Happiness Is...

Book Meme borrowed from Amy

2008-09-03T02:54:01Z

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who’ve read 6 and force books upon them.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’ Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

I’ve watched more than a quarter of them on film.

a_lil_nymph @ 2007-02-23T15:51:00

2007-02-23T21:51:40Z

Survey in the key of B.. snurched from mzserena

Your name: Brenda

1. Famous Artist: Bernini, Giovanni
2. 4 letter word: Boot
3. Street name: Buckeye
4. Color: Blue
5. Gifts/presents: Bags (hand)
6. Vehicles: BMW
7. College or University: Brown University
8. TV Show: Brothers & Sisters
9. Country: Bolivia
10.Things in a Souvenir Shop: Buttons
11. Boy Name: Brandon
12. Girl Name: Barbie
13. Movie Title: Because I Said So
14. Alcoholic drink: Bahama Mama
15. Occupations: Bartender
16. Flowers: Baby's Breath
17. Celebrities: Brad Pitt
18. Magazines: Better Homes & Gardens
19. U.S. Cities: Baltimore, Buffalo, Baton Rouge
20. Food: Bologna
21. Something Found in a kitchen: Blender
22. Reason for Being Late: Broke-down car
23. Something You Throw Away: Bad food
24. Cartoon Character: Bugs Bunny
25. Something You Shout: Bitch!

Use the first letter of your name and fill it out for yourself. :)

T-Mobile Discriminates

2006-12-11T18:13:01Z

I am posting this on my bulletin in hopes that you all will help forward the word. I do NOT approve of discrimination in any form, but this is just plain ridiculous! Maybe a mass removal of services will help them realize discrimination is unacceptable. Side note, this experience was in the state of Florida.

---Original Message---
Friday, December 08, 2006

T-MOBILE DESCRIMINATES AGAINST GAYS!!!

HAD A HORRIFYING EXPERIENCE TODAY...WHEN THE WOMAN ME N CRYSTAL WERE DEALING WITH ON T-MOBILE CUSTOMER SVC. FOUND OUT WE WERE A GAY COUPLE..SHE SPURTED SOMETHING ABOUT BEING A GOOD CHRISTIAN WOMAN AND A GOOD WOMAN AND THEN TOLD US SHE WAS ENDING THE CONVERSATION..WHEN WE GOT TRANSFREED TO HER SUPER, I OVERHEARD HER TELLING HIM WE WERE LESBIANS...WHAT THE FUCK???? I MEAN ISNT IT BAD ENOUGHT THAT THEY OWE US ALMOST $120 AND IT GROWS BY $6 DAILY...AND THE FACT THAT THEIR CUST SVC CANNOT FIX PROBLEMS AND LIE TO US ABOUT EVERYTHING...NOW WERE REFUSED CUST SVC OVER BEING GAY... BTW HER SUPER HUNG UP ON US AS SOON AS SHE SAID THAT TO HIM... AGAIN WHAT THE FUCKKKKKK!!!!!

DO US A FAVOR PUT THE WORD OUT AND GET PEOPLE TO LEAVE T-MOBILE FRIGGIN FAG HATERS!!!!!!!!!!

12:34 AM

Male Birth Control Pill

2006-11-29T04:53:26Z

Original article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15937201/wid/11915773?GT1=8717

I would LOVE to know anyone else's opinions on this one. Do you think it would work? Do you think it would be worth taking (or having your man take it)? Do you think men will want to take it? Comment me!

Single dose, hormone-free drug prevents ejaculation of sperm

By Jane Weaver
Health editor
MSNBC
Updated: 7:05 p.m. CT Nov 28, 2006

When it comes to birth control, it may finally be the guy's turn.

British scientists are developing a male birth control pill that could put
a smile on the faces of a lot of women, according to a report by NBC's
Dawn Friesen on "Today" Tuesday. The hormone-free pill, which prevents the
ejaculation of sperm, could be on the market in five years.

The pill, a single dose taken a few hours before having sex, affects
contraction of the muscles that control ejaculation, but wouldn't
interfere with performance or orgasm sensation, researchers at King's
College London say. The result is a dry ejaculation.

