Now that we’re into decent roll-down-the-windows weather while driving, I’ve compiled a list, in no particular order, of songs you should NOT have playing on your stereo while driving, or you may feel your right foot getting heavier and heavier, causing you to speed and risk getting a ticket. Not that I’m speaking from experience.

Ahem.

1. All My Life by the Foo Fighters
2. 25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago
3. Like a Stone by Audioslave (when they modulate up towards the end? whoa! got chills just thinking about Chris Cornell’s voice…he makes my knees quiver!)

   

4. Play that Funky Music by Wild Cherry
5. Paralyzer by Finger Eleven
6. This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race by Fall Out Boy
7. California Love by Tupac
8. Hella Good by No Doubt
9. Canned Heat by Jamiroquai
10. Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine
11. Higher Ground by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
12. Vasoline by the Stone Temple Pilots
13. Harder to Breathe by Maroon 5 (and Adam Levine makes it harder for me to breathe…whoo!  the HOTness!  And uh, actually Justin used to look a lot like this when he was younger…that might explain the attraction)

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Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!  The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Whether it’s the actual melody line or harmonies or the complexity of the music, or the sincerity of the lyrics (or a little bit of both), these thirteen songs are ones that soothe my soul; that billow under me and lift me up; that act as a salve to my wounds; they mend the holes in my heart:
1. Univited by Alanis Morrisette
2. High Hopes by Pink Floyd
3. Unfinished Symphony by Franz Schubert
4. Bring Me to Life by Evanescence
5. Red Rain by Peter Gabriel
6. Grieve by Peter Gabriel
7. Ancient Echos an album of Russian Church Liturgy by various composers
8. Requiem by Mozart
9. In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel, the live album version (it’s our wedding song)
10. Precious Things by Tori Amos
11. Moments Like This by Alison Kraus & Union Station
12. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy album by Sarah McLaughlin (that album got me through several years of college)
13. I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack

That’s it for me, folks…tired from being up till 2am last night and getting up at 6am…also been dodging tornado watches and warnings all evening, which I felt compelled to stay up and listen to because what if I went to sleep and didn’t hear the siren? I even had a momentary panic moment of “OMG, what if we need to take cover? how do I get both kids downstairs when they’re sleeping? I’m not sure I can carry both at the same time! And what about the dogs? They refuse to come down the basement steps? And the cats hide under the beds during storms, how will I get all eight of us downstairs when I’m the only one willing to voluntarily walk down those steps???” And that voice in my head got shriller and shriller. Yeah, I’m a spaz…

Or, um.  Well.  You know what I’m trying to say.  Hope everyone is out there getting flowers, or chocolate, or jewelry, or maybe just a foot rub and a nice dinner.

Here’s a list of 13 things I love besides my husband, my kids, my dogs, my cats, and my friends and family, and stuff I said here because I’m lame and taking advantage of the holiday and hey, there’s all SORTS of reruns on TV right now, too.

1.  I love Blog Bling.  And I finally got some!   

 Burgh Baby’s Mom was sweet enough to bless me with this lovely bloggy Valentine: 

and I’d love to pass it along to Lag Liv, Precarious Tomato, Madame Queen, and The Rocking Pony (Karen, don’t feel you need to pass it along, since you were on top of things and already passed your earlier Valentine along).

And Karenwas so lovely as to give me this bloggy bling (even though she usually makes MY day):

I would like to pass this fun along to Burgh Baby’s Mom (yes, I know you already got it from Karen, but you do crack me up), and to Flea because she gave me such a sweet compliment about my awful Christmas morning pictures.

2.  I love how VDOT put down sand and salt on my residential street sometime between 9pm last night and 8am this morning.  Even though the ice storm was on Tuesday, where hundreds of people were stuck on major highway overpasses for 8-10 hours without moving due to the ice (and no road treatment–but don’t get me started on their lack of preparedness–that would take at least 300 words).  Even though the rain we got yesterday ended at 4pm.  Even though the wind whipping through the streets dried out the streets by 8pm last night.  Even though we did not receive any precipitation last night and aren’t forecasted to get any for another 2 days, at least.

3.   I love how I get up early and somehow everything keeps me from getting to work at a decent time and I end up late.  Yet, on the days I wake up late, I still need to deal with the stupid stuff and still end up at work late.

4.  I love how I will be sitting at my desk for 6 straight hours and not hear a peep from anyone, but the moment I get up to go to the ladies room, or run out to grab a bite to eat, I suddenly have 15 IM boxes blinking, 2 voicemails, 7 emails, and at least 3 people physically looking for me.

5.  I love steak.  Specifically, filet mignon…mmmmmmmmmmmm….nom nom nom.  My stomach is growling just THINKING about a steak!!!

6.  I love sitting at home vegging in front of the TV.  I am a big couch-potato-sitting-whore.  I just can’t get enough of sitting and doing nothing, letting my mind rot.  Although I do love watching those real detective shows and all sorts of programming on the History Channel and the Discovery channels…so maybe a little less rot going on?

