eh that's life

I LIKE THIS ONE

2006-11-06T23:45:00.000-07:00

This is a meme that I like. You have to guess which one of these 5 things is not true.

1) One of my first jobs was operating a backhoe.

2) I can wrap my legs around my head.

3) 4 years after having my tubes tied I had my third child. (aka tubaligation)

4) I can jog 3 km in a 1/2 hour.

5) I danced the Can Can at the opening ceremonies of the BC winter games.

So tell me which one do you think is a fib.

2006-08-18T14:21:00.000-06:00

This is the actual picture of our boat on fire. I can't even begin to tell you how scared I was that night. I just remember thinking to myself "I'm to young to be a widow" and "How will I take care of three kids by myself". I'm positive that I grew a bunch of gray hair just standing there. And tell me how you explain to your kids that their dad died. Thinking of it just makes me want to cry. Of course my husband thinks that I'm a jackass for worrying about him. Apparently he's not stupid enough to stay on a boat that burning. Well that wasn't my concern. I actually thought that he had drowned. He never wears a life jacket, and it was pitch black out, and things go wrong all the time. I don't care how good of a swimmer you are. (which he isn't) Then the next day I had to leave town to be with my mom in the hospital (I'll tell you about that in the next post). I didn't even get a chance to torture him for putting me through that.

Mine, all mine!!!

2006-08-17T16:43:00.000-06:00

I'm very sorry for not posting more this summer but I have been very busy. I'll give a lot more detail in the posts to come.

I'll start with the good news. My family and I love to go dirt biking but unfortunately we only had three bikes. One for my husband and the boys both have one. I make my 11yr old share his 80cc with me. You know one can only stand and watch for so long without getting bored. We had spent quite some time looking for a used bike for me but couldn't find one. So guess what, I got a new one. The last time I got something new was back in 1993 when I bought my car. So here is a picture of my new bike. Isn't she gorgeous? I've always looked good in red. I got her the end of June and have only been able to get out a couple of times. But now that things have settled down I plan on going out all the time.

Don't you just love the helmet too. This stuff makes me smile :)

It's Gone!!!

2006-07-24T01:39:00.000-06:00

(not our boat)

We have a 19 1/2 foot Searay, or should I say had. There was a fire on the boat tonight and it is now laying at the bottom of the lake. The kids and I weren't on it (thank god), just Lloyd. I guess the guys had just brought it back and Lloyd took it for another spin and the next thing you know my neighbor is at my door and whisking me away cause nobody knows where he is. (oh and did I mention that it was completely dark out) The kids were sleeping and said neighbors daughter watched the kids while I went bolting out of the house. For about 20 minutes I thought I was a widow and that my children no longer had a dad. I would go on but I am so exhausted and sad.

(this isn't ours either but this is what it kind of looked like)

Empty Nest Syndrome

2006-07-05T23:32:00.000-06:00

Well, they are all gone now. We watched the remaining three fly the coop yesterday. The mom and dad were very protective and very patient with them. They waited and coaxed each one of them until they were safe. It was wonderful to watch. But now we are left with nothing to see. I hope another bird comes back next year so we can watch it all over again.

My baby Robins

2006-06-30T14:42:00.000-06:00

I took this picture yesterday, they are so big already. Their eyes are open and they have these cute little hairdos going on. Unfortunately one flew the coop this afternoon. We found him and put him back in the nest only for him to bail again. I guess he just needs to leave. I'm also sure that the other three are happy for a bit of space. And I'm pretty sure this means that they will all be gone by the end of the weekend. Good luck little Robins, we'll miss you.

BABIES! ! !

2006-06-27T09:44:00.000-06:00

Look at the babies! I discovered them beside the stairs in my backyard. If you look carefully you can see four of them. This morning they had their eyes open. The kids think it is very exciting to see them grow. What a wonderful experience for all of us. Not everyone gets to watch this so close up.

IT'S STARTED!

2006-05-30T09:35:00.000-06:00

Well the end of the school year is approaching and the kids have so many things to do. Jason is now swimming twice a week and has Tennis lessons twice a week. Thank goodness none of that lands on the days that Travis has soccer practice or games. Travis just had his class camping trip and Jason still has to go on his. Emma has field trips and two kindergarten orientations to attend. I'm also fitting in eye appointments for the kids and meetings at old age homes for my Oma. And of course there are numerous amounts of other things, but I think you get the idea. One thing that does make it a lot easier is that Lloyd works 6 days a week so we don't have to try and work our schedual around him. Sundays are for all of us to spend together riding dirt bikes and having fun.

Now don't get me wrong I'm not complaining. This is what I've always wanted to do. From as far back as I can remember I've always wanted to be a mom (just ask my mom). And to top all of this off, I get to spend two wonderful months with the kids. We are going to sit back and relax, do some camping and swimming. And of course sleep in a few times.

CozyChic! ! !

2006-05-12T14:14:00.000-06:00

This is the CozyChic Grown Up Robe from Barefoot Dreams!

I just bought this today. It was expensive ($230.00 with tax) but I've been thinking about it for months. I just couldn't not buy it. I got it in the pastel green. It feels like your inside a cloud. I might never take it off. I feel so warm and comfortable in it.

Thank you Jody for telling me I'm worth it.

"Something's Gotta Give"

2006-04-28T17:13:00.000-06:00

I watched this movie last weekend and I really enjoyed it. I always enjoy watching Jack. Diane I haven't seen in to many things but she's always good too. I found myself just sitting there and smiling through most of it. If you haven't seen it you should.

Have a great weekend everyone. I am going to Travis' soccer game. Have birthday cake with my Oma. Maybe do some dirt biking. Light the firepit for roasting wieners and marshmallows. And of coarse enjoy the sunshine.

APRIL FOOL'S!

2006-04-12T13:28:00.000-06:00

I know it's a little late to tell april fool's story's but here's one anyways.

It was back in the year 2000 when I considered pulling a trick on my husband.

Let me set the background for you. 4 years earlier I had my last child and had my tubes tied and encouraged my husband to get a vasectomy, thinking it was only fare since I had done it. He had two separate hernia operations during this 4 years and I kept saying "Why don't you get fixed while they're down there, you won't even notice it." Well he never did.

Fast forward 4 years. I have a brilliant idea to tell my husband that I'm pregnant. But there wasn't anyone that I knew at the time that was pregnant. (you know, and get them to pee on the stick so I could have proof of the pregnancy). So that was the end of the prank on my husband.

Two weeks later I'm walking to the school with my neighbor and the kids and I mention to her that I'm not feeling very well. Not like the flu but more like morning sickness. She says go buy a test and see. Of course I tell her I'm not wasting my money on a test, because of the fact that I had been fixed 4 years earlier. She did convince me to go and buy one. Wouldn't you know it the test came out positive. Saying I was surprised was an understatement. I could have peed on the stick for april fool's and it would have been positive.

Anyway, it was all worth it. We had had two boys and we were able to add a little girl to the mix. Doesn't get much better than that. I guess it turned out to be a trick on both of us. The good kind.

The Boys of Amazing Race are very Open Minded!

2006-04-03T18:14:00.000-06:00

I can't believe these pictures! I came across them on tvgasm. I'm not sure what to think. I know they all said they like to have fun. So why not have the fun together, right?

This is the beginning of the evening of fun.

This is what you call fun.

This is what you call making the news.

And this is the is the end of a good time.

Quotes From Political Figures

2006-03-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

-"Outside of the killings, [Washington] has one of the lowest crime rates in the country." -- Marion Barry, Mayor of Washington, D.C.

-"There are two kinds of truth. There are real truths, and there are made up truths." -- Marion Barry, on his arrest for drug use.

-"If crime went down 100%, it would still be fifty times higher than it should be." -- Councilman John Bowman, commenting on the high crime rate in Washington, D.C.

-"[I want to] make sure everybody who has a job wants a job." -- George Bush, during his first campaign for the presidency.

