If you play, please link back to me and leave me a comment letting me know you played, so I can come visit!

Happy 1st day of my birthday month June! This week, we're going to have a theme--fictional characters :-) So fill in the blanks with them; please do refrain from using your husband/ wife/other non-fictional character!

1. I wouldn't toss _____ out of bed!
2. _____ has no appeal for me whatsoever.
3. A good dream would involve me [meaning you] and _____; we [meaning you and him or her] would _____.
4. The sexiest man or woman in the movies is _____; the sexiest man or woman on tv is _____.
5. _____ portrays a wicked villian.
6. _____ and _____ would make a great couple.
7. TGIF! Tonight I'm _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I'll _____!

Mel? If you play along, Ron cannot be in any of your answers...except of course #7. After all, he is NOT a fictional character...a weird character, yes, but not fictional!

Have a great weekend!

1. I wouldn't toss Captain Jack Sparrow out of bed!
2. House has no appeal for me whatsoever.
3. A good dream would involve me and Professor Snape; we would [edited for content].
4. The sexiest man or woman in the movies is Captain Jack Sparrow; the sexiest man or woman on tv is Dean Winchester.
5. Voldemort portrays a wicked villian.
6. Dr. Lecter and Clarice Starling would make a great couple.
7. TGIF! Tonight I'm getting a pedicure, maybe going to the beach, tomorrow my plans include maybe photographing a dog swimming, but definitely taking my dogs for a walk and Sunday, I'll chill!

Grab the Scavenger Hunt code. Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Visit participants.

***UPDATED***

I meant to use the picture below today, but totally forgot about it til I looked at the fridge! It was drawn and given to me by the daughter of a friend of mine the day we went to a flower show in Boston. I like her interpretation of me!

Chloe, Diane, me

Tonight I went to Newburyport with Megan and Jim, in the pouring rain, complete with fierce thunder and lightning! It eased up by the time we got there, tho, which was good as we ended up walking a bit to get to Aquatini. I had a extra dirty martini and some oysters and shared a cheese plate with Megan. Perfect! Afterwards we drove to Plum Island, sat out on the rocks and watched the lightning far off in the distance and talked. Magical!

Here's a flower that's growing in my front yard; enjoy!

If you'd like to play, click here!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Savage :: jungle
2. Warrior :: samurai
3. Daisy :: pretty
4. Schedule :: not my thing
5. Rock, paper, scissors :: Japan
6. Medical :: issues
7. Jade :: gates
8. Elevator :: box
9. Drain :: hair
10. Goldfish :: healthy

Yesterday I went to Plymouth with Michelle to evaluate some folks that want to adopt a dog. They passed with flying colors! Afterwards we ate a late lunch at Hearth & Kettle, which brought back memories for both of us; you see, we both used to spend alot of time down the Cape in the summers when we were kids and both of us used to eat at Hearth & Kettle with our parents as a treat.

Since we'd brought Wolf with us, even though it was chilly and foggy, we decided to talk a quick walk around Plymouth Harbor. It was too foggy to get a shot of the Mayflower...which brought my ancestors to New England, but I did manage a shot of Plymouth Rock, the (very small) landing spot of the Pilgrims in 1620, as well as some shots of the harbor.

All in all, it was a good day and a fitting ending to a great weekend!

Hope you all had a great weekend, too :-)

Lisa said: "It is interesting to me that the Balinese believe that the day of the week that you were born on is more telling than the year or month."; she kindly provided me with the info for Saturday's child:

Laku Bulan: (Like the Moon) - Good worker, smart, has a lot of knowledge, takes life in a light way and is satisfied. Sometimes makes arguments with his or her spouse, is not easily influenced by others.

Flower is the sunflower.

Durga, goddess of combat, is my deity.

The Kepuh is your tree: "The stately, solitary 'kepuh' tree, a member of the kapok family, populates Balinese cemeteries. It's believed that on moonlit nights its eerie-looking branches are infested with evil birds and demons, its branches festooned with the entrails of the dead, its roots winding in and out of skulls and bones. The 'kepuh' is sacred to Durga." [wouldn't that make a good picture???]

Owl is my bird; bull is my animal.

Another meme stolen from Lisa!

Explorer: 24
Builder: 16
Negotiator: 20
Director: 18

Whichever is the highest is your dominant type; the next highest is your secondary type. In fact, our secondary types can play an important part in our relationships (for example, an Explorer/Negotiator may have an understanding of social skills that an Explorer/Director doesn't).

Take the quiz!

The Explorer
Explorers have a very active dopamine system, a brain chemical associated with the tendency to seek novelty, among other qualities. An Explorer might look up from the newspaper on Sunday and say, "Want to go to Warsaw?"—and by Wednesday you're in Poland. Champions of "never a dull moment," these adventurers live to discover new people, places, things, or ideas, often on the spur of the moment. Friends, family, and colleagues frequently regard them as highly independent and autonomous. [true lol]

Explorers have more energy than most people; they tend to be restless, sometimes fast-paced. And they are highly curious—"For always roaming with a hungry heart," as Tennyson put it. Constantly generating new ideas or creative insights, they easily shift their attention from one thing to another. Although the classic Explorer is a race-car driver, South Pole trekker, or bad-boy rocker who lives hard, taking drugs and having risky sex, I know many who exercise their passion for adventure by reading several hours a day; collecting stamps, coins, or antiques; or walking through the byways of a city. [more like the second than the first!]

