tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25454909184880560442024-03-14T10:21:30.187-05:00Notes from the Laundry PileAn Exercise in RandomnessAmelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.comBlogger620125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-90030818777445371152013-05-11T02:12:00.003-05:002013-05-11T02:12:55.397-05:00Changing addressesBlogger, addresses, that is.<br />
<br />
Though, I very nearly went to WordPress.<br />
<br />
It started after I presented the world with my<a href="http://ameliaantwiler.blogspot.com/2013/03/so-i-wrote-story.html"> book</a>. I was setting up an <a href="http://instagram.com/onyxkey">instagram account</a> and realized that the disassociated words I was going to use was a better user name. In fact, it was a superb user name. So I edited out what I was going to type there, and inserted OnyxKey.<br />
<br />
I knew I was going to need to blog more... because, why not? But I wasn't sure I wanted to keep up with this one. So I started a new one, to see if the content was different. Or even if my motivation was different.<br />
<br />
The jury's still out.<br />
<br />
Still, I have no desire to blog here. That's been part of the reason for my absence. <br />
<br />
It's kind of hard to explain. With the presentation of the story, a focus shifted. I'm still trying to figure it out myself. It feels like moving on... from one place to another. Which, I guess is what I'm doing.<br />
<br />
We're moving physically. I moved bloggily.<br />
<br />
Change is good.<br />
So here's my change of address form.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ameliaantwiler.blogspot.com/">http://ameliaantwiler.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<br />
See you there. Come share the randomness with me.Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-65160705099643295572013-02-23T13:11:00.001-06:002013-02-23T13:11:29.523-06:00It's Time - a musical moment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-27159190222864667472013-02-13T16:10:00.003-06:002013-02-13T16:33:28.599-06:00Every. Single. Time.This is what happens when someone asks me "What's new?"<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
It doesn't matter how the question might be reworded - there is that 'mind-blanking' moment. The kind you only get when the words 'pop quiz' are uttered.<br />
<br />
Forget the fact that ...<br />
<br />
I might be broke.<br />
<br />
The windshield is cracked.<br />
<br />
The dog ate the trash.<br />
<br />
That J-man's reading is improving.<br />
<br />
That Mini-E writes with scary accuracy. (Seriously, she's 7 and writes better than the 14 year old)<br />
<br />
Oh, yeah. The birthday for the 7 year old is tomorrow - she'll finally be 7.)<br />
<br />
Then there's the: New stories in my head.<br />
<br />
The fact that I saw a funny movie. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siEHekc-1oE">(Pitch Perfect)</a> and a lovely movie - <a href="http://www.thehobbit.com/">The Hobbit</a> (proof that dwarves can be "Hawt.")<br />
<br />
That I just discovered the show <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Upon_a_Time_(TV_series)">Once Upon a Time.</a><br />
<br />
The boys are building worlds after worlds on <a href="https://minecraft.net/">Minecraft</a>.<br />
<br />
Valentine's day marks the 16th anniversary of my meeting the Professor.<br />
<br />
Then there's the secret stuff - like...<br />
<br />
We have another job opportunity.<br />
<br />
we got no snow this winter and I'm really disappointed..<br />
<br />
I haven't been sleeping well.<br />
<br />
I'm glad I'm not pregnant - but writing about pregnant women makes my hormones rampage. It's weird.<br />
<br />
and the not-so secret stuff<br />
<br />
I bought Kat Martin's book at Target instead of Barnes and Noble.<br />
<br />
I just discovered Marie Hall's<a href="http://mariehallwrites.blogspot.com/p/books-and-new-releases.html"> Kingdom Series.</a> And I've loved the books to the point of - well, it was like eating the whole cake.<br />
<br />
But you ask me 'What's new?" and ...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-59094693494979323272013-02-13T11:13:00.001-06:002013-02-13T11:13:28.228-06:00A little morning grooveI love music.<br />
Just about any kind of music.<br />
I mean, I have my favorites. I really like Blues. I like some jazz...and then bits and pieces of every other genre.<br />
If I gotta listen to rap, please make it old school ... and I don't like being screamed at.<br />
I'll listen to something at least once.<br />
<br />
I've got certain CD's I play when I'm writing. There's CD's specially crafted for driving. Then there are the Sing along songs. Also good for driving and embarrassing the children.<br />
<br />
Then there's Queen.<br />
<br />
They fit in so many categories. If I were to make a mix CD for kitchen/car/writing - there'd be at least one song of theirs on the CD. I can guarantee it.<br /><br /><br />
<br />
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Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-84961344670293489692013-02-03T01:00:00.000-06:002013-02-03T01:00:03.419-06:00Lost: two weeksI lost two weeks. Roughly.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
First Mini-Me got sick. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
No flu - that's not allowed at our house - but there was fever. And snot. and coughs and misery.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Like dominos the others fell sick. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Then I got got sick. It was a Saturday. I went to the store for a few supplies. Got chicken for soup. Made soup. Ate soup. Went to bed. It hit me that fast. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Professor was such a good daddy to let us sleep and to cook so many things for everyone.<br />
<br />
We're not completely better - but getting there.. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This sums up the worst of the days:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/sick_day.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/sick_day.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From<a href="http://xkcd.com/1157/"> xkcd</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It's probably a good thing we don't have an aquarium.</div>
Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-28623540701030825962013-02-02T21:49:00.002-06:002013-02-02T21:49:48.541-06:00Revisiting Childhood friendsWe don't do a lot of TV around here.<br />
<br />
I should quantify that statement.<br />
<br />
We used to watch a lot of TV. Then we had kids who became aware of things being said and done on the TV. By that time, we'd already begun the process of buying VHS tapes of our favorite programs.<br />
<br />
Why? NO COMMERCIALS!!<br />
<br />
And we had no Cable/ Satellite provider.<br />
<br />
Then the government went and took away our 'normal' antenna and replaced it with that digital stuff. The <a href="http://www.dtv.gov/">digital conversion</a>. The one where we were all supposed to go get the conversion box. Remember that? Goodness what a trip that was.<br />
<br />
The fun part they didn't bother to tell you was that - you probably wouldn't get all the same channels anymore. Unless, of course, you got a cable provider.<br />
<br />
We didn't.<br />
We have game systems set up on both our TV's. So tv viewing really isn't going to happen on the TV schedule. Sure. There's that whole 'DVR' thing... but with shows on the internet and DVD, why bother with it?<br />
<br />
At least that's the question we asked ourselves.<br />
<br />
However, we do find ourselves with limited provisions should the desire to watch a TV show arise among one of us. Especially the children. It's got to be something we approve of - and I have to enjoy watching it. If the show irritates me, It's going to be trashed. You can ask G-man about the TV show <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_Underground">Sonic Underground</a> and their squeaky/whiney voices. He can't watch it when I'm around.<br />
<br />
Where was I?<br />
<br />
Oh, yeah. We got Netflix thanks to the recommendation of a very good friend. It plays over the PS3. That's been nice to have. It is limited, though.<br />
<br />
But I've noticed one thing of late - that's the emergence of older shows to DVD.<br />
<br />
Shows like the A-Team. Magnum PI. Due South. MacGyver.<br />
<br />
