don't go postal

I. AM. NOT. AMUSED. I ordered The TransFIRMation System a couple weeks ago (okay, that's amusing). Since I am on a strict budget I was not hasty in deciding to buy such a thing. So anyway, I received notification from firmdirect.com that my order was on its way. According to the USPS website the thing should have been delivered last Saturday. Well, I stopped by my friendly (seriously, they're really nice) local PO and the substitute carrier who worked on Saturday either delivered it to the wrong house (hoping not for I will NEVER see the goods) or it's still sitting in his jalopy!
It's always something, isn't it?

almost missed list

I almost missed this one and it was right there in my cart today. I don't know what kind of remote this person needed along with the white paint (pants?) and a walkman.

on how toys used to be

Romper Stompers were small upsidedown buckets that had reins, you were to walk on these. The thrill lasted about two minutes.

the year was 1976, give or take

There were A LOT of kids shows that originated in Chicago back in the 60's & 70's, Gigglesnort Hotel was one of them. It takes about five seconds of ad before you get to see the sampling of the fun on this YouTube clip. Cryrahryerahrrrrarr!

three things I miss about my former job

No Alanis, it's just unfortunate

I joined Weight Watchers (to be called WW from here on) two weeks ago and have gone to Subway three times since in attempts to eat "low point" meals. There is currently a Scabble game going on with the cups at Subway and all three times I have won a free cookie. One of the things I liked to eat most before signing on to WW was the white chocolate macadamia cookie.

PS
The #29 Culvers ticket is a little over THIRTEEN DOLLAR receipt from an unrelated lunch. Fortunately we used the free value basket coupons we received after our root beer float order was forgotten a few weeks ago (pre-WW, those damn things are like 13 points).

Now Reading

I'm on a memoir streak. Truth is sometimes stranger and way more entertaining than fiction.

remains of the day (lunchbox)

new "desk" for #1 son from IKEA, Northern Lite Coffee Cooler from Caribou Coffee (4 WW points, good but expensive) & Birdie not wanting to be photographed

some rules about joining a message board/online community

1) Be certain that you are in on the ground floor, don't try to join in midstream unless you've received or read a friendly invitation to do so.

2) Don't take anything anyone types personally, ever.

3) Ask yourself where you want to go with your posts before putting yourself out there.

4) Know that you may be better off blogging and making your online time all about you and the people who seek out what you have to say.

list and found

These were found at Target this week. There's great spelling and handwriting on both, though what on earth is "fuzzy water"? I suppose someone chastizes the list maker for liking enhanced water and she's embraced her lot by calling it "fuzzy" or there really is a brand called "fuzzy" or she means "fizzy".
I can't think about it any further.

portion control sucks but it gets the job done

Fuggedaboutit Friday

I always wanted one of these and one of those satin jackets with the map of Italy on the back. I'm not Italian but I know people who are.

What's the attraction? aka places I care not to go

That's right, Hawaii. Not one thing about it appeals to me. My parents and many people I know went there and loved it. While I trust their judgment, for my money and time if I'm going to fly over the ocean, it's going be to Europe.

The year was 1979

...and I don't know what's more wrong, the fact that I had a mad crush on this guy:

or that I was watching General Hospital regularly at age 9. Yes, he's getting a horseback ride from MacGyver.

Click his photo, he still has a career in acting and voice!

Tilapia Thursday, a self-made goocher

Okay, so I didn't make this. I had never eaten Tilapia before and the goocher comes in the fact that I ordered it two days in a row, yesterday and Tuesday. If I can bring myself to get around the fact that I'm cooking fish*, I will try to make this dish as it looks delicious.

*More generally, "plausible deniability" can also apply to any act which leaves little or no evidence of wrongdoing or abuse. Examples of this are the use of electricity or pain-compliance holds as a means of torture or punishment, leaving little or no tangible signs that the abuse ever took place. (Wikipedia)

holiday hyperwiki

Merry Christmas in July

posted early for readers on the map where it's already the 25th

A Yetti Stole My Tent

Have you ever ended a relationship of any kind and realized after the fact that you left some good material belongings behind? I have. Here are a few things that I've "lost" to getting the heck up on out of there: television (2), my 1/2 of an Airstream Land Yacht, a leather couch, misc. clothing and shoes, linens, photographs, books, a blender, and of course, a tent.

P.S. I have a better tent now.

Is it a goocher?

...when you hear and type a word at the same time? Yesterday it was "attraction". I typed it on my last blog post and heard it on the sponsor promo after PBS's Curious George at the same time.
According to Urban Dictionary, it could very well be.
Let's review my two goochers in the form of a sentence or two: Leaving my previous job at the coal mine was like shooting fish in a barrel. There was no longer any attraction there for me.

What's the attraction? aka places I care not to go

The House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wisconsin. I once heard on a travel show that this house was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, Wrong.

