Season's Greetings!

Concealed Weapon?

Ok, this story had me laughing out loud!!!

John Sheehan, 33, was arrested yesterday near a train station in El Cerrito, California after police responded to reports that he was lying on a tree stump masturbating. When police asked Sheehan whether he was carrying anything like a weapon, he responded that he had an awl stored in his ass. Police were planning to bring Sheehan to the emergency room but he kindly removed the tool himself before an ambulance was called. From the Contra Costa Times:

Mindful that a 6-inch metal awl wrapped in black electrical tape could be used as a weapon, officers kept their weapons trained on the 33-year-old.

Sheehan went quietly afterward, without explanation.

Sheehan was paroled from state prison last week... Police booked him into County Jail in Martinez on suspicion of parole violations, indecent exposure and one felony count of possessing a concealed weapon.

Getting Inked

It occurs to me I've neglected to share a fairly recent experience!

For my last birthday I decided to get myself a tattoo.

I'd been thinking about it for a looong time, just hadn't been able to decide on what or where but finally made a decision. I did a couple of doodles, took 'em to a well-recommended shop and after two sessions of about an hour in the chair this is what I have to show:

Hurray for Hallowe'en !

Ain't he just the cutest thing??

Gettin' Ripped

Well, I finally got off my arse & rejoined the gym last month. It feels sooooo good to be getting back there! I'm loving hitting the weights again and even tolerate cardio these days, lol!

I've joined some weight-lifting forums & my goal is basically to get in kick-ass shape! lol!

Just thought I'd share! :)

Banned Books

I'm shamelessly stealing this from Solo Mom

Banned Books Week

Solo Mom writes:

"My favourite Stephen King quotation is about banned books. His advice is that if someone tells you can't read something, run, don't walk, to your local library and find out for yourself what all the fuss is about.

In honour of Banned Books Week, I'm offering a meme of sorts. Below is the ALA list of the 100 most frequently challenged books, 1990-2000. Bold the ones you've read. And then run, don't walk, to your local library."


Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Sex by Madonna
Earth's Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What's Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
What's Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
Guess What? by Mem Fox
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Fantasies by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
Where's Waldo? by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Hours of Browsing Fun!

I couldn't pick just one favourite from this store; you'll just have to check it out yourself! The name is perfect!

Creature Comforts

What a much more friendly-looking way to sooth a sore back or warm cold tootsies than those old-fashioned rubber water bottles!

"MomAngel"

A dear friend's mother passed away yesterday morning and it's just hit me hard. "MomAngel" as she was affectionately known was a strong woman who battled breast cancer for quite some time but various complications caught up with her.

My heart goes out to her family and I wish there was more I could do.

Photographic Periodic Table

This is the coolest periodic table ever!

You Gotta Be Kidding Me!

Bottled ice cubes???? Check 'em out here.

Too many people in my life have been affected by Breast Cancer, so I have decided to join in the Canadian Breast Cancer Run for the Cure, on Sunday, October 1st, 2006.

This year, an estimated 22,300 Canadian women and 160 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer. We know research is making a difference. Lives are being saved through earlier detection, and more effective treatments are improving the quality of life for those who receive this devastating diagnosis.

I am one of 170,000 participants who will all be walking or running on Sunday, October 1st and I would dearly love your support. Donating online is quick, easy and secure! You can pay by credit card and within 30 minutes, you will receive a tax receipt for any donation that has been successfully received. Your donation will be added to the critical funds raised by the Run, and will be directed towards research, education and awareness programs.

If you have a name you'd like me to add to my list of who I'm walking for, let me know! If you'd like to join, I'd love the ompany!

Thank you. I appreciate your support!

Donate now

When is it MY Turn???

Vent ON

It's been just over two years now since separating. In that time I've met ONE guy for coffee. No dates.

My ex has had a girlfriend/lover for over nine months now. My best friend separated a year ago and has a boyfriend. My neighbour separated a few months ago & has dates coming out the ying-yang. Another neighbour has been seeing someone for a few months now. Another friend broke up with her boyfriend a couple weeks ago and has been asked out on a date by someone else. When the HELL is it MY turn??

I've been getting out a lot this year, doing lots of different things, been really working at putting my life back together & overall despite my battles with depression, I think I've been doing a good job of it. My friends say I'm smart, funny, good-looking & fun to be with. Are they blowing smoke up my ass? If not, where the hell are the guys who think that?

Tried tha dating site thing - and the only offers I got were NOT for dating!

I MISS having someone to talk to about everyday stuff, to share my hopes and dreams with, to philosophize with, to laugh with. I miss the intimacy of a big hug, a liongering kiss, a soft touch, arms around me at night. I miss "in" jokes and doing things for a man I care about. I miss feeling wanted, needed and respected in a role other than mother.

I want to meet someone, get to know them, date, explore each other's minds and bodies and souls ........

but I can't even get to the first part if feels like!

:(

rant OFF

Sending Out an S.O.S.

