Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Dictatorship & Weekend Recap

After reading that Leesa and Spinning Girl had switched to the new Blogger, I proclaimed that I'd stick with the old version until it was ripped out of my hands. Well, guess what happened Sunday? Yep, my hands are bloody from the fight. I should say that it was relatively painless, and I haven't found anything screwed up. Yet. Still skeptical, but I guess we don't really have a choice. Dictatorship is alive and well!
The symphony concert Saturday night went very, very well. Played the Dvorak Cello Concerto with an outstanding soloist, already considered a rising star at the age of 24! She played with the New York Philharmonic earlier this month, and the Chicago Symphony last fall, I believe. Now she's played with us!

The other piece we played was one of my favorites--Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition". It was my first chance to ever play it. Hope to do it again!
The set-up for this concert was an eye-opener for me. Not the actual stage plan, but the incredibly inefficient way that it's been done over the years. Equipment and instruments scattered in 5 different places in town. Requiring far more work than needed. And speaking of work, I found out exactly how physically out of shape I am. Not that I've ever been one to be "in" shape, but I was huffing and puffing pretty heavily, and I've got joints that hurt in ways that they haven't in years. Gonna have to do something about that...
After the concert, I had an interesting conversation with the wife of one of our musicians. He's probably close to 60, I'd guess. His wife informed me that she really liked my blog. WHAT?!?! Yes, she's seen many of yours, too, as she checks out many of those in the sidebar! Just an odd experience...
Spent most of Sunday afternoon at Rachel's drinking beer, eating Howard's pizza, and watching DVDs. We need to do more of that soon. Oh, and I finally got my Christmas present from her! Thanks, hon!
The worst thing about symphony week is that I fall behind on checking blogs and getting to chat at a relatively decent hour. I hope to catch up soon!

Friday, January 26, 2007

For the record...I'm pontificating again!

Wow! Nothing like someone expressing their opinion to get s fire lit under some of you! A couple of you asked me in while chatting if I was going to "defend" myself. For the uninformed, I was left 2 lengthy comments from "M." on my last HNT. I'll make you guys go look for it--I'm not going to rehash her comments. Go ahead and check--they're not too far down. I'll wait....
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OK--this post. I'm not going to criticize a person for expressing their opinion, whether here or on their own site. I know who "M." is. I hope she knows that I respect her opinion. Frankly, I haven't heard from her in awhile. I hope things are going well for her. I hope she knows I'm not going to attack her here (or anywhere). Nor do I feel I was attacked. She has every right to express herself, and she's got the pedigree, if you will, to do so. She is one of the early HNTers. I'm not going to debabe the merits of her comments, but she brought up something that made me think that I should post about it. She referred to something like the "new breed" of HNTers. And it dawned on me that there probably IS an entire "generation" that hasn't figured out my thoughts on things. So here we go...

HNT is not mine. HNT is not a property. HNT is nothing more than an idea. And like all successful things, it has evolved over time. Is it the same now than it first appeared? Of course not! Not in my wildest dreams could you have told me that people would put pictures of their hooters and hoohaws on their blogs, just because of an idea I had over a year and a half ago. And that touches the heart of the matter. I cannot control what people post on their own sites! Whatever HNT means to them--that's what they post. Do some people post pictures that go "overboard"? Hard to say. Who am I to tell someone that they've gone too far? What gives me that right? Some would say that the HNT button that gets displayed gives me that right. If so, I don't want the right. If you pay for the opportunity to post pictures on MY site, then I have the right to refuse service. But HNT is an open community, and that community will continue to determine its own boundaries.

