freaky

Yet another pic I took last night...with a twist.

Here's the original...Joey showing his muscles.

After we came in, the kids wanted me to screw around with their snapshots (you know, bend them, make them change colors, etc.), so I went into Photosuite.  I changed the colors on the above pic, nothing else.  This was the result...

I have no idea what that is behind him--no one was standing there.  And like I said, I did nothing to alter the picture...just lightened it.  Weird.  Just thought I'd share my spookiness with you.

til next time...=)

blame it on the rain

It's been raining for FOUR days here...the rivers are now overflowing the banks in some spots around here.  And it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow too.  Good thing we live on a hill...no worries here, just watching what happens.  Anyway, the kids have been going nuts in the house, so late (really late) last night, we let them go outside...in the rain.  Yay.

This was taken when she was in the rain for a while, then Joey threw yet more water at her...lol.

Joey striking a pose.

So we had fun, and they slept good.

til next time...=)

join the fun

CarnivAOL...where you get to highlight your awesomeness.  I did...and other people did too!  Check it out!  The 16th edition of CarnivAOL is here!

til next time...=)

43 questions

43 of the most random questions...blatently stolen from Kimberleigh, Robin, and Sharon...lol.

1.  Where were you 1 hour ago?

The same place I am now...in front of the computer.  Checking my mail.

2.  Who will be your next kiss?

The kids, when they go to bed.  Aye aye, captain.

3.  Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

My Hello Kitty pillow, comforter and phone, my bustier purse.  I think that's it.

4.  When was the last time you were at the mall?

Joey's dad's birthday (April), when we had a t-shirt made with the kids' pictures on it.  So cool.

5.  Are you wearing socks right now?

Nope...took them off when I took my shoes off.

6.  When was the last time you went out of town?

Does the next town over count?  March, for work.  No?  Then about about 2 years ago...when I went to Atlantic City for a Elvis concert.  I know, I don't get out much.

7.  Have you been to the movies in the past 5 days?

No way...no time and too expensive.

8.  What was the last thing you had to drink?

Coffee...mmmmm.

9.  What are you wearing right now?

T-shirt and jeans.

10.  Have you ever been in a car wash?

In the car, of course.

11.  Last food you ate?

Elbow macaroni with sauce and garlic bread.  Yummy.

12.  Where were you last week on Saturday?

WORK.  Like any other Saturday.

13.  Have you bought any clothing items in the past week?

Nope...I'm po.

14.  When was the last time you ran?

About 2 months ago, when I was trying to catch up to the bus.  I made it.

15.  What's the last sporting event you watched?

OMG...maybe last year's World Series.

16.  What is (was) your favorite class?

Math...the answers are always definite.

17.  Your dream vacation?

Anywhere but here.  For a week.  At least.

18.  Last 3 people's houses you were in?

Let's see...my neighbor's house, my sister's house, and my other neighbor's house.

19.  How old are your parents?

My mom would be 63 (52), and my dad would be 71 (60).

20.  WHERE'S NUMBER 20???

21.  Do you miss anyone?

Doesn't everyone?  Of course.

22.  Last play you saw?

"All Shook Up"...before that was "Les Miserables".

23.  What are your plans for today?

Well...go to bed.  Tomorrow--take Joey for an interview (WOOHOO).  After that, who knows.

24.  Who is the last person you commented on MySpace?

I think it was an old classmate of mine...asking about the reunion, which I'm not going to, by the way.

25.  Ever go to camp?

Yup...day camp for about 5 years (then became a counselor there), and overnight camp once.

26.  Were you an honor roll student?

Proud member of the Class of 1995 National Honor Society.

27.  What do you want to know about the future?

Will my kids get out of the damn house???

28.  Are you wearing any perfume/cologne?

Nope.

29.  DAMMIT!!  SOMEONE STOLE NUMBER 29!

30.  Where is your best friend located?

About 5 minutes' drive away.

31.  Do you have a tan?

Yup...the sunburn I got last week turned into one.

32.  How old do you want to be when you have kids?

A little too late for this one...lol.

33.  Do you collect anything?

Hello Kitty stuff, coffee mugs.

34.  Last time you got stopped/pulled over by a cop?

Dude's birthday, 2002.  Speeding.  Damn.

35.  Have you ever drank soda through a straw?

Duh.  Who hasn't?

36.  How do you like your drinks?

Alcoholic.  Or Caffeinated.

37.  Do you like hot sauce?

Sometimes.

38.  Last time you took a shower?

Yesterday...didn't have time to get in this morning.  Don't worry...I don't stink.

39.  Who do you have a crush on?

My man...that's it.

40.  What is your mood?

Excited, for Joey--see #23.

41.  Are you someone's best friend?

I hope so.

42.  Are you rich?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

43.  What do you think of the person who took this survey before you?

Kimberleigh's cool, Robin's got lots of strength to get thru the house stuff (she's funny too!), and Sharon's got an asshole for an ex-husband, and she's awesome.

til next time...=)

update? what update?