People quickly like most Explorers. Generous and sunny, they tend to be playful, sensual, sometimes hedonistic, often unpredictable, and regularly amusing. But they can be difficult to take—especially in a marriage. They do not tolerate boredom well. So they are generally not interested in routine social or business events. In fact, Explorers try to avoid routine of almost any kind, and can trample on another person's cherished beliefs and habits—not to mention be impatient. [possibly like me, especially the last 4 sentences]

The Negotiator
Negotiators have specific personality traits that have been linked with estrogen. Although estrogen is known as a female sex hormone, men have it, too, and there are plenty of male Negotiators. As the name suggests, this type is superb at handling people. Negotiators instinctively know what others are thinking and feeling. They artfully read facial expressions, postures, gestures, and tone of voice. Their interest in identity extends not only to others but to themselves. So they are introspective and self-analytical—men and women who take pleasure in journeying into their thoughts and motives. As a result, when they form a partnership, they like to delve deeply into the strengths and weaknesses of the relationship. [while I might think I know what people are thinking and feeling, I have no clue how to handle them.]

Not only do Negotiators connect psychologically, they also have the ability to remain mentally flexible. When they make decisions, they weigh many variables and consider various ways to proceed; they see things contextually, rather than linearly—I call it web thinking. As a result, they tend to be comfortable with ambiguity. Negotiators can be highly intuitive and creative. And they like to theorize. Perhaps their most distinctive characteristic is verbal fluency, the facility for finding the right words rapidly. With this skill—alongside an agreeable and accommodating nature, compassion, social savvy, and patience—the Negotiator can be very friendly, diplomatic, and authentic. [I am comfy with ambiguity and can be very intuitive & sometimes creative, somewhat accommodating and definitely have compassion]

But as with all qualities, these traits can warp. Negotiators sometimes become such placators they appear wishy-washy to the point of spinelessness. Because they're not willing to confront, they can turn to backstabbing. With their need to examine all the possibilities, they can get bogged down in rumination as opposed to action. And in a relationship, their desire to connect and dissect all the subtle meanings between the two of you can become cloying and invasive. [I don't think I'm very wishy washy or spineless LOL...and I'm definitely willing to confront. I think the last sentence is true, too.]

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

I did things a bit differently last week; I was trying to get you guys to see the goose in the picture. See him...to the right of the tree? Um...maybe I won't try that again LOL! Although a couple of you got it! First was villageofmany : "A canadian goose or heron visiting in the background?" YES!!! Julie also got it: "... are you referring to the goose (or whatever it is) sticking its head up near the tree?"

But...OMG you guys had some WEIRD GREAT answers!

MaryEllen: "...Capn Sparrow scampers down to the walk at midnight only to meet you under the moonlight..." Hmmm...I kinda like that idea!

Then we had Laura who said: "is this the hiding spot where you bury all the bodies?" Only the ones I kill at work, hon!

DebR obviously knows me so well: "A garden planted and maintained by all your admirers as a tribute to your beauty and wit. :-)". BWAHAHAHHA!!!

T was having visions: "I see is an area up on the hill and it looks like 2 giant boobs are sticking up out of the ground and the branches from the tree and groping at them! I'm RIGHT this week, right?"

And Carl...well, Carl was gross, but he DID make me laugh out loud: "I'm thinking you caught a shot of the illusive Loch Ness Moster. Although, if viewed right, that same dark shape looks a bit like the silhouette of a tampon....hmmm...."

Finally, Colleen and her very active imagination said: "Here Lies Mary Poppins: An umbrella stuck in the ground. Maybe she jumped in."

As always, thanks for playing! By the way, all photos used in What Is It Wednesday are marked as "private" in my flickr account...that's so no one can view the picture at a bigger size to get a better look!

So this week...

What is it?

This is Charlotte's forst week as the Getting To Know You hostess this month. She says: June 2007!!! Can you believe it? Time passes so quickly, Our lives are so full of family, work and community activities that the days fly by in a blur sometimes. Now and then I stop to think about where I am in life,where I've been and where I want to go.
So these questions are geared toward the past 2 decades, the present and the future. Share your life with us!

Ready? Here we go!

Where were you in 1987? In school? Working? Single? Married? Attached? What was important to you? What were you doing creatively? Tell us a bit about your life then. I realize some of you were children then...all the better! In 1987, I was working at Hanscom AFB, living with my first love, Michael in Lowell, and thoroughly enjoying life. We had two cats, Toy & Cameo, and I'd just met my friends Betsy, Diane, Maureen & Kim. Creatively, I was, as now, into photography. Toy & Cameo were often my subjects, as was Michael and his nephew Jason. Michael and I often took trips to VA (where his sister & nephew lived) and NC (where his mother lives). These trips were always in the form of loooong car rides, and I loved them! Michael usually drove and I got to read...for miles and miles and miles. And often I'd ask him to pull over so I could photography this abandoned farmhouse or that old church. I discovered all sorts of things dating Michael; love, orgasm, chiltins, sweet tea, the novelty of being the only white person in an all black church. For a northern girl, that was quite interesting, and I have to say, those folks were so nice to me!

Where were you in 1997? What would you like to share about the nineties? At this time in 1997, I was living in Somerville, MA with my cats, Molly & Jasper. I was dating He Who Shall Not Be Named (no, NOT Voldemort) and working at the company I'm at now. I met some new friends, Julie, Megan, MaryEllen among others.
The nineties were a time of huge change for me; after splitting up with Michael (I can still remember the day it happened; I was devastated) I went through a promiscuous phase which continued until 1992; when I married Lou. Shortly thereafter, the Air Force moved us to Japan, I met Gaylen, worked for the best boss ever and split from Lou, which did NOT cause me any sadness at all (SFSSDMF).

Where did you plan to be or think you'd be in 2007? Have your realized your goals? What is one thing about your present life you love and one you'd like to change? In 2007, I thought I'd be the mother of a 6 or 7 year old, possibly twins, from He Who Shall Not Be Named. Nothing could be further from the truth; I will be 50 this year and childless, altho if fur kids count, I have two of those! I also have a great group of friends, and that's one thing about my present life I love. The one thing I'd like to change would be to have a significant other to go through life with. If it happens, great. If not, that's fine, too.

