The answer: No and no.
Normally I would not link to (or read) Perez Hilton. But this one's right up my alley. Anthony Kiedis, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, went riding in his Gem car with his infant strapped to his chest in a front carrier.
Boo! Hiss!
The Gem car is a smart car from GM; it has seatbelts and is a street-legal vehicle. As such, it falls under the California law that says that all children must be in a properly used carseat or booster in the back seat (unless the vehicle does not have a back seat or does not have belts in the back seat or the seat otherwise cannot be properly installed in the back seat, in which case they may be in front) until they are 6 years of age or 60 lbs. It is neither a bus nor a motorcycle, which are the only exceptions other than standard medical, etc. exceptions; it is a citable offense. Also, he needs to be wearing that seatbelt himself, it's also the law.
Other than being illegal, it's unsafe. If in a crash, if they were both not ejected from the vehicle (which is likely to cause death or serious injury), he would probably be thrown forward into the steering column, and the baby would be crushed against it. The baby would be likely to die, and he would probably suffer severe internal injuries himself.
Get a clue, Anthony! Get safe for yourself and your son, that's way uncool!
And where's the CHP when you need them? Or the LAPD? Someone write the man a ticket and make him learn how to be safe in the car!
Showing posts with label Pop Culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pop Culture. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
"Happy bubble!"
So, the kids were playing in the living room. I was trying to watch Medium (hooray! New episodes are back!)
All of a sudden I heard a sound like the "whoosh"ing of a foam coming out of an aerosol container (think whipped cream, yes?) followed by Emma laughing and Bridey clapping and yelling "Happy bubble! Happy bubble!" I go out and what do I see?
THEY HAVE FOUND A CAN OF SHAVING CREAM, SPRAYED IT ALL OVER THE WALL OVER THE COUCH, AND PLASTERED A DECK OF "GO FISH" CARDS TO THE WALL WITH THE SHAVING CREAM. AAAAAAAACK!
To make it worse shaving cream had incidentally been splattered all over the back of the couch cover-- the brand new, just-washed couch cover. Grrrr.
I tried to have Emma take down and wipe down cards with me but she was just making more of a mess. So I wiped the cards and the hugest chunks of the shaving cream left on the wall, cleaned the couch, and then set her to washing the rest of the shaving cream off the wall. And the "Go Fish" cards have been taken away for the duration of a week because they were not used properly.
"Happy bubble." Yeah, right. AND I missed the climax of Medium.
All of a sudden I heard a sound like the "whoosh"ing of a foam coming out of an aerosol container (think whipped cream, yes?) followed by Emma laughing and Bridey clapping and yelling "Happy bubble! Happy bubble!" I go out and what do I see?
THEY HAVE FOUND A CAN OF SHAVING CREAM, SPRAYED IT ALL OVER THE WALL OVER THE COUCH, AND PLASTERED A DECK OF "GO FISH" CARDS TO THE WALL WITH THE SHAVING CREAM. AAAAAAAACK!
To make it worse shaving cream had incidentally been splattered all over the back of the couch cover-- the brand new, just-washed couch cover. Grrrr.
I tried to have Emma take down and wipe down cards with me but she was just making more of a mess. So I wiped the cards and the hugest chunks of the shaving cream left on the wall, cleaned the couch, and then set her to washing the rest of the shaving cream off the wall. And the "Go Fish" cards have been taken away for the duration of a week because they were not used properly.
"Happy bubble." Yeah, right. AND I missed the climax of Medium.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Good Grief (or, if that's fat, I don't want to know what I am)
Okay. So apparently Jennifer Love Hewitt was photographed in a bikini, and people started calling her "fat" around the internet. They were making fun of her rear, thighs, etc. She responded that she's happy with her body.
WHY SHOULDN'T SHE BE? Good grief, the woman has a wonderful body! (Here is a link to the picture, with very unkind caption, for those of you who are interested. Warning: some language, especially if you click the picture to get the rear view.) I would LOVE to have that body! What the heck are they thinking? The woman is SKINNY! So she has a bit of stuff in the rear, and some thighs. They're still smaller than mine! Sure, her choice of swimsuit could be more flattering. But she looks better in a swimsuit than I ever will, rear-end fat notwithstanding.
People who think JLH is fat: you're crazy, and possibly sick. Would YOU look that good in a bikini or out of it?
WHY SHOULDN'T SHE BE? Good grief, the woman has a wonderful body! (Here is a link to the picture, with very unkind caption, for those of you who are interested. Warning: some language, especially if you click the picture to get the rear view.) I would LOVE to have that body! What the heck are they thinking? The woman is SKINNY! So she has a bit of stuff in the rear, and some thighs. They're still smaller than mine! Sure, her choice of swimsuit could be more flattering. But she looks better in a swimsuit than I ever will, rear-end fat notwithstanding.
People who think JLH is fat: you're crazy, and possibly sick. Would YOU look that good in a bikini or out of it?
Thursday, July 26, 2007
We're back.
We're here, we're safe, I'm reading Harry Potter, which came to my aunt's while I was gone and I started late last night.
Sorry, blogging= not as important as finding out the end of Deathly Hallows.
Will write more later.
Sorry, blogging= not as important as finding out the end of Deathly Hallows.
Will write more later.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Coupons, Duggers, sales, spaghetti, and etc.