Bringing those into the house has been like visiting with old friends.<br />
It's amazing how many of the episodes I remember.<br />I'm on the look out for more to come out on DVD - because we can't be the only ones out there wanting visits from these old friends.<br />
<br />Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-80511347247561366232013-01-31T18:22:00.002-06:002013-01-31T18:22:46.161-06:00Out of blogging practice...I am so out of the habit of blogging. It's really rather a shame that my last post was all the way back in October. Hopefully, this is like riding a bicycle and I will remember how to do this and not pull a muscle.<br />
<br />
So I'm going to take things slow.<br />
<br />
Probably very slow and ease back into the blogosphere. Hopefully this means catching up on all your news, too.<br /><br />In the meantime - Enjoy this random coolness.<br /><br /><br />
<br />
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<br />Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-35881187447872970342012-10-18T23:25:00.002-05:002012-10-18T23:25:46.898-05:00Ageism??<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it possible for children to be age-ist?<br /><br />J-man often talks himself to sleep. It's when he's laying down that the deep wonderings of his heart come out. I don't know why exactly. Except that when he's laying down in bed, he's still and his thoughts turn deep. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One night, in the middle of this time there were a series of questions that culminated in one large 'ouch' moment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">J-man asked about belly buttons. More specifically he wanted to know what they were for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I told him. "That's where you were attached to me, when you were INSIDE me as a baby, so you'd get food."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He seemed to think that's cool.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Adam and Eve didn't have belly buttons, did they?"<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Well, I'd guess not. Since they didn't have to be in a mommy's tummy."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We both agreed that was cool of him to notice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"How old <i>were </i>they, when they died?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Understand that I'm not sitting with him without something to do. I'm either writing, reading or researching. I consider Pinterest research.<br /><br />So I just say, "Well they were really old." I don't want to age them unnecessarily. Or tell him the wrong answer because I'm quite certain he'll remember the wrong answer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"How old?"<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I'm not really sure. I know they were really old."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Like 30?"<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ouch. Said the 39 year old mom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Oh, no. Much older."<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know it's coming.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Oh? Like 40?"<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ouch again. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"No, son. Like in their hundreds. Hundreds of hundreds."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Oh."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fast forward a few days later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Professor is having his birthday. We celebrating on a minor scale because that's how The Professor roles. (Slow.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Dad, how old are you anyway?"<br /><br />"Well, son. I'm 43."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Wow, I'm really surprised you made it this long."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ouch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've come to the conclusion that my son is age-ist. Age-ist as only an 8 year old can be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm turning 40 on my next birthday and I'm really not sure I want to tell him.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-8520390483030871282012-10-17T01:08:00.002-05:002012-10-17T01:08:20.948-05:00Wondering and Equating...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd wondered why it was taking G-man so very long to do his math work. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't have to wonder any more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is from last year - but this year isn't much different. </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One thing that *IS* the same? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Good Guy Always wins.</span></div>
Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-88286317260660552632012-09-25T19:40:00.002-05:002012-09-25T19:43:59.143-05:00New phone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLs9bPuVCL0KxfNYY8MAPM8DE0k4Jle_8fAc3wN7_C1W1Nyc0SlpYkqceSFtaeaWo18I49P3XkvrTrhYGFeR7T2zlivTLbEqMt0ApJYz8f07N3y4w3AWZfjJAFSD0_rWatBLWcdJySASA/s1600/20120925_193234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLs9bPuVCL0KxfNYY8MAPM8DE0k4Jle_8fAc3wN7_C1W1Nyc0SlpYkqceSFtaeaWo18I49P3XkvrTrhYGFeR7T2zlivTLbEqMt0ApJYz8f07N3y4w3AWZfjJAFSD0_rWatBLWcdJySASA/s320/20120925_193234.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
My current view of my desk. I have a new phone. so i wanted to see if I could post my pictures from my phone. and sure enough I can. punctuating is another thing entirely.Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-41719922226076610812012-08-28T22:01:00.002-05:002012-08-28T22:01:21.372-05:00All in my head...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a blog post. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then another. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and part of another. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently they were all in my head. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was going to show you a picture, too, but the picture loader thingy isn't working. It just sits there and mocks me. So it's either my computer (which I doubt) Or Blogger. Or Google. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since Google now runs Blogger, I'ma blame it on Google. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Decaffeinating myself was going really well until this weekend. When I fell back on the wagon? Off the wagon? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where'd the wagon come from? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saturday when we had a party for my wonderful niece. Caffeine was consumed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today was supposed to be the first day of school for us. And It was discovered that I didn't have all the books I needed. While Mini-E and J-man are fighting over who gets to 'be first' I'm wandering around the room thinking. I thought stuff like, "I coulda sworn I ordered that math book." "Where'd the phonics page go?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was not a stellar first day. We called it done by noon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I shoulda known that it was going to be an interesting first day of school when I couldn't find the Rosetta Stone registration codes. Without the registration codes, the program was all but useless.<br /><br />I very nearly cried. I prayed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">after looking in the drawer four times, It was found.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we can study Spanish- just not math.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hopefully, the picture uploader thingy will work soon. I found the coolest earbuds. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least I think I did. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-16673685064322206772012-08-17T00:31:00.002-05:002012-08-17T00:34:06.888-05:00Watered down...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ha! I bet you thought I'd call this post 'Day 3'. Didn't you? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought about it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then decided not to. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But proof that there's progress: </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pfeipnuKYzLUkMQzR4w2odi5b4_9sKEE7jZBzfwoZ7dqgXRClFticJh5LtX2tbtNWVMuYOvcjZLWK4SAAqvX-oYICw-ow6LCxb1fk0Co8ZfOFdu9LRodLu3DoD5Kes4SrIQdPCMtRzM/s1600/Watery+companion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pfeipnuKYzLUkMQzR4w2odi5b4_9sKEE7jZBzfwoZ7dqgXRClFticJh5LtX2tbtNWVMuYOvcjZLWK4SAAqvX-oYICw-ow6LCxb1fk0Co8ZfOFdu9LRodLu3DoD5Kes4SrIQdPCMtRzM/s320/Watery+companion.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new Writing buddy</td></tr>
