Wildcat's Soul

Moving On...

2005-03-14T00:19:00.000-05:00

This blog is in the process of moving, but this site will be maintained, at least for awhile.
My new blog address, where I will be making all my new posts from here on out, is http://wildcatsong.blogsome.com/
Unfortunately, Blogsome doesn't currently have a way of importing from Blogger. (nothing's perfect, right?)
The biggest reason for my move --categories-- sounds rather trivial but one that's important to me.
So, as I said, this blog will be maintained, at least until I can manually transfer, i.e. retype, all my posts from Blogger.

Dream Flashes?

2005-03-10T07:52:00.000-05:00

Last night I had what seemed to be two very short dreams, more like dream previews. The first is like part of a recurring dream that I suspect has a great deal to do with inner conflict. The other character in this dream is horribly disfigured, having the appearance of one whose outer flesh has been burned off, and who makes his way by writhing along. This is a good, kind soul in pain, seeking to help me and protect me. In spite of this being's appearance, there is no repulsion or disgust in looking upon him. We seem to be trapped in a small area with a door, and I'm picturing the surroundings as being tan or light brown. But we are not alone. Occasionally, there is a dark being or presence that tries to get to me through the door. This dark presence is the same in appearance as the good one that is with me, but I know it to be too horrible to look upon, even though I haven't seen it. It is only the combined strength of myself and my friend that keeps the dark presence from being successful in reaching me. I started having this dream fairly recently and have had it, I think, three times. I wake with a start from it, and relief.

Last night, another mini-dream followed the recurring one. It was mainly about Daniel, with Steven and me in the dream as well. Steven and I were sitting at the computer, side by side, and Daniel was sitting on the couch to our left, a few feet away. I kept hearing Daniel, making a sound like he was trying to hold back laughter, a kind of snickering sound, or so I though. After a few minutes of this, I looked over wondering what he was laughing about, and found that he was crying, deeply, and that it was growing in intensity. It was as though something had wounded him to the very core of his soul, something from which he would never recover. It was the kind of cry you think will never end. You think you might even die from it. I have cried this way before so I knew. I was immediately overcome with empathetic feelings of sadness and sorrow for him. It hurts more than anything to see your child hurt at all, but especially in some life-altering way. Then I woke up.

Watch Out Below!

2005-03-09T04:35:00.000-05:00

The meme below is freaking hysterical! (Unfortunately it doesn't show up too well, but if you highlight the words, you'll be able to read them better.)
I'm going to kill over 695 million inanimate objects with sex! Would this be like dildos or what? I will cause over $250 trillion worth of damage, all the while screaming, "Touch me, I'm happy!" Hmmm...ya think? Damn, isn't that equivalent to like the national debt or something? Oh! Now here's the clincher...these inanimate objects average approximately $360,000 each! So, in conclusion, you people start sending me all your solid gold, diamond-encrusted dildos (ouch)...I have a lot of work to do!

Quiz: Homicidal Rampage Meme

2005-03-09T04:15:00.000-05:00

Your Homicidal Rampage! by crash_and_burn

Your name:

Weapon of Choice:

Sex

Your Favorite Target:

Inanimate objects

Your Kill Count:

695,815,284

Your Battle Cry:

"Touch me, I'm happy!"

Years You Spend in Jail:

How Much Money In Damages You Cause:

$250,182,059,399,879

Your Homocidal Insanity Level:: 34%

Quiz created with MemeGen!

Movie Review Monday

2005-03-08T00:50:00.000-05:00

Monday night is our movie night. Made good choices this week...I liked all three of them.

Day of Destruction. Rented it on DVD. Judging by the fading ins and outs, I'd say it was a made-for-TV movie. It was about natural disaster, overcoming adversity, and the human spirit facing tragedy. Saw "Jo" from Facts of Life. Ah, the good old days. Man, I haven't seen her in anything for a very long time. She was by far my favorite character on the show. Getting back to the point, I liked this movie. I like to see reminders of the goodness we are capable of showing each other. It's easy to see the hatred and injustice we show each other everyday. It's in the news. It's in your face. Reminds me of 9-11. People reaching out to each other, offering aid and comfort, putting theirselves out there, responding to both the audible and inaudible screams of humanity. *Inner self: Okay, stop, you're getting way off topic here.*

