I GOT A DRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You guys, check out my wedding dress:

I swear I’ve been looking at dresses for what seems like an eternity and had absolutely hated everything I’d seen … until I saw that dress.

I simply said “wow” … and knew that I had to have it!!

I’m ordering it from a nice lady in Michigan who runs a store on eBay (and has a flowergirl dress which colors match this! TEMPTING!) and agreed to sell it to me for a great price!

I’m so happy I can’t stop giggling. Jim told me that I looked like the happiest woman ever. LOL. Considering how well wedding planning had been going lately (gags on sarcasm), this made up for ALL OF THAT!

OMG I’m so bouncy, I’m never gonna get to sleep tonight! LOL

I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress! I got a dress!

I GOT A DRESS!!!!!!

And now … shoe shopping! :mrgreen:

What the … ?

I’ve been using a WordPress plugin called Search Meter. It basically gives me a report of recent searches, number of results, etc. — so I can get an idea of what people can’t find immediately on the site and have to look for it. The most obvious are the Firefox Extensions, and I will remedy that shortly, but one result had me stumped:

Term: Retro Booty Porn
Searches: 3
Hits: 0

:shock:

Ok, that’s a weird thing to search for here, but what gets me is that the person tried 3 times!!!

Getting to know you …

I totally blame Teresa for this. *grins*

1. What is your occupation? Web Developer.

2. What color are your socks right now? White.

3. What are you listening to right now? talk radio (via internet).

4. What was the last thing that you ate? Popeye’s creamed potatoes & gravy.

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Nope.

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Chartreuse.

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? A client.

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes, she’s cool.

9. How old are you today? Didn’t your mamma ever teach you that it’s rude to ask a lady’s age?

10. Favorite drink? Sour Apple Martini.

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? College football (Roll Tide!!!)

12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Every chance I get. :mrgreen:

13. Pets? cat (Psycho Kitty!)

14. Favorite food? biscuits and gravy, macaroni and cheese, tom kha (thai coconut soup), potatoes (cooked in ANY way!)

15. What was the last movie you watched? Aeon Flux.

16. Favorite holiday? Halloween.

17. What do you do to vent anger? I crank up a mix of some Lordi, Obliviaxe, Pantera, and Killswitch Engage, and play UT.

18. What were your favorite toys as a kid? Barbie, Playdough.

19. What is your favorite season? Spring/Summer.

20. Hugs or kisses? Depends on who’s giving. (Actually, I’m not trying to be funny, I’m just really ‘weird’ about being touched, so it’s usually only by who I trust and/or what I can tolerate at that moment.)

21. Cherry or Blueberry? Blueberry.

22. Do you want your friends to email you back? No, I’d prefer telepathic communications.

23. Who is most likely to respond? Mara, Jeff, or Ben.

24. Who is least likely to respond? You.

25. Where do you live? Birmingham, AL

*pokes Google Earth in the eye — Get out of my backyard, you fruitcake!*

26. When was the last time you cried? Last night … wedding and personal bullshit (don’t ask).

27. What is on the floor of your closet? Probably my cat — she likes to hide/sleep in there.

28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this? My wonderful website visitors.

29. What did you do last night? Bitched and moaned to a friend. Then fell asleep watching the movie.

30. What’s your favorite smell? Lavender.

I should’ve known …

Updated my Alabama schedule Calendar to reflect latest game time/channel updates. Alabama’s Homecoming Game is pay-per-view this weekend.

Whoever made the TV deals for this year should be shot.

A Foggy Halloween Night

My boss sent me this:

A man was walking home alone late one foggy night, when he hears:

BUMP…

BUMP…

BUMP… behind him.

Walking faster, he looks back and through the fog he makes out the image of an upright casket banging its way down the middle of the street toward him.

BUMP…

BUMP…

BUMP…

Terrified, the man begins to run toward his home, the casket bouncing quickly behind him…

faster…

faster…

BUMP…

BUMP…

BUMP…

He runs up to his door, fumbles with his keys, opens the door, rushes in, slams and locks the door behind him.

However, the casket crashes through his door, with the lid of the casket clapping…

clappity-BUMP…

clappity-BUMP…

clappity-BUMP…

…on his heels. The terrified man runs!

Rushing upstairs to the bathroom, the man locks himself in. His heart is pounding; his head is reeling; his breath is coming in sobbing gasps.

With a loud CRASH the casket breaks down the door.

Bumping and clapping toward him. The man screams and reaches for something, anything, but all he can find is a bottle of cough syrup!

Desperate, he throws the cough syrup at the casket…

… and –

– the coffin stops!

Oh, shut up! I thought it was funny.

Happy Mole Day!