This is my catch-all post for the day, so I can't really think of a title. Sorry. :)
We went to the grocery store this evening and between club prices, sales, and double coupons, my "verified total savings" was $80.82. But that doesn't take into account that I also qualified for $15.99 in rebates, which will be mailed to me in the form of checks, after filling out two forms, providing photocopies of my receipt, and allowing 4 to 6 weeks to process. It was our once-every-two-months stock-up-on-canned-goods-and-staples trip, and we also got a few luxuries and special treats, as well as some lotion ($0.50 after the coupon and club sale price) deodorant for Jeff ($1.50 after the coupon and sale), and things of that sort. My favorite deal of the evening: free baby/toddler food. I was in the baby aisle and was going through my coupons (I have a mondo coupon sorter and my mom saves her coupons and I save mine and every two or three weeks I go through and clip the ones I want to keep and file them, sorting by category and expiration date, then I pull the ones we are likely to use and any that are expiring soon before a shopping trip but keep them all with me just in case (this also familiarizes me with all the coupons I have) and prepare to get some great deals!) If I'm not going to use coupons before they expire I try to pass them on to someone else in the store. (Like, I decided against buying another deodorant for me since I had already stocked up, so I passed it on to a woman in that aisle and pointed out that she could get a Dove deodorant for $1.50 with the coupon.) Anyway, I had clipped a bunch of Huggies and Pampers and Pull-Ups coupons for no reason I know of, and there was a family there with a baby and a toddler. So I offered them to them, and in return they gave me two Gerber Graduates coupons they would not use-- buy any two Gerber Graduates products, get $1 off. I had one of these already myself, and so I now had three. I eyed up the Gerber Graduates products and spotted some little containers of soup, a food both my daughters adore. Well, the soup was on for buy one, get one free, and the price was $1.35 per container (which is why I would normally not buy it.) But my coupon was for $1, and Ralphs doubles coupons up to $1, so that meant... they would be FREE! I promptly chose six and used all three coupons to get 6 FREE serving-size containers of soup that Bridget OR Emma can eat! That just made me happy. :) In all, we got about 2 months' worth of supplies (excepting tortillas, bread, milk, diapers, and fresh produce) for $146.16-- and some luxuries to boot. Thank you, mom, for teaching me how to sale-, coupon-, and comparison-shop!
When we came home we made dinner and I settled down to watch "Family Night" on TLC. After Little People, Big World (which I love), they showed the special about the Duggars going on vacation (On the Road with 16 Children, I believe.) I love the Duggars. They are awesome, they work together well, they are effective homeschoolers, they are smart, funny, loving, really great role-models. I especially admire that they happily live their faith every day, while not criticizing others around them who are different from them. I love to see them interact with families and people who do not share their same values or world view and see the love, respect, and courtesy they offer those people. We can all learn a lesson from that. So this was a really fun special to see, and I enjoyed watching it again. However, one thing bothered me. Actually, it bothered me the first time I saw it, too. But this time I noticed it more 'cause there were no babies in the room to distract me. They retrofitted a big 'ol RV with seats and seat belts to hold all their kids. So far, so good. One problem; they had the little ones in forward-facing 5-point harness seats (that's what they should be in, that's appropriate for their ages, weights, and heights) but several of them were installed in side-facing seats. That is a NO-NO! Those seats are approved for forward-facing use only! Also, I noticed at least two of the little boys were not buckled into their 5-point harness correctly! I guess that guy who helped us check and install our seats is right; I should become a car seat technician. I just have that kind of mind, and I notice it, even when it's not my business. Anyway, it's a fun special to watch, other than that safety concern.
This morning we hit the Memorial Day "everything in the store 50% off" sale at Sun Thrift. They do this about 3 or 4 times a year and I love it. Despite my resolution, I DID come home with a little more inventory for eBay. I also came home with a maternity dress for me, a dress for Bridget to wear this fall, and two dresses for when Emma grows into size 6/6X (I try to buy things ahead of time so I can just switch clothes out as she outgrows them.) Oh, and Jeff found a fondue set. I remember fondue when I was Emma's age being fun so maybe we will do that soon. :) And I kept it to less than $25, even with the fondue set! I was so good.
This afternoon we went for a late lunch at my uncle and aunt's house, to finally celebrate all us girls' birthdays. (My uncle has been unwell, but he's doing better now.) My Uncle Bob made his grandma's spaghetti sauce and some big Italian meatballs, and noodles of course, and we had some salad. It was delicious, then we had cake and ice cream and the girls opened presents.
I put some ranch dressing on my salad and couldn't finish it, it almost made me puke. Hmmm... I've been experiencing some queasiness and a few other things lately, time will tell if that means what I hope it does or if it is just a bit of early PMS or a virus (Emma puked on the sheets Saturday morning but I had what I think she had earlier last week and should be over it by now.) OPTs showed that I was almost certainly ovulating last week and we, um, took advantage of that knowledge, so we are crossing our fingers and will have to wait a few weeks. This is the first month since the bleeding from that miscarriage finally stopped, so I am hoping that I am back to normal and that everything "takes."
Anyway, that was my day. I am going to get up early tomorrow to go work in the Bishop's Storehouse (I love working there!) so I had better go get some rest while I can.
We went to the grocery store this evening and between club prices, sales, and double coupons, my "verified total savings" was $80.82. But that doesn't take into account that I also qualified for $15.99 in rebates, which will be mailed to me in the form of checks, after filling out two forms, providing photocopies of my receipt, and allowing 4 to 6 weeks to process. It was our once-every-two-months stock-up-on-canned-goods-and-staples trip, and we also got a few luxuries and special treats, as well as some lotion ($0.50 after the coupon and club sale price) deodorant for Jeff ($1.50 after the coupon and sale), and things of that sort. My favorite deal of the evening: free baby/toddler food. I was in the baby aisle and was going through my coupons (I have a mondo coupon sorter and my mom saves her coupons and I save mine and every two or three weeks I go through and clip the ones I want to keep and file them, sorting by category and expiration date, then I pull the ones we are likely to use and any that are expiring soon before a shopping trip but keep them all with me just in case (this also familiarizes me with all the coupons I have) and prepare to get some great deals!) If I'm not going to use coupons before they expire I try to pass them on to someone else in the store. (Like, I decided against buying another deodorant for me since I had already stocked up, so I passed it on to a woman in that aisle and pointed out that she could get a Dove deodorant for $1.50 with the coupon.) Anyway, I had clipped a bunch of Huggies and Pampers and Pull-Ups coupons for no reason I know of, and there was a family there with a baby and a toddler. So I offered them to them, and in return they gave me two Gerber Graduates coupons they would not use-- buy any two Gerber Graduates products, get $1 off. I had one of these already myself, and so I now had three. I eyed up the Gerber Graduates products and spotted some little containers of soup, a food both my daughters adore. Well, the soup was on for buy one, get one free, and the price was $1.35 per container (which is why I would normally not buy it.) But my coupon was for $1, and Ralphs doubles coupons up to $1, so that meant... they would be FREE! I promptly chose six and used all three coupons to get 6 FREE serving-size containers of soup that Bridget OR Emma can eat! That just made me happy. :) In all, we got about 2 months' worth of supplies (excepting tortillas, bread, milk, diapers, and fresh produce) for $146.16-- and some luxuries to boot. Thank you, mom, for teaching me how to sale-, coupon-, and comparison-shop!
