NaBloPoMo Day 12: Not That Kind of Girl

There are certain things that you will never catch me doing in a million years, because I'm just not that kind of girl.  It's not that I don't see value in these things, or that I judge people negatively for doing them.  It's just that for me, it's never going to happen.  I could kid myself and say there are certain things in life that I'd like to experience or go on some sort of conquest for.  But I know I'll never do these things, and I'm okay with that.  Honestly.  Some of these things are just easier to do when you're younger and don't have so many kids and responsibilities and are more fit.  Some just start to seem too young or distasteful as you grow older.  I mean, let's just agree on this.

I will NEVER:

• Have a flower garden or landscaping at my home that is free of weeds and looks as nice as the one in front of Danny's daycare. Unless I've hired someone to maintain it for me.
• Be able to bake anything without following a recipe for measurements.
• Read any books by Charles Dickens.
• Eat Foie Gras.
• Have a TV-free home.
• Go backpacking.
• Walk across the Capilano Suspension Bridge, or any other crazy-ass suspension bridge.
• Compete in any kind of group athletic challenge, up to and including an iron man, a triathalon, or a marathon.
• Have a house that's dust free.  Unless there's a housekeeper involved.
• Separate my whites and darks when I do laundry.
• Floss on a regular basis.

I'm just not that kind of girl!

So, what about you?  What are the things that you just know you'll never do, even if they seem nice/good for you/rewarding to other people you know who do them?

Hannah Montana and a Raccoon

Friday Fragments!

Friday Fragments are bits and pieces of your week that are usually brief; too short for a stand-alone post, but too good to discard. Collect humorous observations, "Heard" items, and other small gems and put them together in a Friday Fragments post.

Friday Fragments are the brainchild of Mrs.4444 and you can find more at Half Past Kissin' Time.

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I saw this at Barnes and Noble this week and realized I hate it when people replace the heart in I heart New York with other symbols.  Why does it bug me so much?  I'll never know.

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Check out these Gorgeous horses by Andrew McGibbon

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Then check out Pictureless Pinterest on Twitter.  It is kind of hilarious.

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I updated our wall calendar, which is a dry erase board that holds 5 weeks, and the last day of school is up there.  AGH!  I am having a little anxiety because I had a really difficult time last summer with the kids and not having any breaks from their antics.  We have a few plans for the summer, and I'm going to try and get down to Seattle to visit friends at least once every couple of weeks.  I can't believe that Sam is almost a first grader.  It just seems so much older than a Kindergartener...

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Hope everyone has a great weekend!  Justin and I get to take Saturday and Sunday off and head to the King Tut exhibit at the science center & maybe an IMAX - so excited!

Friday Fragments: Nails, Politicians, TV & Funnies

Friday Fragments are bits and pieces of your week that are usually brief; too short for a stand-alone post, but too good to discard. Collect humorous observations, "Heard" items, and other small gems and put them together in a Friday Fragments post.

Friday Fragments are the brainchild of Mrs.4444 and you can find more at Half Past Kissin' Time.

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This week I've got some fragments and some pictures I've found on the internet that made me laugh and love the internet!

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Last week I got fake (acrylic) nails.  Yeah... I have only had them one other time, for my wedding.   I recently decided I wanted to try them out again because I really want to have square nails and I just can't get my nails to stay in that shape.  I did it once, in December.  And they were perfect.  For about 20 hours, until one broke and I was back to square one.  I've had them for a little over a week actually, and I'm getting used to them.  I have been really into nail polish lately and I started a new blog, Nail Me, to post about it... it's a little crazy, but I have so much fun with it.  It's a fun way to dress up without having to spend a bunch of money on new clothes etc.

Here is a little peek of what's over there today - my first Water Marble.  I LOVE IT.

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The day before Valentine's Day, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire signed legislation that will make it legal for gay couples to marry in Washington State come this June.  I am so proud of Washington for finally doing this.  We're not the first, but we're far from the last.  Even after 10 days, I still choke up when I think about it.  I think of my friends who are gay, and the fact that they have not been afforded the same rights that I have, and I am so, so happy that they will finally get what they deserve.

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Engagement Ring WIN - More than meets the eye!


see more WIN - Epic Win Photos and Videos

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So, Danny is 21 months old now, and we have taught him a couple of signs.  He still doesn't really talk, he just has a few words (cat, car, dog) that he'll say, but I'm not sure anyone else can understand them.  A couple of weeks ago we noticed that he had started doing this sign where he would pat his left arm near his wrist with his right hand.  I asked my Mom if she'd taught it to him and she said no, and we finally realized he made up his own sign!  It basically means 'I don't like this' or 'I don't want to.'  It is so fascinating to watch them grow and learn!

