Farts ARE funny...

Or maybe I'm just completely immature.

Tonight Chris and I took the girls to Longhorn for dinner.  As we chatting and eating, I heard an odd sound across from me and saw Lauren totally break down into giggles.  I assumed she had done the dreaded deed, but once I saw Chris's face as he tried not to laugh, I knew he was the culprit.

Lauren's giggles are extremely contagious to me, plus I find farts (especially when Chris does it) extremely funny.  You'd think I was a 10-year-old boy and not a 44-year-old woman.  So I lost it.  I turned red, tears streaming down my face.  Of course that is when the server chose to ask how it was going, which made me laugh harder into my napkin.

We (I) finally calmed down for a few minutes until Chris started talking about farts having a fruity and woodsy bouquet like wine does, and then Lauren and I were off again.  I had a mouthful of soda I was barely able to swallow.  When I came up for air, I noticed Becca wasn't beside me anymore, and Chris said she had fled out of embarrassment.  That got me going once again (she actually had gone to the bathroom).  The server came by to drop off the check.  By this time there were people sitting behind us, and I'm sure we were quite the spectacle.

So what started out as a crappy Monday after a crappy weekend (again, don't ask) turned out to be a very fun night with my family.  I may have to grow old, but I never have to mature.

Meet Me on Monday, 8/30/10

I can't believe it's almost September already!  The summer flew by as usual.  But there are things coming up to look forward to and blog about, so I'll try to keep looking ahead!

1. What is your favorite kind of potato chip?

I'm not a big chip fan, but I do like the various flavors of Baked Lay's.

2. Do you make your bed everyday?

I try, but some days it's hard enough not to climb right back in.

3. How often do you go to the hair salon?

About once every couple months.  My hair is pretty curly and grows slowly.  I do need my highlights touched up soon, though.

4. What do you dip your French fries in?

Ketchup!  And not that pretentious catsup, either.

5 Do you shop with coupons?

I am a bit obsessed with coupons, you might say...

Getting used to the routine of school again, but I do miss the girls during the day.  I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy running errands with my best friend Michelle, though, and looking forward to lunches out with my friends.  Wednesday I will be treating my self to a pedicure!  After a bad weekend (don't ask), I deserve it!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday, 8/25/10

Haven't done this one in a while, but a photo op presented itself a while ago and I thought I'd post it.



Fat kitty is very fat.
Happy Hump Day!

Visited by a Celebrity!

I mentioned yesterday that a girl had her thigh tattooed at the Paul McCartney concert.  I don't know how in the world she found my blog, but she commented today on that entry!  Here are Loni Marie Mullaney's own words about the amazing connection with made with Paul:


Anonymous said... Hello, i am the girl whos thigh he signed, and after seeing paul mccartney on saturday in philly for my 6th time i decided to buy tickets to see him in pittsburgh 2 days before the show, and well he picked me to come on stage to get a tattoo... he has been doing this every show, but when he asked what my name was i said loni marie mullaney from philadelphia, and pittsburgh booed me!!!! hehehe ... i had a sign that read "I am the girl on the flaming pie( it was a drawing from his album flaming pie) tattoo it on my thigh!" so sir Paul signed my thigh and I've had it permanently tattooed. i did philly proud that is for sure!!!
Loni Marie Mullaney
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=510063917

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnxIJAuVFX0&feature=email this is the video i made

these are some titles on youtube where you can see it live!

YouTube - Loni Mullaney meets Paul McCartney
YouTube - Sir Paul McCartney Autographs Loni Marie Mullaney
YouTube - Girl gets thigh signed by Paul McCartney in Pittsburgh
YouTube - Paul McCartney autographs Loni Mullaney so she can have it tattooed.
YouTube - Paul McCartney signing a girl's thigh - 8/19/10. 


Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Loni!  Glad you had such a neat experience!

Top Ten Tuesday, 8/24/10

Now that a new school year has started, it's time for me to start some new things as well.  Here are ten things I'd like to work on throughout the school year:



1.  My weight - I've gained about 17 pounds over the summer!  Starting Slim Fast and Sparkpeople today.

2.  Write more - and not just blog posts, Facebook updates and Tweets.  I really want to do this.

3.  Say NO more often when confronted with things I really don't want to do.

4.  Read more - again not just blog posts, Facebook updates and Tweets!

5.  Clean out laundry room - it's a catch-all and I really need to go through it.

6.  Clean out kitchen cupboards - mostly old pans I no longer need and the spice cupboard.

7.  Cook more - another reason I've gained weight.  I need to be more disciplined.

8.  Exercise!  Even if I just walk every evening.  I've been very bad about this over the summer.

9.  Do stuff I want to do and not just talk about doing it.  For instance, take a weekend trip to NYC like I've been wanting to do for YEARS.

