tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194372102009-07-15T17:34:55.676-05:00Beth and Cory's MomThough that isn't all there is to me. Is it?Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.comBlogger1547125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-17130981488458245012009-07-15T14:52:00.003-05:002009-07-15T16:36:48.425-05:00All Night LongMy kids had it good - compared to the others who went to the movie with them last night. They got back to the house sometime between 3:00 and 3:30 this morning. I didn't actually hear them come in, but I heard some water running in the bathroom somewhere in that time period. About then it started raining so I had to get up and close some windows. I didn't see anyone then.<br /><br />When I got up this morning, I heard laughing coming from the basement. A couple of Cory's friends stayed over, and they were going to crash here. But they never went to sleep! Then Alex's mom came and picked them up about 7am because Jordan had to work at 8:30. Alex had to work at noon, and Vanessa had to work at 10:00 - and Tim had to work all day like normal. Cory didn't have anything planned for the day, and Beth took the day off work because she knew they were going to be out late. So Beth was still in bed, and Cory finally <span style="font-style: italic;">went</span> to bed when his friends left, and they both slept for hours. I have a feeling everyone else is really going to crash once they finish work for the day. <br /><br />When's the last time you PART<a href="http://www.americanaed.com/">AED</a> all night? Just thinking about it makes me tired - I know I'm too old for that stuff!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-1713098148845824501?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-48214103969738228702009-07-14T22:39:00.005-05:002009-07-14T23:13:34.439-05:00Midnight MovieCory and his friends are all at the theater, waiting for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to start. One of their friends had to work until 8pm, so they had to wait for her to get off work before they could leave. Here are the rest of them while we were waiting for her:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://images.alwaysbcmom.com/images/A_0/8/7/0/80780/IMG_2117_367e7.JPG" class="bordered" width="350" /><br /></div><br />For a while there I was wondering if I was going to have to go, too. First we had the drama last week when Beth was threatening not to take them because of the free passes I won. But she got over that, because she really likes Harry Potter, and I'm pretty sure she's looking forward to this movie, too. But tonight, Tim called and said he had something else to do - and she got all upset at him because they already had plans, and he had to go because he said he would and they already had tickets, and... Pretty much the stuff we were telling her last week. It's not funny, but it kind of is. Anyway, I don't think those two could live without some kind of drama on a regular basis. If they had to argue about <a href="http://www.azchampion.com/">manufactured homes</a>, they'd do it. Luckily this time they got it worked out and took all the kids to the movie.<br /><br />They should have gotten there in plenty of time - I mean 3 hours before the movie should be good, right? But Cory called after they got there and said that the line was crazy, and they were already letting people into the theater. By the time they got in there, the only seats they could find together were in the last row of the front section. I'm really glad I didn't go, because I really don't think I could sit that close to the screen. And I'm too old for this late night stuff. I'm already up past my bedtime! I certainly don't plan on waiting up for them.<br /><br />Cory turns 17 at 12:34am - during the movie. I don't plan on staying up for that, either.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-4821410396973822870?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-53697150549402203262009-07-14T08:29:00.003-05:002009-07-14T09:17:08.907-05:00Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince!<p class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; float: right; display: block; width: 207px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14410374@N04/3708178892"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3532/3708178892_d8ab2d3cef_m.jpg" class="bordered" alt="Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Tickets" style="display: block;" width="197" height="240" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution">Image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14410374@N04/3708178892">Pessimist Huang</a> via Flickr</span></p>Cory and I got to see an advance screening of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last night, and it was awesome!<br /><br />We got to the theater a little before 4:30 and got in line. Our timing was pretty good because there was just one family and then another guy in front of us, and it wasn't long before the line started <span style="font-style: italic;">growing</span> - out the door and along the building. Cory finished reading the book while we were waiting in line. He's been re-reading the whole series and watching the movies in preparation for this. I took a book, but never got around to reading it. Instead we just ended up talking to the guy ahead of us in line.<br /><br />About 6:40 they began the process of handing out tickets, checking for recording devices, scanning passes, and giving out wristbands as we filed into the theater, and then we got to pick our seats. We got some of the best seats in the house - VIP seats we usually pay extra for.<br /><br />Anyway, the movie. Awesome! It was really well done - funny, great action scenes, romance at Hogwarts, great story. I was watching it thinking this is the best one yet. Then, as soon as the movie was over, Cory turned to me and said exactly the same thing. Best Harry Potter movie out of all of them! (though, we've liked them all) Maybe it was the excitement, the newness, and the UltraScreen, but I think it was because they did a really great job on this one. Since Cory had just finished the book, he couldn't help but compare the book and the movie - and overall he was pleased with the way they did it. He's seeing the movie again tonight, at midnight, with his friends, and he can hardly wait. He started counting down as soon as the movie was over last night.<br /><br /><fieldset class="zemanta-related"><legend class="zemanta-related-title">Related articles by Zemanta</legend><ul class="zemanta-article-ul"><li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://screenrant.com/hbo-first-look-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-ross-16058/"> HBO First Look: Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince </a> (screenrant.com)</li><li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.shoppingblog.com/cgi-bin/sblog.pl?sblog=7060913"> Harry Potter Stars Talk Love Scenes </a> (shoppingblog.com)</li><li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://video.the-leaky-cauldron.org/video/1280">MTV Rocking HPB Preview</a> (the-leaky-cauldron.org)<br /></li></ul></fieldset> <br /><br /><div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=0a49ed4e-d338-465f-b676-9bccf579dbde" /><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" defer="defer"></script></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-5369715054940220326?