"It’s not stopping sperm production," Dr. Christopher Smith told NBC News.
"It’s not a hormonal method. It's just simply stopping the muscle which
takes the sperm along."

The scientists found the solution after noticing that drugs used in the
treatment of schizophrenia and high blood pressure were effective at
preventing ejaculation, according to a report in the British newspaper
"The Guardian Unlimited."

The pill would be more user-friendly than other male contraceptive methods
such as vasectomy, injections or implants, researchers told NBC.

"Within half a day, the sperm is on the move again," says Smith.

If the pill passes clinical trial, it could be a significant benefit for
people who are anxious about long-term effects from hormones.

But if men can’t remember to take out the garbage, will they remember to
take the birth control pill? Moreover, some men, worried that it could
damage their virility, may object to taking any kind of pill.

"We know from international research that men want to take part in
fertility control," Rebecca Findlay from the London Family Planning
Association told NBC. "It could be quite liberating for couples.
The pill would not prevent sexually transmitted diseases, she said.

© 2006 MSNBC Interactive

How's this for a Voice??

2006-11-09T04:18:44Z

DEAD WOMAN WINS COUNTY COMMISIONER'S RACE
S.D. candidate gets 100 votes; official says voters knew she was deceased
Associated Press
Updated: 10:41 a.m. CT Nov 8, 2006

PIERRE, S.D. - A woman who died two months ago won a county commissioner's race in Jerauld County on Tuesday.

Democrat Marie Steichen, of Woonsocket, got 100 votes, defeating incumbent Republican Merlin Feistner, of Woonsocket, who had 64 votes.

Jerauld County Auditor Cindy Peterson said she believes the county board will have to meet to appoint a replacement for Steichen. Peterson said she'll check with the state's attorney to be sure that's the process.

Peterson said voters knew Steichen had died.

"They just had a chance to make a change, and we respect their opinion."

© 2006 The Associated Press.

Rain, rain has come my way...

2006-09-21T18:37:09Z

I truly adore the weather we have today. It's 60 degrees, raining lightly, with a wind that averages 20mph. Absolutely beautiful. Absolutely perfect for curling up with a blanket and book. Absolutely, positively, without a shadow of a doubt. IT'S FALL!!

Too-skinny models REJECTED

2006-09-10T02:37:19Z

It is seriously about damn time that SOMEONE got with the program on the too-skinny wave. I'm very impressed with Spain's attitude and realization that super skinny girls are a large part of the eating disorder problems today. Feel free to click the link - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14748549?GT1=8506 - to read the actual article, or just click my link and read

Spanish fashion show rejects too-skinny models
Women with very low body-mass index not allowed on runway
AP - Associated Press

Updated: 12:03 a.m. CT Sept 9, 2006
MADRID, Spain - Spain’s top fashion show has turned away a slew of models on grounds they are too skinny — an unprecedented swipe at body images blamed for encouraging eating disorders among young people.

Organizers of the pageant, known as the Pasarela Cibeles, used a mathematical formula to calculate the models’ body mass index — a measure of their weight in relation to their height — and 30 percent of the women flunked, said the Association of Fashion Designers of Spain.

The association said Friday it wanted models at the show running from Sept. 18-22 to project “an image of beauty and health” and shun a gaunt, emaciated look.

The decision was made as part of a voluntary agreement with the Madrid regional government, said Jesus del Pozo, a designer who is part of the association, said Thursday.

Last year’s show, also called Madrid Fashion Week, drew protests from medical associations and women’s advocacy groups because some of the models were positively bone-thin.

'Mirrors for many young women'
This time the Madrid regional government decided to intervene and pressure organizers to hire fuller-figured women as role models for young girls obsessed with being thin and prone to starving themselves into sickness, said Concha Guerra, deputy finance minister of the regional administration.

Fashion shows, Guerra said, “are mirrors for many young women.”

Del Pozo said this was the first time skinny models have been snubbed at a major international fashion show.

Ryan Brown, director of marketing and public relations in North America for the Elite modeling agency in New York City, agreed. “It is very unprecedented,” said Brown, who has nothing to do with the Spanish show.