"...the Other HNT" is a different matter. It is not necessarily intended to be "half-nekkid". In fact, from the very beginning, it was intended to be exactly what it is. A "safe" place to post pictures that one wouldn't post anywhere else. Some are quite graphic. Some are quite daring. Some are quite artistic. All of these, of course, are MY opinion. Some might find them offensive, others might find them quite tame. Again, it's not up to me to decide--it's up to the person posting the pictures. As a musician, I watched as the industry was under attack by congressional panels and senators' wives. Censorship was, and is, a hot button topic. I don't want someone to tell me what's "good" or "bad", or deciding which I can listen to. I hold the same feeling towards the anonymous site. I'm not going to be a censor, and determine what is "appropriate" or not. I think back to the infamous Jackson/Timberlake Wardrobe Malfunction. Some people saw it as the end of civilization--others were so unaffected that they didn't even realize what they'd missed. The point being--I'm not going to tell someone that their picture isn't good enough or appropriate enough to be posted.

The question of fun was raised. I think that the fun factor is still there. There are people coming back after being away for a year, realizing that they missed it. There are people who have gotten burned out. There are people who have dropped because THEIR idea of HNT didn't match what they perceived as the direction it was going. And there are those who gave it a shot, decided it wasn't for them, and disappeared into the sunset. Every one of these people have shaped HNT in some form or another.

Lastly, one of those I chatted with wanted to know what my opinion was of HNT, and about what I've seen since the beginning. I've never brought my own opinions to the table, but I do so now. I don't intend to single anyone out, nor imply that if I mention something I don't like, that they shouldn't continue. So here goes...
  • I think the females are simply naturally more beautiful than men. Regardless of size or shape of either.
  • Women, in general, know how to be much more "artistic" with their nekkidness.
  • I don't care if I never see a hard, erect cock again. There is so much more that can be done with that thing, guys.
  • Personally, I have no problem with the "meat & potatoes" shot (just heard that term tonight!) from the ladies.
  • I love the couples that participate together.
  • The whole bondage/spanking/fetish/etc. thing escapes me. While that in no way implies that I don't like the HNTs, it's just not my cup of tea.
  • Until recently, I rarely checked any male HNTs. I was chatting with a friend one night, and she asked if I saw a particular one. I told her no, I didn't want to be face to face with some guy's tool. She said that, since they are joining in on HNT, shouldn't I be as supportive of them as I was of the ladies? She nailed me on that one.
  • I think that some of the HNTs I've seen on your sites DO border on soft-core porn.
  • I KNOW that some of them on the anonymous site do.
  • I think that many of the comments that are left on alot of sites are quite juvenile. There's a difference between flirting and the crap that some of you leave.
  • I think that the "innocence" of the early HNTs will never return.
  • I think that some of you look at HNT as a competition. I have always hated that.
  • I miss many of those who have quit HNT, though I still frequent their sites, and have a standing friendship with many of them.
  • I love most of those who are currently active with HNT, male and female.
  • I can pretty much guarantee that HNT won't ever be seeing my hoohaw.
  • "Half-nekkid" is still a concept that can only be defined by your own ideas about it. No one can define it for you.
There you have it. Stuff off the top of my head. Stuff that many of the newer people might not have heard. My thanks to "M." for her opinions. I may disagree with some of it, but that's OK. I'm not looking for comments on this one. When I pontificate, that's the way it goes! If you feel you must comment, go ahead and email me, but be forewarned--I might blog about it!

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Optimistic HNT

Binsk had an interesting post up a couple of days ago about the "most depressing" day of the year. She's got a link to an MSNBC story from 2005 about a British psychologist who used a variety of variables such as weather, debt, resolutions broken, etc. to determine that January 24th is that day. That day, of course, being today (Wednesday).

