Tousi's Touts

It's Official, I CAN have Children!

2007-01-23T10:54:00.000-05:00

Most of you already know this, but I am pregnant with our first child. I am extremely excited about this prospect!!! It has been a long haul to get to this point, but I am 22 weeks into this 40 week (give or take) journey.

I have had a bunch of ultrasounds 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 10 weeks, 19 weeks, 21 weeks. Everything looks fine, we saw 5 fingers on a hand and 5 toes on a foot - both good signs! It is amazing what technology has given the worrisome mother-to-be.

I have been very excited at the prospect of becoming a mom. It's the next step in an otherwise happy life. I haven't felt the least bit scared, that is until Teri and I went to register for baby 'stuff.' Who the hell knew there is sooooo much baby periphanalia - a lot of which I have no idea what it is for or why a baby needs it. I keep thinking my mother didn't have x, y or z and I think I turned out alright. So I haven't registered for everything that is recommended because I just don't have the room in the house to store it all. Also, I know myself, I will not use a bottle sanitizer (for instance)...soap and water do a fine job all on their own.

Here is a picture of the baby from our 20 week ultrasound. We don't know the sex of the baby - s/he didn't cooperate...which could be a sign of things to come.

This is a profile of him/her. S/he is looking up - you can make out the nose and lips as well as an ear and the skull. We don't have names picked out yet - we have been throwing a few around and are still working out if we like them or not.

Oh - the title of this post "It's Official, I CAN have children" is a reference to Debbie Downer on Saturday Night Live. Check it out...if you don't laugh at least a little bit you need a funny bone replacement!!!

No...It's Iowa

2006-07-31T14:49:00.000-04:00

Field of Dreams is one of my favorite movies. I have seen it many times this summer - it's been on HBO 'nough said. It reminds me of my father - he took me to see it way back when. The movie also has a father/son storyline. Even though I am female it still is a feel good story. The end of the movie gives one reason to believe that there are ways to experience relationships that we wish would have ended differently.

A few weeks ago, Teri and I were discussing the order in which we would rate the following baseball movies:

Field of Dreams
The Natural
Eight Men Out

I rank them in exactly that order. How would you rank them? Are there any other baseball films that should be brought to the mix? We didn't include Major League as it is a comedy - which would be mixing apples and oranges.

Let me know!

Zebra Nose

2006-06-15T09:06:00.000-04:00

We have two dogs. Max and Kendal (hence the url of my blog). In looking back at the archives of this blog, I realize that I haven't posted many pictures of them - in fact only one of Max. So here you go...

Kendal in our living room. She is also known as 'pretty girl' and 'damaged dog' because she limps from Lyme Disease and tends not to use one of her back paws. Right now she is losing what seems to be ALL of her hair. I vaccuum one night and the next morning there are clumps of her hair all over the place - and that is after a good brushing!

Max as a scruffy boy. Max has a lot of nicknames, jerky boy, Sparky, Sparky the wonderdog, Pig, Piggy. But the newest one is Scruff McGruff. We won't be able to call him that for much longer as he is getting a haircut this weekend. This picture is Max when his scruffiness was under control. I will take a before and after shot of him on Saturday as he goes 'under the knife.'

The reason for and name of this post is because of Kendal. On Memorial Day, Kendal was playing with the dogs next door through our fence. They have a way of communicating (barking) that they enjoy, but us humans get annoyed of very quickly. Well, Kendal put her snout though a broken slat in the back fence gate and scraped the hell out of her nose. She has scratched here nose before but never this badly. It was bleeding - which never happened before. A trip to the Boston Road ER and $170.00 later we are told it was just a scratch but to give her the antibiotics anyway. Here is a picture of her healing nose. It heals white and will turn back to black (hopefully).

ZEBRA NOSE - you can see it if you look closely

Cinco de Mayo

2006-05-09T08:22:00.000-04:00

We went out to the local watering hole on viernes, el cinco de Mayo (Friday, May 5) and had a really good time with friends that we met there. See the pictures below.

Steve with his sombrero and maracas

A friend we met at Bob and Anne's house - Lucy and her boyfriend Woody. We had a lot of laughs with them!

This picture wasn't taken on Friday, but Helder was there too. We laughed a lot with him too!

I hope your cinco de Mayo was as enjoyable as ours was! Ole!

"My Life"

2006-04-26T08:35:00.000-04:00

So Teri and I went to the Billy Joel concert last Saturday night at the Hartford Civic Center. After all of the stupid red lights on the way to finding the perfect parking spot. (Teri wouldn't let me pull into the lot just off the highway cuz it might have been pouring rain when the concert ended...I guess he is made of sugar.)

We had great seats. Not everyone around us thought so, but we did. We were 2 or 3 rows from the top of the arena about 1/3 of the way from the stage (section 215 if you want to know). We had a really nice view of the stage as well as what seemed to be our own TV screen to watch the close-ups.

Before the show started, we were talking about the songs we thought Mr. Joel might play. I asked if Teri thought he would play Angry Young Man...one of the lesser known popular songs. Teri said 'yes'. I asked about 'My Life', Teri said yes. Both of these songs I didn't think were on the play list - they are some of the more popular songs, but they weren't new enough so I thought they would be omitted.

Billy Joel comes on stage to roaring applause doesn't say one word and begins the frantic hammering that immediately identifies itself as "Angry Young Man." To which we were lucky enough to have a 'personal jumbo-tron' in the form of maybe a 32" TV screen with the camera on the side of the keyboard. It was really neat to see just how frantic his hands are while playing the intro to that song.

