Sprucing Up the House

Went to IKEA this weekend because I saw some curtains online that would match my kitchen and I've been looking for something to cover my odd shaped window. While I was there I found a light for the living room that I really wanted so, of course, I HAD to get it. Cristian was nice enough to put the light up for me!!!

And here it is! It was hard to find one that didn't hang down, but wasn't plain. You can't tell from the picture, but the lights are VERY bright. It was kinda like a Griswald Christmas when we flipped the switch.

And here are the "curtains" that I got. They were out of the actual curtains in this pattern, but they had these table runners. So I just bought four of them and they ended up being the perfect length! The whole thing only cost $12. I love you, IKEA!

Losing Faith in Humanity

I'm not sure how much more of the nightly news I can handle. Tonight all of the local news stations reported on a little girl who wrote an essay and won a trip to New York for a Hannah Montana makeover and concert tickets. She wrote a heart wrenching story about how her father was killed in Iraq on April 17th and her mom was the best and she wanted her mom to have a special holiday and winning this trip would really make their holiday better. So, she wins the contest and the little girl and her mother go to New York to live it up for free and get what every 8 year old girl wanted for Christmas - to see Hannah Montana. The little girl was being interviewed by a local reported and asked about the essay she'd written about her dad being killed. She just stood there like a deer in head lights as you see her mother run in from the background to pull her away saying that she did not want her daughter discussing the incident. (Not that it matters, but this mother looked totally shady). I guess someone got suspicious and did a little investigation and come to find out there was only one soldier killed in Iraq on April 17th and it was someone with no relation to their family. There are so many things wrong with this situation. 1. There is a good possibility that this little girl had nothing to do with that letter at all and it was all her mother's idea. What a great lesson to teach your daughter: Lie and take advantage of the good nature of others to get what you want. 2. If she did have her daughter write that letter she should be sentenced to a stoning by all the children that actually have lost their father's in Iraq. (I know I run the risk of sounding like Bill O'Reilly here), but that is such a disrespectful and insulting thing to lie about. This woman is despicable. I'm sure all of the children that did lose their fathers this year have other things on their minds besides Hannah Montana anyway. It's parents like this that make me want to quit teaching.

The next story on the nightly news started like this, "A warning tonight: don't buy ground beef from the side of the road." Are there really that many idiots that would do that that we need to run this story? I think I'll just stick to the reruns of Seinfeld and Scrubs at 5, 6, and 10 from now on.

PSA: What Is In a Name?

A lot. I often wonder where people come up with the names they give their children. Not the normal names like Jennifer, or Sarah, or Ashley, but the really bad ones like Gunner, Blaze, or Talon. I mean really, who is going to take a 35 year old man seriously with a name like Gunner? I have to thank Jennifer for introducing me to a website with awesome baby names. If you are interested in looking at names to NOT name your child, then just go to www.gsmc.org and click on the little moon at the top left. Here are my top five awesomely bad boys and girls names:

Boys:
5. Kreston
4. JaKalen
3. Jayden or Jaiden
2. Ja'Maury
1. Domino

Girls:
5. Paisley
4. Kinsley or Kinzlee
3. Adlen
2. Adrya
1. Twins Porsche and Audi (older sister is Lexus)

None of these children will ever be president. However, I'm sure Domino will have a successful career at either Domino's Pizza or as a pimp. Domino is a good pimp name. Stop the insanity and name your kid something normal!!

This Blog is For You, Suz!!

Saturday night was Amy and Josh's Festivus for the rest of us! Here is a picture blog of the fun we had!

Here are the hostess and host, Sue Ellen Mishke and Kosmo Kramer.

The requisite Festivus Pole!

It's an Entenmann's!
Do they have a castle in Windsor?
No, they have a display case at the end of the aisle.

What Festivus would be complete without a big salad, risotto, and a vegetable lasagna?

Black and white cookies!
Look to the cookie, Elaine. Look to the cookie!

Only the upper crust eat their snickers with a knife and fork.

Cereal and Peach Schnapps.

Because people like to say SALSA!!

These pretzels are making me thirsty!!!

Pastrami and marble Rye! I think Cristian stole this particular rye from a defenseless old woman.

Jennifer tasting the schnapps. (She drank it all!)

George and Kruger at the original Festivus.

Eating like a lady!

It was a super fun night and hopefully an annual event! I mean after all we didn't get to have champaign coolies or snapple this year!

Catch Up Blog

I haven't been very good about blogging lately, so I'm gonna type fast with a quick catch up.

1. Had the flu over Thanksgiving, was in bed for a week, and had some scary times. Good thing I had awesome friends that live close by to take care of me. I was so sick my mom had to drive up here to get me to take me home for Thanksgiving with the family. Not a restful break at all.

2. I saw a mouse in my garage and FREAKED OUT!! Apparently all of the construction of new houses is running the mice into everyone's homes. I called the Orkin man and they came to eliminate the rodent. I haven't seen it since, so hopefully it worked.

3. Ran over a nail and had to get a new tire.

4. Spent my last two Saturdays doing band crap. Can't wait til the winter break. Only two more weeks!!!

5. Put up my Christmas decorations and it looks like this so far: