Thanks to Two Sirius - this looks like fun!

Opening credits: Starry Starry Night, Don McLean

Waking up:   Tuesday's Gone - Lynard Skynard

First day of High School: Centerfold, J Giels

Falling in love:  Can't You See, Marshall Tucker Band

Fight song:  Bette Davis Eyes, Kim Carnes

Breaking up: Do That To Me One More Time - Carly Simon

Prom: I just Died in your Arms Tonight - REO Speedwagon

Life:  Blinded by the Light, Mannfred Mann

Mental breakdown:  Problem Child, ACDC

Driving:  Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald, Harry Chapin

Flashback:  I'll Wait - Van Halen

Getting back together: Heartbreaker, Pat Benetar

Wedding:  Karma, Alicia Keyes
Birth of child:  Watch Over You, Holly McNarland
Final battle: I Want you to Want Me, Cheap Trick
End credits:  I am Immortal, Quenn

I swear I didn't manipulate the Media Player - but alot do fit rather nicely....  :-)

We have a new wireless mouse & keypad.  It's really cool - except for one thing.  The mouse has to be charged and everyone, including myself, gets up from the computer and forgets to put the mouse in its charger.  What I need are big post-it notes all over this room to remind people I guess.  It's frustrating because you come to the computer and the mouse won't work! 

The first time this happened was a sight.  Of course Kevin wasn't here (as he only is on the weekends) and I thought the mouse was just freezing up.  I keep rebooting the dang computer until about 1/2 hour later, and probably about 10 reboots, I noticed this charger sitting next to the scanner.  Then it dawned on me...  its wireless, it needs to charge!  Bingo - problem fixed.

Kevin claims he told me and Sami that we needed to charge the mouse.  Kevin claims he tells us things all the time, that he doesn't.  I don't know if he thinks about telling us, therefore his mind thinks he did, but I swear - he did not tell us.  Kevin claiming to tell us things happens in  other cases too, trust me.  Oh and another thing - he loses his stuff all over the house and then thinks I moved them (because I do have a habit of straightening up and putting his stuff away where it's supposed to go (according to me)) but...  I know if I've done so and if he asks me and I say I didn't touch it - he never believes me.  

My other question?  Why do we need a wireless mouse and keyboard?  Where are we going to take the mouse and keyboard to, besides right in front of the computer?  I do know why though....  because Kevin has got to have every last new gadget out there!  I admit, it's kind of nice because we are definitely on the top when it comes to electronics, but come on...  He is constantly buying hard drives and upgrading stuff....  I don't really understand why?  If the computer works perfectly, why can't it just be left alone?  Why do we need so much memory or storage?  I guess that's just one of the things that makes Kevin, Kevin - and I do love him!  

As I type the mouse is charging.  I came in to do my daily and it was dead, of course!  I am the type that has a thousand windows open and go back between blogging, email and any other project I'm working on.  I don't like to wait for stuff to load (not that it takes that long with high speed, but still) and therefore I do something and go to the next window, do something else and then back to it.  I guess that would be "Multi-tasking"?  My style is cramped now.  The mouse charges, so while I'm waiting, I might as well type up my blog....  I don't need the mouse to type, thank god!

     My 17th TT

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Visit the 13 Hub  

My THIRTEEN Visits Today:

13 Thursday: Red and Ready to be Read

"kick back - little thought" movies

Thirteen Random Pictures Inside My Home!

Thirteen Things I Would Buy If I Won The Lottery

13 things I need to do before Christmas

13 Scribbles from my Chaotic Mind

Thirteen Things I do when I'm revising.

Thirteen of my Favorite Books (in no particular order)

Thirteen Things about BLONDE CHICK

I love when Jay Leno does his segment where he holds the silly ads up for us all to see.  They crack me up and I was in the mood to laugh so I went hunting for some of them.  I came across some signs to share. 

This first one is hillarious.  Are they serious?

And this?.....  What is wrong with their Marketing Department?

 Does this give you the shivers?  Slightly...

 Whats on your plate for dinner?

 I don't think I even need to comment on this reminder, do I?

Confusion sets in....

Did the town put that sign up?  Well so far so good because it's still hanging and must be working!  All bridges should have one of these!

This has to be one of my favorites.... Be there or be square!

Why didn't I think of this idea?  I've seen this many of times, holy rollers with signs, this guy speaks the truth! 

