Thursday Thirteen: Random Morning Musings

Not awake for anything brilliant today. :) So I present the broken thought Thursday Thirteen.

- Over half of my mood icons on LJ aren't working right now. Weird. My webpage server must be having a hiccup.

- The lunar eclipse last night was very cool. Not the coolest one I've seen - that was in college when I saw a huge horizon eclipse loom over Boston from west campus (absolutely astounding, that one - one of those "Star Wars" moons), but cool regardless.

- WoW addiction has officially taken hold again. I'm not sure that's a good thing.

- On the other side, fanfiction addiction is slumping. I'm reading, of course. But not writing. *shrug* I'll get there.

- I miss cross-stitching. My pieces are screaming at me to get going again. That'll be one of the things I'll enjoy when Stitch, Bitch & Who dates kick back off again... whenever they actually wind up starting.

- My goal this weekend is to get all of the stupid little projects finished around the house. I have a lot of things that are half-done. That's my plan for Saturday.

- I learned the other day that my friends Frank & Teresa are expecting their first child. Very early on right now - only about 8 weeks. But they were hoping to become preganant, so it's very happy news. Only thing that makes me sad is they're moving to New York very soon as well (for the extended family support network), so I won't see them that often.

- I did the stupid thing of wearing a new white sweater on the day I'd planned to get Thai food for lunch. *sigh* That plan, needless to say, has been changed. I'd like to wear the sweater ONCE before getting it stained, at least.

- Why did I buy a white sweater, anyway? I should know better, with this boob-shelf.

- Covering reception all day tomorrow again, so I'll be having a fun day on LJ. I apologize in advance for posting spam. :)

- I think I'm developing a bit of a tolerance to my evening allergy meds. I've been waking up very sneezy lately. :( Although I am going to do a wash of the pillows this weekend in hopes that it helps a bit.

- Our cats are retarded. But this is not news.

- My coffee is broken. Need more.

Christmas Meme

Via friends on LiveJournal...


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper.

2. Real tree or artificial? Real tree. I grew up with an artificial one, so now I'm a stickler for doing the whole tree lot tradition. :)

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the second weekend of December

4. When do you take the tree down? Anywhere between Epiphany and my birthday (a five day window)

5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, the soy kind with nutmeg sprinkled on top.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? One year nearly everything I received for Christmas was on a Cabbage Patch theme - and I was in pure bliss because it was during the whole craze. I still have the dolls I received that year. :)

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Either of my parents - because they always tell me they don't want anything.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Erich, because he normally has a list that's easy to find.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't recall.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Sometime mid-December when I realize I'm now on a time crunch to get stuff mailed off.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? The huge Polish dinner spread at my grandparents' on Christmas Eve

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear (although I don't mind either... just no blinkies!)

17. Favorite Christmas song? Classical - Carol of the Bells
Modern - tossup between "Do They Know It's Christmas" and "The Closing of the Year"

18. Stay home or travel for Christmas? Stay home

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We put a Santa on the top of ours. :)

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One Christmas Eve, the rest in the morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Pushy, pissy people who scream about the "War on Christmas."

Random questions meme

via Gentle Blessing, because I'm too sleepy to do too much else right now...

1. what's your name? Melissa

2. how old are you? 32, counting down to an eleventy.

3. where are you from? are you living there right now? Montana. No, I live on the other side of the country.

4. is it cold where you are? It's not quite freezing, but it's fairly damp and cold outside - it's one of those typical rainy November days in New England.

5. what's the time? 9:36 a.m.

6. what are you wearing? Red sweater, khakis, penny loafers

7. what was the last thing you listened to? "Hung Up" by Madonna on my iPod

8. what was the last thing you ate? Bagel Bites for dinner last night

9. what was the last thing you watched on tv? The Patriots-Eagles game last night

10. what's your favourite tv show and why? Doctor Who, because it has such an odd format on TV (and well, David Tennant...)

11. quick! find a book or something with text on it! flip to a random page and read some of it! go! The only book in front of me is the style guidelines for documents here at work... it's VERY unexciting. However, if I must... "Coverage colums - set at 80%, Limits Column, set at 20%"). See? Dull.

12. what was the last movie you saw? how was it? Gone Baby Gone. It was very good, and very thought-provoking. Ben Affleck should stay behind the camera, IMHO.

13. do you think you have an accent? talk about that. I know I do (we all do), but I don't have a distinct regional one. It's a blend of Montana western "flat" with the mix of eastern Pennsylvania from my parents mixed with the conversational rhythm of New England. I interchange slang phrases, and occasionally drop R's these days. It's very confusing - I tend to stumble over my own words quite a bit.

Thursday Thirteen #30: Personal Code

One of my friends on LiveJournal asked me for some rough religious differences between Paganism and Wicca yesterday, since she, like many people, don't really understand alternative religions. In the middle of that post, I included a nutshell list of my own religious and moral convictions.

As part of the new religious year, I feel it's appropriate as my Thursday Thirteen.

Thirteen Convictions of my Faith:

1) Belief in both Goddess and God, both as individual forms and as the universal life force that binds everything together.

2) Casual adherance to the Wiccan Rede ("An' it harm none, do what you will")

3) Strict adherance to the Law of Three (Anything you do, good or bad, will return three times as strong to you.)

4) The entire world is my ritual space. I create sacred space where and when I feel the need, rather than having a set space to worship.

5) A belief that the Divine and Nature are inseparable because the Divine gives energy to Nature. Under this belief is also the need for balance - cause and effect, positive and destructive, life and death. All are on an endless loop, constantly renewing themselves, then destroying themselves, and then renewal once more. The seasons of the year are the most visible example of this.

6) A requirement to rededicate myself every year, on the anniversary of my initial initation. (Lughnasadh, Aug. 2nd).

