Queen of the Girl Geeks

Tangled Review...Disney Got This One Right!

I just saw Tangled today for the 3rd time and I've got to say I really loved it. Disney got this one right! It's basically the story of Rapunzel with an updated story line. The characters are very real and the animation is astounding. I swear in a few years we'll be able to replace actors.

My favorite character is Maximus the Horse who acts more like a dog. My daughter loves him too. I also really liked Mandy Moore as the voice of Rapunzel. I won't give any spoilers but the ending is really suspenseful for a Disney movie. I highly recommend seeing Tangled. Really, you'll love it and want to see it again, even if your over 40!

Would you ride "The Tail of the Dragon"?

A few weeks ago some friends of ours tackled "The Tail of the Dragon" in Deals Gap, NC. It consists of of 318 curves in 11 miles. Now in a car that would be a challenge, but on a motorcycle it's down right treacherous. Certainly not for the beginner cyclist and more certainly not for me! I'm just not that daring.

I am however fascinated by the people who DO try the Dragon. Now our friends our very responsible riders who follow the rules, wear protective equipment and drive the speed limit. Many people don't. If you're one of those extreme daredevils who "feel the need for speed" you can even to donate a part (motorcycle not body) to the "Tree of Shame"...from the looks of it many people have failed at riding this Dragon!

So have you challenged the Dragon? Let the world know if you succeded on this neat Duel from Rob's website...who just happens to be the guy in the picture who survived the ride!

Taking money from old people is just wrong!

In case you haven't heard the US Government has decided to not give seniors a cost of living adjustment in their Social Security check for the next 2 years: Millions Face Shrinking Social Security Payments. Now keep in mind that the COLA is not a huge amount of money. I think my mother got $25/month last year.

Withholding money from seniors is just wrong! We bail out the banks, bail out GM, bail out Chrysler, give Cash for Clunkers (and destroy perfectly good cars that could be driven by seniors) but we won't give an extra $25-$50 bucks to seniors for food and medicine. That makes perfect sense!

To quote this article:

"Seniors may perceive that they are being hurt because there is no COLA, but they are in fact not getting hurt," said Andrew G. Biggs, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank. "Congress has to be able to tell people they are not getting everything they want."

Hmmm...Maybe Andrew G. Biggs needs to be told he can't get everything he wants either as well as Congress, the Senate and the rest of Washington. Then maybe there might be some money left over for Seniors!

Shut down the dang boarders!

OK, this is a bit of a rant...BUT I am a little perturbed by the government officials who are supposedly trying to protect us. Now they are saying that we are moving towards a Level 6 Pandemic with the Swine Flu (oops, I mean "H1N1 influenza A", don't want to offend those swine), that could destroy the economy and kill millions yet we leave open the boarders and possibly let 1,000's of infected people into the country everyday! This just does not seem smart. Ha! Even Joe Biden is running for cover!

We'll spend billions of dollars to secure Iraq and protect them from insurgents but heck if we protect our own citizens. If someone comes to my house with the flu I'd say, "Nice to see you, come back in a few days when you're better". Not brain surgery, just common sense. Of course now it's probably too late...the barn door has been open now for a week now thanks to government red tape and bureaucracy. Hey that's a good joke! How many politicians does it take to shut a barn door? Answer: Not available at this time because it would take a committee 6 years to research how it should be done.

The bottom line is that we've grown so politically correct we can't even do what's right anymore for fear of offending someone. Geesh! Then again this all might just be media hype...what's next? "Brittany Spears pregnant with the Octo-moms 15th baby", it never ends.

And don't even let me get started on Chrysler...

RMLB

Read my lips baby...I now know how to text message. I may be 39 years old but I am finally keeping up times and learning a new valuable skill. So now I can message my husband inane details of my day, see what's happening on Facebook and upload photos of myself driving to my friends. I rock. So CUA!

A nation turns its lonely eyes to you...

After watching hours and hours of Inauguration coverage today I'm trying to be optimistic. I like Barack Obama. I think he's a good man, a good father and a good person. He and Michelle would be great neighbors. I'd love to play Trivial Pursuit with them, although I am sure I'd lose. He's a charismatic speaker with a passionate voice and he moves people which is good.