-"I would like to thank Nasal Beard for that warm welcome." -- George Bush, thanking Hazel Beard, mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1992.

-"Rarely is the question asked: is our children learning?" -- George W. Bush

-"I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family." -- George W. Bush

-"The most important job is not to be governor, or first lady in my case." -- George W. Bush

-"We must all hear the universal call to like your neighbor as you like to be liked yourself." -- George W. Bush

-"Well, I think if you say you're going to do something and don't do it, that's trustworthiness." -- George W. Bush

-"I think if you know what you believe, it makes it a lot easier to answer questions. I can't answer your question." -- George W. Bush

-"This campaign not only hears the voices of the entrepreneurs and the farmers and the entrepreneurs, we hear the voices of those struggling to get ahead." -- George W. Bush

-"We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation hostile or hold our allies hostile." -- George W. Bush

-"Actually, I -- this may sound a little West Texan to you, but I like it. When I'm talking about--when I'm talking about myself, and when he's talking about myself, all of us are talking about me." -- George W. Bush

-"A proof is a proof. What kind of a proof? It's a proof. A proof is a proof. And when you have a good proof, it's because it's proven." -- Jean Chretien

This site has so many of them, and much much more.
http://rinkworks.com/said/famous.shtml

TOO FUNNY (to me anyways)

2006-03-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

This is absolutely ridiculous. I was just searching my flikr photos and I knew that a lot of people were looking at the blue dot picture but come on 145!! Is it really that interesting. I mean I have such beautiful pictures of Poppy flowers and no one is really looking at those. It's way to funny.

Well since you all like it so much here it is agian.

And why doesn't anyone have a lucky blue dot storey?

Poppy's Useless Info

2006-02-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

-In Cockney rhyming slang, the meaning of the phrase "Would you Adam and Eve it?" means "Would you believe it?"

-The term quack, comes from a 16th century word, quacksalver, that meant a peddler who sold fake medicines.

-The term for the most common form of hardening arteries, atherosclerosis, comes from the Greek words for hard porridge.

-When truckers in the U.S. talk about "green stamps," they are discussing speeding tickets.

-The first percussion instrument introduced to the orchestra was the timpani - or kettledrums - in the 1600's.

-Climbing stairs burns up to 250 percent more calories than swimming for the same amount of time, and 150 percent more than tennis or bowling.

-A recent study found that 75 percent of headache patients felt relief after they rubbed capsaicin (the component that makes chile peppers hot) on their noses.

-Fireflies like to light together. Two fireflies found near each other will eventually start lighting up at the same time.

-Someone who is "pauciloquent" uses as few words as possible when speaking.

-What is called a "French kiss" in England and America is known as an "English kiss" in France.

-Benjamin Franklin slept in four beds every night. He had a theory that a warm bed sapped a man's vitality. So when one bed became too warm, Ben jumped into another.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

2006-02-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Just spreading the love. Have a wonderful day everyone.

READ THIS

2006-02-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

This is something that I found in Travis' reading book from his old school. You tell me how this is even right.

My brother? He's a blubber ball. The kid's so fat that he can't stand on his own two feet. When he rolls, he jiggles like a mound of jello on the move. He's the king of the weepers too. When he doesn't get his own way, he cries oceans. And he's an awful coward - a wimp, a real cream puff. When anything scares him, he howls till the windows rattle. My brother makes a sissie look like Superman!

He's also a dunce. Just imagine, he's so dimwitted that he thinks comic books are for chewing on! He had chomped up a zillion of them. And he sure is a slob at table manners. This kid doesn't eat food, he slurps it. And he wears his food all over him - in his hair, in his ears, everywhere. It's really gross.

If only he were good looking it might help. But boy, is he ugly! His head is a bald bowling ball. And he's bowlegged too. Still, I keep hoping he might improve. Maybe when he gets to be a year old.

This is exactly why I know that I made a good choice in moving him. There is nothing nice about this. I don't care that it's talking about a baby. I think that makes it worse. The fact that they would let a bunch of 9 year olds read this is disgusting. I have a hard enough time trying to get my kids to be nice to each other. They don't need to learn to speak like this too.

Let me know what you think. Maybe I'm just an over protective mom. If I am, so be it.

A NEW SCHOOL

2006-01-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

I have been having trouble with my son Travis' class for years. The list of reasons why is almost to long to get into. In short, the group of 5 boys that obviously are never disciplined and do whatever they want (because their parents have no backbone). And the teachers that let the little shithead kids do whatever they want, and never hold them accountable for their actions. Anyways I finally convinced Lloyd to let me move Travis to a new school. I was so excited I cried. All I want is what's best for my children. And that includes a healthy happy learning environment.

I had planned on calling Travis' teacher and principle to let them know that he would be leaving the school. But I wanted to make sure that I had everything in order before I did this. Well Travis' teacher called me on Friday, and it wasn't pretty. For 20 minutes she proceeded to belittle me and shame me and then call me a kind and loving mother. And at the end of the conversation she ordered me to go to the school first thing monday morning and talk to her and the principle. I DON'T BLOODY WELL THINK SO!!! You don't call me in my home and treat me like shit and then tell me what to do. Well if I had had any doubts about moving him I sure didn't after she called me. She had an excuse for everything. I could write for hours to tell you what a moron she is.

Well I never went to the school like she told me to. So low and behold she calls again on monday to tell me once again that I need to make an appointment. I pretty much told her to shove it up her ass and that I would call when I wanted to. She finally got the hint. I don't think she'll be calling back. I just want to thank my best friend Jody and my husband for supporting me and giving me a backbone. If it wasn't for you I'd still feel like shit. I am also happy to say that Travis starts at his new school on monday! It can only get better from here.

Amusing x-mas storey

2005-12-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

ACTUAL SIZE (just joking)

My amusing storey of the season is....

I decided to get my husband a new wedding ring for Christmas. Since he lost the original 4 months after we were married. We had to get him a size 13. Yes, I said 13. When I went in I had them make it that size and it cost me an extra $50.00. So even though they were on sale I wasn't paying sale price anymore. Not a problem. After all I do love him, even after being together for 17 years. Well Christmas morning comes along and he's nicely surprised about the ring. He tries it on and he can't get it over his knuckle. At this point it looked more like a pinky ring on him than a wedding band. This thing looked pitiful on his knuckle, it was very amusing. We went to the jewelry store yesterday to have it fitted. Get this, he now wears a size 14 1/2. Holy big finger batman!!!! It also cost another $30.00. Oh well, at least he liked it.

P.S. I can wear it on my big toe. I don't even have to shove it on there. HA HA HA!!!

CHRISTMAS ! ! !

2005-12-24T01:08:00.000-07:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

I hope you are all having a wonderful time, and that you get to spend the holidays with the ones you love most.

It's Over!!!

2005-12-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

This is how tired I was. Ha Ha!

I am happy to say that November is over. Generally it's not a problem, but as you may have read in a previous post it was very busy. Well guess what, it got worse, a lot worse. My mothers flight was suppose to be in on the 22 and was cancelled. Not a problem. I'll just go and get my Oma on the 23 by myself, and hopefully the plane will come in then. So I got Oma, all went fine. The plane on the other hand was cancelled again. Now Oma has to spend the night. That's not the problem though. The problem is that she is half deaf and also has Alzhiemers. So when you change her routine she can be very confused and cranky. But I say to myself, "One night won't be a problem." Well it wasn't just one night it was 3. Then my mom finally got a ride with someone and came home at 12:30 at night on Friday the 25. There were so many more things to do with my Oma that I just won't bother to get into it. I get tired just thinking of it.

One other thing, my mom, my dad, my close friend (who lives out of province) and my husband all forgot my birthday on the 22. Let's just say that I was feeling a little hurt and angry and taken for granted. I always make sure that everyone feels special on their day, why can't they make me feel special on mine. It was a pretty crappy day all around.

There now you know why I'm so happy that November is over. I know December will be better. After all it's CHRISTMAS IN 24 DAYS!!!!!! I'm soooo excited!