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Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-1115067775140392902012-08-15T21:56:00.001-05:002012-08-15T22:21:35.167-05:00Day Two...I feel like I should be sitting out in the wilderness somewhere writing a title like that.<br />
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"Day two, and my water is running out... There's no sign of rain. The thirst is becoming more than I can bear."<br />
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but no. I just FEEL like I should.<br />
It was a very dramatic title. I felt like it should have an exciting story to go with it.<br />
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but no. I just feel like it should.<br />
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It's actually Day two of me giving up Diet Coke.<br />
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I've given it up before. I once detoxed myself off of caffeine at the same time I had the flu. I mean, headaches are headaches.<br />
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Then I got back on it - due to work and life. And no real big desire to stay 'off the juice'.<br />
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Then I was de-caff during four pregnancies. and It was after Mini-E, that I really became addicted again. I mean SERIOUSLY addicted.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRJDXZWxcCIhZfXNU8MWD7PVIYzqRtiRLm_kdYdEXWlbhHUTN3vPMjONQHn8IQHQCLZqnSKMMG3RDt7eNnIcQMGtzGQYuzbhpKsJmmgb5jqYDI18XzMm2rxcfvLQxpKSOXUhVJzkB5Io/s1600/cokeaddict-140x3002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRJDXZWxcCIhZfXNU8MWD7PVIYzqRtiRLm_kdYdEXWlbhHUTN3vPMjONQHn8IQHQCLZqnSKMMG3RDt7eNnIcQMGtzGQYuzbhpKsJmmgb5jqYDI18XzMm2rxcfvLQxpKSOXUhVJzkB5Io/s1600/cokeaddict-140x3002.jpg" /></a></div>
So addicted that those t-shirts that say 'there's too much blood in my caffeine system' were hillarious.<br />
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And true.<br />
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I loved the taste, too. Not so much anymore. Now I'm just drinking it because it's habit. Some drinks just taste better than others. There's a major difference between the fountain drinks vs the bottled stuff I buy from the grocery story.<br />
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So after our van issues, I did some thinking about the cost of choosing the more expensive drugs and that was a factor in desiring to quit. I failed miserably the first week. So much so that it was just talk and intentions.<br />
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Health wise, too, I think it's hindering my sinuses. It's time to make a change.<br />
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Then I had the Monday from hell. Major Migraine. I medicated with diet coke, some major advil and someone else cooking.<br />
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Yesterday and today, I've had about half my normal consumption of the stuff. So Yay! That's an improvement. I did find myself slightly grumpier as my blood reacquainted itself with ... itself.<br />
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Since we can't pick and choose the times the family barometers will fluctuate - there's no time like today to make the choice. (Which means, I can't wait for the house to be sweet and peaceful to break the habit relating to one of my major comfort foods.)<br />
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Something else that's been reaffirmed. I've never been one to quantify addictions. An addiction is an addiction is an addiction. Some are truly harder to get over than others. Sex/drugs/alcohol/food. Doesn't matter.<br />
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I will be cheering as loud as I can for the next person who tells me, 'I've been clean/sober for ____ days/weeks/months/years'.<br />
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It's Day 2.<br />
I feel silly.<br />
And that's a good thing.Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-35999344453860167092012-08-09T21:52:00.001-05:002012-08-10T11:45:27.252-05:00Get up and Go-Go - Oh, No - Part 2<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was awakened Wednesday morning to the sound of my two youngest fighting. Oddly, J-man was pounding on a desk. Mini-E was snuggled up on the couch with her blanket. She wanted to play her Dora game on the console. J-man, who knows how to turn everything on, refused. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He said, "All I wanted was a peaceful morning and that didn't include watching her play Dora!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I stared at him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was awakened for this? He's playing a computer game. So it's not like he was being forced to watch. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"you're kiddin' me, right?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, he was not kidding. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we had to have a long talk because I thought it was silly that people watched him play his game...and he was protesting LOUDLY about hers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I managed to get a shower in before the phone call came. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To fix the van was going to cost just over $1,800. Let me tell you... there were tears. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently what had happened - was the pressure gauge on the AC blew, sending shards into the A/C system. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the air pressure I found WAS real - it was just the pressure gauge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And they dye the A/C coolant. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I know. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When they called to give me the news, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't have the forethought to inquire if the heater would be usable. I didn't think about this until later. If it had been, we could have just driven with the windows down.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And Ice packs in our shirts. (That's from Mini-Me.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A new car, even a new-to-us car, isn't in the budget.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we'll be working on keeping a very tight budget until it's cleared off of OUR docket.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and of course, since I wanted to cry, things were doubly hard. Lots of shouts of 'unfair' happened until I just wanted a house with four towers so I could lock them in their towers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">G-man and Mini-E were playing and he accidentally gave her a black eye. That was far more excitement than she was wanting. So she cried for a good twenty minutes..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe I'm the one who needs the tower. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://unusuallife.com/2008/11/08/lymm-water-tower-house/#" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXejwmu9M3YTj-iaA1cWNkVY4NHBfxTyxaL16dMUanoz1YKN0RJ-uIuO-gKuLJdx4hD_Oqtpe3BMhPBJ5uBKd5pyxwTjXUjyX-kNq13o6KvZTeoXxn3-7ixVPe80B76E7Qrew2xIFwKwY/s320/Lymm+Water+Tower+House.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lymm Water Tower House</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-37630785710678102192012-08-09T14:00:00.000-05:002012-08-09T14:00:02.027-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyb5sMIqKk3faDrHxxNAqDP05u0ddenFDddTby_TOQ23GusAWNMh3QauFC9zWt-71VDCw9CR2ty9ZdcLdiLeHgBTqWLC5szVwdv18q5C3ETsSVy_dwsUp3AB1sC0XkiRTMKNEAuzCOwpk/s1600/ice+cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyb5sMIqKk3faDrHxxNAqDP05u0ddenFDddTby_TOQ23GusAWNMh3QauFC9zWt-71VDCw9CR2ty9ZdcLdiLeHgBTqWLC5szVwdv18q5C3ETsSVy_dwsUp3AB1sC0XkiRTMKNEAuzCOwpk/s400/ice+cream.