Date: 30 June, 2005 Time: 9:55am Subject: Eric * * * * * We got some sad news last night. There was a car accident at the intersection of Fiquette & Lake Hancock (anyone who knows that area behind MK knows how much the road winds around and how often there are accidents there). This one though affected almost everyone we know in some way. The driver of the car is the daughter of one of the most beloved managers in the history of MK. The information we've gotten is beyond sketchy, but it seems safe to say that there were two girls in the car, there was an accident, one died at the scene, and Eric's daughter was taken to ORMC where she was listed in critical condition. Eric is a good man. He's almost like a father figure to his employees. Scott is really shaken up. Actually, I guess most of us are. From what we heard, almost every member of senior management went to the hospital, and most of the managers on duty took turns going over there as well. The family is active in the church, so I take some comfort knowing that there are an awful lot of people praying for that little girl. When I find out more information, I'll post it. UPDATE: Scott found an article on the online Orlando Sentinel. jlm, 6.30.05, 10:05am | Date: 30 June, 2005 Time: 9:38am Subject: Lucky * * * * * Clicking on the picture will take you to Lucky's home on disney.com This is Lucky the Dinosaur. "Disney is at the cutting edge of technology with the unveiling of the first free-moving Audio-Animatronics® figure. With an amazing range of articulation, a wide array of facial expressions, and close-up interaction, Lucky the Dinosaur appears to have stepped right out of history." (source: Disney.com) Lucky was interesting enough to snap a few pictures and stand there for a minute. Then Jaclyn and I moved on. Honestly, I don't see what the big fuss is. Disney had Ben Franklin walking up stairs in 1981. It should not have taken them 20+ years to come up with Lucky. Anyway, he doesn't look any more realistic to me than the dinosaurs inside the Universe of Energy (circa 1981). Well, he's only at Disney World through July, so I'm glad I got to see him and take my pictures. A trip to Hong Kong doesn't seem very likely. Lucky was part of my day-o-fun with Jaclyn on Tuesday. We hit three parks and had dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern. I haven't seen her so giddy...ever. I guess getting a big furry hug from a giant chipmunk will do that to you. How could anyone not smile in that situation??? We really did have a good time. I'm only sorry that I can't seem to walk around a park all day anymore without getting blisters on the bottom of my feet. They still hurt. jlm, 6.30.05, 9:50am | Date: 27 June, 2005 Time: 10:48pm Subject: weekend! * * * * * I'm pretty worn out, so tonight's entry isn't really what I had planned this morning. I think right now I'll stick with two pictures. Milo curls up in the man-chair. After I took this picture last night, I ate my dinner sitting on the floor. Milo's special stuffed monkey always finds itself in new and interesting places - on a chair, in a box, under the desk, or even in the food bowl. This time maybe he was sending a message: "Feed Me" jlm, 6.27.05, 10:58pm | Date: 27 June, 2005 Time: 9:02pm Subject: mmm...food... * * * * * Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show us a picture of something that makes you hungry. To be specific for you double-entendre fans out there, it has to be food. Also, it has to be your picture -- don't just cut-and-paste an ad of your own favorite (which is a copyright violation anyway). And naturally, home-made delights are not only acceptable, they're encouraged. This was a no-brainer....but still difficult. See, I worked overtime tonight, and am currently snacking on Ritz crackers because I don't feel like actually cooking. No shock there - I never like to cook. But I'm too hungry for a cracker dinner. Hopefully the handful I just ate will tide me over until I find something to make. Anyway, to the picture... Yellow rice, black beans, and chicken. Yum...yum...and yum. This picture also has sentimental significance. It's the first meal Scott cooked in our apartment, right after we got married. Doesn't he look proud...and in love? Come to think about it, I think I have some yellow rice and a can of black beans (don't tell Scott I'm using the "canned crap!") - maybe I'll make that for dinner. Thanks for the idea! jlm, 6.27.05, 9:11pm | Date: 27 June, 2005 Time: 7:41am Subject: Later... * * * * * I'm working an early shift today, and am currently sitting here with a towel wrapped around my head. I'll be writing more later, but here's a list of topics I'll be thinking about today, and hopefully will remember to write about tonight: Ronald Reagan as Greatest American: definitive evidence that we live in a pop culture society. Mommy-razzi - more cute kitty pics taken over the last two days Happy ending for my "special" family W E E K E N D ! ! ! what could be sweeter? Off to blow dry...ttfn jlm, 6.27.05, 7:45am | Date: 26 June, 2005 Time: 11:22am Subject: Pat on the Back * * * * * I did something good last night. And since nothing good I ever do at work is recognized by anyone but myself, I thought I should take a moment to recognize me. Last night, a woman called me after a long day of doing whatever it is that tourists do. She called to say thank you for finding her bag. It turns out that one of her suitcases had been temporarily misplaced by someone somewhere and wasn't delivered until a full 24 hours after they got to the hotel. She and I got to talking about how even if your service is 99.5% perfect, there's always going to be someone that falls through the cracks. She knew it wasn't necessarily anyone's fault, but was frustrated that all of the people she spoke with before her bags were found seemed to say the same thing: "I'm sorry...it will be here soon...there's nothing else we can do right now." Nothing else, my ass! The suitcase that was missing belonged to this woman's elderly mother. No one offered her so much as a t-shirt to sleep in or a fresh pair of underwear. She ended up spending the first full day of their vacation in the same clothes she flew down in. So I went to Beth and told her the story. I said I wanted to do something spectacular for this family, and wanted to know what I could do within my limits. We spent a half hour (after both of us should have gone home) brainstorming ideas and putting things together. We ended up hacking into all of her meal reservations and marking the party as VIP so that everyone would treat them extra special, and setting them up with VIP fireworks viewing for tonight. Hopefully the rest of their vacation goes better than the first 2 days. And now, a quiz! (and an abrupt subject change!) What pisses you off? I could come up with a dozen things that piss me off, starting with stupid people (Janette and Scott had that as their result), bad drivers, and arrogance. My result from the quiz? Especially the ones that go off right after you've sat down, and spray your butt. Dont'cha just hate that? I didn't realize I had such a problem with auto-flush toilets. They seem something designed to piss on, not piss off. But since it said so in an online quiz, it must be the truth! jlm, 6.26.05, 11:49am | Date: 26 June, 2005 Time: 12:23am Subject: Cruise Control? * * * * * Tom Cruise has completely lost my respect. First, he bashes Brooke Shiels for taking antidepressants to deal with postpartum depression. Then he goes sticking his tongue down Katie Holmes's throat every time there's a camera within 20 feet. And now he's gone on the Today Show and lectured Matt Lauer on the history of psychiatry and how