Tic Toc: Tami's Clock: February 2008 Archives

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February 29, 2008

Happy 14th Birthday Dad!

Today is my dad’s birthday. Imagine that! He gets to celebrate his birthday on the actual day and we get an extra day added to our year. Unfortunately the weather hasn’t improved. It is now not only cold, but also rainy. I made another pot of chili for dinner tonight. When it’s cold outside, I crave hot foods.

Mom & Dad:

Photo taken April 21, 2007

We gave dad a gift card for Friday's which I know he liked. I believe gift cards are wonderful! I am happy to give them and happy to get them.

*****

A new picture has been added to the Low Calorie Foods gallery.

Posted by tami at 8:56 PM Comments (4)

February 28, 2008

Space; The Final Frontier

I have never watched an entire episode of Dr. Phil until Monday. Kevin taped it for me and I watched it later that night. If you missed it, let me tell you what it was about.

Dr. Phil had a 28 year old woman named Aimee on his show who only weighs 60 pounds. She is anorexic and bulimic. She vomits up to 150 times each day until blood is in her throat. This is a very graphic show, but I think you need to watch it. I found it on YouTube in five parts. Here they are:

*****

If you are a fan like I am of the documentary Grey Gardens, you should read THIS article.

I don’t know how I feel about them making this into a movie. I mean, there will never be another Edith Bouvier Beale or a Little Edie. Never. When Little Edie was alive, she said she didn't want anyone else playing her. It's like they are not honoring her wishes.

*****

Ashley decided half way through the snow day yesterday to work a 550-piece puzzle we bought her for Christmas:

I helped her out some, however Kevin was sucked in as soon as he arrived home from work:

Later, I left Kevin and Ashley for the treadmill and then Ashley left Kevin to take a shower. Kevin stayed and did most of the work:

It’s a cool-looking puzzle:

*****

Ashley lost her last baby tooth last night while we were watching America's Next Top Model. She is really growing up.

Posted by tami at 7:56 AM Comments (2)

February 27, 2008

Warning: You WILL Laugh!

Sunday night was the 80th Annual Academy Awards ceremony.

After the awards, Elton John held a party in support of his AIDS Foundation.

You can click on any of the links above as they are all good links, but the purpose of me telling you all of this is because I want you to watch THIS video.

The video is of Ross Mathews who does special reporting for the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The video is of him reporting at Elton John’s after party. It is hysterical and was the actual segment shown on The Tonight Show. It is some funny stuff! Please don’t miss it!

I am also loving these two songs by The Moldy Peaches:

Anyone Else But You

And

Lucky Number Nine

I’m sure I will like more of their stuff once I listen to it! Those are some very catchy tunes.

Posted by tami at 9:43 AM Comments (1)

February 26, 2008

Blood!

Man randomly stabs two in theater during horror film

And you thought I was crazy for wanting to watch horror movies exclusively at home?! I always think someone will come up behind me and chop my head off, but this is close enough. Blood is blood, people.

*****

I heard from Andrew on Friday through a letter. Since he is in the field for his entire stay in North Carolina, he really doesn’t have much opportunity to write. I will give you the highlights.

* He believes he will graduate on March 4th.

* Fighting and PT began on February 9th.

* MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) school will begin, hopefully, March 10th. He will train to be an MP (Military Police).

* Graduation from MOS school would be May 11th if everything runs on time.

* PT never stops.

* Food is straight MREs. He gets three a day, but says it’s not too bad.

* He dug a 6 foot hole. He says,

“No joke. It was around 6 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 6 feet deep. Me and my battle buddy dug it. You had to take turns and it took us around 8 hours.”

From the sound of that you can tell he had no idea what he was getting himself into.

* He had an 8-mile hike Wednesday the 20th and Friday the 22nd, they began shooting rifles.

It was great hearing from him!

Posted by tami at 3:44 PM Comments (1)

February 23, 2008

Groovy Colors

Last night, Kevin made a big bowl of popcorn:

We watched Star Trek: The Next Generation. The episodes were The Game and Unification, Part 1 and Unification, Part 2. I enjoyed seeing Spock in Unification, but what I enjoyed more was seeing Ashley Judd smooching Wil Wheaton in The Game! They were both so young and yet, she is really about four years older than he is. You know that had to of thrilled him on many levels.

Today we visited a fairly new store in Nicholasville (it may as well be in Lexington because it is so close) called Hobby Lobby. It’s a craft store a lot like Michaels, only Hobby Lobby is bigger. I was impressed with it.

There is a lot of new development in this area and the colors are very eye catching and vivid. Kevin and I both enjoyed this building:

Posted by tami at 6:54 PM Comments (4)

February 22, 2008

Great Ventures

We have a place called Hamburg, which you have heard me mention many times, near our town. They really need a website. They have their own newspaper, so why not a website which lists all the stores and restaurants? It could have links to everything and show pictures. Oh, well.