When we came home we made dinner and I settled down to watch "Family Night" on TLC. After Little People, Big World (which I love), they showed the special about the Duggars going on vacation (On the Road with 16 Children, I believe.) I love the Duggars. They are awesome, they work together well, they are effective homeschoolers, they are smart, funny, loving, really great role-models. I especially admire that they happily live their faith every day, while not criticizing others around them who are different from them. I love to see them interact with families and people who do not share their same values or world view and see the love, respect, and courtesy they offer those people. We can all learn a lesson from that. So this was a really fun special to see, and I enjoyed watching it again. However, one thing bothered me. Actually, it bothered me the first time I saw it, too. But this time I noticed it more 'cause there were no babies in the room to distract me. They retrofitted a big 'ol RV with seats and seat belts to hold all their kids. So far, so good. One problem; they had the little ones in forward-facing 5-point harness seats (that's what they should be in, that's appropriate for their ages, weights, and heights) but several of them were installed in side-facing seats. That is a NO-NO! Those seats are approved for forward-facing use only! Also, I noticed at least two of the little boys were not buckled into their 5-point harness correctly! I guess that guy who helped us check and install our seats is right; I should become a car seat technician. I just have that kind of mind, and I notice it, even when it's not my business. Anyway, it's a fun special to watch, other than that safety concern.
This morning we hit the Memorial Day "everything in the store 50% off" sale at Sun Thrift. They do this about 3 or 4 times a year and I love it. Despite my resolution, I DID come home with a little more inventory for eBay. I also came home with a maternity dress for me, a dress for Bridget to wear this fall, and two dresses for when Emma grows into size 6/6X (I try to buy things ahead of time so I can just switch clothes out as she outgrows them.) Oh, and Jeff found a fondue set. I remember fondue when I was Emma's age being fun so maybe we will do that soon. :) And I kept it to less than $25, even with the fondue set! I was so good.
This afternoon we went for a late lunch at my uncle and aunt's house, to finally celebrate all us girls' birthdays. (My uncle has been unwell, but he's doing better now.) My Uncle Bob made his grandma's spaghetti sauce and some big Italian meatballs, and noodles of course, and we had some salad. It was delicious, then we had cake and ice cream and the girls opened presents.
I put some ranch dressing on my salad and couldn't finish it, it almost made me puke. Hmmm... I've been experiencing some queasiness and a few other things lately, time will tell if that means what I hope it does or if it is just a bit of early PMS or a virus (Emma puked on the sheets Saturday morning but I had what I think she had earlier last week and should be over it by now.) OPTs showed that I was almost certainly ovulating last week and we, um, took advantage of that knowledge, so we are crossing our fingers and will have to wait a few weeks. This is the first month since the bleeding from that miscarriage finally stopped, so I am hoping that I am back to normal and that everything "takes."
Anyway, that was my day. I am going to get up early tomorrow to go work in the Bishop's Storehouse (I love working there!) so I had better go get some rest while I can.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Another truly awful tv post.
Oh, I'm so horrid lately.
I've been watching the promos for Medium, which I like pretty well, more for the characters than the plots (okay, I'm just a character-lover, I guess! In any case, I like the fact that her husband is annoyed when his life is interrupted and livid when his children are endangered by her "gift", as opposed to the insipid yes-man husband on Ghost Whisperer, and also Patricia Arquette looks a lot more like a Real Woman than Jennifer Love Hewitt. Plus she's a mommy, a real mommy, not a sitcom mommy, I can totally relate to that. Her relationship with her daughters is a huge part of the show and that's part of why I love it.) I can't be the only one out there who hates her hair. I mean, either ditch the bangs, grow them longer and style them, or keep the hair long! The mid-length straight bangs with medium-short hair is NOT a good look for her. Ick.
I know I am not the one to talk about bad hair. You may all scold me for a) caring so much in the first place, shallow, shallow, tv-watching me, and b) gossiping and being uncharitable. *hangs head*
I've been watching the promos for Medium, which I like pretty well, more for the characters than the plots (okay, I'm just a character-lover, I guess! In any case, I like the fact that her husband is annoyed when his life is interrupted and livid when his children are endangered by her "gift", as opposed to the insipid yes-man husband on Ghost Whisperer, and also Patricia Arquette looks a lot more like a Real Woman than Jennifer Love Hewitt. Plus she's a mommy, a real mommy, not a sitcom mommy, I can totally relate to that. Her relationship with her daughters is a huge part of the show and that's part of why I love it.) I can't be the only one out there who hates her hair. I mean, either ditch the bangs, grow them longer and style them, or keep the hair long! The mid-length straight bangs with medium-short hair is NOT a good look for her. Ick.
I know I am not the one to talk about bad hair. You may all scold me for a) caring so much in the first place, shallow, shallow, tv-watching me, and b) gossiping and being uncharitable. *hangs head*
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
I'm so bad, but I just can't help it.