Before that, I saw Shall We Dance? with Richard Gere *who I do NOT believe had a gerbil in his butt*, J.Lo, and Susan Sarandon. Liked this one, too. It's about a guy who decides to spice up his mundane life with some ballroom dancing. Good idea. I happened upon ballroom dancing competitions once on public access and was surprised to find I really liked it. (If someone had even mentioned ballroom dancing to me before that, I would've thought how freaking boring it sounded. Waltzes and quick-stepping and shit like that. Blah, blah, blah, but it's really pretty cool and if you've never checked it out, you oughtta. Or hell, just watch the movie.) More people should do something, anything to step out of their dreadfully boring day-to-day existence and really live. ("more people" includes me!) Like Mel Gibson said, as William Wallace, "Everyman dies but not every man really lives." Ain't that the bleeping truth!

And there was another before that. Without a Paddle. This one stars the shrimp, Seth Green, Matthew Lillard (loved him since Scream), and Dax Shepard. When one of four childhood friends dies, the other three decide to carry out the plans they made as boys to find D.B. Cooper's loot. Oh my God, me and Steven laughed our asses off basically all the way through. Humor, is of course, subjective, but if your sense of it is anything like mine, you'll thank me for recommending it.

Snap Mah Picture! Good News!

2005-03-07T10:34:00.000-05:00

One of my passions is photography. It's something I really want to be good at it and potentially find employment doing. I just recently got a digital camera and recently did a search on photo contests. These serve a dual purpose for me. First and foremost, they offer exposure. Exposure=Portfolio. Second -- and this is the icing on the cake -- they offer prizes! Monetary prizes. Moolah. Money. Greenbacks. Bread...i.e., something I'm always painfully lacking. These are the ones I'm currently planning on entering:

International Library of Photography's photo contest. Prize: up to $10,000!

Field and Forest nature photo contest. Can enter up to three photos. Prize: $25

American Image photo contest. Monthly contest, can enter daily. First prize: $1000. Category prize: $100. There are also Most Valuable Member prizes for "Most Active", "Best Comments", "Best Profile", and "Best Album". Awesome! Plenty of chances to win.

Reptile Photo Contest. This one's looking for pictures of reptiles with their owners and since we have a snake...This one ends March 14th. The prize isn't great, but again, there's the all-important exposure. You win a temp gun and a book titled Art of Keeping Snakes.

I'm excited about this! I know there's a lot to photography and capturing that standout award-winning photograph, and that I could probably use some study and self-training, but I feel confident I can do this! Best of all, I would be accomplishing a dream...how great is that?

More positive news! I just got a call from one of the Jones's daughters and they will be coming home from the hospital tomorrow! Barbara has been there since January 25th to get a knee replacement replaced and Bill has been there since January 30th. Poor things. I will be returning to work for them Wednesday. I'll have to go visit them tomorrow evening, though. I've missed them.

Conversation With Steven, Etc.

2005-03-06T01:57:00.000-05:00

Referring to this post, they were on the phone with Tommy Lee again this morning just as Steven and I pulled up at the video store (where we rented a video game and I bought The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen).

Me: Well, at least this time, they didn't introduce him as the man with the big dingdong.

Steven: *laughing* Some kids at school told me they've got [or they've seen?] the video with him and Pamela and they told me there's one part where they're on a boat and he honks the horn with it.

Me: *mouth agape* Oh my God! Are you serious? Ya know, they say the same thing about Kid Rock, too. I guess that's what Pamela looks for. I just don't get what all the fuss is about. I mean...

Steven: Well, ya know Mom, if ya got it...

This still cracks me up, but seriously what IS all the fuss about? Why has this become such an important issue to so many people? And I still haven't figured out who it's more important to, the men or the women. Let me make a little analogy here. Let's say you have many things that need attention. You have this one great expensive titanium state-of-the-art tool, but it only fixes one thing. You didn't think about these other things that might need attention when you plucked down all your resources on this one tool. You might be able to return it but at the moment you're stuck with it. This nice big shiny glorified tool that's only good for one thing. Stupid you.

Quiz: What is Your Inner Hero?

2005-03-05T23:52:00.000-05:00

My Inner Hero - Warrior!

