Rock On!

Here's my imaginary rock band's first imaginary cover (doesn't look like it would attract much attention, let alone go platinum, does it?):

This was created by a musically inspired Meme found at Vexed in the City called the Let's Make a Band Meme!

The rules are as follows:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RandomThe first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.(you might have to click new random quotes at the bottom)

3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

You then take the pic and add your band name and the album title to it, then post your pic. Tada!

Tagged yet again...

Tag : Three Things About Me
This is another simple tag "3 things about me".

Three things that scare me
1. The thought of losing a loved one
2. Driving in Boston
3. Snakes

Three people who make me laugh
1. Karyn
2. Suzanne
3. Sharon

Three things I love
1. Family
2. Sleep
3. A good book

Three things I hate
1. Mean people
2. Fake people
3. Being ignored

Three things I don't understand
1. Algebra
2. Drinking to the point of vomiting
3. Keeping up with the Joneses

Three things on my desk
1. Camera
2. Cordless phone
3. Unpaid bills

Three things I am doing right now
1. Answering these questions
2. Fretting
3. Listening to 10,000 Maniacs (and the sounds of a couple of maniacs who are supposed to be cleaning the playroom)

Three things I want to do before I die
1. Travel more
2. Enjoy grandmotherhood
3. Celebrate my Golden Wedding Anniversary

Three things I can do
1. Speak Danish
2. Lots of crafts - knitting, sewing, cross-stitch, hardanger...
3. Bake

Three things I can’t do
1. Pee standing up
2. Drive a tractor
3. Wink with my right eye

Three things I think you should listen to
1. Music that makes you feel happy
2. People who support you
3. The sounds of nature

Three things you should never listen to
1. VERY LOUD music - you'll damage your hearing (consider that a public service announcement from your friendly SLP)
2. Obnoxious people (drunk or not)
3. Whining children

Three shows I watched as a kid
1. Little House on the Prairie
2. Mighty Mouse
3. Creature Double Feature

Three people I tag
1. Consider
2. Yourself
3. Tagged

I've been tagged...

Not once, but twice....for the same meme.

OK, so here goes:

Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.
The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.
At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. I like to bake, but not really cook. I think because when you bake you pretty much have to follow the recipe but with cooking there is more experimentation that can happen and I'm not very good at it. I also have a sweet tooth that is fed nicely by my baking habits.

2. I am not very kind to house plants. We have a few that we have had for years that I would call our "iron clad, foolproof" plants, but too many have died under my care that I tend to just stick to the few that we have that seem to have way more than 9 lives.

3. I love sheep. I used to have a collection of sheep - stuffed animals, statues, and the like. But, I've tried to rid my life of many knick knacks so I only have the odd pin in my jewelry box, one very special stuffed animal sheep that my MIL gave me a number of years ago and a cross-stitch project that I did before Rebecca was born that has sheep on it. There is a farm around the corner that has sheep and I smile whenever I drive by and see them. (I was just thinking that perhaps my Patronus would be a sheep!)

4. I love reading, but I don't read as much as I used to (gee...wonder why?). I love nothing better than getting sucked in by a story and getting to know the characters really well. I especially love when I become so engrossed that I think about the book even when I'm not reading it and wonder about the people in the books as though they are real... But when I get that involved I'm alway so sad to say "goodbye" to the characters at the end of the book. Am I just a weird freak or does anyone else know what I mean by that? It doesn't happen often but I love when a book can get to be that obsessive for me.

5. If I drink beer not long after I eat chocolate I get violently ill. It took me a couple of years into college to figure this one out. I don't generally eat chocolate and drink beer at the same time, but it dawned on me that the times I've gotten sick from drinking seemed to be on Halloween when I've had those two substances in close proximity. I don't tend to drink heavily enough for it to be just the alcohol...in fact, I've only ever done that once and it was such an awful experience that I've never had that much to drink again...so my best guess is that I can't eat chocolate and then drink beer or I throw up. I've never attempted to confirm this theory and I don't ever plan to!

6. My undergraduate degree is in Linguistics and Anthropology which is a far cry from what I expected to major in and which was only a stepping stone to what I eventually decided to do for a living. I went to UMass expecting to major in business and actually hoped to go on to do something in "International Buisness" or some such (I wanted to find a way to move back to Denmark something fierce!). But, I was not accepted as a "pre-business" major and then I nearly failed the first pre-requisite (Microeconomics) which led me to abandon any hope of doing anything business related. I delcared my major in my junior year having no idea what I would do once I actually graduated. Then during my senior year I learned about the existence of the "Communication Disorders" department which led to my eventual desire to attend graduate school and become a Speech-Language Pathologist.