How do you see your life in 2017? Do you have any goals or dreams for your future? It's hard for me to imagine what life will be like then. First of all, I'll be almost ... 60!!! Hopefully healthy (I'm working on making that so now), hopefully financially ok (working on that too) and hopefully in a place of my own. But...if Dad's still alive and healthy, so much the better! In 2017, Max will probably be gone (he's 10 now) and Wolf...well Wolf might be around...he was born in 2001 and who knows! We (that's the royal we) won't think about that, will we, precious?

Great bunch of questions, Charlotte.

Thirteen Things I love that begin with the letter P

1. Pirates!: That was a no-brainer!

2. Palm : As much as I love hands, I also love palms! Used to be able to read 'em too.

3. Palomino: If ever I was to get a horse, this would be it!

4. Phoenix: My favorite tattoo so far

5. Parmesan: Freshly ground on just about anything, delish!

6. Parchment: You can write on it, you can cook on it!

7. Pickles: I lovelovelove pickles, sour more than sweet

8. Patchwork: Have you seen the new denim patchwork Coach bags? ooooh! I love patchwork; quilts, jeans, whatever!

9. Pearl: My favorite jewely includes pearls

10. Pelican: My favorite bird! They're so ungainly looking I love 'em!

11. Peanut Butter: Oh god, I love and miss peanut butter!

12. Paris: One of my favorite cities to visit, so much history, so much to see...and damn good food, too!

13. Penny Lane: I used to not like this song very much...til one day I 'got' it! Do you get it?

Penny lane is in my ears and in my eyes.
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit, and meanwhile back.
Penny lane is in my ears and in my eyes.
There beneath the blue suburban skies,
Penny Lane.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Random and Odd says: "Show me your bounce. (this could get interesting!)

Here's my bounce:

I was pregnant in this picture...almost 2 months. Didn't know it then...but found out the next week, and was overjoyed! Then, the next day, I found it was an ectopic pregnancy and into surgery I went, no waiting, just bam. The doc was afraid the tube was going to burst...ended up losing it too.

But...I bounced back! And I was fine :-)

Can you tell which one I am? Not the bride!

That's my story about "bounce".

If you play, please link back to me and leave me a comment letting me know you played, so I can come visit! (Note: imascribbler - leave me your URL so I can come visit, I'm bummed I didn't get a chance to read about the Lost characters last week!)

Since it's my birthday month June, and I'm heading to Vegas in a couple weeks, we're going to have another theme--what happens in Vegas STAYS in Vegas. Bear that in mind while filling in the blanks this week, and if YOU'RE not going to Vegas...well, pretend you are!

1. The first thing I'll do when I get to Vegas will involve _____.
2. The LAST thing I'll do when I leave Vegas will be _____.
3. _____ is the thing I'm most looking forward to in Vegas.
4. Although it will be hot in June in Vegas _____will be even hotter!
5. The reason I chose Vegas was/is _____.
6. _____'s _____ just sent me a check!
7. Finally some time off from work! Tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!

Have a great weekend!

as I was prompted so lovingly by Megan, here are my answers:

1. The first thing I'll do when I get to Vegas will involve looking for everyone I'm supposed to be meeting at the airport.
2. The LAST thing I'll do when I leave Vegas will be close my eyes on the plane.
3. Seeing my friends is the thing I'm most looking forward to in Vegas.
4. Although it will be hot in June in Vegas mah girlz will be even hotter!
5. The reason I chose Vegas was/is so I can see Cirque du Soleil's show, Love.
6. Betsy's husband Griff just sent me a check!
7. Finally some time off from work! Tonight I'm looking forward to getting the hell outa work, tomorrow my plans include planting my tomatoes and jalapenos and Sunday, I want to relax!

Grab the Scavenger Hunt code. Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Visit participants.

***UPDATED***

Here's a whole view!

I went over to Megan's Friday night, and while waiting for her to come home, I sat out in her backyard, reading, sipping my ice coffee...and of course, taking pictures. This lovely flower is a peony:

Moments before had ants crawling all over it! I think they saw the camera and got really camera shy ;-) Course I had to look up WHY ants were all over these flowers, and here 'tis:

Ants are attracted to sap-like secretions produced by flower buds. While they are common on many cultivars, the presence of ants does not enhance pollination, nor does it harm the plant.

Hmmm...cool!

She and I went to the mall so I could return a belt and get my glasses fixed. Damn, I should've taken a picture of what happened to the lenses in my new glasses; they had stress lines at the top and bottom! Not so much that I could tell while they were on, but still.

Then we had dinner at Lui Lui, an Italian place with so so martinis and great cheap margaritas (2 bucks, y'all). Spur of the moment we decided to go see Ocean's 13; my first of those movies. It was very entertaining!

Today I did some shopping; decided to FINALLY use the Sephora card a friend gave to me for my birthday last year. I got some Bare Escentuals eye liner and some Too Faced Lash Injection mascara. LOVE the eye liner, haven't tried the mascara yet. I'll do a review over at A Girl Must Shop about it soon.

I wanted to get Decleor's Aromessence Neroli Comforting Concentrate (it has petitgrain, neroli, sage, parsley, and sandalwood essential oils in a hazelnut oil base) after reading about it at Sephora.com, but the store didn't have any. They, did, however have samples of it, as well as the Aromessence Angelique Nourishing Concentrate For Dry Skin, which I had wanted to try, too (this one has angelica, chamomile, geranium and rosemary essential oils in an avocado, hazelnut and wheatgerm oil base). I heart Sephora :-) To apply, you put one drop on each of your first three fingertips (hahaha I spelled it fingertits first, too much Laura influence); touch them to the first three fingertips on your other hand, and gently massage it onto your face. Then you moisturize as normal. Can't wait to try it tomorrow morning!