I'm courageous, straightforward, and charismatic. I'm a born leader, but I'm also not afraid to face danger on my own. Nothing stands between me and victory... nothing that lives to tell the tale, anyway. If you need someone to charge into battle for you, call on me.

How about you? Click here to find your own inner hero.

Quiz: The Rogers Indicator of Multiple Intelligences

2005-03-04T07:44:00.000-05:00

Saw this on Ms. Piggy's blog and figured I'd give it a shot. Not sure how much I agree with the results. For example, I think the musical score should have been higher because I'm such a musically-oriented person but I guess the fact that I don't actually play any instruments was a key factor in that. I also don't see myself in any of the career positions listed at all. Those would be more like hobbies or leisure activities. I guess the rest fits, though, as I do definitely tend to be a sensual person.

You scored as Bodily/Kinesthetic. You process knowledge through bodily sensations and use your body in skilled ways. You need opportunities to move and act things out. You learn best by touching, moving around, and processing knowledge through bodily sensations. People like you include carpenters, repairpersons, mechanics, dancers, gymnasts, swimmers and jugglers.

Bodily/Kinesthetic

79%

Verbal/Linguistic

75%

Intrapersonal

64%

Musical/Rhythmic

61%

Visual/Spatial

61%

Logical/Mathematical

50%

Interpersonal

43%

The Rogers Indicator of Multiple Intelligences
created with QuizFarm.com

People Really Eat That Shit?! (Part 4)

2005-03-03T10:29:00.000-05:00

Was just reading in Claypot's blog comments about how they eat caterpillars over in Zambia and other areas of southern Africa [see the bug section below]. With that said, on with gwoss foods...

Vegetable: Mountain potato: Japan: It's a root that's eaten raw and grated, often with raw tuna and a raw quail egg. When the potato is grated, it secretes a clear-ish slime that has the same consistency as mucus. [So, okay, it's like eating snot then. This might appeal to young children.]

Mountain potato with tuna

Fish: Rolmops: Netherlands, Denmark: Raw herring wrapped around a pickle and/or a cocktail onion. [Does like everybody have a freakin raw fish dish except, thankfully, us?]

Birds: Owl soup: China: Can be mistaken for chicken soup until you see the head in the pot!

Mammal: Squirrel brain: US South: You cook the head with the rest of the body, then using your fingers and a fork, you dig the brains out. It is said to taste similar to mushrooms.

Reptiles: Snake blood: Thailand: Served freshly harvested from King cobras. You can get it as a straight cocktail or a mixed drink for what would be as much as $200 in the US! It is supposed to have medicinal and sexual powers.

Bugs: Tarantula: Cambodia: These are commonly eaten by the locals in the town of Skuon. Also...
Mopane caterpillars: southern Africa

Are these the same ones you're talking about Claypot?

Drinks: Ammonia coke: US South: Coca-Cola with a little ammonia in it. It was once popular in West Virginia for curing various ailments and can still be found older pharmacies with soda fountains. [WTF?!]

Prowling Through the Blogroll... (Quiz)

2005-03-03T09:14:00.000-05:00

Swiped from Firda:
Commonly Confused English Words Test

My results:

Advanced
You scored 100% Beginner, 93% Intermediate, 100% Advanced, and 61% Expert!
You have an extremely good understanding of beginner, intermediate, and advanced level commonly confused English words, getting at least 75% of each of these three levels' questions correct. This is an exceptional score. Remember, these are commonly confused English words, which means most people don't use them properly. You got an extremely respectable score.

Thank you so much for taking my test. I hope you enjoyed it!

Too-Early-To-Be-Pissed-Off and The Big Dingdong

2005-03-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

Why is it some days seem to have a certain negative theme all day? Like Nothing-Works-Right day or Everything-Is-Breaking day or Telephone-Solicitation day or I-Need-To-Talk-But-Noone's-Answering-Their-Phone day or Planned-A-Picnic-And-It-Rained day or Automated-Phone-System-Hell day or...well, you get the point. Anyway, today seems to be Piss-Me-Off-Or-Be-Pissed-At-Me day.

