging functionality is seemlessly integrated into one interface. There's no need to learn 4 different interfaces.

use any number of accounts at the same time

Save your computers memory by allowing easy message to manage all of your instant messaging accounts. Running easy message uses a fraction of the memory of any other messenger even with any number of accounts. Multiple accounts on the same service is easily supported.

What are the standard features?

everything you'd expect from an instant messenger

• Send and Receive instant messages
  
• Add and remove contacts
  
• Get notified when someone adds you to their list.
  
• See whether on not your contacts are online
  
• See your contacts extended status, (away, be right back, etc.)
  
• Set your extended status
  
• Send rich text messages. You can change your font and font color, add underline and bold, etc.
  
• Use emoticons :) in your conversations. The service specific emoticons are used for the service the conversation is on.
  
• Hyperlink support. Automatically make web address in conversations clickable links.
  
• Contact group importing and unified group management.
  
• Typing notifications allow you to see when others are typing.
  
• Block contacts to hide you're online status from them and disallow incoming messages.
  

It also loaded all my buddy/contact list information automatically. I didn't have to reenter the over 100 people I have on there. So, if you use any of these programs, check this out. And feel free to add me to your list!

AOL: FehuToo or BethCad3
Yahoo: bethcadenas
MSN: bethsblog



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Marvin Gaye was shot and killed by his father during a family dispute, April 1st, 1984, one day short of his 45th birthday.

Why do I know this little tid-bit? Beats me. I have a knack for remembering useless facts and trivia. Nothing anyone would ever really care to know. Want to know where the largest natural wood roller skating rink is? Boght Corners, NY. Guptill's is where I used to skate as a teenager. Probably why I know this one.

Anyway.... It's April Fool's Day and that Marvin Gaye popped into my head because he was killed 20 years ago today.

Is anybody planning any pranks for today? Have you noticed any?

Here are some of the greatest pranks ever pulled. From the Museum of Hoaxes, it's the Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time.

Learn all about The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest, The Left-Handed Whopper, and The Case of the Interfering Brassieres, among others.

If you want to pull a prank, but just can't come up with a great idea check out Planet Wally's Pranks pages. You're sure to find an interesting idea or two.

Keep your eyes open and let me know what pranks you've seen, pulled or fallen victim to.




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