So last night I was watching CSI: Miami, (ABOUT TO POST SPOILERS) and whatever-her-name-is Boa Vista wants a DNA comparison between her and the latest victim (who she, correctly, thinks is her sister.) So she gives the tech her swab and STANDS THERE WAITING WHILE IT'S RUN! Hahahahaha! I just couldn't help laughing out loud at that one. Even the most rudimentary of mitochondrial DNA comparisons (that's the one that siblings share through the mother, right?) could never, ever be done WHILE SHE STOOD THERE WAITING! I laughed for about three minutes. I'm awful, but I just can't help it. It's like when I'm watching Numb3rs sometimes, and I'm no math expert, but the math makes me laugh sometimes. Why does CBS even bother hiring consultants if they are gonna ignore everything the consultants say? But I do like the characters. That's why I keep watching CBS shows; good characters and interesting stories, even if parts of them make me laugh. Hard.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
A Halloween MeMe
I've been tagged for a spooky "MeMe" (which I gather is a kinda-meme answering questions about myself) by No Cool Story at More Cowbell. So here goes:
1. What's the scariest movie you've ever seen?
Hmmm. I'm not into scary-scary movies. No blood-filled slasher films for me. But every once in a while there's a sci-fi or psychological "scary" film that I do see (I Netflix them, though, 'cause I just couldn't handle them in the theater, not that I ever get out for a real movie anyway.) There are two that always make me scream and hold my husband even though I've seen them multiple times and know exactly when the scary parts are: Signs, which makes me scream at three predictable points and the end of which, as a long-time asthmatic, horrifies me, and The Others, which is not scary to me, I think, in the way it's supposed to be, but the old medium lady's face freaks me out SO MUCH especially when she comes to the kids hiding in the closet, and the ending is soooo chilling to me. And, well, I'm always scared by things about mothers killing their children.
2. What was your favorite Halloween Costume from childhood, and adulthood?
Oh, that's hard. I'm going to count childhood as under 18, and adulthood as over 18 for this one. In that case, hands-down my favorite childhood costume is when I re-created a Rogue Squadron pilot outfit from Star Wars. I freeze-framed the movies and also scoured the books for details, right down to making and sewing on a name patch with Aurabesh lettering of the name of the pilot (from one of the books) I was going as, sewing on gold star buttons for the proper "rank insignia", and making a Rogue Squadron patch as described in the books. I worked for four months on that costume. As an adult, mmmm. I think that would be last year, when my husband and I went as a Christmas present and a Christmas tree.
3. If you had an unlimited budget, what would your Fantasy Costume be for this Halloween?
Oh, goodness. I got so caught up in letting Ems choose what we're going to be and going from there, I haven't even though of it. Something quirky, of course. And I get more pleasure from making clever costumes than from spending a lot of money; in fact, spending the least money possible is part of the fun for me. So if I were going to have an unlimited budget, I think I'd do something like period Renaissance garb that I could wear to Faires and other places, not just once.
4. When was the last time you went Trick Or Treating?
Well, I took my daughter last year. ;) I know, I know. Actually went, not taking one of my kids, when I was 14. Technically I thought I was a little old, but I was taking my brother who was 11. The year after he was allowed to go alone, but that year I was okay with giving one last hurrah (and getting candy!)
5. What's your favorite Halloween Candy?
Favorite candy to be given, or favorite candy only available at Halloween? I've always been a fan of Three Musketeers, Almond Joy, 100 Grand, and the like, but I am also a fan of candy corn, which is only available this time of the year. Pure sugar, mmmm!
6. Tell us about a scary nightmare you had.
I have a lot of nightmares, and sometimes do some scary sleepwalking (trying to harm myself or others in my sleep, and the like), but I don't remember them, usually. The last nightmare I remember, I had when I was pregnant with Bridget. In my dream, Bridey was breech, and the doctor said, "So, we're going to schedule you for a c-section." I said, "Well, I'd prefer to try version first, I really don't want a c-section." My doctor (who was NOT like this in real life, holds the mother's wishes in highest esteem, is a fan of version and has even delivered breeches vaginally several times in the last five years, and sees c-sections as a last resort) said, "No, I won't allow that. When would you like your c-section?" It went on like that for a while, and then I went out to call my husband in to try to get him on my side (which is strange because my mom took me to all my appointments this pregnancy, but in my dream for some reason my husband was there) and my HUSBAND said, "Honey, aren't you being a little unreasonable? If the doctor says a c-section is best, you'd better schedule a c-section." (Again, my husband believes that I need to do whatever is right for me when it comes to childbirth and trusts me to make the right decisions for myself and my babies. He'd never say that.) So then I called my mom, who even though I have differences with her has ALWAYS been my advocate in situations like that, and is a registered nurse and also sees c-sections as a last resort, and SHE said, "Well, Anne, you know, breech births can be pretty risky, it's better for you to have a c-section if that's what the doctor says you need." And I was going out of my head because no one would listen to me when I was listing all the other things we could try BEFORE that last-resort c-section, and they were dismissing my wishes like they were not important or relevant. *sigh* It was a very scary dream, I woke up crying and angry and terrified.
7. What is your Supernatural Fear?
I don't really believe in most supernatural things... I guess if they were real, vampires would be the scariest because 1) they "infect" you when they bite you, turn you into one of them, which I find incredibly creepy, and 2) I do NOT want to live on this earth forever in this mortal body without ever passing on to the next life. *shudders*
8. What is your Creepy-Crawlie Fear?
You know, when I'm pregnant I get really easily grossed out and afraid of spiders, bugs, etc., but when I'm not, they're not that bad; the only ones that really bother me are bees (afraid of getting stung), maggots (eeew; 'nuff said) and scorpions (again, afraid of getting stung.)
9. Tell us about a time when you saw a ghost, or heard something go Bump in the night.
I don't feel it's appropriate to share my experience with spirits, I hold them as sacred and am not gonna talk about it here.
However, once when I was little, we had a raccoon in the attic and it seriously sounded like a big ol' man walking around up there and it was creepy as all get out.
10. Would you ever stay in a real Haunted House overnight?
Hmmmm. Assuming they existed, it depends what I was getting out of it and how dangerous the "hants" were.
