Scalzi’s Monday Photo Shoot: Show something you’re thankful for this year. It doesn’t have to be the thing you’re most thankful for; even the little things count. But of course, picture whatever you’d like.

I’ve been extremely busy with projects, packing for the new house while being horrible sick with pneumonia so I have slacked on the assignments of late. However due to the importance of this one, I figured I’d make the time to participate.

Ultimately, while there are a lot of things I’m thankful for, (i.e. my luck in being a mom x3, my job, and my creature comforts) there is one thing that stands out in my book this year. 

I’m thankful that my father is still around. It’s been a particularly awful year medically and there were a few times back in June/July that I thought I’d be spending the holidays without him. He’s a recovering alcoholic and while his body still seems to betray him for all the abuse throughout the years, he’s now stronger than ever.

Like it was yesterday, I remember the 3 a.m. call from the hospital telling me that during a routine blood clot surgery, he’d most likely had a heart attack and was on life support. Two days later, he was awake, off the breathing tube and confused from the medically sustained coma, but the whirlwind continued as we hurridly prepared for open heart surgery to repair the damage from the attack.

I had so much trouble saying goodbye before his major surgery. Saying “I love you” to someone and knowing that there is a very real possibility that it may be the last time they hear it, stuns you to the very core. I drove home from the hospital that night numb from the overly emotional impact of that moment. It’s not something that I will ever forget. When faced with your own or a loved one’s mortality like that, it tends to leave a lasting impact.

Nearly four months later, he’s doing wonderfully well. He’s quit smoking, we’ve reduced his medicines by almost 70 percent and he’s as excited to spend the holidays with me and his grand kids as we are with him.

Scalzi’s Weekend Assignment #189: Amuse me, damn it!
Yeah, that’s right. You amuse me for a change. Tell me a joke. Tell me a story. Show me a funny picture. point to a good online video game. Suggest a good book or movie. Link me to a diverting YouTube or AOL Video, like those soda/Mentos fountain things (but not that, I’ve already seen those). Anything, people, just as long as it’s amusing. You know, something you think I would like. Like what, you say? Well, you know. Surprise me.Extra credit: Share your favorite pun. I love me a good pun.

Here are mine!

The first one is SuperPacMarioMan! Play at your own risk!

The second (and strangely linked with the video above): PACPUMPKINS!
Although I know you’ll be in France during Halloween, this is something that Krissy and Athena can do (provided they’re not going with you)!

My favorite pun:

To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

Ha!

Scalzi’s Weekend Assignment #187: Share a story about when you were once memorably late to something. Late to a big event? To a date? To a wedding? Your wedding? If you were late, and it made for a good story, that’s what we want to hear.

Extra Credit: How many times do you have to hit the alarm clock before you get up in the morning?

When I was in high school, I was volunteered for a babysitting job during a wedding. I was given very poor directions when handy programs like Mapquest weren’t available. Coupled with my uncanny ability to get lost inside of a paper bag, I drove my Volkswagon Jetta through the streets of Manchester, CT only to be almost an hour late to the ceremony.

The bride and groom were very forgiving and I was driven to their house by a cautious mother-in-law who was afraid I’d get lost again. After cleaning their kitchen(I have this horrible habit of cleaning people’s houses when I’m babysitting or house sitting), feeding the little one and settling in for the night, I had just turned on FOX to catch the X-Files when I saw headlights pull into the driveway.

Shouting erupted as the voices neared the door. I got very nervous as I saw the door handle turn and got the phone in case I needed to be rescued by the authorities.

In through the door came the groom, hair mussed and tuxedo completely destroyed, nursing a black eye with an ice pack.

“If your father didn’t drink so much, this would have never happened!” Screamed the bride, with dark red blood droplets splattered over the front of her dress.

“If your mother wasn’t such a controlling b****h, we’d still be having fun right about now.”

They both looked at me while I stood in the foyer with the phone covering my surprised expression.

