Preppy Girl's Guide

The past week's been a whirlwind. I've been busy as all get out at work. Luckily, the long hard week was rewarded with two nights without the kidlets (thanks to Galoot's mom). Friday we hit a nice little restaurant where Galoot and I shared a bottle of a nice pinot noir called "Pinot Evil," yum. Saturday we headed out to the Cleveland area where two good friends were celebrating their recent Canadian nuptials with a "Brokeback Barbeque," complete with tequila and Karaoke. Fun was had by all.

I also slipped into "obsession" mode by visiting the house from, "A Christmas Story" in Cleveland. Here's how you might remember it:



Here's how it looked Saturday through my camera phone:


I would have liked to pose for a picture on the porch, but my bladder was on overload making it difficult to move (oh, FUDGE!) Maybe next time. The company who produces the "leg lamps" recently purchased the house and plans to open it as a museum. They are renovating the interior to be similar to the movie set. All the interior shots were not actaully filmed in this house. The outside will, of course, be restored to its look from the movie (yes, I know way too much about this). I will surely make another trip out once it's completed. Although you can't see it past the dumpster, the original shed out back (where he "shoots his eye out") still stands in all its green & gold glory. NADAFINGA!

He spoke at our "Institution" today - and he rocked. It was amazing! (Particularly since I tend to think of our clientele as predominantly republican.)

Because I was working, I did not hear a great deal of the lecture but I did make it down to the Amphitheater for a few minutes. It was awesome. In addition to his usual slide show he threw in a little information about our local lake (being formed by a glacier, and all...) which I thought was pretty cool. He sounded so natural and genuinely energetic. It was hard to believe it was the same, seemingly dull, guy who'd campaigned for president just a few years ago.

He'll be around for a few more days so maybe I'll catch a glimpse (though he's being very private, and rightfully so - he's on vacation after all!) Still, it feels really cool to be sharing the same town with Mr. Gore for a few days!

While it's still Thursday I think I'll eak out a list. Here goes:

13 Words and phrases I overuse:

1. Get this
2. Absolutely
3. Sweet
4. Cool
5. Perfect
6. Whatever
7. Nebulous
8. What is up with that?
9. Too bad, so sad
10. Shut it!
11. Ready Freddy?
12. Not a problem
13. HELLO?? (sometimes followed by "McFly??")

A somewhat boring list you say? - DEAL (oh, there's another one, jeesh).

Thanks to Stinkpaw for the following meme. Here goes:

1. Go to Wikipedia.
2. In the Search box, type your birth month and day (but not year).
3. List three events that happened on your birthday.
4. List two important birthdays and one interesting death.
5. One holiday or observance (if any).
6. Tag 5 more peoples - if you feel like it.

June 24

3 EVENTS

1. 1374 - A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion.
2. 1880 - First performance of O Canada, the song that would become the national anthem of Canada, at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français.
3. 1957 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment.

2 BIRTHDAYS

1. 1942 - Mick Fleetwood, musician (Fleetwood Mac)
2. 1947 - Peter Weller, American actor (ROBO COP!)

1 DEATH

1. 1987 - Jackie Gleason, American actor and musician (b. 1916)

HOLIDAYS

1. Fête nationale du Québec, also called St-Jean-Baptiste Day
2. Battle of Carabobo Day in Venezuela (1821)

How fun. I won't tag anyone but feel free to Wikimeme yourself!

Okay, so it seems a good number of the blogs I read are doing this list so here goes the Preppygirl version.

Pick one recording artist or group you like and answer the following questions with their song titles:

10,000 Maniacs

1. Are you male or female? I'm Not The Man
2. Describe yourself. Candy Everybody Wants
3. How do some people feel about you? You Happy Puppet
4. How do you feel about yourself? Like the Weather
5. Describe your "ex". Trouble Me
6. Describe your current significant other. How You've Grown
7. Describe where you want to be. Stockton Gala Days
8. Describe how you live. Among The Americans
9. Describe how you love. Even With My Eyes Closed
10. What would you ask for if you had a wish? A Room for Everything
11. Share a few words of wisdom. Don't Talk
12. Now say goodbye. Please Forgive Us

How fun!

Wikimeme is next Stinkypaw...

Howdy all. Here are 13 things I did today:

1. Got up and let the kids watch Pee-wee's playhouse before school (the old episodes are on Adult Swim weeknights at 11:00 - Tivo it!)
2. Drove to work in nice weather for a change. It has been raining for days.
3. Once at work, drove my daughter (via golf cart) to our children's school (where she can go for free in the summertime - can't complain about that job perk!)
4. E-mailed a friend in Iraq.
5. Ate breakfast at my desk.
6. Tried to figure out how my DVD burner works.
7. Put out various "fires" around the office.
8. Watched people play tennis out my office window.
9. Tried to figure out how my department's expenses are $30k over last YTD - yikes
10. IM'd my brother, my co-worker, and princess
11. Picked up my daughter at the babysitter (where she goes after school)
12. Listened to "Elbow Room" on Kidstuff (Sirius satellite) on the way home. Yesterday I heard the schoolhouse rock song about the consitution. I love satellite radio.
13. Got home to find my new sandals which I'd ordered last week. They are way comfy and made by birkenstock. Love 'em! Here's a little piccie:

Hope you had a great Thursday!

Today at work, my assistant brought me a piece of mail. The envelope had been marked "return to sender, no such number." I looked at the addressee information to see the following:

Ms. Cunthia Smith
123 Main Street
Blah Blah Blah

CUNTHIA? Thank GOD it came back in the mail. I don't know what's worse; the fact that one of my customers almost got a piece of mail addressed to CUNTHIA - or that one of my employees *actually thinks CUNTHIA was the lady's first name. If nothing else, it provided us with a reason to laugh our asses off this afternoon (which we ALL needed).

*I realize the "u" and "y" keys are next to each other on the keyboard but the kid who typed in the name actually had to manually type the customer's first name into her computer file in two separate places. Cunthia both times around.

This is an old joke of my mom's. "Why is the fourth of July? J - is the first, U - is the second, L - is the third, and Y is the 4th of July!" Okay, not so funny, but cute all the same. How's everyone doing? Things around here are nutty as usual. I am in fact working on the 4th of July but I'm going to scoot out a little early to head over to my dad's for a barbecue.

By the way, we went to the drive-in to see Superman last night and while the movie was just so-so, I now have a new "movie boyfriend" - Brandon Routh. Coincidentally, I also have a thing for Smallville's Tom Welling. (Come to think of it, Dean Cain ain't so bad either - Maybe I have a Superman complex?) :-D

On a separate note, here's a nice wine rack I got for Christmas. We (okay, Galoot) finally got around to hanging it in our kitchen last weekend. It's pretty sweet!



Already has a little wine stain from a "not-so-tight" cork, but I figure it gives it character. Now I just need a few more bottles to fill 'er up!

Hope you all have a great 4th!