7) A belief that the soul rests after death, and then is reincarnated to learn the things missed in the last lifetime as well as exposure to new things

8) Marking the eight Sabbats through ritual (which I haven't been good at as of late). The names I use for them (there are several, depending on trad) and dates I celebrate them are: - Samhain (Oct. 31), Yule (Dec. 21), Imbolc (Feb. 2), Ostara (Mar. 21), Beltane (May 1), Midsummer (June 23), Lughnasadh (Aug. 2), Mabon (Sept. 23)

9) No importance placed on the 26 Esbats - while I admire the cycles of the moon for their beauty, I have never felt a pull to mark them religiously.

10) A belief that mundane means should always be used before magickal means to solve a problem. Spellwork is not part of my ritual, unless I really need to focus my energy on a problem. I use it only as a last resort.

11) A belief that humans can touch and join with the Divine, albeit temporarily, through different methods - meditation, Drawing Down the Moon, and consentual sex being among them

12) A rejection of the idea of sin, both original and ongoing. Sin is something that you will pay for after death unless you repent. I do not accept long-delayed consequences to actions and feel that "sin," as taught in Christianity, tends to be a "well, we really don't like that you do this... but we'll give you a loophole to feel better about yourself later through pennance" type action. Wrongdoing brings negative consequences (again, the Law of Three) here and now. We are all responsible for our actions toward others and toward the world.

13) Strong belief that faith is fiercely individual - my beliefs are only as valid as the respect I give to the right of others to have their own beliefs. This doesn't mean I have to agree with others' beliefs, or even respect what they believe in. But I do have to respect their rights to believe in something different than myself.



Comments are welcome on this Thursday Thirteen. You are welcome to disagree & discuss.

Happy Meme

I've been tagged by a few people, so yeah... jumping on the bandwagon...

Ten things which have made me happy recently...

1. Boston sports - it doesn't get any better than this. Red Sox? Patriots? Well, okay... Boston University could have a good year in hockey. But seriously, doesn't get much better. :)

2. Erich surprising me with absolute adoration yesterday for the marking of one month of marriage. He made coffee, had flowers sent to work, and made me dinner. All with the joke of "congrats - we've succeeded longer than 95% of celebrity marriages already!" Heh. :)

3. My mom finally went through with her hysterectomy surgery that's been overdue for 15+ years, and is recovering wonderfully. She's home, and only three days out, she was able to get up and down the stairs on her own, and isn't in much pain (just feels pressure from stitches). It's a relief to me, because she really needed to have this done when I was in high school.

4. Sisterhood - between silly, getting absolutely soaked in a downpour memories built while hosting a concert reception on Friday to seeing a potential new class of Tau Beta Sigma sisters come to the Tea on Sunday? Makes this old lady sister quite proud. :)

5. It's autumn, and the leaves are now officially in full color in our area of Rhode Island. They look amazing.

6. The completely unseasonable 80 degree, low-humidity, sunny weather we've had the last few days. Absolutely phenominal.

7. Getting a kick-ass first formal review at work. :) It's wonderful to be appreciated for doing my job.

8. Waking up yesterday morning curled around Noby. Usually Noby just tries to nibble my fingers in the morning because he wants to play, but when he's snuggly, Noby really is the coziest cat to doze with. He's a little love bug.

9. One week until Halloween! :)

10. I am about 75% done with one fanfic draft, and have a rough idea of the other fic that I'll be churning out this weekend. And then I'll be caught up!

Thursday Thirteen #29: Busy Day Off

Erich and I took today off to do various errands and appointments - and we got everything accomplished and still had some time to have fun. Since I honestly have nothing exciting to talk about, that's the topic for today's T13. :)



Thirteen Things I Got Accomplished on Wednesday



1. Met with our lawyer to draft our first married wills.

2. Bought copies of our marriage certificates at City Hall.

3. Legally changed my name at the Social Security office. I now have two middle names... whee!

4. Got the furnace inspected, oil filter changed, and all set to go for this winter.

5. Cleared 7 quests in World of Warcraft.

6. Did three loads of laundry.

7. Bought 3 pumpkins for Halloween Jack o'Lantern carving.

8. Found three farms with plants, veggies, and pies in South County.

9. Bought some of the aforementioned veggies and pies.

10. Explored Ocean Road in Narrangansett.

11. Ate dinner at a clam shack in Galilee, RI that's been in business since the 1930s. (mmmm... steamers)

12. Discovered where the Block Island Ferry leaves from (Galilee... next door to the clam shack).

13. Had a very nice, relaxing shower to finish my day.




Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

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Thursday Thirteen #28: Invading Britain

Since I’m now officially a year away from the Great British Expedition of '08, I’m doing this week’s Thursday Thirteen on things I’d really like to do while I’m across the pond. I know we can’t do them all due to the distance between places. But that’s why there are additional trips in the future, right? :)

1) See Hamlet and Loves Labour Lost at the Royal Shakespeare Company. This is checked off the list. Tickets are bought and have arrived at our house, all shiny and glowing. :)

2) Go to Cardiff and take the obligatory geek shots in front of the water tower, the Millennium Centre overhang, the Torchwood door on the dock, and wherever else my geeky heart needs to do for Doctor Who and Torchwood-itis.

3) Ride the Tube. I have a weird fascination with subways and how I just sink into the crowd and into the population when I’m on a train. It’s stupid, I know – but it gives my heart a fun little flutter.

4) Do the Tower of London tour. I know… tourist-ey to hell, but SOME things just need to be done.

5) Go tour a castle outside of London. We’ll probably go to Warwick Castle, since we’ll be in Stratford-upon-Avon anyway.

6) Have a pint at a pub… and some proper British chips, too.

7) Take Erich up to Crouch End so he can do his fanboy enjoyment of Shaun of the Dead. (Shh... I promise not to be doing any Tennant scoping while we're here. Promise. Well... okay, a little).

8) Go up to Scotland – I’d love to do a tour of the hidden city in Edinburgh if it exists (the underground city that survived for decades). But honestly, I’ll just happily take going to Scotland, getting rained on… because it’s Scotland… and taking in some of the scenery.

9) Go around the Magical Roundabout.

10) Lose myself in something I would have never thought about before getting to Britain.

11) Meet one of the many Brits I’ve been in contact with via penpalling or the internet over the years. That may be for the obligatory pint in #6.