So far, I have pissed off Daniel and Steven both this morning and I got pissed off at two strangers. I drove the boys too school this morning because I had to go into Bardstown to return a couple DVDs to the video store so I might as well give them a break from the bus right? Plus, we all three wanted to hear the BIG MUSIC ANNOUNCEMENT** that our favorite radio station alerted us last night would be made this morning (does that make sense?). Back to the topic at hand, when I pulled into the school parking lot, I got confused about who was to be dropped off at which building and who was to be dropped off first. I pulled into a section of the parking lot between the two destinations to get the small matter resolved and once done, headed toward the main building. Daniel abruptly told me -- with teenager attitude -- that I was not supposed to go that way. It was a completely empty area and gave me a straight shot to where I was supposed to go, so why the hell not? I said please forgive me, I didn't know I was committing a crime to which they both replied I was overreacting..okay fine. Then Steven says, right before getting out, that I was wandering around the parking lot like I didn't know what I was doing. I said you know, I probably don't 'cause I don't normally do this do I? He slammed the door, jarring my already slightly-frazzled nerves. What the fuck is he so pissy for this morning?!

After dropping Daniel off at his building, I shot over to the video store to drop off Taxi and Saw (Taxi was pretty funny, esp. outtakes trailer, and Saw is a must-see psychological thriller). I drop them in the slot and as I'm walking back to the car I notice a guy sitting alone in his car several spaces over. Staring. And staring. Not even averting his eyes when I spot him staring. And staring. I'm thinking what the hell??? I look like shit this morning! Really! I'm wearing maroon sweats, a big gray sweatshirt and a bulky ugly navy blue coat. I went to bed last night with my hair all thrown up in this schoolteacher bun and woke up with it now slightly to the left and rather fuzzy-looking. I didn't even bother to take it down and comb it or fix it before leaving so early this morning because the only thing I was even gonna get out of the car for was to drop those movies in the slot. So I just said screw it, ya know? And of course, no makeup, which I seldom wear anyway. So again, what the hell??? Regardless of whether he's looking at me because he finds me attractive or because he thinks I'm a freak of nature, a hard bold stare like that -- from a stranger no less -- just really pissed me off, for some reason. There are times I might feel flattered by it, but not today. On to the second stranger.

First I have to explain what my road's like. It's 2.1 miles of narrow country road, mostly lined with trees, several steep areas that bottom out with a creek, a few blind curves, ditches that will leave your chassis on the pavement (yes, it's paved), and a sharp uphill incline on the other side. This is NOT a road you want to drive fast on. Trust me. But there's always some asshole who acts like they have the road to themselves even when they see you approaching well in advance! I know this because he about blew me off the road today. Uh-oh. Now I am responsible to help him learn from this mistake. You see, I am the self-appointed Conscientious Driving Instructor for my street. I have one previous student who I'm proud to say now slows down when she sees me and passes me with the same care I pass her with. The instruction is rather simple.

In order to pass this course, you must realize two things: 1. I am not slowing down because I need to stop and take a leak in the trees or because I spotted a quarter on the road or because I suddenly realized I have a flat. I'm slowing down because I see you and am considering the dangers to both/either of us if we don't pass each other with caution.
2. I don't get over as far as I possibly can because I am a timid person or because I recognize your superior driving abilities or because my car is allergic to your car. I get over because I want to make sure we both have plenty of room to pass each other and our side mirrors aren't going to be kissing.

In order to pass this course, you must learn the skills of slowing down when passing another vehicle on a narrow country road and getting your ass over as far as it is safe to do so!

Tried-and-true method of teaching: When the student is seen approaching, the teacher --me-- will stay in the middle of the road where she cannot be passed, continuing forward slowly until student, having no choice, also slows down. At this point, the teacher --me-- will move back over to her side of the road and student and teacher shall pass each other in a safe manner.

The first student learned after being taught the lesson only twice. Let's see how fast the second student will learn.

Hey, I'd rather be a bitch than wind up 20-30 feet down in the creek like a turtle on its back!

**Regarding the BIG MUSIC ANNOUNCEMENT: Tommy Lee himself was on the phone with the DJ to let us know that in September, Motley Crue is coming to Freedom Hall. (He was announced as "The Man with the big dingdong, Tommy Lee"!!! Um, okay. And that affects his music how? And I need to know this because?)

