I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I’m an Extroverted Spiritual Jokester

Hmmmm.  I’m thinking, I’m thinking.   Me a Jokester???  Posh!!  And only me out of 37722 poll takers got this result?  Hmmm….I must be quite the jokester then!  I, like casarosie, took the test twice wondering the validity of the results.  Both times, this is what came up.  Am I really a jokester???  HHhmmmmm……

Not much else to report.  Made it through the holidays and New Years.  Unfortunately Kel and I were sick as dogs so it wasn’t teribly eventful.  I’ve still got the feeling someone is sitting on my chest and she’s still sounding as if her nose has a paperclip closing it shut.  We’re both still hacking and horking….it’s just lovely.  She was off all week so at least she could rest!

I am horribly behind in journal reading, so I will attempt to get caught up again.

I’ll write more when my fog has lifted.  Until then, I hope all of you had a very merry christmas, and a happy and safe new year!  Here’s to 2009 bringing on change and hope!

Many of you are using or have used AVG as your anti virus program.  For the most part, it’s a good program!  I’ve used it for quite a few years, as well as Avast to keep my little puter safe.

However….not the case any longer!  I had purchased the AVG program to get more than the freeware program gives.  My license expires in a couple of weeks, and I was contemplating renewing it.  I also became aware of the fact that AVG had come out with another upgrade, so I of course jumped on it and got it on my computer.  I was now the owner of AVG 8.

Pretty interface.  More bells.  More whistles.  And DEFINITELY more headaches!!

To all of you out there who use AVG do not, and I repeat DO NOT, upgrade to version 8!!!!!!

My computer was running like it had glue in it.  It was SO unbelievably slow I felt as if I was back using dial-up.  I thought I had a virus.  I thought I inadvertently downloaded a bad program.  I didn’t know WHAT was going on.

My memory was in fabulous shape, only using about 30 percent of what is on my hard drive.  My drivers were in great shape.  My caches were empty.  I was beautifully de-fragged.  I could not for the life of me understand why my pages were taking sometimes two minutes to download!

And then it hit me.  Hmmmm.  I just upgraded my AVG to a new version.  So I hunted on the net and sure enough the discussion boards are full of pissed off people who have used AVG 8.  The tech geeks are calling it crap.  Everyone is saying to get rid of it.

So I pass that on to you.  Unless you want to go back to the 1990′s of slow dial-up surfing or worse, and feel as if you have glue in your hard drive, do NOT upgrade your AVG to version 8!  If you have it and you are lagging….I guarantee that AVG8 is the culprit.  My bro in-law had the same problems and I just fixed his computer yesterday.  Uninstall the damn thing and reinstall AVG 7.5.  Or screw it altogether and just use Avast- it is a great program.

That is the end of my rant, and my PSA.

Stay tuned for your regularly scheduled program.

Gee.  This is the second thing I’ve stolen in a row from other bloggers.  I have zero inspiration as of late, so stealing has come in handy!

Random things about me:

1. Started my own blog  (um, duh?  Isn’t that why we’re here reading in the first place??)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (DisneyWorld)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (in general)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (only if this includes fishing can I claim this!)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Clearly I need to go overseas.  Sigh.

I decided in their honor I would do a second one.  I had another nickname as a kid because of my bedtime antics.  I used to position myself on my hands and knees with my head close to the wall, and rock back and forth, banging my head against the wall.  It was comforting, what can I say?  Clearly it was comforting or I can’t imagine why I’d do it.  I guess I used to rock myself to sleep that way.  Sometimes, I still to this day find myself rocking to comfort me on night where it’s hard to sleep or if I’m sad.  No, I do not continue the art of whacking my head into the wall while doing this, and I don’t rock on my hands and knees.  Instead I just rock back and forth while laying on my side in bed.  Drives Kel nuts tho, so I try to wait until she’s fast asleep if I really have the urge.

ANYways….the nickname I got for doing that was Hammerhead.  Fitting eh?  And this is the picture I found.  Enjoy!

