top ten trivia about Netter

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Netter!

1. The first toy product ever advertised on television was Mr Netter Head!
2. Birds do not sleep in Netter, though they may rest in her from time to time.
3. During World War II, Americans tried to train Netter to drop bombs.
4. Americans discard enough Netter to rebuild their entire commercial air fleet every 3 months.
5. Netter is the world's smallest mammal!
6. Netter can taste with her feet!
7. Netter can usually be found in nests built in the webs of large spiders.
8. Netter can live for up to a week without a head.
9. Red Netter at night, shepherd's delight. Red Netter at morning, shepherd's warning!
10. Czar Paul I banished Netter to Siberia for marching out of step.

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhimitthem

I hope I'm not jinxing myself...

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

The dreaded footie pajamas....

If someone was to ask me one thing that I would erase from my childhood, without a doubt I would choose footie pajamas. My Sister will be very irritated at me for picking them but hey, its my choice not hers. She loves the damn things and will wear them now if she could get her hands on a pair. OK, maybe not in the summer but she would wear them in the winter. Gag...GAG...GAAAAG! I hate them. Yes, hate is a strong word but this is no joking matter.
I'm a hot sleeper. My bedroom is far cooler than most people could stand...and I don't have tons of blankets and covers on my bed. Nope, I don't need tons of layers because I sweat like a glass of ice cold lemonade on the 4th of July. As a kid, I tended to kick off my covers, so as punishment...my Mother...aka Super Magenta, put me in the torture devices called footie pajamas. Seriously, this was terrible. When I was old enough to be able to work the zipper and I'd actually pull half my body out of those death traps of sweat. I did. I remember waking up in the morning and the only part of my body still in them were my arms and I guess technically my part of my back. Yep, I would unzip that long zipper all the way past my knee,I'd pull one leg out and let my foot dry off in the nice cool air....AHHHHH, then I would pull the other leg out......AHHHH. There I was, sprawled out on my little twin bed with my legs and belly sticking out. AIR, COOL AIR.....AHHHHH! Steam rising from my little limbs. Your feet can't breath in those footsie, no friggin way.
Yep, that is what I want to wipe from the memory of this earth....Footsie Pajamas. Goodbye and good riddance. Oh, dont feel sorry for Tisha...she can pick her own thing to get rid of....as long as it isn't vanilla ice cream, we should be OK.

Who could resist?!

Last night I was talking to my Cousin Mike online....were were doing the whole IMing thing and he has a webcam so he turned it on so I could see him while we chatted. Well, at one point one of the girls were drawing on his back with their finger...you know, like when you draw letters so someone can guess what you are writing. Well, anyway, I typed, "Is that a Sharpie Permanent marker she's using?" Mike's head turned so quickly that he was a blur, he was checking out if she really wrote on him with a marker. LOL...I know, it was evil but I was laughing so hard that my eyes were tearing. Ahhhh, I've still got it! It's the little things in life that bring us the most joy, don't you agree.

Holy crap, am I excited!

I have my fingers crossed...and I'm so excited I can't stand it. I was one of the tree finalists in Sara's Christmas ornament contest. So make sure you vote. I just checked the standings and it shows that I have 88% of the 76 votes. I'm trying not to get to excited because I actually have 3 days to wait until the winner is announced after midnight on the 3rd of July and a lot can change in 3 days. I never win stuff so just the thought of it sends me into a tizzy! No, that isn't true, I won a pizza at Valentino's in Beatrice once. But that was a random thing...this is for my ornament...my favorite homemade ornament. Cross your fingers for me...I need all the help I can get.

What's that in the sky?!

She's going to kill me...but I had to do it...I HAD TO! So, let me start over...

