Fallen Foliage

I don't mean to be morbid but isn't hanging some sort of cruel and unusual punishment?

And exactly what did Mr. Green do? I don't want to make the same mistake!

(Crummy Joel over at Crummy Church Signs was inspiration behind this picture)

Reeeeeally Early

Jordan, the temp worker here at the office, celebrated his 23rd birthday three weeks ago. Since our office loves any reason to eat sugar on the company’s dime, birthdays are events! For some reason Jordan’s birthday was postponed. First he wasn’t working on his actual birthday so we waited until the next week which was Thanksgiving. Holiday weeks are short already and we worked quickly to finish on time. The birthday celebration was postponed again. This week is halfway over. No plans have been made for Jordan’s birthday since Jim is turning 80 soon. All focus is on Jim’s big day. Yesterday, as Jordan and I were going over some last minute details for the caterer (80 really is a big deal), the conversation indicated a bit of resentment.

Me: Jordan, we need a table for the cake.
Jordan: Oh. He’s getting a cake, huh.
Me: Yes. Why wouldn’t he?
Jordan: Oh I don’t know. Sometimes people don’t get cakes.
Me: Well, he is turning 80. Of course we are going all out.
Jordan: Is it going to be a cookie cake?
Me: No. Why would you think that?
Jordan: Oh, no reason. That’s what I would have wanted if it were my birthday. You know…
Me: *gasp* Jordan! We never celebrated your birthday! I’m so sorry.
Jordan: Oh it’s okay. It was probably my only birthday I’ll have with the company. No big deal.

So Jordan, today is your day. Happy 30th! Don't think of this card as three weeks late but rather several years early.

Green with Envy

Black Friday: I think it's appropriated named actually since the sky is still black when the shopping frenzy starts. I actually didn't go this year. P2 and I attempted to purchase a laptop last year. We left the house around 4:30 and headed to the store opening at 5. The line not only wrapped around the front of the store, but also around the corner, and around another corner, and to the edge of the parking lot, and into a neighboring parking lot, and then some...

SERIOUSLY?!

We obviously had never ventured out into the Black Friday craze.

This year I went shopping on Wednesday. It was a little windy and dark ~ would that make it Gray Wednesday? Anyway, I had one item on my list: a camera. I decided it was time to get with the rest of the digital world and discard my antique. I told the associate what features interested me and my budget. He found the perfect camera and took time to explain the bells and whistles. I was thrilled. I wanted to purchase the camera right then and there...but that's now how Gray Wednesday works. I asked the sales rep if he could give me a better deal on Friday. He explained that he would match any competitors ad and I made a mental note to scour the electronic ads the following day for any camera sales. I then asked him to put the camera in the back with my name on it and that I'd be back on Friday.

Friday I woke up, enjoyed my morning, put in three hours of work ~ construction doesn't stop just because the rest of the world is shopping ~ then headed to the store around noon. All I had to do was ask for my camera and hand over a piece of plastic that represents my financial worth.

5 minutes. That's how I shop on Black Friday.

Oh, check this out: in fiddling with the camera for two days straight and already going through one set of batteries (I really have fiddled a lot), I found this cool feature where the camera takes a black and white photo but leaves in a color I specify. I realize this is a common Photoshop technique and old to some of you but I couldn't resist taking some pictures.

This was a quick painting I did a few years ago when I started filling my fish tank. I painted what I wanted and posted it near the tank.
I got frogs instead.

If you look closely, you can see my green eyes. Obviously the color pops out to me but I've been looking at my eyes for 20-something years. You may have to squint to see it. :o)



Bamboo is supposed to be good luck. Wish me luck with this new camera.

(I promise, the pictures will get better!)

When the Moon Hits Your Eye

With a table full of pies, that's amore...

There is a family here that celebrates Pie Day. ...oh you've never heard of it? It's the day before Thanksgiving... you know, just in case you choke on your turkey or something and die without dessert, pie day insures you reach your maximum sugar intake prior to Thursday's meal. Pie Day is serious stuff though. In fact, it's a full course meal.

I started with a quesadilla. It's round (like a pie), cut into wedges (like a pie), and full of protein (um, like a pie).

I moved onto pumpkin pie. Pumpkin is a vegetable.

USDA recommends 2-3 servings of fruit so I took a piece of apple pie, one of blackberry, one of lemon...