He welcomed the decision, saying “I think it is great to promote health.”

Madrid’s show, which features mainly Spanish designers, is not as prestigious as catwalks in Paris or Milan but “it is not at the bottom of the pile,” he said.

Hoping to change the industry
The impact of rejecting skinny women would have been greater at those other glitzier venues. Still, he said, “I am sure the industry is taking note.”

The body mass index is a tool for doctors who study obesity. It is calculated by dividing weight in pounds by height in inches squared, and multiplying that total by 703.

If the resulting number is between 18.5 and 24.9, the person’s weight is normal. Below 18.5 they are underweight. In the case of the Madrid show, organizers rejected women with indices under 18.

Brown of the Elite agency said fashion shows reflect the tastes of clothing designers, who for now prefer the Kate Moss look as opposed to the curvier dimensions of models such as Cindy Crawford in years past.

“They don’t want voluptuous girls any more,” he said. “It would be nice if fashion got back to that.”

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Where are the Motivational Speakers?

2006-08-23T23:20:42Z

I'm needing some motivation in the writing department! I KNOW that I need to get my schtuff together and get the submissions out there. I've even got a few places in particualar I'm wanting to submit to, but have yet to get the ol' arse moving anywhere! Any suggestions? I've been trying to make a point of doing some writing, in general, and have done fairly well on my journal and letter writing to people (yes, that still exists). But submissions-wise, I'm just feeling BLAH.

In other news, I'm still walking my son to school in the morning. I thought about driving today because of how I felt yesterday morning (sore very quickly), but I knew if I quit, I'd QUIT. So, out we went again today, and it wasn't bad this time! YEA! I even made a trip on down to the post office (extra 8 blocks one way) before heading home. I'm hoping it will definitely help my energy levels, and brain chemical levels. Though I found myself dreaming again before even realizing I'd fallen asleep at the computer, I got up to eat something before laying down for an official nap and never did lay down! That's another plus. I don't really understand why I'm so tired and wanting that mid-morning nap when I'm going to bed much earlier than before, but whatever. It seems to be improving also.

a_lil_nymph @ 2006-06-30T13:14:00

2006-06-30T18:24:54Z

I get so bloody infuriated at the ignorance some of our "smarter" citizens have (ie. politicians)! No, I'm not going to make a political joke here. The fact remains that we elect these people for various reasons. We, in one way or another, trust them to do jobs for us that we could not do ourselves. WE aren't filing for political positions are we? Do we have the stamina, ability, know-how, etc. to fulfill the responsibilities of those positions? No. We elect and choose people we feel can best do that for us. HOWEVER, when moral beliefs interfere with logical legal choices, it's irritating as hell!

WHY is a straight couple better as foster parents, than a gay couple? WHO decides that a couple is more loving and can provide better, based simply on what they do in the privacy of their bedroom? Have we forgotten the numerous cases of STRAIGHT couples who have umpteen foster children, simply for the paychecks?? Have we forgotten the numerous cases of STRAIGHT couples who have physically, emotionally, and sexually abused foster children for their own deranged satisfaction and needs?? Give me a break, people! Get over your moral standing, and base legal decisions on LEGAL issues!

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20060630/D8IILDAO0.html

Ark. Governor Seeks Gay-Foster-Parent Ban
Jun 30, 12:50 PM (ET)
By ANDREW DEMILLO

(AP) Jim Harper, a social worker and family therapist, right, speaks to reporters as Rita Sklar,...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Friday he hopes the Legislature considers reimposing a ban on gay foster parents, struck down a day earlier by the state Supreme Court.

"I'm very disappointed that the court seems more interested in what's good for gay couples than what's good for children needing foster care," Huckabee said through his spokeswoman Alice Stewart.

The state Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court decision that threw out a ban on homosexuals serving as foster parents. Four people sued after the policy was put in effect in 1999. The state Child Welfare Board dropped the policy after losing a court fight in 2004.

Arkansas Health and Human Services spokeswoman Julie Munsell said the four who successfully challenged the policy have not applied to be foster parents.

Thursday's court ruling left open the possibility that legislators could enact a ban by law or possibly give a state board authority to do so.