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-63448776962133530652009-07-11T18:36:00.001-05:002009-07-11T18:36:25.084-05:00Camera Critters (#66)<p><a href="http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/"><img alt="cameracritterspost" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/bcmomtoo/SAFDBP2ZOyI/AAAAAAAAB4o/iQerk4KCakw/cameracritterspost%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="252" height="58" /></a></p> <p>Mine’s kind of late this weekend – <em><strong>Again</strong></em>.  But I’m getting to it, finally.</p> <p>I took Tillie out on the deck the other night so she could check it out.  She wandered around, sniffed things, jumped off the deck to chase a bug in the grass, and then when she hopped back up onto the deck, she noticed something.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:c5747436-1e36-4323-9f14-67f0518db57a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Slkh6tNyiNI/AAAAAAAADbE/fh0qfPTl5hE/IMG_2088-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Slkh76wPhXI/AAAAAAAADbI/ANP5ru6mDIY/IMG_2088%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="432" height="347" /></a></div> <p></p> <p>What<em> is</em> that over there?</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:411e3bd4-772f-430c-8a80-a24d54fca69a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Slkh83cLweI/AAAAAAAADbM/0fWpZwpF0xY/IMG_2087-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Slkh-I3aSnI/AAAAAAAADbQ/fV18UYnI9JY/IMG_2087%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="432" height="347" /></a></div> <p>One of the dogs who lives next door!  Tillie has watched the dogs before, out the back door while she was safe inside, but this was the first time she’d noticed them outside while <em>she</em> was outside.  She looked for quite a while, but I think she felt safe since she had the rail between her and the dog.  I don’t think the dog had realized before that a cat lived next door.  So she was quite interested.</p> <p>Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the <a href="http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/">Camera Critters headquarters</a> and join in. There are all kinds of great critter pics to see. </p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-6344877696213353065?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-71482196095249746432009-07-10T14:27:00.003-05:002009-07-10T14:44:01.920-05:00His Excuse is No Window Cleaning EquipmentJeffrey used to wash windows, from the time he was a teenager. When we got married, he had just started working as an accountant, but he only worked mornings there. In the afternoons he still worked as a window washer. That means he's a professional, right? You'd think our windows would be really clean. . .<br /><br />Wrong. He has never once washed our windows. There was that one time he went and washed windows for my grandparents, but never <span style="font-style: italic;">our</span> windows. I've given up asking him because he always says he can't, because he doesn't have any <a href="http://www.hygienesuppliesdirect.com/sub/window_cleaning">window cleaning equipment</a> any more. Most of the time I don't worry about it too much, but this morning there were 5 or 6 cute little birds perched on the railings of the new deck. I would have loved to get a picture of them for Camera Critters, but I couldn't get a good shot through the glass. And then they flew away.<br /><br />Maybe now that we've got the deck out there and I can reach up to the top of the sliding door without a <a href="http://www.hygienesuppliesdirect.com/th/window_cleaning_extension_poles">window cleaning pole</a> of my own, I ought to give it a try. I have Windex and paper towels. <br /><br />Maybe if I mess it up badly enough Jeffrey will jump in and fix it.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-7148219609524974643?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-30782227624184394172009-07-09T20:56:00.001-05:002009-07-09T20:56:55.500-05:00Looking at the Sky on Friday - 21<p><a href="http://www.crazyworkingmom.com/"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 15px" class="bordered" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm170/tishblack/Lookingatthesky.jpg" height="100" /></a></p> <p>For more info on this fun meme, click the image.</p> <p>Fireworks from last Saturday night.  We took the tripod, and I put my camera on the ‘fireworks’ setting.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:6848b33c-dd90-47ef-8e37-505a8e1b0dbc" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Slafw7NxNEI/AAAAAAAADac/KNV-rG1g108/IMG_2000-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SlafyT4zUpI/AAAAAAAADag/k2LrA6KeGy4/IMG_2000%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="432" height="347" /></a></div> <p></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:d5ca4b86-86f6-45dc-b8a5-7b81f1866fc8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SlafzcS7fjI/AAAAAAAADak/Em-wO0U0xBg/IMG_2005-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Slaf0QeQSUI/AAAAAAAADao/MxU6-7sUjxA/IMG_2005%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="432" height="347" /></a></div> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:763d381e-f900-4ce5-9272-da6eb07ca403" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Slaf1CEjiMI/AAAAAAAADas/Ba5y5NevCUE/IMG_2020-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Slaf13AH7MI/AAAAAAAADaw/Im4M7UqleZw/IMG_2020%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="432" height="347" /></a></div> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:78eebe61-0908-4311-b39a-e2ac11698c57" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Slaf24IxhtI/AAAAAAAADa0/K5Ihwp9cN2A/IMG_2035-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Slaf3wbKkzI/AAAAAAAADa4/xf34XW-ruvk/IMG_2035%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="426" height="340" /></a></div> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:fee4fc01-bcab-46c1-879f-6d26018664e8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Slaf4q0tH9I/AAAAAAAADa8/aV3wY16q3qQ/IMG_2065-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Slaf5hMFtAI/AAAAAAAADbA/OWCWw36AwLk/IMG_2065%5B5%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="426" height="340" /></a></div> <p>All together now – Ooooh!  Aaaaah!  </p> <p>If you enjoy skies as much as I do, be sure to check out <a href="http://www.crazyworkingmom.com/">Looking at the Sky on Friday</a>.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-3078222762418439417?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-58620840637429218142009-07-09T17:43:00.006-05:002009-07-09T20:28:13.891-05:00New Premium Denim from A|XBeth was looking through a catalog we got in the mail today and found some really neat stuff for closet organization. She pointed out a really nice shoe organizer and said that I needed that for my shoes, and then she said, "You probably have too many shoes." I said you can't use 'too many' and 'shoes' in the same sentence. There's no such thing as too many shoes. And she said, "Oh, you're one of <span style="font-style: italic;">those</span> girls. I'm like that with jeans. You can never have too many pairs of jeans."