I also stopped by Aveda and got my free birthday gift; a specially blended full size bottle of body lotion. They asked me some questions, found out I'm a fire element and gave me a choice of three scents; one was a patchouli combination, the second was a sandalwood combination, the third was rose & ylang ylang. To my surprise, I liked the rose one best! Hmmm...weird!

Made chicken for dinner, marinated in pineapple juice, mango hot sauce and mustard...yum! Combined it with pineapple/cilantro brown rice and broccoli. Still trying to eat good...not succeeding ALL the time, but more often than not, and that's good.

Hope your weekend has been great so far!

If you'd like to play, click here!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Acoustic :: guitar
2. Sanity :: debatable
3. Mambo :: italiano
4. Session :: photography
5. Hound :: dog
6. Cat :: eyes
7. Coward :: Noel
8. Trunk :: show
9. Hold me :: tight
10. Psychological :: dreams

Walked right by this guy in the algae pond...he was standing stock still and I thought he was a rock at first; all I saw was his body! His legs were totally underwater and I didn't notice his neck and head. I got quite the crowd around me, everyone shushing their kids so as to not scare the bird away:

More shots on flickr, if you're interested!

I also got the garden into shape, planted the tomatoes and found a new strawberry plant amongst the mint! I had to trim the sage that grew back from last year; here's a shot of its lovely flowers:

This is Lia's first task for Photo Thursday. She says:

"Dear Friends: My name is Lia Kent (aka Art Junk Girl) and I'm thrilled to be your Photo Day host for the month of JUNE! Traditionally, June is a month of many celebrations: weddings, graduations, and don't forget summer vacations [ed. note: and birthdays!]! So, this weeks photo prompt will be entitled, "Celebrations". Please take a photo of a celebration you will attend this week."

Now, I'm a rule breaker bender from way back...and I really wanted to share this picture I took at a wedding last summer.

This particular shot was taken during a celebration of their two cultures coming together as one. They separately collected a jar of sand from their favorite beaches, hers from Maine, his from his hometown in Spain. The woman in charge of the ceremony had them pour the jars of sand into a single jar, signifying their joining. Then they both took hold of a sand dollar, broke it in half, and emptied all the "white doves" inside the sand dollar into their single jar of sand. It was one of the most lovely celebrations I'd ever seen, and I loved the significance.

I hope you don't mind that I bent the rule a bit!

Just one bite, matey!

Saw this over at Dawn's:

My Roomate and I once: were serenaded at the same time. We were dating musicians, and mine played guitar; hers, piano...and they sang. It was awesome!

Never in my life have I: been to Las Vegas

High school was: a trip.

When I am nervous: mostly get real quiet.

My hair: is getting taken care of tonight by the great Q!

When I was 5: I was living in the town I live in now.

By this time next year: I wicked hope to have started looking at a new home to buy.

My favorite aunt is: Non-existent; in that my dad was an only child and my mom only had two brothers.

I have a hard time understanding: math.

You know I like you if: I talk to you.

My ideal breakfast is: Woburn Street omelette from the Owl Diner!

If you visit my hometown: I don't have an answer for this!

If you spend the night at my house: Pigs would be flying.

My favorite blond is: mmmm, Legolas!

My favorite brunette is: mmm, Captain Jack Sparrow!

The animal I would like to see flying is: A thestral!

I shouldn't have been: so bullheaded.

Last night: I ate some macaroni and cheese (non-Kraft) and I didn't like it. What a waste of calories!

I've been told I look like: my Dad, over and over and over again!

If I could have any car it would be: The one I have now! I love my lil Gollum-mobile!

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

And this is a shot of a sand dollar, altho not the one it was cropped from:

Michelle: "First I have to say HA I AM FIRST because I am never first. My guess is it is a sand dollar from the beach." T, Laura, Amy, Heather, MaryEllen, Tori, Colleen G, Colleen & Miss Meliss all got it right, too. Damn, you guys are smart!

I learned something this weekend...there are no sand dollars in Australia, New Zealand or Norway! Hence these comments: " Fossil? What's a sand dollar?" from Julie (Australia); "This week, it's clearly a squashed trilobite." from Shirley (New Zealand) and "Negative footprints or trilobites" from TorAa

On to the folks who made me laugh (I love you guys!):

First place goes to Lisa: "Markings left from dragging the dead bodies (from work, of course) down the beach on your way to Plymouth Rock last weekend. ;-)"

Village of Many said: "Aliens landed on the beach and left a message to all the humans in the sand."

Lee was both silly AND correct: " that looks like the mark left by aliens after they suck your brains out....or maybe it's a sand dollar? :)"

And another Lisa, who also was both silly and correct: "SAND DOLLAR!!!! Well really it is the marking left from Capt's Jack Sparrow's boot as he stepped off the Black Pearl. Have a great day!"

As always, thanks for playing! By the way, all photos used in What Is It Wednesday are marked as "private" in my flickr account...that's so no one can view the picture at a bigger size to get a better look!

So this week...

What is it?

Thirteen Things I love that begin with the letter Q

1. Q: Played by John de Lancie, Q is perhaps an omnipotent being, mischievous and has a flair for the dramatic. Once of my favorite characters from Star Trek: TNG!

2. Quiescence: A state of being quiet or at rest; I love the way the word sounds as much as what it means!

3. Quote: I love quotes! Here's one of my favorites: "There are many ways to be free. One of them is to transcend reality by imagination, as I try to do." - Anais Nin

4. Quohogs: Man, I need to go visit Azzy soon and get a quohog! Yum!

5. Quest: It's fun to go on a quest...for the perfect dirty martini, an interesting series of pictures, a pair of shoes!

6. Quills: Enjoyable to write with, not so much fun to get a faceful of!

7. Quaint: Such a lovely word, except in real estate LOL!

8. Quartz: So pretty! I have a beautiful rose quartz a friend gave me; it's said to have a healing property: "It will allow you to get to know your true self and to love that true self in all its beauty." Can't hurt, might help!