1956 Thunderbird

2005-11-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

I was just looking at my favorite car again. Isn't she pretty. Well, maybe someday I'll be able to have one.

MY NEW TOY!!!

2005-11-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

Look what I picked up today! Isn't she gorgeous. I can make bigger batches of cookies, and whatever else I want. The motor is 450 watt. What more can a woman want. Things like this make me very happy!

WHO HAS TIME?

2005-11-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

This month is very busy. There are so many things that I have to fit into my life that are extra. It's a good thing that I don't have a job (not that taking care of 3 kids isn't a full time job). Here's my schedual for the month.

Nov.2 - 8:00am meeting at the school
Nov.3 - My dryer stops working and now I'm hanging the clothes all over the house. I do a least 10 to 12 loads a week. And it takes forever for them to dry. UUUGGGGGG
Nov.5 - 10:30am portraits for the kids, have you ever tried to get 3 kids to all look in the same direction and have them all put a half decent smile on their faces, at the same time? I dare you to try it. You have no idea how fun it is.
Nov.7 - 11:30 to 2:30 Play date for Emma right after pre-school, then as soon as the boys get home from school, rush to town and pick up my mom and my Oma and take them to a hospital in Trail. Which is 1 hour and 15 min from here so that Oma can have a C.A.T. scan. (amazingly enough we made the 3:45 appt)
Nov.8 - 3:00pm Flu shots for the kids and I. (Was cancelled by the doctor.)
Nov.10 - 10:30am Rememberance Day thing at the kids school. They were playing musical instruments and singing, and wanted me to come and watch.
Nov.11 - No school. It's not like they just had two weeks off or anything.
Nov.14 - 10:00am Back to Trail to drop off Oma at Respite for the week. So my mom can see her doctors in Vancouver. Oh and, my oven blew up and now I can't bake anything until a new element comes in. My dryer parts still aren't here either.
Nov.15 - 10:30 Take my mom and her friend to the airport. By the way I got a call this morning from the doctors office. They need to cancel our flu shot appt. on thursday. The doctor has to leave town unexpectedly.
Nov.16 - This is the morning that I spend with my best friend Jody and have breakfast and hang out. But today I have to keep Emma at home get the boys from school at 9;15 and take them to town for their flu shots. (I wasn't waiting another 10 days) 1:00 - 4:00pm Energuide is coming to the house to test it's efficiency. I have to be here.
Nov.18 - Lloyds company has their christmas party.
Nov.21 - I think this is the day that Abuacus is coming to install the new furnace (but I'm not sure).
Nov.22 - 3:30pm Pick up my mom from the Airport. (if she doesn't miss her plane)
It's also my 34th birthday today.
Nov.23 - 10:00am Pick up Oma in Trail.
Nov.28 - No school. It's parent teacher time.
Nov.30 - My father-in-laws birthday.

That's all I know at this point. I'll keep you updated on the dryer and stove.

Shuffle off

2005-11-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

I got this one from Nobuddy's Bizness. Go into your play list and press "shuffle". Then list the first 20 songs that play. Even if it's embarassing. It's lots of fun. Thanks Nobuddy!

These are mine:
1. Simple Plan - "Crazy"
2. Bobby Vinton - "Mr. Lonely"
3. Dam Yankees - "Can You Take Me High Enough"
4. Muppet Show - "The Swedish Chef Song"
5. Moody Blues - "Tuesday Afternoon"
6. Tim Mcgraw - "Live Like You Were Dyin"
7. Dave Clark 5 - "Bits and Pieces"
8. Journey - "Open Arms"
9. Paul Anka - "Put Your Head On My Shoulder"
10. Pilot - "It's Magic"
11. Poison - "Talk Dirty To Me"
12. Greg Kihn Band - "Break Up Song"
13. ZZ Top - "Sleeping Bag"
14. Chiffons - "Then He Kissed Me"
15. Paper Lace - "The Night Chicago Died"
16. Prince - "Purple Rain"
17. Steve Miller Band - "Abracadabra"
18. Janis Joplin - "The Rose"
19. Sum 41 - "Some Say"
20. White Stripes - "Blue Orchid"

Something's wrong here

2005-11-07T23:10:00.000-07:00

Can you tell what's wrong with this picture. Either this guy is very brave, or very stupid. I think stupid. He's probaby thinking something like "Look ma, I'm going to be in the paper!". I hope she's proud.

Hmmm

2005-11-04T00:41:00.000-07:00

Can you spot the dog?

This is such a cute picture. I wish I could touch him and see how soft he is.

Bush vs Monkey

2005-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Quite the resemblance isn't there? What more is there to say.

Where did they go?

2005-11-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

Well I'm not sure what happened but I only had 5 kids for Halloween and 3 of them were mine and the other 2 kids were Trick or Treating with mine. I usually get at least a dozen. Oh well, I guess more candy for Lloyd.

We did have an awesome fireworks at the beach with our friends. Good show this year. The kids always love it. (so do us big kids) Well I hope everyone had a safe evening. And don't gain to much weight eating the candy. I know I'm going to have a hard time. Ha ha!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2005-10-31T13:40:00.000-07:00

What kid?

2005-10-27T13:53:00.000-06:00

I thought this picture was really funny. At a glance it just looks like two people on a motorcycle. Look really carefully at the picture, there is a child stuck between them. Isn't that hysterical? I laughed, and then I was worried about the kid, and then I laughed. I just hope the child can breathe and that they didn't get into an accident. Anyways, enjoy the picture I know I did.

YEAH!!!

2005-10-24T09:26:00.000-06:00

The kids are back in school! Woo Hoo!

NOOOO!!!!

2005-10-13T21:45:00.000-06:00

I heard today that Rachel Ray is getting her own talk show next year sometime. Please, no!!! For the love of god, we don't need this to happen.

B.C. Teachers Strike

2005-10-07T10:29:00.000-06:00

Here's a link for everyone. I hope it's useful.

I hope all of you working parents are able to adjust, and are able to afford daycare, or taking time off while all of this happens. Let's all hope that this is resolved quickly.

Poppy's useless info!

2005-10-03T12:59:00.000-06:00

- The military salute is a motion that evolved from medieval times when knights in armor raised their visors to reveal their identity.

- A snail speeding along at three inches per minute would need 15 days to travel one mile.

- An area of the Sun's surface the size of a postage stamp shines with the power of 1,500,000 candles.

- Declaring that he was an achoholic, Ozzy Osbourne quit performing and opened a bar.

- On the television show, "Sesame Street," Carroll Spinney, plays Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.

- On TV game shows, a contestant who freezes before the camera is called a "Bambi."

- The idea of using light in telephone communications is not new. In 1880, Alexander Graham Bell invented a phone that used sunlight on place of wires. (the man was a genius)

POPPY

2005-09-29T11:58:00.000-06:00

Poppy
The poppy was the attribute of the Greek gods Hypnos (sleep) and Morpheus (dreams), associations which made it also a symbol of the "winter sleep" of vegetation. Christianity later attached sacrificial meaning to the red poppy by drawing an analogy between its older symbolism and Crist's "sleep of death". It was against this background - as well as the poppied fields of Flanders - that the flower became a poignant symbol of remeberance for the fallen of the two world wars of the 20th century.

Translations for: Poppy
Nederlands (Dutch)
klaproos, papaver, papa

Français (French)
coquelicot, pavot

Deutsch (German)
n. - Mohn
adj. - ton- und reizvoll

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. (φυτολ.) παπαρούνα

Italiano (Italian)
papavero

Português (Portuguese)
n. - papoula (f)

Русский (Russian)
мак, опий

Español (Spanish)
n. - amapola, adormidera
adj. - (melodía) pegadiza

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - vallmo (bot.)