From what I'm reading and hearing from many of you, there might be some truth in that. There seems to be a grand bit of funkiness going on. And not in a James Brown (R.I.P.) sort of way. In a normal year, I'd be in the midst of that myself. But you know what? It ain't happening here! Alot of the good vibes come from the little things, but they all add up! If this keeps up (and it should), I might very well be looking forward to Valentine's Day! And you all should know how radical THAT would be!!! Some examples:
  • The realignment of duties with the symphony. Means more, but different, work for me, and it's making better use of my skills. More money + less stress = happy Os.
  • Rehearsals have been going well, and this upcoming concert should be outstanding (and we're doing one of my favorite pieces!).
  • My parents are enjoying 3 months in Hawaii. Dad's feeling good, and is working on his golf game (in spite of the fact that his right arm is basically useless).
  • Two bloggers I chat with semi-regularly are currently in relationships that make them extremely happy, and that's infectious.
  • Another one has a new job that has her traveling all over the state. She loves it!
  • My 2-year bloggerversary was last Sunday. Totally spaced it out! My, how things have changed in those two years!
  • I'm still giddy!
  • Bought a plane ticket/hotel package a couple of weeks ago for a highly anticipated trip through priceline.com (highly recommend this for any of you!). Checked again today, and the same package is $73 higher than what I paid for it (which was a steal)!
  • I got a nice gift in the mail Monday!
  • It is late January in Montana, and we have no snow here in town.
  • It is late January in Montana, and we've been having bright, bright, sunshiny days (cue Johnny Nash).
  • It is late January in Montana, and the temperature was 44 degrees at 9 PM when I took the picture below.
  • The price of gas dropped below $2.00/gallon for the first time in about 2 years on Monday.
Yep, things are going pretty well these days. And it's all the little thing that make it that way!


This week's Mystery Guest is, and I quote, "Sort of a half-assed HNT-er". Well, I don't know about that, but I do know that she blogs from a different part of the world. Sort of. She's currently using a friend's computer, because hers died. Which means I haven't heard from her to see if she wants to reveal herself or not. I'm sure she'd cop to it if you asked her though!

"...the Other HNT" is, as usual, NSFW. We're getting some new people involved, which is wonderful! Be sure to stop by and check out some of your bloggy peeps!
We're low on Mystery Guest submissions once again (I remember when I had to draw names out of 8-10 people!). If you want to be the MG, just send me something! Everyone gets on at some point!
If you haven't noticed yet, it's symphony week, which means I'm not going to be around much until Sunday. Busy, busy, busy! Continue on without me!

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Water vs. Wine

WATER

It has been scientifically proven that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, after 12 months we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli bacteria found in feces.

In other words, we are consuming 2.2 pounds of poop per year.


WINE

We do not run that risk when drinking wine (or rum, whiskey, vodka, beer or other liquors) because alcohol has to go through a distillation process of boiling, filtering and fermenting.
WATER = Poop
WINE = HEALTH

FREE YOURSELF OF POOP ... DRINK WINE

It is better to drink wine and talk shit than it is to drink water and be full of shit.

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information.
I am doing it as a public service and because I have a kind heart.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Rhanda Johnson

Way back in the late 70s, my best friend and I had just returned to school for our junior year of school. Most of the seniors were out student teaching, so we sort of ran the music dept. We had just come back from lunch, and there she was. A quirkily cute young freshman girl, walking down the hall towards us. She was fearless (later to find out it was more clueless) as she came up to us and asked us where a particular classroom was. After tripping over our respective tongues, the race was on. While she was good friends with the both of us, I think I dated her more than he did. She was a bit naive, and awfully innocent, and neither of us really tried to corrupt her. There were plenty of other fish in the ocean (apologies to those who might be offended by that...).

After I graduated, I moved out of state and lost touch with her. I'd heard stories that she had a daughter and was living in Texas. But in general, I didn't think I'd ever hear from her again. In 1993, I caught a rumor that she had moved back to a small town, near the small town where she grew up. Short story--we reconnected and got caught up. She was the single mother of two teenage girls, trying to keep up her music by giving piano lessons, and singing at a variety of coffeehouse type places. We've kept in touch over the years, during her moves around the state, and through her girls' high school graduations. She's always kept the music as a focal point in her life.

Now that she's been alone for a few years, she's been working on a CD of original songs, and has finally finished it. She's got a webpage here, and you can hear some samples of her songs. They range in style from country to bluegrass to blues to soft rock. I haven't gotten the CD yet myself (I get a freebie!), but I believe that she does most of the guitar work, as well. Go do me, her and yourself a favor and go check her out. There's a link to order the CD, too!