9. Quench: Is there anything better than an ice cold glass of water on a hot summer's day to quench your thirst?

10. Quintessence: "The most perfect embodiment of something." First thing that comes to mind is Alan Rickman as Professor Snape. It also means "the fifth essence or element, ether, supposed to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies, the others being air, fire, earth, and water." Hmmm....

11. Quirky: Quirky people make life that much more interesting, don't you agree?

12. Quality: Much better than quantity, in most things ;-)

13. Quiver: Only Robert Plant could use that word in a song and not have it sound terribly...contrived:

Now my body is starting to quiver
And the palms of my hands getting wet
I've got no reason to doubt you baby,
It's all a terrible mess.

I'll run in the rain till I'm breathless
When I'm breathless I'll run till I drop, hey
The thoughts of a fool's kind of careless
I'm just a fool waiting on the wrong block.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

This picture just makes me smile:

Does it make you smile, too?

If you play, please link back to me and leave me a comment letting me know you played, so I can come visit!

This week, I have a theme...bloggers! These fill-ins are all about bloggers I read, so I'll include links in the extended entry. In the meantime, feel free to fill in the blanks with whatever comes to mind, about whoever comes to mind!

1. She loves _____, the darker the better!
2. He loves all types of _____.
3. This blogger misses _____.
4. Unfortunately, she's _____ lately!
5. _____ is not her strong suit; in fact I do believe _______, ho hum.
6. Her _____ fascinates me; I love that _____ smells (and tastes) of _____!
7. What are you doing this weekend? Tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!

Don't forget...have fun!

1. She loves chocolate, the darker the better!
2. He loves all types of science fiction.
3. This blogger misses Percy and Snape.
4. Unfortunately, she's swamped at work lately!
5. Blogging is not her strong suit, in fact, I do believe it bores her, ho hum.
6. Her character, Sebastian fascinates me; I love that he smells (and tastes!) of clove!
7. What are you doing this weekend? Tonight I'm looking forward to some free time, tomorrow my plans include getting those jalapeño plants into the garden and Sunday, I want to read and do some packing for my trip to Vegas!

Random and Odd says: "Back

She had no idea I was taking her picture; Wolf, of course, only has eyes for me if I'm not nearby. Hence the pose!

mama kelly tagged me; why not!

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7 things as well as these rules. They then need to tag 7 others and list their names on their blog. They are also asked to leave a comment for each of the tagged, letting them know they have been tagged and to read the blog. Got it?

OK, here goes...

1) I love a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast with a cup of coffee! The peanut butter must be spread on half of the slice of bread, then the slice is folded over. Sometimes I'll spread some butter on first. Yum!
2) I have to be in the mood to clean. I'm not often in the mood. When I AM in the mood, no one can be home. Consequently, the house doesn't get cleaned very often :( Altho I WAS in the mood this weekend, and the 6 months of paperwork on the dining room table has been organized. Not quite put away, but soon!
3) I've never been to Las Vegas...and I won't be able to say that anymore after next Thursday, as I'm heading there with friends to celebrate my birthday. Wanna come with?
4) I've seen Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End four times so far. The last time was this past Wednesday; Pat and I took my Dad to Chunky's. Pat and I also drank some rum...which we smuggled in. Shhhhh...don't tell!
5) A&W root beer, diet, with LOTS of ice is my favorite soda! I also have a favorite new rum, Sailor Jerry's! Give it a try if you're into rum...it's really quite good.
6) I need quiet time to recharge and the older I get the more I need. For example, I had absolutely NOTHING planned this weekend other than taking Dad our for Father's Day on Sunday. Doesn't mean I didn't DO anything...in fact, Michelle called to see if I was free, I was and we went to Jasper White's Clam Shack. Yummy oysters, steamers and boiled shrimp. Delish!
7) I'm reading two books right now; one during the day and one at night. The one during the day is the latest Dean Koontz, called "The Good Guy"; the night book is Rises the Night, by Colleen Gleason. Not sure why it's worked out like this but there you have it. Oh...and in Rises the Night, there is a WICKED hot guy, Sebastian. Mmm, mmm, mmm!

Seven of you, tag, YOU'RE it! Run with it! Quickly!

He likes to share, has a wicked sense of humor, eats anything, had the most adorable blond curls as a baby, enjoys his family, likes photography, loves animals and served in WWII...ladies, anyone interested? ;-)

If you'd like to play, click here!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Riding :: crop
2. Actress :: skinny
3. Flowers :: lovely
4. Making :: jewelry
5. Robot :: "It does not compute, Will Robinson."
6. Enjoy :: life to the fullest!
7. Identify :: with eccentrics
8. 22 :: ways to have fun
9. Busy :: as a bee
10. Forward :: always go forward

I had one strawberry plant last year. Now there are two, but one's hiding among the mint. Good strategy, as the berries are still on the plant!

Sunday: Had a great time with my brother and Dad for Father's Day. We took Dad up to Brown's for lobsters, steamers and a fisherman's platter. Yum! Dad racked up the presents: a new camera, three shirts and some shower gel so he'll smell good for those chicks at the Senior Center. Go, Dad! My brother also gave me an early birthday present, enough cash to either get a REALLY good massage or hire a gigolo for a couple hours. His instructions on the birthday card were too clear about that, altho they WERE clear on the type of guy I should as for (no, I'm NOT tell you what it said!)