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) نبات مخدر يصنع منه الأفيون‏

עברית‬ (Hebrew)
n. - ‮פרג‬
adj. - ‮אופייני למוסיקת פופ (צליל)‬

The Kids

2005-09-15T10:10:00.000-06:00

THIS IS THE KIDS ABOUT 1 1/2 YRS AGO

Well all the kids are back at school again. Jason started grade 6, Travis started grade 4, and Emma is doing another year of pre-school (I'll get into why in a minute). I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad. Don't get me wrong I like the kids going to school, I just don't like them growing up. There are so many pressures for kids nowadays. I'm lucky that we live in a small city, but you still hear about the drugs and sex at the junior high. I guess there's just no way of getting around that. Especially when you stick a bunch of hormonally challenged kids all in one place. Kids are going to push the envelope until the end of time.

I also think that I've kept them pretty sheltered. I'm a stay at home mom and there is no way that you are going to get me to be anything else. I know you can have well rounded kids when both parents work. But so many of them do work and don't pay attention to the kids the way they should. My kids have never come home from school and not had me there. And unless something happens I will continue to be, whether they like it or not. They also go to a very small school. With kindergarten to grade 6 the total number of kids is about 80. We live 6 miles out of town in a nice community. That means that Jason will have to take the bus and be put into a school of about 600 kids. I guess I might just be paranoid. I'm not sure if I did a good enough job of teaching him the right skills to make the right decisions. Only time will tell.

Now the reason for Emma doing pre-school again is because she's a December baby. I don't want her to graduate and go off to college when she's barely 17. I know that she's smart enough to start, but it's not a good enough reason for me to send her. It's not going to hurt anybody. Jason started early (he's a December baby too) and I wish I had waited,and it's to late to change that now. I am fine knowing that I can't cut the cord and let them go. I hope they all do okay. I'll let you all know in 20 years.

Poppy's useless info!

2005-09-11T11:00:00.000-06:00

-From the early Roman Empire until eighteenth-century Europe and America, urine was a main ingredient in toothpaste. (can you imagine the job of trying to pee into the tube, ha ha ha)

-Tom Hanks was paid $50,000 for his voice work on as Woody on Toy Story, and $5 million for Toy Story 2. (I'm quite surprised he wasn't paid more for the first one.)

-A bowl of lime Jell-O, when hooked up to an EEG machine, exhibited movement which is virtually identical to the brain waves of a healthy adult man or woman. (my guess would be more like a man)

-The most commonly used word in the English language is I. (especially when you're using I statements on your husband ie: I feel like stabbing you with this knife. LOL)

-People dream an average of five times a night, and each subsequent dream is longer the one proceeding it. The first dream is about 10 minutes long, and the last dream is about 45 minutes.

-The language of Taki, spoken in parts of French Guinea, consists of only 340 words. (it must only be a community of men)

-The Wright Brothers spent time observing the flight of the buzzard to help them solve the mystery of flight.

-The world's first elastic bands were patented on March 17, 1845. (can you imagine if it hadn't, all those people with those big elastic band balls would have nothing to do)

-Elvis Presley wore a cross, a Star of David, and the Hebrew letter chi. He explained his jewelry habit with, "I don't want to miss out on heaven due to a technicality."

I'm Home

2005-09-06T16:35:00.000-06:00

Champion Lakes in B.C.

This is where we stayed. Isn't it gorgeous.

Well I made it through the weekend without wanting to absolutely die from boredom. I should have realized that my family would keep me somewhat sane from the sister-in-law. She did nod off a couple times a day, even at the playground with the kids. Tell me how you fall asleep sitting up on a platform. But I guess once you've mastered the napping skill you can do it anywhere.

The junk food that my nephew consumes is amazing and every time I offered him fruit he looked at it like I was offering him poison. My kids where drinking juice and water and he was drinking kool-aid jammers. I might also add that juice for my kids is a treat, they usually only get water and milk at home.

She also let him sit in a shitty diaper for 3 or more hours. I guess he's the one who decides if he gets changed. They kept asking him "Do you need a change?". With his response of "No!". When my kids had a dirty diaper I grabbed their little hands and just went and changed them. I was the one who decided not them. Well you can only imagine the flaming red ass he had because of that. Poor thing, I believe that's called child abuse when you do that.

Anyways, Lloyd, myself and the kids went for bike rides and went to the park lots and had a nice time. Also, can anyone tell me why almost no one goes camping on the labor day weekend? We had pretty much the whole campground to ourselves.

Camping

2005-09-01T13:37:00.000-06:00

Well we're going camping for the weekend. Lloyd is going to actually get 3 days off in a row. (He's only been getting Sundays off since April.) It should be lots of fun. The kids have such a good time when we camp. Riding bikes, roasting marshmallows, swimming, staying up late, it's all good.

There's only one glitch. My sister-in-law is coming. I don't hate her or anything. It's just that she's a slob and feeds my nephew nothing but junk. I bet she even brings a bloody T.V. to watch. You're camping for pete's sake. She'll sit there and nap all day and do absolutely nothing. I like to nap sometimes to, but all day long. She's just lazy if you ask me. At least I know I'll be hiking with my kids and having fun. I will not sit around camp and watch her nap and eat junk food. So wish me luck, and let's hope she doesn't annoy me too much this weekend.

I hope that the rest of you have a nice long weekend. Then next week it's back to school for the kids. I'm going to miss hanging out with them. They just grow up to quick.

I've been busy, okay?

2005-08-29T17:47:00.000-06:00

This isn't our yard but it sure feels like it. We are stacking it in rows as we split it. That way at least you feel like you're making progress. This pile of saw dust seems like the amount that's been tracked through the house.

Sorry I haven't been around for a couple of days. But life goes that way sometimes. My family and I have been bucking and splitting wood for the last few days and there is still a bunch left to do. We have two dump truck loads of wood in the backyard. And lets not even talk about the amount of sawdust from bucking it that is being tracked through my house. One great thing though is my husband built a log splitter so at least it is going farely fast. All the kids are working so hard to help. My 10 yr old has been working so hard that it's just amazing. We were planning on paying the kids but they wanted watches. So we went and bought those for them yesterday.

I puchased a new computer desk for the upstairs. I want to be able to see the kids when they use the computer. And now that they are getting older and will be using it more, it just makes me feel better. Now all I have to do is try and find some room for it, and rearrange the whole livingroom. Like my back isn't sore enough already.

Thank you to everyone who dropped by. I'll make sure that the next time I write it'll be more interesting.

This is amazing!!!

2005-08-22T14:14:00.000-06:00

Fisherman finds wallet that fell overboard 39 years ago
By JAY LINDSAY

BOSTON (AP) - Back in 1966, James Lubeck bent over to secure his sailboat against a gathering storm and his wallet slipped from his back pocket into Marblehead Harbor. The wallet and the credit cards inside were seemingly gone forever.

Then Lubeck got word recently about a mind-boggling discovery: A fisherman had hauled in the wallet's sheath of credit cards in a netful cod, flounder and haddock.

"I can't find the adjectives," Lubeck, 74, said in an interview Friday. "I don't know how many people would have done that."

Fisherman Antonino Randazzo hauled in the catch in June roughly 25 miles from where Lubeck lost the wallet. The sheath was caked in mud, but the 10 to 12 credit and identification cards were in pristine conditio
n.
"It is incredible," he said. "Life is full of mysteries."

Randazzo, 44, said he initially feared the wallet belonged to someone who was lost at sea, but when he looked at the cards, he noticed that the expiration dates were from the late 1960s.
The only Lubeck listed in the Marblehead phone book was a Jonathan. Randazzo called and nervously inquired whether James Lubeck was home. He was relieved to learn from James Lubeck's daughter-in-law that he was alive and living in Connecticut.

Later, when Lubeck got a call from his son about the recovered wallet, he initially had no idea what he was talking about. He eventually recalled the details - and the $300 in expense checks that had been lost with the wallet.

"Thirty-nine years ago, $300 was a lot of money," he said.

The checks, cash and leather of the wallet are gone, but the value of the find isn't in what was recovered, but what happened afterward, Lubeck said.

"It's the idea that somebody reached out," Lubeck said. "And the puzzlement of that moving so many miles."