12) Meet the McNulty family that became so close to my grandfather during WWII when he was stationed there. My dad’s side of the family has essentially become extended family. This requires said trip to Scotland (and as such may be for another trip).

13) Take so many pictures and develop so many memories I’ll wear out both my camera and fill a journal of adventures!

Via Thursday Thirteen.


So... any Brits or those who have visited Great Britain - what would you recommend I do? Have any advice?

Answers to the Thursday Thirteen... :)

Still home sick today - my cough has escalated a bit, so I'm REALLY not moving much today.

Thankfully, SciFi is doing a Series One Doctor Who marathon until two. So that'll keep me occupied. Good thing - I can't go near my supermarket because right next door they're doing American Idol tryouts.

No. Really.

*sigh*

My little treat to myself (and my 'puter) came yesterday... I haven't hooked it up yet, but I seriously can't wait. And yes, it's complete, utterly dorky. But practical - my iPod won't be plugged into my 'puter via a cord near the floor anymore where the cats will think it's a dangle toy. It can safely sit on my desk.

I am a geek. A seriously sad geek.

But it lights up and makes sound and everything!!! :)



*ahem*

Anyway, here are the answers to the Thursday Thirteen. Laughing Muse? I'm very impressed. :)

1) Contact
2) Princess Bride
3) Young Frankenstein
4) Firefly/Serenity
5) Star Wars
6) Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade
7) Field of Dreams
8) Casanova
9) A Christmas Story
10) Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl
11) The Goonies
12) Ghostbusters
13) Logan’s Run

:)
- Mel.

Thursday Thirteen #27: Movie Quotes

If I don't do these lists on Wednesday night, I always forget.

For this week's Thursday Thirteen, I'll be listing thirteen quotations from some of my favorite movies. No two quotes are from the same movie.

Can you guess them? :)


1) "Dad, do you think there's people on other planets?" "I don't know, Sparks. But I guess I'd say if it is just us... seems like an awful waste of space."

2) "What? Probably some local fisherman, out for a pleasure cruise, at night... in... eel-infested waters... "

3) "Put... ze candle... *back*! "

4) "I'll be in my bunk."

5) "Uh, we had a slight weapons malfunction, but uh... everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here now, thank you. How are you?"

6) "The hell you will. He's got a two day head start on you, which is more than he needs. Brody's got friends in every town and village from here to the Sudan, he speaks a dozen languages, knows every local custom, he'll blend in, disappear, you'll never see him again. With any luck, he's got the grail already."

7) "You know we just don't recognize the most significant moments of our lives while they're happening. Back then I thought, well, there'll be other days. I didn't realize that that was the only day. "

8) "You don't have to go into detail. I'd appreciate it if you kept it clean." "That leaves about three pages."

9) "I have since heard of people under extreme duress speaking in strange tongues. I became conscious that a steady torrent of obscenities and swearing of all kinds was pouring out of me as I screamed."

10) "But why is the rum gone?"

11) "Everything. OK! I'll talk! In third grade, I cheated on my history exam. In fourth grade, I stole my uncle Max's toupee and I glued it on my face when I was Moses in my Hebrew School play. In fifth grade, I knocked my sister Edie down the stairs and I blamed it on the dog... When my mom sent me to the summer camp for fat kids and then they served lunch I got nuts and I pigged out and they kicked me out... But the worst thing I ever done - I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, t-t-then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa - and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life."

12) "Ray. If someone asks if you are a god, you say, "yes!" "

13) "There... is... no... sanctuary. "

Thursday Thirteen #26: Non-related musings

My brain has officially gone into wedding mush autopilot, so I don't really have anything witty for this week's Thursday Thirteen. But I can come up with 13 random thoughts for the week.

Measi's Brain-Fried Thursday Thirteen

1. My wedding invites are all addressed, save the four that my mom finally just emailed me fifteen minutes ago. That means I can get them addressed and out the door this weekend. Big, big check mark off the wedding "to do" list.

2. If you live in the U.S., love science fiction, and aren't watching the new series of Doctor Who that started last week - turn on the television on Friday night. Seriously. Having seen the entire series, it's fantastic. It's not the goofy sets of the 70s on PBS you may remember, as good as Tom Baker was. The last six episodes of this series are not to be missed, in my opinion. Blink, in particular, scheduled to air on September 7th, is not to be missed TV for any lover of really good, creepy TV shows, sci-fi or not.

3. Next shows on my Brit TV list - I've just started watchng Life on Mars. Brilliant writing, great acting. I garnished stares on the commuter train this morning as I broke out laughing at episode 2. I'm also starting Our Friends in the North, as a continuation of shows starring actors from Doctor Who. I've heard it's an amazing series.

4. I've now lost a total of 20 pounds due to wedding stress. Which I'm really not happy about, because I tend to double-gain back once I'm out of stress.

5. There is a distinct weather line ringing Boston at Route 128/I-95 this week. Outside of 128, it's hot and humid. But inside the ring, it's been in the low 70's, and foggy until today. It's throwing me off on my commute - hot when I leave in the morning, cold when I arrive at work.

6. I'm tired of hearing people chew loudly at their desks at work. The sound of people chewing (presumably with their mouths open) makes my stomach turn.

7. My World of Warcraft guild, the Burrito Bandits, has a new tabard - looking like a lobster bib. (a photo is over on my Flickr page). Our guild leader is insane... in a good way.

8. Speaking of burritos... I think a buffalo chicken one from Boloco is calling my name for lunch today.

9. I bought my first Moleskine notebook over the weekend for doodling and scribbling random thoughts. Because I need more notebooks.

10. I'm tired of my work wardrobe. It's bleh and boring and getting sloppy. But I hate the plus-sized clothes for summer, and can't justify a spending spree. Until after the wedding, I'm just going to endure it.

11. New official count on Hoodsie's toes - 7 on each front paw, 6 on one back paw, 7 on the other back paw. Boy's got a lotta extra claws. And my legs have paid the price as he play-pounces.