Anyone who’d taken Chemistry in high school should remember this day. My chem teacher, Mrs. Young, allowed us to bring food and have a party — was one of the most fun moments in Chemistry class, right up there with Mrs. Young’s demonstration of chemicals that ignite when exposed to oxygen! (FIRE! FIRE! *g*)

Per Wikipedia:

Mole Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated among chemists in North America on October 23, between 6:02 AM and 6:02 PM, making the date 6:02 10/23 in the American way of writing out dates. The time and date are derived from Avogadro’s number, which is approximately 6.02×10²³, defining the number of particles (atoms or molecule) in a mole, one of the seven basic SI units. Many high schools around the United States and in Canada celebrate Mole Day as a way to get their students interested in chemistry.

Halloween Funnies

Someone at work sent me these. :mrgreen:

Almost whole …

I think I’ve just about licked this stupid cold … though I don’t think I’ve had a decent night’s sleep in over a week. I’m still sore and achy from coughing things up, but am otherwise nearly back to my old self.

Someone at work asked me what I did over the weekend. I answered “Layed in bed and prayed for death” … they didn’t find that too funny.

*shrug*

I can’t believe it’s the 18th already … things have been so busy, then Jim and I were both sick. Hell, I haven’t even hung the Halloween decorations yet!

I missed Ladies Night Out last week, then we missed Mopo’s wedding — but to be fair, Jim and I didn’t need to be out and infecting others. (as devilishly fun as that might otherwise sound, LOL!) I did get to watch most of the Bama game Saturday, but had no voice, so when I’d yell at the TV it was more of a loud whisper and occaisional squeak!

And REALLY freaked out the cat when I did that! hehehe

Work has not let up, and most likely won’t until after Christmas … things aren’t getting much better though. I’ve been told not to put in any more OT … yet I’m quickly falling behind because there’s so much to do, and unfortunately I can’t delegate anything to other people because they’re busy too (or, well, most of them). SO when management comes to me in a few weeks and wants to know why websites are taking so long, I’ll have a good excuse — but in their eyes it’s not an excuse. The PTB seem to think that I have all the time in the world to do both my job and continue to pick up slack for a few others in addition to keeping up the maintenance on existing sites AND do tech support AND continue development on the new system.

*sigh*

Anyways … so yeah, I’m still around — just buried under a pile of work/bullshit and hating life (well, not really, but you get my drift).

Death warmed over

Ugh.

I found a substance more vile than NyQuil. It’s called Zicam — Jim’s mother swears by it, and gave me a small bottle. Jim’s been sick off and on all week and was out sick from work yesterday. I felt it hitting me yesterday afternoon … this morning I feel … blurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh. (you get the picture, I won’t gross you with the details)

I tried Zicam first thing in the morning (not smart) and on an empty stomach — I swear I think I lose all cognitive functions when I’m sick! It’s like sick = stupid.

But anyways, I won’t be going to the Ladies Night Out meetup tonight. I don’t want to chance infecting anyone, and I don’t think I should be drinking with all the medication I’m taking (nor should I be driving late at night).

*pout* :cry: Damn, I was looking forward to it too.

Moporoco’s wedding is tomorrow and I’m hoping that Jim and I will be well enough to go. Oh, speaking of, my brother and his betrothed finally set a date: December 9th. Congrats you guys!

I tell ya, these kids today …

I ran across an interesting article a couple of days ago. It’s written by George Poague for The Leaf-Chronicle, a small newspaper out of Clarksville, TN. I had been thumbing through various Op Ed/Blog indexes looking for something when the title caught my eye. It’s a good piece and I wanted to share it with you guys:

Pay attention to the epidemic of public school shootings
Small towns becoming as violent as the inner cities.

Welcome to the Benumbed States of America.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen some horrendous events in the news. And the public and media have largely shrugged them off.

In Wisconsin, a 15-year-old reportedly shot his principal to death. In Colorado, a psycho shot several high school students, killing one, and sexually assaulted some female captives. North of the border in Montreal, a wacko went on a rampage with his gun at a college.

Then in Pennsylvania, a few days ago, a madman entered a one-room Amish schoolhouse and killed five girls before turning a gun on himself.

Can you remember 1999? Seven years ago: The Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colo. It was on all the front pages. It provided the plot for a Michael Moore film. For a while, we all paid attention to violence in our schools. Then we got jaded and lost interest.

Hardly a day goes by when our wire services don’t carry a story about some violent act at a North American school. It’s an epidemic, and it’s only gotten worse since Columbine.

But you won’t read much about it in our media. It appears we’re more interested in providing 24/7 coverage of the antics of Paris Hilton, Anna Nicole Smith and Jessica Simpson. Or in following the escapades of arrogant rappers and overpaid athletes. We definitely don’t want to write in-depth stories and multi-part series about screwed-up kids and the screwed-up society that produces them. That might indict the people who hold positions of power in our cities and states.