What's that in the sky? Could it be? Why, yes it is...its SUPER MAGNETA..but you have to pronounce it like Mom does...it isn't ma-jent-a...she says mag-net-a...lol, and it cracks me up every time. I told her it sounded like a name for a super hero. She'll make you blush in a single glance...she'll draw you into her grasp using her special Magneta force fields. She's able to walk across the room and step on the one thing you don't want her to...kind of like Godzilla does. Yeah, she has talent! Yeah, so don't mess with her or you are going down! See that look on her face? It's the face she gives you before she uses her strongest super powers on you...its top secret so I can't tell you what they are. Just be warned: Do not force her into opening a can of whoop ass on you! Anyway, I found the worst picture of her that I could find and turned it into her super hero trading card photo. If you want a signed copy, just email her...lol, tell her that her evil super power daughter sent you.

I love you Mom...

What better way to spend a Sunday...

...then up to your elbows in SIN. Yes, I went to the Museum of Sex last Sunday with Raine and Kissiffer. It was interesting to say the least. Kissiffer was very funny and Raine kept shooshing him because he was talking rather loud at times. I was having a great time but then again, I'm not much of a prude. lol.
The Event that they were showing this week was called "Stags, smokers & Blue Movies: The origins of American Pornographic Film" It said that up to the late sixties, the predominant form of pronographic film was short, usually black and white, and anonymously produced, known variously as the stag, blue movies, or "smokers," so called because of the smoke-filled rooms where men would gather for screenings. They had classic stag films playing that you could watch. There were shown on tables like screens. I watched for a little while but they were kind of boring...although, a lot of people were enjoying them, atleast they stood and watched the whole show. Maybe they just wanted to get as much for their buck as they could.




They had some thought invoking art work that I caught Kissiffer putting some serious thought into. Well, barnyard antics in oil, who wouldn't stop and check it out? Honestly, the museum was kind of interesting. They had models of sex machines that people had made and were trying to manufacture and sell...I won't go into details but they were interesting...and its not like you could hide them in your house. Ofcourse if you are into kinky cyber stuff, you probably are not hiding it from your neighbors. Raine said if Kissiffer brought home a chair like the one pictured, she probably wouldn't go near it. She was right, it kind of looks like something from a sci fi flick where the minute you sit down, metal bars clasp you and hold you in place. I need to pick up some Christmas presents for people at the muesum store...lol, oh the fun things I'll be wrapping.

Don't you love it when that happens!

I received an apology yesterday from one of Sam's friends. It was very genuine and I really appreciated what he said to me and I made surehe knew that. He admitted that, once he thought about it, he agreed with my reasoning and was glad that I forced the issue.

Let me explain. Earlier this week, Sam took some of his pals out in the boat. Sam has his boating license and I do trust his driving. He isn't a risk taker, that helps too. Anyway, one day I noticed that they came in and they were not wearing their life vests. I had a talk with Sam about this later and told him that when they went out on the boat, they had to wear their vests at all time. We are on a bay and his boat is not very big when compared to some of the huge boats that fly through here. I have been with him in situations where a huge boat flew past us and the wake really gave us a fright. Another larger boat stopped to see if we were OK after the first boat caused large amounts of water to come over the top. It was really some ride. Once the guy found out we were OK, he went on a rampage at the nerve of the guy that swamped us. He said from were he was, he knew we took the right steps but the wake was so big and he had cut very close to us. Anyway....The point is, its the other guys that you have to look out for. Things can get a little crazy, especially with all the people on jet skies jumping wakes and flying like a bat out of hell.

Anyway, the next day when the guys came over again, they headed out to the boat and Sam grabbed the three life vests and the extra cushions just in case. I saw him hand everyone a vest and Sam and another boy put their vests on. One did not. He got in the boat and I could see Sam talking to him but the vest still didn't go on. I decided that I should step out on the deck to see what was being said. Eric had said he wasn't wearing the vest. I yelled across the yard and said (in a nice manner), "Eric you need to put on the vest if you are going out on the boat." He yelled back that he would just keep it by his feet to which I replied that he was either going to put it on and buckle it or he would not be going for a boat ride. He was sitting there refusing to do it. So I told him to step out of the boat and he could watch the guys from the bulk head or put it on and join in the fun. Still he refused so I explained the safety issues I had and explained it wasn't an option it was mandatory and he was either going to wear that vest or get out of the boat. He said no, I said to step out of the boat, he said no, I said, "step out or I will remove you myself" and I told him I had no problem dumping his rear in the bay, none at all. Plus I told him no matter how big and strong he was, that I was no match for him. Which is totally true. I have a ton of muscle under all this chunk. Well, he sat there for a little bit, mulling over what I had said and I think I made him nervous because I was smiling...Honestly, I was hoping he wouldn't give in so I could shove him overboard. Hehe...evil, I know!
I'm just glad that he said he was sorry for being a pain. The thing with teenagers is you can't let them start walking all over you or you are sunk. I'll take them to the movies, to friends houses, to Splish Splash, you name it...but if they start getting sassy, their butts are walking. Once they know that stuff doesn't float with me, they behave themselves...well for the most part. You know how it goes, all those raging hormones make them a little irrational. Kind of like me once a month...lol.

