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Go Nigel, Go!
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Would You Like To Buy My Monkeys?
May
7
Meme Me Up, Karly
by Leslie
Karly tagged me for the 10 Things Meme and it goes like this: I write ten things about me, then I tag ten people and they write ten things about them, then they tag ten more people and on and on it goes until the world ends.
Now, here are my ten things.
- I love mowing grass. We have too much grass for one person to mow in one day at our house, so the whole family pitches in to get it done. Julia walks the property with her wagon, picking up rocks, sticks and other stuff that can get in the way. Dave and I mow - one of us on the riding lawnmower and the other using the push lawnmower (we switch off to make it fair). (I have to tell you - I am brilliant with the riding lawnmower. I mow in all kinds of awesome patterns. Yesterday’s mowing pattern was inspired by the letter ‘L.’ Next time, I’m thinking figure eights). Then, I run the weed eater while Dave cleans up and Julia waters the flowers. It’s about a six hour job and we do it every 5 days.
- I like to fantasize that I’m a contestant on American Idol. A lot.
- I used to dream about being on Star Search when I was little. I intended to sing Can’t Smile Without You if I ever made it on the show.
- I am all about this cover of Tracey Ullman’s They Don’t Know by Subterfuge.
- My maiden name is John. When I was in elementary school, I told my friends that Elton John and Olivia Newton-John were my relatives. (That was a lie.)
- I love lilies. I carried a bouquet of pink lilies when I married Dave.
- I cannot sleep without a blanket, even if I’m hot.
- My parents had planned to name me Paula Joann, but my mother changed her mind the first time she held me. She said I didn’t look like a Paula and named me Leslie instead. I have a Great Uncle Leslie. He has always believed I was named after him. I wasn’t.
- I am allergic to Penicillin. I always mispell that word. The only reason its spelled correctly here is because I looked it up. I also tend to put an extra ‘t’ in commitment.
- I have to clean my ears with Q-tips every time I take a bath or shower. I have to. I’m not sure what would happen if I didn’t do it. I think I’d probably spontaneously combust. I’m too scared to find out for sure so I’m just gonna keep doing it. Clean ears are happy ears.
Okay, now it’s time for tagging. So, I’m going to ta-
Hey, LOOK! Kittens!
Apr
9
I’m IT! My fabulous friend Mommy The Maid has tagged me. I’m supposed to list 5 things I am obsessive about. Then, I’m supposed to tag 5 people to do the same on their blog.
I have two problems with this:
1) Only five things? I could rattle off 30, easy. You’re probably saying, “Well, if there are so many, this should be a quick and easy post to write, Leslie. Bust it out, girl!” Not really. Narrowing down 30 things to 5 is tough, especially when I have to consider which ones will endear me to you and which ones will send you running.
2) I’m scared to tag people. Who likes being tagged and who doesn’t? How do I know? What if I’m tagging someone too much and they’re all, “Well, I did it the first time to be nice and now all she does is tag me. She’s a meme monster. A MEME MONSTER!” Then, there might be people who are like, “What about me? What’s wrong with me? She never tags me.” If I say I’m not going to tag anyone, well, ugh! This whole tagging thing is very complicated.
Okay, so on with the meme.
5 of my obsessions.
1)
A)* I am obsessive about my blog and the readers of my blog. (See above paragraph on tagging…and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You don’t even want to get me started on that bloglines subscriber I lost.)
*since I used numbers earlier in the post, I thought I’d better use letters here to avoid confusion. Not that I think you’re easily confused. I don’t. It just seemed right.
B) I am obsessive about the cash in my wallet. All of the bills must be facing in the same direction - no Presidents staring each other down in my purse - and grouped together by denomination from low to high. I don’t have as many rules for change except that I refuse to carry more than six pennies at a time. That’s just overkill.
C) I am obsessive about the birthday card I made and sent to PBS Kids Sprout in hopes of it being included in The Birthday Show for Julia’s birthday. I worked on that card for a long, long time. If it doesn’t make it to air, I’m gonna feel like one big loser. And I’ll feel stupid if I forget to watch the show on her birthday and never know if it made it, which is likely to happen considering her birthday isn’t until June 24th. I feel pretty sure some new information will bump that reminder right out of my brain before then. If you think of it, on June 23rd remind me to set my DVR to tape The Birthday Show the next day. Thanks.
D) I am obsessive about the way I shower. I have to go from the top down. I wash my hair first and my toes last. If I don’t go in order, I just don’t feel clean.
E) I have an obsession with zits. I’m a zit popper. They don’t even have to be mine.
Since that last one probably sent you all running, I guess there’s no one left to tag. Darn. Next time!