Handsome fellow isn’t he?  Odd that he appears to have no idea he is a walking toolbelt.

And the last picture has nothing at all to do with this meme.  Any of you fans of the ‘ol christmas movie “A Christmas Story” you will now be jealous of me.  Yes indeed!  Our wonderful friend Christopher presented the following to us for Christmas this year, and I just couldn’t be happier.  It is currently shining bright in the living room!

Heh heh!  Oh I just know you are so jealous!  And the stockings are actually real net stockings.  They aren’t painted on.  You can pull at them and snap them against the leg!  It is sooooo cool!  And it lights just like the one in the movie.  The lamp only.  The leg only.  Or both lit at the same time.  Faboo faboo faboo!!  Now, just so you know, we have the k size which is about two feet tall.  The full size that was in the movie just wouldn’t be appropriate in our current surroundings.

So that’s it for today.  Not much going on while we wait for the supposed killer snow storm that is heading this way for tonight thru the weekend.  They are telling everyone to stock up as the roads will be bad and not to go out.  They are contemplating not sending the kids to school tomorrow as they don’t want them stuck at the schools all weekend.  Pffffft!   Posh on that.  Bring it on I say, and just challenge me not to drive.  Ha!  We have brand new tires on the car now so just challenge me!

My nickname was Blabby.  My mother ever so endearingly gave me that one.  I couldn’t keep a secret very well so that moniker was well suited for me.  When I plugged it in to the search, the first picture was protected so I couldn’t post it.  Soooooo, I felt I had the right to look for the next funny one, and this is what it was.   This I guess is me, Blabby:

So there you have it.  Not sure what is so “blabby” about this picture.  Perhaps her nickname is Blabby and she can’t keep her mouth shut either.  Maybe she is about to have a surgical procedure done because she is so blabby.   Perhaps her doctor is extremely blabby and she is growing weary, contemplating throwing something at him.

Anyhoo.  If you have read this then consider yourself tagged to do it next.  And remember, I have a stat tracker!  If you don’t do this little exercise on your next blog entry, I will BLAB ABOUT IT!!

Last Saturday Kelly and I went to a xmas party for a business that I did some volunteer work for over the Halloween season.  It was a lot of fun, and tons of awesome food that was catered in by one of my favourite places.  There was a gift exchange and I sported some smas hand towels for the bathroom.  (Such a lovely gift for a scrooge to get, eh?)  Kelly got a Dr. Sholl’s foot massager thingie that she has yet to really enjoy as it tickles her feet too much and makes her calves tingle.

Then it was on to bowling.  I love to bowl.  I consider myself pretty good, but inconsistant which ultimately doesn’t make me a good bowler.  Needless to say I was excited to try my luck as it was a blizzard outside and what better thing to do than bowl!

Then, I stumbled on this as I walked into the alley:

Pic is off the web. I have no idea who this woman is but her name is Liz.

Look up again at the picture.  Notice there are only FIVE pins?  And although you can’t tell, they are skinnier than normal.  Notice the balls?  They are tiny, like the balls you use in lawn bowling.  There are no holes for your thumb and two fingers.  You don’t get to pick a ball and have one all night but instead share your choice of about twenty on your lane with your challengers.

Here’s a picture of the differences in bowling here in Canada.  There isn’t a regulation bowling ball in the picture but on the far left you’ll notice a standard Ten Pin to get an idea of what I was walking into.

Ok, now did I smoke something without knowing or did someone slip something in my food?  What the HELL is this???  I’d never seen anything like this in my life.  And the SPEED that people hurl these balls down the lane is scary.   The alley we were at even had a plastic shiel above the lane so that people would vault them too high.