12. Holy shit I'm getting married in 9 weeks.

13. I really, truly need about a month-long vacation.

AFI's Top 100 Movies

So... out of AFI's top 100 movies of all time, the ones in bold are the ones I've seen...

1. "Citizen Kane," 1941.
2. "The Godfather," 1972.
3. "Casablanca," 1942.
4. "Raging Bull," 1980.
5. "Singin' in the Rain," 1952.
6. "Gone With the Wind," 1939.
7. "Lawrence of Arabia," 1962.
8. "Schindler's List," 1993.
9. "Vertigo," 1958.
10. "The Wizard of Oz," 1939.
11. "City Lights," 1931.
12. "The Searchers," 1956.
13. "Star Wars," 1977.
14. "Psycho," 1960.
15. "2001: A Space Odyssey," 1968.
16. "Sunset Blvd.", 1950.
17. "The Graduate," 1967.
18. "The General," 1927.
19. "On the Waterfront," 1954.
20. "It's a Wonderful Life," 1946.
21. "Chinatown," 1974.
22. "Some Like It Hot," 1959.
23. "The Grapes of Wrath," 1940.
24. "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," 1982.
25. "To Kill a Mockingbird," 1962.
26. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," 1939.
27. "High Noon," 1952.
28. "All About Eve," 1950.
29. "Double Indemnity," 1944.
30. "Apocalypse Now," 1979.
31. "The Maltese Falcon," 1941.
32. "The Godfather Part II," 1974.
33. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," 1975.
34. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," 1937.
35. "Annie Hall," 1977.
36. "The Bridge on the River Kwai," 1957.
37. "The Best Years of Our Lives," 1946.
38. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," 1948.
39. "Dr. Strangelove," 1964.
40. "The Sound of Music," 1965.
41. "King Kong," 1933.
42. "Bonnie and Clyde," 1967.
43. "Midnight Cowboy," 1969.
44. "The Philadelphia Story," 1940.
45. "Shane," 1953.
46. "It Happened One Night," 1934.
47. "A Streetcar Named Desire," 1951.
48. "Rear Window," 1954.
49. "Intolerance," 1916.
50. "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," 2001.
51. "West Side Story," 1961.
52. "Taxi Driver," 1976.
53. "The Deer Hunter," 1978.
54. "M-A-S-H," 1970.
55. "North by Northwest," 1959.
56. "Jaws," 1975.
57. "Rocky," 1976.
58. "The Gold Rush," 1925.
59. "Nashville," 1975.
60. "Duck Soup," 1933.
61. "Sullivan's Travels," 1941.
62. "American Graffiti," 1973.
63. "Cabaret," 1972.
64. "Network," 1976.
65. "The African Queen," 1951.
66. "Raiders of the Lost Ark," 1981.
67. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", 1966.
68. "Unforgiven," 1992.
69. "Tootsie," 1982.
70. "A Clockwork Orange," 1971.
71. "Saving Private Ryan," 1998.
72. "The Shawshank Redemption," 1994.
73. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," 1969.
74. "The Silence of the Lambs," 1991.
75. "In the Heat of the Night," 1967.
76. "Forrest Gump," 1994.
77. "All the President's Men," 1976.
78. "Modern Times," 1936.
79. "The Wild Bunch," 1969.
80. "The Apartment, 1960.
81. "Spartacus," 1960.
82. "Sunrise," 1927.
83. "Titanic," 1997.
84. "Easy Rider," 1969.
85. "A Night at the Opera," 1935.
86. "Platoon," 1986.
87. "12 Angry Men," 1957.
88. "Bringing Up Baby," 1938.
89. "The Sixth Sense," 1999.
90. "Swing Time," 1936.
91. "Sophie's Choice," 1982.
92. "Goodfellas," 1990.
93. "The French Connection," 1971.
94. "Pulp Fiction," 1994.
95. "The Last Picture Show," 1971.
96. "Do the Right Thing," 1989.
97. "Blade Runner," 1982.
98. "Yankee Doodle Dandy," 1942.
99. "Toy Story," 1995.
100. "Ben-Hur," 1959.

Thursday Thirteen #25 - Being Productive

It's been a very busy week. I'm so ready for the weekend so I can catch up on some sleep.

For this week's Thursday Thirteen, my list of accomplishments for the week (both good and bad). Most of them are wedding-related.

1) I found a wedding photographer! We've chatted briefly through email, and will hopefully talk over the phone within the next couple days... both of us are just having those "gah, can't talk now" weeks. But yes... photographer is now getting setled.

2) All of my bridesmaids have been contacted and have info to go dress shopping and such.

3) Erich and I picked out our invitations. We still need to decide on the wording - but they'll be ordered this week.

4) I had a LONG talk with my mom about the emotional b.s. that erupted two weeks ago. I still don't feel that she gets my point of view at all, but supposedly she's put out the fires down there. To a point. We'll see. BUT, at least two things were settled, in my opinion-

4a) Erich and I are handling the Unrehearsal Dinner, so she can stop obsessing over it (we're having a BBQ at our house... housewarming for the relatives & relaxed afternoon in one).
4b) My relatives are accepting, in their own levels of acceptance, that we are not catering to their whims with our wedding vows. They can accept a Justice of the Peace ceremony, or they won't. The alternative is for us to NOT compromise out of respect for their religion, and go back to a handfasting. But that's what it is. Full stop.

5) I made my first dress fitting appointment.

6) I contacted vendors for my hair/spa day, flowers, and cakes. All still unresolved but in the works.

And for the non-wedding ones...

7) I wrote 1,500 words on my fanfic for a challenge due July 1st. The minimum wordcount is 1,000 words. That was never a problem. I'm probably about 1/2 done with the first draft. I hope to have it done within the next three days, give it a once-over myself for editing/reworking, and then send it to my beta editors.

8) I figured out what the weird triffyd plant is in our yard that has grown about 15 feet in two years (no. Really. - 2005 - 2006) It's called a Northern Catalpa. I finally was able to figure out what it was once it started flowering this week. Between the flowers and the leaves as big as a human head, I was able to narrow it down pretty quickly yesterday.