10. Get Christmas shopping done EARLY.  I just want to enjoy the Christmas season.

I'll be keeping on my kids about their grades - maybe I'll enlist them to help me with my projects!

See more Top Ten on Tuesday posts here!

Meet Me On Monday, 8/23/10

1. What is your favorite kind of doughnut?

If it's just plain Dunkin' Donuts, then I love Blueberry Cake.  But if I'm in Ocean City and we go to The Fractured Prune, then it's French Toast, Morning Buzz or Sand!




2. How often do you pray?

I don't; I'm an Atheist.

3. What is your favorite kind of music?

Beatles and Paul McCartney all the way!  Plus most stuff from the 60s, 70s and 80s.




4. What do you order when you eat Chinese food?

I love Orange Chicken from Panda Express; for "real" restaurants, I like Pineapple Shrimp or Chicken.


5. Would you rather snowboard in the winter or swim in the summer?


SWIM.  No question.






Speaking of Beatles and Paul McCartney, Becca, my mother-in-law and I took a road trip to Pittsburgh last Thursday to catch Paul in concert.  I've never gone further than DC for a concert, but when I heard he was playing Pittsburgh and there was no mention of DC, I figured we needed to take the plunge.  And I'm so glad we did, because it turns out that was the last night of the North American Up and Coming tour!  It was a fantastic show, and went on for about three hours with two encores!


A couple got engaged on the big screen while Paul played "My Love", and a young woman had her thigh signed by Paul so she could get it tattooed!  How do you get to do that?  How do you get seats so close Paul can read your sign and grant your wish?  I need to look into this.


Here are a few pictures from the night.  Not great, because they were taken with a camera phone from nosebleed seats.


Grandma and Becca before the concert:





Please come out soon!





Paul wore a white shirt, so he's a white blob in almost every picture!





The pyrotechnics during "Live and Let Die" - the performance of this song ALWAYS blows me away:





Leaving the stage for the last time - the sad part of the night:





Please come back soon Paul!

Thursday Thirteen - Paul McCartney Edition!

Tomorrow Becca, Chris's mom and I will be road trippin' to Pittsburgh, PA for the Paul McCartney show.  This will be my fifth time seeing Paul in concert, Mom's third and Becca's second.  I CAN'T WAIT.  I never get tired of seeing Paul perform live.  So this week's Thursday Thirteen will be thirteen songs I hope Paul plays tomorrow night.



1.  Live and Let Die - This is AMAZING live.  This video is a montage of LALD performances.



2.  Jet - Another amazing song when performed live.  This performance was two years ago - Paul is getting close to 70 years old, and he still KICKS ASS.




3.  Sing the Changes - a new song from 2009; he performed it at last summer's concert we attended.  Awesome song.





4.  Get Back - one of my very favorite Beatles songs.





5.  Another Girl - another favorite Beatles song, but I don't think he's done this one live.  I really wish he would, though.





6.  The Night Before - yet another Beatles favorite.  Again, I don't think he's done it live, but would love it if he did.





7.  Maybe I'm Amazed - his love song for Linda.  My favorite love song of all time.





8.  Silly Love Songs - I've never seen this one live, and it's such a fun song.  In your face, John Lennon!





9.  Band on the Run - this one is incredible in concert, too.  Awesome song.




10. Penny Lane - beautiful song, and the instrumentals give me chills.




11.  Nineteen Hundred and Eight-Five - this is one that Becca wants him to play.  This video was taken a few months ago, so maybe he's performing on this tour.  Fingers crossed!





12.  Lady Madonna - awesome piano on this song.





13.  Back in the USSR - last but certainly not least.  Another one of my favorite Beatles songs.





These are not the only songs I'd like to hear, of course.  Hell, I'd listen to him perform his entire catalog if it were possible!


Tomorrow night is going to be AWESOME.*





* I use the word "awesome" a lot, I know.  But, hey - I'm an 80s girl!

