In Memory of Shirley-girl

Well, this is all VERY last minute BUHHT (and I gots me a big butt at that)... Earlier this year, some may remember I had participated in the Nat'l Multiple Sclerosis Society walk. Closely thereafter, the Komen Race for a Cure for Breast Cancer followed, but it was so close behind the M.S. walk, I hadn't wanted to ask everyone for money again - but this time? The M.S. Walk is 7 months away! Still, I wasn't going to ask for donations - I was worried some may be annoyed by it - BUT my old boss heard I'll be walking tomorrow (3.5 miles) and asked why I hadn't let everyone know about this one, promptly offering to give me a donation!

So tomorrow AM, I'll be walking in Memory of my Grandma Shirley-girl ~ she died of breast cancer in 1994, after her 5 year struggle. She never saw her 60th birthday.

If you'd like to sponsor me by making a donation to the American Cancer Society (A.C.S.), pa-pa-pa-PUHLEEZE go for it!

You can use the following link to my personal A.C.S. donations page - http://tinyurl.com/dhud5
To avoid future emails from the A.C.S., feel free to use my email (yes, an effective loop hole I've discovered): annejelynn@yahoo.com
When the system asks you to list credit card billing info. to make your donation payment, your actual billing address WILL IN NO WAY be made available for A.C.S. contact records. Once your receipt/donation confirmation posts to my email account, if you'll email to me your email #, I will promptly forward it to you.
Again, I know this is VERY last minute, but I'm sure if you want to help, you will!

Stuff-Portrait Friday!

Once again, according to Kristine...

#1 Something in my house where it doesn't belong: I actually don't know WHERE this belongs, honestly. My last roomie left it behind when she moved out and told me to do with it whatever I may, but it's pretty dang big for a "mini-fridge." Since she left in August, it has just sat right here - it is not meant as a knitting basket stand. And no, I don't want to use it like a full service mini-bar for my living room guests. humpht.
What to do (tapping my finger to my bottom lip)?

#2 Something broken in my house, but I've kept it anyhow: This adorable, LITTLE fine/thin/fragile wheel spun piece of pottery... I found it in one of my parent's many boxes of misc. college stuff and I wouldn't let my father toss it or his "The World According to Garp" either. After one of my many moves, from place to place, a hole was finally punched through it somehow unbeknownst to me - dunno. I now just turn the hole towards the back of the bookshelf on which it sits. I had never known it was spun so thin until the hole came along - it's amazing really.

#3 Something in my house that I will NEVER eat: Man, I la-la-la luv sushi, but I will probably never attempt to make it on my own, nor will I ever bother/think to wrap my rice in this seaweed paper!?!? so I can have myself some seaweed paper!?! with my rice??? No way. This is yet again another item my last roomie left behind for me when she moved out. For some UNKNOWN, BIZARRE, utterly UNSPOKEN reason, I haven't yet thrown it way (even now after taking its picture). I think it's just because it has been stashed in the freezer since she left, and I've been too busy to think about it/notice it until now. I'll ask my NEW roomie (who is from Japan, mind you) if she would use/eat it.

I've been Tagged (apply happy sing-a-song voice)

Alrighty now, I've been tagged by Doc Ern... try out this meme!

The Rules
1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post.
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five other people to do the same.

Monday, April 4, 2005 - Even the super sweet SUSIE 'Fairchild' (http://uhohnowlook.blogspot.com/) and the dang cool 'DANG COLD' (http://dangcold.blogspot.com/) made contributions - for which I'm thrilled and I can't thank 'em enough.

Hmmm... and who should I tag? Well, how 'bout SUSIE (can't believe no one's beat me to her), DANG COLD (although he lost his archives), Anna Dilemna (although not quite up her alley), Torrie (who knows what saucy thing she'll find) and Spurious Plum (when she finds the time).

The Stinky Cheese Man!

Second only to Tomie dePaola's "Wuggie Norple," this has gotta be one of my most very, very favoritest (not a word, I know) children's books in this whole wide world (arms now stretched out big and wide) ~ it's complete and total nonsense and it is juhhst utterly hysterical (I think)! I swear, its creation may be more for the amusement of the parents than the kids. I cannot wait to give it to my honey-man's angel boy-O... He began second grade this fall and the book is deemed "2nd grade reading material." I was absolutely thrilled when I read that! [Yah, I'm payin' attention to these details.] I just hope he likes it as much as I do!