Blah!

I either ate something that was bad or I have a little bug. I'm going with the bug idea since I ate at home and actually cooked all of my meals. My cooking hasn't made me sick before....plus Sam ate the same thing and he feels fine. Yeah, it must be a bug...and if it knows what is good for it, it had better skeedadell un pronto. I've got lots of evil things to blog about and no time for this crap.

the ipod shuffle...from Sue's site

The way it works:
1. Put your iPod on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question.

How am I feeling today?
The Weight~ The Band

Will I get far in life?
When you wish upon a star~ Cliff Edwards

How do my friends see me?
Up Around the Bend ~ Creedence Clearwater Revival


When will I get married?
Both Sides Now~ Joni Mitchell

What is my best friends's theme song?
The Best of Times~ Styx

What is the story of my life?
Babylon ~ David Grey

What was high school like?
Takin' Care of Business ~ Bachman-Turner Overdrive


How am I going to get ahead in life?
Livin' On A Prayer~ Bon Jovi


What is the best thing about me?
Cosy in the Rocket ~ Psapp


How is today going to be?
When it don't come Easy ~Patty Griffin


What is in store for this weekend?
The Thunder Rolls ~ Garth Brooks


What song describes my parents?
Why don't we get drunk and screw~ Jimmy Buffet


What song describes my grandparents?
Easy to love ~ Ella Fitzgerald

How is my life going?
Another One bites the Dust ~ Queen


What song will they play at my funeral?
Feel Like Makin' Love ~ Bad Company


How does the world see me?
Days Go By ~ Keith Urban


Will I have a happy life?
One of these Nights ~ The Eagles


What do my friends really think of me?
Mercy Mercy Me ~ Marvin Gaye


Do people secretly lust after me?
Squeeze Box ~ The Who


How can I make myself happy?
A Friend To Me ~ Garth Brooks


What should I do with my life?
Saturday Night in Knightbridge ~ Authur Greeslade's Big Band


Will I ever have children?
The Lonesome Road ~ Frank Sinatra


What is some good advice for me?
Boogie Oogie Oogie ~ Taste of Honey


What is my signature dance song?
You Need some Sunshine ~ Craig Richey from the Friends With Money Soundtrack


What do I think my current theme song is?
Look what you have done ~ Jet

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
Lavender Blue Dilly, Dilly (So Dear to My Heart) ~ Burl Ives


What type of men do you like?
Teenage Dirtbag ~ Wheatus


What kind of kisser are you?
Cowboy Take Me Away ~ Dixie Chicks


What's your style?
I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today ~ Original Braodway Cast of Avenue Q

What kind of lover are you?
Wooden Heart ~ Elvis Presley


What would be playing on a first date?
Room Service ~Kiss


Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Stupid ~Sarah McLachlan

Which Princess Bride Character are You?
this quiz was made by

Quote of the week!