I am taking an excerpt from a website about Canadian 5 Pin Bowling, because I just could NOT write or explain this any funnier than this guy did:

(From www.225.ca/fivepin.htm)

“Leave it to the Canadians to wussify bowling.  I mean really, what is more manly than hurling a 16 pound ball down a wooden lane towards 10 unsuspecting pins.   Tensing as the ball throttles the head pin and sends it careening into several other pins?   The sound of crashing as the pins bounce around like a bunch of metalheads hopped up on meth at a Pantera concert.

The wussification began when some guy (look it up on the net if you really are craving to know the details) decided that 10 pin bowling was just a bit too strenuous for the mortal Canadian. Why not only have 5 pins.   A 16 pound ball?    That is too heavy, how bout a nice softball sized 3.5 pound ball.   What?   You say we only get 2 chances to knock all the pins down?   Isn’t 3 chances a bit more sporting for the me and my chums?   Finally, lets throw some big fat rubber bands around the center of the pins for good measure.   Thus Canadian 5 pin bowling was born, or something like that.”

On top of all that, there is of course a completely different way of scoring.  Each pin has a point value.  Ugh.  And just so you know, this is NOT an easy, or wussy game!  I was getting so frustrated when not throwing strikes or spares.  Sometimes I was lucky if I got just one pin down!  It was hysterical really.  Everyone knew I was an American and had never seen a bowling alley like this, and I think they took pleasure in my goofiness.  Oh well.  It was fun.  In fact, it got rather addicting.  And I swear I got a better workout than had I played Ten Pin.

In fact, the dude that wrote the above article later stated this in the same article:

“We managed to improve each game as we discovered the subtleties of this odd little game. We also grew to like it.

5 pin bowling, sounds like it is for pussies, but it is for everyone and turned out to be quite a bit of fun. Go to Canada and try it yourself.”

So there ya be.  I learned something new yet again.

I of course had to make it more interesting.  Kel and I went to the fabric store earlier as there was a big sale on curtain rods.  We found the 8 footer we needed and it was 60% off so we snatched it up.  I proceeded to wade through the fresh snow of the snowstorm that hit over night and make my way to the car.

8 Foot pole + 2 door Honda Civic = A challenge to fit.

I’m freezing.  I want to get back to the bowling alley to start playing this weird game.  I’m standing in a foot of snow.  I have this long freaking pole and am doing my best to make it fit in our car.  Only thing I could do was crawl into the back seat and drop one of the backrests so I could feed the thing into the trunk.  Dang things were locked so I had to take the keys out and unlock them.   The pole from hell fit nicely and I uncramped myself from the back seat and made my way back to the alley.

Ahem.  Yeah.  After I realized I had left the freaking keys in that lock thingie for the seats and locked up the car nice and tight!

I didn’t have my other set of keys, and neither did Kelly.  True, we had the other set at home, but a lot of good that does when the house is locked up tight too.  Not to mention we’d have to pain someone else to drive us clear across town in a blizzard.  (Oh, the don’t call them blizzards here.  They are Snow Squall’s)

Luckily someone offered their CAA card services and someone came in 45 minutes.   I had to take off my bowling shoes, put on my boots and coat,  and stand out there with him as he screwed with wedges, bladders and rods for a half hour before giving up.  He decided he needed to call the “Honda Lock Expert” to get me into the car.  Ok.

Back in the alley.  Take off coat.  Take off boots.  Put bowling shoes back on.  Look like a fool for another half hour, then the call came from CAA Honda Lock Expert dude that he was outside.  Take off bowling shoes.  Put on boots.  Put on coat.  Go back in the blustery cold.

HLE dude was funny and at least talked while he petered with the car.  At one point he had five different rods sticking out of the windows.  He told me he can’t get those rods out until he got the car open, so he wasn’t leaving until he was in.  Thank god he only took about 2o minutes.  And all it cost me was one cigarette to the HLE dude.

Back inside.  Take off boots.  Take off coat.  Put bowling shoes back on.  Bowl for another 45 minutes or so.  While I was out playing with the CAA guys, someone’s 6 year old girl bowled for me in my spot.  Shamelessly, she did much better than me.  I should have let her continue bowling for me.