7.  I love dancing.  I don’t claim to dance well by any means, folks, but holy crap do I love to dance!  If I’m at a bar and the music’s going, even without any alcohol in my system, it will be really hard for me to not at least do the Roxbury Head Bob.  And if I’ve had a drink or two?  Well, then *watch out*  because this dance ain’t for everybody–Only the sexy people!  (and yes, I think that I am one of them)

8.  I love people who use turn signals.  No, I’m not being facetious.  I am completely serious.  There are folks on the roads around me who seem to think turn signals are a minor option; some, I fear, don’t even know that their vehicles come equipped with turn signals.  Instead, they will stomp on the brakes to make their turn.  So if I have someone in front of me actually use their turn signals, I am this close to getting out of my car to hug them for their courtesy.

9.  I love knitting.  It’s simple, but challenging all at the same time.  It’s quiet, you can do it in front of the TV or while riding in the car, and you usually have something to show for it by the time you’re done (as long as you complete the reception-blanket sized blanket before the child is a hunkering 25-lb one-year old).

10.  I love fast food.  I mean, I love sitting and eating a good meal and a restaurant, but OMG!!!!!  I am a drooling quivering twit if I can have either (a) the 12-piece nugget combo at Chik-Filet with buffalo sauce and a extra large sweet tea, or (b) the Big Mac meal at McDonald’s with an extra large sweet tea.

11.  I still love the idea of having a pet pig.  Since my husband drew the line at livestock, I have my two snorting Boston Terriers instead.  But given the chance, I would get me a pig and call him Gus.

12.  I love tax returns!!!  I’ve had several people suggest that Justin and I adjust our withholdings so that we get more in our check each week and less at the end of the year, but getting a little windfall each spring is nice.  That’s how we paid to replace the flooring in two bedrooms two different years (previous owners had a cat with litterbox issues, which, um, tempted our cats to have litterbox issues); it’s how we put a down payment on our truck; it’s how we paid for paint to purdy-up the house or get ready for a baby; it’s how we paid for furniture for Gavin (both nursery and big-boy furniture); it’s how we paid for part of our honeymoon.  This year, we will be paying off a credit card or two.  And maybe go on a date.

13.  I love stupid folks who have nothing better to do with their time or education except create worms and other malicious code.  I’m trying to figure out what they get out of it.  Are they trying to take down a major corporation?  Or do they just hope to take down every unsuspecting email user?  Well, I hope whomever created this nastiness has an undercooked dinner that makes them nauseous and vomit.  And not get any candy.

(14.  And um, I love how Wordpress doesn’t allow me to center my images, no matter how bad I beat it with code)

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Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!  The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Happy New Year! I can still say that, right, even though it’s the third of the month?

My 2008 New Year’s Resolution is to Get Out of Debt…and here are 13 ways I’m going to save (or make) money in order to put a big dent in my debt:

1. Ensure I’m bringing my lunch to work every day (and politely enforcing this decision on my husband)–I’ve actually been doing a lot better, but I need to KEEP doing it and not succumb to my old lazy habits.
2. Check the programming on my thermostat…overnight and weekdays it’s set at 66 degrees and during the evening on weekdays and all day on weekends it’s set at 70 degrees…but I think it doesn’t drop down at night until midnight, so I could probably drop it at like 10pm.
3. Call my credit card and ask them to lower my APR…even though I pay more than the minimum due and always on time, they like to sneak it up when I’m not looking.
4. Try to do all my running around at once, instead of going to the store Monday, then again on Wednesday, then Friday and Saturday….saves gas and time, too.
5. Stick to the shopping list! I usually do pretty well on this, and when I do buy outside of the shopping list, it’s usually things I forgot to put on the list in the first place. But I need to be better about it.
6. Be more firm on the “Need versus Want” battle…that’s a hard one to overcome sometimes, especially when there’s TWO of us both wanting something when we really don’t need it.
7. Replace more light-bulbs with fluorescent bulbs. I usually wait until a bulb burns out before I replace it, but I might just go ahead and replace them sooner…at least on the last few lights that we use often. I don’t know what I’m going to do with those light fixtures with their ridiculous decorator bulbs with the itty-bitty bases…haven’t seen fluorescents for those yet. Maybe eventually just replace the light fixtures altogether…not a big fan of them in the first place. But then we’re back to #6….do I really NEED to replace the light fixtures?…or do I just WANT to?
8. Get some bookings and sell my jewelry! I’ve still got a ton and just have been having a heckuva time getting back into the swing of things since having Cooper. While the jewelry essentially sells itself, it’s not going to unless I get it in front of people.
9. Sell real estate on my blog, as mentioned yesterday.
10. Turn off the water while I’m brushing my teeth. I got into the very wasteful habit of leaving it on and now I need to curb that habit to conserve water and hopefully lower my water bill a little.
11. Spread out my haircuts…every 12 weeks instead of every 8 weeks.
12. On a related note, opt for a more subtle color for my highlights so that I can go longer in-between applications, especially since my stylist is wonderful and great and got a promotion a few months back and now costs more.
13. Go through my belongings…sell discarded items and clothing on eBay, donate what doesn’t sell and keep the receipt for next tax season.