he's more qualified to speak about it than Lauer is... Cruise: Matt, you have to understand this. Here we are today, where I talk out against drugs and psychiatric abuses of electric shocking people, okay, against their will, of drugging children with them not knowing the effects of these drugs. Do you know what Aderol is? Do you know Ritalin? Do you know now that Ritalin is a street drug? Do you understand that? Lauer: I understand there's abuse of all of these things. Cruise: No, you see. Here's the problem. You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do. I'm thinking to myself at this point: "he's got to be smoking crack! maybe he'll back-pedal a little and make himself look like less of an @$$..." Cruise: Matt. Matt, Matt, you don't even — you're glib. You don't even know what Ritalin is. If you start talking about chemical imbalance, you have to evaluate and read the research papers on how they came up with these theories, Matt, okay? That's what I've done. Then you go and you say where's the medical test? Where's the blood test that says how much Ritalin you're supposed to get? Lauer: It's very impressive to listen to you. Because clearly, you've done the homework. And you know the subject. Cruise: And you should. And you should do that also. Because just knowing people who are on Ritalin isn't enough. You should be a little bit more responsible in knowing really — Lauer: I'm not prescribing Ritalin, Tom. And I'm not asking anyone else to do it. I'm simply saying, I know some people who seem to have been helped by it. Score one there for Matt. That's the kind of witty retort I can respect. Anyway, the entire transcript of the interview is linked up above. It's funny and terrifying all at the same time. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so. The National Mental Health Association issued a whole press release dedicated to tearing down Tom Cruise's recent rants. Here's the basic meat & potatoes of it: Cruise's comments could have very damaging consequences for Americans with mental health needs by increasing stigma and shame, discouraging treatment and forcing people to go without needed care. Celebrities, like Cruise, have an organic platform to share their talents and their viewpoints. However, this opportunity comes hand-in-hand with a responsibility to not mislead the American public with unfounded rhetoric. Really, if you are famous and you want to use your power for good (Brad and Angelina saving Africa...Bono saving the rest of the world...or any celebrity who has traveled with the USO) I applaud you. I like you even more for caring and maybe giving some of your gazillions to help someone who doesn't have drinking water. Maybe now I'm more likely to go see your movie or watch your TV show. But an actor without any college education having the audacity to tell me that there's no such thing as a chemical imbalance...no reason to take antidepressants...no value to giving a child with ADHD a drug that helps him sit still in class...that's insulting. I'll always love Top Gun and A Few Good Men, but you couldn't hand me a free ticket to see War of the Worlds. I couldn't possibly watch him in a movie and not think about what a ridiculous pitiful excuse for a human being he has become. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get my Zoloft prescription refilled now. jlm, 6.26.05, 12:53am | Date: 25 June, 2005 Time: 12:08pm Subject: Saturday Six * * * * * 1. What store do you associate most with your childhood in terms of happy memories and why? Is the store still around? Gee...that's a toughie because I really don't like to shop. I'm going to go with Albertson's (it's a grocery store) because when I was really little I had a cookie club card and got a free cookie every time we went there. And cookies are good. :o) 2. What song makes you the most emotional and why? There's a Christmas song called "Merry Christmas with Love" that tells a really heartbreaking story that then turns happy. 3. Take the quiz: What year were you born under, and what year should you have been born under? I was born under the ram, and should have been born under the rooster. Heh...I'm a cock...heh heh heh... 4. What time do you typically wake up each day? What is the latest you're normally able to sleep? How many hours of sleep do you get in an average night? I usually wake up around 11. I'm able to sleep until noon and still get out the door on time, but I almost never do that. I generally get around 8-9 hours of sleep. 5. What frightens you the most about getting older? Figuring out which form of cancer is going to ravage my body. But I generally don't spend a lot of time worrying about getting old. It's going to happen whether I worry or not. 6. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #56 from Debi: If you found the house of your dreams, right price, then discovered that a murder or suicide had taken place in the house, would you still consider buying the house? Heck yeah! To quote the Ghostbusters, "I ain't afraid of no ghosts!" jlm, 6.25.05, 12:19pm | Date: 25 June, 2005 Time: 1:08am Subject: Look at me!! * * * * * Date: 24 June, 2005 Time: 12:28pm Subject: Summer Tunes * * * * * Weekend Assignment #65: Dedicate a "summer song" to someone in your life. Could be a happy song for someone you like, a "kiss-off" song for someone you don't, or a romantic song for someone you want to know better. Point is, it has to be summery, and you have to intend it for someone. I've got two dedications. The first, Sloop John B, by the Beach Boys, goes out to Scott. That song is on my Forrest Gump CD and is one of those songs we sing along to. It's Beach Boys, so it's gotta be summery, right? If R-E-S-P-E-C-T had a summer theme, I would've gone with that one...because Scott sings the back-up "woo"s for me. It's priceless! The second, Summer Lovin', from Grease, goes out to my mom. No, not because I was the product of a summer fling (although that would make a great story), but because I have a lot of fond memories from when she was Miss Lynch in Grease at HP&P. That was a fun chapter of our lives. I wish I still had my Burger Palace sign! Extra Credit: Ever have a song dedicated to you? What was it? I don't think I've ever actually had a song dedicated to me. On the night of my birthday party in 6th grade, my friends and I mercilessly pestered the DJs on Eagle 106 to play Forever Your Girl by Paula Abdul for our "boyfriends." They never would play it for us...even after allllll those calls...but we get an E for effort!! jlm, 6.24.05, 12:36pm | Date: 23 June, 2005 Time: 11:49am Subject: Ribbons * * * * * Scott and I were just discussing this in the car the other day. OK, I was discussing, he was replying "mm hmm...yeah..." as he is expected to do while I'm musing on the strangeness of the world. The topic: magnetic ribbons stuck on the backs of cars. We (the people) started with the yellow ribbons. Then the red white and blue ribbons popped up. Then the pink ribbons. I saw a purple one the other day with "survivor" written on it. I don't know what the purple ones symbolize, but I guess it's enough to be a survivor of anything. There are the yellow ribbons with the cross cut out in the center, and the camouflage ribbons (God bless the hunters?). I'm glad that we (the people) have outgrown the tattered-US Flag-on-the-antenna phase that we were in about 2 months after 9/11, but you can just feel the band-wagoning coming off of some of these mini-vans with multiple magnetic ribbons. And now there's a way to mock the ribbon-wearers of the world. Supportourribbons.com has created a series of comedy ribbons such as "I Support More Troops Than You" and "One Nation Under Ribbons." They