Things I Heart: Digg

You know when you have those times when you're just not busy at work, or you're bored at home, and you just feel like playing around on the Internet?

J introduced me to a website that is perfect for just those occasions: Digg.

You just never know what little morsels you may find there.  Stories vary from the serious and newsworthy to the WTF? variety.  They find the best of the best from various websites and conveniently put them all in one place for your viewing pleasure!

Here are a few tidbits I found today:

Is King Tut's Penis Missing?
Wow- someone was really concerned that the world would find out that King Tut was less-than-well-endowed.

No Hope Left for Humanity: Twilight Now Destroying Marriages
I realize that the world is a little obsessed with the Twilight saga (for reasons absolutely unknown to me), but come on ladies...Jacob and Edward ARE NOT REAL!

The Funniest Sex Education Posters of All Time
My favorite:

20 Pale Ales to Help Quench Your Fourth of July

Beer = yum.

Okay, so as I look back at my favorites from today, maybe I don't so much read the serious and newsworthy articles on Digg.  But come on!  Those sex ed posters are FUNNY!

I'm Baa-aack!

With absolutely nothing to show for it.  I didn't take even one single picture during the entire (incredibly relaxing, sun-filled, sandy, surfy) vacation.

"What's that about?" you may ask.  "Did you forget your camera?  Was it malfunctioning?  Did your iPhone also suddenly cease to take photos?"

I wish I had an answer as plausible as that.  I brought along my (very nice and expensive) camera, and I had my phone with me pretty much at all times.  I just didn't bother to take either one out to snap even one measly picture.

Apparently, I have inherited my mother's "lack-of-taking-pictures" gene.  Her gene manifested itself once she started having children...there are a decent amount of baby pictures of me, but by the time you get all the way down to Scott, you'll be lucky to find one or two.

SO, in the hopes of being a better picture taker than my mom, I hereby pledge to do a better job of taking pictures with my (very nice and expensive) camera.

Feel Good Friday: Vacation!!

Vacation starts tomorrow!  I'll be spending the next week here with J and my family.

Enough said.

This one's for my MIL.

Yesterday, I somehow got sucked into watching "Toddlers and Tiaras" on TLC.  (I think it came on after What Not to Wear...so I didn't turn it on purposefully!)  Here is my professional review:

One word.

Crazy.

These parents are so nutty!  I watched a four year old little girl be pampered to a day at the spa, complete with facial, manicure, pedicure, and massage.  Now for myself, that sounds delightful!  But to think of spending that kind of money on a four year old kid, who would probably rather be playing in the mud?  No, thank you!

I heard about the money that "Pageant Moms" spend on those glittery, sparkly, tutu-type dresses.  They START at $650, and go up to $1500!  That's more than we spent on my wedding gown!

Those little girls are spray-tanned, made-up, hair-extensioned, fake-toothed, and dressed up like dolls.  Then they are berated by their parents for not "shimmying" enough on stage.

She doesn't want to shimmy...she just wants her blankie!

Whoa.

There was even a baby category, and there was a THREE DAY OLD contestant.  Don't you have anything better to do with your baby's first THREE days of life??  Like, I dunno, bond with your child?

All that being said...that show is literally like a train wreck.  I couldn't look away.

Luckily J shook me back to reality and turned off the television.

Doesn't look like there will be any pageants for the Anderson babies of the future.

I just couldn't let this one pass me by.

For several years now, whenever my family would make the trek from Cincinnati to Toledo to visit family, we'd always count on one thing as we merged onto I-75.

Touchdown Jesus.

Funny name, no?  Well, he was actually called the "King of Kings," but I'm sure you all understand why he was commonly referred to as Touchdown Jesus by us locals.

An absolutely ginormous statue (seriously, ginormous- 62 feet tall!) located at the Solid Rock Church, he was always fun to ogle as we motored past in the ole' minivan.  It was also fun to throw our own arms in the air, yelling "TOUCHDOWN!"

Sadly, Touchdown Jesus is no more.

He was struck by lightening Monday night, and destroyed.

I know, scary, right? 

Can you imagine driving along the highway and glancing out your window, only to see a 62-foot tall Jesus consumed by flames?

Here is all that remains of the beloved Touchdown Jesus.

Solid Rocks says they will rebuild, bigger and better than before!

Long live Touchdown Jesus!

Considering a name change...

Maybe confessions of a dark brunette with a hint of purplish-red?

iPhone self-portrait.  Smiling on the outside, crying on the inside.

I don't normally even color my hair!  I've been the same (almost) ginger for quite some time.  But lately, the ginger has been fading more and more.  So I just wanted to brighten it up a little.  You know, a little more ginger, a little less almost.

I guess this is what I get for being greedy with the ginger.  And for trying color in a box. 

Look for the gleeful return of (almost) ginger in 4-6 weeks when the color fades.

Happy Saturday!

Feel Good Friday: Avoiding Unemployment!

Good news on this terrific:

Folks, it's official.  I still have a job.

Remember back when I wrote this post?

The principal called me in to his office to tell me that since I was on a terminating contract, there were basically no guarantees for my job next school year.  I was totally unimpressed and carefree at the time.

But as the months went on and I hadn't heard anything, I'll admit.  I was ever so slightly concerned.  Then the county imposed a hiring freeze.  I was a little more concerned.  Then I got down to my last two weeks of the school year without any news, and I was more than a little concerned.  I was imagining-the-scenarios-of-me-being-out-of-a-job style concerned.

I thought to myself, "Self, what will happen if they do away with my program and I don't have a job next year?"  I thought about the special skill set that I have, having had a major and three minors in my undergraduate career, as well as a Master's degree and National Board Teaching Certification.

These are the options I came up with:

1. Barista at Starbucks.  Hey, there's a Starbucks on every corner.  Surely they need help at some of these locations!  I could look ever so stylish in my green Starbucks apron, and probably drink all the fancy espresso drinks I wanted (for just the cost of an arm, instead of an arm AND a leg!  Nice, huh?).

2. Grocery store bagger.  I think I'd be fine with this, as long as no one came through my line with pickled pigs feet or anything disgusting like that.  Oh, and I'd probably giggle at some of the people buying condoms, because come on...it's funny.

3. Delivery Girl.  Not sure what kind...pizza, maybe?  I could put one of those cool pizza signs on top of my car, and wear a pizza shop visor?  And my car would have a permanent pizza smell!  I would DEFINITELY NOT deliver for UPS, though.  You know how I feel about those brown shorts.

4. Diner waitress.  I could learn diner lingo, and yell things like "Gimme an Adam and Even on a raft, and wreck 'em, with a Harlem Midget, hold the hail!"  Wouldn't that be fun??  And I think Betsey really sounds like a good diner waitress name.

5. Sign twirler.  I've always wanted to know how those people spin and twirl those big cardboard signs!  This would be the perfect time to learn!  I could perfect my tricks while I advertised haircuts for $9.99, or $5 foot-longs from Subway.  Maybe I could even dress up like the Statue of Liberty and spin my sign, trying to get people to have their taxes prepared!

Luckily, none of these new professions became a necessity (although I really did like the diner idea).

The county lifted the hiring freeze, and my principal offered me my job back this week.  AND, with an even sweeter schedule than I have this year.

BIG sigh of relief.  I'm employed.

Happy weekend to you all!

Things I Heart

After writing the post about how much I heart IHOP, I started thinking...it probably won't be uncommon for me to write about things that I just love, love, love.  Enter new feature: Things I Heart.

Today, let me just say how much I adore Target's Daily Deals.

In reality, I just love Target.  All the time.  Period.

But when I discovered their "Daily Deals," my heart practically melted on the spot.  Every day, Target features five or so items on their website that are on SUPER SALE.  PLUS, free shipping!  What more could a girl ask for?

For example, I ordered this bathing suit...normally $34.99, on sale (for one day only!)  for $19.99.  Excellent deal!

Check it out here if you are interested in getting in on the Target Daily Deal action!  Believe me, Target lovers...it won't take you long to realize why I love the "Daily Deals" so.

Classic Literature: Epic Fail

I have a tendency to read crap.  Not quite such lowly fare as Harlequin romance novels, but your typical, run of the mill mystery, by the author who cranks out a new book every over month.

However, once in awhile, I get the urge to read something good.  Respected.  Classic.  And maybe, just maybe, it has appeared on Oprah's book club reading lists.  You see, I long to be well-read.  I'm an avid reader, just an avid reader of sub-par literature.


I used to be morally opposed to Oprah's book club.  I just didn't understand why just because the goddess of television recommended a book, said book had to immediately become a best seller.  Did anyone ever stop to think that maybe Oprah has crappy taste in literature?

But then last year I joined a book club.  Two of the books we read, Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides, and East of Eden, by John Steinbeck, just happened to be former Oprah picks.  And let me just say-
I loved. these. books.

As a matter of fact, I so enjoyed these books, as well as others that my extremely well-read former roomie suggested to me, that I thought I would try and make my way through Oprah's book lists.

Enter Anna Karenina.

Why I thought Tolstoy would be a good place to start is beyond me.

I went to my friendly neighborhood library and checked out the only copy of Anna.  (I can see why there was only one copy...I don't imagine it's a hot commodity.)  I began reading, and realized immediately that a 130 year old book that has been translated from Russian is not an easy read.

The book was due back at the library before I knew it.  I, of course, wasn't done.  (Not only was it a tough read, it was also about a million pages long.)  So I renewed.  And kept reading.  New due date was upon me before I knew it...renewed again.  And again.  And so on, and so on, et cetera...

That was approximately six months ago.  And today is a monumentous day.  I have finally finished the book.

As I was reading, there were a few points where I felt as though the story was getting interesting.  Those moments were short lived.  But I held out hope that once I got to the ending, everything would come together for me, and the story would somehow make sense in a wonderfully wonderful way.

Turns out- not so much.

The main character turned out to be completely unlikable.  Early on in the story, I felt for Anna, since she was trapped in a loveless marriage and was then scorned publicly after leaving her husband for her true love.  But it turns out, nothing could make her happy, and I will admit that after her constant annoying tantrums, I smiled a little smile when she finally threw herself under a train.

The secondary characters didn't really have any point to the story at all.  So glad I wasted a thousand pages worth of my time reading about them.

Final thoughts: I CAN'T WAIT to get to the beach in two weeks.  I plan on reading at least five books of pure crap.

Oh, yeah...and screw you, Oprah.

Girl's Night Out!

Last night, me and some of my girls went out on the town!

We went out to see 'Sex and the City 2', then in honor of the ladies in the movie, out for martinis, of course!

What a wonderful night.

Let's start with the movie review:  I won't go so far as to title my review "SUCKS in the City," as one reviewer so rudely stated.  But, as a true fan of the series, I can say that the movie was...meh.  The fashion was outrageous and our favorite characters were their kooky selves.  However, dare I say it...I was suddenly acutely aware that my beloved ladies are getting...old.  All of their desert romps while wearing haute couture  and 4-inch heels seemed even sillier somehow than they would have if the foursome were in their twenties.



Liza Minelli singing Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies" was, however, brilliant.

And the shoes...ah, the shoes.  How I love the shoes.

All in all, an enjoyable movie.  But my friend Beth may have said it best as we left the theater: "Is it okay if I hope there's not going to be a third one?"  Word.

And speaking of getting old...

We were positively giddy about the thought of going out for drinks on trendy downtown Glenwood Avenue after the movie.

Now, this is something we used to do on a regular basis back in the day.  But now, it's such a rare occasion, that you would have thought it was Christmas by the way we were acting.  As a matter of fact, one woman, who watched as we asked the bartender to take our picture, asked if it was someone's birthday, because we must be celebrating something!

Celebrating, indeed. 