Lucky blue dot!!!

2005-08-18T10:38:00.000-06:00

Does anyone remember the lucky blue dot that the National Inquirer used to put in their magazine? Well it came up in a conversation with my best friend the other night and she had no idea what I was talking about. So let me explain it to those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about. Well, first of all it was a blue dot (see picture above). You were suppose to cut it out and carry it around with you (which I did), and it was to bring you good luck. Well this might sound stupid to you but it brought me good luck three times. Not bad for a little blue dot if you ask me.

The first time was when I went to the bank to get my very first loan (for a used car). The second time was when I went to buy a new car and they gave me a loan as well. The third time was for a Workers Comp. claim (not a lot of money but the employer owed me and I wasn't about to let him get away with it). So if you ask me, I think that little blue dot worked pretty good for me

Does anyone have any blue dot stories? I would love to hear about them.

Have you ever....

2005-08-17T14:30:00.000-06:00

Thanks for the quiz Jody.

Smoked a cigarette? - More than I care to count. But I quit the second I found out I was pregnant.

Crashed a friend's car? - No

Stolen a car not from a stranger? - No, But I used to unhook the speedometer on my step dad's car and drive it around when he was on vacation (with my mom of course)

Been fired? - Twice. First time was because they were cheap. The second they had to start paying me real wages was when they gave me the axe. The second time was when the owner sold the business and they didn't keep the employees.

Been in a fist fight? - I'm not a fighter I'm a lover. (or chicken shit whatever you want to call it)

Snuck out of your parents' house? - Yes, to stay out late with my boyfriend. But it's okay because I married the guy and had three kids with him.

Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back? - Yes.

Been arrested? - No, don't ever plan on it.

Gone on a blind date? - NO!

Skipped school? - Yes.

Seen someone die? - Yes, my cat Cleo. She was the most wonderful cat ever.

Gone sledding? - Every year. Like Jody said we call it toboganning in Canada.

Been to Canada? - Um, I live there.

Been to Mexico? - No, but if someone wanted to take me I would go.

Been on a plane? - Yes, about a dozen times.

Been skiing? - When I was young and stupid. Now I'm old and cautious (or maybe just scared).

Met someone from the internet? - Uh, no thank you.

Taken pain killers? - No, never had much reason to. I'm also kind of tough (had 5 surgeries).

Laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by? - Every chance I get. The kids and I love to find animals.

Made a snow angel? - Almost every winter.

Had a tea party? - Yes

Flown a kite? - Many, many times.

Built a sand castle? - Yes

Fallen asleep at work/school? - Yes, who hasn't. Especially at school. There were times when it was just sooooo boring.

Used a fake ID? - No, but I did go to the bar about a month before my 19th birthday. And get this, I was carded. She took it and looked at it really hard, gave it back to me. And then served me. She obviously was no mathematician.

Watched the sun set? - Yes, the best ones are in the prairies.

Felt an earthquake? - No.

Slept beneath the stars? - Yes.

Been robbed? - I was mugged when I was 11. It was awful.

Been misunderstood? - All the time.

Petted a reindeer/goat/kangaroo? - Goat.

Run a red light/stop sign? - Stop sign.

Been suspended from school? - No.

Been in a car crash? - Yes, twice. And I wasn't hurt either time.

Had braces? - No, but I had 4 teeth pulled so that the other ones would fit.

Felt like an outcast? - Yes

Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night? - No, but I ate a lot of ice cream when I was pregnant with Travis (a four liter bucket a week).

Had deja vu? - No.

Had deja vu? - Yes.

Witnessed a crime? - Yes, an assault on my husband while he was holding my 2 year old child. It was the scariest thing I have ever seen.

Been obsessed with post-it notes? - Um? No!

Gone doorbell ditching? - No.

Believe in ghosts? - No.

Squished barefoot through the mud? - A few times.

Been lost? - I don't even know where I am right now.

Been on the opposite side of the country? - Yes, I went to Niagra Falls when I was 8.

Felt like dying? - Probably.

Cried yourself to sleep? - On more than one occasion.

Recently colored with crayons? - Yes, I have 3 children. It's a great way to spend time with them.

Sung karaoke? - No.

Paid for a meal with only coins? - Never.

Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? - Yes.

Made prank phone calls? - When I was a pre-teen.

Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose? - Yes, and it's not a pretty sight.

Danced in the rain? - Yes, it's an amazing feeling.

Believed in Santa Claus? - Yes, what kind of parents would I have had if I didn't believe?

Been kissed under the mistletoe? - Yes.

Gone rollerskating? - Yes, many times and I loved it.

Had a wish come true? - Yes.

Jumped off a bridge? - No way.

Ate dog/cat food? - Yes, and my coat was all nice and shiny for days.

Kept something gross in your freezer? - No.

Sat on a roof top? - No.

Talked on the phone for more than 5 hours? - No, but I think I might have come close once or twice.

Stayed up all night? - Maybe 4 times.

Scared to watch a scary movie alone? - No, it's my favorite kind of movie.

Worn a really ugly outfit to school? - Probably, just didn't know it.

Broken a bone? - No, which is absolutely amazing since I am such a klutz. I should have had many broken bones by now.

Been easily amused? - All the time.

Laughed so hard you cried? - Yes, not to mention how my stomach muscles felt.

Forgotten someone's name? - All the time. Sometime it takes me months before I get it right.

French braided someone's hair? - Don't know how and my mom is even a hairdresser.

Loved someone so much you would gladly die for them? - Yes, and I would go to the ends of the world for anyone that I truly loved.

Poppy's useless info!

2005-08-15T11:31:00.000-06:00

- In Ancient Rome, it was considered a sign of leadership to be born with a crooked nose.

- Sylvan N. Goldman of Humpty Dumpty Stores and Standard Food Markets developed the shopping cart so that people could buy more in a single visit to the grocery store. He unveiled his creation in Oklahoma City on June 4, 1937.

- In ancient times, the traditional color of bridal gowns were red. The wife of Napoleon lll broke the tradition and wore a white gown.

- The United States Patent Office has on file a patent for boots with pockets for use by nudists.

- The Romans developed the postcard. Several examples were found in excavations near Hadrian's Wall in England. One was an invitation to a birthday party, another was a request for someone in Rome to send a soldier more socks and underwear to England!

- The windmill originated in Iran in A.D. 644. It was used to grind grain.

- The single-blade window cleaning squeegee was invented in 1936 by Ettore Sceccone, and is still the most common form of commercial window cleaning today.

- The Waring blender was invented by Fred Waring, the society band leader of the 1930s.

- In ancient Greece, women counted their age from the date on which they were married, not from the date of the birth.

- In ancient China, towns were often arranged in patterns so that if seen from the air, the whole community would resemble an animal or a symbolic design.

- The classic metal tokens that roam the streets of Atlantic City in the game Monopoly were not part of the original game.

- In ancient China, the crimes for abduction, armed robbery, treason, and adultery were punished by castration.

- In ancient Egypt, when merchants left the country they carried small stone models of themselves. If they died, these figures were sent back to Egypt for proxy burial.

- The early Indians of the Southwest only ate the organs of%2

Lazy Postman

2005-08-13T13:34:00.000-06:00

Lazy postman faces jail
A lazy Italian postman is facing up to 10 years in jail after he filled his home with thousands of letters he could not be bothered to deliver.
Police found almost every room at the home of postie Antonio Piras, from Ittiri on Sardinia, jammed with sacks full of letters.
They ound thousands more stuffed in the boot and under the seats of his car, and even in the garden shed.
Locals had complained that none of them had received a single letter or package through the post since March.
Some had their electricity cut off after failing to pay bills they had never received, news website Tgcom reported.
Police said Piras has been charged with illegally holding other people's private property.
A spokesman said: "It appears he was just plain lazy and couldn't be bothered to deliver the letters.
"People will get their letters delivered to them now, it will just take a while for the other postmen to work through the backlog."

Odd things.