even allow you to create your own: This, people, is how we win the war on ribbons! jlm, 6.23.05, 11:58am | Date: 22 June, 2005 Time: 7:31pm Subject: Mint * * * * * Scott trimmed his spearmint "bush" today. I couldn't bear to see those two handfulls of mint leaves go to waste, so we racked our brains to figure out what to do with them. We ended up simmering them on the stove, and then pouring the (filtered) mint water into two ice cube trays. The theory there is that we can throw the cubes into the water when making iced tea, and then we won't end up with mint leaves in the jug. More on this story as it develops. By the way, we did more this weekend than watch thought-provoking TV. I had a follow-up on my bloodwork. I'm healthy. Good to know, right? Scott got his new glasses. We took a four-hour nap yesterday. Ahh...sweet nap... I made authentic Harmer maca-tooney, except we didn't have any carrots, and I used cavatappi instead of macaroni. I guess that makes it cavatapa-tooney. It was tasty. I also cleaned the bathroom today (and took "before" pictures for our upcoming bathroom makeover) while Scott mopped the kitchen floor and vacuumed. And, of course, there was laundry too. Tomorrow when I'm back at work solving all of the world's problems one touron at a time, I can look back at my relaxing-yet-industrious weekend and think "only 40 more hours to go!" jlm, 6.22.05, 7:42pm | Date: 22 June, 2005 Time: 12:55pm Subject: First Amendment * * * * * I actually sat and watched a half hour of C-Span today. Scott wasn't thrilled. And truth be told, I was enthralled. They were debating the proposed Constitutional amendment banning flag burning. From what I've read, this is the first time in 16 years that the amendment actually has a chance of passing the House and Senate with the required 2/3 majority. That has me a little wary. The House is expected to pass the bill today, and the Senate is currently two votes short of the necessary 67. And after that, 38 states have to ratify the amendment within 7 years. (See? I watched C-Span and paid attention!) Everyone knows I'm a first amendment freak. What can I say? I studied journalism in college and some of my favorite classes were telecom/journalism law. Anyway, I wanted to pass along yet another movie quote. This one speaks to me in a way I can barely articulate, except to say that this is why I'm proud to be an American. America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've got to want it bad, because it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil who is standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the 'land of the free'? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the 'land of the free.'" -- Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepherd in The American President Well, I guess we'll just have to see how this amendment debate plays out over the next couple of days. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that common sense prevails over "patriotic" emotion in the Senate. jlm, 6.22.05, 1:12pm | Date: 22 June, 2005 Time: 12:11am Subject: AFI's 100 Movie Quotes * * * * * Scott and I invested 3 hours of our lives tonight (actually, I guess that would be 6 collective man-hours) watching AFI's 100 YEARS...100 MOVIE QUOTES -- America's Greatest Quips, Comebacks and Catchphrases, hosted by Pierce Brosnan. We watched their 100 Movie Songs a few months back and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This time though, I was supremely disappointed. Of course, I got the #1 quote right - "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." I think most of us did. So many of my favorite quotes were missing that I decided to go to the AFI website and find out where the "good" quotes had gone. I found out the the members of the AFI were sent a list of 400 quotes and voted based on that list. The following is a list of quotes, taken from the 400 nominees, that didn't make the top 100: All-righty then! ACE VENTURA You make me want to be a better man. AS GOOD AS IT GETS We're on a mission from God. THE BLUES BROTHERS You'll shoot your eye out. A CHRISTMAS STORY I bet you can squeal like a pig. DELIVERANCE What is your major malfunction? FULL METAL JACKET Good morning, Vietnam! GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM Sanctuary! THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Look, Daddy. Teacher says, “Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.” IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE Wax-on, wax-off. THE KARATE KID Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. THE KING AND A lie keeps growing and growing until it's as clear as the nose on your face. PINOCCHIO Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die! THE PRINCESS BRIDE Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes? RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK I'm an excellent driver. RAIN MAN Get busy livin’, or get busy dyin'. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all? SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS I'm Spartacus! I'm Spartacus! SPARTACUS I am your father. STAR WARS V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK I'm here to fight for truth, justice, and the American way. SUPERMAN These go to eleven. THIS IS SPINAL TAP To infinity and beyond! TOY STORY I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT And here are some of the quotes that made the list...specifically the ones that left me scratching my head in bewilderment: Sawyer, you're going out a youngster, but you've got to come back a star! 42ND STREET La-dee-da, la-dee-da. ANNIE HALL I'm king of the world! TITANIC Shane! Shane! Come back! SHANE The stuff that dreams are made of. THE MALTESE FALCON Snap out of it! MOONSTRUCK Toga! Toga! NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE Six percent of the Top 100 list came from Casablanca. None came from Disney films. The fact that "As you wish" from The Princess Bride wasn't even nominated, and that "my name is Inigo Montoya" from the same movie didn't crack the top 100 really leads me to question the voting membership of AFI. This was like the Oscars without the pretty dresses or the acceptance speeches. Where's the People's Choice Top 100? That's a show I think would be a lot more fun to watch! Anyway, the link waaaay up there at the top has the whole list if you'd like to peruse it for yourself. Speaking of People's Choice (and making a dramatic change of topic), don't forget to vote for the Greatest American. The five finalists are George Washington, Abe Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Ben Franklin, and Ronald Reagan. I would be casting all three of my votes for Lincoln, but Scott beat me to the voting. Interestingly enough, out of the top 25, GW Bush and Bill Clinton were #6 and #7 respectively. And I *think* Oprah beat out Walt Disney and Thomas Edison. Strange...our country's view of "greatness." jlm, 6.22.05, 12:43am | Date: 20 June, 2005 Time: 10:35pm Subject: Sentimental Things * * * * * Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a picture of a gift that has sentimental value to you. If you like, explain the sentimental attachment. The gift can be anything that's important to you, from any time in your life, from a stuffed animal to a new car to a simple card that just means a lot. You pick the gift. I really believe that the most important gifts I've ever been given are intangible ones - or at least invisible ones: Life (that's a biggie) Literacy (I have two kittens named Jill and Marie...) Love aLliteration (and my mom's sense of humor) Along the lines of sentimental gifts, I've got three rings (two shown below) - my engagement and wedding rings, and