7. I hate talking politics and I don't particularly like any politician - nor do I trust them - but my leanings tend to be towards the left of middle on many issues. Which is in stark contrast to my parents' views (as well as most of my siblings). I often wonder how I came to have such a different perspective on life. My parents, however, are convinced that I was "brainwashed" by all those "damn liberal professors" at UMass. So, I try very hard to avoid the subjects of politics and religion (I was raised Catholic and am now a member of a Protestant church - much to my parents chagrin) when with most of my family.

8. I will go gray naturally (and actually I have a pretty good start on that already). I have never colored my hair and I never plan to.

Phew. OK. I finally made it through my list of 8 things. I don't even know if I have 8 friends who blog to tag with this meme!! And the few who I do know have already done this or been tagged. So, if you are reading this and think it would be fun to do - consider yourself tagged and then post a comment or email me to let me know you've blogged this meme yourself so I can go read it!

Time for MeMe

Ripped from Karyn at Vexed: THIRTY NINE!


Thirty Nine Things About Yourself

[one] what is your natural hair color?
Dark Brown

[two] where is your default picture taken?
In the living room

[three] what's your middle name?
I was not given one at birth so my maiden name became my middle name when I got married

[four] your current relationship status?
Happily married...very happily for over 12 years, in fact!

[five] does your crush like you back?
What crush?

[six] what is your current mood?
Mixed emotions - generally happy about most stuff with a smattering of unease about a few issues. What can I say....I'm complex.

[seven] what color underwear are you wearing?
boring white...

[eight] what makes you happy?
Lots of things - but mostly the loves of my life (Rick and the girls)

where is number [nine]?

[ten] if you could go back in time and change something, what would you change?
Nothing really comes to mind...

[eleven] if you must be an animal for one day, what would you be?
Ummm.....a bird, I guess. Or maybe a dolphin...

[twelve] ever had a near death experience?
No.

[thirteen] something you do a lot?
"Play" on the computer :-)

[fourteen] the song stuck in your head?
None at the moment. Thankfully. Usually I have some annoying kids song stuck in my head!

[fifteen] who did you copy and paste this from?
Karyn

[sixteen] name someone with the same birthday as you?
Scott Hamilton, LeAnn Rimes, Emma Samms, Donald O'Connor, Leo Tolstoy

[seventeen] when was the last time you cried?
June 2nd - during an argument with my brother who was being an asshat

[eighteen] have you ever sung in front of a large audience?
Absolutely not...

[nineteen] if you could have one super power what would it be?
I think it would be cool to have some kind of magic healing powers - think "Lucy" from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and her bottle of magic potion!

[twenty] what's the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Smile, eyes

[twenty-one] what do you usually order from starbucks?
I prefer "plain jane" coffee with cream, no sugar. I don't "do" Starbucks. (Truth be known, their menu intimidates me.)

[twenty two] what is your biggest secret?
I have a secret? If I did have some big ole stinkin' secret, why should I put it out there for all to see?

[twenty-three] favorite colors?
blue and green

[twenty-four] when was the last time you lied?
I don't know. I don't think I've had to lie about anything in a long time (unless we are counting the little white lies that are social norms like telling a grocery clerk you are "fine" when you really aren't...)

[twenty-five] do you still watch kiddy movies or tv shows?
Ummm...yes. I do have young children after all. But, Rick and I decided to check out "Over the Hedge" just last night...ya know...to make sure it was okay for the kids to watch...ahem.

[twenty-six] what are you eating or drinking at the moment?
Oatmeal with apples, strawberries (fresh-picked from the local farm! YUM!), coffee with fat-free half-n-half

[twenty-seven] do you speak any other language?
Danish - but my vocab is very rusty. I sooo wish I had someone to converse with regularly so I could work on my vocab and general Danish language skills....

[twenty-eight] what's your favorite scent?
the ocean (well, not at low tide...), lavender, coffee, cinnamon, fresh basil
sorry - couldn't limit that list to just one...

[twenty-nine] if you could describe your life in one word what would it be?
blessed

[thirty] when was the last time you gave/received a hug?
early this morning

[thirty-one] have you ever kissed in the rain?
Nope. Can't say that I have. Perhaps I should give it a try one of these days...

[thirty-two] what are you thinking about right now?
That I really should get showered and dressed and ready for the day...

[thirty-three] what should you be doing?
See above...