Mar
25
When I Think About Music, I Tag Myself
by Leslie
My good pal Gunfighter was tagged for an awesome music meme in which he was supposed to share 7 songs he is currently into right now and then tag 7 people. He tagged 7, including my husband. Then, he tagged two more. I was not one of those 7 9 people, so I’ve decided to tag myself. Ha!
Here are 7 songs that I can’t get enough of right now, in no particular order.
1. Herman’s Hermits - I’m Into Something Good
2. Dire Straits - Walk Of Life
3. The Beatles - Here Comes The Sun
4. Joe Satriani - Always With Me, Always With You
5. Sum 41 - Fat Lip
6. Smoking Popes - Lucky Day
7. Cheap Trick - If You Want My Love
Since I’m an illegal participant in this meme, I won’t tag anyone. If you want to play, go for it! Then, tell me. I’d love to know what you’re listening to now.
Mar
6
It’s All About Meme! And Food.
by Leslie
My delightful blogging buddy Vasilisa from Where Is My Dinner? has tagged me with a strangely delicious meme: Six Weird Food Facts About Me.
I’ve added a little true/false fun. Below you will find six weird food facts about me that may or may not be true. Make your guess, then use your mouse to highlight the white space below each fact to reveal the answer.
1. Cool Whip is my favorite frozen treat.
True. Give me a spoon and a container of Cool Whip from the freezer and I’m one happy girl. I actually prefer frozen Cool Whip to ice cream.
2. I love onions and can eat them whole, like an apple.
False. Onions are my least favorite food. It isn’t the taste so much as the texture. Biting into even the smallest chunk of onion can make me gag. My dad, however, loves them. He can eat them like apples. Ick.
3. I prefer to eat brownie batter rather than cook it and eat the brownies.
True. Weird, huh?
4. I detest sauerkraut, but eat it once every year.
True. I hate sauerkraut, but I eat it on New Year’s Day for good luck. I also hang my pillow cases out with pennies in them for the same reason.
5. I’m a sucker for fad diets and am always on one.
False. I’m a bit leary of fad diets. I did, however, survive on nothing but plain baked potatoes and Diet Pepsi for a while. I was about 16 pounds underweight after getting very seriously sick during my junior year in high school. I got such positive attention for the weight loss, I tried to maintain it with that crazy diet.
6. I’ve laughed so hard that I blew the barbeque corn chips I was eating out my nose.
True. Have you ever done the milk out the nose thing? Imagine that, but with corn chips. Barbeque ones. It happened to me in the 8th grade one day at lunch. It really, really hurt very, very bad.
If you’re up for this meme, consider yourself tagged!
Feb
25
What’s the question?
by Leslie
Let’s play a little Jeopardy. Here are the answers:
1. He published a blog post about my stinkers.
2. He cracked a rude joke while I clutched my pillow, with tears spilling down my cheeks as a character died on-screen in one of my favorite movies.
3. He kept me waiting for an hour and twenty minutes in bed after he said he was going downstairs to turn out the lights, but played Madden 2007 instead.
4. He threw down his controller and stomped off when I started beating him at the song Sweet Child O’ Mine on Guitar Hero II.
What’s the question?
Feb
7
You Don’t Know This But…
by Leslie
*One of my favorite quotes is this one by Lao Tzu: “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” I remind myself of that a lot.
*I dislike the word “hobby,” as well as the question, “What are your hobbies?” I have asked and answered that question on many occasions and I have no repulsion to the actual meaning of the word, there’s just something about the way it sounds that makes me feel, I don’t know, yucky. Although, I do sort of dig the pronunciation you can listen to here. Listen to it three or four times and it becomes pretty funny. I think that’s how I’m going to say “hobby” from now on, so maybe I won’t dislike it so much.
*One of my favorite recipes to make is this one that I found in a Just For Kids cookbook. You can check out the original recipe here. They call it Western Wagon Wheels. I call it delicious. Here’s how I make it for our family:
- Cook about two pounds of beef in a skillet on medium heat until it’s browned.
- Combine the beef, a box of pasta, 2 cans of stewed tomoatoes, 3 cups of water, two bags of frozen corn and a bottle of barbeque sauce in a pot and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover it and let it simmer about 35 minutes.
- Eat it with Chi-Chi’s Sweet Corn Cake and feel awesome.
*I used to make the cheese sauce for my Macaroni and Cheese in a little saucepan while the macaroni was cooking so I could be sure it was adequately mixed and then evenly distributed in the macaroni. Someone made fun of me in college for doing that. They told me it was weird and that everyone else in the world just threw the cheese sauce ingredients in with the drained pasta and mixed it all at once. So, I started making it that way. I think I’m going to go back to my old way of making it. It tastes better.
*One of my favorite songs is this one:
This 5 Things You Don’t Know About Me meme brought to you by a tag from Daddy Forever.