But Rita Sklar, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Arkansas, said the court ruling itself could make legislation difficult to pass. She cited language in the ruling that said there was no connection between homosexuality and a child's welfare.

In the unanimous ruling, the court said testimony in the state's appeal demonstrated that "the driving force behind adoption of the regulations was not to promote the health, safety and welfare of foster children but rather based upon the board's views of morality and its bias against homosexuals."

Being raised by homosexuals doesn't cause academic problems or gender identity problems, as the state had argued, the Supreme Court said.

Huckabee is leaving office in 2007 because of term limits. Republican gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson said he was disappointed by the ruling. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike Beebe did not say whether he agreed with the ruling.

A Florida ban on adoptions by gays and lesbians was upheld in a federal court and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the ACLU. Utah and Mississippi also restrict gay adoptions.

Random thought

2006-06-27T13:50:12Z

It's odd. JJ turned three months old on Saturday, and managed to reach a milestone that both his sister and cousin never did. I thought that the anxiety would diminish once he did, but it hasn't completely gone away. Now it's those 'he's made it this far, but don't relax yet' type of thoughts that fill my head. Like if any of us relax about the SIDS possibility, that's when it would happen.

Sheesh. I came here to discuss a few different things, but all I can think of is "open your eyes and wake up" and "damn I'm sleepy/tired!" Guess I have about an hour to nap, provided JJ stays asleep too. :)

a_lil_nymph @ 2006-06-23T08:55:00

2006-06-23T14:06:51Z

Odd timing, but I came to a realization about a movie this morning, while taking a shower. Guess it just kinda shows how wandering my mind can go when I'm half-asleep!

In the movie, a husband and wife team learn hoodoo that enables them to live forever, by switching souls with other persons. Immediately after learning of their hoodoo practices/religion, however, their employers have them hanged and burned due to fear.

Papa Justify's and Mama Cecile's first soul switch is with the employers' children, Martin and Grace Thorpe. Immediately after this switch, is when they were 'sentenced' to death. Because of the timing in the movie itself, I never thought about what that meant. It (for whatever reason) occurred to me this morning that it meant those poor children were the ones hanged and burned! Can you imagine the horror, confusion and plain terror they lived in the last moments of their lives??

Anyone else have any thoughts on any of this?

Newsworthy Idiots

2006-05-12T14:14:28Z

Maybe it's just my own silly ideas of logic, but where the hell is the responsibility in the parents for letting the child play for 36 hours straight??

Game Distributor Sued Over Boy's Suicide
May 12, 5:28 AM (ET)
By JOE McDONALD

BEIJING (AP) - The parents of a 13-year-old Chinese boy who they say jumped to his death from a tall building after playing one of the popular "Warcraft" online games for 36 hours straight are suing its Chinese distributor, a news report said Friday.

Zhang Xiaoyi died on Dec. 27, 2004, leaving behind a suicide note saying he wanted "to join the heroes of the game he worshipped," the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

It said Zhang's parents, who live in Tianjin, just east of Beijing, are seeking 100,000 yuan ($12,500) from Aomeisoft, the Chinese distributor of "Warcraft: Orcs and Humans."

The suit says Aomeisoft failed to include a warning that the game's U.S. maker rates it as suitable only for players above age 13, according to Xinhua.

The Warcraft games are made by Blizzard Entertainment, a unit of Paris-based Vivendi Universal SA. Xinhua said a Tianjin court rejected a claim by the parents against the game maker.

The vice president of Aomeisoft, Bai Jie, told The Associated Press that he saw news reports about the lawsuit but that the company hasn't received any official court notice.

Bai said Zhang's parents were suing the wrong company, because Aomeisoft was set up in August, eight months after his death. Bai said he didn't know which distributor sold the game in 2004.

China has 111 million Internet users, second only to the United States. It is one of the world's biggest markets for online games, with tens of millions of players, many of whom hunker down for hours in front of PCs in public Internet cafes.

But the government has expressed concern about the violence and sexual content of some games. It has imposed curfews and time limits on children in Internet cafes and banned them near schools.