And the people making the signs didn't bother to question any of these?

What's your favorite?  They all are good for a chuckle or even a good belly laugh!  Just perfect for the mid-week blues.   

Pretend the Post Below Isn't Even There... It's Just A Figment Of Your Imagination!

Wow - I screwed that one up below....  I can't get to my "edit this post" because the pics that were there threw the link for editing right off the page.  The next thing I tried was to go in and delete the pics from the File Manager - this worked but only to block the pics from being seen. I still can't get to my "edit this post" link - now I can see it, but I can't click it because it's behind one of those white boxes with a red X. 

I'm going to Tripod Help to get assistance and will post my pic's I had planned a little later today - so hang on... and come back...

Once upon a time there was a post here that was supposed to be pictures of funny signs.  Because I didn't Preview my entry first when I posted it it ran across way out, further than even my sidebars.  It looked screwy.  I wanted to edit it but I was unable to edit it, as you will read above. 

Along came a magic person who gave me the instructions to manually repair this post.  As you can see, the photo's are gone now!  Thank you so much to "cw"!  I can't thank you enough.  You saved my Mom with her deleted Blog and now you've cleaned up one of my messes too.  Your wonderful!

Blog Fodder #1  (Go here if you want to join)

This subject was posted by Jean-Luc Picard

Hmmm - Memorable Memories in School.....

I had the coolest 1st grade teacher.  His name was Mr. Oliver and he taught at Foster School in Hingham MA (just in case anyone knows who he is...  I would love to let him know how much I liked him).  I had just moved to a new school and he was new to the school as well - so we were both in the same boat.  I was a little intimidated at having a male teacher but immediately grew to love him.  Show and Tell time was the best!  He would sit us in a circle, with him in the middle sitting down and spin his legs around and where ever his feet landed, who ever they were pointing at, got to take their turn at Show and Tell.  I think he was our teacher for about a month and then one day we walked into class and was told that we had a new teacher.  No explanation or anything....  The new teacher was a woman and I wasn't impressed, to say the least.  Even in 1st grade I had very strong opinions....  If anyone out there knows of a Mr. Oliver who teaches, let me know. 

I wasn't a very studious child.  I was way more into having fun.  My most memorable experiences in High School probably took place out in the smoking area.  Yes we actually had a smoking area.  You could go grab a smoke between classes and it was always packed with friends!  Lunch was spent eating for the first 10 minutes and the rest of the time horsing around out in the smoking area.  I learned alot in that spot!     

just kidding..... 

but Sami owns an IPOD - so she got what she wanted for her birthday.  Can you believe this thing will hold about 7,500 songs! 

We had a terrific...  TERRIFIC... time this weekend.  We drove the 2 hour trip at about 6 pm and arrived at about 8 pm.  Wendy's for dinner on the way in and simple relaxation Friday night at the hotel.  The girls, of course, did lots of hall walking and giggling all over the hotel.  

Saturday morning we got up at 10:00 and went down for the "continental" breakfast.  They had a hot breakfast bar which you could upgrade to for 3.99 and because I can't resist gravy biscuits, we upgraded immediately.  After a nice breakfast Kevin and I relaxed in the room while the girls did some more exploring, and swimming, playing pool etc. 

Our horseback ride was scheduled for 2pm and we arrived right on time.  I can't even begin to tell you how cool this horseback riding trip was.  We went through the woods, fields, streams - all over this horse farm and the surrounding land.  Kevin rode Willy - a large black horse, Sami rode Midnight - a small black horse, Amber rode Nugget - a Palomino and I rode Walks-a-lot - a white horse.  Each horse had a personality of its own.  It's not easy to ride.  I thought we'd get right up there and ride away but there is learning involved in how to sit, hold the reins, turn the horse etc.  It was the most gorgeous day out too!  We couldn't have asked for better weather.

I did manage to hurt my hand somehow.  It is sprained.  I'm not quite sure how I did it but it really started hurting about 1/2 way through the trail ride.  I think I might have sprained or pulled a muscle when I pulled myself up on the horse - but it didn't stop me from enjoying.  I grinned and bared it.   

Saturday night we were pretty tired so we decided to order Pizza in.  Kevin and I made a quick trip to Walmart because he had last minute shopping to do for Samantha and I wanted to get a small cake.  When we got back presents galore were opened (and thank you to all you Massachusetts folks who sent gifts - Sami was thrilled with every last thing she got).  I hadn't mentioned it because I was unsure if Sami looked at my blog - but I got her a Video IPOD.  It hasn't left her hands since she opened it.