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Because when I hear WWF, I ALWAYS get confused like this.


see more WIN - Epic Win Photos and Videos

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Last month for my book club, we read Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah.  The first half of the story didn't really pull me in, but once I hit the second half?  Woo boy!  I loved it, despite the fact that I was crying through most of it.  I'm pretty sure the last time I cried that much was at the end of My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, and if you've read that one, you know why.  So I decided I need to read way more Kristin Hannah books.  I just finished Night Road, which I really liked.  I need to get started on my book club book, but sometimes I get in the mood for one author and I just go on a streak.  I think I'll read Firefly Lane next.

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FLASH drive!

 
see more WIN - Epic Win Photos and Videos

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Let's talk TV for a minute... I feel like I want to write a separate post about this week's Glee and Parenthood episodes, since I watched them right in a row then kind of wanted to assume the fetal position.  Did anyone else watch The River?  I haven't watched the second episode yet, but I totally loved the first!  It was so freaking scary though - those scenes with the dolls?  Just... no.  So creepy!  I liked how they revealed so much in the beginning - what the explorer guy was actually searching for/doing out there - and didn't drag it out.  I also watched the first episode of Awake, and I really liked it.  Plus it has Jason Isaacs and BD Wong, both of whom I really like!  And finally, this week was the first part of the finale of the greatly underwhelming Top Chef Texas.  I really, really want Paul to win.

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You guys, Bakerella is a freaking genius. SO CUTE!

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Did you hear that some crazy-ass politician in Indiana decided to rail against the Girl Scouts because of his opinion that they are promoter and supporters of Planned Parenthood?  Also, Rick Santorum talked about Satan, and I tried to figure out how it is even possible that he is an actual candidate.

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Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Sam and Baby Powder

I just found some random photos on my computer while looking at new photos.  I am WAY behind on photo processing, I have probably a thousand photos that I haven't done anything with or archived.  ARGH!  BUT, I came across these photos from May of 2009.  Sam had just turned three and got a container of baby powder.

The best part is that Justin and I were both RIGHT THERE.  I was laying on the couch with my eyes closed, and Justin was sitting at the computer 2 feet away with his back turned.

Chuckles

Do you need a little laughter in your life?  Here are a few things I read this week that made me chuckle!

About the East Coast's first snow, Alice at Finslippy said:

"For instance. Look at that. Look at our October Snow. That is the second-worst Guns 'n' Roses song ever. How dare you, climate. How dare you right to hell." 

In response to her questioning whether her 5 year old wants to be at the birth of her coming baby sibling, this is what Kristin at Birthing Beautiful Ideas got in response:

M: No, I just don’t wanna hear those sounds you made on the video when A was born.
Me: Oh yeah.  Those sounds can seem scary.  But…
M: No, no, I know that mommies make them because it helps them to feel better.  And they didn’t scare me.  THEY WERE JUST ANNOYING!

About her kidney stones, Ami at Bunkers Down had this to say:

(Let me just take a moment and wax poetical about morphine.  It truly is nectar of the gods.  It made all the pain go far, far away.  It also made me a rambling idiot who kept saying things like “I love SCRUBS!  They’re sexy!  We should all wear SCRUBS!  All the time!  I just want to say the word SCRUBS over and over and over!”)

and this:

I ended up having a “painless” procedure than used sonic waves or some other awesome scientific thingy (remember, heavily medicated person) that busted up all the kidney stones into microscopic smithereens.  I love it when people call something painless.  Because then I know I am dealing with LIARS.

My friend Kyle started a blog called The Legend of Greybeard.  It's pretty funny and entertaining.  I guess if you are a stay at home Dad to 5 year old twins and a 2 year old AND a "homemakin' dynamo" you HAVE to have a sense of humor.  So check it out.  As long as you don't mind strong language and strong opinions. The world would be dull without them.

Also, this:

What made you laugh this week?

Fast and Furious

So, a bunch of months ago when it came out, Justin and I went and saw Fast and Furious. I made fun of it when I first heard it was coming, because really? Since when do you just get to take out two 'the's and make a new movie of it? Do over? But then I saw previews and they sort of blew my mind because they pitted The Rock against Vin Diesel. WOAH. The following has been sitting in my drafts folder for months, and it's really all I can say about the movie, so I thought I'd just go ahead and publish it, because it still blows my mind and makes me giggle. 

Watching the big fight scene between The Rock and Vin Diesel was insane. It was a rage fueled hurricane of shining sweaty muscles and baldness.