Shows how much I've been paying attention...I went to change my "All About Me", and from the looks of it, it allows you to add more!!!  So of course, I did.  Yay.  See it?  Newly updated pics of the kids!!!  Woohoo!  Soon to be updated even more...lol.  I can't get those two to sit together for nothing, especially for a picture.  So now I won't have to...again, yay.

til next time...=)

bum being a bum

Since she couldn't keep her summer job, this is where she has to sleep...lmao.

Just kidding!!!  This was taken in the morning when I was outside having my morning coffee and smoke.  She followed, and decided to lay on the porch swing.  Perfect photo op...this is why I treat my camera like an American Express card--never leave home without it.

til next time...=)

awww...do i have to?

Weekend Assignment #117: We all have to do chores around the house. Which chore do you like to do the least?

Extra Credit: Do you recycle?

This (being the weekend assignment) is one of my favorite online chores, although I've been neglecting to do it lately...I'm smacking my hand as we speak.  Around the house, I don't do that many chores, but of the few I do, the one I dislike (or at least am growing to hate) is cleaning out the litter box.  Especially with the newly acquired cats (see pictures in last entry).  Ewwww.  It's the clumping litter, but with three cats using it, I'm cleaning it out at least daily.  And the worst part?  No sooner do I finish, and one (usually Slinky) just HAS to go, right then and there.  Sigh.  But it has to get done.  Yay.

As for the recycling, we're supposed to do it, but around here you need special containers to do so.  And since right now I work 9 to 5, and the public works department is open the same hours, I haven't had a chance to get down there and pick them up.  Oops.  But when I get the opportunity, I think I'll get my little butt down there.

til next time...=)

cats!

I promised pics of the new kittens...and now I'm finally uploading them.  One. Picture. At. A. Time. Very. Slowly.

Here's Dude with Slinky.  He was the first to come into to the house, especially since he was born in our basement.  Slinky is also the cat in this pic.  He's the annoying but lovable one.

And here's Bum with Vince.  He's so furry...he's just a big furball.  He got his name from Vince Neil of Motley Crue.  We were originally going to name them after each of the band members...lol.

Here's the newest member of our household...New Cat.  It has no name, since we still can't figure out if it's a boy or girl.  If it's a girl, we're naming her Hera...she's like the goddess of fire, with her attitude...lol.

So there you go...if we come across anymore, we're taking them to the Humane Society.  And don't worry--we still have Kikko...he's an outside cat now.  He only comes around when he wants something...kind of like your 18-year-old child or something...lol.

til next time...=)

and the survey says...

Stolen from Sharon...

1 - Accent:  I don't think I have one, but I might have a wee bit of a southern accent...I think it's from work.  You know, talking to all those people with that soft southern drawl kinda rubs off on us Yankee folk...lol.

2 - Booze:  Lots of it...keep it coming!  Except beer...blech.

3 - Chore I hate:  Every single one of them!!!

4 - Dogs/cats:  1 dog--Princess, 4 cats--Kikko, Slinky (new), Vince (new), and un-named (so new we don't know if it's a boy or girl).

5 - Essential electronics:  the puter and the camera

6 - Favorite perfume/cologne:  Don't really wear any...I dunno.

7 - Gold/silver:  I would say gold, but I don't really wear anything.

8 - Hometown:  Same place I'm at now--Scranton, PA.

9 - Insomnia:  No way...I can SLEEP.  Too bad there's that thing called an alarm clock.

10 - Job title:  National Wireless Directory Assistance Operator.

11 - Kids:  2...Bum and Dude.

12 - Living arrangements:  3 bedroom, 2nd floor apartment.

13 - Most admired trait:  My kindness, I guess.

14 - Number of sexual partners:  *cringing* 8.  I know...bad me.

15 - Overnight hospital stays:  3--one for each of the kids, one for a kidney infection that lasted a week (while pregnant).

16 - Phobia:  Little fear of heights.

17 - Quote:  Don't judge a book by its cover.

18 - Religion:  On the fence about this--baptized Catholic, but starting to not like Catholicism.

19 - Siblings:  2 sisters--Donna, 39, and Phyllis, who would be 41.  Also, 3 stepbrothers and 2 stepsisters.

20.  Time I usually Wake Up:  Depends on what time I have work--between 7 and 9am.

21 - Unusual talent:  No idea.

22 - Vegetable I refuse to eat:  Squash.  Ewww.

23 - Worst habit:  Other than smoking, ripping my nails off.

24 - X-rays:  Uh...

25 - Yummy foods I make:  Piggies and cheesesteaks!

26 - Zodiac sign:  Split personality...Gemini.

til next time...=)

bum goes to work

Yup, we told her at age 8, it's about time she got a summer job.