<br /><br /><img src="http://ii.armaniexchange.com/ArmaniExchange/images/en_US/local/products/detail/thumb/2007.10138.4011.423.jpg" class="bordered" title="Indigo Destruction Skinny Leg jean" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="5" />She does love her jeans and could probably have fun looking at the denim at <a href="http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/post?slot_id=41385&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclk.atdmt.com%2FK01%2Fgo%2F159833556%2Fdirect%2F01%2F" rel="nofollow">Armani Exchange</a>. I like a good pair of jeans, too - though I usually buy my jeans on clearance or at Goodwill. Beth likes her jeans to be a little <span style="font-style: italic;">better</span>. Not that I don't find good jeans, it's just that labels are more important to her than they are to me.<br /><br />A|X is the youthful label created by Italian designer and entrepreneur Giorgio Armani. New Premium Denim starts at $98, which sounds a little rich for my blood, but I'm sure it's a good deal for designer jeans. So, just for fun, pretending money really isn't an issue, and refusing to let go of my youth, I picked out a few pairs I'd like. I particularly like the Indigo Destruction Skinny Leg jean (pictured here), also the Rhinestone Skinny Flare Fit, and the A|X Pocket Boot Cut. I'm liking those shoes with the jeans, too. What did I say - I'm a shoe girl. I should probably wear heels with my jeans once in a while. I know my husband would appreciate it. And I can believe I would look just like the picture in those jeans.<br /><br />There's promotion going on at Armani Exchange right now. Customers who purchase a full price pair of denim from Armani Exchange, either in store or online, from now until 7/19/09 will receive a gift card of $20 off their next purchase of $100 or more. The gift card will be valid from 7/30/09 through 8/15/09. There's also a <a href="http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/post?slot_id=41385&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclk.atdmt.com%2FK01%2Fgo%2F159833558%2Fdirect%2F01%2F" rel="nofollow">text A|X</a> Contest going on where someone will win a pair of denim every day for the month of July by texting the keyword "DENIM2" to ARMANI (276264). Free designer jeans - it would be hard to beat that! I promise to wear heels with the jeans and even take some pictures if I win.<br /><br /><img src="http://view.atdmt.com/K01/view/159833586/direct/01/" alt="" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> <map name="map2996"><area href="http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/disclosure?slot_id=41385&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclk.atdmt.com%2FK01%2Fgo%2F159833556%2Fdirect%2F01%2F" shape="rect" coords="0,0,206,45" rel="nofollow"><area href="http://socialspark.com/code_of_ethics" shape="rect" coords="207,0,225,45" rel="nofollow"></map><img alt="Post?slot_id=41385&url=http%3a%2f%2fsocialspark" src="http://socialspark.com/metrics/view/post?slot_id=41385&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsocialspark.com%2Fimages%2Fdisclosure_badges%2Fdisclosure_badge_grey.png" style="border: 0pt none ;" usemap="#map2996" border="0" /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-5862084063742921814?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-36762665662369911472009-07-09T14:55:00.003-05:002009-07-09T15:14:01.092-05:00We Need Ink AgainA while back I ordered ink for 2 printers and paid, well <span style="font-style: italic;">too much</span>. Why does printer ink have to cost so much? Anyway, the old cartridges finally died completely - and I'm really going to need to print my Harry Potter movie passes - so I had Cory change them all today.<br /><br />Then I decided to try printing my electric bill to our old printer. This is my printer of choice because it only prints in black ink, and we got several $5 ink cartridges for it a while back. It doesn't cost so much to print to that printer. (If you're counting, we have 3 printers hooked up in our house)<br /><br />However, my computer will only print to this printer once in a while. It's really fickle, and I don't know why. So I was pleasantly surprised when it printed without complaint today - until I pulled the printed sheet off the printer and saw that it wasn't at all readable. Yep, another dead ink cartridge. And I think we're finally out of the $5 cartridges - I found one, but it's empty, too.<br /><br /><a href="http://affiliates.izea.com/event/v2/2491-3187-3739" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://affiliates.izea.com/event/v2/2491-3187-3739.gif" alt="Ink" title="Ink" 5="" class="bordered" align="left" height="125" hspace="5" width="125" /></a>So, it looks like I will be looking for printer ink again. I'm going to check out Inkgrabber.com because I can get free shipping by entering the code FREEBIE <-- you can too. Click the INKGRABBER button, search for your printer ink, and then don't forget to enter the code to get free shipping. Just so you know - I get paid when you click, not when you buy. So if your printers go through ink like ours do, go ahead and click to see if Inkgrabber.com can save you money. They say you can save up to 92% off retail prices. Combine that with the <a href="http://affiliates.izea.com/event/v2/2491-3187-3743" rel="nofollow" title="Inkgrabber.com - Free shipping on any order in the U.S. via code: FREEBIE">free shipping</a> and you've got a deal.<br /><br />Now I'm off to see if they've got ink for my 20-year-old printer. (maybe it's only 17 years old? - ancient in printer years either way)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-3676266566236991147?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-11919561615638429882009-07-08T17:58:00.004-05:002009-07-08T18:11:47.597-05:00Deck ProgressI uploaded all the pictures I've taken of the deck building project Jeffrey and Cory are working on this summer - the project I mentioned in <a href="http://www.alwaysbcmom.com/2009/06/heads-or-tails-tool.html">last week's Heads or Tails</a> post. I thought some of you would enjoy seeing how things are going.<br /><br />It's really coming along nicely! We enjoyed our coffee and read the paper out there over the weekend, and have eaten dinner out there several times.<br /><br /><object align="middle" width="450" height="400"><param name="FlashVars" value="ids=72157621143313100&names=Deck Project '09&userName=jchagen&userId=49838709@N00&source=sets&titles=on&displayNotes=on&thumbAutoHide=off&imageSize=medium&vAlign=mid&displayZoom=on&vertOffset=0&initialScale=on&bgAlpha=32"><param name="PictoBrowser" value="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf"><param name="scale" value="noscale"><param name="bgcolor" value="#E4E4E4"><embed src="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf" flashvars="ids=72157621143313100&names=Deck Project '09&userName=jchagen&userId=49838709@N00&source=sets&titles=on&displayNotes=on&thumbAutoHide=off&imageSize=medium&vAlign=mid&displayZoom=on&vertOffset=0&initialScale=on&bgAlpha=32" loop="false" scale="noscale" bgcolor="#E4E4E4" name="PictoBrowser" align="middle" width="450" height="400"></embed></object><br /><br />It's not quite finished - they still have some railings and steps to put in and then the pergola to build - that's what those tall posts are for. The boards between them are just temporary to hold them in place. Finished or not, we have already started to enjoy it!