Pecan pie was next. Pecans are nuts...more protein.

Of course, you have to have cheesecake. Cheese ~ that covers my dairy.

USDA also suggests 6-12 servings of whole grains. Flour makes the crust. I was on the low end with only 6 grain portions. I better have a slice of banana to get more crust.

And for dessert, I had chocolate pie.

All in all, pie night was a complete success. And I've never enjoyed being healthy quite so much!

Always Double Check

I went to a bridal shower this weekend for a friend named Laura Morrison*. While I was at work on Friday, I realized I hadn't gone shopping yet for a gift. I quickly logged onto Target's bridal list to see if she had registered there. I found her and looked at a few items to get an idea of what to shop for. After work I went and picked up some accessories for her bathroom and wrapped them for the party on Saturday.

The items and colors weren't to my liking at all. Mama Mia watched as I wrapped the gifts. I explained that I only purchased what was on her registry and not what I personally would have chosen.

At the shower, my gift was selected first to be opened. Laura unwrapped the gift, looked at it for a few seconds and finally said she liked the design. One of her friends asked if she had registered for the particular item. Laura softly shook her head no. Confused, I perked up and said, "I printed out the registry. I even checked the bar codes to verify the items. ...you did register at Target, didn't you?"

"No, just Macy's and JC Penney."

"Hmmm...Well, there's a Laura Morrison somewhere that's not going to get some items."

* normally I don't include actual names on this blog but in this case, I wanted to prove that her name really isn't that common.

Biking 101

Essential items for an afternoon of biking with friends:

Gloves

Helmet

Sunglasses

Why are these items crucial? If, hypothetically speaking of course, you turn your head to hear what the biker behind you is saying and if you steer off the road and if there happens to be a 4 inch drop from the pavement to the grass and if your front tire drops and if* you lose control of the bike, although you will fly over your bike and skid across the road, you will only have a few bruises to show for it due to protective gear.

* That's a lot of "if's" but I'm sure it could happen.

I C U

My contact prescription is old so I went to the doctor for an eye checkup. I filled out all my paper work, was seated in the checkup room, and left to wait. I entertained myself by looking around the room. I saw the typical eye doctor wall hangings: pictures of the eye, contact lens advertisements, a wall chart, and his diploma. The diploma stood out to me. Most diplomas are printed on letter or legal size paper. This one was at least 2 feet by 3 feet.

GOOD

GRIEF! Why so

big? Does he think I can't

see or something? Oh wait... never mind.

Googleeeaack...

A recent conversation at my house:

Char: Mama Mia, did you hear so-and-so died last week?

Mama Mia: Really? I was just thinking of her.

Mama Mia: You know, a few months ago, the name of a college professor crossed my mind. I decided to Google him and found several articles referencing him and some relief work he'd been involved with. I googled him a few days later to see if his email was listed. I wanted to write him a note but, instead of the articles, his obituary was listed at the top of the search engine.

Little Boy Blue: Mom! Don't Google me!

Mama Mia? Are you thinking about me? I sure hope not!

Moderation

It's getting a little chilly here in Athens. I've found myself warming up at work with a cup of hot chocolate in the afternoons but since I really like hot cocoa, I usually don't stop at just one cup. To help curb the resulting sugar rush then plunge, and to insure I still fit into my little black dress, I'm making a resolution. I'll call it an End Year Resolution.

I, Charlottalove, commit to make and drink one, and only one, cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows per day.

Finally, a commitment I can keep!

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast

I have had a few friends call me, email me, or ask me in person about the caption contest.

"So Charlotte, who won? Did you forget to post the winner?"

No, actually. The truth is, I had the hardest time choosing. So many made me laugh. So many made Mama Mia laugh. This type of contest is fun seeing all the creative posts but so hard to pick a winner. I even printed out a list of all the submissions and carried it around with me these past few days. I thought that by glancing sporadically here and there at the list might help narrow it down. Didn't really work. I finally narrowed the list down to 6. One in 1st place and 5 that tied for second.

Brice ~ your "WHERE ARE THOSE PUPPIES!?" made me chuckle.
Dorky Dad ~ the dialog between Cruella and the Mad Hatter's half birthday made me laugh...a lot. I'm still laughing, actually.
Jocelyn, Jocelyn, Jocelyn ~ your tribunal comment made me laugh, shake my head, bite my lip, laugh some more, and wipe away a tear. Oh, your caption fought hard to the end.
Charles ~ I laughed at the mental image of puppies in the Mad Hatter's Hat.
Bec ~ Offspring from Cruella and the Mad Hatter? I don't want to think about that either.