a ring that used to belong to my great grandmother. It's too tiny for me to wear, but it's lovely and I pull it out of the jewelery box and put it on my pinkie from time to time. It's a simple aquamarine (my birthstone) on a gold band with little sparkly diamond chips on the sides. I have no earthly idea whether it's worth anything, but I love it because it was hers. I don't have a whole lot of heirlooms, and this is probably the one I treasure the most. I tried and tried to take a picture of it, but they all came out blurry beyond all hope. So here's the classic (don't ask me why!) "hands" picture taken on our wedding day... While we're on the subject of weddings, the absolute best wedding gift we got was the quilt my Aunt Becky made for us. It's beyond special... That's it for now. Anyone who would like to earn the title, "best gift ever given" can find and buy me a house! jlm, 6.20.05, 10:59pm | Date: 20 June, 2005 Time: 7:40am Subject: too...early...need...caffeine... * * * * * I'm working 9-5:30 today. I traded with another girl who wanted to carpool with her husband. I thought, "one day won't kill me." Besides, I have an appointment with Dr. Ponytail to go over my bloodwork tomorrow morning. Maybe this way I'll actually be conscious when I get there. So, I think I'm going to get into political blogging. (all the cool kids are doin' it) My blog, however, is going to be called The Happy Liberal. And in my blog I'm going to focus on the good things being done by members of my party (like John Kerry and John Conyers asking President Bush to respond to the Downing Street Memo. Bravo!). I'm not going to focus all of my energies harping on what the other side is doing that pisses me off. Let's not forget that when we point a finger in the other direction, three fingers are pointing back at your side. If you can't focus on the good your party is doing (with absolute power in 2/3 of the government surely they must have been able to balance the budget...or figure out how to provide healthcare to poor children...) then maybe you're in the wrong party. I should probably go do my hair now...before it dries in the shape of the towel-wrap it's in! jlm, 6.20.05, 7:50am | Date: 19 June, 2005 Time: 12:08am Subject: Saturday Six * * * * * 1. Do you do a yearly "spring cleaning" in your home? If so, have you done this year's version, yet? Nah...but we cleaned pretty thoroughly back in umm...April maybe? We're messy now though. 2. Have you ever been blindfolded and asked to identify which of two drinks is Pepsi or Coke? If you haven't, do you think you could tell the difference? No. Yes. 3. You find out that you're going to have a child: what baby names will you choose? I think we're locked into Annabelle Elizabeth (although I'm wondering if that's just too many letters for a person to go through life writing out...) for a girl. Boy names come and go. I'm on a Lucas kick right now (Jaclyn says I should name him Lucas George or Lucas Skywalker...I say no!). I also like Ian and Gregory. Maybe we should ask Scott...after all, I once dreamt of having twin girls names Harmonie and Melodie. ugh 4. You must become one of the Brady Bunch kids for a single day: which one would you choose to become and why? Marsha hands down. Why wouldn't I pick the beautiful perfect glamorous one that everyone wants to be?? 5. Where are you going for summer vacation this year? To work, so that ungrateful tourists can go there for summer vacation. 6. What is the most religious thing you do on a day-to-day basis? I tell myself that all people are God's children, and that I shouldn't hate them just because they are rude to me. I also stop and breathe a lot...it's like meditation. That should count for something. Visit Patrick's Place, home of the Saturday Six! jlm, 6.19.05, 12:15am | Date: 17 June, 2005 Time: 12:13am Subject: Daddy-oh! * * * * * Weekend Assignment #64: Tell us about a moment with your dad that serves as an example of one of his best qualities. That would be a personal moment between you and dad. Wow...this is a really unique topic for me to attempt. It's like saying, "what's your favorite street in your hometown?" when you haven't been back there in ages. Ten minutes have gone by and I've been racking my brain for some quintessential father-daughter moment, and I'm just having no luck. Instead, I'll just talk about how I'm most like my dad. He thoroughly documented his life (and mine) in photos. I had trouble coming up with the extra credit because he *took* most of my childhood pictures. He was always at those vacations/Christmases/school events...I just don't have photographic evidence! There are photo albums, boxes of loose polaroids, slides, old home movies (the kind without sound), and volumes of VHS tapes documenting everything from Dad's trip to Europe (lots of pictures of rolling hillsides with no foreground interest) to pictures of my parents before I existed to my birth (eww!) to Christmases to band/chorus/dance recitals and everything inbetween. And as you can tell from this site, the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. Extra Credit: Pictures, naturally -- perhaps from right about the time you were born. Sorry, Mom has custody of my baby album and most of the really good baby pictures. These are the earliest (circa 1984 or 1985) and the most recent (December 6, 2003) that I have: jlm, 6.17.05, 1:00am | Date: 16 June, 2005 Time: 11:19am Subject: It's Not as Bad as it Looks * * * * * I'm not looking for sympathy here. I'm also not looking for a lecture on the perils of the sun (**cough**mom**cough**). I just thought this picture was too good to pass up. It really doesn't hurt too much at all. And while we're on the subject of things that look worse than they are, here's a new picture of my elbow-pit where they drew blood last week: Well...it's time for lunch! jlm, 6.16.05, 11:24am | Date: 15 June, 2005 Time: 11:59pm Subject: A Day Worth Blogging About * * * * * Three pictures, then the (brief) synopsis: If you can't read it, you must click on the center picture. Take note of the water temp. (84) and the names of the lifeguards (one is named Scoot) We promised Herb last week that we would spend today with him and his umm...roommate(?) Vanna. Originally, the plan was to hit one of the parks. Then it turned into a beach day at Cocoa. Then last night the plan changed to Clearwater. On the way to Clearwater, we heard that there was red tide in the area, so we ended up going all the way down to Venice. There were just enough clouds in the sky that the sun's glare wasn't obnoxious, the water was "bathtub warm" (per Herb...I prefer my baths warmer than that!), the waves were nice and gentle, the beach wasn't too crowded, and I didn't have any trouble with my contacts. We then went to Herb's favorite beach bar/eatery (Sharky's), got a light dinner and watched the sunset. I'm so much more in love with Florida now than I was when I woke up this morning. I just think it's great that Florida is the only state east of California where you can watch the sun set over water like that (ok...maybe somewhere over a Great Lake...but it CAN'T be that beautiful). Now I see why my Mom lives down there. I'm off to wash the salt crust off of myself, put aloe on my shoulders (not my face...Mom would be proud), and pass out until noon! jlm, 6.16.05, 12:12am | Date: 15 June, 2005 Time: 10:07am Subject: Batman Begins * * * * * Wow! You know, I'm not much of an action movie fan. I prefer dialogue to car chases. But this particular action movie rivaled The Mask of Zorro in my eyes as the perfect action movie. First, the cast. Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne: Perfect! I've loved him since I saw him in Newsies. Not only is he gorgeous, but he brings an intensity to his roles that I think is unmatched. Supporting my new boyfriend are Michael Caine as Alfred and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, the "gadget guy." These are both actors I have tremendous respect for...and their performances in this movie were terrific. Liam Neeson also plays a vital role in the movie as the ninja/zen master (yes, I know you really shouldn't combine the two...but I think it's an accurate description in this case) mentor who rescues Bruce from self-destruction after the murder of his parents. The training of the man who would become Batman reminded me of the training in Mask of Zorro. The mentor/student relationship is always interesting to watch...when the mentor is whipping the student (Zorro) or causing him to fall into an icy lake. It was at that point in the movie that I was spellbound (yep...20 minutes in), and the movie continued to captivate me right up until the end. Without giving anything important away, the villain and his master plot were impressive (and surprising), although definitely not cartoon-y like the Joker or Penguin. The girl, Rachel Dawes, played by Katie Holmes, proved the catalyst for the creation of Batman. Fighting crime as an assistant DA in uber-corrupt Gotham, she teaches Bruce that vengeance and justice are not the same thing. For an action movie, I'd absolutely give Batman Begins JJJJJ. However, since I don't rate by genre, I'm giving the movie JJJJj out of JJJJJ. Yep, it was that good. jlm, 6.15.05, 10:32am | Date: 14 June, 2005 Time: 4:00pm Subject: Happy InWeDay!! * * * * * That's right...today is the second annual International Webloggers' Day. Thrilling, huh? Well, I love to celebrate any holiday that Hallmark doesn't recognize, so here we are. In celebration, I'd like to take a few moments to look back at some posts I've written that really summarize my entire blog-line. Feb 6, 2002: my first entry! I started my Xanga site when I was working grave shift, and was looking for a way to fill the early morning hours. The Soapbox Comes Out! What I write is by no means a political blog...but whenever the government stands up and says, "hey - we're going to take your rights away," it ticks me off. I've written tirades about the President, Clear Channel (when they removed Howard Stern from their stations), and other crazy right-wing agendas. Movie Reviews - they started here with The Graduate (HATED it!). I think my reviews got better with time. I haven't done one in a while, but maybe I'll review Batman Begins, which I'm going to see tonight at midnight with an ecclectic group of people from work...and some husbands. :o) Reality TV is another recurring theme. I like it...I love it...I want some more of it! Since the major reality shows are done for the season, I'm currently stuck with the "Real" Gilligan's Island and the new season of Surreal Life (coming in July). Corn: apparently an annual visitor to my blog. Hurricanes were a recurring theme last summer. I dutifully tracked them with little radar maps I stole from weather.com. Opening up about my little cervical scare would've been a lot easier if only random strangers read the blog. This was really the first time I laid it all on the line for all the world (including people who know and love me) to see. Holiday Fun! I wrote a song combining my love of Christmas carols and my hatred for stupid people. It was an instant classic! The move: on December 27, 2004 I moved the blog from Xanga to here at my own domain. I love it here! The digital camera I got for Christmas forever changed the face of the blog. Having it with me all the time has enabled me to take pictures of all sorts of stuff - license plates, giraffes, and my husband. (all together now: awww) Travel Blog: Mom travelled, Mom write, I copied & pasted (and made a pretty map). I had a lot of fun putting it together...even though she stopped writing and according to the map she's still out in the boonies somewhere! Every weekend, I participate in the Saturday Six. My first (this link) was April 3. New this month: Weekend Assignment & Monday Photo Shoot. I participate in these mostly because I like having an actual topic to write about/take pictures of...and because I get my journal listed on a page read by tons of AOL Journal readers. I like knowing that people out there are reading my words and maybe smiling with (or laughing at) me. So that's my world in a nutshell. It's been 16 months since my first entry, and I've really enjoyed the ride. Thanks for riding along! jlm, 6.14.05, 5:32pm | Date: 14 June, 2005 Time: 12:32am Subject: Red! * * * * * Your Monday Photo Shoot: Picture something red. Show it to us. Red apples, red roses, red cars, red heads -- if it's red, we want to see it! Take a picture of something red and put it in your Journal or Blog -- or if you have a picture that fits the bill already, post it and let us see it. (linked from here) | | | | Scott's lava lamp | Autumn plays peek-a-boo under the red "tent" | Stitch rubs his butt against the monorail window | Scott with Mr & Mrs Incredible | Scott plays Mr Incredible | Me in my favorite red shirt It's amazing how diverse one color can be, isn't it? jlm, 6.14.05, 12:43am | Date: 13 June, 2005 Time: 11:34am Subject: Bathroom Decor * * * * * I got a junk e-mail from DisneyDirect.com this morning that I would have just deleted, had the words "60% off" not caught my attention. So I've been Windows Shopping (get it? ha!) for the last half-hour or so looking at random stupid things like an Incredibles cookie jar marked down under $20 (Scott says we don't need it) and more Mickey Mouse glass sets (also not needed). I did, however, find one thing that made Mr. PennyPincher (not that it's a bad thing...) stop saying no - the Nemo & Friends Bathroom Collection. We were actually pricing the set the first time we saw it, and thought we could get the shower curtain and the bath rug and totally transform our drab white bathroom into something fun. (not to mention, every time I got in the shower I'd be going "Shark Bait ooh ha ha") Anyway, now that it's marked down I'm going to lobby for the bath accessories - mostly for the Bloat toothbrush holder...and I could use the Dory soapdish for my rings. Daydreaming? Possibly. But maybe it's time we actually made this place look less generic. And I so love that bath rug! jlm, 6.13.05, 11:43am | Date: 12 June, 2005 Time: 12:00pm Subject: Behold the Power of the Marketing Force * * * * * This just in from Playskool: the world aches for more Star Wars themed Mr. Potatoheads! clicking on the image will take you to starwars.com's Playskool dark-site I guess the success of Darth Tater has sparked a potato revolution. Now you can pre-order the "Spud Trooper." What's next? Some Princess Leia knock-off with potato chips for buns? A green Yod-ato? Don't get me wrong...I'm not knocking the creativity here. I think these things are adorable and I totally want the whole set for myself. (Christmas is just about 6 months away now...) jlm, 6.12.05, 12:10pm | Date: 11 June, 2005 Time: 10:32am Subject: Saturday Six * * * * * 1. When was the last time you looked your significant other in the eye and told him or her how much they mean to you? It was some time last week during our "vacation." We had a lot of those Hallmark Moments. 2. Which business do you have the longest continuous relationship with: your bank, your auto insurance provider, your home telephone provider, your cellular phone provider, or your cable company? How long have you been with them? My bank! I got my checking account with them in '97 during my first (adult) summer in Florida. 