I bet you can guess what the second song was...yep - My Life. The Bosom Buddies theme song. (Did you know that the main characters "Kip" and "Henry" were named after bars in Berkeley, CA?)

Over all it was a great concert. Probably the best of the 3 times I have seen him (alright - it is really only 2 times, the third was with Elton John). This is one performer that I will go to see as many times as I can. It is always a good time!

I Was Semi-Tagged...

2006-03-16T08:02:00.000-05:00

I got this email from my friend Aimee. I haven't posted in a long time and I really don't have anything profound to say these days so this is what you get!

How well do you know me? For instance, did you know...

Four jobs I've had in my life:
1. Event planner for various constituients
2. Liquor store cashier
3. Building Manager
4. Deli clerk
There are MANY more, but those are the ones I wanted to share.

Four movies I'd watch over and over:
1. Princess Bride
2. A League of Their Own
3. Rudy
4. A Few Good Men

Four places I lived:
1. Manchester, CT
2. Springfield, MA - Western New England College
3. Wilbraham, MA
4. Springfield, MA - in the house we live in now

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. CSI (Vegas or Miami)
2. Las Vegas
3. Gilmore Girls (guilty pleasure #1)
4. Wildfire (guilty pleasure #2)

Four places I've been on vacation:
1. Cayman Islands
2. Orlando, FL
3. Martha's Vineyard
4. San Diego (on business, but I love it there so the Business was fun)

Four web sites I visit daily:
1. UMass.edu
2. Greg's blog (www.weretakingbetsthat.blogspot.com)
3. Teri's blog (www.beerforme.blogspot.com)
4. ?

Four of my favorite foods:
1. ice cream
2. strawberries
3. pineapple
4. pasta

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Home
2. San Diego
3. Orlando
4. Any place warm and sunny

You can do with this what you want. Copy it and blog it on your blog. Answer in comments, do nothing. What ever you want!

Have a nice day.

Now That There Is Funny Right There.

2006-02-08T12:34:00.000-05:00

I was just 'next blogging' through my lunch hour and found this one. Check out the funny pictures - they made me laugh.

Talk about Taking One for the Team!

2006-02-07T13:48:00.000-05:00

Check this act of heroism out...and you know its real 'cuz I got it from Snopes.

Gotta Love Jay Mohr...oh...and Neil Diamond!

2006-02-02T08:43:00.000-05:00

Jay Mohr was on Saturday Night Live for a season. He has been the host of Last Comic Standing, which was cancelled and will air again sometime in the future. He writes a column for SI.com. I find him humorous and I actually get his email newsletter where he usually announces when his latest column is up. Well his new column is up and he is talking about the Winter Olympics and how some of the 'sports' shouldn't be played at the Olympic level. Below is a snipet of what he is talking about. Visit his column for more chuckles!

FIGURE SKATING: I realize this event has been getting a ton of press lately due to the inclusion of Michelle Kwan on the team. I don't understand why people get so caught up in the figure skating. If the girls are cute I will watch. Couples figure skating really baffles me. I mean, have you seen what the guys wear? Pardon my elitist attitude toward the whole thing but if you are a man, and you are wearing sequins, I just cannot take you seriously. Unless of course you are Neil Diamond. If you put Neil Diamond in skates and team him up with a cute girl and he sings Coming To America as he competes, you just won yourself a viewer.

Who was left behind?

2006-02-01T09:52:00.000-05:00

I am a West Wing fan. And in the first or second season, President Jed Bartlett was preparing to give the State of the Union address I learned something I didn't know, but realized made sense. There is one person in the government that is chosen to be left behind. Should something happen in the chamber where the address is being given (alright - I show my ignorance - I have no idea if that is the hall of congress or somewhere else) and no one makes it out alive, this person becomes the leader of the free world.

So I ask you, who was left behind last night? That is what I wonder the day after.

With enough money, you can do anything

2006-01-31T13:10:00.000-05:00

I like to ski. I like warm weather. Imagine if I could enjoy both...ski and then go to the beach an hour later. Now all I have to do is earn enough to live in Dubai. Does anyone what to donate to the cause?!

A55 RGY - Who knew

2006-01-30T08:55:00.000-05:00

Check out this post on Snopes.com. Hope you chuckle a little this Monday morning.

Cowboys and Indians

2006-01-06T08:40:00.000-05:00

Most of you know that I am a sports fan. I am not a fanatic like my husband and a lot of our friends, but a fan. I like to watch professional football (not all day on Sunday, but some plays of a bunch of games). I like to watch college basketball games - mainly UConn, men or women - either are fun to watch. I also like to watch or listen to baseball games (although I would rather be there in person). Hockey is fun...especially if you are with my family at a Bruins game against the Pittsburgh Penguins! Good times!

My neighbor is a sports fan as well. He likes the Texas Longhorns...has for many years (congrats Tommy on the National Championship). He also likes the North Dakota Fighting Souix in hockey. Over the summer we had a conversation about the NCAA's stance on colleges using Native American icons as school mascots. The NCAA feels that using Native American representations is degrading to the tribal nations. (For example: the Illinois Illini, Florida State Seminoles, University of Utah Utes, etc.)