Is it like this in Canada?

I won't go into detail here, but Andi has brought to light the plight of a fellow blogger (TheOtherFeminist) whose family is undergoing an unimaginable ordeal. It involves the removal of a young child from her family with apparently no evidence of wrongdoing. Go to Andi's to get the brief synopsis, and then check her links for the original post and updates. Another example that increases my loathing for the "justice system" in the U.S.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

This is what it's come to...?

Digital recreations have come a long way in changing our visual concepts of commercials, the movies, and all of TV. But have they gone too far? Some examples:

1. What's up with the new Orville Redenbacher commercial?? The guy died in 1995, and now he's the first digital recreation of a deceased individual that can be manipulated to do whatever the programmer wants. I'm not sure I want to eat his popcorn anymore...
Sorry--the video was freezing some computers. You can go see it here, if you dare...



2. I like the Dallas Cowboys. Really, I do. Even in their down years, I've liked them. I like what Tony Romo did for them, too. He was a nice shot of excitement for them. But as a Seahawks fan, his mishandling of the snap in the playoff game was simply wonderful. Kudos for his attempt to get to the endzone. If they had to lose, I'm glad it was to the Seahawks. But this is just wrong--

Stolen from NoOneInParticular, who stole it from Shumpy

Peeing in the Pool

Apparently, most of us have. (Just think of the hits I'll get from Google now!)

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Star Trek HNT

I'm sure that many of us did a lot of soul-searching and reminiscing over the past week. Remembering not just Betcha, but maybe some others that have gone away, either figuratively or in reality. I found myself thinking a great deal about my friends here online. And the things that I haven't taken the time to say to them. Took care of that with a couple of them. :-) That evolved into thoughts about some friends from my high school days (yes, most of them are still alive!), and eventually I got into pulling out old yearbooks and alot of google searching. And that was fun!

I was watching TV the other night. My standard evening TV has been SVU and/or M*A*S*H. Imagine my horror when the Hallmark Channel dropped their M*A*S*H reruns at night. While surfing, trying to find what I might watch (because network TV really sucks), I landed on TVLand. And there it was, in all its re-digitized, remastered glory! The original "Star Trek" series!!! Yes, I can tell you just about every plot. And which crew member will get "phasered" out. And which alien being Capt. Kirk would hook up with next. But I'm not a Trekkie. No costumes or conventions for me!


Last night, the tables were turned a little. It wasn't Kirk that was feeling it--it was Spock that was getting tempted, with a Romulan ship commander. Of course, it was all very intellectual, and Spock ended up using her just like Kirk would, but it was nice to see someone other than James T. getting lucky! This was also the episode that featured the Vulcan Death Grip!! What does this have to do with anything? Just another random thing that falls under the reminiscing of the week (you didn't think I could bring this full circle, did you?).



Sometimes it's good just to kick back and remember the good old days!

I've been waiting a long time for this week's Mystery Guest to submit something. She's been in and out of HNT for awhile, and has had to move around a little bit. Among her various loves, she's a great photographer! Her nature shots are wonderful! She's not bad with her self-portraits, either. She knows guns, drinks beer, and has a secret desire to have a penis, just to see what it's like. She's got some other hidden talents, too! She's going to reveal herself tomorrow afternoon, but feel free to check with her ahead of time!
This week's Mystery Guest is fellow Montanan, No One Special. Stop by her place and say hi!
We've got quite a few submissions for "...the Other HNT". Lots of new faces (so to speak) and alot of veterans who are testing their own limits. This is probably the most NSFW set that we've ever had. And a little something for everyone!
Funny how some short-timers make an impact with their sites. Many of you have asked me about Teri over at "Coming of Age". She closed down her site over the weekend without telling anyone. I'm happy to tell you that we swapped some emails over the weekend, and she's OK. The short version--she took it down to protect her job and her career. She may or may not be back. We'll just have to wait and see.
Hope all of you southerners are keeping warm!