I'm Right-Brained!!! (Quiz)

2005-03-01T11:30:00.000-05:00

It's bound to be better than being wrong-brained huh?

You Are 35% Left Brained, 65% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.

Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.

If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic.

Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet.

The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.

Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way.

If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art.

Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Learn a New Word Each Day

2005-02-27T23:09:00.000-05:00

In an attempt to expand your vocabulary horizon, I will now dazzle you with my skills...just call me dictionary girl...

Arbitrator \ar'-bi-tray-ter\:
A cook that leaves Arby's to work at McDonald's.

Avoidable \uh-voy'-duh-buhl\:
What a bullfighter tries to do.

Baloney \buh-lo'-nee\:
Where some hemlines fall.

Bernadette \burn'-a-det\:
The act of torching a mortgage.

Burglarize \bur'-gler-ize\:
What a crook sees with.

Control \kon-trol'\:
A short, ugly inmate.

Counterfeiters \kown-ter-fit-ers\:
Workers who put together kitchen cabinets.

Eclipse \i-klips'\:
what an English barber does for a living.

Eyedropper \i'-drop-ur\:
a clumsy ophthalmologist.

Heroes \hee'-rhos\:
what a guy in a boat does.

Left Bank \left' bangk'\:
what the robber did when his bag was full of loot.

Misty \mis'-tee\:
How golfers create divots.

Paradox \par'-u-doks\:
two physicians.

Parasites \par'-uh-sites\:
what you see from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Pharmacist \farm'-uh-sist\:
a helper on the farm.

Polarize \po'-lur-ize\:
what penguins see with.

Primate \pri'-mat\:
removing your spouse from in front of the TV.

Relief \ree-leef'\:
what trees do in the spring.

Rubberneck \rub'-er-nek\:
what you do to relax your wife.

Seamstress \seem'-stres\:
describes 250 pounds in a size six.

Selfish \sel'-fish\:
what the owner of a seafood store does.

Subdued \sub-dood'\:
like, a guy, like, works on one of those, like, submarines, man.

Sudafed \sood'-a-fed\:
bringing litigation against a government official.

List: The Best Little Things

2005-02-27T08:59:00.000-05:00

I saw something like this in a magazine and it got me thinking about what are those really great little things to me? These are my top 50 things that don't cost a penny...

making a new friend
soaking your feet
long, hot showers or bubble baths
your child saying "I love you"
your child giving you a kiss or hug
your child smiling at you
crickets chirping at night
birds chirping in the morning
rain on a tin roof
the smell of fresh-cut grass
the smell of honeysuckle
watching the sun rise
watching the sun set
seeing a shooting star
seeing a rainbow
a good workout (one way or another!)
stepping out of the shower and into a towel that just came from the dryer
getting a letter in the mail
hiking in fall, surrounded by the striking foliage
hearing your favorite song come on the radio
scoring the win for your team
making mudpies and daisy chains
finding money
finding out you lost weight
having a good hair day
those old sweats you still wear around the house
going barefoot
wading in a creek
mooning the car next to you
looking at old photos
getting home from a vacation
laying in the grass next to someone and just talking for hours
the beach
being told you don't look old enough to be his/her mom
winning a contest
basking in the sun
sleeping in
playing hide and seek
music!
throwing a frisbee
a good massage
having the house to yourself
taking all your clothes off when you're hot and laying on a linoleum floor
clean sheets
how clothes smell when you hang them on the line
a pet's love
flowers in bloom
catching fireflies
snowflakes on your tongue
running into an old friend

Prowling Through the Blogroll...

2005-02-27T05:28:00.000-05:00

funny post at 360 Degrees of Sky about how celebrities lose weight

the pussycat's moved in with soon-to-be tomcat

zoe got quite a scare!

oh! showing some nip at gofug

will he cook with the hated flatmate? i think not!

On Frally's page:weed shirts for babies??? She also has a post about how she takes no shit...you go girl!

edit: title was "Testing w.bloggar and Winamp plugin..."

2005-02-25T08:06:00.000-05:00

Sister Hazel~It's Hard To Say - Sister Hazel~It's Hard To Say

[Listening to: Sister Hazel~It's Hard To Say - - Sister Hazel~It's Hard To Say - (3:38)] edit: is it really necessary to name it three times???