My initial reaction was that the NCAA is right. No group should be singled out and made to be seen as lesser than any other group. You don't see colleges lining up to be called the University of Kalamazoo Caucasians or the Eastern Bumblenook Negros do you. Why then, would calling yourselves the Braves or the Fighting Souix be alright??? Then after hearing that the Florida Seminoles (the tribe not the school) condone the use of their name as that of Mascot at Florida State, and reading the following article by George Will, a columnist with the Washington Post, my opinion has changed.

It is a compliment...these tribal groups are seen as tough warriors and a kind people. Using their likeness as a 'mascot' is claiming their strength and courage as your own. It makes sense and the NCAA needs to keep their tomahawks out of the mascot business.

Have a great weekend - GO PATRIOTS!

"Maybe it was Hope."

2006-01-05T08:40:00.000-05:00

You may have read Teri's post regarding his Post Office's holiday deed. It is a heart warming story indeed. (Ironically enough he posted his story the same date the story below was posted.) The post below from Philly.com also gives heed to warm hearted Americans giving wounded soldiers a great day. One they will remember for the rest of their lives.

Enjoy -

Posted on Thu, Dec. 22, 2005

Ronnie Polaneczky Here's a Yule story that ought to be a movie.

AND NOW, in time for the holidays, I bring you the best Christmas story you never heard.
It started last Christmas, when Bennett and Vivian Levin were overwhelmed by sadness while listening to radio reports of injured American troops.

"We have to let them know we care," Vivian told Bennett.
So they organized a trip to bring soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital to the annual Army-Navy football game in Philly, on Dec. 3.
The cool part is, they created their own train line to do it.

Yes, there are people in this country who actually own real trains. Bennett Levin - native Philly guy, self-made millionaire and irascible former L&I commish - is one of them.
He has three luxury rail cars. Think mahogany paneling, plush seating and white-linen dining areas. He also has two locomotives, which he stores at his Juniata Park train yard.
One car, the elegant Pennsylvania, carried John F. Kennedy to the Army-Navy game in 1961 and '62. Later, it carried his brother Bobby's body to D.C. for burial.
"That's a lot of history for one car," says Bennett.

He and Vivian wanted to revive a tradition that endured from 1936 to 1975, during which trains carried Army-Navy spectators from around the country directly to the stadium where the annual game is played.

The Levins could think of no better passengers to reinstate the ceremonial ride than the wounded men and women recovering at Walter Reed in D.C. and Bethesda, in Maryland.
"We wanted to give them a first-class experience," says Bennett. "Gourmet meals on board, private transportation from the train to the stadium, perfect seats - real hero treatment."

Through the Army War College Foundation, of which he is a trustee, Bennett met with Walter Reed's commanding general, who loved the idea.

But Bennett had some ground rules first, all designed to keep the focus on the troops alone:
-No press on the trip, lest the soldiers' day of pampering devolve into a media circus.
-No politicians either, because, says Bennett, "I didn't want some idiot making this
trip into a campaign photo op."
-And no Pentagon suits on board, otherwise the soldiers would be too busy saluting
superiors to relax.

The general agreed to the conditions, and Bennett realized he had a problem on his hands.

"I had to actually make this thing happen," he laughs.

Over the next months, he recruited owners of 15 other sumptuous rail cars from around the country - these people tend to know each other - into lending their vehicles for the day. The name of their temporary train?

The Liberty Limited.

Amtrak volunteered to transport the cars to D.C. - where they'd be coupled together for the round-trip ride to Philly - then back to their owners later.

Conrail offered to service the Liberty while it was in Philly. And SEPTA drivers would bus the disabled soldiers 200 yards from the train to Lincoln Financial Field, for the game.

A benefactor from the War College ponied up 100 seats to the game - on the 50-yard line - and lunch in a hospitality suite.

And corporate donors filled, for free and without asking for publicity, goodie bags for attendees: from Woolrich, stadium blankets; from Wal-Mart, digital cameras; from Nikon, field glasses; from GEAR, down jackets.

There was booty not just for the soldiers, but for their guests, too, since each was allowed to bring a friend or family member.

The Marines, though, declined the offer. "They voted not to take guests with them, so they could take more Marines," says Levin, choking up at the memory.

Bennett's an emotional guy, so he was worried about how he'd react to meeting the 88 troops and guests at D.C.'s Union Station, where the trip originated. Some GIs were missing limbs. Others were wheelchair-bound or accompanied by medical personnel for the day.

"They made it easy to be with them," he says. "They were all smiles on the ride to Philly. Not an ounce of self-pity from any of them. They're so full of life and determination."
At the stadium, the troops reveled in the game, recalls Bennett. Not even Army's lopsided loss to Navy could deflate the group's rollicking mood.

Afterward, it was back to the train and yet another gourmet meal - heroes get hungry, says Levin - before returning to Walter Reed and Bethesda.

"The day was spectacular," says Levin. "It was all about these kids. It was awesome to be part of it."

The most poignant moment for the Levins was when 11 Marines hugged them goodbye, then sang them the Marine Hymn on the platform at Union Station.

"One of the guys was blind, but he said, 'I can't see you, but man, you must be f---ing beautiful!' " says Bennett. "I got a lump so big in my throat, I couldn't even answer him."
It's been three weeks, but the Levins and their guests are still feeling the day's love.
"My Christmas came early," says Levin, who is Jewish and who loves the Christmas season. "I can't describe the feeling in the air."

Maybe it was hope.

As one guest wrote in a thank-you note to Bennett and Vivian, "The fond memories generated last Saturday will sustain us all - whatever the future may bring."

God bless the Levins.

And bless the troops, every one.