Sunday evening: Not so good...Wolf had a seizure :-( Freaked me right the hell out, as you might imagine. It didn't last more than a minute and afterward he was a bit wobbly, but 10 minutes later he wanted to go for a walk and then eat. So today, he was off to the vet's. Had a complete physical and blood work and I should get the results tomorrow. The vet said that any number of things could cause a seizure and I told her this was the first one I'd ever seen him have. He seems to be feeling well now, so we'll see.

I didn't get to work til 1 or so, and of course, since I'm off Thursday and Friday, I had a TON of stuff to do. Made the day fly by, that's for sure. Met up with Megan after work so she could do some clothes shopping for Vegas and I found the coolest headbands and flip flops (a girl can never have too many flip flops, yanno!).

Megan stared at me appraisingly and said that she loves my new curly hair, and that it is "me". I feel like it is too, and maybe I can become more like myself than I have been these last few years.

More good news: my friend Diane invited me, along with another friend, Mo to dinner and a sleep over at her house Wednesday night, and we're all going to take a limo to the airport at the crack of dawn Thursday. Start the vacation off right, says I!

It's my birthday week, ya'll!

Wolf's blood work came back fine! Liver and kidneys functioning properly, white blood cell count fine, blood sugar fine! I didn't have them test for rabies, as they'd've had to take his brain, and I'm sure he needs that for the next 10 years or so.

PHEW!!!

So...it was a random seizure, hopefully. I'm not going to schedule him for an MRI or CAT scan (how wrong would that be, a CAT scan for a dog!!!) at this point. I'm going to monitor him, and have Dad keep an eye on him as well.

My newest flip flops; the piratey skull ones are an early birthday present from Megan and the silvery ones I picked up last night at JC Penney's.

Seen at Krista's

1. Go to the Billboard #1 Hits listings (scroll down and you’ll see them separated by decades on the left in the sidebar)
2. Pick the year you turned 18 [um...cause I'm a rule breaker, I'm changing it up a little...decided to pick a year that was a bit more "eventful" than just turning 18, if y'all know what I mean]
3. Get yourself nostalgic over the songs of the year
4. Pick 5 songs and write something about how these songs affected you
5. Pass it on to 5 more friends

After looking at these songs, it was HARD to choose just five...apparently, 1972 was an AWESOME year for music! There was only one song I didn't care for *cough* Neil Diamond *cough*, so I screwed up the rules even more and told a story using the names and/or lyrics of the songs. Sue me!

Brand New Key - Melanie: Oh, I LOVED this song!

I rode my bicycle past your window last night
I roller-skated to your door at daylight
It almost seems like you're avoiding me
I'm okay alone, but you got something I need

Well, I got a brand new pair of roller skates
You got a brand new key
I think that we should get together
And try them out to see
I been looking around awhile
You got something for me
Oh, I got a brand new pair of roller skates
You got a brand new key

She had a high pitched, girlish voice, very sing-songy. This was PRE the event.

American Pie - Don McLean: This song reminds me of when my parents made me go to group therapy...I met this guy Dave there...another rebellious kid (like me) who was amazing artistic. He drew and was a potter, interesting dude! We hung out alot in Lowell (he was from Dracut).

Now starts the theme:

Let's Stay Together - Al Green: That's what I said...didn't happen, tho, for one very important reason!
Without You - Nilsson: I'd've retained it awhile longer, maybe.
Heart of Gold - Neil Young: No heart of gold, this one.
A Horse With No Name - America: No "horse" either.
The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack: Loved this song and made out to it many a time
Oh Girl - Chi-Lites: What he said
I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers: He tried to!
The Candy Man - Sammy Davis, Jr.: SNORT *not literally*! Yeah, he was the Candy Man, aight.
Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond (GAK!)
Lean on Me - Bill Withers: I did, for a bit
Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O' Sullivan: But then this happened
Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) - Looking Glass: Goofy song, reminds me of Salisbury, possible scene of the crime.
Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan: So good it repeated!
Black and White - Three Dog Night: Not til 1986, ya'll.
Baby, Don't Get Hooked On Me - Mac Davis: Yeah, now that could've been his theme song!
Ben - Michael Jackson: Dude was kind of a rat...and I don't mean MJ!
My Ding-A-Ling - Chuck Berry: This is one of the dirtiest songs EVER! I loved it! My friend Pat and I went to see Chuck Berry at the Boston Garden in 1972...amazing, just amazing! And appropriate for my "theme"
I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash: Yup, I was shocked when I saw clearly and that was the end of that!
Papa Was a Rollin' Stone - The Temptations: Ha, yeah he was.
I Am Woman - Helen Reddy: LOL this song just reminds me of my cousin!
Me and Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul: Still love this song, and it was entirely apropos to my story.

THE END!

Five of you please do this, c'mon, it's my birthday week!

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

Jenn was the first of MANY to get it right; yup, it was a staple remover. Am I the ONLY one that thought it looked like vampire fangs? Sigh...

The funniest comment was a toss up between Wil "Before I read the comments I was wracking my brain for what type of Vice-Grips these might be from. But it IS obviously a staple remover, dang it." and Michele "It's a staple remover. (You will note that I only play when I know what it is. Or at least am fairly certain I know.)".

I just flat out disappointed Lisa: "... I have to say I hope you tricked us all and it is nothing to do with staples or the removal therof." ROFLMAO!

Also funny, in a less ironic sense, were the following:

Jules: "Or it could be Edward Scissorhands' fingers."

Heather: "...Or a steel dragon's teeth!"

