• Random Thoughts

    This Is Not A Political Poll.

    I have just posted a poll over there in the left-hand margin. I’ve been curious about this for a while. You see, when I work on a post, I work really hard to find and include links to give you more information, to show you what I’m talking about, to point you towards other bloggers, or sometimes just to make you laugh. But I have no idea if you click on them, or care. And I want to know. I have watched my sister (Hey! There’s one of those hotlinks now!) read blogs, and I know that she skims the cursor over the hotlink, looks at the target address that…

  • UGH.

    This Afternoon’s Tears Are For A Different Reason.

    I’m not going to do too much of a lead-in on this one because I think it speaks for itself. This is a “Live Chat” between me and Jesse from Home Depot’s website. At first I was picturing Jesse to look exactly like John Stamos, but I am confident that you will notice the exact point where that mental image slowly faded away into something way less attractive. Enjoy! Jesse: Welcome to Home Depot. I am a Major Appliance Product Specialist. How may I assist you today? Melisa: Hi there. I just sent an appliance repair person away because she told me it is going to cost $300 to repair…

  • Random Thoughts,  Shameless Promotion

    Better Late Than Never

    Okay, until today it’s been more than two months since I’ve updated my other blog. Even longer than that if you count posting anything of real substance. I have a big list of things I want to post on there, but not enough time in my day-to-day to do it the way I want. I’m hopeful that I will get back to regular posting over there soon. In the meantime, I just posted something amazing over there. If you have about eleven minutes to spare and you’re not anywhere where it would be a bad thing to sob your face off, check it out. Click here. Didn’t know I had…

  • Uncategorized

    Sisterly Celebrity Sightings: Bill, Hill, and Will

    I decided to start a new category within the virtual walls of my own Blogosphere that will encapsulate the celebrity sightings, meetings, and stalkings-from-afar that my sister and I have been lucky (or sneaky: you decide) enough to share*. Today I’m going to write about Bill and Hillary Clinton, but not in relation to the Democratic National Convention that is currently taking over the fine city of Denver. Lots of bloggers are doing that. Instead, I’m going to write about the Clinton Experience (Sounds like a ride at an amusement park, doesn’t it? Waiting for the snarky “Clinton ride” comments…) that Julie and I had in 2006. We were in…

  • Family Fun,  Food,  My Sister Has Mad Skillz

    Zai Jain, Beijing…Hellllleeeeew London!

    Seems like it was only yesterday that my little family was enjoying the Beijing Olympics 2008 Opening Ceremonies over a Dinner of Olympic Proportions. Well, time flies when you’re having fun, kids. After watching hour upon hour of excitement: one fantastic swimmer getting a record 8 golds, beach volleyball, a Redeem Team who won more than the game, a cute-as-a-button powerhouse American gymnast (I’m currently trying to find one of her on Amazon because my sister would like to have one to carry in her pocket), a strikingly beautiful Russian-American gymnast with a gold medal pedigree (and now a couple of her own), a Gold-medal Diving Australian guy, a 41-year-old…

  • I'm Apparently Old.

    Creative Parenting 101: The Magic of Blankets

    It recently occurred to me that I should mix in a few stories of my parents’ Creative Parenting 101. After all, it is partly because of them that I am the type of creative person and parent that I am today, and I can say that without a doubt my sister and I turned out to be wonderfully fabulous individuals so I know that they did a bunch of stuff correctly. And without a book or anything! Maybe this will be information you can use! Who knows??? This story involves a certain pink blanket that we kept in the car. We called it the Pee Pee Blanket. No, I’m not…

  • Spreading the Bloggie Love

    Cinderella Sarah and Her Tiara

    I absolutely love to hear about the way you people out there use your tiaras–real or imaginary. It entertains me to no end. That is why I was so very happy that I checked in on Suburban Rage a few days ago, before a certain post dropped off the page. Not only is there a photo of Sarah wearing her tiara (ha ha, I’m a poet and didn’t know it!), but she gave me a little shout-out as well. This is one of the most tiara-entertaining photos I have ever seen. Check it out by clicking here! (Nice job, Sarah! By the way, who took the photo?)

  • Best Thing Ever,  Food

    The Best Thing Ever When You’re At Home For Breakfast, Eatin’ Sausage and Syrupy Things

    The other day I mentioned that our mall Dippin’ Dots has gone the way of so many Orange Julius mall locations (CLOSED!). After thinking about it, I suppose that Orange Julius was not ever in every single mall in the country; rather, I probably thought that because there was one in each of the few malls I frequented when I was a kid/teen. (Which weren’t many, actually; I’m pretty certain that a mall as we know it today was a pretty new thing in the ’70s anyway! My first mall? Lincoln Mall in Matteson, Illinois: opened in 1973!) My mention of Orange Julius locations being fewer and far between sent…

  • Amazing People,  Blessings,  Music,  Proud Moments

    My Baby’s No Baby

    It’s amazing how, as a parent, sometimes you (okay, ME) tend to not expect your youngest child to be able to do certain things at certain ages and stages. I think in my case, it’s not as much that I feel like the thirteen-year-old will “always be the baby” or anything like that; rather, I really think that it’s just my brain. Sometimes I get frustrated because he isn’t doing something or acting in a certain way…and then I remember that–DUH–maybe it’s just beyond his level and I should cut him a break. He’s growing up, though. Sometimes I get an amazing glimpse at Maturation in Action; I got one…