Send your very own message in a bottle

NSFW

I soooooo want this shirt - it would be perfect to wear to the office on a Friday! :) The smaller writing reads "Co-Workers strongly cautioned. Some material may not be appropriate in a work environment."

Life Experiences Meme

Bold the ones you've done..

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne.
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain <-- I so want to do this!
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party (Ha! Yesterday, in fact!!)
75. Gotten divorced (well, separated, not divorced yet)
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81 Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children. (in process!)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery (breast reduction)
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived.
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach (ewwwwwwwwwww!)
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language (language? no. program, yes)
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident (minor fender bender)
150: Saved someone's life

Pardon my Language

... but I am soooooo fucking depressed and soooo fucking TIRED of being depressed.

I hate this. really really hate it. I did EVERYTHING I am "supposed to" to try & combat it today. Ate well, excercised, got some sunshine, talked to friends ... I tried to read & couldn't concentrate, managed to play with my son for a bit before the monster in my brain dragged my ass back down.

Saw the dr just yesterday .. and of course I felt halfway decent while there. I'm out of sick days at work & the idea of reduced pay stresses me out but so does the idea of going back full-time. I'm imagining that's part of what's brought me into the pit today.

*SIGH*

I fucking HATE this.

Bigger & Better Bartering

This is just one of the coolest stories I've read in a while! A blogger by the name of Kyle McDonald decides to try and barter his way into something bigger and better, starting from one red paper clip. Read about each of his trades on his blog!

Angry Women are Bitches

At least according to the majority of uis ;... here's a very well written post saying differently: here

New Look

Thanks to Blogger Templates I have a nice, fresh new look! :)

I've done very little customization so far, but I'm sure I'll be workign on that shortly! :)

Unexpected Answer

I was sitting outside with my friend, who also happens to be a single mother. A rather good-looking fellow walked up to us & tarted blathering on about some coupons he wanted to sell. We both nodded our heads but cut him off before he got to far explaining we had no cash & no credit cards.

"No problem! I can come back tomorrow!" he quips.

"What time"? I ask.

We set a time, he walks on to the next area, my friend stares after him.

"Who CARES what time? Are you maried? Are you single? Do you have a girlfriend??"

From her lap her son laughs "NO Mommy! I not married!!"

You just never know where you're going to get an answer from sometimes, lol!

Blogging Chicks

Well I decided to add my voice to the Blogging Chicks blogroll! :)

This quote:

"The whole blogosphere could be full of us. Think about it, the chickosphere."
Mrs. Lifecruiser of Lifecruiser.com

made me giggle & I think the concept is neat! :) Go sign yourself up!

ACK! and WoooHooo! all at once

Well, THE letter arrived yesterday. My son has just had a spot in JK confirmed. He & I did the Happy Dance at the mailbox :)

Once I got him into his bike helmet so he could happily ride around the courtyeard I read tha actual package - you should SEE the list of supplies! Good grief, I'm gonna be outfitting this lady's craft cuppies for the year!! What the heck? Maybe I should forward the list on to our local government??

I am so thankful that my son's daycare walks the kids over to chool & back - I have to admit the whole idea of drop-off at a BIG school scares the pants off me (and that is NOT a pretty sight folks!) Drop-offs are bad at daycare at least half the time - I am SO not up to attempting to drop Mr. "I'm Handsome NOT Cute!" off in a school-yard (parents are not permitted to enter the coat room!! :( :( )

Of course he has no concept of time so this mornign he wanted to know "I go to the big school today?" I have a feeling I'm going to be hearing that pretty much EVERY day for the rest of the summer!

Monty Python Toys

Ah, a site I could spend a LOT of time perusing! Let's see, so far my wish list includes

The Cow Catapult
The Lumberjack (read his description! :) )
and the Rabbit with Big Pointy Teeth slippers

heehee!

Shitty Coffee

No, really!

The KopiCommon Palm Civet is a a small cat-like wild animal native to Indonesia and Vietnam with a fondness for ripe coffee cherries.

Once eaten, the coffee cherries take the normal route through the animal’s digestive path. The amazing thing is while the fruit of the coffee is being digested, the bean is left largely unchanged, eventually passing in the animals droppings.

The droppings and their caffeine-laden content are collected by farmers. The coffee, Kopi Luwak, is then cleaned and the green, un-roasted bean shipped to roasters.

Here's an account of the tasting experience from the folks at Life After Coffee: Cup of Poop

The Cube Farm Song

heehee! Listen here!

Huh?

That's the word that has been coming out of my son's mouth soooo much lately .... and completely stomping on my nerves!I was repeating things 4 or 5 times to him while also trying to remind him of the more polite "Pardon?"

Well his check-up with the E.N.T. doc Friday showed the reason for all the repeating; he's got mild to moderate hearing loss! Smack me over the head with a DUH! for that one!