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saw this on Facebook. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pretty much sums it up.</span></div>Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-62185537308266877412012-08-09T00:16:00.000-05:002012-08-09T00:16:04.630-05:00Get up and Go-Go ... Oh, no.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's hot here. Like Arizona kinda hot. Tho, The Professor insists there's more humidity here than there. He's from Arizona. He says everytime he goes to visit, his contacts pop out due to lack of moisture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">that hasn't happened yet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am willing to agree with him that there's moisture in the air...but since I can actually breathe this air - there's still less moisture than normal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've come to a sort of accord about it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We agree it's freakin' hot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because it's so hot, I've been trying to remember to roll the windows down on the mini-van to kind of help vent out the heat. Today, I turned the engine on (Since I didn't drive it yesterday) and heard this sudden growl of a sound. Then ....all was normal. So I proceeded to roll the windows down a bit and insert the sunshade into the front window. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I closed the van up pocketed my keys and started back inside. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">unfortunately, the van was hissing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vans don't, as a general rule, hiss. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since we'd just spent a great deal of money on having the water pump thermometer and a plastic gasket replaced, that was my first thought. Perhaps the radiator bit the dust. Literally. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing was leaking. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I popped the hood. Cause I know how. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I looked. Still nothing was leaking. But I could smell what I thought was anti-freeze.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did what I know most to do. I called my daddy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He guessed it was the water pump. He had me take pictures and send them to him. So I did. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5dBjntzpHCOlqYWUUv17Qp0ansiriWxx0IxmMDJXQQ3KwebFMRwvvvOXPC1o7-5zR2PJJ7Z9x0yLp9aPnyMQLpLQ-nYd-zcFPFjWYQNrx1M_bCyWoV34YTwgPscWpjcqqvM-15r3aAE/s1600/Photo0204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5dBjntzpHCOlqYWUUv17Qp0ansiriWxx0IxmMDJXQQ3KwebFMRwvvvOXPC1o7-5zR2PJJ7Z9x0yLp9aPnyMQLpLQ-nYd-zcFPFjWYQNrx1M_bCyWoV34YTwgPscWpjcqqvM-15r3aAE/s320/Photo0204.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See that nut and bolt sticking up there in the middle? That's right above the place that was leaking pressure. The radiator fan is just at the bottom corner of the picture... it was covered in green fluid. Green, to my knowledge, equals anti-freeze. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WwNNty9dV3gsfhbvl15rrvDCHlbMxnVTXVfrnTF9renKcbIadd18B0ukVDf2fs0ENMXqUHhdrOvfqF6e07W0m_qx9UPXWOioC3TTLOo83reS6wCMZzkB43okXSUGs8CpSnVBR6a-_oI/s1600/Photo0205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WwNNty9dV3gsfhbvl15rrvDCHlbMxnVTXVfrnTF9renKcbIadd18B0ukVDf2fs0ENMXqUHhdrOvfqF6e07W0m_qx9UPXWOioC3TTLOo83reS6wCMZzkB43okXSUGs8CpSnVBR6a-_oI/s320/Photo0205.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here it is from another angle. Because there was so much pressure coming from the piece, I honestly thought there was a hole. But I think it was just the gasket having broken. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So.. boo. Hiss. Van's broken again. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't get the radiator off to see if there's fluid inside. As hot as it's been, perhaps it's been leaking slowly and evaporating?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So ... I did what any girl would do. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I called her husband. I explained the situation to the Professor. I couldn't get the radiator cap off. Otherwise I'd have done that first. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He came home. It was like 105 outside. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We decided to take the van to the place that fixed the water pump. He looked inside and said, "Well, if that's where the pressure was leaking, that's your A/C".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dandy. No wonder it was blowing hot air for miles. I did turn it off and drive with the windows down. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He recommended a place for us to take the van...armed with the knowledge that the van was driveable, off we went. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the heat. (I promise I have a reason for that reminding you that it's freakin' hot.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We got to Fix-it place #2 and explained the situation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He told us that they couldn't fix it today but would put it on the docket for tomorrow. We already figured that would be the case. We drove home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Professor's car hasn't had an A/C that worked for 2 years. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I get in and he's got one window rolled down and the hot air blowing through the vents. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Dear God!" I exclaim. "That's going to go off!" And I turn it off and roll down MY side window. I think the professor has the only car known to man that doesn't have auto-windows. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Properly vented, we toodle on home. We discuss things as we go. Like work. News. And a bit of politics. He keeps up with that stuff and lets me know the highlights. It all makes me angry so I'm kind of glad he at least is willing to keep my 'in the loop'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time we get home, I'm sweating in places that shouldn't be sweating and I'm dizzy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I plant myself in front of the fan and when that doesn't work, I just lay down on the floor. There's a footstool there and I prop my feet up and I finally start to cool off. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's when I notice the dog is lying on the floor not far from me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I had to laugh.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me and the dog - laying with our bellies aimed up so we can stay cool. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Luckily, I don't feel the urge to drink water out of a bowl. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-49445234927414866312012-08-08T13:10:00.000-05:002012-08-08T13:10:10.601-05:00Easily Amused...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being easily amused doesn't mean you don't have your blue moments. It just means you're more apt to find something that tickles your fancy. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like a name. I'm going to play <a href="https://www.guildwars2.com/en/">Guild Wars 2</a>. It's going to be a lot of fun. It's caught my fancy. I even joined a <a href="http://www.epicguildwars2.com/home">Guild</a>. Because they caught my fancy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then there's the slightly odd things. Like Pillowcases. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHLpb1QIFAazOCGBz43ac0_DkDhKNVeEKxB-E1cuNb-iPLIynClUVWHnk9pi03RDyYybzon7IjT3atp6uON8B7PdofcgEXnE_TSG83BSIVszTJAvg2JdcGI-171_XY5dPGqthGDKcaU4/s1600/DSCF1821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHLpb1QIFAazOCGBz43ac0_DkDhKNVeEKxB-E1cuNb-iPLIynClUVWHnk9pi03RDyYybzon7IjT3atp6uON8B7PdofcgEXnE_TSG83BSIVszTJAvg2JdcGI-171_XY5dPGqthGDKcaU4/s320/DSCF1821.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like polka-dots.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I bought these when we were going to have my niece spend the night. We didn't need them - so I didn't open them until today. I really like them. They're going on my bed even though they don't match the rest of the room.