They bade me to leave and thanked me for my time. I only found out afterwards that while I was driving around and lost, there was some debate as to which side the bride’s family should sit at the church. It was settled at the last minute in the best interest of the couple who was about to begin their lives together. However, after a few drinks at the reception; the father of the groom started arguing with the father of the bride.

When the mother of the bride stepped in, the obviously inebriated man took a swing, hit and subsequently broke the nose of the bride’s father (who just happened to be standing next to the woman in white) and sprayed blood all over her dress. The groom jumped in along with all the ushers and best man, tackling his own dad.

Police were called, and everyone was subsequently kicked out of the reception hall, and if I remember correctly, the drunk dad was arrested and charged with assault.

It was one of the more memorable nights of my teenage life and to this day I can’t say whether my being late caused a chain reaction of high emotions, or if the marriage was doomed from the beginning.

Personally, while sad that the couple couldn’t enjoy their marital bliss without drama, I hope they kept it together for the sake of that beautiful baby. It’d be interesting to see if the photographer got any pictures of the brawl.

Extra Credit: I can usually wake myself up on time, but I still set an alarm. I’m highly annoyed at myself the night before a big event to which I have to be at early, as I usually can’t sleep. In the odd occasions when the sandman wins, I dream about being late.

Oh dreadful head.

Scalzi’s Photo Shoot: Take a picture of something nice/fun/interesting that you recently bought for yourself.

That means something you bought because you said to yourself “hey, that would be nice to have,” as opposed to, say “hey, this is something I have to get.” So, for example, that package of tube socks that you just bought would not qualify for photo shoot — but a pair of multicolored knee-high socks with kittens on them would. It’s all about the delivery, you see.

Here we are: It’s my new monitor. *does a snoopy dance*

It’s the HP 20″ 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor and it’s an amazing improvement over the Xerox monitor I’ve had for about 6 years now. The Xerox has been given to my kids, and they can play on non-crt goodness. I can’t explain what a difference it is to view something in widescreen hightechery. It makes playing video games like CounterStrike, Quake Wars, and TF2 look so much better. I have the  ATI x1900 video card, and while the old monitor was nice, this new display really packs the punch and really lets the vid card shine. It’s also got two USB ports on the side of the monitor, which is nice for a usb hdd, or to plug in your camera to upload pictures.

I was originally going to go with a Viewsonic or LG, but this was more monitor for less price with a mail in rebate. It came perfect out of the box, with no dead pixels. So, I am very impressed!

Scalzi’s Weekend Assignment #184: What books do you want to read - but haven’t yet? These could be new books, classic books you’ve just not gotten around to, books you’ve bought but haven’t cracked the spines of, or a book you want to get but for some reason haven’t. The salient characteristic is that you want to read it, but just haven’t yet.Extra credit: Do you usually prefer the book or the movie?

Here is my list! About a year and a half ago, I was re-introduced into the sci-fi genre, so I’m trying to catch up. (i.e. all the old Heinlein stories, Anne McCaffrey, Stirling, Drake and Weber.) I’m currently reading John Ringo - “A Hymn Before Battle” which is quite exciting so far.

As far as what I will grab next, it’ll probably be to finish all of the Robert A. Heinlein books I currently have. I have read “Starship Troopers”, “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”, “Red Planet”, “Time for the Stars”, “Doublestar”, “The PuppetMasters”, “The Door into Summer”, and  ”Citizen of the Galaxy.” I do know a lot of the histories and plots behind his other works due to heavy research on the man, like “Friday”, “Time Enough for Love”, “The Man Who Sold the Moon”…etc… but I haven’t had time to sit down and digest them yet.

However, if there is an author that I particularly like, I will drop the list and let them cut the TBR line, like I did with “Harry Potter” and the John Scalzi books. Also, if Pete pesters me to read something, I’ll grab it as well. Right now, I’m really looking forward to Patrick Rothfuss’ novel “The Name of the Wind” (not shown). Pete has said (click on that link to read his review) that its probably the best fantasy he’s read since Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” Series. Wow.