2005-08-11T16:34:00.000-06:00

Jerusalem- After a man suffered through the tough death of his seventy-year-old mother, he kept her body cold in a refrigerator until science could bring her back to life. "It was hard for me, but it was her wish." claimed the man.

Charlottesville, Virginia- Federal Agents searched an man's house because they believed he possessed illegal drugs. They searched everywhere, and were about to assume that he moved, when they heard a noise coming from the fridge. They looked inside and there was the man, calmly drinking a soda.

Sandusky, Ohio- A man was charged with negligent assault after he shot his wife's hat thinking it was a rat. The hat was on his wife's head at the time. The same man had previously shot himself in the foot while trying to shoot a rat.

Kansas- A man was charged with holding up a shoe store. He stole about 70$ in shoes. At his trial the man showed up wearing the boots he stole, with the tags still on. He was found guilty and the shoes were returned to the store.

Tennessee- An inmate escaped from jail and led police on a long chase sometimes reaching 150 mph. When he was caught he stated that he intended to turn himself in all along. He was driving fast because he wanted to get far enough ahead from the police to make it clear he was going to stop.

Bangkok, Thailand- After stealing a woman's purse, a man ran into a building that he thought was a Buddhist Temple. He figured that he couldn't be arrested in there. Unfortunately for him the building was a police station. He was arrested.

Redondo Beach, California- Police noticed a man driving his car, and they assumed he was drunk. Not because he was meandering, but because he had the top of a traffic light pole (including the lights) across the hood of his car. When questioned he said, "I thought the lights came with the car."

Woburn, Massachusetts- A Baptist church was caught luring children in with pizza, and then baptizing them without parental consent.

Sanger, Texas- Four teenagers were arrested after breaking into a funeral home. They had planned to find embalming fluid, dip their cigarettes in it, and smoke it. Since they could find no fluid, they substituted a finger from the corpse for their cigarettes (and smoked it).

Pikeville, Kentucky- A bank robber was easily caught by surveillance cameras. He thought rubbing citric acid on his face would blur the picture, as you can obviously tell, it didn't work.

Ogden, Utah- A man wearing a clown costume went to a mechanic's trailer. The clown asked for a woman named Kathy. After the mechanic denied knowing a person named Kathy, the clown accused him of having an affair with her, and hit him over the head with a lamp. The clown was never found Wandsworth,

England- Karl Watkin was sentenced to eighteen months in prison after trying to have sex with a sidewalk. Three years later he was sentenced to six years for stimulating sexual intercourse with garbage bags. Later that year he committed suicide in his cell.

Appleton, Wisconsin- Darrell Voeks stole $100,000 worth of pigs to help pay for breast implants for his favorite stripper at a club. He got ten years in prison.

Key West, Florida- One restaurant owner killed another during a argument over how to put silverware into a dishwasher correctly.

Grande Ronde, Oregon- Sixty-seven-year-old Arthur Mooney died of a heart attack in the Spirit Mountain Casino. While his body lay right there on the floor for an hour, the other customers continued to play the slot machines. They pulled his body away the next day.

Scarborough, England- A totaled ford was found at the bottom of a 100-foot cliff in 1996. No sign of the driver was found, just a pile of human feces on the drivers seat.

Stockholm, Sweden- Customs officers noticed a woman that wouldn't stop scratching her chest. They were kind, and didn't mention anything, at first, but she never stopped. They searched her and found 75 live snakes that she was trying to smuggle.

Mount Shasta, California- Joy Glassman was a loving mother. She always wanted her sons to succeed in life. Then she went to far. Her sons grew up to be firemen, and joy intentionally set fires to help their careers. After five fires in one month she was arrested for arson.

I found these at www.geocities.com/oddfacts1234/

How gross is this?

2005-08-08T14:30:00.000-06:00

I know it's boring not putting up pictures but I was afaid of what I'd find.

Chuck Shepherd's News of the Weird (.912)

WEEK OF JULY 31, 2005

LEAD STORY

Mark Nuckols, a business student at Dartmouth, has begun selling a tofu-like food, Hufu, that is flavored to resemble what he believes is the taste of human flesh. His target audience is those who already enjoy cooking with tofu, as well as any actual cannibals who might settle for artificiality in order to avoid legal problems and logistical hassles. Nuckols said he has never tasted human flesh but based his recipe on cannibals' reported descriptions of the flavor.

[Stanford Daily, 5-25-05]

Pigeon Coop - OMG - Is this really news worthy?

2005-08-08T14:03:00.000-06:00

Boxer Mike Tyson's best bird buddies are getting a new home.

A $12,000 pigeon coop that will provide Tyson's pets with 100 square feet of air-conditioned comfort was given the go-ahead on Tuesday by officials in the posh Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley, Arizona.

The coop will be built behind a nearly one-acre (0.4-hectare) residence Tyson recently bought there.

Town officials last month halted construction of the coop after a neighbor complained it was being built without permission. An application for a permit was then filed.

Officials said there is nothing on the town's books limiting the number of birds a homeowner can have on the property. Tyson plans to house 85 to 100 birds.

The troubled ex-heavyweight champion's love for pigeons is well documented. Tyson gained a reputation as a fighter while growing up in New York after pummeling a bully who killed one of his pigeons, according several accounts of his career.

Last month, Tyson made an unannounced visit to a Phoenix City Council subcommittee to argue against a proposal that would limit residential properties to 40 birds.

"They're pretty harmless," Tyson was quoted as saying in The Arizona Republic. "I don't understand why people would want to get rid of pigeons. They don't bother no one."

Tyson could not be immediately reached for comment.

More useless information!!!

2005-08-03T10:35:00.000-06:00

- The eggplant has many names. In addition to "eggplant," it is called aubergine, brinjal, melanzana, garden egg, and patlican.

- If you enjoy eating onions by the pound, one pound has about 175 calories. (but you will have to consume 4000 calories of breath mints to get rid of the bad breath)

- In ancient Rome, flamingo tongues were considered a delicacy. Their existence was threatened by hunters.

- Over 180 million Cadbury's Eggs are sold between January and Easter each year. That's more than 3 Creme Eggs for every man, woman, and child in the United States. (my kids aren't allowed to have them, call me mean but I just can't let them eat something that sweet)

- The Chinese are credited with inventing the first toothbrushes in the late 1400's. The bristles were made of hog bristles, which were highly effective and popular. The invention of nylon replaced them.

- In ancient Rome, it was considered a sin to eat the flesh of a woodpecker. (why eat a woodpecker? who knows)

- The British import Spirograph was introduced in the United States in 1967 by Kenner and has racked up millions of dollars in sales. It was invented by a British electronics engineer, Denys Fisher, who was inspired to create the toy while doing research on a new design for bomb detonators for NATO.

- Parsley was considered too sacred to eat by the Ancient Greeks.

Info you might not know!

2005-07-27T15:52:00.000-06:00

- In ancient times, parsley wreaths were used to ward off drunkenness.

- There are 18 different animal shapes in the Animal Crackers cookie zoo.

- The leech has 32 brains (31 more than a human, lol).

- The American opossum, a marsupial, bears its young just 12 to 13 days after conception (I wish).

- The flying snake of Java and Malaysia is able to flatten itself out like a ribbon and sail like a glider from tree to tree.

- The American crow weighs approximately one pound when fully grown.

- The Asiatic elephant takes 608 days from conception to give birth (no thank-you).

- The frigate bird can fly at a speed of 260 miles per hour.

- Paper can be made from asparagus.

- The flounder swims sideways (so do I when I'm drunk).

- The Fresh Kills Landfill site on Staten Island receives up to 14,000 tons of garbage a day.

- In Australia, the number 1 topping for pizza is eggs. In Chile it is mussels and clams. In the United States , it's pepperoni.

- Acorns are poisonous to humans, and, if eaten, will cause kidney damage (it's a good thing I decided not to take up acorn eating).