If Hamburg were to ever ask the general public what they would like to see in Hamburg, this is what I would say:

A Warner Bros Shop. I have wanted one of these stores in town for a LONG time. I know it would go over well here.

A Pinkberry. These places are only located in California and New York, but I would sure like to give them a try!

Disney Store We do have a Disney Store, but it is on the other side of town.

A Jekyll & Hyde Club. There is only one of these clubs/restaurants and it is located in New York. I have heard a lot about it and looked at the menu and I think this restaurant would be very successful here.

A Motion Ride Movie Theater. I visited this place several times in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and also the one at Kings Island in Cincinnati, Ohio. When I went in the one at Kings Island, it didn’t flip you upside down at that time. I believe now it flips you over four times which means I would no longer be interested. They need to keep it simple like the one in Gatlinburg. Simple can still be scary.

An IKEA. I cannot believe this store has not come to Kentucky. What’s the deal? It looks fabulous!

That is all that comes to mind for now. Do you think the folks at Hamburg will come to me for advice? Don’t answer that! If you live near Lexington and think of other places you would like to see, let me know in the comment section. I am always curious what other people are thinking.

There is a new link on the sidebar that says Tami on YouTube. You can click there and easily see all the videos I have made so far.

Other blogs may not touch the election, but I am not afraid to tell you where you can get some sage advice. I would like to direct your attention to Glenn Beck. He is very funny, but gives a straightforward look at what is going on with current events.

Posted by tami at 10:47 AM Comments (5)

February 21, 2008

It's About Time!

I am a hurry-up-and-wait type of person. I have to be early anywhere I go and I cannot stand being late. When other people are late, it really grates on my nerves. To me, this is a common sense type of thing. If you know you have to be somewhere at a certain time and you know how long it takes to get there, then why don’t you leave earlier so you can make it? Why are people rushing to get to work when they could have left ten minutes earlier and not had that strain? I don’t get it. I know things happen, but they don't happen every day.

I always take a book with me so I have something to do while I wait. So, this is not wasted time. When I pick Ashley up from school and get there 40 minutes early, I read or listen to Real Life Radio. They have a great show in the afternoons called Diocese Live and the discussions are very interesting.

Waiting doesn’t bother me especially when I know about how long I will be waiting. When my appointment is scheduled for a certain time and I have to wait much longer, it bothers me. There is a pediatrician here in town that I took Andrew to when he was a baby. Every time we went in his office it was an hour’s wait or more. That’s ridiculous and I don’t know why I tolerated that. I would never put up with that now. I wonder if things are still that way at his office.

Being prepared for events is important to me. I like at least a week’s notice for birthday parties or special outings. When things are sprung on me, I can go with the flow, but inside I am thinking, “Why couldn’t they have told me about this earlier?” I do have time for other people and I enjoy being around people; I just like to know when and where things are happening in advance. I don’t think that is asking too much. I like to plan ahead.

Most of my time is taken up by the computer, reading, watching television, or walking. Reading and watching television are family times though. Normally when I read, Ashley and Kevin are also reading. I see this as a good thing. We also all enjoy the same TV shows, so when something is on, it is family time. We can all watch and comment or react to what we are seeing together.

I do believe I manage my time wisely. I am a very structured person and I have a very particular schedule. I can bend my schedule, but I don’t like it. I mean, I’m not going to let it ruin my night if I don’t get to walk, but walking is part of my schedule now, so when let’s say, company is here during my walking time, I am thinking about what I should be doing the entire time instead of really giving them my entire focus. About a week ago, someone came over and stayed past my normal dinner time and into my walking time. This caused me to eat dinner later and therefore I did not get to walk at all. Since I am so structured, I cannot bring myself to walk any later than I do. Would you call that OCD? It bothered me that I didn't get to walk, but it did not put me in a bad mood.

I don’t believe I have ever forgotten an appointment. I am very good at writing things on my calendar, so that helps me out a lot. I have forgotten a person’s birthday until the last minute, but they were never aware of it because I immediately went out and bought their present the minute it occurred to me. My sister’s birthday is coming up in March. I had her gift chosen and paid for in early January.

I spend very little time getting dressed in the morning. I lay my clothes out the night before, so what I will wear is not a concern in the morning. I have a very basic hair style, so that takes almost no time and my make-up during the week is extremely minimal. On the weekends, I sometimes wear contacts which take another minute to put in, but on a typical day, I spend maybe ten minutes total getting dressed.

On average, I get 6 ½ to 7 hours of sleep a night. Kevin and I get up at 6:15 in the morning and we usually read until 11:30 before going to sleep. On Friday nights we stay up late and therefore sleep in until around 9:30 or so on Saturday morning.