Also Friday, a newspaper said the Beijing city government has launched a review of the Chinese capital's 1,007 licensed Internet cafes to ensure they are complying with rules on admitting minors.

Violators could lose their licenses, the China Daily said.

In 2004, China shut down thousands of Internet cafes nationwide after a series of fatal fires and other accidents.

Xinhua said Zhang played at a "game hall," but didn't say whether that was an Internet cafe, which would have been required to limit his time there to a few hours.

Several cities have clinics to treat what psychiatrists have dubbed "Internet addiction" in users, many of them children and teenagers, who play online games or surf the Web for days at a time.

Specialists at a Beijing hospital examined Zhang's diary, school records and suicide note and concluded that "Zhang had excessively indulged in unhealthy games and contracted serious Internet addiction before his death," Xinhua reported.

His parents' suit also calls on the distributor to put a warning on the game's packaging saying "playing games excessively harms health," the report said.

Bai, the Aomeisoft executive, said the company plans to add "anti-addiction warnings" to future games.

The Warcraft games have 2.5 million players in China, with copies in more than 100,000 Internet cafes, Vivendi Universal chairman Jean-Bernard Levy told reporters in Shanghai in April.

a_lil_nymph @ 2006-04-25T23:33:00

2006-04-26T04:39:08Z

I just finished watching Brokeback Mountain tonight. I've heard all sorts of "gay cowboy movie" remarks, and that it was supposed to be wonderful. I have to say, I was/am really torn about it. It had an incredible cast, and the idea of two men finding love with each other just pulls at my heart (for whatever reason).

The movie started out pretty slow, and I was beginning to be glad that I rented before buying, like I'd originally thought to do. The story picked up though and I was drawn in. I almost cried, and it may have caused a slight tear on my heart. I'm mostly just not sure whether to love it for the amazing story it is, or refuse to ever watch it again for the heartbreak it causes me.

If you have any remarks and/or conversation about this movie, I'd love to hear from you. Write me at my personal email a_lil_nymph at yahoo, though. Hopefully I haven't spoiled the movie for anyone still waiting/debating on seeing it.

a_lil_nymph @ 2006-04-23T13:00:00

2006-04-23T18:03:52Z

Not much change honestly, but thought maybe I'd go ahead and write at least *something* on here. Oooh I know! I'll do the usual and put up some

How odd is it that I scored the same song on TWO different quizzes? And what does that say about me??

Toxic by Britney Spears

"It's getting late
To give you up
I took a sip
From my devil cup
Slowly
It's taking over me "

Ah, what's a year without breaking a few hearts? Literally.

What 2004 Hit Song Are You?

Your Stripper Song Is

Toxic by Britney Spears

"With the taste of your lips
I'm on a ride
You're toxic I'm slippin' under"

You may dance for someone - but only to weaken their defenses.

What Song Should You Strip To?

a_lil_nymph @ 2006-04-17T19:14:00

2006-04-18T00:27:09Z

Let's see... It's been a while, so I may have a lot of mixed up and varied

Cassandra had her baby on March 24th: JesseJames Lee and he was 8lbs 7oz. It was a rather amusing story, after the fact, but kind of scary at the time of delivery. JJ had the cord wrapped around his neck and a huge head to boot, so Cass is pretty sore right now. Everyone is doing fairly. Cass rarely sleeps (understandably), but is on some Zoloft, and it's been helping to calm her nerves enough to catch an hour or two at a time. The worst timing is early morning (about 5am-ish), since that's when both Ally and Skye died. She's a strong woman though, and is lucky to have so much support around her.

Shauna and Brandon are doing okay, after Skye. Brandon finally slowed down enough for it to hit him and it hit hard. He was sent home from work and stayed home the following day, but it back now. Shauna is looking into getting a different job entirely, and is set to graduate the local college in May.

My son turned FIVE years old today! It's so odd that he's that old already. The local school system has decided to try out full-day kindergarten next year, so he'll be 'in the system' next year already. The preschool that he's at will have a graduation ceremony and everything in May. It should be cute, but yeah, I figure I'll shed a tear or two when I walk him to his first day of K.