Teaser Tuesday #2

Haven't done this one in a while, but I'm reading a really good book right now and wanted to participate.


 Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser:

From Talking to Girls About Duran Duran:

An adult woman might have a slightly mocking, slightly ironic relationship to her teenage Duran-loving self, and yet she can still feel that love in a non-ironic way.  And when adult women talk about them, they turn into those girls again."

Happy Birthday, Lauren!

Today Lauren turned 15!  Unbelievable.  Unfortunately, she was not feeling well most of the day, so she didn't have a great day.  We went out to IHoP for breakfast, her favorite meal, and she couldn't even eat her pancakes.  She missed out on a band field trip to see Shepherd College's marching band, her own marching band preview show and picnic for the families after.  She was so disappointed, and I felt bad for her.

Thankfully she felt better this evening, which was a relief, because she is going to the Outer Banks with her best friend's family for the week.  This is the first time she will be away from me, for so long and so far away.  She's excited, and I'm excited for her, but I'm also going to miss her and worry about her.  But I hope she has a great time.

Here's Lauren as a baby, being held by my beloved grandmother, Mom-Mom, who I miss so very much (and my mom in the background).

Thursday Thirteen - Favorite 80s Videos

I just started reading a book today called Talking to Girls About Duran Duran by Rob Sheffield.  It's all about 80s music, mostly notably Duran Duran, and how girls squeed over them then and still squee over them now.  The book reeled me in right from the introduction since I'm an 80s girl, so today's Thursday Thirteen will be thirteen of my favorite 80s videos.



OK, officially this song came out in 1979, but it was the start of the MTV phenomenon, and I was so lucky to be part of that while it was still awesome.  MTV sucks now, but my memories of it are wonderful.





I absolutely loved the "new wave" sound when it came out, and The Psychedelic Furs were a favorite band.  This song was played in one my favorite movies, Valley Girl





It seems like the only Eurythmics song played was "Sweet Dreams," but they had much better songs than that one.  This is my favorite Eurythmics song of all time.




I've been a fan of Starship ever since they were Jefferson Airplane.  Marty Balin was my favorite lead singer after Grace Slick.  Starship got a lot of grief for "We Built This City," but I think this gem was overlooked.  I loved this song so much, I named my firstborn Sarah after it.



No list would be complete without Culture Club. God, I loved Boy George.  I thought he was sexy, which drove my mother INSANE.  But he rocked the makeup and hair like no other guy could. 




I wasn't just into New Wave back then.  I liked Top 40, rock and pretty much everything, as long as it pleased my ear.  Fleetwood Mac was a favorite, but I have to say and it, and I'm sure this is sacrilege - I like Christine McVee better than Stevie Nicks.  That's right!  And Lindsey Buckingham was beautiful back then - but unfortunately he was a batterer, according to his ex-girlfriend's autobiography.  But that doesn't change the fact his voice is incredible.




And you couldn't put together a favorite 80s video list without mentioning Michael Jackson.  I know many people think Thriller was his best video, but it's Billie Jean, that gets me singing along and wanting to dance.




Kind of a sad song/video, but I absolutely love this song.  Elvis Costello is COOL.




When Peter Gabriel was making somewhat of a comeback in 1986, everyone raved about "Sledgehammer."  That was great, of course, but I think "Big Time" is MUCH better.




I'm a Led Zeppelin fan, but loved this song by Robert Plant.  He never lost is awesomeness, even after Led Zep broke up.  He STILL rocks.  And this song is just plain FUN.





Speaking of going solo, this was a huge hit back in the early 80s.  I never realized until then that Pete Townshend had a great voice - I always thought the voice of The Who was strictly Daltrey.  But I had a lot to learn about music back then.





The Traveling Wilburys - OMG.  Some of the coolest voices in rock history in one song.  It was a damn shame that Roy Orbison died right after making the album, especially because he looked so HAPPY in this video.  I will never EVER get tired of this song.




I was so sick of Men at Work because the only song I ever heard on the radio it seemed was "Down Under," which was a snoozefest.  Then I discovered this song and realized they were a great band and Colin Hayes had (and still has) a great voice.




