Saturday, January 31, 2009

random picture challenge Nov 2007

The picture challenge today over at 4 Little Men and Girly Twins is to show the 44th picture in your Nov 07...


i had the display screen out so they could see what they looked like which is why it appears that they are smiling to someone else with a camera... this is when B's front teeth were falling out... if you look closely you can see that one is barely hanging on and has pushed the other one so that it is poking almost straight out... it was a strange time :)

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

some things are just made for blogging...

this afternoon i was part of a research group panel doing a study on healthy eating... it's pretty fun because they pay you... or as they like to call it give you and incentive for participating and in return you get to have interesting discussions about things you wouldn't normally be talking about... i've done a few of these and they are always fun!

this one today was no exception except that all i kept thinking was what great blogging it would be and how there was no way i would be able to capture the moment in words... but i can't help but try....

there are 5 of us... we don't know each other so we first introduce ourselves... i go first... tell my 2 minute elevator speech about who i am and what i'm all about...

next person is a woman 2 teenagers, just got her MBA is trying to find a job,.. and as a hobby studies the socio economic effects of where and from whom we buy our food... ok... next

45 plus year old man once married now living with "partner" who is single dad with 2 teenagers and they have just lost their home... he is a documentary film maker currently making a film about homelessness in seattle - think Morgan Spurlock - super size me, who just in case you are wondering happens to be one of this guys friends - he's recently off the vegetarian food wagon after 20 years... constantly wringing his hands... freaking me out...

next is a woman maybe 50 - 2 teen age daughters when asked what she does for fun she say she doesn't because her kids are academics and they are always home studying... but she loves to cook no matter how tired she is and it is always fabulous...

then there is mister unassuming... IT guy dressed in typical NW gear - hiking boots, fleece, canvas pants with a million pockets... goofy hat to either protect curly hair from crazy frizz or because he is bald... we'll never know... he turns out to be the freak in sheeps clothing going on and on about all the horrible things being done to our food supply, how he walks to get his groceries and goes every day since he can only carry it in his back pack... guess what he drives off in after it is all over... a brite yellow SUV :)

seems unique a group enough... then they start asking questions and i'm so not in line with this group... i stop talking... they are going on an on about organic, natural, supplements, how farming today does not provide us with the nutrients we need and to get the B 12 you need to take a bottle worth of pills or go to an herbalist... my brain is spinning and i'm ready to run from the room screaming... i thought they had put like minded people together....

i can't take it any more i must speak... and out comes diarrhea of the mouth about how the rest of the world doesn't live in this NW organic bubble with too much free time on their hands to learn all about what parts of our state still have nutrient rich land... let's face it we are a nation of m&m's, fast food and convenience... i'm organic as much as i can but i felt like i was transported to a commune of the 70's...

this is when i get that the moderator is on to me... i am the key to success in this group and i'm the only one who can stay on task... she does NOT care about supplements and if i grow my own food she wants to know what is realistic about healthy eating with today's busy families and people... but by this point our time is up... and all i can do is walk out with my $75 and am thankful for the fun... and the stories... and anxious to see what comes next time...

Monday, January 26, 2009

back in the saddle again...

i feel like i've been mia... i've only been here in pictures... which isn't so bad...

so instead of Friday Fragments... i'm going with Monday Fragments...

Vegas was hard on my body... nothing like 5 days on concrete to remind you how old you are... my dansko shoes were great till about 1 and after that there was nothing that would work... on day 3 when i took my shoes off they blew up like balloons right before my eyes... i had cankles the likes of which i never saw when i was pregnant... insane... thankfully i brought a pair of shoes that were one size too big for my dinner that night....

food in vegas is great...if you spend the money that is... my favorite meal this year was at Circo in the bellagio... yummy ~

people watching is also at it's finest in vegas although aside from hookers i didn't see anything even worth remembering... the hookers were in full force... in fact i think there were more than in years past... as were the security guards who were trying to chase them out...

i don't gamble... addictive personalities like mine need to steer clear of these things... i did spend $10 in the penny slots with a friend... she had just won $180... on pennies... and wanted me to sit with her for a while...i lost my $10... but it took almost 2 hours... and had fun in the process... not playing the slots though... there is nothing about penny slots that makes sense to me... all those lines... the strange extra spins... the sheer randomness of it all...

so i spent the weekend after vegas doing my best to get caught up on life... C was stuck to me like glue so it was hard to do much more than read stories to him and play with his cars.... a blessing really... and i only wish i could see it as such...

monday i was back to mock 5 getting ready for another show... this one only in seattle, but still involved an insane amount of work... super hubby is amazing... he jumped right in and picked up the slack... i am SO LUCKY!!!

this show was only one day (with 2 weeks of prep)... and the one thing i learned that i didn't know before is how powerful facebook is to an account manager, sales rep... whatever you want to call me... a must!!!

then C turned 3... we had a low key gathering with his 2 best buddies and good friends for the parents...

elevator speech... what do i do...

solve the worlds promotional opportunities and challenges one pen at a time...

not really since now BIC has not just pens... in promotional we also do... sticky notes, magnets, mouse pads, drink ware, key rings, bags and usb drives... i'm sure by this time next year we'll have even more....no wonder my back hurts so bad...