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Maybe we can pay for a party!

I stole this from Vic, over at Geekalicious. We need something to liven things up around here. This seems to just hit the spot. Don't be shy!

Here’s the deal. Look at this list. Add up the fines associated with the crimes and give your total. You don’t have to say exactly what you did, just your total is fine. And there’s no need for explanations, unless you want to. (I'm sure you all could come up with better explanations than I!).
    Smoked pot -- $10
    Did acid -- $5
    Ever had sex at church -- $25
    Woke up in the morning and did not know the person who was next to you -- $40
    Had sex with someone on MySpace -- $25
    Had sex for money -- $100
    Vandalized something -- $20
    Had sex on your parents' bed -- $10
    Beat up someone -- $20
    Been jumped -- $10
    Crossed dressed -- $10
    Given money to stripper -- $25
    Been in love with a stripper -- $20
    Kissed some one who's name you didn't know -- $0.10
    Hit on some one of the same sex while at work -- $15
    Ever drive drunk -- $20
    Ever got drunk at work, or went to work while still drunk -- $50
    Used toys while having sex -- $30
    Got drunk, passed out and don't remember the night before -- $20
    Went skinny dipping -- $5
    Had sex in a pool -- $20
    Kissed someone of the same sex -- $10
    Had sex with someone of the same sex -- $20
    Cheated on your significant other -- $10
    Masturbated -- $10
    Cheated on your significant other with their relative or close friend -- $20
    Done oral -- $5
    Got oral -- $5
    Done / got oral in a car while it was moving -- $25
    Stole something -- $10
    Had sex with someone in jail -- $25
    Made a nasty home video -- $15
    Had a threesome -- $50
    Had sex in the wild -- $20
    Been in the same room while someone was having sex -- $25
    Stole something worth over more than a hundred dollars -- $20
    Had sex with someone 10 years older -- $20
    Had sex with someone under 21 and you are over 27 -- $25
    Been in love with two people or more at the same time -- $50
    Said you love someone but didn't mean it -- $25
    Went streaking -- $5
    Went streaking in broad daylight -- $15
    Been arrested -- $5
    Spent time in jail -- $15
    Peed in the pool -- $0.50
    Played spin the bottle -- $5
    Done something you regret -- $20
    Had sex with your best friend -- $20
    Had sex with someone you work with at work -- $25
    Had anal sex -- $80
    Lied to your mate -- $5
    Lied to your mate about the sex being good -- $25
My Catholic upbringing has done me well. I only have fines totalling $385.60. After reading Vic's fines, and the fines of her commenters, I've come to the conclusion I need to get a life! (Hope to get that taken care of soon!)

Monday, January 15, 2007

Well, THAT sucked...

It's time to get back to the good times here, people! Post something fun or exciting!
Good news on the symphony job front. My "time of the month", as it were, happens about 10 days before each concert. I get crabby, my posts are usually negative, and people know that I stress out way too much. My main complaint all season is the lack of commitment from many of the musicians. Saying they can play a concert, and then back out at the last minute. Inevitably, things work out fine, and everything is wonderful, other than the ulcer that continues to develop...

Due to some recent resignations and reorganization, I'm going to have my personnel position taken away from me and given to someone else who has the time to do a better job of it. And I'm sure she will give it her best. I, on the other hand, will assume the new position of operations manager, which pretty much means I'll be running the actual production aspect of the concerts (and rehearsals). Alot more physical work involved, and possibly more time, but I'll primarily be working with inanimate objects, and that's always a plus! It's a position that I'm much better suited to, and I won't have to depend on others. And it'll pay me over twice what my current position does. Of course, doubling peanuts will still get you peanuts, but it's more peanuts! I'm a happy camper!
While my two preferred NFL teams won on Saturday, I was screwed twice on Sunday. I terribly dislike the New England Patriots, and anything/anyone associated with them. I think they have been very lucky and highly overrated over the past 5 years or so. I don't have any love for the Indianapolis Colts, either, but if one of these two teams has to go to the Super Bowl, I'd prefer the Colts.