9) I've somehow managed to lose 10 pounds, entirely through stress and non-eating over the wedding. It's just enough to make my pants feel like they're going to fall down.

10) I covered an entire day at front reception at work without needing a single cup of coffee.

11) I stupidly got in the middle of a cats-figuring-out-the-pecking-order fight last night between Colley and Hoodsie, and managed to land a pretty nasty set of scratch/bruise marks when Hoodsie latched onto my leg in defensiveness. It looks nasty, but doesn't hurt.

12) I bought a new battery for my iBook, so I can start writing during my commutes.

13) I levelled my character in World of Warcraft.

Productive week. Very productive week.

- Mel.

My visual DNA

My workmate sent me a meme that I thought was kinda fun... thought I'd share. :)

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Thursday Thirteen #24 - Yard Stuff

This year, Erich and I have been focusing a bit on the condition of our property. The former owners, due to age and other priorities, didn't do a lot with the yard. Bushes are overgrown, trees need to be hacked back a bit, the grass needs some TLC.

For this Thursday Thirteen, here are plants that I hope to eventually have in our yard, to make things all pretty:

1) Two Japanese Maples - one red leaf, one green leaf, preferably with different textured leaves. They're so delicate and add such a lovely texture to yards, and I love looking up through the leaves of Japanese Maples toward the sky.

2) Magnolia/Tulip Tree - I've heard these called by either name. I'm not sure which is technically correct. But they are absolutely gorgeous when they bloom - almost unreal. Here's a fantastic example: here. I was first introduced to these when I moved to Boston - they line Commonwealth Avenue, and are my favorite part of spring.

3) Wisteria - we have a couple of spots where we could put a lattice arch, and I'd love to train wisteria to coil up and around it. It's such a lovely old-style plant, and when it blooms the scent is fantastic. Dream example link: here.

4) Bleeding Hearts - I grew up with a couple of these beauties in our back yard. One was pure white, the other pink and white. I'd prefer the latter. But I have a great front bed that needs some medium sized, low-maintenance plants. Example: here

5) Oakleaf Hydrangea - I already have two Nikko Blue hydrangeas in my yard (which bloom a lilac color due to my soil acidity). But depending on what we do about the ugly maples along the side of our property that need to be removed... we'll either replace with some trees, or I'd like to plant some of these. They get huge, would provide some great privacy, and look striking even after the flowers fade. I don't think these come in anything but white. Or at least, I've never seen anything but white: Example: here.

6) Flowering Cherry Tree - Another tree I was introduced to when I moved to New England. I particularly like the "Kwanza" style, which has huge mops of flowers hanging below the tree branch. When they're in full bloom, the tree just looks like it's overloaded with flowers. Example: here

7) Azaleas - I lean toward the pink, since it seems most people in my area have the purple ones. But I think an azalea bush would be a nice addition to the front bed that needs planting, too. It would look great against the white clapboards.

8) Daylilies - that aren't the wild tiger-striped ones I currently have taking over my yard. And I'd like some that actually... flower... from time to time. I know there are tons of styles. I'd pick colors and such depending on what else I have flowering over the summer.

9) Traditional spring early bulbs - crocus, daffodils, tulips... I don't have any in my yard. Something to signify the beginning of spring may need to go into the yard. I may even naturalize them into the lawn itself. I've seen a lot of people do that, and it looks great. By the time the lawn needs to be mowed, those flowers (well... maybe not the tulips) are basically done flowering. So you just mow the leftovers, and they come back the next year.

10) Ferns - Again, this depends on what we do with the trees that need to be removed. But if we plant new trees, I'll add ferns under them for groundcover (and to help keep the soil even more damp). We have a small hill by the treeline that the grass doesn't grow on. Ferns will cover up the weird tree root paths and just soften it.

11) Impatiens (yearly) - Lots of little shady nooks in our yard. Impatiens would just look fantastic making the shadows pop with color

12) Raspberries - Erich and I both grew up with raspberry bushes in our backyards. There's nothing quite like just roaming into the yard, plucking berries off of sun-warmed vines, and popping them. And yes, I know you need to watch raspberry bushes like a hawk because they spread like crazy. But I know the perfect spot for them. :)

13) Blueberries - I'd argue that this is probably Erich's favorite food, aside from Swedish meatballs. They never seem to last when you buy them at the store. Having them available for raspberry-like popping would be a great alternative for me. :)

Now of course, this isn't everything that I'd love to have in my yard. Two of my favorites, lilacs and forsythia, aren't included because I already have strong plants in my yard that bloom wonderfully (and are already large and well-established).

Thursday Thirteen #23 - Movies

Tomorrow night, the Mendon Drive-In opens for the season. We won't be going this week (as it's too friggin cold), but both Erich and I are excited about the new season. There are lots of good movies to see under the stars this season. :)

So this week's T13 will be the movies I want to see this year.

I also have a favor to ask the T13'ers out there-- next week, I'd like to do a T13 of random questions... so pose one to me! Can I get 13 questions to make next week's meme a bit more interesting? Anything at all... ask me. :)