I've got a goocher!

I've heard the term "like shooting fish in a barrel" twice in the past few days.



Cliché: Shooting fish in a barrel , (Like)
Explanation: 1. Very easy or simple.
2. Not complicated.
Country: United States

definition brought to you by clichesite.com

Tammy Faye

If you saw Tammy Faye Messner on Larry King the other night, you saw how very sick she was. I found her fascinating when I was a kid and as an adult, I admired her for her faith and kindness.

If you have not seen "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" I suggest that you do. I also suggest her son Jay Bakker's Sundance Channel documentary series "One Punk Under God".

P.S. Her site is very busy, link may lead you to a blank page.

gym rat rant (small one)

We belong to a very nice athletic club. The decor is nice, the machines are new, it's clean and quite the bargain for all we get with our membership.

There is one small problem, however, and that's with a select few jive arse people who march around like they own the place. Said jive arses can plainly see that I (or anyone) chose a locker in the same vicinity as them and can't be bothered to move their stuff one inch to accomodate anyone else or their belongings. These people are also the ones that stake claim on the very limited counter/vanity space even though they're still showering.

on a related note...

YES! My cousin came through with her list of what she needed and the RECEIPT of what she actually ended up with, the difference is vast. I've always liked her handwriting. Thanks Kelly!

notice anything different???

The former header/description was looking like something that would require me to be a bit more deep and philosophical. Click on the photo in this post for a definition of "hotdish".

Fuggedaboutit Friday

the year was 1976

and I loved the Krofft Supershow

Yoga on Tap, the Anti-Yoga

I saw this on TV today, they're IN A BAR. LOL, not quite Lilia's Yoga and You (70's PBS).

lists that hit close to home

The one on the left is mine from yesterday and the one on the right is from last weekend, it was given to me by my brother in law. See the last item on the right hand list, 'nuff said.

sign, sign, everywhere a sign

Hudson, WI

now reading

hyperwiki has moved to Wednesdays

nothing is sacred

I was surprised to recently find out that there was a waterpark hotel in the general vicinity of my favorite place in Illinois (outside of Chicago), Starved Rock State Park in Utica. Well, imagine my surprise again as I'm sifting through the Santa's Village site (see previous post) and I see that the man in the red suit and his cronies are up to building "Santa's Village Next" IN UTICA! Ack.

I'm happy for the good people of that area that will be making money and influencing people but man, I really liked the wooded oasis that it once was. It was a place to bring kids and families into nature and now it's just going to be another place to bring kids.

no longer amusing

There were several amusement parks that were rather close to my home as I was growing up, they're all defunct now. Let's see...there was:

I don't see how The Park at Mall of America is any better than Old Chicago...Old Chicago was great fun and "The Chicago Loop" was my first roller coaster ride. Rumor always had it that the corkscrews from that ride went on to be part of Great America's Demon or Turn of the Century or some shat. According to everything I've read, OC was only open for 5 years, that makes no sense...though I was between the ages of 6 & 10 during its lifespan and it was a much different time to be a kid and when Bolingbrook wasn't so much a suburb.

Dispensa's was pants. They kept changing the commercial theme song as the prices went up. It went from "any ride a quarter, five for a dollar" to when it closed, "any ride a dollar, five for your first born".

I'm still waiting for my babysitter, Kim, to bring me to Santa's Village when she gets her license...though now I see that it's closed and I guess I'm SOL.

I don't know that I ever went to Adventureland but it was the closest to home. I just remember the giant muffler man lumberjack dude standing guard and the colorful paint peeling picket fence (full of lead I bet) surrounding the place. And look, it was even open "Both Memorial Days", uh, what?

(click on photos for sites where credit is due)

Road Games

Are you sick and tired of playing "grandmother's attic"? Like me, do you think "the alphabet game" is so twenty years ago? Try "count the toots"! You will be amazed by the amount of flexible passengers who think nothing of propping their foot (ususally sans socks and shoes) on the dashboard. Trust me, there are more out there than you think.

We spotted one on the way to Wisconsin over the weekend who took us aback with their Chuck Taylor, we called it "old school toot" and found him/her to be photo/blog worthy for the mere fact that they kept their shoe on.

"Hey Tony, look at the unique water towers!"

You know when you're on an exotic vacation when you seek out unique water towers along the way. I was half past pist that I didn't get a good shot of the one at a certain rather popular drug/alcohol rehab center in Center City, MN...and no, I'm not making light of 12 step programs. I admire anyone who sincerely makes their way through the dozen steps and changes their life from destroying themselves and others to letting go and letting God.

Rialta Reality

Getting in, we really thought we needed to own the dang thing. Along the road and over the course of the next couple days, not so much...while it served the purpose of being a place to sleep, we soon discovered this RV had been through a thing or ten.

We really don't want it, unless the price is right, that is.

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