You're All Tagged!

2005-12-30T08:49:00.000-05:00

Underacheiver tagged all his blog-readers so here is your new year's eve eve post.

Name: Elizabeth Anita Cleaves Tousignant (Cleaves is my maiden name...now a middle name)
Childhood ambition: to be a podiatrist psychiatrist (don't ask...)
Fondest childhood memory: the sand box...when I bit Jonas McCray...again don't ask, but the good thing was that he got into trouble for me bititng him...all I had to do was apologize.
Last thing I bought was: a bottle of red wine and a 6 pack of Paper City Ale (a Microbrew from Holyoke, MA...great beer!)
Favorite movie(s): Finding Neverland...a great movie that I highly recommend...but if you cry make sure nothing is in your eye otherwise you risk scratching your cornea...trust me I speak from experience.
I wanna be reincarnated into this animal: I think I would either want to be a lioness or a mongoose...both lead adventurous lives. Riki Tiki Tavi here I come!
My best Christmas present was: my UConn Happy Feet Slippers fuzzy, fluffy and very comfortable!
All I want for Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa or Secretary's Day is: Is this a beauty pageant question? Should I be answering "World Peace" or "A cure for all terminal illnesses"???? Well I am not going to answer that way...I am going to be selfish...All I want for Chrsitmas, et al, is a vacation to a warm island, or Disney World...either one would be fine.
My headstone will read: I have no idea...I will leave that up to those I leave behind...to morbid to think about right now.

Tousignant - OUT! (Looking forward to the new season of Idol *throw up*)

Happy New Year

2005-12-29T12:47:00.000-05:00

Many of you know that Teri and I spend Christmas with his family and we head to Cape Cod on New Year's Eve to celebrate the holidays with my family. This year is no different.

So because we will not see any of you for the New Year, please enjoy the excitement and festivities...and have a sip of champagne for us!

If Only I Had This Kind of Time on My Hands!

2005-12-21T11:24:00.000-05:00

My friend Greg in his "We're Taking Bets That - Volume 30" said that " it is stories like these that make me wonder if scientists have too much time on their hands."

As much as I agree with that...it isn't quite as ludicrous as this story that a UMass Amherst professor commented in regarding aerodynamics and Christmas.

Can't we just believe in ideas that are bigger than us any more?

Sick to my Stomach

2005-12-21T09:23:00.000-05:00

I went to bed relatively early last night...and didn't watch the 10 or 11 p.m. news. I woke up late this morning (again) and turned on ABC news at 6:30 a.m. while I was rushing around getting ready. I wasn't prepared to feel a kick in the proverbial balls and subsequently the constant feeling that I am going to throw up at any moment. I ask you:

WHO THE HELL DOES JOHNNY DAMON THINK HE IS?

He is certainly allowed to follow the almight dollar...but after helping to bring a World Championship home to Boston, knowing how bitter we, the Red Sox Nation, are towards anything or anyone from or near or event mention New York why, Why, WHY would he feel comfortable even considering the thought of going to the Bronx. He is now an enemy until he leaves that team...bring back memories of a certain rocket?

Merry F'in Christmas

Squirrel in da House

2005-11-08T12:28:00.000-05:00

Teri and I and 2 friends met up with members of my family to go to the Bruins game at the TD Bank North Garden (aka The Boston Garden) on Saturday night. We met at O'Rielly's pub on Canal Street ate dinner and then went to the game.

I had a great time laughing with my sister Mary - something we don't do enough of - because we don't see each other that much.

I also had a great time because the Bruins won (6-3) agains the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a great game with not 1, not 2, but 3 fights on the ice! We stayed out for a little bit after the game and then took the T back to our hotel right next to the Riverside T station.

But the story starts when we got home on Sunday morning.

We arrive in the driveway of our house and see that the curtains in the living room are down. We immediately blame Kendal, our shephard mutt. She has a tendency to jump up on the furniture when we aren't home to look out the window. We thought she had done just that, but pulled down the curtains/plants in the process.

We no sooner clean it up and Teri opens the door to the basement to go do some Fantasy Football stuff and he sees a bottle of soda at the bottom of the stairs. He looks at the ledge where we keep the soda and notices a rodent the size of New Mexico in the spot where the soda bottle should be.

"Holy Sh*t, there is a squirrel in the house." Teri says.

"Let me see," I say.

Sho' 'nuf there was.

Check it out. The poor thing was terrified. My guess is that the dogs terrorized him the whole night. So he found a 'safe corner' to wedge himself into and stayed there. Thanks to the neighbors for taking the digital pics cuz our camera was in the basement and we weren't going past him in case he freaked out.

I went next door to see if the Firefighter who lives there has any ideas. Teri called his dad to see what experience he had to share.

We thought about trying to get it into a blanket or a laundry basket to bring outside. We thought of putting the dogs outside and leaving the doors open to see if he might leave on his own. But what we ended up doing is calling in the reinforcements...ELMER FUDD, Dirty Harry or any other known gunman.

Teri's dad comes over with a pellet gun and puts the poor thing out of its misery...our hero! He also buried it in the woods for us.

Now every time I drive by a squirrel, I think they are waving their fists at me because I caused harm to one of their kind. We'll see if a squirrel uprising happens in our neighborhood. If it does, I'm running for the hills!

Plagiarizing Mr. Underachiever

2005-10-26T13:52:00.000-04:00

Well, I haven't met this unknown Blogger, but I have been lacking creativity lately and he has offered some ideas. The Underachiever's Corner is a fun blog. The author is a funny (haha) guy and he offers a great wealth of blogging ideas.