3. What is the most embarrassing question you've ever been asked? Well gee...that's an interesting question. And since answering it would embarass me more than anything, I'm going to say that this is the most embarassing question I've ever been asked. 4. You have the ability to snap your fingers and be instantly transported to one of three places whenever you wish to go there. Which three places would you select as your destinations? Home, so that I could escape from work or other unpleasantness instantly; Yellowstone, for when I want to reconnect with nature and all the oddities like the mudpots and the hot springs; and Castaway Cay, for two simple words: hammocks and snorkeling! 5. Last week, the Reader's Choice question asked you to identify your favorite movie line. Later this month, the American Film Institute will list the 100 Greatest Movie Lines of all time. Which one do you expect to win? When the AFI did their 100 Greatest Movie Songs, I was really disappointed. Only 4 Disney songs (I think) made the list, and there were 4 songs from West Side Story alone! Along those lines, I would have to say it'll probably be "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" from Gone With the Wind. But I'll bet that "hello, my name is Inigo Montoya..." will be pretty high up. 6. You are given the gift of an original oil painting by any famous artist. What painting would you choose and why? Actually, the painting I'd want more than any other would be a watercolor: Claude Monet's Japanese Footbridge. I get lost in another world when I look at that image, wondering who crosses that bridge. (if you click on that link, it's the second image) Of course, if it had to be an oil painting, it would be Van Gogh's Sunflowers. jlm, 6.11.05, 11:01am | Date: 11 June, 2005 Time: 10:20am Subject: There's a moral here... * * * * * I heard an amusing story at work yesterday. This nice man from Canada called and said that he had dialed up into his home ISP to check his e-mail (that's an international call, by the way). Somehow the the computer failed to disconnect, and they left their room for the day. He ended up being online for 9 hours. The total bill for that call was over $1700. The moral of the story is: Don't make international calls from your hotel. And don't leave the phone connected for 9 hours. jlm, 6.11.05, 10:26am | Date: 10 June, 2005 Time: 12:18pm Subject: Fire & Water * * * * * Scott came home and fell asleep on the couch. I decided maybe I should look for something to "cook" for lunch/dinner, since our leftover options were looking kinda slim. Ooh...a box of mac n cheese! So I filled up a saucepan with water, threw it on the stove, and went back to the computer. Well, a watched pot never boils, but it also doesn't catch fire. I looked over at the stove and noticed flames under the pot, jumped up and yelled "Scott (sleepy voice replies "what?" - what? did he not smell the smoke or notice the terror in my voice???) There's flames under the stove!" And then I actually had the presence of mind to turn off the stove, grab a pot holder (I'm particularly proud of that step), and move the pot to a different burner. Scott manned the smoke detector, fanning smoke away from it until I could open the balcony door (at which point Milo yelled "freedom!" and took off onto the balcony). And then I started to cry. C'mon...who makes fire when boiling water? That's like the ultimate sign of someone who shouldn't be in the kitchen. Actually, it's the ultimate sign of someone who lives with someone who routinely splatters and boils over when he cooks. (we think the culprit was a pot of water & butter that boiled over when he was "making" Stove Top the other day) So I guess I lived through the trauma. It still smells like someone was barbequing in here. Scott's not going to fault me for actually creating the flames, and I'm not going to fault him for being a messy cook. But I think I'll stay away from the kitchen for a while...just to be on the safe side. :o) jlm, 6.10.05, 12:27pm | Date: 10 June, 2005 Time: 9:30am Subject: Awake? Me? What's WRONG with this Picture? * * * * * Scott woke up super-early this morning. About 10 minutes after he got up, I was awakened by his phone ringing. Who calls before 8am? I don't know. I guess it doesn't matter. What matters is that we're both awake. He, however, had a reason to be awake. He's already gone for the morning. I'm stuck with the internet to keep me company. Hmm...I'd forgotten how much of a morning person I'm not. Perhaps I shouldn't post again until I have something decidedly positive to talk about. ...but I can't imagine when that might be. cranky cranky cranky jlm, 6.10.05, 9:39am | Date: 9 June, 2005 Time: 7:56pm Subject: "Just a little prick..." * * * * * Ahh...the famous last words of doctors and nurses everywhere. Of course, I relate that phrase most to Dr. Evil in the second Austin Powers movie right before he gives Mini Me a flu shot straight in the butt. Anyway, my "little prick" today wasn't too bad. The nice nurse (who, I might add, was about 8.9 months pregnant) got the vein on her first try. My only complaint is that she drew the blood from my right arm. The other two times in my adult life I had blood drawn they did it on the left side. Apparently there's a reason for this - I actually use my right arm a lot more than I use the left! So every time I've reached for something today I've gotten a sharp little "don't do that" reminder from my elbow pit. I know...it doesn't really look that bad...but I'm still going to whine about it! Today was our last day of "vacation." I guess it was a good length - we're not sick of eachother at all (right, honey?), and I'm not nearly as burned out as I was this time last week. We have a day off coming up in August, and a day off for our anniversary in December. I wonder if that'll be enough to get us through. Banking vacation time is hard work!! I must say though, I do dread going back to work knowing that there's a tropical storm out there and the tourons are going to call every 5 seconds wanting the forecast. Come on people - get online, go to weather.com, and type in the zip code 32830. Do you see any weather warnings? Then stop calling me! OK, I'm back to being stressed. That sure didn't take long. jlm, 6.09.05, 8:04pm | Date: 9 June, 2005 Time: 11:56am Subject: Amusement Park Memories * * * * * Weekend Assignment #63: Recount a noteable amusement park experience. No, it doesn't have to be about getting sick on that rollercoaster... although (heh) those usually are pretty good. It can be any sort of memorable moment: cute, scary, funny, nice, whatever. Well I guess the most noteable amusement park experience I've had would have to be my engagement story. (it's written in the third person because I copied it from our wedding web page.) It was a dark and stormy night... Actually, the whole day had been rainy. Scott had told Jamie they were going out to dinner, and that she should dress nice, but wouldn't tell her anything else about where they were going. They ended up at the steak house in the Japan pavilion at Epcot. After a delicious meal eaten entirely with chopsticks (and only one tiny stain on Jamie's sleeve!) they left and walked through the museum, and around the pond of giant goldfish...I mean koi. The back of the pond is situated behind the pagoda, and doesn't see a lot of foot traffic. There was no one else around. Scott pulled a black bag out of his pocket and handed it to Jamie. ("hmm...a rock in a black bag...what the heck is this???") She opened it up and it contained a silver fortune cookie. "You know how you never get any good fortunes," said Scott, "read this one." She opened the fortune cookie and on the fortune was