Saw last night how Korn's guitarist, "Head" is leaving the band for religion. Said all the guys in the band are good guys, but always playing "dark" tunes and being marketed the way they are makes them "look bad." Daniel was noticably disappointed to hear the news. Korn is his favorite and I think Head was his second favorite member, only preceded by Jonathan Davis. Head was one of the founding members or Korn, so I'm sure this will be a hard thing for Davis and the others to overcome. I wonder if it means the end of Korn?

I also heard in other music news that Judas Priest is coming out with a new album. Wow, wasn't expecting to ever hear from them again. I'll definitely have to check that out, see how different a sound they have now.

Well since this is just a test post really, better keep it short.

edit: I really didn't notice any advantage to using w.bloggar over just coming here and posting...think I'll delete it...hmmm.

2005-02-24T12:31:00.000-05:00

Last night, like most any other night, when I go to bed, I feel compelled to write something. Something I'm feeling or something about my day. I was thinking the other night about how I often don't really know what I'm feeling. It's like numbness. Blankness. Emotional paralysis. It used to be that I could always express my feelings in some way. But when it's not anger or happiness which show so readily on my face and resonate in my voice, how would I describe to someone what I'm feeling? I guess I'd have to say I'm feeling thoughtful, reflective, maybe tranquil. Sometimes I have to wonder if I've learned to hide some emotions the same way I learned to hide sadness and tears. I remember how I learned that too. Crying during an argument or a sad movie. If I'd cry during an argument, Jesse said I was doing it purposefully to manipulate him with my tears. Who wants to be accused of trying to pry another person's feelings or actions this way? Not me. So I learned not to do that. Like a Pavlovian dog. I learned not to let my true feelings show. To transform them into something else. If I'd cry during a sad movie *or part of a movie* Jesse laughed at me. Who wants to be laughed at when their feeling exposed and vulnerable? Not me. So again I learned. I learned to suddenly need to go to the bathroom when I felt a little misty-eyed. I learned to fan my eyes to dry tears up before they spilled out. I learned how to turn my head at just the right angle so no one could see that some stupid sappy movie was having an emotional effect on me. Ever since I realized the other night that I often feel kind of emotionless, nondescript, I've decided to ask myself every night How Do I Feel Right Now? When I can't answer simply and quickly, I pursue it. I'm on a mission to "get in touch with my feelings" no matter how cliche it might sound. I think it's important.
Lesson Learned: Never let anything or anyone make you feel uncomfortable about or ashamed of your feelings to the point you learn to hide them even from yourself. Just ride the waves on your ocean of emotion!

Thoreau Quote

2005-02-21T04:28:00.000-05:00

If a man does not keep pace with his companions,
perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music which he hears,
however measured or far away.
~Henry David Thoreau

People Really Eat That Shit?! (Part 3)

2005-02-20T00:11:00.000-05:00

More interesting food choices from around the world:

Vegetables: Dulse: Canada: This dried purple seaweed is sold at convenience stores and should have bits of green algae, small stones, etc. adhering to it. It is eaten as is with a relish.

Fish: Cuttlefish: Hawaii: Eaten shredded and dried with a dusting of hot red pepper. The texture is tough and stringy.

Birds: Baalut: Phillipines, Malaysia, others?: This is the fertilized egg of a chicken or duck, still unhatched, but with an immature chick or duckling inside. You crack the egg and pop the fetus into your mouth complete with its partially developed feather, feet, eyeballs, etc. You can even see its veins showing through the translucent skin.

Mammals: Nutria: Louisiana, US: These large semi-aquatic rodents are indigenous to South America and were imported to the US for the fur industry. Whether intentionally or accidentally, some were released into the Louisiana marshes. Due to the damage they cause in the area with their eating habits and their prolific numbers, they are now being promoted as a food source, complete with recipes. One source says they don't taste good enough to eat, though.

Reptiles: Iguana: Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula: a.k.a. Gallina de Palo which translates to "tree chicken." There are even recipes for iguana tacoes.

Bugs: Ants: Australia: In Northern Australia, green ants may be eaten for "bush-tucker" or as cuisine prepared by chefs. Apparently, they adopt the flavor of whatever citrus tree they are inhabiting.