Honorable Mention must go to Diesel who captioned the wrong photo. But boy did it make me laugh! And Craig D for making some pretty accurate comparisons.


Jim ~ I kept coming back to your caption. I loved it's simplicity. I liked it's double play on words using the title of yet another Disney movie. I like being called Beauty. ...you were referring to me, right? In the end, I really liked your caption. You are the winner of a $20 gift card to the store of your choice. Email me your info and I promise I'll send the card sometime before I start decorating for Christmas...which isn't until after Thanksgiving.

Thanks everyone for posting...and waiting...and calling to make sure I remembered to pick a winner. I'll be back Monday with a real post.

2020

I have documented a few of my super powers on this blog. Today I unveil yet another super strength. Wonder Woman, Slumber Woman, meet Hindsight 20/20. My powers allow me to... you ready for this? to see the past. This skill works best if my hair is wet, I'm in a hurry, sitting at a desk in a princess room, and wearing the 20/20 eye wear. As you can see, conditions were optimal for this rare photograph.


Since I haven't blogged about my reunion yet, I thought I'd tell you through the eyes of 20/20.


I see me:
Stepping into a pile of fire ants on the second day. This will result in a swollen foot with lots of white spots that will itch uncontrollably any time the hem of my pants rubs against my skin. An additional result will be me rolling up one pant leg to avoid said itching. This will cause lots of strange looks. I will not, however, be confused with particular gangs that roll one pant leg.


I see me:
Wanting to chicken out at 6:55 for the reunion that starts at 7. My sister, Shelly-Belly, will convince me to go but tell people she and I have plans at 10 - just in case I need a reason to leave. I see me staying until the venue closes at 12:30.


I see me:
Arriving at the Bar & Grill around 7:20. I will be the second one there. A friend, Aimee, will be sitting at the bar and I will join her. We will both look around to see if we know anyone and unintentionally meet eyes with another bar patron. He will think she and I want to join his friends and ask to buy us drinks. We will both decline and wonder how to ease him out of our conversation.


I see me:
Wanting to converse with the two hearing impaired guys from my class. I see me wanting to impress them with the sign language I learned in college. I see me mixing up two very similar signs: one a common adverb, the other a very offensive gesture. I see both men opening their eyes wide while mouthing "NO", "STOP".


I see me:
Having way more fun than I anticipated. I see me wanting to attend the next reunion. ...Will I? I don't know yet. I only see the past.

Thank Goodness!

It’s November which means Thanksgiving. I like holidays! I enjoy Valentines because it’s a few days before my birthday (and there’s lots of chocolate), Halloween since I get to dress up (and there’s lots of chocolate), Easter for religious reasons (and there’s lots of chocolate), but Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite.

I think it’s a result of the beautiful colors of the changing leaves, the crisp edge that outlines each breathe, the weight of my comforter on my bed, the smell of baking everywhere you go, and the fact that there’s lots of chocolate. (I’m sensing a pattern here…)

It’s a season of gratitude also ~ hence the name: Thanksgiving. Regardless of race, gender, age, or who you will vote for next November, we are all blessed and this month is the perfect time to list just how fortunate we are.

Last week, I was in a discussion with Mama Mia and Little Boy Blue about cows - don’t ask - and the process of branding the hide. We eventually ended the conversation-but not before talking about, uh, bull emasculation if you will. Little Boy Blue's eyes widened and he exclaimed, "I'm thankful I'm not a cow!"

Um, yes. Aren't we all. ...Mama Mia, what's for dinner? Hamburgers?

Oh yeah, and speaking of segways, have you submitted a caption yet?

Some Personal Background

We each have our own computer station at work. Most of the guys have the standard blue background as their desktop but that's too boring for me. Mine changes periodically depending on my mood.

First there was Wonder Woman. Some of the guys wondered why I had a female super hero as my background. I got tired of explaining the story and changed my picture...

to my Family

During my GRE cram month, I had inspirational math problems

But now I enjoy various cartoons.




What's on your background?

(remember to submit a caption for the contest!)