This was my Mother to Uncle Lonnie at 5:30 AM after he called two previous times within 15 minutes to speak to my Dad before they left on a fishing trip. On the second ring of the third call..."IF THIS PHONE RINGS ONE MORE TIME THIS MORNING...HE'S NOT GOING!" She heard my Dad pick up the phone in the basement and say "Hello" before she slammed the phone down on the reciever so hard that the phone made a ringing sound. Guess what! The phone didn't ring again. Well, she was annoyed with Dad in the first place because he didn't pack his stuff ahead of time so he was digging around the night before when he got home late from the bowling alley...and then she woke him up at 5 and he went back to sleep so she had to wake him up again. Then the phone calls from Lonnie started because he couldn't find the little tarp for the boat. I told Mom that it probably flew out of the boat when Lonnie took it to Elk Creek the night before to fill it up with gas. Mom said that when Dad cleaned out the boat, one of the tarps was laying in the boat...so probably. You know guys, they don't look to make sure everything is secure before they take it down the highway. Anyway, Mom had a field trip for that day with the Summer School kids and she was trying to go back to sleep. Not happy, not happy at all! Dad came back upstairs and was digging around for clothes in the drawers and closet....and when he told her to sleep in she informed him that she had to get up for a field trip....and he was like, "OH!" YEAH....sheesh. I bet Uncle Lonnies eyes popped out of his head when she answered the phone like that....hehehehhe! Dang it, I miss all the fun stuff.

Christmas ornaments in June

Everyone knows I love Christmas ornaments...and i love making almost as much as I love receiving them. I was reading Sue's site and discovered Sara's contest and knew I had to enter. so here it goes..

This is one of my ornaments that I made for last years annual Christmas ornament exchange. My snowmen are made with measuring spoons and represent each of the family members of the person I made the ornament for. Daddy Jeff is the tablespoon, Momma Shari is the teaspoon and the kids are the smaller half and quarter teaspoons...Emily who is the oldest and Katie who is the baby of the family. If there are more kids you just have to use double quarter or half teaspoons...depending on the age of the children. I turned the teaspoons upside down and spray painted them all a nice matte white. Once the are dry I painted on a carrot nose and coal eyes and mouth. I then put a little fake snow on the tops and bottoms to give it a textured look, like it was had drifted on their heads. They sparkle when you see them in person and especially on a tree. I also labeled the spoons with the persons name and then glued them so they would stay spread apart when hanging on the tree. A bow was added for a splash of color. I have to admit this is one of my favorite ornaments that I ever made....basically because it was idea from start to finish. I had a bunch of extra teaspoons that I bought for a wind chime project that I had not worked on yet, when this popped into my head. You can get the spoon sets at dollar stores or Wal-Mart for $.99 or less a set. I actually had all the other supplies so I didn't have to purchase anything extra. I have other ornaments that I have made over the years listed on my craft site.... visit http://netterscraftyideas.blogspot.com/ and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Do you want to be helpful or not?!

Please read the sixth row, for me.

I've come to the conclusion that I need to have my eyes checked again. I used to go once a year but they started telling me that I could come every two or three years. Whenever I listen to them and don't go in, my sight changes again. I noticed the other day that things were not as clear when I closed my right eye and used my left. There was a slight blur. At first I thought I had a smudge on my lens. Checked that out and that was a negative. I swear! I'm just going to go every year and let them tell me over and over that I don't have to come back the next year. Seriously, I am a little protective of my eyesight. I'm a visual person and I really don't want to mess around with my eyesight. I wonder if I can get in at home....hmmm. Maybe I will just go out here, but I really don't like the two guys I have been to out here. Hmmmm....Mom, make an appointment for me when I have to drive you and Tisha because you have to have your eyes dilated.....that should work.

The Lake House

People panned this movie....seriously gave it bad reviews. I had decided not to see it until video because of that. Then Sam saw it and said he put it in his list of top five movies. I was like, "REALLY?!" OK, so I had to see it after he told me that.

Most of the reviews said it was illogical...hello, its a movie...when you watch a movie you except what you see as FACT and don't worry about stuff. Save the logic for a documentary...sheesh! A lot of reviewers said it was hard to follow. After watching it, I have decided they are idiots. I had no problem following or understanding how the show worked. Its a magical fantasy chick flick people...don't get so keyed up about it. Would I put it in my top 5? Hell no, but I could easily find myself watching this agian when it hits cable. Be warned, there are parts of the show that are slow, but I was never bored. Overall, I'm glad I watched it in the theatre. Don't let the reviewers lead your life, see it and decide for youself. Hey, it was much better that that new Jack Black movie...Nacho..something, I cant remember the name of it. Click the title link to see a preview of the movie.