The latest idea is to answer the question "If you were to die tonight, what would you regret not saying to someone and why?" And he invited us to answer either in his comment section or on our blogs...hence this post!

Well, many of you may have heard this story...suck it up and keep reading! I was on a business trip to Atlanta last summer (2004). Flying from Hartford, CT. I have flown quite often and this was a quick flight with nothing to worry about (or so I thought). I had never been on this specific type of plane. This one had 3 seats on one side of the aisle and 2 on the other. This still wasn't an issue for me. Big, little, short, tall, I had no fear of flying.

The majority of the flight was fine. It was slated to be about 2 hour and 15 minute flight from gate to gate. About 1.5 hours into it, I feel some air rushing up from the seat in front of me. For those of you that don't fly often, this isn't a normal occurrence but I just chalked it up to being a different type of plane.

About 5-10 minutes later (give or take) the oxygen masks fall from the panel above for what seemed to be no apparent reason. Neither the pilots nor flight attendants explained what was going on so we didn't have a clue. Most of us, after looking around at each other, grabbed the masks and put them on.

You don't realize how well you pay attention to the safety talks at the beginning of flights until you have to put it into action. "Put the mask over your nose and mouth; pull the elastic strings to tighten. The bag may not inflate but it is still working. Make sure you are set before you help others." Once my mask was on, I checked on the 14 year old kid next to me. He was fine.

I then looked out the window.

Bad idea.

We were in a 45 degree dive (at least). I had the kid close the shade, because I would have otherwise freaked out...not the best thing to do in a situation like this.

We were in that dive for what seemed like eons. It was probably only 15 -20 seconds. But it was long enough to make me really scared.

****Answer to UNDR's question here****
As we were in the steep descent, I realized who I had unfinished business with. Many of my mother's family and a couple of high school friends were the first to pop into my mind. God also was on the list...ironically he was at the top.

We finally leveled out and the pilot got on the intercom and said (I will never forget this) "Ladies and Gentleman, thank you for your cooperation. There is nothing physically wrong with the plane. We just lost cabin pressure." To me...losing cabin pressure means there is something wrong with the plane - but I am no airplane mechanic so who knows!

The end of the story is that at 42,000 feet the pressurization 'stuff' started to let go. The pilot dropped 5,000 feet to see if it would alleviate itself, but that is when it let go all together. He had to dive to under 10,000 feet so we could fly with out external oxygen - hence the quick descent.

We made it off the plane alright and many of us actually did kiss the floor of the terminal when we got there.

The hotel I stayed in had me on the 43rd floor - I asked to be moved to a lower floor for obvious reasons. I did get back on a plane to fly home, and have traveled since, but certainly not without hesitation.

That is my story and I am sticking to it.

31 Questions from Undr!

2005-10-25T08:32:00.000-04:00

Thanks Undr...I needed a distraction this morning!

1. Name someone with the same birthday as you: Jennifer Aniston and Thomas Edison. Beautiful and smart...I guess I missed the boat!

2. Where was your first kiss? On the bleachers watching a middle school baseball game.

3. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else's property? Nope...I'm a good girl.

4. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex? Does my husband count? If so then yes...but usually to say that he is being mean to me...so it doesn't really hurt.

5. Have you ever sang in front of a large number of people? Yep - Karokee...not the greatest, but not the worst either.

6. Whats the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Eyes and Smile.

7. What really turns you on? What doesn't? Turn-on is a sense of humor. Turn off is an ego.

8. What do you usually order from starbucks? Mocha Frappuccino.

9. What is your biggest mistake? Ask me about the condom/radio thing that happened in middle school.

10. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose? Does working out count?

11. Say something totally random about you. I am scared of down escalators and driving under train overpasses.

12. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity? Nope.

13. Do you still watch kiddy movies or tv shows? Yeah - Nemo, Shrek are good...but Beauty and the Beast is my favorite.

14. Did you have braces? Yes. But I didn't wear the retainer as long as I should have.

15. Are you comfortable with your height? Yup. Average...

16. What is the most romantic thing someone of the opposite sex has done for you? Proposed on a beach on the 4th of July.

17. When do you know it's love? When you know, you know.

18. Do you speak any other languages? Not really...I remember the first dialog we had to memorize in spanish class...Me llamo Liz, y tu?

19. Have you ever been to a tanning salon? Yeah- before my wedding...I didn't want to be the same color as my dress...

20. What magazines do you read? People, Readers Digest, and the Rick Reilly and Steve Rushin articles of Sports Illustrated.

21. Have you ever ridden in a limo? Yes - we won a trip to Boston for a cruise on Boston Harbor...

22. Has anyone you were really close with passed away? Yes. Both my parents.

23. Do you watch mtv? No - didn't have cable as a kid and never really got into it as an adult.

24. What's something that really annoys you? People who worry about things they have no control over...let it go, you will be a happier person.

25. What's something you really like? Ice Cream!

26.Do you like Michael Jackson? I don't like him as a person, but his early music makes me bob my head!

27. Can you dance? Yup...swing, cha cha, rumba are my favorites. If I had to, I could remember some tango and waltz...

28. What's the longest/latest you have ever stayed up? Probably 23 hours...when I was bartending.

29. Have you ever thought that you were honestly going to die? Not that I remember.

30. Have you ever been rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?Nope. Thank goodness.

31. Do you actually read these when other people fill them out? Yes.

You can either answer them or not. If you choose to answer them...do so on your blog or in my comments section.