When I first saw this book, I was at home in Iowa from Ricks College (now " BYU Idaho" - gag - choking - oh, please - excuse me, pardon me - GAG!) for the Christmas holiday. Sadly, I was about to break off an engagement and my little brother had the chicken pox = a purrfect distraction and at the same time, a perfect opportunity to simply spoil my cutie-patootie lil' bro. I think he was 6 years old at the time. The poor, pathetic lil' pox-covered pipsqueak was absolutely miserable, banished at all times to either his bedroom or a lonely couch. I was happy though to read him stories in bed, and I had him join me downstairs where I was staying in the guest room. I have a grrrrreat picture of him covered head to toe with crazy red bumps, wearing a huge, oversized T-shirt for Pjs, and he's sitting next to me on the guest bed - and you can tell he's trying hard to look serious, suspressing giggles.

My "little" brother now stands 6 feet tall, plus, oh another 6 inches! and still growing!?!? He's 14 years my junior, but "little" by no means. Every time I see him, I can't help but remember when he was only 3 years old, running down the basement hallway after me, begging at the top of his little baby 3 year old lungs for the return of HIS binky, yet giggling like a little mad man as I dangled it only inches from his reach... cruel, yes - but he was soooo damn cute!!! The cutest!!!


Anyhow, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales! it's a Fabulous book! and a blast to read out loud! Note: it must be read aloud with various voices used; whether high pitched and fast or low and slow, make sure each of 'em is as goofy as could be = no other way is acceptable with a book like this. And yes, this post serves as my blantant plug for the book.
Check it out!

Our Wonderful Post Office - and a BAD email!!!

As most of us often do, when "Forward this to Everyone You Know" emails shuffle thru my inbox each week, I don't pay much attention to many of them. The one I received this past Tuesday, however, I found it to be reallllly quite upsetting.
(see below, beyond my message)

I was thinking about the email and decided, not only would I not forward it on to anyone in terms of giving my approval of its promotion, but instead, I want to forward it on and explain why I REFUSE to support its promotion.

Muslim bombings are carried out by EXTREMIST minorities of the Muslim faith. There are millions of GOOD Muslims in the world and many among us, living here in the U.S. today. In general, I refuse to boycott ANY ethnic/cultural or religious group based on the bad (for lack of a better word) few that may exisit, even if the "few" were in the thousands.

And if we want to refer back to certain times throughout history - for instance, the Crusades of England? terrorizing and killing countless Muslims? or various other atrocities against humanity, performed by "Christians"? - neither Christian ranks nor Muslims have any right to point the finger at each other... because those Muslim bombers - the idiots loyal to William the Conqueror or Adolf Hitler... those past ills against our fellow men are IN THE PAST and those carried on today? they should NOT reflect upon those WHO DID NOT actively take part in such horrific events.

I will not be part of the problem - no name calling, no stereo-typing, no preconceived judgemental notions, no gross over-generalizing of an entire group of people.

I won't do it and I think it's important not to send this stuff out ~ I wanted to share my perspective with you all, only because I care. Thanks for reading!

Please see below the email I received,
9/20/2005 6:41AM
============================

How ironic is this??!! They don't even believe in Christ and they're getting their own Christmas stamp, but don't dream of posting the ten commandments on federal property?



This one is impossible to believe. Scroll down for the text. If there is only one thing you forward today.....let it be this!

REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of PanAm Flight 103!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the military barracks in Saudi Arabia!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the American Embassies in Africa!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the USS COLE!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM attack on the TwinTowerson 9/11/2001!
REMEMBER all the AMERICAN lives that were lost in those vicious MUSLIM attacks!

Now the United States Postal Service REMEMBERS and HONORS the EID MUSLIM holiday season with a commemorative first class holiday postage stamp.

REMEMBER to adamantly and vocally BOYCOTT this stamp when purchasing your stamps at the post office. To use this stamp would be a slap in the face to all those
AMERICANS who died at the hands of those whom this stamp honors.
REMEMBER to pass this along to every patriotic AMERICAN you know.

