On Etiquette

No, I don’t even pretend to be Emily Post. I don’t even pretend to be the most well-mannered person. But there are some things that just get under my skin, and tend to make my blood boil out through my pores.

If you call me, call to talk to me, not to another person in the room, with whom you choose to get into an argument while I listen to the taudry details of whether or not you owned a particular brand of skillet. I do NOT care.

If you decide to drive on the left lane, please be aware that you are supposed to go a bit faster than the other people in the other lanes, because it is for passing. Don’t be a left lane vigilante and force the rest of humanity to go three miles under the speed limit out of the goodness of your heart. If I want a ticket, I will damn well earn it.

If the check-out line is for ten items or less, and you have 11 or 12 items, it’s no big deal to me. If you have a cartful of stuff, it becomes an issue. If you insist that you have a right to check out in that line because you are a taxpayer, or because you are in a hurry, it will cause a detonation of your milk jug all over your head.

While I am glad you wear boxers, I am NOT glad to see it. It is referred to as underwear for a reason. Unless you happen to be Heidi Klum or Jason Statham, pull your pants up and use a belt. You look like a convict.

If you are driving a vehicle that is capable of major damage, and even death, don’t use your freakin’ cellphone. Pull the hell over and answer it. And while you’re at it, put the damn thing away if you are eating at my table. I will toss the cellphone in the trash disposer if you insist on using it while eating dinner in my home.

Sigh…ok, I think I will stop for now. Too early for a beer.

But not too early for cookies 😀

Finding Your Center

I am not the most competitive person on the planet. In fact, sometimes I frustrate Hubby because I am content to participate, but not necessarily yearn to win, be it a board game, or playing outside, or even playing cards. Heck, you can forget about dominoes!! His grandfather was a champion, and wrote a book on the game!!

Sometimes, though, I do like to win.

I remember back in 7th grade, our PE teacher, AKA Attila, decided we girls were not to play manly sports. As you can possibly imagine, that pronouncement did not go over well with the female contingent. But no one listened to the students back then. Anyway, Coach Attila gets it into his head that we little helpless females will learn archery. He honestly thought it was a girls activity.

We start to practice, and some of us discover we have an aptitude for it. Breathe in, find your center, pool the quiet, and let go. There’s something about the twang of the bow as you let go a sharp projectile aimed at an imaginary picture of your coach. Some of us were so proficient, that the guys who were off playing flag football asked if they could try it.

All of them got trounced, including Coach Attila. That was an awesome day.

Fast forward to 2004. While on a visit to Poland, we stayed at Zamek Kliczkow. One of the oldest castles in Poland, it had been converted into a hotel. And on the weekends, they had archery demonstrations.

The Archer was situated in what was once the moat, and invited all to come down and try their hand at bows and arrows. We all went down, since the kids were agog at the medieval trappings on display. First up was Hubby, and he did pretty well. And then it was my turn….

That is my archery trophy, presented on my birthday, courtesy of Eldest when she was only 9 years old. The only trophy I will keep forever.

Sometimes winning is the only thing 😉

When Patience Pays Off

I’m not a vain person by any stretch. Well, everyone has vanities. And so do I. But most people that know me know I am a very patient person. I really don’t mind waiting for something, as long as it’s not a life-or-death situation.

Then I would get hasty.

Anyway, back when we were at our first duty station (which was in Hawaii, and I regret not enjoying it as much as I should have, because I missed being away from family <–disclaimer for Hubby), I had wanted a set of dishes from Williams Sonoma. I love that store. Yes, it’s a bit pricey, but sometimes they have really good sales. Anyway, the dishes were from the Brasserie Collection, and had red bands on the rim. And they never went on sale…

Fast forward to September 13th, 2011. Hubby and I were looking for some champagne flutes for my mom at the outlet mall, which also has a Pottery Barn outlet, which is owned by Williams Sonoma. My mother-in-law also had asked that I look for a special saute pan there, so we went in, and guess what they had on clearance??

ZOMG!!! MY DISHES!!!

And I bought eight six-piece place settings, for the price of two four-piece place settings!!! Not bad for a 16 year wait, huh? They also had some beautiful water goblets that complimented them rather well, but I don’t think I’ll be waiting 16 years for those. I’ll just make do with regular, run-of-the-mill glasses.

For now 😉

Halloweenin’

I know, it’s early yet. But my kids love Halloween, and every year they try to out-do the costumes from the previous holiday. Last year, Eldest went as some vampirical creature, Little One was a dark fairy, and Son stuck to the classics: he went as a ghost. The fun part is making the costumes from what you already have around the house. Togas are very easy and look good. Add some gaudy jewelry courtesy of my armoire, and you are a Greek or Roman goddess. Or paint a scruffy beard, and you go Animal House!!

This year I am at a quandary for a costume. Yes, Momma dresses up, too. And so does Daddy, but not this year, unfortunately. I thought it would be fun to go as Romans this year, but the kids nixed that idea. The thought of all of us dressing to match was repulsive in the extreme, I suppose. So, I was ready to go back to the drawing board when Teresa from Koch’s Tour sent me a link to The Pyramid Collection:

Steampunk all the way!! I have made plenty of Steampunk jewelry, and have several vintage items that with some tweaking can be made to look very Victorian. Eldest will no doubt want to borrow this for her wardrobe. And she can.