Smiles

Call Me a Sap!

2005-10-24T08:42:00.000-04:00

Alright, I have known for a very long time that I am an emotional person. And it gets worse depending on how tired I am.

Last night, Sunday, I watched one of my favorite shows - Extreme Makeover - Home Edition. I like this show for a few reasons...1.) Ty Pennington is hooootttt! 2.) It is a real feel good show...people helping people in need. 3.) It brings communities together...which you don't see very often any more and 4.) Since Ty Pennington left Trading Spaces I have to get my Ty fix from this show.

Last nights episode was a good one...not the best they have done, but good. They visited a family who had recently lost their husband/dad. They had a farm and a really shacky shack of of home (weeds were growing through the window edges). The farm was on the brink of going under. EMHE came in and tore down the shack, built a 2000 sf farm house with an attached office for the business, a 6000 sf hay barn, the community came together, planted 20 acres of hay, and donated 15000 bails of hay for the family to sell.

At the end of EVERY episode, I cry. I get emotional because the people on the show are emotional - the recipients of the generousity, the design team, even members of the community. I cry because I can relate to some of the issues the families have triumphed over. And I cry because I am the world's biggest SAP!!!

This is a good show...if you haven't seen it and you like a feel good hour of entertainment...watch it sometime.

Smiles

How do you spell Failure?

2005-10-13T08:40:00.000-04:00

I found this on a blog just around the corner from mine.

No wonder so many people say google's search engine can find anything for you:

1- Go to Google

2- Type in the word "Failure"

3- Instead of clicking "Google Search," click "I'm Feeling Lucky."

4- Giggle

The findings of the above search do not necessarily agree with the viewpoints of this blog.

Charitable Giving

2005-10-06T14:14:00.000-04:00

So I am the coordinator of a 5000 person workplace giving campaign. I work at UMass Amherst and we run our own campaign. In the year I have been in this position, I have learned a lot about why it is beneficial to give to charities through work and why charities particularly appreciate the donations they get from workplace campaigns. A few of them follow:

Benefits to giving through a workplace campaign-

Giving through work is easy...payroll deductions help so you 'don't feel' the deduction. You never even know it's gone...Trust me, the $5.00, $10.00, or $25.00 a week doesn't phase you.
Usually a workplace campaign offers complete confidentiality, I know my campaign does. Only if you identify that you would like an acknowledgement from the agencies you designate, will you name and address be given over.

Benefits of workplace campaigns for charities-

They don't have to raise funds to solicit the donations you give.
They get one check from the campaign financial manager once a month. It takes a lot less man power to process one large check than hundreds of small checks. They can spend that time serving their constituents.

Especially when our country can use the financial help, not only third world areas, do your best to help out as much as you can.

~alright, I'll get off my soapbox now...

My Name is Inigo Montoya...

2005-09-24T10:55:00.000-04:00

I got up this late morning (due to a great evening of playing cards) and turned on the TV. A couple of great movies were on at the same time (thanks TiVo!): The Princess Bride (1987)(with a young Fred Savage and Cary Elwes; who knew Andre the Giant could act) , and Footloose (1984) (with a young Kevin Bacon, John Lithgow, and, yes, even Sarah Jessica Parker had a role).

How come there haven't been any movies like these in years? Have we become a society that doesn't need to see good win over evil without the bombs, the guns and the violence.

Ren McCormack in Footloose over came evil with a senior prom and some great dance moves.

And sure there may be some violence in The Princess Bride, but it is a fairy tale type of story about "Twwoo Wove" overcoming all odds...the great dueler, the brawn of a giant, the brains of a genius ("inconceivable"), the Fire Swamp with its popping fire balls, the quick sand traps and the large rat-like rodents, then of course...the Pit of Despair. When did we lose these great stories and why can't we go back to simpler times?

Are there any present day movies (within the last 5 years) that have these values and teaches the morals these movies to? Please remind me of them, recommend them and help me to see we aren't a bunch of violent heathens.

...you killed my father. Prepare to die.

Urban Legends, Myths and Truths

2005-09-15T13:16:00.000-04:00

Alright. Is anyone sick of getting emails saying that is that time of year to look at Mars as it will be the closest to earth that it has been in 100,000 years or ever will be again? Or that next Friday is boycot Exxon/Mobil gas? Or that little Matty is doing a school project to find out how many people have the same name. Well I for one am getting sick of it. None of these are real and the way I know is because before I sign any petition or dance with the devil by the pale moonlight I go to www.snopes.com.

Snopes is a website devoted to debunking, proving or just laughing about email pranks and scams. You can go to their front page and search any keyword and it usually will come back with choices including what you are looking for.

For example, I just searched "iceberg" because I have gotten a picture a couple times of an iceberg - above and below the surface of the water. Well, I hate to tell you, but that is a 'composite of 4 different pictures' (see this). It makes the term "can't believe everything you see" come to life!

So visit with snopes before you believe what was sent to you and before forward it on to others.

Along these same lines is a fun television show on the Discovery Channel called MythBusters. This is a fun show about busting or proving myths and urban legends. One of my favorite episodes is when Adam gets his tongue pierced in the name of science. (Alright, it was gross to watch). They were trying to see whether people with tongue piercings were more likely to get hit by lightening. Very interesting stuff! And it is educational too...who knew learning could be funny.