Drinks: Airag: Mongolia: Airag is touted as the country's national drink, thought to be necessary to maintain health. It is made by fermenting horse's milk.

Other: Corn Ice Cream: Phillipines: Yep, sweet corn in ice cream...does Baskin Robbins serve this?

Awesome Watermelon Sculptures

2005-02-15T07:41:00.000-05:00

The page is titled "Chinese Watermelon Art/Sculpture" but I believe the person who said they are Japanese, with Japanese symbols appearing. There are many, many images here and all of them are really remarkable. Makes we wanna some knives and a watermelon!

List: 100 Things About Me

2005-02-15T07:21:00.000-05:00

(I saw this in the sidebar on Frally's page and wanted to do one myself.)

1. I'm the oldest of six children.
2. I am married with four of my own.
3. I am a non-practicing/former Catholic.
4. I love animals and nature.
5. I am an Aries, born April 13, 1965.
6. I am a non-partisan voter.
7. I'm a rebel with too many causes and a so-called "champion of the underdog."
8. I'm a purely heterosexual white female.
9. I love music in general, it moves my body and my soul, but especially rock, Native American, and some country.
10. I've never been diagnosed with a broken bone (but it's possible I broke my nose once).
11. I can't ride roller coasters but want to get over that.
12. I'm scared of spiders but not snakes and rodents and such.
13. My dream job would be a career in wildlife photojournalism.
14. I have no tattoos (yet).
15. The only piercings I have are a single hole in each ear (so far).
16. I've never owned a home or bought a new (or even nearly new) car.
17. I'm a tomboy.
18. I love hiking, camping, horseback riding and other outdoorsy stuff.
19. From the time I was about two, I've always had one pet or other.
20. I hate littering - it makes the world ugly.
21. I am strongly pro-life.
22. I have strong beliefs about what true justice is.
23. I have this annoying mole on my forehead - in my hairline.
24. I'm a computer/internet junkie.
25. About the only two things I drink are Pepsi and water. There's also the occasional chocolate milk, chocolate Pepsi, hot chocolate, or juice.
26. For the most part, I'm a very good cook as long as I pay attention. I have a tendency to get distracted with something else and let things overcook or burn.
27. I'm a wannabe blonde.
28. I'm artistic by nature - I draw well, have a creative mind, like to do many crafts, sometimes make my own jewelry, etc.
29. Shades of blue are my favorite colors followed by vibrant reds.
30. My bottom right jaw was once cut down to the bone by a friggin corn leaf of all things!
31. I was bitten by a German Shepherd when I was five, but I'm very happy to say it left no lasting fear of dogs like it does with some children.
32. I live in the country but often long for the action of city life.
33. I am usually able to be cheerful and have a positive outlook.
34. My quick temper is my worst fault - sometimes causing me to do stupid, impulsive things (but nothing violent against others.)
35. I love looking at the moon and stars at night.
36. I once worked almost three years as a lawn care laborer.
37. I can't drive a stick shift.
38. I'm too empathetic.
39. I've always been pretty physically fit and strong.
40. I had dropped out of high school as a teenager but finally went and got my GED in 2003 and surprisingly enough, all my grades were in the upper 90's percentile.
41. I sleep hard and alarm clocks do NOT wake me up.
42. I'm very disappointed that I've only been to two concerts in my life, and especially about whose concert the first one was. When I was 13 I saw Andy Gibb (ick) and about 8 or so years ago, I saw John Michael Montgomery.
43. I love the Looney Tunes.
44. I love motorcycles but I've yet to ride a four-wheeler.
45. I share a lot of beliefs with Native Americans, esp. regarding philosophy and spirituality.
46. I never ask "Does this make my butt look fat?" I already know the answer!
47. I miss my Grandma a lot...she was a kindred soul.
48. Some favorite movies are Braveheart, Lord of the Rings, Dances With Wolves, Last of the Mohicans...I love comedy as a genre, but can't really think of any that rate as all-time favorites.
49. I love to see (or hear) comedians' stand-up routines.
50. Some favorite music artists are Lynyrd Skynyrd, Three Doors Down, Godsmack, Journey, Ozzy, Metallica...
51. I've been debating cutting off my nails and taking up guitar again since Steven got an electric one for Christmas.
52. The next list I'm gonna do is my 101 Things I Wanna Do Before I Die but I'm gonna rename it 100 Life Goals.
53. I almost never make my bed.