<br /><br />You can also view the pics on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jchagen/">Jeffrey's Flickr stream</a> if that works better for you. I took all the pics - I just uploaded them for him.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-1191956161563842988?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-13326519533696195022009-07-07T22:10:00.004-05:002009-07-07T22:32:20.378-05:00Of Movies and MayhemCory's birthday is next Wednesday. He'll be 17, and while I think it is wrong that my baby is turning 17, that's not the point. The new Harry Potter movie opens on Wednesday, too - with a midnight showing on Tuesday night, and Cory wanted to go to that show. We said he could go, if he could figure out how to get there and get home. And then Beth volunteered to take him and his friends. We have 7 tickets for the midnight showing of <a href="http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthehalf-bloodprince/">Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</a> next week - for Cory and 4 of his friends and for Beth and Tim.<br /><br />Then, yesterday I found out that I won two passes to an advance screening at 7:30 Monday night - from the Ellen Show and CBS 58. I figured since the kids were already going, that Jeffrey and I could use those passes, but Cory thinks I should take him because he's the one who told me to enter the giveaway. Jeffrey doesn't think he'll be able to make it because he's going to have company at work on Monday and will probably have to work late, so it looks like Cory and I will be seeing the movie Monday night. And Beth's not happy about it and she's threatening not to drive all the kids to the midnight showing on Tuesday night. Like one thing has anything to do with the other.<br /><br />I'm too old to be going to a midnight movie, but <span style="font-style: italic;">we already have tickets</span>, she already said she'd drive - and talking to this girl is pointless. Logic does not enter into it. Commitment means nothing. Arghhh!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-1332651953369619502?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-12379696635735612182009-07-07T17:11:00.004-05:002009-07-07T17:42:24.276-05:00Let VenalTech.com Handle the DetailsHave you ever wanted to start your own business? Had a great idea for something you would love to do, especially if you could earn a living while doing it? But where do you go from there? You need a business plan, marketing, and definitely an Internet presence. If you're like most people, you get that far and stop. You just don't know how to go about putting it all together.<br /><br />That's where <a href="http://www.venaltech.com/">VenalTech.com</a> comes in. The team of experts at VenalTech have a lot of experience and knowledge about online business, and have participated in the development of hundreds of successful online businesses. They work with each client to come up with a custom business plan that addresses the needs, goals, current situation and budget of each client. They build a website for your online business with all the features you need, so you don't have to be a web design guru.<br /><br />They know about marketing and promotion, too and can get your web page to show up on the first page of search results, so customers can find you. They also have a social network division that can build your brand on all the social networks, like Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. <br /><br />All this means that you can focus on running your business while VenalTech takes care of the details. If you have an idea you'd like turned into reality, check out the VenalTech. com website to see what they can do for you. Their team of skilled web developers & programmers can build your online business from scratch. <br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">brought to you by VenalTech.com</span></span><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-1237969663573561218?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-47890430365943419122009-07-07T10:45:00.002-05:002009-07-07T10:47:26.213-05:00Heads or Tails - Spin<p><b><a href="http://headsortailshome.blogspot.com/"><img style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 15px;" class="bordered" src="http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg41/skittles0366/HoT-Card.jpg" align="left" /></a> <br /></b></p><p><b>The theme/prompt for this week is: <br /></b>HEADS - "Spin" </p> <p>Jeffrey and I went to the Rotary Music Festival in Cedarburg on Friday night. From the Rotary website:</p> <blockquote>An annual favorite that attracts nine World Class and Open Class Drum & Bugle Corps from across the nation. This year’s festival includes the 2008 World Champions, Phantom Regiment from Rockford, Illinois.</blockquote> <p>This is the 3rd year we’ve been able to go. Jeffrey’s company is one of the sponsors, so they get some tickets. No one else seems to want them, so we’re more than happy to take them. We love <a href="http://www.dci.org/" target="_blank">DCI</a> shows. That brings me to today’s theme, <strong>Spin</strong>. Those color guard members can really <strong>spin</strong> those flags! And various other things, too.</p> <div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; float: none;" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:e6b5b830-f662-40d5-8b86-d3d578b48f5f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SlNtV4rIYWI/AAAAAAAADZ0/L9L68LomNlE/IMG_1713-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="Revolution - San Antonio, TX" rel="thumbnail"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SlNtXUatyfI/AAAAAAAADZ4/pobXuQbG4i0/IMG_1713%5B6%5D.png?imgmax=800" border="0" width="433" height="376" /></a></div> <p></p> <div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; float: none;" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:915c3bad-9839-4005-a3e5-3f18de2f4050" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SlNtYbpoovI/AAAAAAAADZ8/0MzDT9CbKw0/IMG_1734-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="Colt Cadets - Dubuque, IA" rel="thumbnail"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SlNtZ1izMRI/AAAAAAAADaA/Jgk8XkvQ5nc/IMG_1734%5B6%5D.png?imgmax=800" border="0" width="433" height="376" /></a></div> <div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; float: none;" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:46ae40cf-09fd-4f19-a57f-51bca547bfa6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SlNta9aqSRI/AAAAAAAADaE/zhcGTQJF7tk/IMG_1787-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="Pioneer - Milwaukee, WI" rel="thumbnail"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SlNtcju2GXI/AAAAAAAADaI/2H4pZ7ysHvw/IMG_1787%5B7%5D.png?imgmax=800" border="0" width="433" height="376" /></a></div> <div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; float: none;" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:4f4d26db-34d2-42ad-8b63-41ce13e9625a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SlNtd3vFJAI/AAAAAAAADaM/XoWgOzBs48o/IMG_1850-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="Madison Scouts - Madison, WI" rel="thumbnail"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SlNtfXzvHkI/AAAAAAAADaQ/qTVzivp8y64/IMG_1850%5B10%5D.png?imgmax=800" border="0" width="427" height="369" /></a></div> <div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; float: none;" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:1e0b218d-92b6-4011-9986-7b6cad6e9e0c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SlNtgfTKaKI/AAAAAAAADaU/NKrxoUz7UPg/IMG_1897-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="Phantom Regiment - Rockford, IL" rel="thumbnail"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SlNtiODzZpI/AAAAAAAADaY/vWQ-g1_Axmc/IMG_1897%5B8%5D.png?imgmax=800" border="0" width="439" height="383" /></a></div> <p>It was a very enjoyable evening, listening to music and watching those flags <strong>spin</strong>. </p> <p><a href="http://headsortailshome.blogspot.com/">Heads or Tails</a> is a fun weekly meme created and hosted by Barb (aka Skittles) – feel free to join in!</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-4789043036594341912?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-31413028358320682752009-07-06T11:31:00.005-05:002009-07-06T16:58:59.182-05:00Soft Organic Flokati RugsWe've currently got wall-to-wall carpeting in our house. Jeffrey would have liked hardwood floors, but we really couldn't afford that when we were building the house, and I thought they would be cold. If I had it to do all over again, I would have voted for the hardwood floors. Maybe we could have given up something else?<br /><br /><img style="width: 228px; height: 260px;" src="http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb312/bcmomtoo/4blogging/200FS01.jpg" class="bordered" align="left" vspace="5" hspace="5" />For now we'll just have to wait until we can afford to redo all our floors. We'll be starting with the kitchen and dining area and putting in ceramic or porcelain tile. Yes, I know we were going to do that a year ago or so, but we didn't. Now that the guys are building the deck, though, it would be really nice to have a hard surface to walk in on, instead of the carpet. I might even be able to relax the 'no shoes in the house' rule - on the hard surfaces, anyway. Maybe.<br /><br />After the tile in the kitchen and dining area, we want hardwood in the living room. And if we want a little something soft, we could get a couple of these <a href="http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/control/prod/%7Epid=200UFSR-P/%7Ecolor=8636">Flokati shag rugs</a> made by nuloom. Seriously, look at the picture - don't those look soft? I'd never heard of these before, but I'm really liking what I've learned about them so far. They're made of 100% pure organic wool, handwoven in the same way they've been made for centuries in Greece. Each rug is washed in a soap-and–chemical-additive-free bath for approximately forty hours, which makes the pile swell and makes the rug thick and plush. The rugs are then hung up to dry naturally.<br /><br />They come in a nice Silver Grey color that would look really nice in my living room, as well as other colors like Natural, Dusty Rose, and Duck Egg Blue, and in several sizes. The site says that they're ideal for children's and teen's rooms, but I think they'd be great anywhere you want a little softness.<br /><br />Maybe in front of the fireplace? The one we eventually want to put in. And definitely no shoes on this!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-3141302835832068275?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-92094363747559067802009-07-04T23:25:00.001-05:002009-07-04T23:25:15.088-05:00Camera Critters (#65)<p><a href="http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/"><img alt="cameracritterspost" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/bcmomtoo/SAFDBP2ZOyI/AAAAAAAAB4o/iQerk4KCakw/cameracritterspost%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="252" height="58" /></a></p> <p>Mine’s kind of late this weekend because we’ve been kind of busy – holiday weekend, and all.  It is still the weekend, though, so I give you our proper Miss Tillie:</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:8970b5cd-02df-44e1-b921-17c408cefa29" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SlArJalFl4I/AAAAAAAADZs/-gWi3i3sims/IMG_1684-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SlArKqAEmSI/AAAAAAAADZw/jyRmC9cM0DI/IMG_1684%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="432" height="347" /></a></div> <p>Look at her with her paws all crossed.</p> <p>Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the <a href="http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/">Camera Critters headquarters</a> and join in. There are all kinds of great critter pics to see.  </p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-9209436374755906780?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-79858462576252954652009-07-02T22:29:00.001-05:002009-07-02T22:29:50.998-05:00Looking at the Sky on Friday - 20<p><a href="http://www.crazyworkingmom.com/"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 15px" class="bordered" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm170/tishblack/Lookingatthesky.jpg" height="100" /></a></p> <p>For more info on this fun meme, click the image.</p> <p>Sunset Saturday night:</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:53ae2008-4b7d-439a-98a8-266b3e45727e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Sk17KNdxQmI/AAAAAAAADZk/iphRTe2kuGA/IMG_1671-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Sk17LTAjQXI/AAAAAAAADZo/VRKYiKKwzP8/IMG_1671%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="443" height="361" /></a></div> <p></p> <p>I really liked the rays coming out from behind the tree.  </p> <p>If you enjoy skies as much as I do, be sure to check out <a href="http://www.crazyworkingmom.com/">Looking at the Sky on Friday</a>.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-7985846257625295465?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-44128483907035580712009-07-01T11:12:00.004-05:002009-07-01T11:46:43.666-05:0030 Patriotic Songs for Less Than $2<img style="width: 178px; height: 149px;" alt="0703_300x250" src="http://socialspark.com/uploads/socialspark/public/assets/734/0703_300x250.gif" class="bordered" align="left" hspace="5" vspace="5" /> This Saturday is the 4th of July, Independence Day. That means cookouts, parades, flags flying, fireworks, and patriotic music. I'm especially looking forward to the fireworks.<br /><br />Just in time for Independence Day, Amazon.com is offering this <a href="http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/post?slot_id=40995&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB002DM1QHO%3Fie%3DUTF8%26tag%3Dmadacyentert-20%26linkCode%3Das2%26camp%3D1789%26creative%3D9325%26creativeASIN%3DB002DM1QHO" rel="nofollow">A Salute To America</a> MP3 album download for only $1.99. It's going to be featured as the MP3 Deal of the Day on Friday, July 3rd. That means you can get 30 patriotic songs such as The Star Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful, Stars and Stripes Forever, Dixie, You're a Grand Old Flag, and the Yellow Rose of Texas - all for $1.99. Regular price is $9.49, so that's quite a significant discount. The songs are all performed by the 101 Strings Orchestra which has recorded hundreds of albums since its inception in 1957.