But what about running the country? Can he find sense in the mess that we've created for ourselves. The poor economy, the war in Iraq, the environment, health care, the list goes on. Although I was never a big fan of George dubya, I'm smart enough to realize that the President is not responsible for all our failures. The President's job is to lead and inspire and to keep the country in one piece. But we also play a big role. We can't just allow our leaders decide our fate. We need to stand up for what we believe in and change the world for the better instead of burying our heads in the sand and hoping for the best.

So I end today with cautious optimism and the hope that President Obama can lead us toward a better world. But I also have that little nagging in the back of my head...that small bit of negativity, that not even a good man can bring us back from the mess that we're in...that ultimately it's up to us to change the world. Then again...maybe that's exactly what Barack Obama wants us to do.

And I can't get this song out of my head...

And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know (Wo, wo, wo)
God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
(Hey, hey, hey...hey, hey, hey)

We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files
We'd like to help you learn to help yourself
Look around you, all you see are sympathetic eyes
Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home

And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know (Wo, wo, wo)
God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
(Hey, hey, hey...hey, hey, hey)

Hide it in a hiding place where no one ever goes
Put it in your pantry with your cupcakes
It's a little secret, just the Robinsons' affair
Most of all, you've got to hide it from the kids

Coo, coo, ca-choo, Mrs Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know (Wo, wo, wo)
God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
(Hey, hey, hey...hey, hey, hey)

Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon
Going to the candidates debate
Laugh about it, shout about it
When you've got to choose
Ev'ry way you look at it, you lose

Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you (Woo, woo, woo)
What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson
Joltin' Joe has left and gone away
(Hey, hey, hey...hey, hey, hey)

Simon And Garfunkel Mrs Robinson Lyrics

How cold is it in Cleveland, OH?

Well from where I'm sitting it's about 7 degrees. Now that's cold! How cold it is in your neighborhood? Is your mail box frozen shut? Is your tongue sticking to a metal pole? Do your feet freeze walking to your car? Tell us how cold you are right now!

The proceeds from this lens are being donated to...what else! Polar Bears International

How cold is it in your town? Start a Twitter Storm to find out!

10 Things I Want To Accomplish In 2009

1. Lose the baby weight - OK, my baby is now 2 but I really want to lose those 15 extra pounds that seemed to have creeped up on me since I got pregnant. I also need to get into better shape. So I am doing 2 things. I joined the "Y" and am going to swim and I also have a Wii Fit which I need to actually use. I bought it for myself last April with the intention of using it every day. Now my husband uses it everyday! Well he'll just have to share now!
2. Make more money working at home - I am really dedicated to being a stay-at-home-mom. I just need to get more focused. I already have a great gigs with both Squidoo and Zazzle, I just need to ramp it up a bit. I'm actually really impressed that you can make a living working at home. My goal is at least $30,000/yr by the end of 2010.
3. Give back - I already donate a portion of my Squidoo royalties to charity and I just recently started with KIVA and I love it! It's a great concept. You loan people $25 at a time so that they can start and improve their businesses. Then when they pay it back you can loan it to someone else. There is a slight risk of default but it's worth it!
4. Andrews Alum work- Continue to work on and improve the Andrews Alumnae Association website. So if you're an Andrews Alum spread the word about the website!
5. Home Improvement - I really need/want a new kitchen. It's just a matter of getting the work done which is a big pain in the butt. Our house was built in 1928 so it's hard to get things to work right. Nothing is standard in this house. We had new windows and a front door put in this year and the guy couldn't believe how "weird" our house was. HELLO! It was built in 1928!
6. Lose the technology once in a while - I have a love/hate relationship with technology. I accidentally got on board back in 1993 and it's been ruling my life ever since. I am way "over-connected". It doesn't help that my husband is also a computer geek. I really would love to have a "no computer" day once a week but that is not going to happen so my goal is to at least walk away for a 4-6 hour block of time on the weekend. The funny thing is that I feel my most productive while online. I am either working, connecting with people or having fun so maybe it's not so bad to check my e-mail every half hour! Keep in mind that I have not gone iPhone yet although I want one. While I am out of the house I don't check my e-mail at all so I know once I go down that path it's all over!
7. Potty Training - I want to try and get my daughter potty trained by summer!
8. Disney - We'd really like to take a family vacation to Disney next Christmas but seeing as how I hate to fly it might be a long week. I would much rather drive though. I really want to go to the Animal Kingdom and swim with the dolphins...but I'm not going unless I get that iPhone!
9. Go Vegan - Here's another love/hate relationship. I like the idea of going vegan but I'm not sure I give up hamburgers, tacos, chicken sandwiches...On the one had it would help me with goal #1 because I am sure I would eat less. Also the idea of processed meat kinds makes me sick so we'll have to see how this one plays out.
10. Organize my photos - I would love to get all my old photos scanned and burned to DVD.