Also, if you forget at any point where the movie takes place, don't worry. The show the Christ the Redeemer statue that stands over Rio approximately 1,547 times in this movie.

Because it's funny.

Friday Fragments: Sick & Tired

Friday Fragments are bits and pieces of your week that are usually brief; too short for a stand-alone post, but too good to discard. Collect humorous observations, "Heard" items, and other small gems and put them together in a Friday Fragments post.

Friday Fragments are the brainchild of Mrs.4444 and you can find more at Half Past Kissin' Time.

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Wow, I have been a terrible blogger lately.  I'm barely managing to post once a week.  Sam's finally back in school, tomorrow will be the end of the 2nd week.  We are all REALLY tired from the adjustment to getting up every day at 6:30 (we're not really morning people).  Also, Sam brought home all the new germs from his classmates so we've been sick.  How is it that he managed to barely be sick, just some coughing, over the weekend and yet here I am feeling completely exhausted and stuffed up and generally bad, and Danny's nose is running like a faucet?!  Oh well.  It's definitely good that he didn't have to miss any school.

Soon, my Mom is going to start watching Danny once a week while Sam's at school, and I'll be able to start writing again.  I really can't wait.

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Toy Story vs. The Office

via Geek in Heels

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So, TV is back!  And if you've been around here at all, you know how I loves the TV.  I've been watching some new stuff - so far I have enjoyed New Girl, it made me laugh out loud several times.  Also, Zooey Deschanel is just flippin' adorable.  I watched Ringer with Sarah Michelle Gellar, but I'm not really sure about it yet.  I also checked out Revenge, even though I wasn't sure I wanted to.  It seems interesting, I'm a little intrigued by it.  What new shows are you watching?  Which old favorites did you enjoy this week?

I happen to be watching the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy while I type this.  SINK HOLE!?!  Love it.  I live near Seattle, and we don't have NEARLY as many disasters as they do on this show.  Good thing.  Also, gotta love Derek's response to Meredith's "I got fired."  He said "What did you think was going to happen?"  GOOD QUESTION, GREY!

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This is hilarious.

via MamaPop 

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Tomorrow, in Mt. Vernon (about 30 min south of here), they are making a 16,000 pound potato au gratin.  I might go.  I feel like I should because that is a huge dish and when am I going to get a chance to be around 400 pounds of cheese again?

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On Wednesday, the State of Georgia put convicted killer Troy Davis to death.  I had not heard about his case before I saw chatter online on Facebook and a few blogs.  I am anti-death penalty.  I have not always been, but changed my mind after watching Timothy McVeigh on the morning of his execution.  That day, I felt like it was absolutely wrong.  I could write a whole post about it, but I really think that Amie at If You Seek Amy said it WAY better.  Check out her thoughts about Troy Davis.

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And, to end on a little bit of a lighter note, here are a couple of things I've found and pinned on Pinterest lately that I love.

SO CUTE!

I want to make this SO bad.  Pumpkin Coffee Cake.

HA!

Creative, fun, gift wrapping idea.

These are so adorable, I totally need one.

A photo by the lovely Lotus.  So cool.

All right, that's all for this week!  Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Friday Fragments - Better Late than Never!

Friday Fragments are bits and pieces of your week that are usually brief; too short for a stand-alone post, but too good to discard. Collect humorous observations, "Heard" items, and other small gems and put them together in a Friday Fragments post.

Friday Fragments are the brainchild of Mrs.4444 and you can find more at Half Past Kissin' Time.

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I'm a little late today, but it's still FRIDAY. So, here are my fragments, and I'm freakishly awake even though it's late, so once I hit publish I'm off to visit YOUR Friday Fragments posts and see what's going on.

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I'm a big fan of portraits, and Entertainment Weekly often has some really good celebrity portraits. I was browsing the portraits from Comic Con on their website, and this one caught my attention. Beautiful.


via Entertainment Weekly - Rutina Wesley, Tara on "True Blood"

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So, we're moving. Once we made the decision, it happened pretty fast. I have a whole post to write about it soon, but for now I just need to say that I HATE PACKING. I am looking around my house wanting to do it, but at the same time, it's such a pain in the butt. I was hoping that I would not be moving again for a VERY long time, but obviously that didn't work out the way I thought. Send me some kind of 'be really productive' vibes if you have them, okay?

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Do you ever look at Improv Everywhere's website? Their most recent video is "Say Something Nice." Take a look.



Pretty great. Spreading the positive is ALWAYS a good thing, isn't it? To Infinity and Beyond!