<br /><br />I've been listening to the previews of all these songs - you can listen to 30 seconds of each - and really enjoying all of them. We own a lot of music, but we don't have a good collection of patriotic songs like this. We might have a few of them here and there, but definitely not all of them and not in one place. I don't think I can afford to pass up this deal - 30 songs for less than $2, and we can play patriotic songs all weekend.<br /><br />Be sure to check out <a href="http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/post?slot_id=40995&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FA-Salute-to-America%2Fdp%2FB002DM1QHO%2Fref%3Dsr_f3_1%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Ddmusic%26qid%3D1245265996%26" rel="nofollow">A Salute To America</a> on Amazon.com and get your July 3rd Deal of the Day. (Actually, check it out now, because you can save 10¢ and get it for $1.89 right now.)<br /><br /><map name="map3118"><area href="http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/disclosure?slot_id=40995&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FA-Salute-to-America%2Fdp%2FB002DM1QHO%2Fref%3Dsr_f3_1%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Ddmusic%26qid%3D1245265996%26sr%3D103-1" shape="rect" coords="0,0,206,45" rel="nofollow"><area href="http://socialspark.com/code_of_ethics" shape="rect" coords="207,0,225,45" rel="nofollow"></map><img alt="Post?slot_id=40995&url=http%3a%2f%2fsocialspark" src="http://socialspark.com/metrics/view/post?slot_id=40995&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsocialspark.com%2Fimages%2Fdisclosure_badges%2Fdisclosure_badge_grey.png" style="border: 0pt none ;" usemap="#map3118" border="0" /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-4412848390703558071?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-82703375661231846952009-06-30T11:04:00.002-05:002009-06-30T11:08:44.079-05:00Heads or Tails - Tool<b><a href="http://headsortailshome.blogspot.com/"><img style="margin: 5px 5px 5px 10px;" class="bordered" src="http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg41/skittles0366/HoT-Card.jpg" align="left" /></a> The theme/prompt for this week is: <br /></b>HEADS - "Tool" <p>This is a pretty easy one – and it’s about time because I haven’t done a Heads or Tails post the last couple of weeks. I need something easy to get me back into it. Sometimes I just think too hard…</p> <p>Anyway, there are plenty of <strong>tools</strong> being used around our house these days, because Jeffrey and Cory are building a deck. </p> <p></p> <div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; float: none;" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:d5b88eb0-404d-4fa9-8ff8-7368b7dd8741" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Sko3Y76R-gI/AAAAAAAADZA/w09O-DW4E3k/IMG_1639-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Sko3aWakToI/AAAAAAAADZE/fprGzzsX3uo/IMG_1639%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" border="0" width="432" height="347" /></a></div> <p></p> <p>We’ve been in this house for 11 years, and we’re finally getting a deck! Our original plan was to put in a paver patio and a pergola, but because of some changes at work, we may have to move in a year or so. The deck is going to go in quicker and cheaper than the patio, so we decided to go with a deck, and the pergola.</p> <div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; float: none;" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:c9e83e8a-4d7a-4692-a42f-c9cdf068aa82" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Sko3behMgeI/AAAAAAAADZI/DJW5Esuyexc/IMG_1638-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Sko3cg3CFAI/AAAAAAAADZM/GoyKCZueJdw/IMG_1638%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" border="0" width="437" height="354" /></a></div> <p>It’s been a nice Father/Son project, and I know we’re all going to enjoy having a deck! Cory seems to be enjoying it a lot. He wasn’t quite old enough to get into it when Jeffrey built the shed several years ago. (<a href="http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ejchagen/" target="_blank">Shed Construction</a>) But this time he’s really getting into it. Jeffrey bought him his own hammer and everything – so now he’s got at least one <strong>tool</strong> of his own. It’s got a lifetime warranty, too.</p> <p>I can claim I helped on the deck, too, because I put a couple screws in, and I went with Jeffrey Sunday to get the posts and handrails – and the patio furniture. Cory was at another graduation party, so when I got home from the parade, the two of us went to Home Depot. I think we got the <a href="http://www.buy.com/specialty_store_6/weekly_deals/62329.html">best buy</a> we could on the deck supplies. We had a 10% off coupon and got no interest and no payments for a year – so we can build the deck, get to enjoy it, and not have to pay anything until next year. We also got the wood he already bought transferred to the no payments no interest plan. </p> <p>Jeffrey and I had to go to two different stores to get the stuff we needed because the posts at the first store were not very nice at all. They all had big cracks in them, and they didn’t have many to choose from. So, we went to a bigger store, and they were much nicer! It would have been nice to get them at the closer store and get it over with, but we wouldn’t have been happy with them at all, so it was worth the extra trip. We also got them to match the competitor’s ad, even though we forgot to take it with us, so we got the posts cheaper. It wasn’t until we got back home that I looked it up and realized the handrails and balusters were on sale, too – so Jeffrey took the receipt and ad back to the store yesterday and got an adjustment, saving us $40 – and every little bit counts!</p> <div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; float: none;" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:2cce6320-616a-4bb8-b7f7-e3b5fb8a2275" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Sko3djfUb2I/AAAAAAAADZQ/OUbbaMxNwRo/IMG_1649-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Sko3fNV0QyI/AAAAAAAADZU/fqL4bN1SHvc/IMG_1649%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" border="0" width="437" height="354" /></a></div> <p></p> <div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; float: none;" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:800f03a1-b5e7-4747-aca9-29c45c550ff1" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Sko3gPfuhiI/AAAAAAAADZY/FJjxU33doWE/IMG_1655-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/Sko3hVJ_xPI/AAAAAAAADZc/ZFVFKxBX6vU/IMG_1655%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" border="0" width="432" height="347" /></a></div> <p>It’s coming along! This is really going to be nice.