Sunday morning us three girls felt like we wanted to go riding again - so what the heck - I called over there and we got an appointment for 10am.  Don, the proprietor, gave the girls an hour riding lesson for free and then we had another hour trail ride.  This ride was even better than the first because we all did rode a little better and were more comfortable.  We did alot of trotting which we hadn't done much of on Saturday and went down a river about waist deep on the horses.  I didn't do as well myself, because of my hand, but the girls looked like pro's by this point.  Don trains moviestars to ride in moves and they filmed Cold Mountain, Sweet Home Alabama & a few other movies right there were we rode.  Sami's horse, Midnight, was one of the stars of Sweet Home Alabama! 

So now that Sam has her IPOD - guess what she wants now?  You guessed it.....  A Horse!

House.......

Isn't this absolutely gorgeous?  Samantha made it for me for Thanksgiving in her cooking class at school!  She wants to nibble on it already but I made her promise we would wait until New Years because it's just so pretty for the holidays! 

I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with delicious food and wonderful memories.  Thanksgiving was pretty good for us this year, although it is bitter sweet because most of my family are home in Massachusetts.  We have stayed in Virginia in the past and normally eat at Kevin's parents, but this year they went off to South Carolina to visit some friends.  I'm sure they had fun and needed a nice change.  This left me cooking my own traditional Thanksgiving dinner, which I don't think I've ever done by myself and I was looking forward to it.  Oh I've cooked a Thanksgiving type dinner, sure, but not on the actual day of Thanksgiving.  Samantha chipped in and helped me cook and we had a lot of fun cooking together.  It was just Kevin, Sam and I, sharing a 10 lb turkey, which turned out to be the perfect amount.  Next to the Turkey we also had Redskin Mashed Potatoes, Summer Squash Casserole, Stuffing & Kevin made his famous Crabmeat Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms.  Samantha decided she wanted to make a Cherry Pie.  I agreed that would be yummy and picked her up a Pie shell when I was shopping but because she is in cooking class now and is learning all sorts of cooking tidbits, she decided to do the Pie from scratch.  It really came out good, much better than I could have done.  If there is one thing I'm not, I'm not a baker!  I can cook my ass off when it comes to dinners, casseroles etc. but I can't bake.  

After we ate Samantha went to her father's house so they could celebrate her birthday over there.  She should be home by about 1:30 this afternoon. 

Sunday is Sami's 13th birthday!  I didn't see her age sneak up on me - but it sure has!  Hard to believe it was thirteen years ago when my Thanksgiving equaled hard labor and a dinner of ice chips.  I went into labor the day before Thanksgiving, on the 24th and had her the day after, on the 26th.    

I've only been on a horse a few times.  I took a few days of riding lessons back in 87 or so.  My Dad took me horseback riding once too, when I was about 10.  I remember loving it and I know Sami will, just as much as I did back then.  She says she is a little worried about going uphill and that the horse might trip but we have assured her that horses don't fall much and they have very steady legs.  I'm hoping she'll take right to it, like she did when we skied for the first time last winter.

I'll talk with you again on Sunday evening, when I get home.  Until then, tell me... Do you have any interesting Thanksgiving traditions or food that makes Thanksgiving what it is?           

Just wanted you to know all to know that my car is fine and I have arrived and come back and forth again safe n sound.

I want to wish those I truly love - and you other stragglers too - lol - a very happy Thanksgiving! 

THANKSGIVING 

I think we all need to look at the words within this holiday.  Remember the true meaning of the holiday and why we celebrate it.  Not because you Took too much or Gave too much but because we give and take of eachother - with acceptance - always have and always will! 

I had my shopping list all ready as I got out of work last night.  I had to get my Thanksgiving stuff and Samantha's birthday things. 

I got in my car and attempted to leave and the damn thing won't start, it won't even turn over.    Dead as a doornail.  (Why do they say a doornail is dead?  What is a doornail?)

My car does have some electrical issues because it sat at Colleeen's house for close to two years while I was living in Massachusetts.  Needless to say, the field mice wrecked havoc.  I actually found a few mice nests under the hood and wrapped in my wires. 