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing matches in my house, so it's okay.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJOASa58B_IGBn9_drGamst23L757LH9_IIzbWWjEfvosf24DILoAk_yh61L1kBIKL7xGXKkgHqEyC61qcwtxyFw3UiFke40bbqEft4ezAA7tGXRhstftZWp9i-W_NScCVQOHE136EEA/s1600/DSCF1822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJOASa58B_IGBn9_drGamst23L757LH9_IIzbWWjEfvosf24DILoAk_yh61L1kBIKL7xGXKkgHqEyC61qcwtxyFw3UiFke40bbqEft4ezAA7tGXRhstftZWp9i-W_NScCVQOHE136EEA/s320/DSCF1822.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tunes!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I got some new music. <i>Love is a Four Letter Word</i> by Jason Mraz. <i>Whatever</i> by Hot Chelle Rae and <i>Sweeter </i>by Gavin Degraw. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've never heard of Gavin - but I liked the clips I got to hear on Amazon So I decided to give him a try.<br /><br />Jason Mraz has been in the house for a while... since "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdryssUmlpE">Geek in the Pink</a>", I think. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, Hot Chelle Rae is new to me. I bought them because of one song. One song I woke up to the other morning. If the rest of their music is like this, with witty lyrics, I'll be buying more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_8hL2JiNEos" width="420"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that's what has amused me today. What's amused you? Besides me, I mean? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LOL </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you find your own amusements today.</span></div>Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-55324998463037252902012-06-21T10:37:00.003-05:002012-06-21T10:37:31.619-05:00Sight<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMGxiSZDmwwhuCl9KYlo9jEiSnrOzyWeL8vAl2jqIJvD2-QMnnIjzRz8BWNFnf0kCcoSZzV7SlAaZxo97qYPaD41_70Y4SGUcCMlgvW7EktkdkHAE2hhD9LcI3MbZmQ9n7n1cheh7P4Q/s1600/DSCF1766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMGxiSZDmwwhuCl9KYlo9jEiSnrOzyWeL8vAl2jqIJvD2-QMnnIjzRz8BWNFnf0kCcoSZzV7SlAaZxo97qYPaD41_70Y4SGUcCMlgvW7EktkdkHAE2hhD9LcI3MbZmQ9n7n1cheh7P4Q/s320/DSCF1766.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nope, can't see.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This was seen yesterday. That's at least four stocking caps. He's not padding his cranium. He's blocking his eyes so he can't see.<br />
<br />
He wanted to move around the house without seeing. He was using his light saber as a 'cane' to help him maneuver through the obstacles. He took it all off in order to make a trip to <a href="http://www.samsclub.com/sams/">Sam's Club</a>. (Which in retrospect, he didn't have to.)<br />
<br />
When we got home, he put it all back on.<br />
<br />
This time I upgraded his saber to a long smooth stick. (The closest thing we had to a cane.)<br />
<br />
Then I asked him questions.<br />
<br />
He made two observations - Dogs and cats are dangerous to an unseeing person and it's kind of hard to go to use the potty.<br />
<br />
He decided it would take practice.<br />
<br />
He also noticed that a blind person depends on hearing.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
And a neat house.</div>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
LOL - Yeah. That won't happen around here.</div>
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It was fun watching him gain a new perspective. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Can't always teach that.</div>
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<br />Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-80211910857632900462012-06-13T21:27:00.003-05:002012-06-13T21:27:54.417-05:00Bird is the Word...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.... but not one you want to hear at 2am.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A little revelation about life in the laundry pile. The Professor snores. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The kids insist that I do and given my history of sinus issues, I just might. On the other hand, when I do snore, I wake myself up, adjust, and go back to sleep. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the Professor snores - He just sleeps right through it. I, however, do not.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">so out of the kindness of his sweet heart he often sleeps on the couch. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was that same sleeping arrangement was had going for us the night we were talking about 'the bird'. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He came and got me about 2am. 'Comfy, the cat dragged in something and has it cornered. It's screaming. I could use some back-up.'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Great. Jack Oy, the Porch Cat strikes again. Through the doggy door he has delivered a frog and a crawdad. In the back yard, he's delived two small bunny carcasses for the dog to de-fuzz. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ew. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I go toward this book shelf where the cat is pacing back and forth. The object of his attention is behind a stack of folders and clipboards. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The professor sits on the couch. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought I was the back up??</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I pull the binders away until something jumps up at me. I yelp and hop back. My first thought was 'frog'. Then I discover that the screaming hopping thing in my house - is actually a small bird. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">not a baby as far as my eye can determine. just a small bird.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I should also mention that it's raining outside. Which might explain why the bird got in Jack's mouth and why Jack decided to bring it in to snack upon. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I catch the bird between a clipboard and plastic container that had been discarded by a kid. I take him out front, but the entire thing on the porch. I take the plastic container back and step back. I didn't want him to decide to peck at me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bird just sits there. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He doesn't look broken. but What do I know?? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I stare at him. He stares at me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I decide, 'Forget it. It's after 2 am. You're on your own.'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish him luck and go back inside. I flop back in the bed and hopefully I don't snore.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3am. "Comfy. The bird's back."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Swell. Just swell.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time it's behind a fan and the fireplace.<br />This time it's got the attention of Gizmo. I guess the dog wanted to pull the feathers off the bird like he'd done to the bunny and its fuzz. (ew)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But darn it. I left my clipboard outside. So I get a cheap (ha!) plastic plate (For a flat surface)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plate. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The irony.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I get another plastic container and take Bird back outside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time I put him on top of our shrubs. I KNOW Jack can't climb on top of them. So if he's going to get to the bird, he's going to have to work at it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Realizing that I've just served up a bird on a plate, I watch him to see if I can tell whether or not he's wounded. Jack is purring against my legs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm guessing he's grateful?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or hopeful?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wait a good 10 - 15 minutes. The bird just sits there. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I decide that at this point, the bird can be cat food. I'm going back to bed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I go back inside and put the fan in front of the doggy door. If Bird gets eaten, it won't be inside. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I'm resettling myself back in bed, the storms open up and the rains pour out. Poor Bird won't be flying, I guess. But that also means Jack's gonna get wet. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I figure it serves him right.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Professor tells me that Jack was found scowling at the back door in the morning. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The plate was still in place on the shrub and no bird carcass could be found.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can only hope that the plate was a safe haven and not a serving platter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's given us something to laugh about.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But we all agree... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bird is not the word we want to hear in the middle of the night.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-51004535694360081282012-04-10T11:08:00.000-05:002012-04-10T11:08:47.496-05:00Looking for YellowIf you remember (and if you don't that's cool, too) I have a thing for yellow. <br />
<br />
It's the color of Hope.<br />
<br />
When Toby mentioned looking for yellow after my last post, I started looking....and realized how boring my neighborhood really is. It's mostly green. and flat. <br />
<br />
No yellow...and I wasn't sure where to drive to discover yellow... so I decided to discover yellow at home...<br />
<br />
So what follows is part of my hunt for yellow...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJvlBuTSVYUwnOZ-78zn1xV3CQx6mprogznjFEZY9jA8jXAgZGWC51JUN9k92TGpFjmkxcDH8x3nZJBDjQMvR1Nh54rgucZ3H9iHIvkDUXYqWYe1Ed1ulhgDsNNGmzpGlUbTy0kzeRLk/s1600/February+2012+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJvlBuTSVYUwnOZ-78zn1xV3CQx6mprogznjFEZY9jA8jXAgZGWC51JUN9k92TGpFjmkxcDH8x3nZJBDjQMvR1Nh54rgucZ3H9iHIvkDUXYqWYe1Ed1ulhgDsNNGmzpGlUbTy0kzeRLk/s320/February+2012+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Delicious Apples - oh, look. Behind the faucet, a yellow scrubber handle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGdg70HcDnUCQ1HGMtILN78iijOGbTMZXMekcpXOWtH1HTwS8gRFGp_wmhFD_WYm6bodW8IQkR-3vhGoRgwZdlBq53fOj8KvNPdArxOylJO6l-WsAwOhYlPuk7ORvPPREjl9dVA9cllU/s1600/February+2012+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGdg70HcDnUCQ1HGMtILN78iijOGbTMZXMekcpXOWtH1HTwS8gRFGp_wmhFD_WYm6bodW8IQkR-3vhGoRgwZdlBq53fOj8KvNPdArxOylJO6l-WsAwOhYlPuk7ORvPPREjl9dVA9cllU/s320/February+2012+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow pages arrived just when I needed a picture of something yellow. Cool.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZJkfQvPygOrHSCZx0NBQgSUgVWFy321XlLHPU8J_JfImRHA6MrM572E8PtK6UNYbF9-3JGeaipdBhMYAF8PjPcrNKHqgeUQbHtwj80pqaZuTnuWOjH0loTKa9pIdl4ofzAy5-c487AA/s1600/February+2012+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZJkfQvPygOrHSCZx0NBQgSUgVWFy321XlLHPU8J_JfImRHA6MrM572E8PtK6UNYbF9-3JGeaipdBhMYAF8PjPcrNKHqgeUQbHtwj80pqaZuTnuWOjH0loTKa9pIdl4ofzAy5-c487AA/s320/February+2012+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pencils!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCVyM1GTreDgNa6Hc5vr4nh0HX5QuJB2UG-ye-GNFPl1gh3MkQEIbvwH8EVTIpGDDMwm4ByazTWCyQi6luXsLRfq29GajKME-sF5WDYDkpOHAAHADplOAjuUyYlWOgYFl0xJLL4fjw_4/s1600/February+2012+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCVyM1GTreDgNa6Hc5vr4nh0HX5QuJB2UG-ye-GNFPl1gh3MkQEIbvwH8EVTIpGDDMwm4ByazTWCyQi6luXsLRfq29GajKME-sF5WDYDkpOHAAHADplOAjuUyYlWOgYFl0xJLL4fjw_4/s320/February+2012+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BananaGrams!! (Yes. I know the fish tank needs to be cleaned. shh. Focus on the yellow)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVF54HLN90FQql88Ao_8yzGvKJTBLzkdaZKnm7rz4KQtpzls8xSTwUfhoRvnzU7gLvC3eY-QPBxdCvvr5GV8zcXWWBDMVUqsN2h3lCT55l5bzwQgS3rYQEfa8jQAggUJaA19hMDO6ohyphenhyphenY/s1600/February+2012+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVF54HLN90FQql88Ao_8yzGvKJTBLzkdaZKnm7rz4KQtpzls8xSTwUfhoRvnzU7gLvC3eY-QPBxdCvvr5GV8zcXWWBDMVUqsN2h3lCT55l5bzwQgS3rYQEfa8jQAggUJaA19hMDO6ohyphenhyphenY/s320/February+2012+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow Fruit Roll ups</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdrX8y5bH4lZN2irByQszIsvjQG6pCneAMqXcx_hGMl47Gc8xJUxqKpeORz2BLjfbx5l9M9XIMhzSu6xNU-3-gGFRQ7XnWN3XHebAlz4OiRMlU4uakrxSVjO-IuqEdzAPWWehyWYWjzE/s1600/February+2012+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdrX8y5bH4lZN2irByQszIsvjQG6pCneAMqXcx_hGMl47Gc8xJUxqKpeORz2BLjfbx5l9M9XIMhzSu6xNU-3-gGFRQ7XnWN3XHebAlz4OiRMlU4uakrxSVjO-IuqEdzAPWWehyWYWjzE/s320/February+2012+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSb86r7lpgQI4RVd1bN_ODT2HefrtykJKS7o2Olux5_8yyJU-rrwvU3vRBaTXR4YooxScUn9Dd0aAaNw_Olfdv5MeHfE9qBOSZLNY8gK5wRjUmv0NEWUxDNsHLUF9Zx7V-nqGBN2RPUg/s1600/February+2012+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSb86r7lpgQI4RVd1bN_ODT2HefrtykJKS7o2Olux5_8yyJU-rrwvU3vRBaTXR4YooxScUn9Dd0aAaNw_Olfdv5MeHfE9qBOSZLNY8gK5wRjUmv0NEWUxDNsHLUF9Zx7V-nqGBN2RPUg/s320/February+2012+007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJ15aYYn9odw-F2O_EZ2ht4BdxiYmeE_Df7ryUeZMSh3xKJtj9pGhcEWE_nWmXagWovdd8KNFW58BMwTL_If-iVVsCxORkTAo0zRYsXd8MBUoTlp59Mo4a9vkmIq_FAsYQGyv1H-HQ5c/s1600/February+2012+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJ15aYYn9odw-F2O_EZ2ht4BdxiYmeE_Df7ryUeZMSh3xKJtj9pGhcEWE_nWmXagWovdd8KNFW58BMwTL_If-iVVsCxORkTAo0zRYsXd8MBUoTlp59Mo4a9vkmIq_FAsYQGyv1H-HQ5c/s320/February+2012+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">G-man's Rubber band ball, with Yellow rubber bands..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7i79iVv3S3L0jxzc2GsMFOVfmdLTHOPG1t-XZE0IzmuswlchrazTM5JdVX4PmsVnaTh5qBx_OqZUm3tuGbJ2r83TcMyimfoe3BTiWgmjprXRxkuETFseVBPME_SEfGOFDSI252prohR0/s1600/February+2012+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7i79iVv3S3L0jxzc2GsMFOVfmdLTHOPG1t-XZE0IzmuswlchrazTM5JdVX4PmsVnaTh5qBx_OqZUm3tuGbJ2r83TcMyimfoe3BTiWgmjprXRxkuETFseVBPME_SEfGOFDSI252prohR0/s320/February+2012+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">T-Bone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
When I told the kids what I was doing - they offered to help. ... They offered TOO much... So I had to be selective...hard to do in this tiny room.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fH15ikNn_Y7xJkIxfNKzN7n82vTRgs2sJzIeGySAJr8xFh4_D27BHZyvBBKQhwmtNIMhdUAz5fErubIJKivY9YM9rZXqi4TLevC1KiLtUrSjghCBvM2D8BIYxomhYbuuHEAgDjI8x1o/s1600/February+2012+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fH15ikNn_Y7xJkIxfNKzN7n82vTRgs2sJzIeGySAJr8xFh4_D27BHZyvBBKQhwmtNIMhdUAz5fErubIJKivY9YM9rZXqi4TLevC1KiLtUrSjghCBvM2D8BIYxomhYbuuHEAgDjI8x1o/s320/February+2012+012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2TCzbmzK8IrPkgwm1LVKLU1Z0wcV8psIXoQjNginneTAGQ6HMVVOfYV_GKSYQ3ySm0pO6NzAtGz1MfeedSa0ApB5oGq602S1pR0_W4iXX5zrqh7FqqwlRRAXd8FOcxRBl0e1oT3VKnU/s1600/February+2012+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2TCzbmzK8IrPkgwm1LVKLU1Z0wcV8psIXoQjNginneTAGQ6HMVVOfYV_GKSYQ3ySm0pO6NzAtGz1MfeedSa0ApB5oGq602S1pR0_W4iXX5zrqh7FqqwlRRAXd8FOcxRBl0e1oT3VKnU/s320/February+2012+016.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDWtZq9_py20218yBuQIfDtPtGOzEH9uFcMFrN264NWIgMQvnWTtRXPkm6I0ksbtGZ7QtKgBVsXZrUP56aM0hcqCi8zEnTo6dMT0XLHXcAkX-roh-K3hCJMp_nPClIpYVbs8r5pBQN9Q/s1600/February+2012+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
and then there is:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDWtZq9_py20218yBuQIfDtPtGOzEH9uFcMFrN264NWIgMQvnWTtRXPkm6I0ksbtGZ7QtKgBVsXZrUP56aM0hcqCi8zEnTo6dMT0XLHXcAkX-roh-K3hCJMp_nPClIpYVbs8r5pBQN9Q/s1600/February+2012+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDWtZq9_py20218yBuQIfDtPtGOzEH9uFcMFrN264NWIgMQvnWTtRXPkm6I0ksbtGZ7QtKgBVsXZrUP56aM0hcqCi8zEnTo6dMT0XLHXcAkX-roh-K3hCJMp_nPClIpYVbs8r5pBQN9Q/s320/February+2012+011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It's an underwater explorer vehicle...<br />
<br />
Otherwise known as a yellow submarine...<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_468871318"></span><span id="goog_468871319"></span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MCsYDZ2M04M" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
And one thing I can promise..... whenever we're looking for hope in the midst of a struggle - The Sun really will shine. The waiting isn't easy - but I know it's out there..