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Sam got his 'back to school' haircut this year - he was quite shaggy.


He told me that morning he wanted to get all his hair cut off. I was kind of surprised, because I've asked him a couple of times this summer if he wanted Daddy to buzz his hair and he said no. So I asked if he was sure, and he said yes, he wanted all his hair cut off so it would be like Daddy's. AWWW! It's nice being able to see his face again, but they always look SO much older after a haircut!

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Here are a couple of things that made me laugh out loud this week.


via MamaPop - you should be reading Jurgen Nation's weekly 'make you laugh' posts, because they will!



click to enlarge - via Geek in Heels



via The Greatest

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Another thing that might make you laugh if you have some spare time is reading bad boyfriend stories over at Temerity Jane. I just started reading her blog earlier this year, and it quickly became one of my favorites. She always makes me laugh, and I can totally relate to so much of what she says.

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This week I also read about how PETA has decided to have a Porn Site. You guys... Something is really wrong with PETA. So, basically they are going to put all the naked photos they've taken up.. and randomly insert horrible animal cruelty photos? I don't get it. Then today I randomly came across this old blog post about how earlier this year for 'infertility awareness week' they were offering free vasectomy (coupons?) to men who had recently had their pets neutered. Way to OFFEND people by not understanding the meaning of infertility and how hard it is for people. I am just as against animal cruelty as the next guy, but I think that PETA should take a good, long look at their methods of trying to expose the plight of animals and convince people to change it. Their message is so lost at this point it's not even funny.

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All righty, I think that's it for this week. Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Friday Fragments

Friday Fragments are bits and pieces of your week that are usually brief; too short for a stand-alone post, but too good to discard. Collect humorous observations, "Heard" items, and other small gems and put them together in a Friday Fragments post.

Friday Fragments are the brainchild of Mrs.4444 and you can find more at Half Past Kissin' Time.

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My friend posted this on Facebook this week and it made me chuckle:

$1,000 worth of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago, you would have $49.00 today! If you purchased $1,000 worth of shares in AIG, you would have $33.00. If you purchased $1,000 worth of shares in Lehman Brothers, you would have $0.00 today. But, if you purchased $1,000 worth of beer, drank all the beer, turned in the aluminum cans for recycling, you would have $214.00. Therefore the best current investment plan is to drink heavily & recycle. It is called the 401-Keg Plan.

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Does anyone else out there watch In Plain Sight on USA? The season finale was really good, but that show has THE WORST cliffhangers! I can't wait for next season already, and it's been less than a week. In other TV news, SyFy is ending Eureka after next season, which sucks. Falling Skies just got better at the end - the reveal of what's inside the Skitters? AWESOME. It was one of those shows that kind of ebbed and flowed for me, but I'm really glad it was picked up for a second season. Justin and I have also been enjoying watching Hell's Kitchen together - for some reason every time Ramsay screams "It's RAW" we both crack up.

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Last weekend, my awesome cousin Emaleigh was in town, and we got to do some fun stuff. I haven't processed all my photos yet, but here are a few of my favorites:

Silhouette Mural in Phinney



Perre's Ventaglio III @ Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle



I am not a huge art person, and not very versed in the world of sculpture. I thought this one was interesting, then I read the description of what American artist Beverly Pepper intended it to be:

One of the first sculptors of her generation to be captivated by the possibilities of industrial materials and geometric forms, Beverly Pepper achieved a cool objectivity in Perre's Ventaglio III, which reveals no trace of the artist's hand or process, but possesses the sleek appearance of a manufactured object. Light heightens the optical effect of the sculpture, whose surface reflects the surrounding natural environment, a striking contrast with the opaque blue enamel paint on the interior of each cubic form.

After reading it and looking at the sculpture, I totally GOT it and kind of loved it. Emmy wrote a great post about the sculpture park on her blog, (sometimes) blog at Emaleigh Says.

Lily in Ellensburg



Sunburst at The Gorge



Seattle Public Library



I'd never been to the amazing central branch before, and we went to check it out. It's full of amazing architecture and art, and I'm glad I got to explore it a bit! Emmy wrote another great post about that building here.

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Justin and I went and saw "The Help" on Wednesday. I read the book earlier this year after about 20 people recommended it to me, and loved it. The movie was amazing. It was incredibly well done, the casting was great, and it was just as touching and moving as the book. Justin loved it too, although he found it so unsettling that he was a little shaken. It's hard to imagine the blatant racism that occurred in this country so recently. I know it still exists, but we have certainly come a long, long way.