The babies around me (I'm with JJ a lot), and the fact that my baby is so grown up and independent (trust me I'm grateful), has made the baby urges strong again. I'm not looking into the sperm donor thing right now. I already have one chosen, but I no longer have the money or situation that would make it ideal right now. So, I just get hopeful each month that a 'whoops' will happen with the boyfriend. We've both already talked about it, and even have a (boy) name chosen, however, neither of us expect anything to happen at all. The girl he was with before me never did end up pregnant with him, and they were together for 5 years. Still.. ya just never know, right?

In any case, I'm mostly sitting at home, or running around with errands, trudging through each day as it's given to me. I'm thankful to have each new day, but some take more effort to get through lately. Still I'm doing it, and I will be okay in the end.

Meme of "fours"

2006-03-14T20:31:50Z

I'm not tagging anyone though. :)

Four jobs you've had in your life:
-- Church Secretary
-- Used Car lot
-- Blockbuster CSR
-- Sandwich Artist

Four movies you would watch over and over:
-- Love, Actually
-- Constantine
-- Ever After
-- Center Stage

Four places you have lived:
-- Iola, KS
-- Emporia, KS
-- Pittsburg, KS
-- there isn't a 4th place, but hopefully soon!

Four TV shows you love to watch:
-- The L Word
-- Queer as Folk
-- Charmed
-- Law & Order (the original and SVU)

Four places you have been on vacation:
-- Las Vegas
-- San Diego
-- Los Angeles
-- western KS (sad, eh?)

Four websites I visit daily:
-- Yahoo mail
-- Hotmail
-- http://www.jobsearch.org/seeker/jobsearch/quick
-- http://kansascity.craigslist.org/

Four of my favorite foods:
-- Cheese
-- Chicken
-- Tortilla Chips/Fritos Scoops
-- Chocolate

Four places I would rather be right now:
-- Potland OR
-- San Diego
-- with Jeremy
-- away

So much for the awesome week...

2006-03-14T19:59:43Z

It was quite short-lived. I lost the temp job the very next day because of the new job talking to an old boss. Long story that I'm not getting into.

My older sister didn't get pregnant, even though there were so many positive indications of it being able to happen.

My younger sister's dog died on March 6th, while my mom was visiting a week ago. He was 10 1/2 years, but a member of the family, so it was hard.

I feel like I'm never going to get a job while this mess with the old boss is still untangling itself.

And yesterday, as unbelievable as it may be, my friend's daughter died of SIDS. You may remember me talking about Ally, who died of SIDS in October 2004. This was her cousin, Skye. Ally lived 4 days longer than Skye, and both girls were gone when their mothers woke up that morning. Skye was more recently passed away, but reviving attempts failed. Ally's mother is due in about 3 weeks with her second child, a boy to be named Jesse. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to her personally to see if she's in complete hysterics or not. Both mothers are trying to figure out "why does God hate us so much??" It may well be some sort of genetic thing, but SIDS so extremely rarely offers any kind of answers.

a_lil_nymph @ 2006-03-03T19:40:00

2006-03-04T01:46:26Z

I've had a hell of an awesome week! I finally got my unemployment approved, though I have yet to receive a check. Just knowing the bastard still has to pay me makes me grin. Guessing that he's irritated as hell about that fact makes me giggle!

I've had three job interviews this week. One was a temp job, which I accepted, and I start Monday. I'll be helping a company get caught up with various department jobs. The other two were for a preschool and daycare/preschool center. I'm hoping the center wants me, as I intend to decline the preschool. I felt too intimidated by the responsibilities of the position. I'm excited at the idea of working with little kids though!

I also received an email with a job offer! I've applied on their website, per their instructions, and am extremely hopeful that it's legit and works out. If it does, it's got incredible benefits and pluses. After 2 months of getting more and more depressed with unemployment and thinking I'd never find anything, I'm getting a real windfall of opportunity. I'm thrilled!