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BxzEeKfpyIg" width="420"></iframe>Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-20613981061570854992012-03-24T00:47:00.002-05:002012-03-24T00:47:17.159-05:00What was that???This...<br /><br />This right here....<br />
<br />
<br />
This post is my 600th post.<br /><br />A moment, please.<br /><br /><br /><br />Okay. Wow. You'd think I'd have more something deeper, more relevant for this moment in history -- but I don't. Life is life and I tend to find it to be boring to retell.<br />
<br />
except for those moments that I hear stuff like, 'Everyone's got an evil laugh!"<br />
that's fun..<br />
<br />
<br />
So Here's what I SHOULD be doing... picking up and working through the edits on my Story "The Bounty of Grace" ..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0BuRX3bhsnTJHgsE63RHbnjTE0TXa8JTrWl30IVr7SO5MsIkGsqw8gBshDvDh5SMcx85Qgxi4ON0x-eJr8N0hksqk8dHLHoLNa7hMuYGJaNqpNi13yNfEngJzTxei93OcMPZfguAk0s/s1600/DSCF1636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0BuRX3bhsnTJHgsE63RHbnjTE0TXa8JTrWl30IVr7SO5MsIkGsqw8gBshDvDh5SMcx85Qgxi4ON0x-eJr8N0hksqk8dHLHoLNa7hMuYGJaNqpNi13yNfEngJzTxei93OcMPZfguAk0s/s320/DSCF1636.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Here's my distraction:::<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnXJCXwECcLdts_r46en18eVqnK4oVcX1Fh_TJoHxSOOcjQjDDsCFvkqwdsK9AV-xfga9T50VSdImhSNuEA5cdF33kltGi96G3-dW1ID8yMJ-o4ExeKmmPWJ8pdSTyORCBoOcGBQ5SIA/s1600/DSCF1637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnXJCXwECcLdts_r46en18eVqnK4oVcX1Fh_TJoHxSOOcjQjDDsCFvkqwdsK9AV-xfga9T50VSdImhSNuEA5cdF33kltGi96G3-dW1ID8yMJ-o4ExeKmmPWJ8pdSTyORCBoOcGBQ5SIA/s320/DSCF1637.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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And yes. I took these pictures with a camera because I wasn't sure how to screen shot. This was way easier..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Mfm2izR47DNQsBPzlyJA78cN0snbkQtdms-Ys8dOD0YVMeNkzI3kjpZ7FwiZiT8Lh5PmIriA92_iIR3sMgcXdV2-SY5SmAhHTQUjkqFOYEOqatXMrsqqk1dOOHmeIZ0wm7Jq80AnCIE/s1600/DSCF1638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Mfm2izR47DNQsBPzlyJA78cN0snbkQtdms-Ys8dOD0YVMeNkzI3kjpZ7FwiZiT8Lh5PmIriA92_iIR3sMgcXdV2-SY5SmAhHTQUjkqFOYEOqatXMrsqqk1dOOHmeIZ0wm7Jq80AnCIE/s320/DSCF1638.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I have 2 level capped characters -- and 4 others waiting to distract me with quests and adventure. It's fun. Especially since we don't watch a lot of TV (and way better than facebook games..just sayin')<br />
<br />
It is completely and thoroughly distracting..<br />
<br />
And there we go - you get a glimpse of my on-going challenge.<br />
Happy 600th post to me!!<br />
<br />
Happy 600th post reading to you!!! (and that's 600 on THIS blog - and doesn't count the old one.) (Speaking of which I should probably figure out how to download those entries..I might need them some day.)Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-36492378934879347982012-02-28T11:52:00.001-06:002012-02-28T11:52:35.073-06:00letters and words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I don't know if y'all know the game <a href="http://bananagrams.com/">"BananaGrams"</a>. It's a letter game that comes in a really cool banana shaped pouch. There's scoring involved if I'd bother to read the instructions. I haven't yet. I've got such competitive kids, games are not always a fun thing around here. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I originally bought the game for me. I love word games. I'm the only one in the house that does. I have fond memories of growing up and playing Scrabble with my grandmothers. Crossword puzzles with them both. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Professor doesn't like word games. He claims it's because he's a terrible speller. I'm more likely to guess it's a game I can win at. He won't play gin with me because he's a card counter and wins all the time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I guess I'm not much of a challenge. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anyway - I bought the game for me. I bought it thinking we could have fun just putting words together. it would help with spelling. And reading. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">See? I was thinking.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">but I never did it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One day, I was going to make lunch and I dumped several handfuls of letters on the counter and made some words. Just to see how many words I could make with just the few handfuls of letters. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I came up with: </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJAoek4y443Y_kGvKG9qGaY3owk8pMywnINBr9rTtGX5Hi7pKht-V8ehovNjDH6LZ_vcWazrwbiUPRpMcedw2GIF-_tGtnbqqScPnGCs7qTIIKxbV63GxGH63Ox1bnVaCBxGyN_4f6vU/s1600/what+started+it.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJAoek4y443Y_kGvKG9qGaY3owk8pMywnINBr9rTtGX5Hi7pKht-V8ehovNjDH6LZ_vcWazrwbiUPRpMcedw2GIF-_tGtnbqqScPnGCs7qTIIKxbV63GxGH63Ox1bnVaCBxGyN_4f6vU/s320/what+started+it.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know Squeak is misspelled. I was going to say 'squee' but ended up with an extra 'k'.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wasn't worried about it. Not really. Except that I considered using it as my facebook status. That was worrisome. I blame Zonker on having no extra 's' and cartoons. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So my words were done - it was time to make lunch. I told Mini-Me, 'here, you try. in the time it takes me to put the pizza rolls on the tray and get them in the oven, see how many words you can make.'</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I even gave her all the letters. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcHywRVKZA-kaITWS_mFeT3McI_G47OQXQ5Wn28ql9ncXdOaG2MBMBEIOLXXQXoOgvEVoAltV0EUti4Yju2jK0TLwh1BULklW8jMk8NHHtgh9UTIQ2NL1dvpiFNyzBW7ZgLEwiRAMAl8/s1600/Melody%2527s+turn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcHywRVKZA-kaITWS_mFeT3McI_G47OQXQ5Wn28ql9ncXdOaG2MBMBEIOLXXQXoOgvEVoAltV0EUti4Yju2jK0TLwh1BULklW8jMk8NHHtgh9UTIQ2NL1dvpiFNyzBW7ZgLEwiRAMAl8/s320/Melody%2527s+turn.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini-Me admits that 'nautilis' is the wrong spelling. but neither of us cared.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wasn't worried about MY words, until I saw hers. After all... fiddle wax brain sex sound really elementary (Or juvenile) compared to THOSE. sheesh. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My science brained kid showed me up. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Five minutes. I gave myself five minutes to do better than my first try. (Of course, this time I was using ALL the letters.)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzS8RVq5lR2rzDIRLUyByG6RchKskaQoFdBocRHygkG4JTLGFHCHQW4TMzNIC2163sUyCHqXqCGnGViFrTJE7fQN5hQv4hzPeEvgwaf9roO3XRDC-Rn-gR1e4GqMeTK8TfQsHgMbB_d0/s1600/my+turn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzS8RVq5lR2rzDIRLUyByG6RchKskaQoFdBocRHygkG4JTLGFHCHQW4TMzNIC2163sUyCHqXqCGnGViFrTJE7fQN5hQv4hzPeEvgwaf9roO3XRDC-Rn-gR1e4GqMeTK8TfQsHgMbB_d0/s320/my+turn.