Thirteen Movies I want to see in 2007 1. 28 Weeks Later - I'm sure I'll spend half of the movie hiding my head as I did with the original, but I do like getting scared. And I know it's a movie Erich really wants to see, too. 2. Spider-Man 3 - I didn't enjoy Spidy 2 as much as the first one... but I'm a sucker for sequels. 3. Shrek the Third - ditto on comments for Spidey. But really... it's all about Puss 'n Boots. :) 4. Pirates of the Carribbean - At World's End - Saw the first trailer for this on Tuesday night with Grindhouse, and I'm a bit worried about it honestly. I think that it was smart to open this earlier in the season, particularly with the behemoth in July. 5. Ratatouille - it's a Pixar film. And so far, I've enjoyed everything they've done. So yeah... bring on the beautiful animated work. :) 6. Transformers - I confess... I didn't like them as a kid. Why? Because I was a girl. Oh, and my brother liked them. Which means I couldn't. But now I can because it's part of my childhood (and my brother's over 2,000 miles away) 7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - if we want to see this at the drive-in, I imagine we're going on a Tuesday night. Otherwise, we won't be able to get a car spot until late August (if Pirates last year was any indication...) 8. 1408 I love John Cusack. I admit I probably won't be able to stomach this one... but it looks so creepy... 9. Hairspray I really don't know why. I honestly don't. It's probably the idea of John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer (where the HELL has she been?!?) and Christopher Walken in a musical together... 10. The Borune Ultimatum Matt Damon. Yum. 11. Resident Evil: Extinction Won't be seeing this for a couple of weeks post-release... but we'll see it. 12. The Dark is Rising I loved reading this as a child. It's listed for a 2007 release... but I'm not sure that's actually going to happen. It would be a very fast turn-around, considering it's filming right now. 13. eh... I can't think of a 13th... *blush* Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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Thursday Thirteen #22 - Books

Erich and I are both huge bookworms-- our house is stacked with them. Here's a list of 13 I have on my must-read list (sometime hopefully in the near future), in no particular order...

Thirteen Books on My List to Read 1. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War - by Max Brooks 2. Suite Française - Irene Nemirovsky 3. Labryinth - Kate Mosse 4. Harry Potter 7 :) 5. The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards 6. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho 7. Smilla's Sense of Snow - Peter Høeg 8. The entire Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (series) - Douglas Adams 9. The Story of O – Pauline Réage 10. Animal Farm – George Orwell 11. A Passage to India – E.M. Forster 12. The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver 13. The Satanic Verses – Salman Rushdie Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Thursday Thirteen: TV Show Addictions

The new series of Doctor Who is starting this weekend over in the U.K., and I've been jealously drooling over all of the little snippets of promotion that I can find between fandom sites.

The full trailer posted today on YouTube just made my little geek!girl heart go aflutter.

Damn being in the U.S. *sigh*

In any case, in celebration of my geekitude, here's my list of must-not-miss TV shows (both new and old), both geek-related and not.

Thirteen Much Loved TV Shows 1. X-Files: I started watching the X-Files during its 2nd season (but quickly caught up on all of the back episodes through the alt.tv.x-files group and lots of VHS tape trading). My father introduced me to the show while I was home on Christmas break. If I recall, the first episodes I saw were Scully's abduction episodes (which equalled instant addition... seriously... so good). I watched the series religiously all the way to the end of the run. Friends knew that they were not to call me during that hour. For the series finale, I even disconnected my phone to keep from being interrupted. :) I was so heavily into the show that I actually overloaded myself-- but lately I've been wanting to start watching some of my favorite episodes again. I have to wonder how my VHS tapes (all... god, 100+ of them? 2 eps per tape, 24 or 25 eps per season, 9 seasons)have survived. 2. Star Trek: The Next Generation: My first real geek fandom. This came onto the TV the year my parents separated, and it honestly was my weekly escape from all of the family drama that was unfolding. I never really connected with the original series. I enjoyed DS9, but it wound up conflicting with my class schedule in college (so I fell out of watching it). I never was interested in Voyager or Enterprise, either. I'm a TNG Trekker. And still watch it occasionally on G4 now that they've cleaned up some of the episodes. But oh, how poorly they've aged... :) 3. Doctor Who: One of the two current addictions, and definitely the more "she's crazy" addiction. Erich has watched the new series since it first aired in the States last summer. I casually watched it with him on occasion, but didn't get hooked until I saw the last episode (Doomsday) of the second season shortly before this past Christmas. And, both to my glee and annoyance, it was a full onset of geekdom addiction that I hadn't experienced since the X-Files went off the air (I guess I was in need of something to preoccupy my time). It's not that I didn't know about Who before the new series, either-- it's been around since 1963. Even during its hiatus during the 1990s, I remember seeing Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann in all of the sci-fi fandom mags that I'd pick up (for TNG and XF info). And during my childhood, I recall seeing a few of the original series episodes on PBS. I'll partially blame the addiction on David Tennant and Christopher Eccleston, though. *swoon* But now I'm trying to find and catch up on any of the original series episodes that I can for backstory... I'm currently working through the batch of 1970's Who on my iPod. And I'm really excited for the next season - which starts Saturday in the U.K., but won't be on here until the summer. Arrrrgh! 4. Heroes: The other current addiction. I'm amazed at how well this show is written and produced. I love how all of the character storylines intersect and are interwoven. There are a few storylines that bore me a bit, but that happens with any show. Having Christopher Eccleston show up here was wonderful (and brought the quality up another notch, I think). It's arguably the best show on network TV right now- and allows the masses to enjoy geekdom comfortably. 5. Firefly: This is mostly Erich's addiction, but I've enjoyed the ride along with him. Great writing, interesting characters -- but sadly it was broadcast on FOX, which means it (like so many shows that don't have "when ____ attack" in the title) was doomed to be axed before its time. It didn't help that it was broadcast completely out of order, either, nor that it was a pretty specific tuned-to-geekdom show. FOX screwed up. Somehow a movie (Serenity) was made through outcry of the fans, and it spurred a mini cult phenomenon. 6. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: I was among the many who gaped when they saw that a TV show of that god-awful movie from the early 90s was being made. I mean, seriously-- WHY?!? But then one of my friends commented that it was surprisingly really good. And then another one did. And I, being the X-Phile extraordinare, laughed at them. And then they sat me down and forced me to watch it. And yeah... okay. It was very good. Completely cheesy at times. But very, very good. And I'm enjoying the 8th season, being "broadcast" through comics. :) 7. Red Dwarf: I watched this starting in junior high with my boyfriend at the time. It was on PBS pretty late at night, if I recall, as part of a British TV block (which also featured the Young Ones and Doctor Who). It was very silly, but between the geekiness, the jokes, and it being British (which was so underground in Montana), it became a little cult following. And Erich's a Red Dwarf fan as well... so I've now caught up on any episode I missed through his collection. :) 8. The Cosby Show: Did anyone who grew up in the 80s not watch this? It was one of the few shows my family watched together. We laughed with the Huxtables. We talked about some of the topics that came up that actually were good topics to think about. And I found a little thrill in watching the TV kids who grew up with a dad who was an OB/GYN... because I could relate very closely to that. On the occasions since my childhood thatI've heard Ray Charles' "Night Time Is the Right Time," it immediately makes me think of the family lip-sync serenade. :) 9. Moonlighting: This was our mother-daughter bonding show. My mom and I watched it together every week. Would David and Maddie finally get together? How many fights can one couple have- that made anyone watching them just laugh. Alas, when they did finally get together, that spark that made the show so much fun to watch seemed to wane off. *sigh* 10. Law & Order: While probably not a die-hard addiction (and I actually don't watch the current run), I love watching the reruns of this show. And I have absolutely no idea why-- it must just be the thrill of a crime mystery. I can't get into Criminal Intent, but I also enjoy Special Victims Unit reruns. 11. Project Runway: I'm not into fashion. I definitely don't have a body type that fashion designers embrace in any way, shape or form. Yet somehow, I'm just addicted to this show every year. I think it's simply watching how creativity works in other people- dealing with time constraints, coming up with ideas, and watching people dive into the profession they love. And Tim Gunn is love, of course. This is, by the way, the only competitive Reality TV show I watch. 12. The Mole: Celebrity Edition: Erich and I watched this religiously while it was on. I think it was mostly to watch Corbin Bensen and Stephen Baldwin act like idiots. But it was very funny. And oddly engrossing. Erich was far better than me at figuring out who was the Mole, though. 13. MXC: Another Erich & Mel TV show time. It's waned a bit lately, but we used to watch the what... four hours of it on Thursday nights on Spike? Japanese competitive TV is insane. Who comes up with this stuff? It's painful to watch and utterly stupid-- but it just keeps. pulling. you. in. Next stop: Ninja Warrior (which is insane, too). Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Thursday Thirteen: Kicking Procrastination