Feb
3
All About The 80s: The Killer Tunes
by Leslie
It’s the final installment of our All About The 80s week and you know we saved the best for last: the music.
But, before I delve head first into the wonder that was the 80s music landscape, Grimm and I would like to say Thank You! to Josh and Faith for participating in our retro adventure. The two of you made this project especially fun for us. Thanks for helping us rock the 80s!
Now, on to the music.
There’s so much great music from the 80s, but after a little research and a lot of thought, I came up with ten songs that defined the 80s for me. Here they are, complete with clickety links to the videos on YouTube.
Just Can’t Get Enough by Depeche Mode
Yeah, yeah. You already know how much I love this one.
Tainted Love by Soft Cell
What is there to say about this song? Nothing. There is nothing to say. You’ve got to sing. You must sing along. Unless you’re a robot.
I Melt With You by Modern English
This song feels like falling in love. I loved that feeling, even before I understood it.
The Tide Is High by Blondie
My cousin and I used to sing the chorus of this song over and over. We drove my aunt out of her head one day in the car. She made us get out and walk the last few blocks home because she couldn’t take it anymore.
Karma Chameleon by Culture Club
I remember jumping around the living room (and getting in trouble for jumping off the couch) while Culture Club played on Solid Gold. Happy times.
Girls Just Want To Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
One of the first albums I owned was She’s So Unusual. Although this song isn’t the very best from it, the song sums up how Cyndi Lauper made me feel: it rocks to be a girl.
Material Girl by Madonna
My friends and I won second place in an air guitar/lip syncing contest in 5th grade. I got to be Madonna. I even laid down on the stage and writhed. I was one saucy ten-year old.
I Think We’re Alone Now by Tiffany
There was no one I wanted to be more in the 80s than Tiffany. She was like my God, and the video to this song was my Bible. I spent many a school night dancing in front of my mirror to this one.
Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard
Why oh why isn’t this song on Guitar Hero? My life would be complete if it were. It doesn’t get much better than this. Oh, wait…there is one song that is better than this…
Living On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
Undoubtedly the greatest song of the 80s. Possibly the greatest song of all time. This song was grand and sweeping, larger than life - big, just like the 80s.
Feb
2
All About The 80s: The Way Cool Fashion
by Leslie
The 80s were big and so was the fashion. Here are ten trends I sported in the 80s.
Headbands. Think Olivia Newton-John in the Let’s Get Physical video. I was all about that look.
Leg Warmers. Thanks to Fame, I rocked this look even when I wasn’t exercising to Get In Shape Girl!
The off-the-shoulder shirt. Flashdance made it famous and it made my father furious. I used to stretch the collar of my shirts out so I could casually expose a shoulder. I balanced it out with a side pony tail.
Swatch watches. How many Swatch watches can you fit on your arm? None too many. The more, the better. The brighter the better. They don’t even need to tell actual time. They just need to look awesome.
Banana Clips. Every little girl loves horses. With this wicked product, I had my own mane.
Jellies. The shoes. The bracelets. The awesome.
Big, dangly earrings. I got my ears pierced in 1984 for the sole purpose of wearing a pair of feather earrings. They were earrings with a giant feather hanging from them. They were the greatest accessory I owned. Until my cat ate one.
Stonewash and acid wash jeans. I had to pay a little extra to look like I’d been wearing them for years, but it was worth it. Especially if I could find them with ankle zippers.
Neon. I had an assortment of neon shirts and matching socks. Sometimes, I’d layer my shirts and my socks, usually in a pink/green combo. When I wanted to step it up, I’d add a matching neon hair accessory, maybe even shoelaces. Although I was so bright I could be seen from space, I still couldn’t get that cute kid to notice me.
IOU shirts. Everyone that was anyone had an IOU shirt. If you had two, you were a celebrity. If you had more than that, you were worshipped like a God. I had one.
Can’t get enough 80s fashion? Visit Grimm, Faith and Josh for more!
Feb
1
All About The 80s: The Gnarly News
by Leslie
Here are the milestones and major events in the news and my life in the 1980s, in timeline form. Sort of.
1980 - Ronald Reagan is elected president, the U.S. boycotts the Moscow Olympics, Mount Saint Helen Erupts, and John Lennon is shot to death.
My parents were convinced I was a genius when I solved my Rubik’s cube…until I admitted that I hadn’t really solved it. I had cheated.
1981 - President Ronald Reagan survives an assassination attempt, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer are married, Sandra Day O’Conner becomes the first female Supreme Court Justice and the first test tube baby is born.
I was really into Star Wars. I carried a Yoda book bag and often insisted that my mom do my hair like Princess Lea’s ear muff do.