Still around

2006-02-12T03:47:51Z

It's been too long since my last post, even if I mostly just post quizzes. It also was bad of me to leave for so long after the "depressed" entry. Things have yet to get to a state that I can even refer to as 'normal' in any way, but I'm optimistic as ever and doing better emotionally to boot. I WILL be alright and things will work out the way they need to for me. Thank you for those who have written and checked up on me. Again, I apologize for any scares. And now, for the usual

You Were a Dog

You are an excellent companion and a loyal friend.
A good protector, you smell trouble before it arrives.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

Borrowed from babeeruth77

1. What is your middle name?
Ann

2. How big is your bed?
Queen is being delivered next week!

3. What are you listening to right now?
Computer hum

4. What are the last 4 digits in ur cellphone number?
You tell me yours, I'll tell you mine

5. What was the last thing you ate?
Keebler Fudge Sticks (addictive!)

6. Last person you hugged?
Gabriel

7. How is the weather right now?
Cold as ... well, cold

8. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
One of my son's daycare friends

9. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Smile

10. Favorite type of Food?
Chocolate. Wish I could eat more Mexican though. :(

11. Do you want children?
Absolutely. I want more.

12. Do you get high?
No

13. Ever get so drunk you don't remember the entire night?
No. That seems pointless to me.

14. hair color?
Eh... sorta red, sorta brown, sorta dirty blonde

15. Eye color?
Blue

16. Do you wear eye contacts?
Nope. LASIK rocks!

17. Favorite holiday?
I don't have a favorite.

18. Favorite Season?
Fall

19. Have you ever cried over a girl/boy?
Yes

20. Last Movie you Watched?
Bambi II

21. ..'s 21-28 were missing.... tazman filled them in
Missing questions always happens in these silly things. :P

22. Do you talk to yourself?
Yes

23. Do you own a stapler?
Yes

24. Have you ever payed for bottled water?
Yep

25. Did you know that "Evian" is "Naive" backwards?
I do now

26. Do you ever listen to Online Radio?
I'm ignorant as to the ability to do so...

27. Got Bacon?
Yeah, and I *really* need to cook that soon.

28. Deos tihs sncetene mkae snsee to you?
Erm, yes, but I want to rewrite it.

29. What books are you reading?
Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl; Katherine, It's Time; and I'm about to go get Odd Thomas since the others have yet to grip me.

30. Piercings?
Nipples

31. Favorite Movie?
Currently? Probably Love, Actually; Ever After; and Constantine.

32. Favorite college football Team?
K-State

33. What were you doing before filling this out?
Paying bills online and checking email.

34. Any pets?
Not since Streak got let out. :(

35. A screen name?
Nym or LilNym

36. Dogs or cats?
Cats

37. To you own any vinyl records?
Not anymore

38. Favorite Flower?
Lily

39. What time is it?
9:29 pm

40. Have you ever loved someone?
Yes

41. Who would you like to see right now?
My niece.

42. What's the Ultimate Question To Life, The Universe, & Everything?
Is it really just a joke for some higher being?

43. Have you ever fired a gun?
Never

44. Do you like to travel by plane?
With a 4yr old?? Hell yes.

45. Right-handed or Left-handed?
Luckily ambidextrious

46. If you could go to anyplace right now where would you go?
San Diego to visit

47. What's Tommy's problem?
Uh, who?

48. Are you missing someone?
Yes

49. Do you have a tattoo?
One, on my back left hip.

50. Do you still watch cartoons on Saturday mornings?
No cable at my place. :)

51. Are you hiding something from someone?
Usually.

52. ARE YOU OVER 18?
Yes

53. WHAT IS THE WALLPAPER ON YOUR CELLPHONE?
Dancing girls (not in the adult sense, ya pervs!)

54. DID YOU GET ENOUGH SLEEP LAST NIGHT?
Didn't feel like it

55. FIRST THING YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THIS MORNING?
"Hi beautiful" (Gabe was in bed with me)

56.WHAT DO YOU HAVE HANDY AT YOUR BEDSIDE?
Alarm clock, cell phone

57. GRILLED OR FRIED?
Mmmm... yes, please!

58. Why are these questions in caps?
To make a responder want to retype them?

59. WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE?
I'm unique??

60. ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?
Depends on what I've watched lately. ;)

61. FAVORITE HANGOUT?
Home

62. 3 THINGS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT?
Besides basics, Gabriel....communication and probably chocolate

63. FIRST THING YOU WILL BUY IF GIVEN 1 THOUSAND DOLLARS?
I just was, and I bought a new queen mattress set, a dresser for G and a rocker so I can rock him to sleep (when he lets me).