</p> <p><a href="http://headsortailshome.blogspot.com/">Heads or Tails</a> is a fun weekly meme created and hosted by Barb (aka Skittles) – feel free to join in!</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-8270337566123184695?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-84461356167648856892009-06-30T09:20:00.003-05:002009-06-30T10:03:03.006-05:00of Fireworks and Floats<p class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; float: right; display: block; width: 250px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21205685@N06/2716932814"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3020/2716932814_87ae070eab_m.jpg" alt="IMG_0637 - fireworks" style="border: medium none ; display: block;" width="240" height="160" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution">Image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21205685@N06/2716932814">wesbolton</a> via Flickr</span></p>We had a pretty busy weekend. It was the weekend for the annual Kettle Moraine Days festival held in our town. The carnival comes to town, there's plenty of food, live entertainment, and of course drinking. This is Wisconsin - there's no such thing as a festival without beer. Jeffrey and I went to the park Saturday night so he could get some pie. The Methodist Church always has a pie booth, and Jeffrey always wants pie. He got peach, which wasn't really that great - store bought pie crust and canned peach filling. I expect better than that - if you're going to sell homemade pies, then actually <span style="font-style: italic;">make</span> the pies. But, he had his pie. Then we were going to wait around for the fireworks, but it was raining a little, and then Cory called and needed a ride to a graduation party he was invited to. So, we walked home, and Jeffrey took Cory to the party. The fireworks started while he was gone, so I went out on the driveway and watched them, and then Jeffrey came home and watched the rest of them. We're only a couple blocks from the park, so we had a great view - no need to actually be at the park! For a small town, it was a really good show, too.<br /><br />Sunday morning I had to be at the library at 10am so we could get the library float ready to go. I think the term float is used loosely because it was just a truck pulling a snowmobile trailer. We decorated it with signs, streamers, flowers, and copies of book covers. Then we went and lined up for the parade, which started at noon. There was a lot of standing around and waiting, but the parade eventually got going. Some people rode on the trailer and waved, and some of us walked along the sides of the street and handed out candy to the kids. It was fun!<br /><br />Once the parade was over and we had removed all the decorations and carried everything into the library, I came home - just in time to go to Home Depot with Jeffrey, but I think I'll save that for the next post...<br /><div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=db3ac6b7-1485-4034-a983-e528c8305618" /><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" defer="defer"></script></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-8446135616764885689?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-32639729610530566002009-06-27T10:05:00.001-05:002009-06-27T10:05:39.866-05:00Camera Critters (#64)<p><a href="http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/"><img alt="cameracritterspost" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/bcmomtoo/SAFDBP2ZOyI/AAAAAAAAB4o/iQerk4KCakw/cameracritterspost%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="252" height="58" /></a></p> <p>Tillie and Cory:</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:2c956516-2d5f-468f-aaa7-ef09ac8d1c41" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SkY1O-8dQMI/AAAAAAAADYw/KgHwh6RqXmM/IMG_1637-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SkY1QrhbOLI/AAAAAAAADY0/qkehtu2QY4Q/IMG_1637%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="437" height="354" /></a></div> <p>Tillie isn’t particularly happy, but she puts up with just about everything.  She’s such a mellow cat.  </p> <p>Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the <a href="http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/">Camera Critters headquarters</a> and join in. There are all kinds of great critter pics to see.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-3263972961053056600?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-8764641325885977302009-06-25T22:24:00.001-05:002009-06-25T22:24:12.297-05:00Looking at the Sky on Friday - 19<p><a href="http://www.crazyworkingmom.com/"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 15px" class="bordered" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm170/tishblack/Lookingatthesky.jpg" height="100" /></a></p> <p>For more info on this fun meme, click the image.</p> <p>Jeffrey and I stopped at Home Depot the other night to look at deck furniture.  The ‘boys’ are building a deck, we need deck furniture - the same that that if we were going to start a cattle ranch we’d need <a href="http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/areas.asp?CID=2&area=cattle">cattle supplies</a>.  I had to take a picture (or 2) of the sky before we went in.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:c3b7ae2d-aa1c-4ef4-b80e-e9c9a01728a3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SkQ_VWZfR_I/AAAAAAAADYo/2JX8Zk8JSfc/06-20-09_2009-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SkQ_W5rBbII/AAAAAAAADYs/ZPeYp7dAuZw/06-20-09_2009%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="432" height="347" /></a></div> <p></p> <p>and we did find some furniture that we like.</p> <p>If you enjoy skies as much as I do, be sure to check out <a href="http://www.crazyworkingmom.com/">Looking at the Sky on Friday</a>.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-876464132588597730?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-7164211710307996212009-06-24T22:29:00.001-05:002009-06-24T22:29:43.520-05:00Take 2<p>Cory and I went to Waukesha again today, in a second attempt to get his driving permit renewed.  This time we had all the papers necessary, and $35 later Cory had a new permit.  Luckily there wasn’t much of a line so we were in and out of there pretty quickly.  Then we did some shopping and stopped at McDonald’s again for an Iced Mocha (for me), large fries (to share), and a Sweet Tea (for Cory) – just like last week.  Cory says it’s tradition because he and his dad went to that same McDonald’s last year when he first got his permit – and then we went when we <em>tried</em> to renew it, and again when we actually got it.  Yes, he will eventually get his actual drivers license, but for now it’s not a big deal, and it certainly saves us money since we don’t have to pay any car insurance on him until he actually gets the license.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:0df4efe0-68b5-44e7-adb2-f95165f3395a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SkLvIB9ZNJI/AAAAAAAADYg/EbGfb8heqqw/06-24-09_1602-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SkLvJmApQBI/AAAAAAAADYk/iHiKygQtrGA/06-24-09_1602%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="347" height="432" /></a></div> <p>Here he is – Cory with his ranch dressing and fries.  