That's it...10 reasonable things I'd like to accmplish this year. We'll see how it goes! Happy New Year!

My Christmas Tree is ugly...but I'm keeping it, for now!

My Tree is not Marilyn Mason ugly, just unsightly ugly. It didn't start off that way. I actually got a really nice (or so I thought) new pre-lit tree from BJ's. It was the 1000 light jobby for $169...I splurged big time this year. It went up right before Thanksgiving because we had a big party that weekend and I wanted to attempt a festive atmosphere. When this tree first went up it looked great, things have changed. About a week ago the top string of pre-lit lights went out. AGH! Then a few two-year-olds rearranged the child-proof balls in a "creative" fashion. Then the cat got a hold of the tree skirt. Yikes!

So I tired to "fix it". First I call BJ's to find out the phone number of the people who make their "Living Home Collection Frasier Fir by BJ's". Nope...can't get it. Apparently BJ's does not know the phone number for the company that manufactures their trees. Their advice! Google it. OK, I Googled, no such luck. No number on the box, no number on the instructions, no number on the Google. BJ's next piece of advice...bring it back! HELLO! I am not going to haul my 7.5 foot weirdly decorated tree back to BJ's 3 days before Christmas only to have to redecorate the new tree. Not to mention the fact that the 2-year-old would freak if I took the tree away!

So I am resigned to have my strange conversation piece of a tree adorn my living room until the Monday after Christmas. Then I'm hauling it back to BJ's for a refund so I can do the same thing all over again next year, and I better get a good one! The good news is I won't have to store the darn thing all year in the attic.

Do I need a donut maker?

I'm thinking "No". However JCPenny seems to disagree. They have this nifty one here (see photo to the right) for a mere $129.99. It's even on sale. Save $170 off the original price. WOW, $170, that's a lot of donuts! It's called the Dough-Nu-Matic, now that's a cool name.

Ok, back to me...do I really need a donut maker? Probably not, I only eat about 3 donuts per year and they are usually the Dunkin' variety. But this is tempting. I'm kind of a kitchen gadget whore. I've got a Cuisinart Mixer, Quesadilla Maker, Snow Cone Machine, Toaster Oven, Toaster, Magic Bullet and a bunch more I'm too embarrassed to list.

So getting the donut maker would not be totally out of the realm of possibility for me...my husband likes to buy me cool gifts (fish tank, sock monkey kit, rock tumbler) I'm hard to buy for so I guess I could hit him up. The other problem is I'm not sure where I'd put this behemoth of a gadget. It's big because "A mechanical lever pushes the donut through the oil and flips it for perfect browning". Makes sense doesn't it! Maybe I could put it next to the Snow Cone Machine.

Anyway if your looking for an interesting gift for someone (me) who has quirky tastes in kitchen gear consider a gift that keeps on giving tasty treats throughout the entire year...or not.

"The X-Files" Double-Feature Charity Screening Event

A friend of my is hosting  "The X-Files" Double-Feature Charity Screening Event in LA on Dec. 6th. So if you love the X-Files and are in LA consider attending this super cool event. It's for a great charity (Neurofibromatosis, Inc.) and is sponsored by the  "Inspired By Gillian" team, in association with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

VOTE!

Did you vote today?

It took my nearly an hour to vote and we live in a very tiny commmunity of under 10,000 people. We need better organization at the polls.

How did it go in your town? Take my voting poll: 2008 Presidential Voting Poll

You can't get good customer service from a monoply

I am so frustrated today!

Last August the city had to shut off our water for a day to do street repairs. When they turned the water back on it blow out our water meter. So our local water company came out and fixed. YEAH! The guy was very nice, quick, life was good.