I do have the Now Reading List on my blog, which is kind of an incentive to get my reading done as well.

As far as books over movies? I’m always disappointed when a movie doesn’t turn out to be like the book, or the casting is just completely wrong as to how you saw them in your head, but there are some winners out there. I would agree that the LoTR trilogy was amazing on film, and the “Harry Potter” movies aren’t that bad either. “Starship Troopers” on the other hand — /cry.

I am always curious to see what Hollywood will do with a movie, but not necessarily always thrilled with the results.
 

Scalzi’s Weekend Assignment #182: Compare yourself to the animal whose best-known traits are most like your own personality. Note this isn’t “what animal would you like to be?” but is instead “what animal is most like you?” Also, don’t be too worried if you identification is not totally biologically exact; listing your similarities based on the general cultural impression of the animal is fine, too. We’re not doing science here, after all; we’ve doing end-of-the-week diversions. Extra credit: Would you want to own the animal you identify with?

Honestly at this point in my life, I equate myself with a lioness. I know this will result in a few eye rolls, but I do feel I have some major qualities in common with this majestic beast.

She’s fierce and strong when it comes to things that matter. Especially her children, for she will protect them with her life. She is the one who teaches them to use their instincts while hunting and she is a very loving mother.

She is also the main bread winner for the pride. While the male asserts his rule over his women, he really does nothing helpful on a full time basis. In fact, he is probably one of the biggest leeches in the animal kingdom. Equate him with a human male, and he’s a bully who’s fed grapes by a harem.

I will fight for my family even when I’m bloodied and broken and will continue to give my all to see my children live and succeed.

This is sounding like a ode to feminism right now, and I think its just at the point in my life that I would pick such an animal to represent me. Catch me in about 20 years, and I might pick an animal, a bit more docile and trusting.

Would I own one? Nah. Just like me, they aren’t meant to be caged.

Many folks are just getting back from the holiday weekends (including me, which is why this is so late), so let’s make this Monday Photo Shoot an easy one:

Scalzi’s Monday Photo Shoot: Present a picture that clearly shows a particular emotion. Happy, sad, thrilled, bummed, anything in between.

This was the ulitmate Doritos assignment. I couldn’t just choose one. So, for your viewing pleasure, here is the gallery.

This is the Allyson ’Godfather‘ Expression: “Mother, if you don’t take this ridiculous hat off of my head, I will make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

This is William at 6 months demonstrating the ‘Gah that’s awful’ expression, letting everyone know that lemons do not taste very good.

This is Alexis at age 5, with the ‘exasperated that I have to sit here and wait while you take a gazillion pictures of me’ expression.

Find the falsehood behind the cut!
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Scalzi Weekend Assignment #181: Present three facts about yourself. Have two of them be true. Have one of them be false. Encourage people to guess which one is the false one. When do you reveal the false one? On Monday, in a new entry (I’ll be linking to your original post). You’ll get two visits for the price of one!

Extra credit: Have you lied about something today (aside from the Weekend Assignment)? You don’t have to say what the lie was. Just whether you’ve lied today. Little white lies count. Considering it’s still a long weekend for most of you out there, here is my weekend assignment (belated style).

1.) My first job was at a candy shop making gum drop buttons for gingerbread houses and men.

2.) When I was a little girl, there were three things that you could usually catch me doing:

• Taking my mother’s kitchen broom, and riding it around the yard like I was a witch. (This was before Harry Potter came out, bitches.)
• Running through fields and woods trying to find that pot of gold on the end of every rainbow.
• Riding my bike around the neighborhood either pretending I was a Blue Angel or a Thunderbird — or gliding down hills with my arms spread wide and my hands devoid of handlebars.

3.) I was Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts.

 Extra Credit:

Yes. I mean, no. Now you’ll never know will you?