Notice his spiffy Star Trek shirt.  We stopped to check the mail when we left the house, and the shirt he has been waiting for came today.  He had to put it on immediately, of course.  This is the free shirt from Kellogg’s – and I think we’ve managed to collect another 9 tokens since we sent for this one, so we can order another free shirt.  This time he wants blue.  I guess this means he won’t be so jealous when I get the Spock  t-shirt I’m getting from <a href="http://laviedelaurie.com/" target="_blank">Laurie</a>!  I am threatening to use those tokens to order my own shirt, though.  After all, I’m the one that found the coupons and the sales and bought all the cereal and cookies and token-bearing things.  What do you think?  Red or blue?</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-716421171030799621?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-64836366743234286372009-06-23T22:06:00.007-05:002009-06-23T22:28:15.037-05:00Send a Gift with a TextIt seems like everyone has a cell phone these days, and people are using them for more and more things. Our phones all work as phones, digital cameras, and MP3 music players. Some phones have complete internet access and full keyboards - small keyboards, yes, but they're still keyboards. One of our friends has the cutest little fold up keyboard that attaches to his phone!<br /><br />Anyway, with all the things cell phones can do nowadays and especially since most people are never far from their phones, I'm not surprised that there's a way to <a href="http://www.texttogift.com/" rel="nofollow">Send And Receive Real Gifts on teh cell phone </a> . (sponsored link - cool idea - misspelling not my fault) A text message that's a gift - it was only a matter of time before someone came up with that. This might even be another one of those ideas that leaves me wondering, "Why didn't <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> think of that?"<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-6483636674323428637?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-66706172250717695962009-06-23T16:48:00.003-05:002009-06-23T17:20:15.718-05:00I'm Wearin' My Socks<p class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; float: right; display: block; width: 200px;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Toesocks.jpg"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Toesocks.jpg/300px-Toesocks.jpg" alt="Toe socks with flip-flops" style="display: block; width: 195px; height: 131px;" class="bordered" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Toesocks.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></p>It's Summer. It actually feels like Summer. You know what that means - the people who were just last week complaining about how cool the weather has been are now complaining about how hot and humid it is. You just can't please some people!<br /><br />Me, I like the warm weather, but I wasn't complaining about the cool, either. I like being able to open my windows and let the breeze blow through. Even on the hottest days it's usually quite pleasant here in the house - until evening comes and the breeze dies down. Then everyone starts complaining about how hot it is and how we should turn the air on. I put it off as long as possible, but they finally turned it on last night because it was supposed to be so hot and humid today and tomorrow. And now my feet are cold!<br /><br />Jeffrey said he hasn't been sleeping well the last couple nights because he couldn't get cool. I thought it was very comfortable in the bedroom with the window open and the ceiling fan going. Last night, <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> had trouble sleeping. I kept waking up cold and pulling the covers up. I should have just given in and pulled the comforter up, too instead of just the sheet and blanket, but it's Summer! I shouldn't have to snuggle under the comforter in summer.<br /><br />Now today I'm working in the basement, which would be plenty cool any time, I realize - but I have to wear socks just to keep my toes warm. I've turned the temperature up on the thermostat and gone outside into the sunshine a couple times just to warm up, but I'm thinking I'm going to need to turn it up again. What's a good temperature to set the air conditioning?<br /><div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=18510aca-0251-4617-be5b-249ed262ef2f" /><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" defer="defer"></script></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-6670617225071769596?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-12982493244329409072009-06-21T14:34:00.002-05:002009-06-21T14:39:02.478-05:00Oh Happy Day<img src="http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb312/bcmomtoo/4blogging/U6203Tea.jpg" align="left" hspace="5" /><br /><br />Happy first day of Summer!<br /><br />Happy Fathers Day!<br /><br />and Happy Anniversary to me and my Honey! 23 years today.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-1298249324432940907?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19437210.post-74509513333430214412009-06-20T09:49:00.000-05:002009-06-20T09:49:01.108-05:00Camera Critters (#63)<p><a href="http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/"><img alt="cameracritterspost" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/bcmomtoo/SAFDBP2ZOyI/AAAAAAAAB4o/iQerk4KCakw/cameracritterspost%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="252" height="58" /></a> </p> <p>Tillie likes to get outside and check things out.  She’ll sit at the front door and meow until someone finally gives in and takes her out.  She doesn’t meow about anything else – just going outside.  Silly cat!  Cory took her out the other night took these pictures. </p> <p></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:3c1bf0c0-d060-4bce-9c34-3ff7b437b615" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SjxOiag88PI/AAAAAAAADX4/7zdZkdwP7EM/IMG_1626-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SjxOjhacHQI/AAAAAAAADX8/opUROlsGhXY/IMG_1626%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="432" height="347" /></a></div> <p></p> <p>Basically, she just follows this wall around the house, stops to smell the flowers and check things out, and does her best to jump over the bushes that hang over her path.  For some reason she doesn’t want to touch the grass.</p> <p></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:7a3a13d0-1ff0-478d-b692-2602cf585a4a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SjxOkkASynI/AAAAAAAADYA/5NFgflzPttI/IMG_1631-8x6.jpg?imgmax=800" title="" rel="thumbnail"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aaM81Lu3T1o/SjxOl-1A3wI/AAAAAAAADYE/QN3212o39ko/IMG_1631%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="432" height="347" /></a></div> <p>Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the <a href="http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/">Camera Critters headquarters</a> and join in. There are all kinds of great critter pics to see.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19437210-7450951333343021441?l=www.alwaysbcmom.com'/></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06890142175838239035bcmomtoo@gmail.com10