It's spring, which means I'm in the mood to get some stuff done around the house to make myself - at least temporarily - feel like I'm more in control of my life than I actually am.

So over the next month, I have thirteen things that I want to get done-- and can accomplish easily (as long as I don't procrastinate too long).

They make up this week's Thursday Thirteen... a day late.

Thirteen Things on my Spring To-Do List 1. Finish all straggling laundry and put it all away where it's supposed to go. 2. Complete three chapters of my fanfic story (all outlined & drafted... just needs a bit of fleshing out and edits). 3. Complete my Floral RR piece (this weekend). 4. Complete my UFO RR piece (by April 9th). 5. Book DJ for wedding. 6. Contact all people we want to be in our wedding party. 7. File taxes 8. Reclaim kitchen cabinets from their disaster look and get everything put away. 9. Get Colley groomed. 10. Make appointment for bra fitting for wedding dress. 11. Organize office. 12. Go through clothes - donate & toss out what needs to leave 13. Back-up webpages & computer files. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Stitching Blog Questions - Catchup

Why yes... I *am* still stitching these days. 100% of it has been on round robin pieces. My own projects haven't been touched since October or so. I'm really not happy about that, but I made committments to these RRs, and until they're finished in the next couple of months... I'll just have to deal.

Anyway, I haven't answered SBQ's since early December, so it's time to catch up. :)

12/14/06 - Do you have any good internet links to tutorials for your favorite finishing techniques that you would like to share?

I rely on asking folks on the various stitching message boards about their experiences and recommendations. Those "in the know" tend to be better at expanding on explanations on how to do things, including those little tricky points that you're better off knowing before you start (that tutorials sometimes forget to mention).

1/10/07 - Do you dream of running your own LNS/ONS? If so, tell us about your dream. If not, tell us about your cross stitch dream… maybe you dream of designing, dyeing your own floss or fabric, etc.

Note for non-stitchers... LNS = Local Needlework Shop. ONS = Online Needlework Shop

I've had the fleeting dream of owning my own stitching shop. But I'd make a horrible store owner/manager, so reality squashes that idea very quickly in my mind.

I do have some ideas for creating patterns... and I think I could be very good at that, actually. It's simply a time issue. I don't have it, and if I were to create a pattern, I'd like it to be good.

1/17/07 - Have you had a happy dance yet this year? If so, tell us about it! (Or just point to the entry that talks about it.) If not, when do you predict it will be?

As of this past Sunday... yes! For the Floral RR, I completed my flower. It's a portion of a lovely cat-with-flower pattern, and was fun to stitch. I've taken a picture of it... should have it up this weekend.

I can't make an estimate for a finish in my own pieces yet, sadly. Everything's contingent on wedding planning.

1/24/07 - What company produces your favorite hand-dyed fabric? Are there any companies whose hand-dyed fabric you do not like? If so, why?

Silkweaver so far is my favorite. I was on their fabric of the month list for a while... and will join up again after the wedding. I love the variety.

I've also received fabrics from a company called Dyed-4-U that had a montly fabric pull for a while. I think they've gone on-hold or out of business, though. I liked their fabrics, but they didn't have quite the range that Silkweaver did for colors.

I've yet to buy from Sugar Maple Fabrics. Again-- will do once I get past the wedding and can justify expenses. :)

I haven't found a company I don't like, though.

2/7/07 - Have you ever been to a stitching retreat?

No, but I really want to! The Hershey retreat is the closest to me that I know of, and is probably the most likely candidate for me to attend.

2/14/07 - Do you like to buy "chartpacks" that include charms, buttons, and/or beads or do you prefer to gather all materials yourself?

If it's a pattern that comes with weirdly shaped buttons or charms, I do prefer chart packs. One of my local LNS's, Hoops and Needles does great little chart packs with the pattern and buttons. Things that only need basic beads (Mill Hill, for example), I really could care less either way. I'd buy it for the convenience, I suppose. When it comes to charts vs. kits with fabric & threads, though, I'd prefer to buy on my own so I can make sure I get the better quality fabric & thread.