Just kidding--it was "Take Your Daughter/Son To Work Day" at my office.  Yes, I know it's supposed to be in April, but it gets more participation this way, or so I'm told.    She was greeted with donuts.  She got to see what I do for about an hour and a half (see pic), and the only thing she could noticed was everyone's accent.  The rest of the day she made some stuff to take home, and watched a movie..  And had lunch in there somewhere.  Must be nice...donuts and lunch provided by work...lol.  Just kidding--sometimes they do that for the ones who get paid to be there too.  But all in all, she had a good day.  And so did I.

til next time...=)

father's day

Hope everyone's Father's Day went well...ours did, kind of.  We really didn't celebrate on Sunday, since I had to work...ugh.  So we did our thing on Monday.  We packed a lunch, went to Nay Aug, and went swimming.  Our new neighbor, Steve (cool kid, by the way), came with us.  This year, they have a flat fee whether you ride the water slides or not, so what the hell--we tried the slides.  AWESOME.  Bum absolutely loved it.  Dude went down once--started feet first, but somehow ended up head first at the end--that was it for him...maybe next time.  We all got some sunburn...more (me) than others (Dude and Bum).  We were there for about 3 hours, then the clouds started rolling in.  Just as we were leaving, we saw the lightning, heard the thunder, then heard the whistles of the lifeguards signaling everyone out.  Perfect timing.

Then we went home, changed, and went to Wal-Mart to get Joey the gift I promised we'd get him.  Here's what he picked out...

So that's our Daddy's day celebration.

til next time...=)

scavenger hunt #79

I haven't done this in like, forever.  Or at least it feels like it anyway.  This week's hunt is for things you collect. 

 Me, I collect Hello Kitty things. 

 I've told about them here.

 I'm like a kid at heart with this stuff.

I would show pics, but I don't think I have any...right now, anyway.

til next time...=)

another graduation

Last week, Dude (formally known as Home Fry) had his graduation...from kindergarten.  And of course, I went to this one too.  Nikki (my niece) came home with me after Ashley's ceremony, so she came too.  They had a little picnic in the classroom, complete with blankets to sit on.  We would've had it outside, but it was raining.  That's Dude with his friend, Joesph, chillin' out on Dude's Spongebob blanket.

We brought cookies...Joey was going to make "Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookies" (maybe I'll post the recipe...1/2 the sugar of regular chocolate chip!) for the class and teachers (as a end-of-year gift), but while making them, the chips melted, so we had just enough for the teachers, and the party got store bought...oh well.  I forgot to get a pic of the cute little wicker baskets Bum picked out for them...oops!

One of the other parents came up with the idea of making a keepsake box for a group end-of-year gift, with pictures of each child in the class, as well as pics of events throughout the year.  Neat, huh?

Here's the last pic of the year with the class.

And at the end of the day, the ice cream truck came for the entire school!  An awesome end to an awesome year.

til next time...=)

pomp and circumstance

My niece, Ashley, graduated from high school.  I was invited to the ceremony, so I went...duh.  Here are some pictures...and I know someone going to be hunting me down for this (the last one, anyway)...lol.

Ashley with her two diplomas--one from vo-tech, and one from her home school.

My three nieces--Stephanie, 21, Ashley, 18, and Nichole, 16.

After the ceremony--Ashley and her awesomely proud mom (my sis).

Now she's off to Job Corps to further study Culinary Arts for two years, then to a school of her choice to learn even more.  She eventually wants to open her own pastry shop.  With the attitude, passion, and determination she has, she can accomplish that and more.  Go Ashley.  Yay.

til next time...=)

hidden treasure

Remember I mentioned I found a sidewalk under loads of dirt in my backyard?  I did say I took pics, and here they are.

Dirt...

Dig a little, and voila!  Sidewalk.

Ahhh...what a little hard work can do.  Needless to say, I regretted it the next day--I couldn't move.

til next time...=)

field trip!

Little Guy's class went on their end-of-the-year field trip, and guess who tagged along.  ME!  It was fun!  We went to the movies and saw "Over The Hedge".  It was funny--if you didn't see it, I recommend going.  After that, we hopped on the bus and went to the park, where we had lunch and did whatever.  It's the same park we went to for 4th of July last year, with that HUGE playground.  There were 5 different classes there, all from the same school...it was crazy, with all the kids in the same uniforms.  It was so hot that the kids in my group were dumping water over their heads to stay cool.  That and we took a walk in the woods down by the gorge.  Then it was almost time to go home, but I snapped this pic before we left.

The one sitting directly behind Little Guy is Mrs. Guerra, his awesome teacher.  Next to her is Mrs. White, her awesome teaching assistant.  That's how small his class is...lol.  Fun was had by all--it was worth waiting until the end of the year for this.

til next time...=)

summertime

You can tell it's summer...the flowers are blooming, the bees and mosquitos are out.  And in my house, hair is falling onto the floor.  See?

Before...

and after...

Yup, summer's here.

til next time...=)

hi there

I know, I know...where the hell have I been?  Let's see...field trips, graduations, work, and my birthday.  That's where I've been, and I've been seriously slacking here.  So here we go...within the next two days, I will go nuts here.  All the updates you need and want.  That and I don't wanna lose all of you.  So, without further ado...

til next time...=)