And anytime Buster the crash-test-dummy gets used is usually amusing.

The show is on quite often...check the schedule for a date/time you can catch.

"Devistation Dave"

2005-08-30T08:37:00.000-04:00

One of the blogs I read semi-regularly (Underachiever's Corner) posted a link to another blog with the blogger's Top 10 Worst Album Covers ever.

Check it out...most of them are good for a laugh on a rainy Tuesday morning.

The Ding Dong Cart

2005-08-26T15:54:00.000-04:00

Everyone remembers the Good Humor trucks/Ice Cream truck/Ding Dong cart (everyone seems to have a different name for them). You heard the bicycle horn/bell from miles away, begged your parents for a buck and ran outside to wait for the guy to get close enough to find.

This seems innocent enough that having an ice cream truck in the neighborhood shouldn't bother you as an adult...right?

WRONG!

We have a couple of trucks that travel our neighborhood in search of happy kids willing to spend $2-$3 of their parents hard-earned money for a smaller version of the same ice cream novelties we enjoyed as kids. Inflation is not my beef with these trucks, that's part of life. THE DAMN SONGS ARE THE PROBLEM. When did the bicycle bell/horn go by the wayside for these stupid non-sensical tunes? The one that is particularly bothersome is the one that says "HELLO" once the song is through playing...and then the song starts up again.

The only thing I am looking forward to now that summer is coming to a close is that I will have a few months reprieve from the Damn song!

Alright...now that I have ranted, lets answer a question...

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM NOVELTY?

Answer in the comment section...include as many as you want - you aren't limited to just one.

CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT

2005-08-09T11:10:00.000-04:00

Today started as a normal day. Woke up, showered, dressed, got my lunch together, drove the 45 minute trip to UMass Amherst.

That is where 'normal' ended and cruel began.

As I was walking into the building, I noticed an annoying high pitched sound and that none of the normal lights were on...only the emergency lights. All of the building's cafe workers were out in the quad chatting - not cooking people's breakfasts. It was obvious the power was out.

I depend on the computer for about 90% of my job so with the power out...there wasn't much I could do. I read the paper (a luxury I rarely get); I even did the crossword (and felt dumber because of it); I cleaned out files from my predecessor that I have wanted to do since November but didn't have the time until now.

I was half hoping that if the power didn't return by 10:30 a.m. we would be sent home. Alright, alright...I was more than half hoping.

As I was finishing my file purging...at 10:30 a.m. on the nose, the lights pop on, the copier starts to whir and the air conditioning crackles and spits to life. If this wasn't cruel and unusual punishment, I don't know what is.

Oh well, now I have to get some work done...like blogging...a very important part of my job! :-).

I hope your day is better than mine has turned out to be.

LT

Cheryl Dukes Days

2005-08-04T13:44:00.000-04:00

I have a friend at work that, ironically enough, is named Cheryl Dukes. She is almost as crazy as I am and we get along 'famously.' She is a great thinker, a great writer and a very funny person with some awesome ideas.

One of these ideas is "Cheryl Dukes Days." And any one with a sweet tooth will appreciate this! When one celebrates a Cheryl Dukes Day, they go out to eat and order DESSERT FIRST! Her theory on this is that most people look forward to dessert, but by the time they get through all the other courses, many times they are too full to think about dessert. AND (I love this) you can't as easily bring a bowl of ice cream, moose, cake, or pie home in a doggie bag as you can the portion of your steak or chicken meal.

So indulge the next time you are out and have your own Cheryl Dukes Day. You will have a smile on your face for days!

:-)

Spacey Stacey

2005-08-03T08:46:00.000-04:00

So, I have earned the nickname "Spacey Stacey" because I am semi-infatuated with NASA and the Space Program and Race of the '60's and 70's. When the Tom Hanks mini-series "From the Earth to the Moon" debueted on HBO years ago, I made sure to tape all 12 episodes. I have little use for them since this past Christmas when I received the DVD set from my dear husband. When we were on vacation in May/June in Florida, I insisted (without much resistance, I might add) we go to the Kennedy Space Center so I could feed my obsession. This is where the nickname was born...ask Melissa, Adam, Scott or Jenn.

I tell you this because of all that is going on with the Shuttle this trip to orbit and the outcry for the Shuttle program to cease and for space exploration to stop until the next better exploration vehicle comes along.

I think it is selling the experts short - to stop the progress before it even has a chance to settle in. NASA scientists have been working for decades to get where they are today...AND over the past 50 years, there have been plenty of tragedies, most notably Apollo 1, Apollo 13 and of course the Challenger. But there were plenty more in the Mercury and Gemini programs before those. We overcame those obstacles and learned how to fix them to make the next mission better.

I ask - What happened to good ol' American perseverance? Why the sudden change of heart? The astronauts know the risks when they sign up otherwise they wouldn't be doing what they are doing. They put their lives on the line for science and for exploration and for finding new and better ways to use what we have.

An Op/Ed piece in today's New York Times sums it up very well. It is written by former Apollo Flight Director, Eugene Kranz. Check it out, let me know what you think.

2005-07-26T08:22:00.000-04:00

GO FLY A KITE!

Remember those days as a kid when you would rummage through the garage to find the small newspaper or cellophane kite you made at day camp the year before? Once you found it, you had to ask permission to go to the school yard with your mom or dad to fly it. And when you got there having a great time watching your dad run along with a kite dangling from his outstretched hand.

I do.