======================================
PLEASE, IF YOU SEE THIS EMAIL OR ANYTHING LIKE IT COME ALONG - Puhleeze, DO NOT FORWARD ON THIS KIND OF UTTER GARBAGE!
It spreads nothing but hate.

For Amy, at her Request

Not exactly from my fridge, but a good one nonetheless...

SPF ~ Alas, it sucked - mah Phoney - my digicam

Once again, according to Kristine...Stuff Portrait Friday!

#1 I had been all excited, until it got home: When I bought this, I was so thrilled to have not only a legitimate coffee maker, but one including all it's fandangled features and the way tre' cool design. HOWEVER, the damn thing repeatedly leaked coffee, including grounds, all over my kitchen counter, down the front of the lower cabinets, all over the floor = A BIG FAT FREAKIN' MESS! After my honey-man had no luck determining what it was I had been doing wrong (I was convinced I'm incompetent), we successfully concluded there was a serious design flaw at hand, so we returned the sucker and never looked back.

B.P.O.S. = BIG PIECE OF SHIT (sorry, just being HONEST!)

I'm not at all alone in my experience with this awful machine.
(click to here to see the horrible reviews)

#2 My cell phone: Why do I have a Nokia brick instead of a sleak, oh-so cool (supposedly) flippy phone? Cuz I have a hard time as it is, trying to answer my cell without inadvertently hanging up on someone and I need to be able to answer the phone using ONE HAND, thank you!?!! There's no freakin' way I want to flip anything open in order to take a call, nor do I want to try learning some ridiculous wrist action to do it one-handed. NO. I've only had this phone for a month now and I'm not at all used to it's menu listings and the split "talk" and "end call" buttons. My previous phone was an ancient lil' Nokia though and I loved it. I miss my Salt 'n' Pepa's "Push It" default ring and the Jingle Bells ring I had set for my honey-man... BUT with my new phone and my new Cingular service, I love it that we're now on a "Family Plan" and that the 400-500+ minutes we spend talking to one another each month is no longer counted against our "Anytime Minutes." Hallelujah! Plus, I'm tellin' ya, ROLLOVER MINUTES ROCK!

My very own navy blue brick!

#3 My digital camera: I love my camera ~ why? Because I took over 1,600 pictures while in Montreal and it didn't cost me a friggin' fortune to find out only 700 of 'em are worth keeping! ME LOVE IT!

The FujiFilm E550 = 6.0 megapixels per shot at MY service...

My Shout Out to the "Recovering Mormon"

Mmmkay - there's a brand spakin' new member of the blogosphere out there and she happens to be a friend of mine and a fellow-fan of the Dooce ~ she was actually the one to introduce me to the world of Dooce.com. Anyhow, this here is my "WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF BLOGGING" message to her. Plus, an effort to share this announcement with all of you who may now stop by her blog and gain some insight into the world of Mormonism. Her new blog, "Recovering Mormon" is unique in that she's writing about a most particular and significant aspect of her life's history - growing up in Utah and her years of trying to be a good Mormon girl.

Considering our common upbringing, she and I can greatly relate to one another in this way, and although she and I haven't yet had a chance to share more of our own personal stories with one another, I'm thrilled she's started writing about it via the net! so go check 'er out!

Soon to come, I swear!

Lately, I've been able to spend some time prepping posts regarding my recent Montreal trip. Note: for those of you unawares, the importance of this admission and its truth is a gross and severe understatment. I know it's been a full month's time since my return, but I'm juhhhst getting around to it! There's been a ton of distractions... I can tell you right now though, that what I will show/offer/share is only a pale description when compared to the real adventure and the personal joy I experienced on that trip - and for this, I'm sorry that I cannot possibly express all my feelings or offer each and every detail. For myself, I would like to make a record, but I am FULL. And I swear, I am still running high off that trip. And frankly, I'm hoping it'll last me 'til the end of this year - but to hope it'll last me until only the end of this year?!? that doesn't give it near enough credit. This trip I went on? It was one of the most valuable yet; loaded with self-discovery and brand new insights, adding to and enhancing my ever-increasing curiosity regarding social and cultural dynamics, building higher my understanding of the world around me, and most importantly, strengthening the ever-growing, increasing love I have for my honey-man and his dearest angel boy-O.
Have I mentioned it was FAAHBOOLUSS?