Apparently as he's grown, the tubes C. had put in a couple of years ago have shifted and are basically doing squat at the moment. For whatever reason these things happen, he has a fluid build-up behind his eardrums and this is the likely culprit for the hearing loss.

SO both a relief and a worry all at the same time!

The ENT wants to see C. in 6 weeks to see if the fluid drains away at all & also because his adenoids were enlarged & the doc wants to see if that was a lingering cold or if they need to come out. We're definitely looking at more surgery though, poor guy!

Meanwhile, it'll be at least 3 months before the surgery so C. & I are trying to learn some ASL to help our communication problems. Wish us luck!

Sensory Information Dysfunction

Bet you're looking at the title of this post and going HUH?! What the heck is THAT?! This is what my beloved son has. It's not been officially diagnosed, but between all the reading & research I've been doing, conversations with parents of children with this same whatever-you-want-to-label-it & a conversation with an expert, I'm pretty darn sure it's what my son & I are facing.

Basically it means he's tactile-sensitive. He freaks out if his socks are on wrong, will NOT waear jeans or overalls because they don't "feel right", much prefers fleecy fabrics to anything else, has a need to touch things more than other children his age, is in heaven in the fabric store, hates kids to be in "his space" when they're not actively playign together, needs lots of bear hugs but doesn't like lots of kisses, HATES haveing his hair brushed or washed, freaks out over his hands being dirty or sticky .....

I'd never heard of this until recently. I've always thought of my son as "sensitive" and a big of a "difficult" child. He's also VERY loving and adorable and knows how to use those to his advantage ;) EVERY caregiver has said the same thing about him - "He's adorable and so lovabel but he's also a pill!"

Having *finally* figured out there there's somethign behind this I have now got him on a waiting list for Occupational Therapy - who knows how long that wait could be!

Anyywas, I just felt the need to write a little about it so there you go, dear reader-who-stumbled-across-this-blog-randomly, a little lesson abotu a little-known "disorder"! :)

New Apple Store

I love the new apple store look - check it out! Reminds me of the one-way glass bathroom pics that were circulating some time ago!

Dance, Dance, Dance!

It's embarassing actually how much of this I recognized! Very funny! Watch this!

I hate myself

I just had one of theose moments where I caught sight of my reflection in a full-length mirror .. and the sight was enough to make me want to run home and get under the covers and not come out again unless dressed in something shapeless.

Between the latest meds and other stresses I have put on WAY more weight than I am comfortable with.

I hate what I see in the mirror.

I am a big fat pear. I have a HUGE butt and one of those awful hanging bellies.

I HATE me right now.

I know my activity level is bad. I know my eating habits stink. I know my meds make me more prone to weight gain. I know I have a LOT of stressors right now.

I still hate myself for letting things get to this point. I hate that many pants are getting tight. I hate the way I look in most of my clothes.

*SIGH*

I DID take that big butt out for a walk in the glorious sunshine at least after that awful glimpse.

But I still hate myself.

Baby + hand-knit socks = CUTENESS!

Shamelessly showing off both my new baby niece and the cute lil' baby socks I knit for her! :)

Need a Cuddle?

Feeling touch-deprived? Check out this site:

Cuddle Party

The descirbe themselves as "A boundary-appropriate workshop and social event for exploring touch, affection and communication." I call it wierd!

New cousin

My little guy holds his 2-day old cousin ever-so-carefully; aren't they sweet?

Julianna Joy

Julianna Joy
Originally uploaded by bluebunny.

I'm an Auntie!!! My brother and his wife welcomed their first baby, a daughter, into the world Friday May 5th at 3:03 am. Isn't she gorgeous??

Cute Overload! ;)

Cute Overload! ;)

Taxes Done!

Yay me! I got my taxes done & in the post by about noon yesterday, a good improvement over 9pm last year, lol! I'm such a procrastinator! I'm apparently getting a nice chunk of change back, wooo-hoo!

I'd be even MORE excited if it didn't all have to go straight to bills! Ah well, it's still a Good Thing!

Some babbling

Well I haven't posted in a VERY long time! Not that I think there's anyone out there who's been watching & waiting for a post, lol!

I returned to work part-time at the end of January. At first work was awful. I felt miserable every day and the depression got worse. I went through a good two & 1/2 months of not having a SINGLE "good" day.

Then I got my annual performance review.

It was AWFUL! Thank goodness it was only the draft as I have never before seen such a document as hurtful and untruthful as this! I ranted, raved, cried, worried and finally got to a point where I could tackle the thing calmly and cooly. After MUCH discussion the thing got reviewed to a point I could live with. After that somehow daily work wasn't so hard to endure!

Last week I FINALLY had a GOOD day! What relief! A sunny, warm day, with some unexpected good news that will make my financial struggles a bit easier, a day to do some reading and knitting and quilting, an afternoon of playing with my son, and snuggles at bedtime and a brain that actually LET me enjoy all that! Long overdue!

For now the sun is shining & I hope it stays that way for a while!