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Showing posts from March, 2009

Tuesday Tunes - Tyrone Wells

I don't usually post a live show clip but the sound quality is fantastic. Tyrone Wells " More " My girls and I can't stop singing this song. Support Live Music!!! Go See A Show!!!

Time To Go To My Happy Place

Have I upset the machine God's in some way? Why, on this one morning, did my car battery die, and my washing machine decide to get all wonky? Today my girls returned to school after their Spring Break. This was to be my morning of getting reorganized and running errands without the cries of "Can we get ice cream? Ple-e-e-ze ?!!" "Can I get a new Bakugan? Ple-e-e-e-ze ?!" "Can we get a kitty? Mom, why is there steam coming out of your ears?" Someone must be trying to send me a message. Perhaps today I should stay off the roads. Perhaps I should pay more attention to the label of those large Living Room drapes. Oh well. I think I'll perk myself up by looking at pictures from one of our Spring Break outings, Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge. It was so cold and drizzly, but that couldn't take away from the amazing sites. Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com 620 Feet High. I even made it to the top once :->

Virtual GNO - Calgon Take Me Away Edition

It's Spring Break for us this week and I'm happy to say my job as event coordinator is almost over. (I don't know how parents that home-school do it. I praise you all!) I've tried to plan fun things for my girls, and their friends, however I think they've spent too much time together and I'm like Julie from The Love Boat trying to keep Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor from tearing each others wigs apart. Oops. Is that referrence to obscure for some of you? Let say it's like trying to keep Mary Kate and Ashley Olson from tearing each others hair extensions out. You know what I need? A Virtual Girls Night Out! A Virtual Girls Night Out (boys welcome too)is a social, blog-hopping party. A way for us to meet others without having to get out of cozy p.j.'s and fluffy slippers (Boys, I'm not judging ;->). The Virtual GNO is our chance to hang out with blog friends and hopefully make some new friends as well. Sign Mr. Linky below and join in the blog-hoppin

Well, This Is A First

It was a much needed getaway for my husband and myself. We were lucky enough to go to our favorite location, Calistoga, CA. After we picked up our rental car from the Oakland Airport we put in our favorite music and headed down the highway, car-top down. The difference in weather from Portland, OR to Calistoga can make an Oregonian's spirit soar. Yes Virginia, there is blue sky. The next day starts with a fantastic breakfast, followed by a drive to many wineries. The top is down on the convertable and I feel light as a feather. I know that my children are in good hands at home and, well, wine makes me happy! We arrive for our appointment for afternoon massages feeling comfortable and relaxed. I didn't think anything could take me from this blissful feeling. That was until the desk clerk went over our reservation. It seems that we had been booked to have a "Couples Special". Um... OK... I look at Rob and he looks to the clerk to say that that wasn't what

Do You Listen To Your Inner Voice?

Listen to that little voice inside you. You know when you're about to turn a corner but you get the feeling that you should go a different direction? Or, when you plan on leaving at a certain time only it seems that maybe later would be better? I've had those situations and found that I made the right choice going with my gut. I had an experience yesterday that proved my intuition, my inner voice, was right on target. I live on a somewhat busy street. Raising 2 children on this street has proven to be stressful at times. My neighbors have children around the same age and we know to keep an eye out for one another. My daughter and her friend wanted to ride their scooters down a hill and knew the drill, an adult had to be with them. I was in the middle of "something" and my husband was in the middle of "something" so it wasn't a good time. My daughter gave one last "Come on mom!", and I felt that it was something that I should do. I sh

Virtual GNO - Spring Is Here!

By my calendar it says that this is the first day of Spring! Yeah!!! Now, for some of us, snow is still falling. What the ?!? Well, let's over-look the still winter weather and do what we can to create that happy, sunshine feeling. Let's have a Virtual Girls Night Out! A Virtual Girls Night Out (boys welcome too)is a social, blog-hopping party. A way for us to meet others without having to get out of cozy p.j.'s and fluffy slippers (Boys, I'm not judging ;->). The Virtual GNO is your chance to hang out with blog friends and hopefully make some new friends as well. Sign Mr. Linky below and join in the fun! Time To Groove ! Cheryl, " The Daily Blonde " brought this video to my attention and I felt it was a great way to share that warm and fuzzy Spring-like feeling. Free Hugs Campaign w/ music by Sick Puppies I swear to God I cry every time that little lady hugs him in the beginning. Every time!!! So now that the season of growth and renewal is upon us d