And to prove it, I have pictures.  Earlier this week we had our annual Christmas party for our dragon boating team.  Our team, along with the senior’s team that we developed a couple of years ago, partied it out at a local restaurant.  I was asked to don a Santa costume and show up at the party to spread cheer.  Gulp.  Ok.  I did it.  Here’s proof that Scrooge did Santa!

No, the tree isn't decorated yet. Santa looks like a GIANT next to it!

He's competing with me!

Shippie's Inlaws!!

Santa's job is done! G'night!

It actually was quite a lot fun.  I mastered a fabulous Santa voice and got quite a few laughs.  To master the voice I just kept thinking of my brother’s normal voice and tried to emulate that.  Worked out well.  I do have a video of me being rather ‘naughty’ in some of my comments and interactions, but the sound quality is awful so I’m not bothering with a post of it.  Too bad though, as it was pretty funny.

So indeed I am making steps at being un-Scrooge like.  Little by little.  And yes, just for the record, that IS a strap-on I’m wearing!!  (I’m talking about the belly folks.  Get your mind out of the gutter!

With that, I leave you with a glimpse of what I woke up to several weeks ago.  Notice there are NO little kid footprints plastered all about.  It is so much prettier that way!  Of course this picture is no longer indicative of how things look now.  I’ll have to wait for another snow storm to have my pristine snow-scape back!

I’m no longer going insane.  I am no longer screaming four letter words on top of four letter words, freaking out the dogs and Kel.  I am no longer making threats that the end will be ensured by a quick drop off the 12th floor balcony.

Yes.  I took the plunge and fixed my laptop!  Oh my god you guys, I have been fighting with this damn thing for over a year.  The problem?  Not always present.  It was sporadic.  But when it would show it’s ugly control freaky face, I couldn’t handle it.  The damn mouse was POSSESSED on my lap top.

Truly.  It had a mind of it’s own and would just decide to fuck with me and various times.  That little computer rodent would just up and decide to FLY off my screen and hide out in the top right corner of my browser window, or the bottom left corner.  Try as I might to drag it out of it’s hiding spot, it would not budge.  It was as if it was attached to a rubber band.  I’d pull it out of the corner and it would catapult itself back into hiding.  Fookin rodent.

I can’t tell you how many times I came close to turning this Dell into a flying piece of plastic, wanting to airlift the thing throught the plate glass doors and over the balcony.  Grrrrrrrrrr.  And most recently?  Oh this damn puter rodent thought it wasn’t irritating me enough, so it decided to create even more havoc.  The past few days it would start opening up browser windows on it’s own!  It would minimize and mazimize my browser windows.  The left mouse button would no longer respond to the commands of my ever so frustrated finger tips.  Dammit!  I am the boss of this gadget, not that darn rodent!

So we got on the internet and looked up the symptoms, and supposedly the problem was in the Track Point mouse.  Yes, we all have TWO freaking rodents on our lap tops.  That little ball thingie that nestles itself in between the G, H and B keys?  Yeah.  That one.  I don’t even USE that freaking thing!  I only ever use the pad, or I have a wireless mouse that I plug in through my USB port.

So this damn thing that I don’t even use was the culprit.  Hmmm.  Poor whiny little self-absorbed rodent that is acting out because it’s not getting any attention?  Hmph!  Fooker, I say!  I wanted to scream and tell this little low self-esteemed rodent to just take a hike.  And you know what?  I DID!  I got my revenge and chopped that rodents legs right off!  It can’t move now.  It can’t take control.  It is DEAD.

Directions on the internet basically said that I needed to cut the cable that powers this thing.  Much like cutting off the rats tail.  I couldn’t wait.  I was drooling with excitement at having my revenge!

So.  I pulled out the hard drive.  I pulled of the face plate.  I pulled off the keyboard….and low and behold, there was the rats tail in plain view.  I smiled bigger than I ever have in my life as I took the scissors out and neared the lifeline to this rodent.