Laura: "ummm....is THAT what you used to pierce you nipple with??????" [ed. note: neither one is pierced, I DO have my limits!]

my cousin, Mel, who always makes up the best stories: "Please don't let this leak out to anyone, but it is the teeth of ONE WHO SHAll REMAIN NAMELESS. They are able to fly out into the air and attack on their own, razor sharp, strong as a bear trap, hard as steel and a real challenge for HP when he fights and defeats his greatest enemy with his most powerful magic trick ever, ( in the last book, of course)."

my other cousin and Mel's younger sister, MB: "I told you to get that dental work done for Wolf!"

Shirley: "That's Snape's teeth when he transmogrifies and accidentally does the spell wrong and gets sent into the future where robots have replaced most people and he becomes a sort of robot monster wizard...".

As always, thanks for playing! By the way, all photos used in What Is It Wednesday are marked as "private" in my flickr account...that's so no one can view the picture at a bigger size to get a better look!

So this week...

What is it?

I'm back! Miss me? Lots to say, no time to say it, dang work! Here's some pics to tide you over til I can tell you about fabu Vegas (one word: HOT!!!).

LOVE was fantastic! I want to go back with my cousin to see it again, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and Yellow Submarine had the best special effects!!!

There were tattoos (henna, not permanent!):

MaryEllen sent me some lovely flowers!

Deb & Laura sent me some delicious cookies, specifically tailored to my loves!

And pickles, yummy deli pickles!

I missed you all; more later, I promise!

Squeeeee! I came home today to find some poppets decided to move in with me!

Don't worry, little sad poppet, the next book will be out in just a few weeks!

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

And this is what it was cropped from:

Julie was the first of, again, MANY to get it right; "...a lump of quartz".

The absolutely funniest comment was from Monique "AHHHH! it's obviously part of one of the skeletons in your closet!". It might be, there are LOTS in there!

As always, thanks for playing! By the way, all photos used in What Is It Wednesday are marked as "private" in my flickr account...that's so no one can view the picture at a bigger size to get a better look!

So this week...

What is it?

This is Charlotte's last week as the Getting To Know You hostess this month. She says: What better way to get to know someone than over food?! Some of our best times are spent visiting with friends and family over a delicious meal. My challenge for you today is to share a recipe with us and tell us why you chose it. Is there a memory attached? Is it a family recipe that's been passed down through the generations? Did you cook it at your first dinner party in your first apartment? Is it a recipe from a famous chef that you've mastered?

I'm going to share a recipe for summertime...it's very simple, sweet & cool and new to me...but I love it so much I want to tell the world!

Cucumber, Mango and Black Bean Salad

This is the original recipe, I'll add my changes as I go along!:

1 cup chopped seeded cucumber [I used 1/2 an english cuke, peeled, too]
1/2 cup chopped mango [I used a whole mango]
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained [I used a whole can of black beans]
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring gently. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

I love adding this to some brown rice and tofu or grilled chicken. Ooooh yum! Nutritional info (which applies to the original recipe) follows...

CALORIES 39 (3% from fat)
FAT 0.1g (sat 0.0g, mono 0.0g, poly 0.0g)
PROTEIN 1.6g
CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg
CALCIUM 18mg
SODIUM 422mg
FIBER 2.1g
IRON 0.6mg
CARBOHYDRATE 9.7g

Robin Ohlgren-Evans, Cooking Light, July 2005

Finally!

First of all, I'd like to thank Betsy, Diane, Maureen, Heather, Megan and her fiance, Jimbo for taking the time out of their busy schedules and making the loooong trip to celebrate my birthday with me, not to mention being so much fun to hang out with! You guys are simply the best...and Jimbo went along with everything and was a wicked good sport:

the lone (oops, I typed long first hahahah) banana

Secondly, it wasn't nearly as x-rated as Maureen I'd hoped, but for me, it definitely was drunken!

Ok, here goes:

Thursday:

Woke up at the @$$ crack of dawn; it was actually kind of nice being up and out at that time! Hopped on the plane and 5 hours later, we were in Vegas, where, HOLY MOG it is HOT!!! Waaaaaaay too hot for me; I swear I'll never complain about the heat here in New England again! Checked right in, no problem whatsoever, even though we were very early (arrived at 10 am). Beautiful room at Paris Las Vegas, comfortable, clean.

Right away, we went and had crepes for lunch...yummy! Then we just wandered around I think, taking a ton of pictures

...had a extra dirty martini at some bar where the bartender was a huge Yankees fan but still pretty funny and ate dinner at Margaritaville, where I have absolutely no idea of what I had, other than the free shot of tequila for my birthday.

Friday:

Made it on time to the breakfast buffet, thanks to Kim who called at 7 am to let us know she wasn't going to be able to make it (long story short: The airline she was traveling on canceled her flight when they realized she wouldn't make her connecting flight, then put her on STANDBY for the next day. Let's just say she was NONE too thrilled with C*ntinental. We missed Kim, but persevered as best we could. The buffet rocked! Maureen and I scheduled massages (thanks to my brother for mine!), went to the jacuzzi afterwards and then back to the room. Some of the girls went to the pool and I chilled out reading my birthday book from Betsy, The Zen of Fish: The Story of Sushi, from Samurai to Supermarket by Trevor Corson.

Then ... it was time to go see Love! Now, I'm a wicked Beatles fan from way back (my favs were John & George, who was your fav?), so I expected to like the show. But...it exceeded my wildest dreams! No pictures allowed, unfortunately. The sets were fantastic, especially for Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (think of lots of twinkling diamonds (or fireflies!) in the darkness) and Octopus's Garden (the flossy floaty creatures were cool!). Oh, and while I didn't get a picture of it...I ordered a rum and coke and it was HUGE! I mean, I think he poured a quarter of the bottle into the glass (it WAS a big glass, but...DAMN!). Anyway, as much as I didn't care for Vegas, I would go back again in a heartbeat to see that show again! Maribeth! Let's GO!

Saturday:

Took a tour to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, which was one big huge photo op! Our tour guide was enthusiastic, to say the least.