Kite flying actually became a big part of my father's life for the last 10 or so years of his life. He loved being out in the fresh air near the ocean (usually where the best wind is) trying new techniques to get his two line kite to fly its best. He was very good at teaching new flyers the ins and outs of the art of kiteflying...and yes it is an art. The intricacies of where the lines should be in regards to how strong the wind is can only be understoon by an engineering mind (which I do not possess).

There would be weekends when dad and I would go down to Harkness Memorial State Park to hang with his friends and fly kites. There was one day we got there rather early and I was able to put my single ling 'pink pig' kite up about 100+ yards up and then we flew the double line kites for a while. About 11 a.m. the wind died and no one was able to fly anything...but my pink pig was still flying strong. That is a fond memory I have with my dad.

If you are interested in finding more out about kiteflying as a hobby check out the following sites:

ConnectiKITERS
American Kitefliers Association
A Farewell to my dad, Jef "Sarge" Cleaves

2005-07-15T08:40:00.000-04:00

Ugly is as Ugly does

As most of you know, I am a dog lover. We have 2 fun dogs and I don't remember life without them. And I don't want to think about the day where we won't have them anymore.

As much as I love dogs, I don't think I could care for this one. I am glad someone can...I just don't find that cute and cuddly! In fact, I find him kind of scary.

Have a great weekend.

2005-07-14T09:02:00.000-04:00

Spoofs of Hazzard

I didn't really ever watch the Dukes of Hazzard as a kid, but I know who Daisy, Bo and Luke, Boss Hogg, Enos, and Cooter (*snicker* I always did find that name funny) are. And I do remember wanting the General Lee as my first car...until I actually got my license. Dukes was a 70's classic and its fun to watch reruns on CMT every once in a while.

The original Cooter doesn't have anything kind to say about the movie. And he has a point...in 2005, sex sells more then ever but it certainly can ruin a good 1970's thing.

I for one won't be attending this movie next month. But I may catch more episodes of the original in the near future.

2005-07-13T08:13:00.000-04:00

Parents can be mean!

Choosing a name for your child can be difficult on a good day. But is there any reason that a parent should subject their child to a lifetime of ridicule and humiliation? The child has done nothing to you (yet).

I am talking about naming your child something like Jonathan Johnson, now you may think Jon Johnson sounds cool, but it isn't. That little boy is going to grow up having a complex because of the all important decision you made while he was in the womb. Think before you act.

There is a female student that I met named April May; A former minor league baseball player I met when I was in high school name Randy Randle (his real first name was Randle). COME ON PEOPLE!...give your kid a chance to have a seemingly normal childhood which will then give them the basis of a normal adult life.

2005-07-08T15:55:00.000-04:00

Die Hard Red Sox Fans Unite!

Growing up in New England it is almost mandated that we must be Boston Red Sox fans (unless you are from Southern CT then the identity crisis between the Red Sox and the Yankees begins). I, being the dutiful Nutmeger, grew up a Red Sox fan in happy Manchester, CT.

After my parents divorced, my father moved to New Britain. One weekend he, my sister and I went to see a New Britain Red Sox game and my infatuation with baseball began. My visits with my father started to revolve around the NB Sox home schedule. I started to read the sports page to follow the box scores...this is at the age of 12 or 13.

I got a job working in the concession stand at Beehive Field - not the most glamorous job in the world, but I got to see any game I wasn't working for free from the owner - Joe Buzas' office behind home plate (a great view). During my time there, I was able to see the likes of John Valentin, Mo Vaughn and Jeff Bagwell, among others, when they were being honed for the 'show'.

I also have memories of Scott Cooper who played 3rd while I was there. He was traded and never really made a dent in the majors, but he was fun to watch. I recall many times that my father would yell at him from the 3rd base grand stands asking him "Why do you always take an extra step...you only need 1 step." You had to know my dad...

Great memories which are the basis of my love of baseball. That love has ebbed and flowed over the years, but I don't think I could ever be anything but a Red Sox fan - EVER!

2005-07-05T10:09:00.000-04:00

Fun, Family Owned Businesses -

So this weekend made me think about family and family traditions. The one tradition I have very fond memories of is going to a warehouse to choose 'home-made' soda with my Dad and my sister. This didn't happen very often, but Avery Soda in New Britian, CT is awesome stuff. My favorite as a kid was the Lemon-Lime and the Birch Beer came in a close second. I have not been able to find a soda like it since childhood.

I challenge you to find a small, family owned business in your area that offers great service and a wonderful product like Avery does.

Good Luck!

2005-07-01T15:20:00.000-04:00

Happy July! This weekend sparks a ton of overt patriotism around the country. Teri and I are no different...if you are around the area this evening or even tomorrow, drop by...I am sure we will have a cold or frosty beverage that will quench the thrist of even the most parched bear!

Have a wonderful weekend no matter how or where you celebrate.

Happy Birthday America!

2005-06-30T11:20:00.000-04:00

Childhood memories...

The following lists things that I remember about childhood and make me smile now. Let me know if I am missing anything!

the sit-n-spin
chinese jumprope
Big wheel
having to wash my hands before piano lessons
swinging higher than my friends
the sandbox (I 'one' the sandbox, you two the sandbox...)
red rover, red rover, may I come over
red light/green light
the jungle gym at the school yard
the Muppet Show
of course - Mr Rogers Neighborhood and Sesame Street
3-2-1- Contact (with the Bloodhound Gang)
The Electric Company
Saturday morning cartoons (what ever happened to those?)