I wish the Seahawks would have won. I don't think the Bears are Super Bowl caliber this year (but then again, neither were the Hawks). That leaves me with the New Orleans Saints. From a dismal season last year, when they didn't even have a home field (thank you Katrina), to being one game away from the Big Game this season is remarkable. I hope they make it all the way!
I found out a great deal of things from/about people this week. Some wonderful, some not so great. Got alot of new people submitting pictures for Mystery Guest and "...the Other HNT". Should be a good week! (but I can always use more!)
It's cold here. Not cold like what the Midwest had this weekend. I'm talking real cold. Evening temps as low as -20 or so. Days that don't get above single digits. With just enough of a hint of a breeze to make the cold razor sharp. But the nice thing about it? It's been bright and sunny all weekend! Single digit temperatures are always much warmer when it's sunny out!
Michelle and I haven't spent much time together since mid-December. I think she's going to kick my butt this week.
To end this lame post, I offer a video that I've posted before. In the spirit of "fun" or "exciting", as mentioned above. My hero.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Da Count #17

COMMUNITY

This week has brought about a deep sense of what this little community is all about. Many of you commented on that over the past two days. Even lurkers who stopped by could sense it.

Thank you to all who expressed their condolences. To me, to No One, to her other close friends. I think we're all doing OK. And to paraphrase her quote--I'm going to look forward.

There's still many questions, and if I find anything definitive to let you know about, I will. I will keep that page intact, and might even build a link to it over the weekend. There were some beautiful thoughts posted.

Don't ever let someone tell you that the rest of us aren't real. Unless they blog themselves, they don't have a clue. The friendships and relationships developed here are as real as any that you might find in the physical world. And that really counts.

If you want to read more about "Da Count", click on the button below...

dacount

Monday, January 08, 2007

Sometimes it just sucks...

Ever get some news that upsets you so bad you want to puke? Then you can't confirm whether the news is reliable or not? So you don't know if you should puke because of the news or because of the frustration? Yeah. I'm right there...

Still don't have the news I'm looking for one way or the other. All I can say right now is that it doesn't involve my family. Sorry for not mentioning that before. When I hear what I need to, I'll let everyone know. That's all I can say at this point.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

One of Those Rambling Posts

Thank you to those of you who emailed me or left me a comment wondering if I was OK (Hi, Heather!). It's nice to be missed! The absence wasn't due to anything other than a lack of subject matter. Sort of like this post! I just didn't have anything to write about!
My participation in Musical Monday is on hold until Castpost pulls its head out of its ass. I see Hipcast is acting up too.
Some of you have noticed something different with the Mystery Guest posts. Unfortunately, I don't have anyone stepping up to the plate this week...
I'm having odd issues with Google and Gmail. For the past two nights, I've gotten some sort of Apache/Linux test page or something. Or that little box you get that says they can't find a certain page. I spent numerous hours shutting down and restarting my computer, which seemed to help. Just quitting the browser did not. And it happened on both Firefox and Safari. Add to that some unreliable power issues around town (severe winds knocking out power), and I found that I couldn't chat or update my blog. Yahoo kept cutting out because of the power, and surfing was hardly smooth. It was better today, but still seems just a tad slower. Anyone else have Google hassles???
I did have a couple of really good chats today. Funny how that always cheers me up! Especially when I read a certain something from one of them. Big smiles on my end!
Didn't expect the Cowboys to win this weekend, but not in the way that they did. Quite frankly, that was the only game I had an interest in all weekend. Next week's matchups should be good though! I got into a Fantasy Playoff game, and actually did fairly well this week. I'll keep you posted.
Weather here has been fairly mild, due to the fierce chinook winds that blew through. Unfortunately, we're supposed to have highs somewhere below zero by the end of the week. Blech...
I get to spend Monday and Tuesday nights being a judge for the local high schools' "Night To Shine". This is a talent show/fundraiser for the DECA clubs at both schools. Doesn't sound like much, but it's turned into a huge event. It's sold out the auditorium (2,300 seats) for the last 5 or 6 years. There's so much interest that they've had to hold two nights of auditions--which is what I'll be judging (I'm one of 6 judges). A local credit union underwrites the whole event, though it's gotten so big that they really aren't needed anymore. Twenty acts make it to the show. We'll audition probably close to sixty. And there's probably thirty that could make the cut. That's where things get nasty. I love it!