[thirty-four] what was the last thing that made you upset/angry?
I'm with Karyn on this one: Asshattery (see #17)

[thirty-five] how often do you pray?
Everyday "informally" and I do go to church most Sundays

[thirty-six] do you like working in the yard?
Not particularly. I'm not much of a green thumb, but I do like the proceeds from the garden that Rick started this year and I try to help out with watering and the like...

[thirty-seven] if you could have any last name in the world, what would you want?
What's that saying about "a rose by any other name"....LOL I find this an odd question. Perhaps if I had a 'crush' I'd have an answer?

[thirty-eight] do you act differently around your crush?
See? There it is again! I don't have a crush...so I guess I just act like my normal, old self no matter what...

[thirty-nine] name one song that reminds you of an ex?
Ummm...not only do I not have a 'crush'....I also do not have an 'ex'! I married my first love! But to give some sort of answer I think of my love when I hear "Tall Cool One" by Robert Plant. ;-)

And in keeping with Karyn at Vexed I will give you the opportunity to ask a question that can take the place of the Missing Number Nine...

Anyone? Anyone? ........... Buehler?

Another meme...

This one comes via Karyn of Vexed fame.

Here's what you do:


1. Go to wikipedia and type in your Birthday Month and day only.

Ok, done. August 28th has been entered.

2. List 3 Events that occurred that day.

1565 - St. Augustine, Florida, established. It is the oldest surviving European settlement in the United States.

1943 - In Denmark, a general strike against the Nazi occupation is started.

(you know I had to throw that in with it's reference to my dear beloved Denmark)

1963 - During a 200,000-person civil rights rally in at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr. gives his famous I have a dream speech.


(I actually did not know that that speech was given on that date!)


3. List 2 important Birth days.


1908 - Roger Tory Peterson, American ornithologist (d. 1996)

1925 - Donald O'Connor, American singer, dancer, and actor (d. 2003)

...and quite a few others I recognize as well!

4. List 1 Death.

1976 - Anissa Jones, American actress (b. 1958)

Oh crap - I never knew that "Buffy" died on my 6th birthday!

5. List a Holiday or Observance.

Many Christian churches: feast day of Saint Augustine of Hippo.

(Who? I guess I need to go click on that link...)

6. Tag 5 other bloggers.

If you are reading this and have a blog consider yourself tagged. I don't get enough traffic around here to name enough people who might happen to find me and realize they've been tagged.

So there you have it! The date of my birth in all it's glory. Now go mark your calendar!

Virtual Cocktail Party

Ok, so I went over to Vexed in the City this morning and got tagged with this Virtual Cocktail Party meme. I'm supposed to find five (bloggable) things that you might not know about little ole me. And, as usual, consider yourself tagged in kind if you are reading this!

1. This may come as no great surprise if you know me at all, but you may not be privy to the fact that I have never, ever smoked a single cigarette. Not even a puff. I was once tempted to try one at a party when I was living in Denmark, but I didn't follow through.

2. Something that may or may not be common knowledge for most of you (Rick doesn't count because there is not much, if anything, that he doesn't know about me!) - beer and chocolate don't mix for me. I don't like the taste of them together, obviously, but if I eat/drink them in the same time frame (of probably a few hours) I puke my guts out.

3. I am a published translator. A few years out of college I translated two short stories from Danish to English for a collection of short stories. I have a few copies stored away in a box somewhere... The author of one of the short stories liked my translation so much she sent me a book she wrote in the hopes that I would enjoy it and translate it. I never got around to reading it and now it would be very hard given my decreased Danish language skills! Anyway, my short stories appeared in the March 1995 issue of the Review of Contemporary Fiction (under my maiden name Griffin).

....ummmmmm more later. I've come back to this post a few times and still can't think of anything to say...

Ok, I thought of a couple more while I was getting my upper body workout done for today...

4. I once auditioned for "Community Auditions" (Talent Show on Channel 56? in Boston). I was, I think, in 8th grade, and it was a actually with my friend Katie - we played a HORRIBLE flute duet. Why we ever thought we could get on the show is beyond me but I remember it being a long day of waiting in line with butterflies in my stomach. Such fun! ;-)

"Star of the Day
Who will it be?
Your vote may hold the key!
It's up to you!
So tell us who!
Will be...Star of the Day!"