We also visited Spring Mountain Ranch, which belonged to Howard Hughes at one time and to Vera Krupp, who owned the Hope diamond. The coolest part of the tour was the secret passageway Vera Krupp had built into the ranch.

When we got back, Maureen, Megan and I walked in the 112 (or was it 117? and does it matter?) degree temp to get henna tats; the guy doing them was so sweet and gave me a free one for my birthday!

Got bubble tea and was amused by the look on Maureen's face when she sucked up a tapioca ball ROFLMAO!

Back to the room, played Apples To Apples while drinking heavily. Then the chicks and the banana took me out for dinner, where we terrorized the waiter:

...and that's all I'll write about that, other than that the code words to let Betsy Megan me us know we had to chill were platypus, pomegranate and phoenix, not that they helped. Afterwards some of us tried to get tickets to O over at Bellagio, but no luck, then we walked the strip, rode the double decker bus and dropped into bed late, late that night.

Sunday: Not sure what we did, other than pack in a frenzy and get ourselves to the airport. Bye Vegas!

Here's Heather's story and her pictures (first five sets are from Vegas).

Megan's pictures

My pictures

And that's all I'm saying about that!

Thirteen Things On My Mind

1. Cirque du Soleil's Love. Ringo summed it up best: "I loved the show and I loved the music! I think the show is really exciting. I thought the effects, the people doing their stuff, the projections were great, too much, really! I thought it was very emotional; who knew a few years ago when The Beatles were just chatting to each other making those records that we could put it to such great use. And it was emotional because two of us aren't there. Overall, it's a festival of love. Peace and love."
Click on this for a peek at the costumes! And some still photos here, here, and here.

2. Paris Las Vegas: I'd read some negative reviews about the hotel and staff, but I'm here to tell you, it was a fantastic experience I'd repeat again in a heartbeat (but only to see Love!)

3. Mammogram: Went for one today and there another woman who had the same name as me. They called Janet, and I didn't hear...so the other Janet got "my" exam. Don't these folks check last names? Birthdates? Quite the snafu, and took a while to straighten out.

4. Yearly physical: Had one of those a few weeks ago, everything was fine, cholesterol was excellent, woohoo! Doc did say I didn't have much vitamin D in my system, so I have to take supplements for eight weeks.

5. Wolf: No more seizures, knock on wood. He was quite feisty Monday at the vet's ... tried to grab her, I think it was in retaliation for the old thermometer up the butt thing! He missed tho, she's fast!

6. Tattoo: I've decided on a new design; it's going on my left foot in shades of firey red and orange.

7. Weddings: I've got a few coming up this summer that I'll be photographing; finally made plane reservations for one that'll be in St. Thomas.

8. Garden: Got it in late...I'm thinking I won't see tomatoes til September LOL! The herbs are doing nicely tho.

9. Amazon Wish List: I've been adding to it like crazy, it's a good place for me to put stuff so that I'll remember to buy it or at least remember that I'm interested in it! I've also been saving things on Kaboodle, but mostly recipes and URLs I want to remember.

10. Long drive: Down to MD after the 4th of July. Engagement party, gotta take pictures! Don't much feel like flying, I enjoy driving, I really do!

11. On my own: Been enjoying it, perhaps too much; for example, I had about 10 phone calls at work today and I BARELY had the patience to be civil (I don't generally get phone calls...but still). I'm going to become a curmudgeonly, eccentric old lady if I don't watch out!

12. Two more entertainment related things to look forward to this summer: First is the Harry Potter movie, Order Of The Phoenix, and second is the "end of all things", the last Harry Potter book, The Deathly Hallows. I'm utterly anticipating the former; the latter...well...yes and no. It'll be nice to see that Snape IS a good person after all, but...I don't really relish his death, and I know he has to die.
Loved this quote from EW Online: "As the icy, humorless magic instructor Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (opening July 11), Rickman may not be on screen long — but he owns every minute. He's magnificently intimidating, whether jousting with Daniel Radcliffe's Harry or turning a simple retort (''No idea'') into a mini-symphony of contempt."
Also quoted at that link was this: "He's the lecherous Judge Turpin opposite Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd." Oh me, oh my *fanning myself* the two of them together...a dream come true!!! Click here for a lovely picture of the good professor.

13. The End: Last song in Love, from the Beatles' Abbey Road album:

And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love
You make

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Random and Odd says: "SPF: Show me your favoritest ugly creation that was made just for you. For those of you that don't have nieces, nephews, children, teenagers...*cough* bitch *cough* and have nothing to post, show me your ass. Yes, you heard me right. Your ass. Pull em down and take a picture for us. Oh wait, you suddenly remember a knick nack or crazy picture a kid drew you. Thaaaats what I though.

This is JUST for you Kristine!!!

And Wolf posed for you, as well:

Oh, and here's a picture a kid drew for me, too :-)

But I thought you'd like the ass shots better ;-)

If you play, please link back to me and leave me a comment letting me know you played, so I can come visit!

Sorry I missed last week! Darn Vegas trip ;-)

1. _____ a long time!
2. Occasionally, _____.
3. Unexpected _____ can be interesting!
4. _____ is great, too!
5. Where do you _____ when you want _______.
6. Oh my god, he just _____!
7. What are you doing this weekend? Tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!

Don't forget...have fun!

1. Tootsie pops last a long time!
2. Occasionally, I feel the need for speed.
3. Unexpected side trips can be interesting!
4. Music is great, too!
5. Where do you go when you want peel and eat shrimp?
6. Oh my god, he just burped really loudly!
7. What are you doing this weekend? Tonight I'm looking forward to abnoth, tomorrow my plans include going to my cousin's, taking a boat ride and having a fabu dinner and Sunday, I want to walk the dogs!