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Random Picture Challenge Aug 07


The picture challenge today over at 4 Little Men and Girly Twins is to show the 30th picture in your Aug 07... and you know how i love a picture challenge... and i love the surprise that pops up after the download because it's way more fun to roll the dice... this is my little brother and his amazing, entertaining, dramatic, enthusiastic, awesome daughter i call banana...

Thursday, January 22, 2009

happy birthday little C...

Everyone says it...I can't stop saying it...how can my baby be 3!!!


interview with a 3 year old...
how old are you...3
favorite color... blue
favorite toy...lightning mcqueen
best friends... ben, hannah, caitlin, sarah and nate
favorite place to go... park and children's museum
favorite movie... cars
i like to sleep with bobo, blankie, whitie and turtle
favorite animal... turtle

I have to play this game so I can't talk to you (c's response after my question)

My version...
favorite song... little red caboose
and your favorite things to do are, cook, play with your brother, play dough, paint, games, movies, scream, me, to say barack obama, m&m's, cats, cars, climbing out of your crib, smelling whitie and playing with my friends hannah and cannah...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHUCKLEBERRY!!!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

on the road

i will get to my vegas recap as soon as i get thru another show... maybe i'll need to do a

Friday Fragments...

Monday, January 19, 2009

get on your boots... U2

you may remember i LOVE sting and the police... i also dig on U2... did you know they had a new album out??? comes out March 3rd, but this is the first single....

not so sure what i think yet... what do you think?

Thursday, January 15, 2009

day 4...

"mobile-photo"

went to this great Ogio event... this other picture is guy doing some crazy trick on his bike... he's the white blob in the middle :-)

<

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

my home this week

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

day 2...

finally putting my feet up... not even my magic red shoes can keep these feet from aching... trade shows are death to feet and backs... perhaps tomorrow I'll come to you from the trade show floor...

Monday, January 12, 2009

vegas... day one

I'm here... can you guess what hotel I'm in? still not sure why I had to come in early, but I have plenty of work to do to pass the time...

Saturday, January 10, 2009

random picture challenge

Britney is having a picture challenge... and i love these

month of may photo 21... i didn't even screen it before i selected...


which naturally makes it even better -- C is in to grabbing both of your cheeks with his hands and saying "cutie cutie" - this was me trying to capture the moment... and although it looks like i'm squeezing hard it's really just because he has such big cheeks...

Thursday, January 8, 2009

thousand word thursday


Cheaper Than Therapy


on this day in 2006...


when imagination was enough to keep you busy for hours...

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

top 8 reasons to be on Facebook...

I love Facebook... why you ask?

  1. i found a kick ass massage therapist who is a long lost friend from my no kids days...
  2. you can peer in to people's lives without them knowing...
  3. random status reports make for great laughs...
  4. if you want to remember what you looked like in high school or even elementary school chances are someone will show you...
  5. best way to share digital photos...
  6. finding random friends from life...
  7. the endless laughing...i can't say that one enough...
  8. discovering random photos of your husband from jr high and high that he never thought you'd see...
  9. finding those people you thought you'd lost forever...
if you don't have an account... get one now... it is a vortex of time... but so worth it.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

when will it end?

the forecast for today is rain... a crap load of it... but when i saw this out my window Sunday night all i could think was please god let there be school... 5:45 am call to let us know there was a 2 hour delay... far better than i had hoped...



and yes... that is our christmas tree in the sledding ramp waiting for the boy scouts to pick it up...

Monday, January 5, 2009

working mom...

ever wonder what happens when this working mom is home alone with her crazy 3 year old and no nanny...

of course it is permanent marker...and naturally this picture doesn't do it justice...



but i discovered that 4o9 and a magic eraser were just the trick to remove most but not all of this permanent marker stain!!!

Friday, January 2, 2009

cheerful scoop... CIA befriending Afghan Warlords with Viagra

i'm a fan of cheerful scoop... i need good things in my day... and this one made me laugh...

Viagra is helping combat terrorism. The CIA is offering the drug to Afghan warlords to entice them to share information that helps combat terrorism. Through the exchange the CIA is also building relationships with these fickle leaders and winning their support.

The CIA has been selective when handing out the drug and only provides it to older leaders. Agents make sure to explain the drug and possible side effects. Afghan leaders are so pleased with Viagra they exchange information for more pills. Aside from Viagra, the CIA also offers dental care, visas, toys, and medicine to build relationships with these difficult clan leaders. If bribery will make the world a safer place than so be it.

Originally published by the BBC.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Thousand words Thursday...


Cheaper Than Therapy




the winner is...

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:1
Timestamp: 2009-01-01 19:09:27 UTC

So i'm still trying to figure out how i got 1... but it seems fitting since she was one of my very first commentors outside my world...

The Mom said...
Happy Blogaversary!!! Here's to another great year of stories and pictures!
December 28, 2008 1:30 PM

Congrats Jen!