Got any other ideas on how to save money or create a few more dollars? Let me know…I’d love to hear them!

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Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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I don’t claim to be of any great intelligence…maybe slightly above average.  I mean, I did well enough on my ACTs and SATs and my high school classes to get a really good scholarship at Ball State University, but I am no means brilliant.  And this list is a testament:

1. Took me several years, and a dirty look from my husband, to realize that cocoa butter smells like chocolate brownies because it’s made from cocoa.  I seriously just thought it was a coincidence that I smelled so yummy after slathering up in that stuff nearly every night throughout both pregnancies and several winters.
2. I consistently wear heeled shoes (loafers, pumps, boots) when it’s icy out.  Not too much of a problem when I lived in Chicago or was at school in Muncie, IN, but here in we-get-significant-snow-every-year-but-freak-out-and-don’t-budget-for-road-and-parking-lot-clearing-northern-Virginia, the roads, parking lots, and sidewalks are generally not cleared off in a timely manner (or at all, sometimes), and for whatever reason, I still wear the heels, and then wonder why I end up on my butt out in the parking lot.
3. To make matters worse, I will wear heels while it’s icy and while carrying a fully-loaded infant car-seat, thus, possibly setting myself up for child neglect charges when I slip and fall with the baby.
4. You would not believe what I walked out of the house wearing today.  Seriously.  I am wearing light colored jeans, a teal t-shirt, and a charcoal sweater.  Seems okay, right?  well, read on:  I am also wearing navy and baby blue socks (that look okay with the jeans…in my head at least), and faux snakeskin/croc skin heeled loafers that are kind of black/grey.  Not sure what I was thinking.  But I’ve done that before, where I obviously have two different thoughts in my head about what I’m going to wear and somehow merge them, and don’t realize it until I’m in public and very far away from my closets.
5. On a regular basis I will walk all the way into my office building, past three sets of locked doors, sit down, and realize that I left my laptop in my car.
6. Which at least is better than when I get all the way to work and realize I have left my laptop at home.
7. I have left Cooper’s diaper bag full of pre-made bottles sitting in my foyer next to the garage door where I exit the house each workday several times.  One time I got all the way to daycare (15 miles and 30 min away) before I realized what happened.
8. While I might be big and feisty here on my blog (well, not too feisty, I know my parents and my friends’ parents read it), I can be painfully shy in social situations.  And to add to the fun, I will blurt out weird things, almost involuntarily.  I’m sure I have mortified my husband more times than he can count with my social ineptitude (that’s not to say that you shouldn’t ever invite me over…I do warm up to folks fairly easily and am then reasonably tolerable and funny and endearing and less-weird).
9. While still in college, I went to a party with some co-workers.  We were having a great time drinking something, I dunno WHAT it was…I just know it was good and I drank a lot and it was that liquor that has the crystals in the bottle.  Well, someone broke off the side of the bottle so we could get to the crystals.  I reached clumsily into the broken bottle to pull off a few crystals and managed to slice open my thumb.  I bled all over the place and probably should’ve gotten stitches.  I still have that huge scar on my thumb today.  Even if I was 100% sober, I would’ve still reached into the broken bottle and would’ve sliced open my thumb.  *note*  I remembered what alcohol it was:  Aftershock
10. I’ve bought the same gift for my husband for Christmas two years in a row.  Thankfully I realized it the second time before I gave it to him.  If he’s reading this post, he’s just now learning about it.  Hi honey!  You almost got a second copy of The Princess Bride.
11. I’ve left Ginger outside all day while at work.  Got home after a good 9 or 10 hours away from the house, go to let her out of her crate and it’s open.  Maggie is wagging expectantly by the back door and I’m running all over the house screaming for Ginger, thinking she must’ve eaten something and was passed-out or dead somewhere in the house.  Nope.  Instead, I left her out in they yard the entire day without a bowl of water.
12. I drove nearly 20 miles with Cooper not strapped into his seat.  We were at Babies R Us and he started crying.  I pulled him out of his carseat to rock and soothe him (he was only 3 weeks old), and set him back into his seat without strapping him in, just in case he started crying again before we finished checking out.  Well, I forgot and didn’t realize it until I got home.  I actually started crying because I scared myself with my own stupidity, and because I was so grateful that I didn’t get into a car accident.
13. A few weeks ago when I picked up both boys from daycare, I was trying to get them loaded in the car quickly because it was really cold.  As usual, I had Gavin get in on Cooper’s side of the car, the clicked Cooper in.  He sat immediately in his seat and I got into mine.  And I drove away.  It wasn’t until I took a quick corner 4 blocks away that I realized I forgot to strap Gavin into his seat because I hear “whoa!!!!” and I see is butt going behind my shoulder.  He got out of his seat to see Cooper and when I took that corner, he was standing on the hump on the floor of my backseat and went swinging around into the foot-well on his side of the car.  I freaked, but managed to safely turn into a subdivision and got him strapped in.

So there you are…13 knucklehead moves…enjoy them…I’m still laughing at most of them.

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Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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