Almost Anti-Twitter Day

Today has the potential of becoming "National Twitter You Stink Day." The system is so-o-o slow and it's been frustrating to thousands this morning. Perhaps hundreds of thousands. (I don't know that many people so I can't be sure, but I know it's a lot, so there.) First, dear Twitter people, you want us to use your service. Then, when we finally get going on it you can't handle the volume. If I have to see the Fail Whale one more time I'm gonna blow! So, Twitter-Powers-That-Be, what's going on? Are you just so popular now that you're having trouble chaperoning the party and kicking us out? Or did a nit-wit send a virus through the system? Huh?

The Picture

I've told the story of Benny in the groceries . Here's the picture of what he left behind. Have you ever tried to clean-up flour during a rain storm? Not fun. Go have a look at who else is participating in Jen's " Cheaper Than Therapy - A Thousand Words Thursday ". ">

Spring Fever!

I do believe that my dog has spring fever. He has been so crazy the past 2 days I almost want to place an ad for a new home for our Benny! Yesterday after I made one grocery store stop, yet had to look for a better cut of Corned Beef at another grocery store, I left my huge dog in the van. I didn't think it was a problem. I had done this many times before and he was wearing, what we call, his Priest vest which helped him to be buckled in. (The vest is black with a bit of white fleece that pokes up at the neck. You take the seat belt through a loop in the back of the vest and secure your giant dog in the seat. He's as big as a person. Yup.) When I came back to the van the vest was dangling from the seatbelt --- empty. What the?!? I look in the very back of the van and see this brown animal. 'BENNY!!!' I shouted. He jerked his head up so fast that he sprayed flour, which he had his nose buried in, all over the back seat. He lept over the seats in a lame attem

... And Then The Lights Went Out

Last night the lights went out. Our neighborhood lost power at 5:00 which prompted everyone to go to their porches and check on one another. "Did you lose power?" 'Yep'. You could hear the exchange being shouted up and down the block. It was still light out so it wasn't that big a deal. That was, until, I realized I couldn't use my computer. NOooooooo!!! How strange. If you asked me 20 minutes before hand if I thought I relied on Tweeting, or blogging too much I would have answered 'no'. But after 30 minutes of the computer sitting blankly on the desk I was jonesin' for my social media communication. I started to worry that my "friends" might forget about me. Or that some might be worried, "Ann stopped right in the middle of her Tweet... what happened?" 'Don't worry friends!!! I'm still here!', I shouted inside my head. Panic started to settle in, what if the power is out all night?! What if I've

Virtual GNO - St. Patrick's Day Edition

Yes, St. Patrick's Day is on Tuesday... but I need some time to warm up! My grandmother was Irish (she married a Scotsman, Oh the family drama), and my family honors our heritage. I wear my badge of the Boland family proudly. So let's get our Irish on and have some fun! This is our Virtual Girls Night Out (boys welcome too). Our social, blog-hopping party. A way for us to meet others without having to get out of our footie p.j.'s. The Virtual GNO is your chance to hang out with blog friends and hopefully make some new friends as well:-> So sign Mr. Linky below and join in the fun! Time To Get Our Jig On ! The High Kings " Rocky Road To Dublin " Yeah!!! There's no way for me to stay still when I hear these guys! :-> This music makes me thirsty. Time For A Cocktail ! I'm going budget friendly with this recipe. (And it's not difficult to figure out how to make this alcohol free - if need be ;-> ) Jameson and Ginger Ingredients : 1 1/2 parts James

Violet And Her Bouffant

I've just seen the most beautiful bouffant. It was tall, poufy as all get out and unusually red. Fantastic! I imagined the woman sporting this fabulous hair was named Violet. She had lovely rhinestoned sunglasses and red lipstick that supported her decision to have her hair the color of a fire-engine. I couldn't stop looking at her. I wasn't judging her. I was in awe. How did she get her hair like that? How long has she had her hair this way? Who created this amazing 'do?! I hope I see you again dear Violet the bouffant lady. You've brightened my day!