James Doohan "Canadian"

2005-07-20T12:01:00.000-06:00

Star Trek's Scotty, James Doohan, dies

Bob Thomas
Associated Press
Wednesday, July 20, 2005

LOS ANGELES -- James Doohan, the burly chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise in the original Star Trek TV series and motion pictures who responded to the command "Beam me up, Scotty," died early Wednesday. He was 85.

Doohan died at 5:30 a.m. at his Redmond, Wash., home with his wife of 28 years, Wende, at his side, Los Angeles agent and longtime friend Steve Stevens said. The cause of death was pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease, he said.

The Canadian-born Doohan was enjoying a busy career as a character actor when he auditioned for a role as an engineer in a new space adventure on NBC in 1966. A master of dialects from his early years in radio, he tried seven different accents.

"The producers asked me which one I preferred," Doohan recalled 30 years later. "I believed the Scot voice was the most commanding. So I told them, 'If this character is going to be an engineer, you'd better make him a Scotsman.' "

The series, which starred another Canadian, William Shatner, as Capt. James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as the enigmatic Mr. Spock, attracted an enthusiastic following of science fiction fans, especially among teenagers and children, but not enough ratings power. NBC cancelled it after three seasons.

When the series ended in 1969, Doohan found himself typecast as Montgomery Scott, the canny engineer with a burr in his voice. In 1973, he complained to his dentist, who advised him: "Jimmy, you're going to be Scotty long after you're dead. If I were you, I'd go with the flow."
"I took his advice," said Doohan, "and since then everything's been just lovely."

Star Trek continued in syndicated TV both in the United States and abroad, and its following grew larger and more dedicated. In his later years, Doohan attended 40 "Trekkie" gatherings around the country and lectured at colleges.

The huge success of George Lucas's Star Wars in 1977 prompted Paramount Pictures, which had produced Star Trek for TV, to plan a movie based on the series. The studio brought back the TV cast and hired a topflight director, Robert Wise. Star Trek -- The Motion Picture was successful enough to spawn five sequels.

The powerfully built Doohan, a veteran of D-Day in Normandy, spoke frankly in 1998 about his employer, Paramount, and his TV commander:
"I started out in the series at basic minimum -- plus 10 per cent for my agent. That was added a little bit in the second year. When we finally got to our third year, Paramount told us we'd get second-year pay! That's how much they loved us."
He accused Shatner of hogging the camera, adding: "I like Captain Kirk, but I sure don't like Bill. He's so insecure that all he can think about is himself."

James Montgomery Doohan was born March 3, 1920, in Vancouver, B.C., youngest of four children of William Doohan, a pharmacist, veterinarian and dentist, and his wife Sarah. As he wrote in his autobiography, Beam Me Up, Scotty, his father was a drunk who made life miserable for his wife and children.

At 19, James escaped the turmoil at home by joining the Canadian army, becoming a lieutenant in artillery. He was among the Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. "The sea was rough," he recalled. "We were more afraid of drowning than the Germans."

The Canadians crossed a minefield laid for tanks; the soldiers weren't heavy enough to detonate the bombs. At 11:30 that night, he was machine-gunned, taking six hits: one that took off his middle right finger (he managed to hide the missing finger on the screen), four in his leg and one in the chest. Fortunately the chest bullet was stopped by his silver cigarette case.

After the war Doohan on a whim enrolled in a drama class in Toronto. He showed promise and won a two-year scholarship to New York's famed Neighborhood Playhouse, where fellow students included Leslie Nielsen, Tony Randall and Richard Boone.

His commanding presence and booming voice brought him work as a character actor in films and television, both in Canada and the U.S. Oddly, his only other TV series besides Star Trek was another space adventure, Space Command, in 1953.

Doohan's first marriage to Judy Doohan produced four children. He had two children by his second marriage to Anita Yagel. Both marriages ended in divorce. In 1974 he married Wende Braunberger, and their children were Eric, Thomas and Sarah, who was born in 2000, when Doohan was 80.

In a 1998 interview, Doohan was asked if he ever got tired of hearing the line "Beam me up, Scotty."

"I'm not tired of it at all," he replied. "Good gracious, it's been said to me for just about 31 years. It's been said to me at 70 miles an hour across four lanes on the freeway. I hear it from just about everybody. It's been fun."

© The Canadian Press 2005

Info you might not know.

2005-07-18T14:20:00.000-06:00

- The first television sitcom to ever share the same bed on a regular basis was Lily and Herman Munster.

- The first toilet ever seen on TV was on the show Leave it to Beaver.

- The name of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the original draft for the Star Trek TV series was the U.S.S. Yorktowne.

- The first toy product ever advertised on the TV was Mr. Potato Head. Introduced in 1952 Mr. Potato Head took advantage of playing to tens of millions of newly "plugged - in" households.

- The characters in The Addams Family did not have names in the New Yorker cartoons.

- Turning a Clock's hands counter-clockwise while setting it is not necessarily harmful. It is only damaging when the timepiece contains a chiming mechanism.

- The dot on top of the letter "i" is called a "tittle." Tittle is Latin for something very small.

- The costume of Sesame Street's Big Bird is made of dyed turkey feathers.

- The full name of Rhea Perlman's award - winning character on TV's Cheers was "Carla Maria Victoria Angelina Teresa Apollonia Lozupone Tortelli LeBec."

- The actual character name of the Skipper from Gilligan's Island was Jonas Grumby.

- The character of the Professor on Gilligan's Island was named Roy Hinkley and used only once in the entire series, on the first episode.

- The running time of the American TV sitcom, with its commercials removed, is 22 minutes.

- The 2000 TV show Survivor was a runaway hit with viewers. After it aired ,CBS received nearly 50,000 applications for the second Survivor contest.

Travis did it again.

2005-07-16T19:21:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we were invited to a friends house for a bar-b-que. Everything was as normal as can be when friends get together. When out of nowhere Travis starts screaming at the top of his lungs, we all look over and he's being swarmed by wasps. He was wearing a long sleeved shirt so he was only bit once on the ankle. That kid sure has some bad luck. I guess we'll chalk it up to one of the many things that has happened to Travis. He'll never be able to say that he didn't have an interesting childhood.

P.S. On the bright side of things, we now know that he isn't allergic to wasps.

Breakfast With My Best Friend!!!

2005-07-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

There are some very simple things in life that I enjoy doing. I like hanging out with my husband and kids. I love camping and boating. But having breakfast with my best friend on a school morning, what could be better.

Jody and I were able to fit one more breakfast in before school was out for the year. It was so nice just sitting there and talking, no kids to wipe up after, no bad behavior to correct. Just me and my friend. I hope I survive the summer. Only 8 more weeks to go. Thanks for the wonderful mornings Jody. And of course thanks to all of the other girlfriends who happened to join us on occasion. It was fun. SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER!!!!

Weekend in the hospital!!!

2005-06-30T18:00:00.000-06:00

I don't know about any of you, but I have one of those kids who is always getting into something. His name is Travis. He is one of the most loving, caring kids that I know. He's creative, artistic, and can find anything interesting and play with it for hours. Travis is an amazing sick child as well. He takes the flu like a pro. Sometimes it's hard to tell how sick he is. Which is one of the reasons why he has had pneumonia twice. He's had the most stitches out of my three kids and is the only one to have had to have sleepovers at the hospital.

Well it has been quite some time since anything wrong had happened to the kids, and I had been mentioning that to a friend. I should have kept my big mouth shut.

I had sent both boys away to cub camp for the weekend. Everything was going just fine until, Travis decided to get up in the middle of the night to go to the washroom. It was about 12:30 at night. He was trying to get off of the top bunk and got caught in his sleeping bag and landed face first on the concrete floor. So I get a call at 2:00 in the morning because they are at the hospital and Travis' face is swelling up and he can't stop throwing up. So off I go to the hospital which is an hour and a bit from my house. (The kids were in the next city from where I am, just to make it more convenient)

We spent two nights in the Hospital, and he also received a C.A.T. scan to check out his noggin. He was so amazing about everything. He did what he was told, he rested when he was told. And to top it off he ate the disgusting hospital food.