OK, that is thirteen.  This is so not an exhaustive list - I could list hundreds.  These are just a few of my favorites.  And since I'm reading a book that is in a way about Duran Duran, here is a video by them I like (although it make no sense), even though I'm not a HUGE fan but do like their music.  I do have to admit, they were beautiful boys.  I liked eyeliner and makeup on my rock stars, and it drove my mom NUTS.





See other Thursday Thirteen participants here!






























 

Moms Night Out Wine Party!

Recently, I was asked to be part of an online wine tasting party by Jen Wiley at Catalyst Public Relations.  I responded too late to be part of the online group, but Jen was kind enough to send me a bottle to taste and review at my leisure.

The wine Jen sent to me was not a little sample bottle, but a full-size bottle of [yellow tail] wine's new Tree-Free Chardonnay.  Thankfully, Jen wasn't looking for a wine-tasting aficionado, so I didn't need to worry about tasting woody notes or anything.  I wanted to do this right, though, and not just try a sip by myself and then let her know what I thought.

Chris and I first invited my parents up for dinner to taste the wine, but unfortunately there was a nasty storm in their area that night and they couldn't make it up.  A few days later my friend Annette sent out an email to our lunch group and asked if we could get together soon.  Perfect!

My friend Debbie graciously offered to host at her house, and since she has a pool, I was all over it.  I would bring the wine, the other moms would bring snacks and the plan was to drink wine and swim.  The Moms Night Out Wine Party took place last night.

Well, we drank wine, but we didn't swim.  As is our way, we spent the evening talking and catching up since we haven't been together since school let out.  And it was a blast.  Here are a few pictures from our night: 

Debbie made a savory Parmesan cheesecake that was out of this world.  Annette brought some beautiful fresh fruit and made a dip with peanut butter, cinnamon and cottage cheese that was very yummy.  If anybody wants recipes, I can post them another time.



My first glass of [yellow tail] wine, but certainly not my last.  The wine was absolutely delicious - light, citrusy and smooth.  Annette is not usually a chardonnay fan, but said it was very good.  Barb also enjoyed it.  I would definitely buy this wine in the future.



Debbie's amazing cheesecake:



A close-up of the back label:



All gone - I think I drank most of it!  But it was definitely worth it.  I enjoyed this wine very much!

Top Ten Tuesday, 8/10/10

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is going to be a list of some of my favorite celebrity crushes, from the 70s until today.  This list is not all-inclusive.  ;-)

 

I mentioned in my family reunion post yesterday that my cousin and I were Bay City Roller freaks back in the day.  Here is the band, in all its glory.  I was a Les fan, and was very disappointed to find out he's a bit of a jerk after reading a couple of band biographies.



OK, I was only 10 when Jaws came out, so I didn't crush on Roy Scheider then.  But as I got older, Chief Brody got hotter with each viewing.



Diamond Dave and Eddie.  Oh, my.  Need I say more?  Chris and I saw them a couple years ago during their reunion tour, and they may be older, but they are still awesome.





Prince was rocking in the world in the early 80s, especially with 1999 and Purple Rain.  Loved the movie, loved the concert even more.  He may be tiny, but he is larger than life.





I had seen Patrick Swayze in Red Dawn, but didn't get just how incredibly beautiful he was until Dirty Dancing.  God, I was so sad when he passed.





I loved The Mummy, mostly because of how cool Brendan Fraser was in it.  That was the first movie I saw him in, and it's still my favorite Brendan Fraser movie.  However, he was pretty cute in a tank top in the Looneytoons movie, and his swing dance in Blast from the Past shouldn't be missed.





I am an action movie fan, so Independence Day is one of my all-time favorites.  Big explosions, great special effects, and Will Smith.  Perfect combination!  However, the picture is from Men in Black, which wasn't as good, but Will Smith rocked the black suit.





Law and Order: SVU is one of my very favorite TV shows.  The writing, the acting, the stories - and of course, Detective Stabler:





I haven't seen many Jackie Chan movies, but he is just too adorable for words.  I read his autobiography, and he's led quite the fascinating life, especially his childhood.





Here is another twofer - I love John Travolta and Tim Allen.  They both make great movies.  But put them together in Wild Hogs, and you have a hot comedy team that makes me laugh every single time I watch the movie.  Yes, they are older than their hot "heydays", but hell, so am I.





OK, this is a bonus.  Because no list of my celebrity crushes would be complete without my Paul.  And I get to see him in concert next week!

