Gotta to Check it Out!
If you use Yahoo mail you have got to check out the new beta mail program. It works a lot like Outlook but within your browser. It has a calendar, contacts, to do list. You can display your folders on the left and drag and drop your messages into the right folder. It also has the preview pane function which I love. In fact it works so much like Outlook I’m wondering how they pulled it off without a lawsuit.
To try it out go to http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/. If you don’t like it you can switch back to the regular version. But I think you’re going to like it!
Tacky!
I can now tell people how to get to my house by saying "Turn right at the giant windmill." If this doesn’t seem odd to you then you probably live in some picturesque farming community. Lucky you. I DON’T. I live in the desert.
We live in a suburb of Phoenix that for the last 100+ years has been farmland. It is often referred to as Hicksville. Well in the last few years the growth in Phoenix has been tremendous so of course Hicksville has exploded. In the next 10 years the population is supposed to increase by 520%. So Hicksville is trying to shed it’s "old town" image – well at least by the people who live there and get those strange raised-eyebrow looks when you tell people where you live.
So we’ve got this nice large community that looks like every other suburb in Phoenix built in the last 10 years. Nice parks, the retail is coming.
Right behind us is a new section of houses called Windmill Village. So what do they do? They put up an ACTUAL windmill at the main entrance. I probably wouldn’t be so upset if it was something reminiscent of Holland, but it’s made out of aluminum and looks like something that was behind someone’s barn.
Meanwhile the Homeowner’s Association writes me a letter every time my garbage can isn’t put away by the end of garbage day. Whatever!!
Two steps forward, one step back.
Thursday Thirteen
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Thirteen Things I AM BUSYING DOING INSTEAD OF BLOGGING
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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Loud Talker Mom
It’s a Seinfeld episode come to life…Loud Talker Mom. Have you met her? I have, a couple of times. Last week it was at a big box store. My daughter and I were sharing a bargain lunch of hot dogs, chips and a shared coke for under $3. Loud Talker Mom was doing the same with her 2 kids, plus Icees.
Loud Talker Mom talks to her kids but what she’s really doing is talking to you. I’m not sure if she wants you to be impressed with her parenting skills or if she just likes to hear how she sounds.
"Oh Emma, be careful with your arm. You have to be gentle since you broke it when you fell out of the playhouse yesterday." (Emma is well aware of how it happened, but loud talker mom assumes that every adult in the snack bar is wondering why the little girl has a cast on her arm. I wasn’t.)
"This is such a treat for you guys to have Icees. I never let you have this much sugar. Gosh, you’ve probably only had Icees once before in your life."
(I’m supposed to be thinking "Wow, what a great mom." Instead I’m thinking "Bummer, dude. Poor kids.")
I try to turn my attention away, but it’s kind of like a car wreck. No matter how mad you are at all the other cars slowing down when they pass to look, you do the same. So I listen, pretending not too, because that’s what she wants. But the more disinterested I look, the louder she gets.
Then, while she has her attention turned to her daughter and is loud talking about preschool, her son, probably 2, manages to spill 1/2 his Icee on his shirt. He looks at her, looks down at his shirt. Looks at her again, tries to get her attention… but she’s too busy loud talking. So he tries wiping big globs of Icee off his shirt with a small paper napkin. By the time she notices he has most of it wiped up, little trooper. She has no idea that 1/2 of his precious Icee is now gone.
As we cleaned up and got ready to leave I just smiled, thinking what a nice surprise she was going to have when she picked up the pile of innocent looking crumpled napkins from the table. But I’m sure it will make good loud-talking fodder for the next time her kids have Icees in 2011.
Photo Hunt – Eyes
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Grab the Scavenger Hunt code. Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. |
This Week’s Theme: Eyes
Love this picture and the look in my brother’s eyes as he’s dancing with his wife at their wedding.
Baby Got Book
Just a little something fun for your Friday….
My Favorite Time of Year
I’m feeling vastly better today and Shannon’s post inspired me. It is my favorite time of year – fall TV. Yes, I love TV. I know my husband thinks I waste way too much time watching TV but it’s the way I wind down. After the kids are in bed and I’m done cleaning up I usually don’t want to do anything that requires too much thinking. And thanks to the DVR I can watch my shows whenever I want and save 15 minutes every time.
Every fall I have to weed through the new shows to see what looks promising. Cuz to be honest I don’t want to get hooked on too many shows. So this is kind of my evaluation period.
First there’s my current favorites:
- Grey’s Anatomy: I am positively giddy because tonight is the premiere! Yipee! I think this is one of the best written tv shows on right now. This is the only TV show that I’ve actually bought the DVD’s for.
- House: My friend Kristen got me hooked on this. I love medical shows and House cracks me up with his prickly personality. I laugh out loud at this show.
- Bones: The first time I watched it I wasn’t too sure but then I got hooked. There’s great chemistry between Bones and Booth and I’m a sucker for crime shows. There’s some pretty gruesome bones/corpse shots so definitely don’t watch w/ the kiddos around. Grosses hubby out too!
- Project Runway: This one is actually good summer fare and almost over.
- Amazing Race: I’ll take Race over Survivor any day. I love being able to see all those places – and they’ve added some new twists this season.
And for the new ones, here’s my list of shows that I’m giving a chance.
- Studio 60: I’ve been excited for this show because a) it has Matthew Perry b) it has Bradley Whitford c) it’s by Aaron Sorkin who did West Wing. I figured the writing has got to be good. After watching the first show I’m giving it a "wait and see". It was a little slow but I understand they had to set up the whole premise. The writing was good. I enjoyed the banter between Perry and Whitford. It was a little crude in spots but that’s part of the show is kind of a satirical look at television. One of the characters is a Christian and I’m interested to see how they portray that.
- Standoff: So far I really like this show. It’s about FBI hostage negotiators and there’s some great chemistry between the lead actors and good story lines so far.
- Justice: Really like this one too. I love Victor Graber from his Alias days and his character is pretty hilarious. It’s cool that you don’t know if the defendant is guilty or not until the end when they show the crime as it really happened.
- Ugly Betty: Premire’s next week so I’ll let you know
- Shark: Again, I love legal stuff and it’s an interesting premise. James Woods is a top defense attorney who then goes to work for the District Attorney’s office prosecuting cases. Premiere’s tonight.
So what are you watching?
Calling In Sick
I’m calling in sick to blogville for a couple of days. I’m hit with a very annoying cold or sinus or allergies or something and I am barely coherent, let alone in a state of mind to be witty.
Hopefully it will blow over soon and I’ll be inspired once again!
What Time of Day Are You
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You Are Midnight |
 You are more than a little eccentric, and you’re apt to keep very unusual habits. Whether you’re a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence – you like to experiment with your lifestyle. Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it. You enjoy staying home, but that doesn’t mean you’re a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends. |
Eccentric? – I don’t think so
Unusual habits? – like chewing too loudly?
Nightowl ?- most definitely
Living in a commune? – Is that what you’d call this?
Taking a vow of silence? – Obviously these people have NEVER met me!
Lie awake in bed? – Yes, but I’m usually thinking about the dirty dishes in the sink or the work piled on my desk, not world peace
Homebody – decidely so, but there are also times I just need OUT – kind of like the zookeeper feels at the end of the day.
Photo Hunt – Looking Up
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Grab the Scavenger Hunt code. Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. |
This Week’s Theme: Looking Up
One of the best tips someone gave me once when taking pictures was to take them from different angles. One day my daughter and I were jumping on the big trampoline in the yard and I took some pictures. I was lying down on the trampoline looking up at her and the beautiful sky.