2/21/07 - What is the smallest count fabric you have ever used? Did you stitch over one? Conversely, what is the largest count fabric you have ever used?

The smallest count fabric is one of my current projects-- I'm stitching on 32 count. It does have some over-one (which is why I asked for, and received, an Ott Crafting light w/magnifier for Christmas). I have a couple pieces of 36 count fabric in my stash, but I don't have projects lined up for them yet.

The largest count I can recall using is 14 count. I don't think I've ever done anything on anything bigger. I learned on 14 count Aida when I was 10, so *shrug*.

for my non-stitching readers... fabric count = stitching squares per inch. 32 count fabric = 32 squares per inch. "Larger" counts are actually smaller numbers because each individual square is larger. Also-- a stitch on 14 count fabric is nearly identical to a stitch on 28 count fabric. On 14 count, you stitch within one square. On 28, you stitch over two.

Thursday Thirteen: Making the Most of a Long Weekend

I'm psyched about having a three-day weekend. Unlike a lot of folks, I didn't have MLK day off, so it's the first long one of the year... and I definitely want to make the most of it, both with fun and catching up on things.

So here's my plan for the weekend. Whether or not I get to it all remains to be seen, of course.

Thirteen Things I Want To Do President's Day Weekend 1. Going out for Michelle's birthday on Saturday night-- Indian food followed by drinking. Rock. 2. Go out for Valentine's Day, as weather and schedules destroyed last night. 3. Catch up on all laundry. 4. Write two chapters in my ongoing fanfic. 5. Update my mailing list for wedding invites. Start addressing envelopes if the invites show up. 6. Complete my stitching for the flower RR piece and get it mailed. 7. Work on the UFO RR stitching piece to make sure it's out on time by the 26th. 8. Finish watching the 1st season of Torchwood. 9. Update my wedding webpage. 10. Clean up our bedroom 11. Catch up on sleep 12. Catch up on petting cats 13. Give myself a good dose of Reiki, as I'm feeling rather drained this week. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Song answers

I drafted this on Sunday, but forgot to post... whoops.

Answers to this week's Thursday Thirteen...

1) Love My Way - Psychedelic Furs
Soundtrack: Wedding Singer (isn't just about everything from the '80s in this movie soundtrack, though? *grin*)

2) Ask the Lonely - Journey
Soundtrack: Two of a Kind (guilty pleasure movie with Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta.. complete and utter flop and a stupid movie, but a decent soundtrack).

3) Everywhere - Fleetwood Mac
(I don't think this is in a movie... but it could be... somewhere)

4) Turning Japanese - The Vapors

5) In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
Soundtrack: Say Anything (a movie I have never seen, oddly)

6) When the Going Gets Tough... - Billy Ocean
Soundtrack: Romancing the Stone or its sequel, I can't remember. I have no idea why I even have this song on my iPod because I don't really like it all that much...

7) Final Countdown - Europe

8) The Promise - When in Rome
Soundtrack: Apparently in Napoleon Dynamite, which I really have no desire to see...

9) Jack & Diane - John (then Cougar) Mellancamp

10) Fireworks -Siouxsie and the Banshees

11) I Feel For You - Chaka Khan

12) When Doves Cry - Prince
Soundtrack: The same as all of the other Prince songs that are in a soundtrack. ;P Will he play it this Sunday on stage?

13) Makign Love out of Nothing at All - Air Supply
I'm such a Russell Hitchcock sap. I really am. Have been since I was 11.

Thursday Thirteen: iPodding, redux

It's time to play iPod shuffle again. :) All of these songs are from the 1980s. Extra points to those who know both song and artist. (you'll get a virtual cookie). And even more points if you know a movie that the song was in (not all are from movies, however).

Answers will be posted Sunday.

Thirteen Songs from my iPod 1. They'd dearly make us pay / For laughing in their faces / And making it our way 2. You've got some fascination / With you high expectations / This love is your obsession / Your heart, your past possession 3. Something's happening / Happening to me / My friends say I'm acting peculiarly 4. I've got your picture, I've got your picture / I'd like a million of them all round my cell / I want the doctor to take a picture / So I can look at you from inside as well 5. I get so tired of working so hard for our survival / I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive 6. I'm gonna get myself 'cross the river / That's the price I'm willing to pay / I'm gonna make you stand and deliver / And give me love in the old-fashion way 7. With so many light years to go and things to be found / I'm sure that well all miss her so. 8. When your day is through / and so is your temper / You know what to do / I'm gonna always be there. 9. Gonna let it rock / Let it roll / Let the Bible belt come down / And save my soul 10. The body is wrapped is shadow / The face is built of cinders / And painc tears through your silhouette / As you're squeezed by burning fingers 11. I wouldn't lie to you, baby / It's mainly a physical thing / This feeling that I got for you, baby / Makes me wanna sing 12. Dream if you can a courtyard / An ocean of violets in bloom 13. And I know the night is fading / And I know that times gonna fly / And I'm never gonna tell you everything I've got to tell you / But I know I've got to give it a try. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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The birthday bandwagon

Found via Mary...

Your Birthdate: January 11

Spiritual and thoughtful, you tend to take a step back from the world. You're very sensitive to what's going on around you, yet you remain calm. Although you are brilliant, it may take you a while to find your niche. Your creativity is supreme, but it sometimes makes it hard for you to get things done. Your strength: Your inner peace Your weakness: You get stuck in the clouds Your power color: Emerald Your power symbol: Leaf Your power month: November

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

When the hell did this happen?

I do? But... but... I know where my r's go...

It's still a pop machine. (okay... I'm now getting a soda out of a pop machine, but that doesn't count).

They're not jimmies. They're sprinkles.

It's not a frappe. It's a milkshake.

But.... but...

*thud*


OH GOD... I'VE BECOME A LOCAL..... *hides*

What American accent do you have? Your Result: Boston   You definitely have a Boston accent, even if you think you don't. Of course, that doesn't mean you are from the Boston area, you may also be from New Hampshire or Maine.
The Northeast
The Midland
Philadelphia
The West