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Well, I'm pretty tired tonight, so I think that's it for this week! Can't wait to read more Friday Fragments tomorrow. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Friday Fragments - TGIF!

Friday Fragments are bits and pieces of your week that are usually brief; too short for a stand-alone post, but too good to discard. Collect humorous observations, "Heard" items, and other small gems and put them together in a Friday Fragments post.

Friday Fragments are the brainchild of Mrs.4444 and you can find more at Half Past Kissin' Time.

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My cousin Emmy is visiting from Philadelphia. It's a short visit, but always awesome when she makes it over here. I'm looking forward to a really fun weekend with her and my sister Kira including a Phish show at The Gorge and a visit to the Experience Music Project in Seattle. Somehow out of all of our cousins we've managed to stay close over the years despite the distance and the fact that we only see each other 2-3 times a year. Emmy got here late Wed, then took the bus up to Bellingham from Seattle Thursday afternoon. We got to eat at Pepper Sisters and Sam showed her his trampoline. I'll try to take lots of photos this weekend!

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I saw these shoes on sale downtown yesterday and when I slipped one on they were just SO adorable. Still $40 on clearance though so I probably won't reunite with them.

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I've blogged here about how much I HATE Truck Nuts. If you still don't know what they are, or have been fortunate enough never to see any, check here. Well, it turns out that at least one person is on my side - Bonneau, South Carolina Police Department Chief Franco Fuda. He gave someone a $445 ticket for hanging those nasties on their car. I applaud you, Chief Fuda.

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I used to take a lot of pride in my nails. Kind of silly, maybe, but it's one thing I could do well, and I just like the look of some well manicured nails. Also, I MAY have a box with about 50 colors in it. Maybe. After having kids I stopped painting my nails as much, but now that Danny's a bit older and I don't have to worry about scratching him or him chewing off the polish, I've decided I want to have nice nails again. I LOVE the look of a French manicure and do them myself at home - super easy with manicure guide stickers. I have been experimenting with some other stuff lately too...

2 weeks ago - Sally Hansen Crackle over midnight blue

Last week - Pink w/black tips

Currently - Flat teal with shiny emerald tips

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This cracked me up.

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This week, I bought most of Sam's school supplies for kindergarten. WHAT? KINDERGARTEN!? SCHOOL SUPPLIES??!! I know. I can't believe it. He got a Mario Kart lunch pack and a Star Wars thermos and chose Star Wars folders too. I can't believe in only a bit over a month he'll be going to all day school three times a week.

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Well, it's almost midnight and I need to get some sleep so I have plenty of energy tomorrow. Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend. I may not be able to visit too many fragmenters until Monday, but I'll try to make the rounds!

Fabio, Stefon & Hoodie Footies

Friday Fragments are bits and pieces of your week that are usually brief; too short for a stand-alone post, but too good to discard. Collect humorous observations, "Heard" items, and other small gems and put them together in a Friday Fragments post.

Friday Fragments are the brainchild of Mrs.4444 and you can find more at Half Past Kissin' Time.

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I was SO sad that Fabio got sent home on Top Chef this week! He was one of my favorites, if nothing else because he had the best quotes. He posted a great good-bye video on YouTube:



I'm totally rooting for either Carla or Blais now.

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This week, Danny learned how to pull himself up. No more putting things on low tables to keep them out of his reach. I think crawling is just around the corner, and that's going to be a BIG can of worms.

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Awesomeness.


see more Hacked IRL - Truth in Sarcasm

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Danny also LOVES graham crackers. He totally chows on them. They make a huge mess, but oh well. They make him totally happy.

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Does anyone else still watch Saturday Night Live? I have been watching back episodes from this season that I didn't get to yet, and actually laughing a lot! There is this one character, though, that always makes me laugh so hard. His name is Stefon.



There is something about the combination of the ridiculous things he says and the way he often can't keep it together that I just love.

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Tonight is date night! I can't wait to get out of the house. Confession time - I have not been out of the house since last Sunday. Well, except walking down the driveway to take Sam to the bus and pick him up. Having just one car kind of puts a damper on any plans I might have. We need to figure something out - most likely buying a used minivan of some sort for very little money.

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I have my book club this weekend and I am very excited to see my friends down in Seattle. I have really been missing them lately, maybe partially because I didn't get to see them last month.

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I want these SO bad you guys. Unfortunately they are $70 (wha??). And kind of crazy.


They also have them for men and children. So your whole family can match. That might just make the BEST Christmas Card ever.

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That might be all for this week. I was working on a bunch of articles this week but I'm hoping I'll have a little more time for blogging next week. Have a great weekend, everyone!