Nice....very nice...

My parents went to a family reunion in Kansas today. Dad was telling me how someone had some pictures of me and my sister when we were little. It was a family picture from a reunion many years ago. I asked him if we were cute looking or what. His reply... "Well, you two looked like dorks but your Dad was good lookin'." NICE! He thought that was pretty funny. Mom said my hair was long and I had it in piggy tails. I'm sure I was adorable, but Dad, well the most we can say about him is that he had more hair. Hehehe.

Well, atleast I gave it a shot...lol

On Pop's Day

Oh wait! Everyday is my Father's Day. My Mother spoils him rotten. It's true. LOL, OK, you may be wondering what the deal is with the kid blowing bubbles. Mwahahaha...well, My Pop hates it when we blow bubbles at him. He becomes overly dramatic and starts yelling, "My eyes, my eyes!" He loves every minute of it. Dont' let him fool you.
I was going to do something for Pop that I did for Mom on Mother's Day but I didn't gather up enough infor yet...plus I have to put together some pictures of him. Maybe I will post it for his birthday...but that is in October. I'm not sure I can wait that long. LOL, I'm going to probe him for stories and tid bits of info when I am home. Don't tell him, he'll clam up on me. Usually we can't shut him up. Happy Pop's Day!

Proof they are evil!

Cats crack me up....lol

I thought I had a bad day...until I saw this picture. I think the rabbit had it worse. Poor little bunny should have listened to his Mother and stayed out of Mr McGregor's field. 

My Pop

"What the hell is this? "

"What do you use it for?"

"What do you do with it?"

"What the hell is this thing?"

(finally we tell him)

"Oh, I wondered why it was sticky on the outside. "

"No, I knew what it was, I was just messing with you."

Sure....sure...that's what they always say. 

Talk about a fun game

This is my friend Amy's little boy Cody. He's playing one of the best games ever. You take off your shoes and drop them in different spots around the merry-go-round. You lay on your stomach while you force your Mother...or Father...or some other poor sucker to push you around in a circle. You have to try to pick up your shoes as you go around. HERE IS WHERE THE FUN BEGINS:

Let's have Netter play too! OK, there are two other adults who claim they get motion sickness...and Nett always makes a good playmate. (It's true...I do!) What does Netter do in this situation. Well, as she passes Cody's shoes she moves them so each time he goes by he is looking in the wrong spot and misses them half the time. Then she takes one shoe and holds it under the merry-go-round so Cody really has to do some thinking...where did that shoe go? HE couldn't find it. THEN...I hear him yell, "HEY!" He was leaning over so he could look directly under the merry-go-round and he saw that I had it in my hand the whole time. LOL, man I love kids!

Wait for it...wait for it....

Katies thought process...

hmmm.

thinking, thinking, hmmm.

a moment of confusion.

OHHHH!

She got it!

My Katie is a smart cookie! 

My Mom has been a busy camper...

Since I can't crochet, someone has to do it for me, so....

I put my Mother to work again. I sucker her into making a baby blanket for my friends that are expecting. She has made a ton for me over the years, so what's one more. This blanket is for Matt and his wife Meri, who recently moved to Florida...that is why it is such an airy design. Its very, very soft. The dog...or dawg, as Matt pronounces it...is part of the gift. I need to hurry up and get my package together for them. Their little boy is due in mid July, so about a month to go. I can't wait to get my hands on that baby...I plan on visiting in November.

Hypercompe scribonia

I found this Leopard Moth hanging out on our screen for a few days. It finally flew away last night. She was supper fuzzy...and very cute close up. I wasn't sure what kind of Moth she was so I had to do some research to track it down, but I am pretty sure I have it right. I had never seen one like this before. It's not an insect that you'd find flying around the lights at baseball games in Nebraska. I had to share it with you...she is to pretty not to.

