And on that note...

I found this note in my son's backpack:

"Remy, I'm sorry
what I did.
I shouldn't have done that.
Next time I will through away the paper
and at that time at school
I was feeling weird so
I just wrote it for no resin
so I don't know what I whas doing
just fieling not very nice."

Your friend,
So-and-so


Wow, huh?
Remy won't give me the details or tell me what happened.

So, on that note...
I'm left perplexed.

What do you think happened?!

Funkity Funkalistic Funk

I'm in a funk.

So, while I complain, I'm going to share funky photos from
one of my favorite places to take pictures:

Third Monday Trade Days.

I'm sick of all my clothes.

I want new clothes.

Comfortable, black clothes.

I'm sick of my hair.

I'm ready to chop it.

It's way too long and crazy.

All I seem to do is work and sleep.

I need to take some time off this weekend (how far away is the weekend?)
to recharge doing creative things.

Like take photos.

and blog.

I'm grouchy.

How do you get out of your funk?

You know you're an icon when...

Whether you love Barbie or you hate her...
you have to admit she's an icon.







And, you know that a celebrity has reached iconic status
when he or she gets made into their very own Barbie Doll.

And, the newest iconic Barbie this year?

Heidi Klum!

I loved Barbie has a child.
She was one of my best friends growing up.
I played out my creativity through her,
made up stories and had fun.

Did you have a childhood with Barbie?

Dive-Bombing Crickets

Donny's in 7th grade band, and he plays the trombone.

(Don't worry, I'm getting to the crickets)

Last weekend he got to play with the high school band at a football game.

It was pretty exciting.
And he had a blast...

except for the dive-bombing crickets.

WHAT?!

I know, I had to hear that twice too.
Apparently there are flying crickets all over the stands...
and they dive-bomb into the people and stands.

So, while Donny was playing his trombone,
he would feel things landing on him.






Kind of sounds like something out of a nightmare to me.

He said a lot of them just plummeted to their death in the stands.


It was quite an evening.

And, then, there was the whole incident where he fell and broke the trombone...
but we won't go into that!!

Do you have any insect horror stories?!!

Halloween Traditions in the Country of Suburbia

For the last two years that I've lived in the suburbs of Dallas,
I've discovered some interesting traditions that are practice.

You basically put together a Halloween gift bag of goodies
with a special poem and a sign...

and then doorbell ditch the bag anonymously.

Once you've been hit, you get to put up this sign on your door:

And then it's your responsibility to carry on the event...
and hit two more neighbors with these surprises.

My mom (who we live with) decided to START it this year.

She likes to instigate things.

And she recruited my two hooligans to deliver the goods in the dark.

They loved it.

They snuck into neighbors yards and rang doorbells and ran.

And then we didn't put up a sign, hoping we get hit back in return.

And we did.
A few nights later.

Did you know about this Halloween tradition?
Have you ever participated?
Have you ever instigated?!

Puffy Eyes are a requirement at my Pity Parties

I'm not including photos because it wasn't pretty.

A few nights ago I held a pity party in my honor.
No one else was invited.
It was all about me.
I was pitiful.
And I cried a lot.

It was cathartic.
I felt better later.
And then the next day...I had puffy eyes.

This is a new symptom of my thirties.
I never had puffy eyes in my twenties.
Not like this.

Good lord have mercy.
It was painful!!!

So, I started searching online for remedies.
I read to drink lots of liquids
so that you're more hydrated,
which can lessen the puffiness.


Apparently, the excessive salt from tears
causes the skin around the eye to actually retain more water
causing that puffy look.


Thick slices of ice cold cucumbers for ten minutes
were recommended by lots of sites,
as well as cold strawberries.

I think I just need to visit a nice spa in McKinney for
special treatment.

Strips of grated potato were mentioned...
and ice cubes wrapped in towels...
witch hazel soaked wash clothes or hot tea bags...

Do you cry gracefully?
Do you have a blotchy face or puffy eyes afterwards?

Have you tried any of these remedies?

Had a pity party in your honor lately?

Space Litter

How many of these old clunkers litter the sky above Earth?

They are really gigantic space telescopes facing Earth
that took photos...
and then dropped the canisters of film.

Can you imagine little canisters of film with parachutes falling through the sky?
Our military had to pick them up mid-air with planes.



These old satellites contain hazardous material, such as rocket fuel,
and they fall out of the sky occasionally.

Do we sometimes shoot them down with missiles?
Probably.

"Old space satellites were used to gather visual information from space about adversarial governments and terror groups, including construction at suspected nuclear sites or militant training camps.
The satellites were also used to survey damage from hurricanes, fires and other natural disasters."

We never know where they might land.
They're about the size of a small bus.

If one lands in my backyard, can I please sell it on EBay?!

Iguana know more

These two photos are of Mexican Iguanas in the Yucatan Pennisula.

My mom took these photos while on vacation down there this summer.

They are supposedly vegetarian.

And, if you feed one...20 more will appear.

My mom fed them.

This one is running off with a piece of bread she gave it.

They're huge!
And pretty cool looking.

I can't imagine just seeing them all over the place, like they are there.

Grab a camera and a critter and join Camera Critters!

Ironic

Can you see what I'm talking about?

You might have to click on the photo to see it closer.

Chicken Little, the sky's on fire!

I have so many things I need to do.
and I feel like the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

I have so many post ideas, for this blog,
for the blog at work,
and for the UpTake blog.

I'm working on writing a short story for my online Writing Class.

And I'm trying to brainstorm ideas to make my department the best at work.
And spend time with my kids.
And figure out my finances.
And file for divorce.

Oh, yeah, I need to sleep sometimes.

Just call me the White Rabbit.

Onion Volcano

It's so easy to get used to seeing something one way...

and then you can't imagine it any other way.

I'd never thought of an onion volcano before.
So simple,
so amusing,
so unique!

Have you opened your eyes to anything new lately?

Is this really an onion volcano?
Or is it an intergalactic space geyser?

Sit or Squat

We've all been out and had to go to the bathroom urgently.
It's a fact of life, and it happens.


The worst feeling is needing to go...and not being able to find a toilet.

I've rushed into fast food restaurants...Starbucks...gas stations...

Once, when I was around 13 or so, my family took a trip to Italy.
And we took a tour of Pompeii.

Please tell me you have heard of Pompeii?

It's a ruined and partially-buried Italian town, from a volcanic eruption
of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.



It's an amazing place to visit.
The history there is incredible.

But, mid-tour, my mom, my sister, and I all needed to pee.

Badly.

In the middle of an ancient-volcanically preserved historic town.

I'm ashamed to admit it...but we did it.

We found a spot to...squat.

Does anyone know the Italian statute of limitations on a crime like that?

Could I be arrested next time I end up in Italy?

Can my own blog be used against me in a court of law?!!




Anyway, I recently found out, from the same above-mentioned sister,
that there is an iPhone/iPod app that is called...

Sit 0r Squat.

And it's a free app to help you find a toilet while you are...anywhere.

What a brilliant idea!!!


Do you have any good app ideas to create your own? Do you own any good apps you want to share?



photos courtesy of Wiki Commons