I am not a procrastinator at all. For example, I have had a lesson ready to turn in for weeks in my physical geography class and it is not due until March 30. I cannot even post it until that week, but knowing what I had to do in advance was nice. I did the work and now I don’t have to worry about it any longer. That is always a nice feeling. One of my favorite mottos is: first we work and then we play.

Posted by tami at 9:37 AM Comments (4)

February 20, 2008

The Camera Never Stops Watching!

I am having a very hard time this season on Big Brother finding someone I really like. I think my favorite person so far is Joshuah. As far as I’ve seen, he hasn’t caused any problems and he has a beautiful smile. Had I not seen videos of James getting wild on the Big Brother set (online), I would have thought more of him. I don’t know what possesses these people to do what they do right in front of the watchful eyes of the cameras. The only place you’re safe in that house is under the covers and even there you’re not totally safe. We know what you did Matt and Natalie (I watched it online).

I really am beginning to think I’m getting too old to watch this show. There is no one my age and something else bothers me too; have you ever noticed there have never been any larger women on this show? There was a bigger guy one year, but I don’t remember there being any larger women. This house definitely does not represent the American people and it’s becoming more and more like MTV’s: Real World.

This week The Biggest Loser contestants were able to spend a week at home with their families. It was nice getting to see that part of their lives. It was also interesting seeing how they dealt with certain situations like going out to eat although Bernie’s family was heartless taking him inside his much loved bakery and then eating his favorite dessert right under his nose. That was just mean.

Tonight America's Next Top Model premiers. I love this show. If you have never watched it, I really think you would enjoy it. Since there are so many women living under one roof, they can get catty. Other than that, it’s interesting seeing the different photo shoots and the makeovers.

Also tonight:

Big Brother

And

American Idol

I am still watching American Idol, however I am taping it. I probably won’t get caught up until this weekend. With each show being two hours, it’s hard to slip it in between doing other things. Yes, I do other things besides watching television ;)

Posted by tami at 8:11 AM Comments (1)

February 19, 2008

Tiny Dancer

I wore that ballerina to church Sunday morning for the first time in probably twenty years or more. Of course, the chain is different; Ashley let me borrow one of hers. I’m sure my parents gave it to me, but I don’t remember when or where; if it was my birthday or a special event or what.

When I was very little, I took ballet lessons at the Barbara Ann School of Dance and was even on stage at the Lexington Opera House. If I had it on DVD, I could show you.

My parents have many silent videos, but they are on reels. I would love to have them all converted into one DVD. You would be amazed at how much has changed. Places like Kings Island looked totally different back in the late 70’s.

Posted by tami at 8:19 AM Comments (2)

February 18, 2008

His First Sweater

Last night Kevin finished knitting his first sweater. He knitted it for Ashley.

This is the front view:

You can see the hood on the back:

I believe it is very beautiful and excellent work for his first article of clothing, excluding the scarf he made me. This piece was a lot different! It had a front, back, two sleeves, and a hood to contend with.

Posted by tami at 10:22 AM Comments (5)

February 17, 2008

Did They Get A Notice?

Another green space has been occupied by a drug store.

Where we once had a barn:

We now have a Walgreens:

I have nothing against Walgreens. I like Walgreens. I just hope they moved all of those deer I once saw running through that area to new homes.

Right.

Posted by tami at 9:24 PM Comments (3)

February 15, 2008

"I don't have the face for tentacles."

This morning I wanted to change the background wallpaper on my computer since I did have a Valentine’s Day background and that holiday is over. I am very picky in what I will select since I have grown accustomed to keeping whatever wallpaper I choose for an entire month.

Some people will not like my choice, but for me, this background is just what I wanted:

I put a roast in the crock pot at 7:30 this morning. It just finished cooking about an hour ago and now we have this to look forward to for dinner; vegetable soup:

YUM!

While the roast cooked, I finished a good book. This is what I have chosen for my next read:

Andrew gave me the candle. It was made right here in Winchester by Jako Candles. The name of the scent is Best Friends. I already finished another Jako Candle he bought me. It was called Pomegranate. These are strong scented candles and based on these two, I would recommend them. There’s nothing worse than paying a lot of money for a candle and then getting it home only to have it not smell at all once it is burning.

Posted by tami at 1:23 PM Comments (3)

February 13, 2008

TV Recap

Click the blue link to sign the Petition to make Ale-8 Kentucky’s soft drink.

Okay, who watched Big Brother last night? I think it is unfair that they are putting people in pairs. Yes, it makes the show more interesting, but it is very unfair to expect two people to bond and get along and make it through challenges together when they don’t even know each other. This is a competition for money and I wouldn’t want some stranger messing with my chances of winning. Who’s to say your “partner” won’t go off on someone or make a fool of themselves and make the team a target?