11. Are you a traditionalist (just a face) Jack O'Lantern Carver, or do you get really creative with your pumpkins?
Pretty traditionalist. In fact, we have our own traditions; growing up my dad always had at least one "ghost" pumpkin, which was white and we carved a "ghost face" on, and a skinny tall one and a short round one that we made into Bert and Ernie.
12. How much do you decorate your home for Halloween?
Decorate? What's decorate? ;)
Some years we have a few Jack-o-Lanterns or decorated pumpkins outside. Somewhere we have a witch that's supposed to hang on the door that my mother-in-law gave us, but I don't know where it is and it's kinda cutesy for me.
13. What do you want on your Tombstone?
The works-- pepperoni, sausage, onions, bell peppers, all of it. ;)
Seriously, besides name, dates, etc., maybe a verse from Scripture:
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Hopefully I will have that peace in my heart my whole life, so I think that would be appropriate for my tombstone. And it's from the Bible, not the Book of Mormon, so my non-member family won't feel alienated. ;)
So, that's it! I am going to tag happy mommy and Titus Todd for this MeMe, if they will deign to participate. ;)
1. What's the scariest movie you've ever seen?
Hmmm. I'm not into scary-scary movies. No blood-filled slasher films for me. But every once in a while there's a sci-fi or psychological "scary" film that I do see (I Netflix them, though, 'cause I just couldn't handle them in the theater, not that I ever get out for a real movie anyway.) There are two that always make me scream and hold my husband even though I've seen them multiple times and know exactly when the scary parts are: Signs, which makes me scream at three predictable points and the end of which, as a long-time asthmatic, horrifies me, and The Others, which is not scary to me, I think, in the way it's supposed to be, but the old medium lady's face freaks me out SO MUCH especially when she comes to the kids hiding in the closet, and the ending is soooo chilling to me. And, well, I'm always scared by things about mothers killing their children.
2. What was your favorite Halloween Costume from childhood, and adulthood?
Oh, that's hard. I'm going to count childhood as under 18, and adulthood as over 18 for this one. In that case, hands-down my favorite childhood costume is when I re-created a Rogue Squadron pilot outfit from Star Wars. I freeze-framed the movies and also scoured the books for details, right down to making and sewing on a name patch with Aurabesh lettering of the name of the pilot (from one of the books) I was going as, sewing on gold star buttons for the proper "rank insignia", and making a Rogue Squadron patch as described in the books. I worked for four months on that costume. As an adult, mmmm. I think that would be last year, when my husband and I went as a Christmas present and a Christmas tree.
3. If you had an unlimited budget, what would your Fantasy Costume be for this Halloween?
Oh, goodness. I got so caught up in letting Ems choose what we're going to be and going from there, I haven't even though of it. Something quirky, of course. And I get more pleasure from making clever costumes than from spending a lot of money; in fact, spending the least money possible is part of the fun for me. So if I were going to have an unlimited budget, I think I'd do something like period Renaissance garb that I could wear to Faires and other places, not just once.
4. When was the last time you went Trick Or Treating?
Well, I took my daughter last year. ;) I know, I know. Actually went, not taking one of my kids, when I was 14. Technically I thought I was a little old, but I was taking my brother who was 11. The year after he was allowed to go alone, but that year I was okay with giving one last hurrah (and getting candy!)
5. What's your favorite Halloween Candy?
Favorite candy to be given, or favorite candy only available at Halloween? I've always been a fan of Three Musketeers, Almond Joy, 100 Grand, and the like, but I am also a fan of candy corn, which is only available this time of the year. Pure sugar, mmmm!
6. Tell us about a scary nightmare you had.
I have a lot of nightmares, and sometimes do some scary sleepwalking (trying to harm myself or others in my sleep, and the like), but I don't remember them, usually. The last nightmare I remember, I had when I was pregnant with Bridget. In my dream, Bridey was breech, and the doctor said, "So, we're going to schedule you for a c-section." I said, "Well, I'd prefer to try version first, I really don't want a c-section." My doctor (who was NOT like this in real life, holds the mother's wishes in highest esteem, is a fan of version and has even delivered breeches vaginally several times in the last five years, and sees c-sections as a last resort) said, "No, I won't allow that. When would you like your c-section?" It went on like that for a while, and then I went out to call my husband in to try to get him on my side (which is strange because my mom took me to all my appointments this pregnancy, but in my dream for some reason my husband was there) and my HUSBAND said, "Honey, aren't you being a little unreasonable? If the doctor says a c-section is best, you'd better schedule a c-section." (Again, my husband believes that I need to do whatever is right for me when it comes to childbirth and trusts me to make the right decisions for myself and my babies. He'd never say that.) So then I called my mom, who even though I have differences with her has ALWAYS been my advocate in situations like that, and is a registered nurse and also sees c-sections as a last resort, and SHE said, "Well, Anne, you know, breech births can be pretty risky, it's better for you to have a c-section if that's what the doctor says you need." And I was going out of my head because no one would listen to me when I was listing all the other things we could try BEFORE that last-resort c-section, and they were dismissing my wishes like they were not important or relevant. *sigh* It was a very scary dream, I woke up crying and angry and terrified.
7. What is your Supernatural Fear?
I don't really believe in most supernatural things... I guess if they were real, vampires would be the scariest because 1) they "infect" you when they bite you, turn you into one of them, which I find incredibly creepy, and 2) I do NOT want to live on this earth forever in this mortal body without ever passing on to the next life. *shudders*
8. What is your Creepy-Crawlie Fear?
You know, when I'm pregnant I get really easily grossed out and afraid of spiders, bugs, etc., but when I'm not, they're not that bad; the only ones that really bother me are bees (afraid of getting stung), maggots (eeew; 'nuff said) and scorpions (again, afraid of getting stung.)
9. Tell us about a time when you saw a ghost, or heard something go Bump in the night.
I don't feel it's appropriate to share my experience with spirits, I hold them as sacred and am not gonna talk about it here.