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Happy Birthday, Phain!!
Happy Birthday, Binsk!!
Happy Birthday, Lecram!!

HNT By Request

After enjoying the past few weeks of not having to take a picture for HNT, I came up a little dry on ideas. So I did what any dedicated HNTer might do--take requests. For this week--"a reflection, but not in an instrument or a mirror". Hmmmm....what to do...

I looked at all sorts of things, trying to find the right surface. Without much luck. I needed a beer break. And as I'm digging through the fridge, I found it behind me. The microwave! Which also carries a little story. Well, it doesn't, but I can waste your time like no one else!

My mother refused to use a microwave oven. We felt like the poor kids at school because we didn't have a microwave. All the other kids had experienced Spaghetti-os warmed up in the microwave. They'd all had leftovers that had been "nuked". There was a definite part of our childhood that was never to be recovered. Then Dad bought her one for Christmas or Mother's Day or something. I don't think we had a "real" meal again for years! When I left the nest to go out on my own, my mother was more than willing to give me her microwave, knowing that she was going to get a better one for herself.


And today, I'm still using the same one! Almost 35 years later, it works like a dream! Innumerable moves, bouncing around in the back of a U-Haul, 2 or 3 cats that "inadvertently" found themselves baked--it's come through with flying colors!

Not knowing how the microwave pics would work, I had the camera at work too. Here I am taking a picture of me taking a picture with the built-in webcam, nicely centered in my header. Believe me--it's a well-planned shot. Then the best shot of the day--the accidental one on the right. Somedays, the magic happens. Somedays, the days are like today...


I'm SO happy to present this week's Mystery Guest! She was one of the early-day HNTers who has sort of settled into an occasional one here and there. This girl has more secret blogs than should be allowed! And keeping up with her identity from month to month is a chore! She is an avid music lover, and she has a vast collection of CDs, some that I'm waiting for her to put into her will for me. Though I'd bet that her son will get his hands on them first...

This is her first shot at being the MG, and I'm trying to get her to do her first one for the anon site as well. She's waiting for "just the right shot" for that one... I don't believe she's going to reveal her identity, though she might tell you it's her if you ask her.


"...the Other HNT" is back for the new year. Most definitely NSFW on both sides of the gender. Please leave a comment if you wander over there!

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

OsQuiz #2 and other things

Go here to take it!
Need some more pictures for "...the Other HNT".
Mom & Dad fly out in the early morning for 3 months in Hawaii. Hope he's got that other thing taken care of...
Working on a few things right now. Thing are looking really good these days!

Monday, January 01, 2007

Fiesta Bowl

Damn, have you seen a more exciting game in recent memory?

Happy 2007!

Made it through the night without incident. It was fairly low-keyed, but some decent fireworks! I hope you all survived!
Thought I'd start out the new year with a new quiz. The OsQuiz #2 can be found here. I think it's easier than Quiz #1. All answers can be found within the past year of posts. Good luck to you!
No resolutions to let you know about. They rarely last very long. I am going to try to take care of myself better. Might even have a reason to!
FYI--no more Shameless Christmas Begging until possibly next Christmas. Thank you those who sent something for the "Collection" based upon my Shameless Christmas Begging post. Looking forward to those of you who promised a picture or two as well! Remember--the "Collection" is always accepting submissions--I just won't stoop to Shameless Christmas Begging again for awhile!
Time for a nap!