But not the corset that goes with it 😉

Legocentric

Well, this was a rough weekend for many of us. On top of September 11 observances and remembrances, Hubby had taken the opportunity to travel to the Houston area to visit his relatives. He and Eldest had a great time, and even managed to do a bit of shopping.

At the Lego™ Store!!

That’s right!! I have my greedy hands on Fallingwater!! This was my super-early birthday present. I’m already salivating over the prospect of putting this masterpiece together. I figure I will display it upstairs in the bonus room, alongside my craft area. Provided I set up my craft area, that is.

And because he won’t be here for Christmas, he also acquired for moi:

And that’s not all!!!! One of my crossed-off items on my Things to Do Before I Die List™ was Branderburg Tor, the entry gate to the city of Berlin. Pictures don’t do it justice. Neither do Legos, but I do NOT care!!!

So what if it’s for 12 years and up?? I’m in the “and up” range, aren’t I?? 😉

A Simple Question

My friend XbradTC over at Bring the Heat, Bring the Stupid brought up a very important question the other day. One that, in the greater scheme of things, falls between “sliced bread” and The Clapper™:

Is it Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner?

Or is it Breakfast, Dinner, Supper?

Admit it: you have to think about it now 😉

Reading List: The Gals Edition

It has come to my attention that I haven’t made a list of must-read blogs for a quiet Sunday.

Probably because my Sundays are never quiet.

Anyway, I would like to share with y’all some of my favorite gal bloggers, the ones that never fail to bring a smile or make me snort laughing.

Autumn People is a gem. Nicole has the gift to make you smile in any situation, not to mention she is a dream of a chef.

Another dream of a chef is Groovy Noms. The Nomstress is not only a fabu cook, but regales us with homeschooling stories, as well as the happenings of her crazy cat.

Over at Fetch My Flying Monkeys, which is rated PG-16, Laura “dreams” of being a government assassin. I put that in quotations because for all I know she might be one already.

Koch’s Tour is filled with wonderful anecdotes from the point of view of a mom to four daughters. I am one of four daughters, so I relate to her in many ways!

Last but not least, Maggie’s Notebook is a politically conservative site. Maggie gives you a rundown on all the happenings in the political scene, as well as bringing humorous anecdotes from across our daily lives.

Stay tuned for next week when we do the Guys Edition! 😉

Grungy Wisdom

Yesterday, I posted about getting back in my artistic groove. In case you aren’t familiar with my style, I like to do distressed works, such as this. I like the whole vintage look, and finding new ways to take junk and make it into a work of art.

And this is what I made from the junk I had:

Now, question is, what do I do with it??

A– Gift it to someone.

B– Donate it.

C– Keep it and let it collect dust somewhere.

D– Make it an award!!

I don’t have an account to do a poll, but please leave your choice(s) in the comments. Oh, and try to NOT vote for “C”. Hubby thinks there are enough dust catchers in the house already 😉

Time Doesn’t Flow Like a River

Holy canoli… I was sooo excited to get the kids back in school so I could have time to myself and be able to think again. Yesterday I finally had a chance to ZOMG!! watch whatever I wanted on the big TV. I have hundreds of channels to choose from, and On Demand as well as DVDs.

So what did I do? I put it on the news. After so long without the remote control, I found that I couldn’t even decide on some stupid show to watch. Before long, it was time to pick up the kids after school, and my chance to sing off key in Spanish while wearing a tiara had gone. Fortunately, I am starting to get back in the groove, and found a new project to do.

One man's junk...

Stay tuned tomorrow when I unveil my masterpiece!!

Cast the Die

If you haven’t guessed by now, I like to play with the titles of my posts. The previous post was a reference to the Superman villain, General Zod. As usual, my friends Soylent Green and John began speculating on who would be cast as General Zod in the next (yet again) reboot of Superman, called Man of Steel.

I am a traditionalist. Some movies roles I believe are iconic, and and a remake of a film can be tricky when you cast the wrong actor. John had suggested Russell Brand, which made my hackles rise. I would rather clip my nails in a Cuisinart than see him in that role. General Zod was bigger than life! He was statuesque, commanding, and a hell of a lot more refined in his cruelty than Brand could ever portray on screen. I’m rather out of the loop on current film stars, but had thought that perhaps Samuel L. Jackson could do a good job. And then I found out who got the part:

Seriously??

Matthew Shannon, people. And he is supposed to be a seasoned general, a contemporary of Kal-El’s father, and a total badass. Oh, and this is Kal-El:

Not too shabby...

Henry Cavill, best know for his role as Charles Brandon in The Tudors. He has the looks, I’ll give him that. But seeing as Shannon is only 9 years older than Cavill, I don’t see how Shannon can be a commanding presence.

Of course, this is Hollywood. I could be wrong, but I don’t think so (*cough* Superman Returns *cough*) 😉