A night with the guys around the piano

I'm trying to cook...and this is what I hear, so I had to catch it on my camera. Do you feel my pain?

School is out...

Well, almost. It's been out for a while in part of the country but we still have a week to go here. But in honor of Summer, I am going to post something new on The Bubble Gum Farm, every single day. Ok, maybe not every single day, but close to it. Plus when I am home for vacation there will be a few weeks where I won't post. Get out there and enjoy the summer! Gotta run, Sam is swinging by with the boat and picking me up for a little ride around the bay. I have to get the sunblock out.

Check it out!

This is cool just in the visual aspect of it all. It kind of reminds me of a dandelion when you blow on it and send all the little seed pods flying. What is it? It's an awesome little applet that shows your website as a graph. This is nothinbutnett.blogspot.com in all it's graphed out glory.

What do all the colors mean?
blue: for links (the A tag)
red: for tables (TABLE, TR and TD tags)
green: for the DIV tag
violet: for images (the IMG tag)
yellow: for forms (FORM, INPUT, TEXTAREA, SELECT and OPTION tags)
orange: for linebreaks and blockquotes (BR, P, and BLOCKQUOTE tags)
black: the HTML tag, the root node
gray: all other tags

Want to try it out yourself? Check it out here.
When it's done ( it takes a few minutes to load), post a link ( like I did in my header) in the comments section so we can check it out too.

YES!

Only 656 visitors to go before I crack 10,000 visits. Sure, people get more visits but I'm not on a ton of blog rolls....so, I happy. What should I do to celebrate for the big 10,000? I'll have to think about it. Ideas are welcomed.

Not a bad idea...

These nifty slippers are actually for bachelors....but now that I think about it, they would be great for a bunch of kids. Seriously, if you had hard wood floors all you would have to do is slip the slippers on the kids, get the Pledge out and let them go to town. Sure your floors would be slick as snot...but just imagine how they would shine. Hmmmm....sounds good to me. Plus, it would slow the kids down and they wouldn't run through the house. They can't after the floors have had Pledge sprayed on them. They will end up on their butts. I know, its a trick I have used in the past.

OOOOkay!

I never knew there was such a problem with people urinating over guard rails that someone was forced to put up a sign. That's not good, not good at all.

hmmmmm...

I was just wondering...

You know how you pick a dandelion and blow all the seeds off while making a wish. Well, if the dandelion is not completely full and is missing some of its seeds already, does the wish still count? Is it only 75% of a wish or is it a full power wish?

That 25 % could make a big difference.

Two quotes of the night...

I had a fun night on the phone with Cindy. They crack me up. Here are the two quotes that I felt I needed to post. I'm thinking this could be a weekly post...could be fun.

"I have fat feet. Don't make fun of me." ~Danielle to Cindy

"Who made you the Queen of time?" ~Cindy to Danielle

But you ARE crazy!

My dear friend Raine sent me a little package with an interesting little article and the proof that when she tried to view my site some stupid Bible studies site kept popping up instead of my wacko site. She is so funny...and yes, CRAZY...because she never needed to send the "proof." I already believed her. See, Raine is a smart cookie...she knows that if it was her and the situation was reversed, she would totally try to use that against me in the form of a strategically placed guilt trip. That's one of the reasons I adore her so....lol, she's good. Goooooooood! GOOD!! Well, now that I think about it...she probably isn't that crazy, knowing me...I just might follow suit. Actually, Raine is an amazing person....she keeps you on your toes, she's bright, sneaky but only in the best possible way and an overall top notch person. Even if she was totally off her rocker, I'd still be her friend and visit her in her ward at the nut house. Hell, I'd probably be in the adjacent padded room. I couldn't think of a better place to be, then next to a great friend.

How to survive boring events...