However, once when I was little, we had a raccoon in the attic and it seriously sounded like a big ol' man walking around up there and it was creepy as all get out.
10. Would you ever stay in a real Haunted House overnight?
Hmmmm. Assuming they existed, it depends what I was getting out of it and how dangerous the "hants" were.
11. Are you a traditionalist (just a face) Jack O'Lantern Carver, or do you get really creative with your pumpkins?
Pretty traditionalist. In fact, we have our own traditions; growing up my dad always had at least one "ghost" pumpkin, which was white and we carved a "ghost face" on, and a skinny tall one and a short round one that we made into Bert and Ernie.
12. How much do you decorate your home for Halloween?
Decorate? What's decorate? ;)
Some years we have a few Jack-o-Lanterns or decorated pumpkins outside. Somewhere we have a witch that's supposed to hang on the door that my mother-in-law gave us, but I don't know where it is and it's kinda cutesy for me.
13. What do you want on your Tombstone?
The works-- pepperoni, sausage, onions, bell peppers, all of it. ;)
Seriously, besides name, dates, etc., maybe a verse from Scripture:
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Hopefully I will have that peace in my heart my whole life, so I think that would be appropriate for my tombstone. And it's from the Bible, not the Book of Mormon, so my non-member family won't feel alienated. ;)
So, that's it! I am going to tag happy mommy and Titus Todd for this MeMe, if they will deign to participate. ;)
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
The Last Kiss: story for Save Hiatus Fanfic Contest
If you haven't heard about it already, check out the Save Hiatus page that Chris Bridges has created. Loyal Hiatians, unite!
On to the story: this story is set during an interlude during one of everyone's favorite episodes, "But Where Was the Other Shoe?" (near the end of Season 1.) It follows the scene when the beautiful Sergeant Lanya Peters has kissed the geeky but adorable Dr. Langdon Ciafalo after a huge fight, then stormed out on him. We look a little deeper into Dr. Ciafalo's back story than we have before, and learn of why he always has that adorable sad longing in his eyes. In the spirit of fanficishness, I will not be editing once I finish the story. Enjoy!
The Last Kiss
The spaceship Venture made its way across the void, traveling through Warp Space as the colors of the twisted space-time continuum swirled outside the windows.
Dr. Ciafalo stood gazing out at the colors that were nothing and yet everything to him, to his life, as he thought about Sergeant Peters' last words to him before she stormed out.
"That's the last kiss you'll be getting for a while once I tell all the girls on this ship what a kreff you are-- and probably the first you've ever had, now that I think of it!"
Ah, Lanya, how little she understood.
Langdon wasn't pursuing any of the women onboard the Venture. He wasn't pursuing women, period. (And no, he wasn't into Rllrians or anything like that. Get your mind out of the gutter!)
It wasn't his fault that he was handsome in his geeky way and so totally sweet to everyone that women onboard and off fell for him right and left. That's just the way he was. And the reason nothing had ever come of their advances wasn't because he wasn't so inclined, or because he was too sweetly naive to know what they were getting at (as some of them supposed.)
Similarly, he hadn't meant that remark about Lanya's butt in a sexual way. He had just been making an observation! It wasn't his fault she had unresolved issues stemming from her teenage years in a military boarding school on Vontius Prime.
Langdon wasn't interested in a relationship because the love of his life had been kidnapped by Rllrians seven years previously.
"Alas, Sarveh!" he thought with a mournful sigh.
Sarveh had been the beautiful daughter of the largest manufacturer of snack foods on his home planet of Sindur. She was far above his station, but she noticed the up-and-coming scientist's work at the university her father was on the board of, anyway.
They fell in love and, despite her father's hostility, were married just 8 years ago. They moved to an outlying world where they hoped to make a life for themselves, he taking a job at the chemical plant, she working at a nursery school.
Alas, only three days after she cooked him a special dinner and told him that she was pregnant with their first child, he heard the sirens warning of an incoming Rllrian raid. He was told later that Sarveh had acted heroically, hunting for a lost child and tossing him to safety in the arms of one of the other workers just seconds before the Rllrian beams swept through to take prisoners. She didn't make it to the underground shelter in time and they had to close the door without her.
Knowing that his wife died a hero didn't ease the pain of knowing that she had been captured. The ones that were captured suffered torture beyond imagining; the Rllrians fed off of fear and pain, and humans were their favorite dish.
And so Dr. Langdon Ciaflo joined the Intergalactic Star Command, vowing to use his scientific prowess to help rid the galaxy of the Rllrians, not because he was brave, not for glory or for kicks, but for his one love-- Sarveh.
He shook his head again, remembering the sweetness of her lips the last time she kissed him goodbye, as they parted on their separate ways to work. "No, Lanya, that was not my first kiss. But you're right about one thing-- it may well have been my last."
Dr. Langdon Ciaflo moved away from the window and put his cup in the recycler, then headed back to his duties.
The spaceship Venture made its way across the void, traveling through Warp Space as the colors of the twisted space-time continuum swirled outside the windows.
On to the story: this story is set during an interlude during one of everyone's favorite episodes, "But Where Was the Other Shoe?" (near the end of Season 1.) It follows the scene when the beautiful Sergeant Lanya Peters has kissed the geeky but adorable Dr. Langdon Ciafalo after a huge fight, then stormed out on him. We look a little deeper into Dr. Ciafalo's back story than we have before, and learn of why he always has that adorable sad longing in his eyes. In the spirit of fanficishness, I will not be editing once I finish the story. Enjoy!
The Last Kiss
The spaceship Venture made its way across the void, traveling through Warp Space as the colors of the twisted space-time continuum swirled outside the windows.
Dr. Ciafalo stood gazing out at the colors that were nothing and yet everything to him, to his life, as he thought about Sergeant Peters' last words to him before she stormed out.