Travis ended up with a severe concussion and wasn't aloud to play sports or do gym, basically anything fun. He's fine now, and back to normal or whatever normal is for Travis. Talk about a fun way to spend the weekend.

Laser Hair Removal

2005-06-21T19:30:00.000-06:00

Let me start this story by telling you that I used to be a model in hair shows for my very talented mother. We won first place on many occasion. Anyways, way back when I was 15 we were going into a hair show, so my mother sent me to get my eyebrows waxed. Yes, they were waxed and they looked awesome. But that's not all she waxed, before I knew it the lady had put wax on my upper lip. Can you imagine, all I had was a little peach fuzz up there. Fast forward to now. You can only guess the torment over the years, of the now visible hair on my upper lip.

I did some research about a year ago after finding an add in the local paper about a lady in town doing laser hair removal. To get to the point I have now been to my second treatment and I'm starting to feel like a girl again. I am so happy that I pursued this. And it's only going to cost me about $500 which is a very small price for my self esteem.

By the way, for those of you who don't know what I look like. That picture is not of me. lol

My New Look!!

2005-06-17T14:23:00.000-06:00

Thank you to Jody for my pretty new look. I absolutely love all of my poppy pictures. You know me so well. You make me better in so many ways.

4 yr old boy dies on Disney World ride

2005-06-14T19:17:00.000-06:00

This is so sad. I can't even imagine the pain the mother must feel.

Disney World briefly closed a ride that simulates a rocket launch and trip to Mars, after a four-year-old boy passed out aboard the attraction and later died.

The Epcot Center ride reopened Tuesday, after engineers determined it was operating normally.
Daudi Bamuwamye was on the "Mission: Space" ride on Monday afternoon when he lost consciousness. His mother carried him off the ride and paramedics tried to revive him.

He died at 5 p.m. at Celebration Hospital. An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death.

Disney officials said in a statement that they're providing support to the family and "are doing everything we can to help them during this difficult time."

"The safety of our guests and cast remains our top priority," reads the statement.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office said the boy met the 44-inch height requirement for the ride at the Epcot theme park.

The attraction simulates twice the normal force of gravity. There are signs posted to warn visitors with regard to blood pressure, heart, back and neck problems and motion sickness, and suggesting you be in "good health." Signs also warn pregnant women not to go on the ride.
During the 2003-04 season, six people over the age of 55 had to be taken to hospital with chest pains and nausea after taking the ride.

That put "Mission: Space" at the top of a list of rides at Florida theme parks requiring hospital visits. The parks agreed to begin reporting such problems to the state in 2001. Figures for last year were not available.

ME GETTING PISSED OFF!!!

2005-05-26T18:51:00.000-06:00

I knew that I hadn't posted anything in awhile but I didn't realize it had been a month. So to catch you up......

My sister is such a shithead. She e-mailed my dad after not talking to him for two years and asked him for money. She made it sound like she would kill herself if she didn't get it. Well talk about a guilt trip. I was able to tell him that she's way to pitiful to do that. Besides she's 35 years old and never paid her own way. She has lived off of welfare until she could collect no more and mooched off people until they could give no more. I think it's time she did something for herself and stopped being a drain on everyone else's life. GET A JOB. SUPPORT YOUR KIDS. DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIFE. AND STOP BEING SUCH A LOSER!!!!!

This brings me to one of my pet peeves. I hate it when people can't do for themselves and expect everyone to do it for them. What makes them think that they deserve anything from us. They always feel like someone owes them something. Whether it's a parent or an ex, they always feel like they are owed. Well hear I am telling all you mooching shitheads GET OFF YOUR ASS AND DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIFE. Stop expecting us hard working people to support you, do for yourself. Give something back for a change.

Busy! Busy! Busy!

2005-04-28T11:35:00.000-06:00

I always feel like life in the Johnson house is busy. After all I do have three kids. Emma has to be driven to town three days a week for pre-school. Jason and Travis have Cubs on Tuesday nights. There's always friends here, or mine are at their friends and needing a ride home. All of this I can handle. But with soccer pratice on Monday and Wednesday nights plus games every Saturday (at different times I might add) it sure is keeping us going. This is our busiest year yet and I'm sure it's only going to get worse as time goes by. But as my friends know this kind of stuff is right up my alley and I am enjoying every minute of it. I hope I can still say this 5 years from now. So happy sporting season to everyone. Just think it will all be done with the end of June.

What a beautiful day.

2005-04-19T13:46:00.000-06:00

Today my best friend (Jody) and I took our kids to one of the local camp grounds. The kids took their bikes and we walked. It was absolutely a gorgeous morning in the Kootenays. I can honestly say that I live in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. I know I will. It's almost impossible not to have one after the way I spent my morning.

Update on "This annoys me"

2005-04-15T08:49:00.000-06:00

I love my mom and this is why.

Yesterday I was surfing the net when I came across a site that has the cutest little girl dresses. The company is in the UK and it's probably going to cost a fair amount for the dress by the time you pay for shipping and factor in the money exchange. Which means that I most likely can't afford to buy one. All I'm trying to do is find my daughter something to wear that this other kid can't possibly have.

Well I was telling my mom about the person who has to have everything I have and her little girl who is the same way. She said that she would help me pay for a new dress for her. Just so that she can have something of her own without the competition. ISN'T SHE AWESOME? Thanks mom your the best.

This annoys me!

2005-04-13T19:27:00.000-06:00

Have you ever felt like you have a friend who is always trying to one up you all the time. Well I think that I have one. It seems that everytime I buy my little girl something she seems to get basically if not exactly the same thing for hers . Well I've learned to live with that but now it feels like she is starting to do the same thing with me.

I got high speed internet last week and wouldn't you know it, guess who got high speed today. I'm not saying she can't have high speed but I guess it's just all of it put together that bothers me. Let me know your annoying stories of people who do the same crap to you. I've always say misery enjoys company.

This makes me mad!!

2005-04-06T19:00:00.000-06:00

My Oma recently spent a week at an old age home. My mother had to go to doctors appointments in the city and couldn't take her with her. It isn't a really huge place, maybe 30 full time elderly people live there. Anyways, she is in the early stages of Alzheimers which means she's quite forgetful but still knows who you are.

She has always had this book where she writes absolutely everything down. Sort of like a diary with a lot more detail. The older she gets the more detail it has. She even writes down the exact time she farts ( no exaggeration ). Well, when my mom returned to town and picked her up, she was still wearing the same clothes that she was wearing when my mom had dropped her off. Not only that but upon examining the "diary" she also found out that she never once received the proper medication. She got her anti-depressants but never received the right amount of tylenol for her arm that she broke a couple of years ago. She never once received the eyes drops for her eye that doesn't tear on its own. And to top it off she was given food constantly that she was not allowed to have.

When you drop off your loved ones you sit down and talk to the nurse in charge and she writes down your concerns and anything that is important for them to know. So what I want to know is why then doesn't anyone read that bloody piece of paper? Is it that hard to find care for your loved ones, or do you think that this is why they die shortly after they enter old age homes?

We went and talked to the nurse today and she was going to look into it for us. I hope she has some good answers. But I still don't know if they will be good enough.

By the way my Oma is doing fine. Thank goodness she forgets everything, cause if I was her I'd be really pissed off.

1956 Thunderbird

2005-04-05T00:28:00.000-06:00

I was just sitting back and looking at some pictures of cars that my uncle had drawn, and I started thinking about my favorite car. It is a 1956 T- Bird with suicide doors in a cherry red color. I can visualize the sparkle and the pearl in the paint right now. I really hope to have this car some day. I want one so bad I can taste it. I don't care if I have to build the thing myself. All I know is that I will get one before I die. I just hope I don't die of excitement the day I get it. Tell me what your favorite car is. It's always fun to dream!

Getting started!!!!

2005-04-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Well today I have decided to try and start my blog. Now I don't promise to publish often but I will at least try to do it once a week. So hear it is, my first publish.