Then there are people like Sheila who from the get go did not want to be paired with Adam. She sat on the couch with her head turned away from him, praying that she would not be paired with him. Guess what? She was! So, what happens in the first challenge? She purposefully looses because she is so uncomfortable with him. He did refer to her as “Ma” from the beginning because she is the mother of a 16 year old and because of their age differences. He is 29 and she is 45. This was insulting to her and it would have been to me too, but then she really started acting ugly and wouldn’t even give him a chance to speak. He also smokes and she detests smoking. I cannot understand why Big Brother paired these two. Big Brother will be new again tonight, so don’t miss it!

As always, The Biggest Loser was great. I hate it that Trent went home, but he wanted to go home. He had knee problems and he needed to let that heal. Seeing the men cry made me want to cry. I’m not used to seeing that kind of bond and strong love between male friends. It was very touching.

American Idol was entertaining. I pretty much knew the people who would get into the final 50 and the ones who would go. It will be interesting to see who makes it to the top 24 tonight. No matter how well they sing, there will be 12 men and 12 women chosen. This is slightly unfair. What if 15 men are really good and only 9 women? I believe they have restricted themselves and they may be missing some good singers because of this, but I guess there have to be rules.

Big Medicine is new tonight and features a woman who weighs 650 pounds. I always hope the people find what they are looking for on this show.

Ellice mentioned in the previous set of comments the UK game that was on last night. We don’t watch any basketball games unless they get to the Final 4. I think if I actually went to a game, I would be more involved, however my family has never been big on sports or sporting events. We have watched the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in years past and I am sure we will catch it when it repeats on TV this year. Does this count as watching a sporting event?

Years ago, back during the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding scandal, I was deep into ice skating. My favorite was always Katarina Witt, but I also liked Oksana Baiul.

I haven’t watched gymnastics in a while, but I also enjoy that. I can remember watching Mary Lou Retton win the gold medal in 1984. You can watch her floor exercise and her vaults on YouTube. Don’t you just love YouTube?!

Posted by tami at 12:39 PM Comments (1)

February 12, 2008

Strike

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged, but I figure you would only get tired of my complaining every day, so I have remained silent. What would I have complained about? Schoolwork.

Yep. That’s it. Trust me when I say it would have put a damper on your day to read about my homework sorrows each day you visited this site.

But, I have gotten past what I believe to be the worst of it in one class. There is still a paper I must write each week, reading, and tests to take however I have researched, read, and summarized three articles and they are each over 300 words. I have also answered some lengthy end-of-chapter questions. That’s not a lot, I know, but it is tiresome for someone who has been out of the school loop for many years and that is only an update for one class, not the other one. I know that someone in the first class has dropped. I really don’t blame him. He is taking a full load and it is truly a lot of writing.

There have been good things in between the homework.

Survivor started!

I finished one book and started a new one

I have watched several new-to-me movies.

We have played many hands of Rummy.

I ate out with family members.

I got my hair cut and I love it!

Today we had a snow day!

Tonight there will be lots of TV watching in my house and the VCR’s will be in use taping what we cannot watch!

Big Brother starts TONIGHT!

The Biggest Loser is on!

And

American Idol is on!

And have you heard the big news? The Writer’s Strike is finally over!

Posted by tami at 3:56 PM Comments (4)

February 4, 2008

The "No Pug" Area

Kevin and I played Rummy on the bed last night. We had to keep telling a certain Pug to stay out of the gaming area, but that didn’t stop him from creeping those paws forward.

He is too cute!

Posted by tami at 9:57 PM Comments (6)

February 3, 2008

Too Soon

Andrew’s time at home has passed quickly. Tomorrow morning he leaves and he probably will not be back in Kentucky for three months. While he was here, we did manage to do what he wanted to do which was eating good food. We ate out as an entire family this afternoon at Logan's Roadhouse. His grandparents were there along with his Aunt Jennifer and Aunt Patt. Last week we all ate at Friday's. He can’t say he wasn’t fed well!

While he was home he also wanted to watch all three Pirates of the Caribbean movies together, so we have done that for the last few days. We also spent some time playing Rummy one night.

He played Guitar Hero with his dad and Rock Band with his sister. I still enjoy games such as Frogger, Mrs. Pac Man Plus, and Burger Time. I enjoy watching the guitar games, but I’m not interested in learning it at all.

Andrew also spent many hours playing his keyboard for me. I recorded a session, but I am keeping it to myself for now (no YouTube).

He opened his Christmas presents while he was home. Even though some people were not present, they left envelopes in my care to give to him. Everyone likes getting cards for presents because that normally means cash is involved. He was very happy with everything.

Oh, his picture was also in the newspaper which always pleases a mom! I will miss him so much.

Posted by tami at 5:07 PM Comments (2)