1982 - Seven people die from poisoned Tylenol, “Cats” opens on Broadway, Epcot Center opens at DisneyWorld and the first artificial heart is implanted.
E.T. phoned home and I was never the same.
1983 - U.S. troops invade Grenada, the Star Wars plan is proposed, Sally Ride becomes the first woman in space, and President Reagan signs a bill creating a federal holiday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
McDonalds introduces the McNugget and I find there is no happier meal.
1984 - Indira Ghandi is assassinated, a man opens fire killing four in a New York subway, Marvin Gaye is killed by his father, Michael Jackson is burned during the filming of a Pepsi commercial and Vanessa Williams resigns as Miss America.
I was all about fashion. I had my ears pierced and cut off my long hair, keeping only a totally awesome rat tail in the back.
1985 - Earthquakes devastate Mexico City, Live Aid raises funds for famine relief, New Coke is debuted and disliked, and the Nintendo Entertainment System is released in the U.S.
I was all about Madonna and frequently wore a pair of yellow lace fingerless gloves. I spent hours choreographing dance routines to every song on the Like A Virgin album.
1986 - Space shuttle Challenger explodes, a nuclear accident at Chernobyl spreads radiation, Geraldo Rivera opens Al Capone’s secret vault, and a human chain is formed for Hands Across America to raise money to fight hunger and homelessness.
Puberty hit me. It wasn’t kind. I suddenly had zits and boobs (and I didn’t want either of them). It was possibly the worst year of my life.
1987 - The DOW suffers the worst one day fall in history, Aretha Franklin is the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, baby Jessica is rescued from a well, and Prozac is approved by the FDA.
I learned that you should never, NEVER allow someone to give you a home perm as a gift.
1988 - George H.W. Bush is elected president, the PLO declares an indepedent State of Palestine, Sonny Bono is elected the mayor of Palm Springs, and televangelist Jimmy Swaggart confesses to an affair with a prostitute.
I was finally allowed to wear make-up. I attended my first homecoming dance where I had my first kiss with Brock Mason.
1989 - The tanker Exxon Valdez runs aground causing the largest oil spill in U.S. history, the Berlin Wall falls, Seinfeld premieres, Hurricane Hugo tears through the Carolinas and the Menendez brothers kill their parents.
My awkward stage came to an end and I finally hit the 5 foot mark in height. 5 foot 2 inches if you count my hair.
Be sure to visit Grimm, Faith and Josh for more gnarly 80s news!
Jan
31
All About The 80s: The Wicked Movies
by Leslie
The only thing as fun as watching a great movie is quoting a great movie. It’s a shortcut to shared feelings and a great way to gauge the coolness factor of potential friends. Here are some of the best quotes from movies in the 80s.
“I feel the need, the need for speed.” - Top Gun (1986)
My three best friends and I (we were nicknamed “The Brat Force” by…um…ourselves) used to say this a lot in Junior High School. Then we’d high five.
“Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.” - Spaceballs (1987)
Great quote for when you win at a game. Or anytime, if you’re an icy, blackhearted evil mommy monster, like me.
“Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn .” - Better Off Dead (1985)
It’s just good advice.
“He slimed me.” - Ghostbusters (1984)
The perfect response to a doggie kiss.
“I’ll be back.” -The Terminator (1984)
The best way to announce that you’re going to the potty.
“They’re here.” - Poltergeist (1982)
It’s what I say when unwanted visitors arrive. If you hear that sing-song phrase coming from inside as you’re marching up to my front door…well, I probably don’t like you. Sorry. Or not. If I don’t like you, you’ve done something to deserve it.
“Why does Andrew get to get up? If he gets up, we’ll all get up. It’ll be anarchy!” - The Breakfast Club (1985)
Is it ever a bad time to say this?
“What’s happenin’ hot stuff?” - Sixteen Candles (1984)
I say this to Dave. You know why.
“My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” - The Princess Bride (1987)
The best line to announce the start of a tickle fight.
“Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac…It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole!”- Caddyshack (1980)
I say it everytime we play golf. Every.Time. I can’t help it. It’s like movie-quote-specific-Tourrette’s Syndrome. Or maybe not (because I’m not sure that even makes sense). It’s just this thing I do that sometimes annoys people. I don’t think it’s a disorder of any kind. I don’t do it to be annoying. It’s actually fun if you’re the one doing the quoting. If you ever go golfing with me, I suggest you learn this in advance and just say it along with me. I’ll be very impressed with you and you won’t feel so annoyed with me. Everybody wins.
Be sure to visit Grimm, Faith and Josh for their take on The Wicked Movies from the 80s!
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I Write A Haiku Each Day
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Categories
- Daily Haiku
- Mommy’s Stuff
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You Should Do This
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Ooooooh. Aaaaah.