On the way to work the car had stalled and acted like the battery had died – but I wiggled the battery connections and it started right back up – something that I learned a few months back when I was having the same issues.  Same thing at lunch – wiggling wires worked.  But this time – wiggling wires won’t work!  Yikes!  Under my breath I’m cussing and thinking "Just what I need… right in time for Sam’s birthday, our upcoming weekend away horseback riding and Christmas on the horizon."   Luckily, my girlfriend at work gave me a jump and after about a ½ hour of wiggling the car finally started.  For while anyway….  The car stayed running until I pulled into Kevin's motel room and stalled dead again right in my parking spot.  (Thank god it happened where it did).  I called Sami to let her know this would be her first night spending the night alone because I wasn't going anywhere, at least until Kevin got out of work at 2 am.  Kevin would be able to check the car out in the morning but I couldn't make the 45 minute trek up the mountain, knowing that even if I could get it started it probably wouldn't make it the whole way.  I called Kim and asked her to pick me up at work, no problem, while asking Kevin if he could keep my car and check it out when he woke up today.    

Kim took me back to his place this evening, which is where I am now.  I'm getting ready to attempt to drive home.  Wish me luck!   

That's what I'm in the process of cooking right now.....  Our Sunday dinner.  Yes, I know it's already past 8:00 p.m.  We eat late, but this is ridiculous!  I put the chicken in at about 6, which takes 1 hr & 40 min,  planning to eat around 7:30 or so.  When I arrived at the oven to uncover it so the top would crisp I realized I hadn't even turned the oven on!  Chrissie Moment - Clearly.

Today I spent the entire day sorting through 5 years of pictures.  The ENTIRE day people.  I had my pictures from 2000 - 2005 all in a metal box awaiting attention.  I finally dug in and started on them.  First I put them in year order, as they were all mixed together from people looking through them and am now working on putting each year in order by season.  I filled one book alone with just 2000 spring & summer.  My 2nd book, which I'm on, covers the rest of 2000 & all of 2001 - I hope.  I will have to buy more books as I only had two empty photo albums to use.  After this part of the project is done, I plan to attack all the computer pictures on my computer and Kevins two.  I stopped taking real photo's when I went to digital, but now that I am doing this project I am realizing that I really went them all in books - so I'll simply print them out!  I don't know if I'll buy photo paper, I'd need a ton, and it is right expensive.  I might just print them on paper and put them in a book.  Better than nothing.... 

The other project this week is to buy photo paper so I can send everyone Sami's 7th grade school picture.  Here's my girl.  My how she has changed from last year!  I have both pictures on my desk at work and my boss pointed out that 6th grade is a girl and 7th is definately a teen! 

Pretty cute huh?

Don't forget to check out Blog Fodder @ Moogies World (below).  Submit an idea - it should be fun!

My new friend Moogie - from "Moogie's World" is starting a new Blog participation Game.   

Blog Fodder.....  What an excellent idea!  Essentially we all post idea's on what everyone should blog about and then if you participate and are on the Blogroll you have to write about that topic.  Way cool - one of my big problems sometimes is coming up with things to write about.

So - check out Moogie and her idea.

The more the merrier!

How are you spending your weekend? 

I went to Bingo last night - didn't win anything - but I really enjoy going.  Many members of my family love gambling and I definately get it naturally.  I needed only three numbers to complete my "coverall" and win 750.00 last night, waiting with anticipation for that next number to be called out and praying I wouldn't hear someone yell out BINGO.  They did.  Maybe next time it'll be my turn. 

Samantha spent last night at her friends down in Roanoke, which worked out nicely for me because I was able to drop her off and head  straight to the Bingo game, which is also in Roanoke.  Bingo ended at 10:45 - leaving me enough time to stop and get the requested 12 pack for Kevin & I.  Kevin rents a room in Roanoke during the weekdays because he works from 4 pm to 2 am Mon-Fri and it's easier than him having to commute up and down the mountain at that hour - it's close to an hour each direction.  He lives with us on the weekends and goes back down to Roanoke when I go to work Monday morning.  So anyway - about the beer.  As I strolled down the cement hallway toward his motel room, carrying way more than I should have been, something slipped.  Smash - goes the beer to the cement, drenching me in stinky, splashy, splattering beer.  I was making quite the entrance.  Poor Kevin ended up with only a 6 pack.  