"That's the last kiss you'll be getting for a while once I tell all the girls on this ship what a kreff you are-- and probably the first you've ever had, now that I think of it!"
Ah, Lanya, how little she understood.
Langdon wasn't pursuing any of the women onboard the Venture. He wasn't pursuing women, period. (And no, he wasn't into Rllrians or anything like that. Get your mind out of the gutter!)
It wasn't his fault that he was handsome in his geeky way and so totally sweet to everyone that women onboard and off fell for him right and left. That's just the way he was. And the reason nothing had ever come of their advances wasn't because he wasn't so inclined, or because he was too sweetly naive to know what they were getting at (as some of them supposed.)
Similarly, he hadn't meant that remark about Lanya's butt in a sexual way. He had just been making an observation! It wasn't his fault she had unresolved issues stemming from her teenage years in a military boarding school on Vontius Prime.
Langdon wasn't interested in a relationship because the love of his life had been kidnapped by Rllrians seven years previously.
"Alas, Sarveh!" he thought with a mournful sigh.
Sarveh had been the beautiful daughter of the largest manufacturer of snack foods on his home planet of Sindur. She was far above his station, but she noticed the up-and-coming scientist's work at the university her father was on the board of, anyway.
They fell in love and, despite her father's hostility, were married just 8 years ago. They moved to an outlying world where they hoped to make a life for themselves, he taking a job at the chemical plant, she working at a nursery school.
Alas, only three days after she cooked him a special dinner and told him that she was pregnant with their first child, he heard the sirens warning of an incoming Rllrian raid. He was told later that Sarveh had acted heroically, hunting for a lost child and tossing him to safety in the arms of one of the other workers just seconds before the Rllrian beams swept through to take prisoners. She didn't make it to the underground shelter in time and they had to close the door without her.
Knowing that his wife died a hero didn't ease the pain of knowing that she had been captured. The ones that were captured suffered torture beyond imagining; the Rllrians fed off of fear and pain, and humans were their favorite dish.
And so Dr. Langdon Ciaflo joined the Intergalactic Star Command, vowing to use his scientific prowess to help rid the galaxy of the Rllrians, not because he was brave, not for glory or for kicks, but for his one love-- Sarveh.
He shook his head again, remembering the sweetness of her lips the last time she kissed him goodbye, as they parted on their separate ways to work. "No, Lanya, that was not my first kiss. But you're right about one thing-- it may well have been my last."
Dr. Langdon Ciaflo moved away from the window and put his cup in the recycler, then headed back to his duties.
The spaceship Venture made its way across the void, traveling through Warp Space as the colors of the twisted space-time continuum swirled outside the windows.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Cabin Fever and Nursing Clothes
We've got cabin fever around here. It's been so hot, none of us can go out (except my husband to work.) We're a one-car family, so we're usually limited to doing what's in walking distance. When it's too hot to walk, we're stuck inside. Grrrr.
Emma puts on her shoes every day expecting to go out and play. I have to tell her, "No," and try to provide acceptable alternatives when I can (like water play standing by the bathtub full of cold water instead of her favorite outdoor water play with a bucket.) We're all grumpier for the lack of outside, I think; Bridget has been fussing for no discernible reason, I've been snappish for not getting my exercise, and Emma, who from the day she was born has longed for the outdoors, is on a wacky sleep (or lack thereof) schedule, throws fits twice as often as normal, and generally grumps around.
I've taken to calling my friend in Oklahoma when I can't bear it, since she's also a SAHM who is mostly at home with her kids, and she understands me well. We grok each other in fullness, and can have deeply satisfying conversations about everything and nothing. That's my saving grace right now. That and Netflix. I'm doing a lot of Lois and Clark Season 2 and Rosemary and Thyme, Series 2 right now (plus some Sesame Street stuff to keep in reserve for when I'm desperate.)
The heat is supposed to break somewhat this weekend. I pray it does. We need a break. I'm hoping that it stays reasonable for at least a couple of days so we can go to the library and maybe even the park and have some time away from this apartment. Also, my sister (well, half-sister, same mom) is getting married this Saturday. We have to get dressed up and all.
Speaking of dressing up, I have discovered this woman's wonderful clothes (she also has an ebay store where she sells items that have been gently used as opposed to new items on her site.) She takes regular clothing, and modifies it with nursing slits (she also sells the occasional gently used name-brand nursingwear in her ebay listings.) The prices are mostly very reasonable, she has great deals and sales (especially if you join her mailing list), and she's wonderful, kind, and personable when she writes to you. I bought one dress on ebay (a "best offer" was accepted), and upon receiving it promptly bought more. Some of the tops are a little unappealing to me, they remind me too much of WASPy women out doing their shopping with their makeup all perfect, but a lot of the dresses are just gorgeous, she carries a large range of sizes and styles, and she really does know her stuff; the nursing slits have been just right for me. For less than what you'd pay if you bought from Motherhood or Motherwear, you get a dress or top that is much more unique than the "same old-same old" nursing stuff that everyone seems to be wearing, and mostly people won't even know it's nursingwear unless they see you feeding baby in it. Awesome.
Emma puts on her shoes every day expecting to go out and play. I have to tell her, "No," and try to provide acceptable alternatives when I can (like water play standing by the bathtub full of cold water instead of her favorite outdoor water play with a bucket.) We're all grumpier for the lack of outside, I think; Bridget has been fussing for no discernible reason, I've been snappish for not getting my exercise, and Emma, who from the day she was born has longed for the outdoors, is on a wacky sleep (or lack thereof) schedule, throws fits twice as often as normal, and generally grumps around.
I've taken to calling my friend in Oklahoma when I can't bear it, since she's also a SAHM who is mostly at home with her kids, and she understands me well. We grok each other in fullness, and can have deeply satisfying conversations about everything and nothing. That's my saving grace right now. That and Netflix. I'm doing a lot of Lois and Clark Season 2 and Rosemary and Thyme, Series 2 right now (plus some Sesame Street stuff to keep in reserve for when I'm desperate.)