64. FAVORITE SONG?
Give me a minute.. I know this one

65. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?
Disappointing/Failing Gabriel

66. ARE YOU A GIVER OR TAKER?
Yes

67. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES?
I please the 5th on this one.

68. What is your dad's middle name?
*was* Lloyd

69. WHATS YOUR MOTHERS MIDDLE NAME?
Jo

70. STUCK ON A DESERTED ISLAND & COULD BRING ONE THING?
A way home

71. FAVORITE T.V. COMMERCIAL?
Again, no cable. :)

72. Cell phone provider?
Alltel

73. FIRST THING YOU'LL SAVE IN A fire?
Gabriel

74. Favorite color?
Blue

75. WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU ALWAYS BRING WITH YOU?
I'd like to say "keys", but even that isn't an always situation.

76. WHAT DID YOU WANNA BE WHEN YOU WERE A KID?
Believe it or not, a prostitute. God only knows why an 11yr old would want to be that.

77. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY DO WHEN THE CLOCK TURNS?
the clock turns...when did that start happening????? (I agree with Amy on this)

78. THE COLOR OF YOUR BEDSHEET?
Cream with thin blue stripes and red accents

79. WHO DO U WANT TO MEET?
My father.

80. WHAT DO U THINK ABOUT BEF0RE Y0U G0 T0 BED?
Depends on what I've done just before bed.

a_lil_nymph @ 2005-12-29T22:10:00

2005-12-30T04:12:11Z

I am seriously depressed and making terrible choices while trying to get through it. I feel like I'm drowning rapidly and I'm not really sure where the hell the surface is.

a_lil_nymph @ 2005-12-28T21:55:00

2005-12-29T03:57:57Z

I've put off writing in my journal for a couple weeks now! I NEED to get going on that. There's so much to say, but I just don't feel like sitting and typing it up (it's kept on a private disk). Christmas was really bad this year. I'll go into more detail soon, but right now I need to go to sleep.

HAHAHA

2005-12-11T21:52:10Z

Impressions from the past that you may not even know you have could enhance your ability to deal with practical matters today, Brenda. You might need to handle some paperwork regarding a settlement of some kind. The thoughts and feelings of those closest to you are more apparent to you than usual, and you may tend to tailor your behavior towards them accordingly. Tonight: Spend a quiet evening with your loved ones. You won't even need to talk much!

This made me laugh out loud. If only I could explain why...

a_lil_nymph @ 2005-12-04T23:16:00

2005-12-05T05:16:54Z

Chest colds suck.

Thankful

2005-11-26T06:11:01Z

I had a pretty good Thanksgiving this year!

I hosted dinner at my apartment this time, and it was even my idea. I recently got a new table and chairs set, and since there was only going to be 5 or 9 of us, I was actually excited about the idea. I cooked ham, au gratin potatoes, cornbread stuffing, green beans, rolls, and cherry chip cake. My cousin brought turkey and chicken & noodles. Mom brought confectioner's salad and a mandarin orange-marshmallow salad. The ex and my son rounded out the evening.

Dinner was awesome, and I got quite a few remarks about how good the ham was. Yes, it was a pre-cooked ham, but hey.. honestly, I cook rarely enough that I still could have screwed it up or burned it or something! *laugh*

After, the four adults played cards, going down to three of us when Mom left for the night. It was a good day.

And today? Yeah, TOTALLY avoided shopping altogether. We'll see how horribly it goes on Wednesday, when I go after sonnyboy's cast gets cut off.

Irony

2005-11-22T05:24:18Z

Sunday, November 20, 2005:
Your fantasies could come true at this time, especially when it comes to relationships, Brenda. This could be the moment that you have always dreamed about, so get ready. The attractive, romantic person in the corner has been keeping an eye on you all night. Your blood is pumping faster than ever. Remind yourself that all dreams can come true on a day like today.

Ironic as hell. That's about all I can say for this one.