I had a few hours to wait until he got home from work and there was a punk band playing at the motel.  I decided to check them and the interesting people out.  I love to people watch and there's nothing like a punk crowd when it comes to people watching.  Who would have thought???... but this cheap motel bar had a $5.00 cover charge, hardly the type of place you would expect a cover charge, trust me on that.  I had the cash, sure, but if you know me, you know I had to talk my way around the cover charge.  I guess because I'm cute, or maybe he just was tired of listening to me, the doorman let me in for free!  I wouldn't even have gone in if I had to pay...  I went in, drank two Corona's and enjoyed the people, even if the music was a little distrubing.  Lastly, I came home to Blog.  I Blogged until 2 am or so.  

(Blog is a funny word, if you think about it.  Really think about the sound of it.... )

(I want this shirt!)

After visiting with Kevin for a few hours, eating  Burger King at 3:30 am (good for a few xtra pounds) - I finally caught a few Z's.  My Friday night in a nutshell.   

Does anyone know why "they" call it "Z's"?  Where did that come from?

Oh... and what do you think of the new look?

Ok, we have a nice huge yard.  Huge actually is an understatement - essentially we have a farm surrounding us.  But... I'm speaking about my front yard area here.  Daily, the front yard seems to be littered with "stuff".  Not my "stuff" but other peoples "stuff" that my 9 mo old German Shepherd, Ruby, gathers from throughout the neighborhood.  So far I have found, a pair of someones leather cowboy boots, a plastic mug from DollyWood, a paint roller, a small lap type blanket and interestingly enough, a few pumpkins, which must had been taken off the neighbors porch.  (How did she get her jaw around these pumpkins? I'll never know - but she did it).  I get very annoyed, every other day or so, when I have to go picking up her collections of goodies because my yard looks so messy.  Yesterday was my breaking point.  My dog needs counseling!  I looked out the window at just the perfect time, here comes Ruby,  trotting across the road with someones UPS package in her mouth!  I died and then LMAO - I just couldn't believe it.  Needless to say I need a support group of some kind, please help!

And another thing.... 

I'm not really a very religious person.  Spritual, yes, but I don't go to church or anything like that.  My daughter lives the same way.  I was raised Catholic and her Dad was raised Southern Baptist.  Samantha is not quite sure what she wants to be, if anything.  We happen to live smack dab in the middle of the bible belt, which hasn't much concerned me, to each his own, but apparently my daughter had a recent interesting conversation with a few of the girls at school.  She came home, quite amused at the situation and told me all about it.

It kind of went like this:

Friend:  What religion are you?

Daughter:  I'm not any religion.

Friend:  You mean your not from the U.S.?

Daughter:  Huh?

Friend:  If your no religion then that means your an aethist

Daughter:  I do believe in God

Friend:  Then your a Christian

Daughter:  Do you believe in Ghosts?

Friend:  No

Daughter:  Why?  I do?

Friend:  Then your not a Christian

Ok - Is she or isn't she?  That's my question.  I guess that's for her to determine.  Hey - maybe she's a ghost.

I happen to think it is the best thing since sliced bread.  The first (or most popular) DVR (I think) was Tivo, but now all the satelite companies have them! 

I am a TV person! Being a person that loves TV, I am in love with my DVR.  It's all I ever needed, especially with life being so sapped for time. 

What is a A DVR you ask?  Well it is a hard drive built inside your satelite box.  The DVR records what you are watching Live and/or records anything you tell it to record.  For Instance:  You are watching Live TV, you can rewind or pause that live television show; you miss a part of a show or can't figure out what someone just said - skip back to it; you need to run to the bathroom or refridgerator - just pause it.  Or maybe you love a specific television series...  well you can set it to tape "all episodes" or "all new episodes (no repeats)" and you don't even have to look through the guide to find the episodes, it does it for you and automatically saves the show to your harddrive for future viewing.  And..... while you are watching something you have recorded, you can tape something else that is playing at the same time.  Not to mention that I very rarely have to watch commercials anymore.  (I wonder how the sponsors feel about that). 

So anyway.... my 13 list is up and it is

Thirteen Things currently on my DVR:

1. 

Blue Planet:  Seas of Life

Coasts education:  Breeding forces animals to come onto land; eagles; marine iguana's; Olive Ridley turtles; killer whales hunt sea lion pups; rock hopper penguins.

2.

Medium

Four Dreams:  Allison's former lover takes up residence in the Dubois house following his death. 

3.

The People's Court

4.