Next came the strange billing. My water bill has always been between $22 & $30 per month. Starting in Oct. I started getting weird bills. $56, $13, $5 and then a credit. So I called the 1-800 on my bill. Apparently they were switching their billing to a new system but I should be good next month. Fine. Next month...still weird bills. Then more credits in April, May and June. I called again...now a tech is coming out.

Nice Mr. Tech guy says that they are reading my meter in Sq. Ft. but billing me in gallons and that I need to go to the local office TODAY and tell them. So I do...Here's where my story gets ugly.

The local office hates the 1-800 people because they took their jobs and are moving all the billing out of state. Why this is my problem is beyond me. So bitter local people tell me that Mr. Tech was wrong for telling me to come in and that they can't do anything until he does a report. HELLO! All I had to do was tell them that they were billing me in gallons and that the meter was in Sq. Ft. Nobody cares. They tell me to leave, they'll call on Thursday.

Thursday...no call.

Friday...I go in again. Bitter lady says that she is on the phone with corporate and that she'll send me a new bill next week. Fine.

I get home and find a message on my machine that I now owe the water company $164.78. So I call and ask why the bill is so high. I thought I had a credit. Even if they billed me $30 for the 3 months that they gave me a credit that's only $90.

Answer...Bitter lady says I should be grateful that that even fixed my account so fast and that they gave me a $110 credit as I really owed $270. At this point I asked her for a itemized bill. I want to see exactly how much water I used each month and the charge. Nope...can't do that. So I get a little irate at bitter lady and explain that I am the customer. Nope again. She tells me to be quite and let her talk. I then get a lecture about how I should be grateful that she even looked at my account and that she will send out something that says they overcharged me, gave me a $110 credit and that I owe $164.78. WHAT! Turns out my credit was really an over-charge.

I ask bitter lady if I can talk to her supervisor. On hold...bad music...Nope...She's busy but I can leave a message. So I tell bitter lady that I am going to report her to every agency I can think of...hey I'm mad. She apparently could care less.

The good news is that I did file a complaint with the utilities commission.

The bad news is that when you are dealing with a monopoly they can be as rude and nasty as they want and that just stinks. It's not my fault that they screwed up the meter and the bill, it's not my fault that they are phasing out her job, it's not my fault Mr. Tech guy told me to visit her. However bitter lady made it very clear to me that I had no right to question her and that I was the one being rude to her for demanding to see an itemized bill.

This is wrong on so many levels.

Raccoons Like Croutons...

I just found this out last night. At about 3am my husband heard a really strange noise in the kitchen and went to investigate. Much to his horror he found a raccoon peeking his head into our kitchen through the screen that he had just chewed through.

HELLO! Now let me just say that we live in a suburban neighborhood that just happens to be quite woodsy and we have a lot of critters. Deer, Geese, skunks, groundhogs and yes raccoons. However in the past the raccoons stayed in their own houses and avoided mine. Not anymore!

Apparently raccoons like croutons. You see I had a box of Pepperage Farms Onion & Garlic Croutons sitting on the window sill. This window just happens to look out over our deck and there is a table under the window. I guess Ranger Rick decided to climb onto the table for a looksie inside, spotted the croutons and decided that he had to have them thus chewing a big hole in my screen.

So the moral of the story is, hide your croutons and make sure that you have a husband with good ears so that if you happen to accidentally leave croutons on the window sill he can catch the raccoon BEFORE he gets into your house to wreck havoc on your kitchen. Tonight I'm sleeping with one eye open!

Technology Overload

Today I went with my mom to our local clinic so she could get her blood drawn. Much to my surprise when she checked in they handed her a beeper, kind of like the one you get a Outback Steakhouse to let you know your table is ready. HELLO! This really ticked me off!

First of all we live in a fairly small suburban community and the most people I have even seen in the waiting room has been 20 (this includes lab, x-ray and cat scan people). There is a large front desk with about 3 people to check you in and a slew of nurses wander around. So, why on earth did they give my mom a beeper? Sure enough in about 5 minutes she beeped which was her clue to go to the lab entrance about 4 feet from where we were sitting. This is crazy!

Now I love technology but not when it goes on overload. There is no reason to hand out restaurant beepers to the over 60 crowd at the local clinic. Just be human and call out their name. Yes, I know all about HIPPA laws but you can still use a first name. Being human in this case goes a long way!