Our media typically depict young people as hip, cool, sexy hedonists whose lives amount to one big happy party. Unfortunately, that’s a stupid and shallow depiction.

Want to hear the pain of young people? Tune in to “Dawson McAllister Live,” airing Sundays from 10 p.m. to midnight at 107.5 The River FM. This is a call-in show where people in their teens and early 20s talk about their problems. Although often described as a “Christian-based” show, I’ve never heard any Bible thumping on it.

I’m sure some of these kids’ stories are exaggerated or invented, but others are undoubtedly real — if only because these hurt, vulnerable young people are such a departure from the way they’ve been taught to behave by the media. You won’t find an assertive, butt-kicking Buffy Summers here. These are messed-up kids with messed-up parents.

And it seems the parents bear much blame. Listening to kids talking about parents who are addicted to booze, drugs, gambling or serial mates can be depressing. But knowing how self-absorbed so many members of my generation are, I’m sure there’s some truth here.

Many of these recent shootings can’t be blamed on kids gone bad. Notice how many of them involve deranged adults coming to schools and targeting students. What does that say about our society and its values?

One thing we might explore is why so many of these violent crimes take place in small towns, rural areas and “exurbs.” Remember the Dover school bus shooting? We used to regard the big city — in particular, the crack-ridden inner city — as a scary, dangerous place. But now we have massacres in seemingly safe, “all-American” places where people go to church, respect the flag, attend high school football games and increasingly vote Republican.

There’s no doubt rural America is becoming more conservative and isolated from mainstream America. It’s also a place where gun ownership is revered and easy access to guns is considered a birthright. But people may not have access to affordable mental health care.

Brian Mann argues in his new book, “Welcome to the Homeland,” that the real division is not between “red states” and “blue states,” but within the states — between urban and rural communities. You could see this is in “red” Tennessee, where Memphis and Nashville voted for Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004, while smaller cities went for George W. Bush in both elections.

The pattern was repeated across the country. Kerry did worse in rural areas than Gore had, and Gore did worse than Bill Clinton had in 1992 and 1996. The big cities stayed loyal to Democrats.

I’m not implying that voting Republican will turn you into a mass murderer. That would be as ridiculous as Newt Gingrich blaming Democrats for Susan Smith drowning her children.

But we need to ask some questions: Just what sort of values are people learning in our small towns today? And why do so many feel compelled to act our their violent fantasies?

Maybe an investigative journalist like Bob Woodward should try to answer these questions. They seem far more pressing than the latest Beltway scandal.

Ya know what folks? He’s right about a lot of things.

School is a scary place to be for kids today. I worry about Jessie every day. Every time I hear about violence in a school, I have to drive the images of something like that happening in our small community out of my mind … but it could easily happen. I’ve noticed a change in kids. Many today are growing up without parental guidance, a sense of morals, or even decency.

So who’s to blame? First and foremost: We are — the parents. We can attempt to blame any outside source we want, but education starts in the home, long before children are sent off to school. Parents are responsible for looking out for their children and ensuring their safety and physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Not the media, not the movie industry, not video game makers, not law makers, not gun manufacturers, not Oprah, not Ozzy Osbourne or Marilyn Manson, not Paris Hilton or Nicole Ritchie. Need I go on?

We wouldn’t allow our children to play with a flamethrower … no, that’s just crazy. But many of our children are allowed to watch television without supervision. Many are allowed to surf the internet without parental guidance. Now, Jim and I are busy parents, I realize that not all parents have the luxury of watching their kids every moment of every day. Neither can we, but we take the time to keep a good eye out for Jessie when she spends time at our house. She doesn’t play anything on the computer or XBox that we haven’t already checked out and approved beforehand. We don’t let her watch anything that we haven’t already seen before or (in the case of cartoons) would not normally object to. She’s not allowed on the Internet unsupervised AT ALL. Many parents today are too self-involved to look out for their children, and many innocents are getting in the crossfire resulting from that.

I’ve actually spoken to parents in our community before who would (and much to my horror) allow their 9 year old to use his own judgment as to what she was watching on TV was “appropriate” or not. This is also the same kid who was teaching Jessie and the other kids swear words in first grade!!

I’m often appalled at the lack of manners many kids today have. I’m up at Jessie’s school all the time, and there are days where it’s rare that I hear a “Yes, ma’am / No, ma’am” or “Yes, sir / No, sir” come out of a kid’s mouth. Jessie’s lucky in that she knows better; Jim and I have tried our best to instill some manners and sense of good behavior in her, and her mother has done the same. But many kids today just aren’t taught the same lessons that we learned. Many don’t respect their teachers because their parents never taught them to do so. And then those parents wonder why their kids act up in school and grow up to be disrespectful brats.

It’s a scary trend, folks. The Degeneracy of America … it’s spreading.

Next Page »