The New Detectives

Silent Killers:  Police Search for the driver of an abandoned car; a woman searches for her 10 year old son.

5.

Montel Williams

Woman share stories of survival after uncovering shocking truths about their husbands.

6.

Law & Order - Special Victims Unit

Underbelly:  Stabler & Beck try to get a yong prostitute to testify against her pimp.

7.

Nova 

The Family that walks on all Fours:  Scientific implications of an impairment which causes an impoverished family in Turkey to walk on all fours. 

8.

American Justice

A Warrant to Kill:  A deputy sheriff's dispute with a Texas woman ends in her death.

9.

The Bachelor - Rome

Lorenzo takes the fianl three women to exotic dates in Sweden, Budapest & Sicily; one woman is sent home.

10.

Heroes

Seven Minutes to Midnight:  Peter asks Nathan to help him find a key to the future.

 11.

E True Hollywood Stories - Hip Hop Wives:  Woman married to hip hop artists.

12.

Long Way Round - The Entire Series

The adventures of actors Ewan McGregor & Charley Boorman on their 3 month motorcycle trip through 13 countries.

13.  And....  all of the many movies saved by my darling teen-girl Samantha:

• She's the Man (pay per view)
• National Treasure
• Eight Below (pay per view)
• Garfield:  A Tail of Two (pay per view)
• Stick it (pay per view)
• A Cinderella Story
• Love Potion No. 9
• Freddy's Dead - The Final Nightmare
• Lean on Me
• Racing Stripes
• Sixteen Candles
• The Shining
• 200 Cigarettes
• Fantastic Four
• Rumor has it (pay per view)
• Bring it on - pt 2 - All or Nothing (pay per view)

Which ones do you watch?  What are your favorite shows?

MY 13 THURSDAY VISITS - 13 OF THEM

• Thirteen Home Remedies as Scavenged by SHOSHANA

• Thirteen Things quotes from Kahlil Gibran

• Thirteen things about me

• 13 Thursday: On the Couch

• 13 Random Thoughts Coming from My Brain Tonight

• Thirteen things about me.

• Thirteen Web sites about America's Foundings

• Why a week off for Thanksgiving is a good thing

•  Thirteen of my favorite pictures of Baby Boy's first year!

• 13 Random Ramblings

• Thirteen Flowers I like most...

• Things Carmen Loves About Thanksgiving

• Thirteen Reasons Why I Love My Boston
  

Another day and another set of pictures.  I had to shoot around this room, because it's a little small and I couldn't find a good shot of all of it - or even half of it.

Here is a view from the kitchen

And following around the room clockwise:

Ignore the Ghostly Orbs in this picture - and yes I do think we have a presence or two around us.

As promised....  So begins the photo's of the interior of the house.  The house is so big that I have to do it in sections.  The first, for today, is the kitchen and dining areas.

1st View & 2nd View of Kitchen

1st, 2nd & 3rd Views of Attached Dining Area

That's how long it's been since I posted last.  I know, I know, Get with it.  Sorry guys - busy life is getting the best of my time.  I actually wrote a post yesterday and left it up on my computer because I had planned to add more to it before I posted.  But... one of the gremlins I live amongst closed the window when they got on the computer.  Silly me, for not saving as draft!  Then earlier today I posted again - a nice big ole long post - but when I hit the post button - I got the big ole TRIPOD Error and my post was again gone to never never computer land.  The big hole that has tons of posts and emails forever lost.  It'll be very interesting when one day that hole is discovered! 

Needless to say I don't want to post what I wrote earlier - I don't have the time right now - but I'm still here.  My blog is quickly becoming a "Weekend Update" But - that's ok - that's life.  I'm still here...  Awaiting....  for what, I couldn't tell ya!

I slept, like many of you probably did?  And had a pretty strange dream too.

One of my aunts birthdays is today and I just realized this morning that she gets a special extra hour on her birthday!  How cool is that?  Better than having your birthday on Leap Year, if you ask me.  Happy Birthday to You!

That would be frying coke.   (How strange is this?) 

Abel Gonzales, 36, a computer analyst from Dallas, tried about 15 different varieties before coming up with his perfect recipe -- a batter mix made with Coca-Cola syrup, a drissle of strawberry syrup and some strawberries. 

Gonzales ran two stands at the State Fair of Texas and sold up to 35,000 fried Cokes over 24 days for $4.50 each -- and won a prize for coming up with "most creative" new fair food.