Stuff Portrait Friday! on Sunday!

Once again, according to Kristine...

#1 Meine Kuche - not that big, is it? but, believe it or not, I have had much, much SMALLER! Try so small that the refridgerator had to be kept in the bedroom!?!

In my kitchen there muhhst be a pantry - the narrow door is for my blessed pantry. It is equipped with 4 deep shelves and 5 shallow shelves for stacking stuff - Heck! I should take a pic of my pantry, eh? - that'll be another post for later. Anyhow, with my mormon roots, I am a woman of bulk foods and excess food storage... need a can of Cream of Chicken soup? how about a cake mix? would you like White Sour Cream or Yellow? need a can of evaporated milk? I have four cans of it in stock right now.
I.love.my.pantry.

Not a whole lot of counter space...but I have a dishwasher! That fact, coupled with my oh-so willing honey-man, who actually LIKES doing the dishes, makes for no reason at all not to bake/broil/roast/grill/saute/simmer/boil/blanche/steam or stir fry. I hate doing the dishes -my only deterrant to cooking- that and, ah, money! - it can be quite expensive to go all out and cook as I may -it'd be easier if I were feeding the throngs, but right now, there is no gabble of children to feed.

I absolutely love my pass through window. Love it. The only thing that would be better is an entirely OPEN kitchen - I would love that much more. I hate walled-off kitchens - being cut off from the rest of my living space. For me, the kitchen serves as a center of loving, creative activity in the home - I love cooking, especially for others. It's relaxing for me. I don't want to be working in the kitchen, separated from those for whom I may be cooking.
P.S. You see that sponge there? along the back of the sink?
IT IS NOT MINE

#2 Meine Handschrift - notes from Research Design class - Exciting, no? Hardly so, I know.

#3 einer Sache - okay, right now you should be thinking, "What the hell is that?" Exactly my sentiment when it was first sent to me (along with a number of equally bizarre items) from my childhood friend Anna Dilemma, who lives in Tokyo. This stuff is called "Pink Top Cream" - the only English on the package - and the illustration on the package? humpht - WTF? how was I to really know? it's colorless and has no scent... Is it lip gloss? Considering the illustration on the package, I didn't think so. Well, I have a new roomie, Kanako, and she happens to be from Japan! I brought out this lil' pink-nippled package from deep within a bedroom cabinet, and asked her the other night to tell me what this stuff is. She was stunned - she giggled - she asked me, "Where'd you get this?" and then giggled some more. It was hilarious, watching her try to find the words to tell me what it is: When applied, um, this "Pink Top Cream" will cause one's nipple to be pink.

Juhhhst Lovely.

Blogger - BLAK!

Alrighty - apparently the Blogger gods that be don't want me to post anything that includes any photos. fooey! Stuff Portrait Friday will have to wait even longer now...and my Montreal post, just the same. This is really my first time having Blogger trouble beyond it refusing to let me post comments. *sigh*

Self-Portrait Day!

All the things we pile upon ourselves!?! Sure, I gotta full plate on my hands, but all the OTHER things that run through my head? do I like to cause for myself unnecessary stress?

This is my shoulder - over the past couple weeks, I've been breaking out in hives.
Juhhhst lovely, eh?

Self-Portrait Day!

Another pic from Montreal for SPD!

kinda cute, eh? ya can see mah honey-man, up and behind me...

Reason to Smile

Dimpled baby hands = a very good reason to smile.

Gotta Help Somehow

I borrowed/stole (however ya wanna see it) these links from CNN - granted, there are a gazillion sites available online, but I found it particularly helpful to find these links grouped together like this...