Celebrating delicious drinks, good friends, and a oh-so-rare night out with the girls, Sex and the City style.










Cheers!

I Heart IHOP

Some days I just wanna go out for breakfast.  And when I go out to breakfast, I like to have one of everything.

That's why I heart IHOP.

What better place to be when one wants pancakes, and eggs, and bacon, and hash browns, and toast?

IHOP's menu was designed for a girl like me.  There must be eight or ten different menu items that include some variety of "one of everything."  Which makes the decision tough!

This morning, both J and I had our eyes on an omelette.  Which was a little sad, because you can't just go to IHOP and NOT have pancakes.  I mean, the place is a house of pancakes.  An international one at that!!  But our tears soon vanished when we realized that the omelettes were served with...you guessed it, pancakes.

Oh, happy morning.

I'm stuffed.

Feel God Friday: Pictures!

They say that a picture speaks a thousand words.

I love photos.  I think that a good photographer can really capture a moment, and that resulting photo will indeed speak to its viewer.

I, however, am not one of those good photographers.  But I would like to be!

I have a really nice camera that I bought a few years ago off of eBay.  I still don't know how to use said camera.  Even worse, I am constantly forgetting to bring said camera to photo-worthy events.  I am really trying to work on that.

BUT, I DO always have my trusty iPhone.  It takes okay pictures, not great ones.  But I found this app this week (yes, I know I sound like J) that I think is kinda cool.  It's called Hipstamatic, and it takes pictures that are "vintage" looking.

I know engineers have worked for years to constantly improve cameras and resulting picture quality, but I think it's kinda fun to have these pictures with such a unique look.

So this week (and always), pictures make me feel good.  And I promise, I'll keep working on my skills.

Until then, take a peek at some of my Hipstamatic shots (unfortunately, plants and animals were my only subjects this week...they can't run away).

In Memoriam

Thank you for being a friend.

Wait, what?

So has anybody else seen these new ultra-chic diapers, and their crazy commercial?

Denim diapers marketed to the baby fashionista.

And the best part?  The tag line is:
"The coolest you'll ever look pooping your pants."

Really?  I mean, really?

Graduation Weekend

I'm baa-ack!!

Sorry I've been gone so long, friends!  But with good reason- J and I were on a trip to Ohio over the long weekend.

Nah, it's not really that bad!  We even made it back to not-so-sunny North Carolina!  

My baby brother Scott is officially a high school graduate!

On Saturday, we had the distinct privilege to sit through THE most boring graduation ceremony known to man.  I mean, do the Distinguished Alumni really need to speak for half an hour??  I think not.  However, that didn't stop them.  And if you ask me, they really weren't all that distinguished to begin with.

We did get to enjoy a celebratory dinner at Montgomery Inn afterward.  This was worth the wait.  For those of you non-Cincinnatians, Montgomery Inn has THE best ribs on the face of the planet.  So good that even I eat them.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Here (and only here), I eat mean off of a bone.  They're THAT good.

Sunday was Scottie's graduation party at my parent's house.  Lots of good food to eat!  (Hmm, I'm sensing a theme here...do you think I was excited about the food??  I guess that's what happens when you're used to drinking a "shake" for the majority of your meals at home.)  Lots of friends and family were there, including one of the salutatorians of Scott's class.  This kid was the highlight of graduation (aside from my bro, of course).  His awesome speech included a rap in the style of "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and some self-deprecating ginger humor, which we all know I'm on board with.

Monday we were back in the airports, on our way home!

I had to include a few pictures of the glowy, trippy Detroit airport tunnel.  Coolest thing about Detroit, if you ask me.

Now, home sweet home and back to the grindstone.  In just a couple of months, Scottie will be livin' the North Carolina life, too!  He is NC State bound this fall!!  Huzzah!

All-in-all, not a bad weekend!  However, if I said I wasn't excited that this was our one and only graduation this year, I'd be lying.

But for a kid as cool as Scott, we were truly happy to be there to celebrate with him.

Happy graduation, broski!