Meet Me on Monday, 8/9/10

Last night my extended family had a mini-reunion and I finally got to see cousins and uncles I haven't seen in years.  I also got to see my cousins' children I hadn't met yet.  It's a shame we're not as close a family as we used to be - every holiday was spent together, sometimes we got together just because, and my cousin Debbie and I were as close as sisters and spent the night at each other's house every chance we got.  But since my beloved grandmother Mom-Mom (our "matriarch," I suppose) passed away eight years ago, it seems we have all scattered.  We've only gotten together for a wedding and a couple of funerals in the past seven years.  That's not how a family should be, but it seems common in this day and age.

Debbie and I shared a love of The Bay City Rollers when we were preteens (shut up, they were awesome) - now I couldn't even tell you her favorite genre of music.  We used to tell each other everything; now we only connect occasionally on Facebook.  My Uncle Tommy and I used to spend so much time together - now he lives in Florida and I never see him or talk to him.  Thankfully I got his email address last night, so hopefully we'll be in touch more often.

We all had fun reminiscing and meeting each other's kids last night, but I'd like to have another reunion in someone's back yard instead of a restaurant.  It was hard to just sit and talk about anything "real", for lack of a better word, due to the loud music, TVs blaring and restaurant patrons (us included) talking loudly.  Maybe someday...

In the spirit of wanting to get to know my family again, here is today's "Meet Me on Monday", where I answer a few questions about ME.



Questions:

1. Do you watch any Soap Operas?

I was an avid watcher back in '88/'89 of Santa Barbara, when I was home with Sarah after she was born.  But apparently I was the only one watching it, and it got canceled.  I still love Dallas, and could watch that anytime.



2. What appliance is used the most in your house?

I would have to say the dishwasher and oven/stove.  I've been lax lately, but when I'm at the top of my game, I make dinner almost every night.  I'm sure once we're back in school routine again (boo!), I'll be back to making dinner on a regular basis.





3. Do you wear make-up every day?

I NEVER wear make-up.  The only things I put on my face are sunblock and lip balm.  I just hate the feeling of make-up covering my face; it feels like I'm wearing a mask, and I get very claustrophobic and uncomfortable.


4. What is your worst pet-peeve?

Grammar and punctuation!  Net-speak drives me completely insane, and spelling and grammar mistakes in books, magazines and newspapers just put me over the edge.  Don't get me started on internet bulletin boards!


5. What is your favorite lunch meat?


Wegman's has the best deli counter - they have turkey that they cut right off the carcass that's too die for.  Right now I have to drive to Leesburg to get to a Wegman's, but we are getting one in Frederick next year!  Yes, I'm pathetically happy to be getting a particular grocery store nearby.

And finally, a few pictures from last night:

My cousins Debbie and Diana with me (aren't they GORGEOUS?):





My Uncle Tommy, Uncle Denny and my mom:





And Debbie's beautiful daughter Brittany (my daughter Sarah had to work; I would love to have gotten a picture of Sarah and Brittany together):

Top Ten Tuesday, 8/3/10 and Some BIG News!

Yesterday was Lauren's first day of band camp.  I admire those kids - the first week they are there from 8am until 8pm.  Brutal!  But it's a bonding experience and the kids really love it.  Next week camp is "only" 5pm until 8pm, and then we're off and running into marching band season.  Good-bye, weekends!  

Becca is doing much better since her surgery.  She's still a little tired, a little nauseous, but not nearly as much as she was before the surgery.  She's been hanging with her best friend the past few days, and I've heard much giggling and carrying on.  Does my heart good.

A few days ago, I read that Dark Recesses magazine was in need of readers to help with their slush pile.  I contacted them, because I love stuff like that.  Unfortunately, they already had enough readers.  But FORTUNATELY, they were looking for someone to help with their short-listed stories.  Since I have experience in proofreading and editing and have also been published several times, they named me a FICTION EDITOR!!!!!  I can't tell you how excited I am about this.  I absolutely love reading, proofreading and editing, so this is going to be fun (and a lot of work, I'm told, which is great).

So to segue from that to today's Top Ten Tuesday, here is a list of ten of my favorite words to say:





1.   Shenanigans
2.   Discombobulated
3.   Apoplectic
4.   Yak
5.   Schenectady
6.   Cacophony
7.   Doofus
8.   Dork
9.   Butt-ugly
10. Squishy









See?  Fun words!