5. I have come close to failing only one class ever in my life. My freshman year I took Microeconomics in the hopes of eventually becoming a business major (don't laugh). It was in a classroom dubbed "the cave" by many students - a huge 500-seat lecture hall (but many of the seats were broken so I think the classes held there were on the order of 250-300 students) with poor acoustics and even worse lighting. It was easy to fall asleep during that lecture and I had a foreign teaching assistant who was impossible to understand and who seemed to understand our questions even less. I can recall sitting in the lecture hall during the midterm and later the final and sweating profusely with tears in my eyes because I felt like I was trying to decipher a foreign language. I honestly had NO idea what the hell the questions were asking me to do. It was a scary moment for me - I thought about how disappointed my dad would be (he encouraged the business major thing and I was all for it at that point because I had this fantasy of living in Denmark and doing some kind of job in international business....didn't I just tell you not to laugh!?...of course dad had hopes that I would come back home and work for the family business...) and the thought of actually FAILING a class was unfathomable! I was not exactly an "A" student throughout high school but I got by just fine with mostly Bs, a few As and, if I recall, a couple of Cs thrown in for good measure. I remember being home over January break and being very moody and cross and having my mom ask me what was wrong and I broke down in tears and screamed that I "FUCKING FAILED MICROECONOMICS!" Yep...I think that was the first time my mom heard me swear! Turns out I did better than at least a few of the other students in the class because by some miracle I got my report card in the mail and I was blessed with a CD. Still not a grade to be proud of, but I did not lose all credit for the class. I did, however, change my status from "business major wanna-be" to simply "undeclared" and it was not until late in my sophomore year that I decided to major in Linguistics with a concentration in Anthropology.

Ok, so some of you probably already knew some of this stuff, but it was the best I could come up with!

Not entirely good-goody, but not really a bad influence either...

You go over 45, you’re a bad influence.

If you go under 10, chances are you live under a rock and have no life… even more harsh.

Total the number of things in each list you’ve done.
No need to say which ones.
If people really want to know they will message you.

1. smoked.
2. consumed alcohol.
3. slept in the same bed with someone of the opposite sex.
4. slept in the same bed with someone of the same sex.
5. kissed someone of the same sex.
6. had sex.
7. had someone in your room other than family.
8. watched porn.
9. bought porn.
10. done drugs.
TOTAL: 6

1. taken painkillers
2. taken someone else’s prescription medicine.
3. lied to your parents.
4. lied to a friend.
5. snuck out of the house.
6. done something illegal.
7. cut yourself.
8. hurt someone.
9. wished someone to die.
10. seen someone die.
TOTAL: 7

1. missed curfew.
2. stayed out all night.
3. eaten a carton of ice cream by yourself.
4. been to a therapist.
5. been to rehab.
6. dyed your hair.
7. received a ticket.
8. been in an accident.
9. been to a club.
10. been to a bar.
TOTAL: 4

1. been to a wild party.
2. seen the Mardi Gras.
3. drank more than four beers in a night.
4. had a spring break in Florida.
5. sniffed anything.
6. wore black nail polish.
7. wore arm bands.
8. wore t-shirts with band names.
9. listened to rap.
10. own a 50 Cent CD.
TOTAL: 1

1. dressed gothic.
2. dressed prep.
3. dressed punk.
4. dressed grunge.
5. stole something.
6. been too drunk to remember anything.
7. blacked out.
8. fainte3d
9. had a crush on a neighbor.
10. had someone sneak into your room.
TOTAL: 4

1. snuck into someone else’s room.
2. had a crush on your best friend.
3. been to a concert.
4. dry-humped someone.
5. been called a slut.
6. called someone a slut.
7. installed speakers in your car.
8. broken a mirror.
9. showered at someone of the opposites sex’s house.
10. brushed your teeth with someone else’s toothbrush.
TOTAL: 6

1. consider/considered Ludacris your favorite rapper.
2. seen an R-rated movie in theater.
3. cruised the mall.
4. skipped school.
5. had surgery.
6. had an injury.
7. gone to court.
8. walked out of a restaraunt without paying/tipping.
9. caught something on fire.
10. lied about your age.
TOTAL: 5

1. owned/rented an apartment.
2. broke the law in the police’s presence.
3. cheated with someone.
4. got in trouble with the police.
5. talked to a stranger.
6. hugged a stranger.
7. kissed a stranger.
8. rode in the car with a stranger.
9. been harrassed.
10. been verbally harrassed.
TOTAL: 6

1. met face-to-face with someone you met online.
2. stayed online for 12 hours straight.
3. talked on the phone for more than 4 hours straight.
4. watched TV for 12 hours straight.
5. been to a fair.
6. been called a bad influence.
7. drink and drive.
8. prank-called someone.
9. laid on a couch with someone of the opposite sex.
10. cheated on a test.
TOTAL: 5

OVER ALL TOTAL: 44 (I guess I'm just barely NOT a bad influence. Phew.)