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoop. in honor of how someone says 'soup'. It's fun to say it that way. Try it.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">blink Blink. There it is. all the letters in five minutes with some left over. It's... MORE ... but ... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I still laugh about 'fiddle wax brain sex' every time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-64309700691815572392012-02-03T20:24:00.000-06:002012-02-03T20:24:29.800-06:00Well Equipped<span style="font-size: small;">I had this post in the back of my mind .... then today I realized it's February. And I planned this out DAYS ago!!! I'm so surprised that time has gone by so quickly... What I thought was a few days has turned into a few weeks. Gah!!</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">So today I was looking something up - and remembered - "Oh, Hey! I have a blog!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">One day, J-man told me that he wanted to do something. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">He didn't want to play with his people.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">He didn't want to play any games..</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Well .. what DO you want to do?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">"Well, I dunno." (Shrug) (Sheepish grin)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"You want to clean your room?"<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"No." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">They never do.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"What I want," he said, "is maybe, I dunno, go outside (Shrug) and swing...and talk about stuff."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"That's what you want to do?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Big blue eyes look at me, "Yeah." He grins. "You have a mouth and a hiney."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I laughed. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm well equipped.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We went outside in our unseasonably warm weather - and we talked about stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was good. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0yxHE3l3U2LVhge7SdzfC92sUHIW2W1cHxE_PXZokSz79C47sMMhaV-NXdS3mG7rNtjimIkhPRjG1hpzSscf2SoxnrZWo8RyIFCdin8BWSNAeifSnJ0bqWND1NwPj2A8za9TJDT4r1g/s1600/Happy+Stuff+073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0yxHE3l3U2LVhge7SdzfC92sUHIW2W1cHxE_PXZokSz79C47sMMhaV-NXdS3mG7rNtjimIkhPRjG1hpzSscf2SoxnrZWo8RyIFCdin8BWSNAeifSnJ0bqWND1NwPj2A8za9TJDT4r1g/s320/Happy+Stuff+073.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-54298908456767882382012-01-06T13:11:00.000-06:002012-01-06T13:11:59.453-06:00There be Dragons....<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Okay - so sometimes I remember to throw in the extra stuff that's more fun than it is important. Except that we're still having problems saying our "r's" around here....</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's getting better - but there are times of speed talking that an interpreter is needed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Or a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babel_fish_%28The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy%29#Babel_fish">babel fish</a>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A tic-tac-toe game with J-man led to Mini-E's insistence that she get to play, too.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Except -- She cheats.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I kid you not.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course, she's also not very good at it. She's 5 and I'm still (mostly) smarter than a 5 year old. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There was only one place to play, and she knew it. That one place for me to put my token and win the game... </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Except.. there was something in the way.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Her finger....and .... another tactic</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibC6vltusy-SxndlL2xr0WKmAyHtsM7gaE4Xh2-Sru6L3IdMJ8IHb9SKOM56wKFpbKtKZqVAqxunqNfKEFKJ-BMDL30voXycySCWnS9N6Vvxs6UYrqV-QN84Ubi-NzniHuZdc2RZmA1Y/s1600/October+2011+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibC6vltusy-SxndlL2xr0WKmAyHtsM7gaE4Xh2-Sru6L3IdMJ8IHb9SKOM56wKFpbKtKZqVAqxunqNfKEFKJ-BMDL30voXycySCWnS9N6Vvxs6UYrqV-QN84Ubi-NzniHuZdc2RZmA1Y/s320/October+2011+032.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"You can't play there mom..... It's scary."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">She won by cute default. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span>Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545490918488056044.post-64531225527808391892011-12-30T17:38:00.000-06:002011-12-30T17:38:00.050-06:001000+You know you've neglected your blog when you're <a href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/">Google Reader</a> says you've got 1000+ unread items. Granted. 500 of those were from my brother-in-law's <a href="http://twitter.com/TheSpoonyOne">celebrity twitter </a>postings. (He's twit-prolific).<br />
<br />
I hadn't INTENTIONALLY neglected my blog - I just didn't have much to say.<br />
November is now gone (that was my last post, you know.) And December is fading away.<br />
<br />
If I were to make resolutions - I would make a bloggy one. I would resolve to blog those crazy moments that come so randomly and quick that they're gone in just moments.<br />
<br />
Like today...our SINGLE oak tree has finally lost all its leaves.<br />
EVERY. SINGLE. ONE!<br />
It got down into the 20's during the nights here recently. That cold plus the wind probably helped clean the branches of their leaves. Of course, You'd never know it had been that cold if you judged by the 65+ weather we had during the day. A nice warm breeze was blowing.<br />
<br />
THere was extra energy in the house - it needed to be expended.<br />
<br />
J-man has been asking for a job to do to earn a special toy (Of his choosing). So Today I had the brilliant idea to couple those ideas together.<br />
<br />
I offered to pay the boys money to rake the leaves. Of course, I was going to help them with this endeavor. So we get it started...<br />
<br />
we were ten minutes - TEN MINUTES - into the endeavor and J-man (who's seven) leans on the mini-van and tells me, "You know we're only doing this for money, right, Mom?"<br />
<br />
Yeah.<br />
<br />
I figured. He made me laugh, bless his little mercenary heart.<br />
He takes after his mommy.Amelia Antwilerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17584920083164732963noreply@blogger.com1