The heat is supposed to break somewhat this weekend. I pray it does. We need a break. I'm hoping that it stays reasonable for at least a couple of days so we can go to the library and maybe even the park and have some time away from this apartment. Also, my sister (well, half-sister, same mom) is getting married this Saturday. We have to get dressed up and all.
Speaking of dressing up, I have discovered this woman's wonderful clothes (she also has an ebay store where she sells items that have been gently used as opposed to new items on her site.) She takes regular clothing, and modifies it with nursing slits (she also sells the occasional gently used name-brand nursingwear in her ebay listings.) The prices are mostly very reasonable, she has great deals and sales (especially if you join her mailing list), and she's wonderful, kind, and personable when she writes to you. I bought one dress on ebay (a "best offer" was accepted), and upon receiving it promptly bought more. Some of the tops are a little unappealing to me, they remind me too much of WASPy women out doing their shopping with their makeup all perfect, but a lot of the dresses are just gorgeous, she carries a large range of sizes and styles, and she really does know her stuff; the nursing slits have been just right for me. For less than what you'd pay if you bought from Motherhood or Motherwear, you get a dress or top that is much more unique than the "same old-same old" nursing stuff that everyone seems to be wearing, and mostly people won't even know it's nursingwear unless they see you feeding baby in it. Awesome.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Burger King Commercial Rant
Have you seen the new BK commercial? The one with the little people in construction hard hats building burgers, and one gets smooshed?
I hate it.
It makes me mad every time I see it. There's a BK less than two blocks from us, and I used to take my daughter there for lunch every few weeks. Now I won't, because every time I see it, I think of that commercial.
It's not blatantly disrespectful, except for one thing: the whole point of the commercial (other than that their burgers are big) is that little people are little. That's it. End of joke.
It's just not funny. And the fact that they're using little people in a commercial like this, well, it just seems degrading to me. I mean, what if a company made, say, a product that was white, and chose to illustrate this point by using black people in the commercial (let's not even mention the part about one of them being injured by the product.) You can sure bet that there would be an outcry.
The other thing is that someone had to come up with this concept, develop it, approve it. How did so many people get involved and still make this commercial? I have a feeling that the folks who conceived, made, approved this commercial didn't refer to the actors as "little people" while talking about it-- they probably think of them as "midgets".
And that's what really bothers me about the commercial, the whole thing just screams "hey everyone, look at the MIDGETS!" to me. That's probably not what they intended, but that's the effect. I was taught that "midget" was a pejorative term on the level of "the n-word", not to be used or even thought by polite, non-prejudiced people. The self-chosen preferred term is "little people" (or some prefer "person of short stature" or just "short person".) Also acceptable would be the name of the medical condition the person in question suffers from, but that would be in a medical context, where the condition actually does matter as much as or more than the person. Also in a medical context, "dwarf" and "dwarfism" might be appropriate, although one must be careful because those terms can become pejorative, too.
So that's why Burger King has lost my business. I was with them on the creepy, funny King-in-a-plastic-mask commercials; I was with them on the huge funky chicken commercials; I even like the food. But this commercial bothers me so much, I just can't eat there anymore. And yes, I will write them about it (although it's taking me a while because unlike other companies, they do not have an "e-mail us" feature on their website; you have to actually write a letter and send it snail-mail, ugh! Get with the times!) But unless I see a public apology for this commercial, I have to say that they're on the list with McDonald's and Wal-Mart-- what we call "the evil places" in my family, not to be patronized except in a life-threatening emergency, and preferably not then, either. Too bad, too, it was so convenient to spend my money there. Their loss, I guess. Except, when we condone, promote, or otherwise put out into the world derogatory images of others, it's all our loss, and especially our children's.
I hate it.
It makes me mad every time I see it. There's a BK less than two blocks from us, and I used to take my daughter there for lunch every few weeks. Now I won't, because every time I see it, I think of that commercial.
It's not blatantly disrespectful, except for one thing: the whole point of the commercial (other than that their burgers are big) is that little people are little. That's it. End of joke.
It's just not funny. And the fact that they're using little people in a commercial like this, well, it just seems degrading to me. I mean, what if a company made, say, a product that was white, and chose to illustrate this point by using black people in the commercial (let's not even mention the part about one of them being injured by the product.) You can sure bet that there would be an outcry.
The other thing is that someone had to come up with this concept, develop it, approve it. How did so many people get involved and still make this commercial? I have a feeling that the folks who conceived, made, approved this commercial didn't refer to the actors as "little people" while talking about it-- they probably think of them as "midgets".
And that's what really bothers me about the commercial, the whole thing just screams "hey everyone, look at the MIDGETS!" to me. That's probably not what they intended, but that's the effect. I was taught that "midget" was a pejorative term on the level of "the n-word", not to be used or even thought by polite, non-prejudiced people. The self-chosen preferred term is "little people" (or some prefer "person of short stature" or just "short person".) Also acceptable would be the name of the medical condition the person in question suffers from, but that would be in a medical context, where the condition actually does matter as much as or more than the person. Also in a medical context, "dwarf" and "dwarfism" might be appropriate, although one must be careful because those terms can become pejorative, too.
So that's why Burger King has lost my business. I was with them on the creepy, funny King-in-a-plastic-mask commercials; I was with them on the huge funky chicken commercials; I even like the food. But this commercial bothers me so much, I just can't eat there anymore. And yes, I will write them about it (although it's taking me a while because unlike other companies, they do not have an "e-mail us" feature on their website; you have to actually write a letter and send it snail-mail, ugh! Get with the times!) But unless I see a public apology for this commercial, I have to say that they're on the list with McDonald's and Wal-Mart-- what we call "the evil places" in my family, not to be patronized except in a life-threatening emergency, and preferably not then, either. Too bad, too, it was so convenient to spend my money there. Their loss, I guess. Except, when we condone, promote, or otherwise put out into the world derogatory images of others, it's all our loss, and especially our children's.
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