---

Disaster officials recommend the following Web sites (some sites may respond slowly due to increased traffic):

Donate & Volunteer

• Adventist Development Relief Agency -- (800) 424-2372

• American Friends Service Committee -- (888) 588-2378

• American Red Cross -- (800) 435-7669 / (800) HELP-NOW / (800) 257-7575 (Spanish)

• AmeriCares -- (800) 486-4357

• America's Second Harvest -- (877) 817-2307

• ASPCA -- (866) 275-3923

• B'nai B'rith International -- (888) 388-4224

• Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund

• Catholic Charities USA -- (800) 919-9338

• Christian Reformed World Relief Committee -- (800) 55-CRWRC

• Church World Service -- (800) 297-1516 ext 222

• Episcopal Relief and Development -- (800) 334-7626

• Feed the Children -- (800) 525-7575

• Florida Hurricane Relief Fund

• Food for the Hungry -- (877) 780-4261 ext 2506

• Habitat for Humanity -- (866) 720-2800

• International Aid -- (800) 251-2502
• International Medical Corps -- (800) 481-4462

• International Medical Corps -- (800) 481-4462

• International Orthodox Christian Charities -- (877) 803 4622

• International Relief and Development, Inc. -- (703) 248-0161

• International Relief Teams -- (619) 284-7979

• International Rescue Committee -- (877) 733-8433

• Life for Relief and Development -- (800) 827-3543

• Lutheran Disaster Response -- (800) 638-3522

• MAP International -- (866) 627-4483

• Mennonite Disaster Service -- (800) 348-7468

• Mercy (M-USA) -- (800) 55-MERCY

• MercyCorps -- (800) 852-2100

• Moveon.org: Hurricane housing

• Network for Good

• Noah’s Wish -- (530) 622-9313

• North Shore Animal League -- (877) 4savepet

• Northwest Medical Teams -- (800) 959-4325

• Operation Blessing -- (800) 730-2537

• Operation USA -- (800) 678-7255

• Quarters From Kids

• Relief International -- (800) 573-3332

• Salvation Army -- (800) SAL-ARMY

• Samaritan’s Purse -- (800) 665-2843

• Save the Children -- (800) 728-3843

• Society of St. Vincent de Paul

• Southern Baptist Convention -- (888) 571-5895

• The Baton Rouge Area Foundation -- (877) 387-6126

• The Humane Society of the United States -- (888) 259-5431

• The United Way -- (800) 272-4630

• Union for Reform Judaism

• United Jewish Communities

• United Methodist Committee on Relief -- (800) 554-8583

• Water Missions International -- (843) 769-7395

• World Concern -- (800) 755-5022 ext. 0

• World Relief -- (800) 535-5433

Get Help

• Alabama Emergency Management Agency

• American Red Cross -- (800) 435-7669 / (800) HELP-NOW / (800) 257-7575 (Spanish)

• Department of Homeland Security

• Displaced TSA employees -- (866) 301-7214

• FEMA

• Florida Division of Emergency Management

• Homes for Katrina

• Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

• Mississippi Homeland Security

• Moveon.org: Hurricane housing

• Official Web site of Louisiana

• Operation: Share Your Home

Locate the Missing

• Alabama Hospital Association

• American Red Cross Family Links Registry -- (877) 568-3317 / (877) LOVED-1S

• Homeport: Hurricane Katrina Disaster Recovery Assistance

• Hurricane Katrina Connection message board

• Hurricane Katrina Official Government Website

• Katrina people search

• National Next of Kin Registry -- (800) 944-4084

• NOLA.com Missing Persons Forum

• Official Web site of Louisiana

Katrina

I've been really busy this week with work and school starting - busy enough that I haven't had much time to follow the news... for one brief moment yesterday while in the midst of work, I checked MSNBC.com and I.WAS.JUST.STUNNED. Last night in class, we discussed the implications of Katrina upon public sector services - and when I got home, I finally watched the evening news.

Today I went back to MSNBC.com and watched a video clip of their most recent on-site news coverage. Glued to my monitor, surrounded by petty paperwork and stuff I'm supposed to be doing/"important for right now, right HERE" kinds of crap - and it all felt totally insignificant. The babies, all the bodies, the homes and businesses, the living conditions, or lack thereof - ? I closed my office door and began to read... I am absolutely baffled by the lack of federal response; that more hasn't been done by now for those of the Mississippi Delta. Makes me so sad.