And then….SNIP!  OMG it felt so good!  Then I snipped off the other end of it.  Oh it was bliss.  I wish I had a bottle of champagne as I would toast the death of this obnoxious pain in the ass!

All the parts got put back into place, and everything was screwed back in nicely.  Power up…..wait….wait….wait….oh the anticipation!  Did it work?  Or is this rodent going to prove itself to be a cockroach and not die?

Ding Dong, the mouse is DEAD.

I couldn’t be happier.

And did I mention that I probably saved myself about $150 bucks?  To hire a professional exterminator would have most likely cost at least that, and I wouldn’t have the pleasure of knowing that rat died at my own hands.

Ding Dong the Mouse is Dead.  I am happy.  My sanity is back.  I am woman, hear me roar.  I am the Master Rodent Killer!

Aaaaahhhhhhhhh……let’s go surf!

Closing bits from my phone conversation with Mom yesterday:

Shippie:  “So Mom?  Do you forgive me for my Neil Diamond entry?”

(exaggerated pause)

Mom: “No.”

Shippie: “Ok then!  Love you.”

Mom: “Love you too.  Bye.”

Shippie: “Bye”

Now, while she didn’t SAY I am written out of the will, I think it’s pretty clear that if I pull another ‘Let’s make fun of Neil baby” entry out of my hat, I will see nothing.

Those 1950′s Pyrex multi-colored mixing bowls,

……and the Pyrex casserole dishes from the same era……

…will no doubt be given to my older brother if I’m not careful.  And trust me, I LOVE these bowls!  I can’t believe she still has them.  Tuna macaroni salad just never tastes the same as it did when it was made in the green mixing bowl!

So I promise Mom.  I will not make fun of your boyfriend ever again.  (Or at least not in writing so that you have proof of my insensitivity!)

Anyone watch the music awards last night?  I thought it was a great show!  So much great entertainment.  The good music made me somewhat forget Kenyae West’s stupid acceptance speech.  Dude, if you want to be anywhere in the same calibre of Elvis Presley you need to lose the attitude first.  Sheesh!  And I don’t even like Elvis, so for me to say that in a sense to defend Elvis is pretty amazing.  Personally, I was a lover of Buddy Holly instead.  And I will go to my grave saying HE was in all truth the actual “King of Rock and Roll.”  Had he not been killed so young, this would have been more apparent.  But do your homework and research folks.  Buddy Holly was kickin it up and pushing the envelope of acceptable music long before Elvis.  Ok, so Buddy didn’t groove his hips like Elvis, but he was a genius at making a piece of chewing gum look like a real tooth!  (Hey, that has as much relevance to making music as moving your hips does!)

I thought the show was great though, and I loved that Annie Lennox got the Merit award.  That woman is so incredible wit hall she’s done over the years.  And damn!  She can still sing goose bumps over me and move me to tears.  That performance was incredible!

Some of the awards I didn’t agree with, but what’s new.  Never works that I agree with every award given out.  Can’t imagine it does for anyone!  I’m just glad I was finally able to figure out how to set up the damn surround sound system so that we could blast the speakers during those performances!  Not sure if the neighbors cared for that, but tough titty.

Oh.  In case you haven’t seen it yet, you simply must go check out the puppies!!  My buddy  bluesleepy and I were chatting on line last night and she reminded me of them.  They are SO damn cute.  Be patient and check this live streaming video throughout the day and you will definitely have some giggles, chuckles, ooohs and aaawwwwws.  I promise!  Click HERE to watch the puppy cam!

And thanks to Im2Qt2kr who talked about THIS site because Boxx had talked about….I started to play around myself!  And I present to you…..

IPO IS NOW ON A BILLBOARD!! Look for her near you!

And I don’t know how she did it, but

CLEO IS DOING ADVERTISEMENTS NOW!!! WOW!!

And lastly….and most importantly, PROOF!  Yes PROOF that….

No matter who I look at, Kel is the only woman I ever see!