54. The first three things I do every morning are pee, wash my face, and brush my teeth.
55. My showers are usually in the afternoon or early evening.
56. I love being barefoot in the summer or wearing flip-flops or sandals.
57. My first pet was a female dog I named Charlie Brown.
58. Besides dogs, I've also owned cats, rats, mice, snakes, parakeets, guinea pigs, turtles, goats, horses, geese, pigs, ducks, chickens, angelfish, iguanas, and a dairy cow.
59. When I was 16, two of my friends and I stole my parents' car and headed toward Freedom Hall in Lexington with no money, believing somehow we were going to see the Who concert. We'd randomly provoke other teenagers to race us down the highway until we eventually ran out of gas. We found out the next day that 16 people died at that concert during a riot or something.
60. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 19.
61. When I was about 15, I was hanging out with a couple male friends, drinking (all completely innocent although I think one of them did have a crush on me, at least until I drop-kicked him in the nuts!). The one whose house we were at decided he needed some fresh air and headed out his front door. The door stuck or something and he ran his arm through the glass. Hearing the breaking glass, the other boy and I went to see what had happened and found the first boy laying in the front yard. His arm was nearly severed at the elbow. He almost died twice on the way to the hospital but eventually was okay and recovering.
62. We had a pool when I was a kid and I became quite a mermaid. I love to swim and be in the water.
63. We always grew our own vegetables when I was growing up.
64. The first time I saddled a horse, I didn't get the girth strap tight enough and the saddle started slowly slipping off the horse's back till my sister and I wound up on the ground.
65. Organized sports I've played are softball, soccer, track and volleyball.
66. I absolutely love football and would've played it too if it had been available for girls then.
67. I'm a smoker who desperately wants to quit.
68. I work for this great older couple that I dearly love and miss right now 'cuz they're both in the hospital.
69. I believe in ghosts.
70. I do not believe in aliens.
71. I'm on the fence about Bigfoots and the Loch Ness Monster and such.
72. I love going caving.
73. I think politics in America would be greatly improved by doing away with all political parties. Each candidate stands on his own record and merits.
74. I do not watch soap operas.
75. I don't believe in love at first sight.
76. I've never been on an airplane.
77. I've never been out of the United States.
78. My preferences in clothing: sweats of the like around the house, and jeans in public, but I also love to wear dresses on occasion.
79. My style is generally kinda hippie/peasant.
80. I like making lists like this.
81. I'm generally non-confrontational but if you've really overstepped my boundaries, my intent is to make you regret it!
82. My kids tell me I can't sing but that doesn't stop me! I love to sing along and move to whatever's playing. It actually takes a concious effort not to.
83. Public speaking+me=total intimidation.
84. My favorite ice cream is butter pecan.
85. I'd give his right nut or her left tit for a Hummer or a mustang!
86. My favorite season is spring.
87. My favorite holiday is Christmas.
88. My favorite flowers are vibrant red roses, red or yellow tulips, tiger lilies, white lilies, and purple irises.
89. I think Abbott & Costello and Lucy are some of the funniest comics of all time.
90. I once saw a biker acquaintance get stabbed in the stomach by a member from a rival club. He had to get his stomach stapled shut.
91. I was almost run down by a bull we had once when I tried to hand-feed him some grass while I was inside the pasture fence with him.
92. I used to have to fight off mad mama cows when my dad and my husband were throwing the steers down to band them for castration.
93. I've been in three fights in my life.
94. Some of my favorite foods: chili, lasagna, fried fish, salad, tacoes, pizza, biscuits and gravy, homemade macaroni and cheese, brussels sprouts, lima beans, bacon, mashed potatoes, cheesy scrambled eggs...
95. I would love to be able to travel more.
96. Most Embarrassing Moment: Let's just say I was kind of inexperienced in dealing with Mr. Monthly and on a public bus and leave it at that!
97. Scariest Moment: When I thought I was going to lose one of my children and Last Rites was being performed.
98. My eyes are brown.
99. I'm about 5'6".
100. I've lived in Kentucky all my life.

WOOOOOHOOOOO! DONE!