I learned a little trick from the Leaches many years ago...always bring a book. Reading material is important...especially if you can't chat because you will bug your neighbors...like at church (I know you think I'm kidding), dance recitals, during the commencement exercises of a college class of 1,000 graduates. Ah, yes...be prepared. If you are really smart, you will bring your own chair so you don't have to sit on those tiny folding chairs they supply....and you can keep from being bored out of your friggin' mind. I took a break between chapters to grab this picture of Jim, Katie and Jean putting their trick into action. Chris had a book under his robe and he read it while sitting in the front row during his graduation...if its OK for him to do it, we'll follow suit. We bring books to the movies to read before the previews start to play, we read on the train, while waiting for friends at a restaurant, just about anywhere you can read and get away with it.

Katie keeping me entertained in the van...

For some reason, the audio gets a little out of sync with the picture when I transfer it...but it still makes me laugh.

Every car trip I have taken with Jean..every single one...she puts her feet on the dash. It freaks me out to no end. I just know that air bag is going to go off and she'll be getting hip replacement surgery. It's just the way she likes to travel...but the Mom in me just gets all tense about it.

One smart cookie!

My little Chris graduated Summa Cum Laude from Dartmouth on Sunday morning. Luckily the rain held off long enough for the ceremony to take place. It had rained the entire weekend and we were a little nervous about that but we brought our own chairs so we didn't have to sit on the soaked ones they had at the event. We also had umbrellas and a change of clothes, just in case.
In addition to graduating summa cum laude, Chris became a member of Phi Delta Kappa which is a real honor. What can I say, he's a smart kid.
He did managed to lose the ribbion that he was suppose to wear as a memeber of Phi Delta Kappa before we even made it to the van. He had it when we were waiting for Jean and must of lost it before we made it to the van. Luckily one of his frat buddies, a fellow Phi Delta Kappa said he would cut his ribbion in half to share with Chris. How sweet was that!
The commencement Address was given by Elie Wiesel...check out my post on The Bloggers Book Club to see why this excited me so much. More on Graduation weekend later...

..but where did our blue skies go!?

Our trip to Hanover NH for Chris' College Graduation started out with a lovely blue sky, dotted with tiny rain clouds. Ofcourse those blue patches soon disappeared and we had lots, lots, LOTS of rain. It rained all night on friday, and our hotel room roof started to leak so we had to switch rooms. (The next room had a different leak issue....toilet....not a great hotel experience by far) Then it rained steadily all day on Saturday. It was cool to...very cool so the idea of eating outside at under a tent at the Frat house dinner was not a biggie on my list of things to do...but once I saw the "cleaned" frat house...I was very happy we were staying outside. The sofas in the common/meeting room smelled like beer...but that was nothing compared to the basement. Oh yes, the basement were the guys play pong. Yes, the basement that leaks water when it rains and was covered in puddles and mud....but most of all, smelled like chicken poo. How is that possible? Oh man it was bad. Honestly the only reason I went down there in the first place is to watch Chris teach his Dad how to play Pong. There was a Father/Son Pong tournament going on later and Jim was trying to see if he could play it. In the end, he didn't....and its probably a good thing, because he would have been a little overwhelmed by the amount of beer those kids can put away. Seriously...they are in another league. I could have given them a run for their money back in the early 90's...but now, I wouldn't even attempt it. 3 beers and I'm trashed. I must say that Chris did serve me a few glasses of some yummy beer. One was made with apricots...yummy, one had a lot of hops in it...not bad but there was a very dark beer that I fell in love with. I can't tell you the name but Chris is going to show me where to pick some up around here when he gets home.We had a nice time sitting around Chris' dorm, he doesn't live in the stinky frat house. Sure he said it would have been fun, but with his allergies and the issues at that frat, it would not have been a good idea. It was funny, I had to take a picture of a tired Jim and Chris relaxing...like Father, like Son...so cute.
Katie was able to spend quite a bit of time with a freshman that she met when she visited Chris a few weeks ago. He's a nice kid with wonderful manners from Wisconsin who we referred to as Weiner all weekend. His last name is Wein so it was just screaming to be changed to something a little more fun. At one point in the van on the way from the hotel to Hanover, Jean said to Katie, "..make sure you connect with Weiner... and Katies and I looked at each other, dirty minds in full bloom and cracked up laughing. Jim started laughing and we had to explain to Jean what we were laughing at. That sent us on a nice long laughing streak and Jim had to enact the 3 time rule of conduct. I think he was getting tired of hearing that his daughter should be touching Weiner....if you know what I mean. Laughter through tears is the best medicine for lack of sleep though. It perked us right up.