Tuesday Tunes - Jason Mraz

Last week I posted about things feeling a bit tense in the blogosphere. Many commented that they haven't seen/heard it. I am so glad! That's great. Today something is beginning to boil at a friends site and all I can say is 'Yikes!' I thought I'd send a little Mr. A to Z her way. Spread some good vibes! Jason Mraz - " I'm Your's " Jason Mraz - I'm Yours by jasonmrazworld

To Those In Charge Of The Time Change... I Don't Like You!

(I'm sure you're fine people. I'm just tired and my kids are grumpy.) Come on! How necessary is this? Do we really need to go through this twice a year? Why? I mean really. Why-y-y-y-y-y??? When my kids complain about not being able to wake-up, I don't say this out loud but, I'm right there with them. Heck, it takes me a week to not look at the clock and say "It's really 2:00, not 3:00". I don't mind change. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is, is this really necessary? Here's a great website that's trying to help me out. Daylight Saving Time - Why, When, Where? Now for happy news for a particular someone.... It seems that 13 was the lucky number for a Virtual GNO guest who entered the giveaway from Robin at Cinnamon & Honey . Martha from The Daily Grind is the lucky winner! ( Please know that I went through every comment and wrote down those that noted their favorite design in their comment. We h

Virtual GNO - And A Giveaway!

Hey! How's it goin'? It's Friday and I'm oh-so-glad. My girls had appointments at the dentist yesterday and I think I was dreading it more than they were. I had bad experiences when I was young and I should just let go, but the sound of that drill ?!? Yikes! I believe we all deserve a little fun. How about some blog-hopping fun? :-> And, because we are so darn lucky, a Giveaway from our beautiful friend Robin at Cinnamon and Honey! This is our Virtual Girls Night Out (boys welcome too). Our social party without having to get out of our footie p.j.'s. We're here to blog-hop and play. The Virtual GNO is your chance to hang out with blog friends and hopefully make some new friends as well! So sign Mr. Linky below and join in the fun! Time For Music! Did you know that Sunday is International Women's Day? Yeah for us ! I found a song that helps to celebrate us all. It's absolutely gorgeous. Oren Lavie " Her Morning Elegance "

My Cat Is Jealous Of Wii Fit

We have this very large screen television that turns our Family Room into a drive-in theatre. In the beginning I was all "No way. It's too big." And hubby was all "There's a 25% restocking fee." And I was all "I love it." This drive-in is perfect for the Wii Fit we were lucky enough to get for Christmas. It makes the scenes ve-e-ery life like which is great for me, but not so much for my pets. Benny, our chocolate lab, has learned to wait until I'm done boxing and snow boarding for his walk. However, my cat is not as patient. ( "Pet me now damn it" ! I believe is her motto.) So I'm finishing the workout with a little Lotus Focus. What you do is sit on the board as still as you possibly can and still breathe. The screen shows you a burning candle and you are to focus on the flame. What is completely freaky about this is that all the while there are footsteps in the back ground getting louder, then running away. There is a moth fl

The Dooce Effect and the Tuesday Tune

Things are feeling really aggressive in the blogosphere lately and it makes me uneasy. Anyone else feel that blogging is all about trying to make money? I call it "The Dooce Effect". Yes, money can be made, but I'm seeing alot of ugly attitudes, and words, out in the blogosphere. Words, that I'm sure would NOT be said to that person's face but, someone feels comfortable enough to write them and send them on their way. Now I'm not saying that Dooce is this way. I'm saying I feel the desire to be the next big blogger is bringing out the nasty! With that said ( part 2 coming soon ) let me flash my virtual "Peace" sign and play the song that expresses my naive outlook on being a blogger. Elvis Costello " Peace, Love and Understanding " ~~~~~I've got a post up on the social site Beautiful! Fabulous! today. "It's Written On My Face". Come on over! Let me know what you think.

Too Much Caffeine

You Know You've Had Too Much Caffeine When... *** You decide to reorganize your kids room and your children have to ask where their clothes are. *** You find that you've been on the phone all day talking with "friends" you haven't seen in years . (And you really didn't like them all that much even then.) *** You finishing washing the dog and suddenly remember you don't own a dog. *** You walk home from your child's school function only to realize that you drove that morning. ~~~~~For more silliness check-out my post on the social site Beautiful! Fabulous! today. " It's Written On My Face ". Come on over!