printed, "Will you marry me?" Scott was down on one knee, holding the ring. Jamie looked at Scott and said, "Will you marry me? Of course I'll marry you!" He got up and put the ring (which was exactly what she had been hoping for) on her finger. She threw her arms around his neck and they kissed. It was a perfect moment...standing there in the pouring rain in the Japan pavilion at Epcot. Extra Credit: What's the scariest amusement park ride you've ever been on? These days, I'm not afraid of roller coasters. I don't mind drops, loops, corkscrews, or anything else. That wasn't the case the first time I got on a looping coaster. We were down at the Jersey Shore, and my Aunt Susan and her son and I were going on this coaster. He got all weepy and wanted to ride with his mom, so I was by myself in the next row. I pulled down on the shoulder harness and got myself all locked in. This was one of those coasters where they pull you up the hill backwards and then let you go and you go flying down the hill. As the coaster was going up the hill, my shoulder harness went *click click* out two positions and I really thought I was going to fall out. I held on tight for the rest of the ride and was elated to make it off the ride alive. Visit By The Way to see the stories of other people. Amazing how many had to do with Disney! jlm, 6.09.05, 12:08pm | Date: 8 June, 2005 Time: 7:32pm Subject: Sleep * * * * * I forecast that I will be fighting to stay awake until 11:30 to watch The Daily Show tonight...although the guest will be Colin Powell, so I'm really going to make an effort. I'm just really tired and I have to wake up early again tomorrow to go have blood taken. Darn these annual tests and their fasting periods! zzzzzzzzzz jlm, 6.08.05, 7:36pm | Date: 7 June, 2005 Time: 4:41pm Subject: Jammo Wiphi Yelacc of Vitamin * * * * * Oh yeah? Is your Star Wars name any better? Here's how you figure it out: To get your New First Name: 1. Take the first 3 letters of your first name. 2. Add the first 2 letters of your last name. To get your New Last Name: 3. Take the first 2 letters of your Mom's maiden name. 4. Add the first 3 letters of the city you were born in. To get your Star Wars Honorific Title: 1. Take the last 3 letters of your last name and reverse them. 2. Add the first 3 letters of the make or model of your first car. 3. Insert the word "of" 4. Tack on the name of the last medication you took. That would make Scott "Scomo Duhai Yelvol of Ibuprofin." And the cats (hey - Star Wars had some weird creatures - they count!) would be Milmo Hawin Yelooo of Hartz and Kilmo Haher Yelooo of Hartz. jlm, 6.07.05, 4:51pm | Date: 7 June, 2005 Time: 4:18pm Subject: I'm Developing a Theory... * * * * * ...that Australians are the craziest people on earth. After all, Nicole Kidman got a divorce from Tom Cruise Croc Hunter - need I say more? And apparently they don't know how to phone home! Back in April, I had some jack-@$$ threaten to go to the media because he wasn't able to make a collect call home to Australia. And Russell Crowe (it's an AOL link...sorry if it won't open for you) was "arrested in his New York hotel early Monday morning on charges of allegedly throwing a phone at a hotel employee...upset that he could not place a call to Australia on his phone at the Mercer Hotel in SoHo. Police also say that the employee required stitches to mend a facial bruise." What is it with these guys and their "faulty" telephone connections? Well, I guess Americans aren't the only "ugly" travelers out there. Good to know! jlm, 6.07.05, 4:28pm | Date: 6 June, 2005 Time: 10:44pm Subject: The Ultimate Cure-All * * * * * I'm wearing brand-new contacts right now, courtesy of my trip to the eye doctor. And thanks to my insurance, an exam and 8 boxes of contacts (retail: $243) cost me $20. Scott's glasses only cost him $10, but he's going to have to go back there to pick them up. Mine are being mailed. Yippee! Then we went to Shirley's for the afternoon. Scott washed and waxed and waxed and waxed his car, and then grilled dinner. We apparently bought bad chicken, because it was like eating smoked chewing gum. But the corn and baked potatoes came out ok. I got an e-mail today informing me that I'm not eligible to transfer. I'm guessing it was that reprimand I got for clocking discrepancies...or my lousy attendance. Apparently just being good at your job isn't enough...they expect you to show up once in a while and abide by their policies. I'm being weeded out for stupid things! Oh well, maybe Scott will get a promotion instead. I could handle that. He could make like $20/hour and then I could be part-time some place fun. :o) Ahh...happy daydreams... So on the way home I was a little bummed. We stopped at Wal Mart on the way home (corn, by the way, is now 4/$1...good thing we bought when we did!) and bought self-rising flour so that I could make happy food: banana bread. It's in the oven now, and I'm starting to smell the banana-y goodness. Who could frown with the smell of banana bread in the air? Certainly not me! jlm, 6.06.05, 10:51pm | Date: 5 June, 2005 Time: 7:54pm Subject: Out of the Blue (State) * * * * * This picture showed up in my e-mail today. I can't believe I'm not the only democrat in my family. This is my cousin Marissa with my second-favorite politician: ...and while I'm on the subject of favorite politicians, my favorite, John Edwards, was guest-blogging last week at TPM Cafe. Now he totally has my vote! If you were wondering, the current guest blogger is none other than Anne Lamott! Imagine that...a born-again Democrat. Be still, my little heart!! I think I am now down with the exclamations. jlm, 6.05.05, 8:02pm | Date: 5 June, 2005 Time: 5:06pm Subject: The Hap-Happiest Season of All * * * * * It's the most wonderful time of the year... even though kids are out of school, everything's wonderful... CHEAP CORN IS HERE!!! What a great way to start out our vacation! We went down to Brooksville for church this morning. Pastor Bob is pretty sick, and definitely didn't bring his "A" game, but I'm still glad we went. I told Mom that if I go back on grave shift I'll probably drive down a few times a month. I just love those people so much! Jami B. with the girls - Sarah and Corrie and Christen. She's getting smaller and smaller, and they're getting older and older! And mom dragged Joanne up for church as well. Afterwards, the four of us went to Johnny Carrino's for lunch. Scott's request. We totally pigged out on free bread, and then still managed to eat an order of mussels and 90% of our entrees. oink oink! Mom shows us how the "other half" dresses! ;-) Tomorrow: eye doctor. Yay contacts!!! And then dinner at Shirley's. Yay grilled food!!! jlm, 6.05.05, 5:27pm | Date: 4 June, 2005 Time: 10:37am Subject: Saturday Six * * * * * 1. Who is the last performer you saw live in concert? What is the last film you saw at a theater? Which was more worth the money you paid? Well, the last performer I saw live was probably Davy Jones at the Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot. The last movie was Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Davy Jones was free and H2G2 made me mourn the 2 hours I spent in the theater! 2. What do you do more of in a typical day: work, sleep, eat, exercise. watch TV, surf the web? I work about 8 1/2 hours and sleep about 8 1/2 hours. 3. Your office brings in a new drink machine and it's your job to fill the eight selection slots. What drinks (non-alcholic, of course) do you select? This could be Jamie's Happy Question! Let's see...Cherry 7-Up, Orange Fanta, Grape Fanta, Cherry Coke, Mt. Dew, Coke, and Barq's Rootbeer. Sorry, diet fans...no artificial sweetener in my vending machine! 