I found a slice of Heaven at a place called Lou's

Oh, people, people, people....I had to share this...I had to shout it from roof tops. If you are ever near Hanover New Hampshire, home to Dartmouth College, you must drive down Main Street in search of a place called Lou's. Why?! I'll tell you friggin' why! I found a slice of heaven and it made its way from my plate to my tummy, pretty darn quick! Yes, the photo shows a half eaten plate of Lou's Crueller French toast. It's glazed cruellers dipped in seasoned egg batter, grilled to a golden brown perfection and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. It could be yours for the $6.25...make sure you request the real maple syrup that Lou's has bottled for them in the cute little bottles you see in the upper right hand corner. It's the good stuff! Sure, it sounds way to sweet....but its not, atleast I didn't go into a sugar shock.

Lou's Restaurant and Bakery "A Tradition Since 1947" is located @ 30 South Main Street, you can't miss it. It's a small little cafe and a local favorite, so be prepared to wait in line...but its worth it....OH, SO WORTH IT! Seriously, this is one of those dishes that I wish I had discovered before Chris graduated. I will tell you this...I'm planning a road trip back up there. Is 6 hours really to long a drive, for something sooo yummy? I think not....even with gas at $3.00 a gallon. It's WORTH IT...how many times do I have to say it!

1895 Eighth Grade Final Exam

My Cousins neighbor sent this to me...and when I started reading it I about had a stroke. I hate tests, everyone knows that...but I'm not even sure I learned all this stuff.

Remember when our grandparents, great-grandparents, and such stated that
they only had an 8th grade education?
Well, check this out. - - -
This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, KS, USA. It was
taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical
Society and Library in Salina, KS, and reprinted by the Salina Journal.


8th GRADE FINAL EXAM
Grammar (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.
2. Name the Parts of Speech and define those that have no Modifications.
3. Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph.
4. What are the Principal Parts of a verb. Give Principal Parts of. lie, lay
and run
5. Define Case, Illustrate each Case.
6. What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of Punctuation.
7. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you
understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.
Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels
of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at
50cts/bushel, deducting 1050lbs. for tare?
4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to
carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for
incidentals?
5. Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per
meter?
8 Find bank discount on $300 for! 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance
around which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.
U. S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which U. S. History is divided.
2. Give an account of the discovery of ?America by Columbus.
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and
Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849,
1865.
Orthography (Time, one hour)
1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic, orthography,
?etymology, syllabication?
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, sub vocals,
diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u'.
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two
exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: ?bi,
dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the
sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood,
fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane,
fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by
use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.
Geography (Time, one hour)
1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America.
5.. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver,
Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall &Orinoco.
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republic s of Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the
sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

Also note that the exam took five hours to complete.
Gives the saying "she/he only had an 8th grade education" a whole new
meaning, doesn't it?
What happened to us? ??It is kind of humbling, isn't it ?

Ugh!

Looking at this sucker made me sick. It's funny because I don't really get motion sickness unless I go on the tea cup ride three times in a row without waiting, but this little sucker really sets me off. Who'da thunk it!

What I hear everyday...

I thought I was being sneaky and I turned my camera on to capture Sam playing his piano. He plays all the time. It's really quite a pleasure and when he is gone for a while, I miss the music. He's a talented kid. It vibrates a lot because I just sat it on the table and walked away (you can hear me sneeze at one point) and the floor really vibrates when he plays. I should have placed the camera on some fabric or something. Oh well.

Look out world....

Chris is graduating from Dartmouth College on Sunday. I won't be around this weekend because I am going to his ceremony. Someone has to make sure he doesn't get ahold of any sharp objects....lol. As you can see, he can be quite a handful. Please note, nobody was seriously injured in the making of this Kodak moment.