4. Take the quiz: What is your expression number? Do you agree with the description it gives you? What do you disagree with most? Well, here's what it said about me... Your Expression Number is 4 Practical and down to earth - everything in your life is organized. You are a great writer and teacher. You never forget a detail. Very patient, you have the ability to cultivate talents in difficult fields. You also tend to have an artistic side. You'd make a great architect or classical musician. You face your responsibilities with a positive attitude - and you always get things done. You are serious, sincere, honest, and faithful. Sometimes your strong sense of responsibility leads to frustration. You also tend to develop strong likes and dislikes, which border on dogmatism. At you're worst, you can be a dominant disciplinarian. ..."dominant disciplinarian"?? This quiz was WAY off on the Jamie-Meter! 5. Counting all light fixtures and lamps in your home, how many bulbs do you have in place, and how many of them are on right now? 16 bulbs total, 3 of them are on (but that's the bathroom vanity...it's only one switch!) 6. What is your favorite movie line ever and why? My all-time favorite would have to be from The Princess Bride: "hello, my name is Inigo Montoya...you killed my father...prepare to die." Of course, ever since the first time I saw Finding Nemo, I have a weird habit of saying "Shark Bait ooh ha ha" at random times! Please play along this week...my mom is starting to feel lonely in the comments section!! jlm, 6.04.05, 10:53am | Date: 3 June, 2005 Time: 11:57pm Subject: Quiz * * * * * I have a short quiz here. Feel free to play along. 1. Is it the responsibility of the businesses of Central Florida to warn prospective clientele that the annual Gay Days event is this weekend? 2. Should "non-discrimination policy" really mean "we don't discriminate against anyone...unless their lifestyle makes us uncomfortable"? 3. Does any parent of school-age children really have a reason to believe that their kids haven't yet been exposed to homosexuality in some way or another? 4. Is sodomy a worse sin than adultery or not keeping the sabbath? (yep...opened up the ol' B-I-B-L-E for that one) Of course, this was a rhetorical quiz. I had another one of "those days" at work, convincing people that I didn't personally invite the gay community to Florida, and that it's not my fault, and that it's also not my fault that the fleabag motel they had a reservation at didn't want to give their money back. If you are afraid of gay people, then that's your problem. Please stop blaming me because your closed-mindedness ruined your vacation. And now, I shall return my soapbox to its rightful position under the computer desk. jlm, 6.04.05, 12:14am | Date: 3 June, 2005 Time: 12:21am Subject: Through the Hairs * * * * * Weekend Assignment #62: We've all experienced regrettable hairstyles and haircuts. Relive a regrettable hair incident in your past for the amusement and edification of all. In the fourth grade, I showed up to school with a new hairdo (that I didn't pick) that I thought looked like some sort of 60's bubble cut. In class that morning, I realized that I had the same exact haircut as Jake Arens...who was one of the cutest boys in the class. So in line for lunch, people kept calling me Jake, and calling him Jamie. I thought it was funny...Jake was reduced to tears. It wasn't until a year or two ago that I saw a picture of myself during this unfortunate hair-period and realized that the haircut I had was a mullet. **shudder** Extra Credit: Are you kidding? Pictures! Pictures all around! I don't have any pictures of the mullet, but I did find a few other gems... First grade - Mom and Dad really dug that hotdog-under-the-bangs look. And only once did my forehead get burned by the curling iron! Sixth grade - OK, this picture was taken while I was hanging off of my cousin Dawn's bed. But if I had been right-side-up you would've had better evidence of the crimping! Spring Break '00 - When you date a guy who says things like "if you got a bad haircut I'd dump you," the first thing you do after breaking up is...get a bad haircut! So that's it. I got the Weekend Assignment from here...if you'd like some more laughter at the expense of others! jlm, 6.03.05, 12:43am | Date: 2 June, 2005 Time: 1:33pm Subject: Three-Day Week * * * * * Scott and I are working for the next three days...and then we have 5 days off. Of course, our "vacation" includes 2 doctor visits (eye doctor and dr. ponytail). On the bright side, I get to drag Scott to Hernando Beach to see my mom and the GCC people on Sunday. But first we have to survive our three-day work week - guaranteed to make ya scream! jlm, 6.02.05, 1:36pm | Date: 1 June, 2005 Time: 7:59pm Subject: Supermarket Silliness * * * * * I think I'm going to make up some sort of photo scavenger hunt and do the whole thing at Wal Mart. Today, Scott and I spent minutes and minutes looking for a new tie for him (oh well...I tried to get him out of blue), and then also bought some cheese, hamburger buns, and a bag of tater tots. Yesterday when we were there, we bought a bag of dirt, a squirt bottle, Airborne, underwear (his), a bunch of bananas, and shampoo & conditioner (mine). Ahh...the randomness of life across the street from Wal Mart. Anyway, while we were there, I was so struck by Disney's licensing greed I had to whip out my camera and take a picture. I know the image is grainy and blurred, but I figure this picture is still worth a few hundred words... The Little Mermaid presents: Flounder Surprise. Lilo & Stitch present: Pudge the Fish Nuggets WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE??? Anyway, I should've taken pictures of the ties I pulled out today. I'm in a solid color phase. I guess when Scott finally gets a job where dressing up is required, we'll get him a suit. And once he has a suit I can dress him in colored shirts with coordinating ties. Oh Lord...I'm trying to turn him into some Joe Harmer/Frank Guerrini hybrid! And in other (hopefully good) news, I applied last night for one of the two Comm Center positions that are currently open. There's a lot of symmetry there - I started my Xanga blog during the application/interview process when I was trying to get out of there, and now I'm desperate to get back in. Strange how things change! **fingers crossed** jlm, 6.01.05, 8:21pm | Date: 1 June, 2005 Time: 11:14am Subject: Bad Tip * * * * * Yesterday I took Scott to Cracker Barrell for lunch. When we got there, there were two girls standing at the counter talking right next to the hostess station...and no hostess to be seen. After a couple minutes, a manager appeared and took us to our table. A woman came up a few minutes after that and took our drink order. She didn't introduce herself or even say hello. When she came back with our drinks, I asked her what the veggie of the day was. She didn't know, and left for five minutes to find out. So we order, our food takes forever to come out, and by the time it does, Scott's coke is empty. So he asks for ketchup and more coke. He got the ketchup. She returned to drop off the check, and didn't seem real happy that I was ordering dessert. Still no coke. When she dropped off dessert, she asked about our drinks - "a coke and a diet?" no, a coke and an unsweet tea. She brings out new drinks - coke for Scott, sweet tea for me. Our bill came to $23 and change. I rounded the bill up to $26. The worst part is I feel guilty for stiffing her. I have to keep telling myself that you tip for service, not just for showing up for work. Oh well...I guess I'll get over it. Sweet tea...pah! jlm, 6.01.05, 11:20am | Looking for May? click here