Ghost, spirit, or figment of my imagination?

Couple of goofy things have happened in this house since we moved in back in May of 2000. Maybe I'm just nuts, because as far as I know, none of the other family members have experienced anything.

1. The first fall I fell asleep on the couch watching TV. When I woke up, I heard a distinct creak in the attic like someone had stepped on a beam. At first I tried to shake it off as imagination, then as a squirrel or rat. But there's no way a small rodent like that could make that sort of a noise.

There's only one way into our attic. Through a screwed on panel high up in my daughter's closet. You have to take all of the clothes out of her closet, and I think the shelf, to access it. So there couldn't have been anyone up there.

So true, we could check this one off as overly tired. But it still freaks me out.

2. One morning in the spring of 2003, I got up before everyone else. At the time, my computer sat in a corner in the dining room that allowed you to see the whole living room, where the doors to all the bedrooms are.

So, I'm sitting there surfing on the net... and out of the corner of my eye, I see the back of my youngest son as he passes the stereo speaker heading into his room. At the time, he was sleeping on the bottom bunk in his brother's room. So I figure he's woke up and gone into the room to get a toy or something.

So I'm sitting there waiting on him to come out, but he never does. Several minutes go by and nothing. So I'm wondering what he's up to... I head into the room, only to find NO one there. Both of my sons are still sound asleep in the other bedroom.. and Terry was still asleep, too. Needless to say, it was a little unnerving.

3. Ok.. which brings us to the latest thing. Three nights ago, I'm laying in bed around 1:30am playing a game on my Palm. The lights are off and the bedroom door is closed.

So, I get this sense that something has fallen off of my dresser, which is only inches from the bed (I have just enough room to walk between the bed and the dresser.) At the same time I notice some sort of movement (like something falling) and a almost inaudible sound, but didn't think anything about it. There's always junk on my dresser, toys and whatever, laying precariously that might fall.. maybe a sock or something... so I didn't think anything about it.

So, I continue playing. A little while later I decide I've played enough and I'm gonna hit the sack. So I reach over to turn on the light so I can see where to lay my Palm, and I scratch my arm on an open drawer. I'm like WTH? As I lay there and look at the drawer, I'm completely bumfuzzled. About 30-40 mins earlier, I had gotten up to tell my oldest son to go to bed. And if the drawer had been open then, I'd have noticed it, and shut it. As it would be in my way otherwise. Also, I didn't open the drawer, and in order for Terry to have done it, he would have had to reach over me to do so. But he was sound asleep, snoring even. lol

So I sat there trying to rationalize it.. and never could. I had no reason to have been in that drawer at the time, it wasn't open before. I tried and tried to come up with some reason for it being open.. but never could. :$

So, how the hell did the drawer get open? The door was shut, my husband was asleep and I didn't do it.

So needless to say, I'm a little spooked.

So, the Eddie Murphy skit from his Comedy Concert "Delirious," about white folks not knowing when to get out of a haunted house, is running thru my head:

Black Male Householder : Aw baby this is beautiful, we got a chandelier hanging up here,
kids playing outside, it's a beautiful neighborhood. Ain't got nothing to worry about... I really like this place...

Demonic Voice: Get out!

Black Male Householder : Too bad we can't stay...

LMAO

My Daughter

How many of you have children? Now... How many of you have a fight on your hands at bedtime? I thought so. And so do I with my two oldest kids.

But....

My 2-year-old is special. For one, I've rarely ever had to fight her when putting her down for a nap. Two, she tells us when she wants a nap, or when she's ready for bed. Ever hear of that before??

I decided I had to write about this when she came to me 5 minutes ago and said "Bed." I just looked at her in amazement. That was the first time she'd used a word to tell me she was tired and wanted to hit the sack. Usually she just hangs around wherever I am, maybe even laying down on the floor by me. When I ask her if she wants a nap or to go to bed, she usually says 'yes.' But this time she actually came to me and said 'bed.' And it was only 8pm! She's been known to ask (or give us the signs) at 7:30 or earlier, tho we usually won't let her go down that early, as whe wakes up in the night if we do.

She truly is a wonder. She's been the most interesting of my 3 kids, so far. LOL

Been a while.....

Man.. been a long time since I updated the blog.

I finished reading Eragon. And I loved it! My oldest son read it after me and felt the same. Now we're both reading Eldest. :)

And more on the downer side.... no Xbox 360 until next year for us. Money is tight, and first and foremost on my agenda is our children's Christmas gifts. And that's gonna be hard enough. Much less coming up with $400 for a console, another $50 to buy a game, and then another controller, minimum. It really sucks, because I'm dying to play Oblivion. I think I'm turning into a RPG whore.

Oh well, until then I have World of Warcraft to keep me busy. ;)

Lunch time

Ok.. so I'm bored. I'm sitting here enjoying the BEST sandwhich and thought I'd share. ;)

Wheat bun, tomato, pickle slices, colby-jack cheese, american cheese, and hickory smoked turkey breast from the deli. No mustard or Mayo. Yuck!

Mmm... Yeah Yeah.. I'm ruining the diet, but damn, it's good. And don't laugh at my Dixie plate. Least I don't have to wash it!!

So, what's on YOUR sandwhich?

Children's and Young Adult Fiction

On an old blog I once wrote a note about reading books I originally bought for my son, but he never touched. We're gonna revisit that topic. ;o)

About 3 years ago, while trying to boost my son (then 11) into reading more, I bought him the first book of the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. We'd already given him the first 4 books of the Harry Potter series, and I'd read two of them to him, but he still just couldn't bring himself to tackle a book of their size. Alas, he wouldn't read Artemis either. So.. it sat on the shelf, staring out at me every time I passed the bookshelf. Until one day....

Bored and totally out of anything fun to read here at the house, I snagged Artemis Fowl off the shelf and settled into a chair and began to read. I didn't think I'd enjoy it, as it is targeted at the 9-12 age range, but I did enjoy it very much! Not sure if it was the fairy/fantasy aspect, or if it was just fun, without being deep and overlong. (Artemis is a 12 year old, HIGHLY intelligent and crafty little booger.. er, criminal. And he has a plan to steal the fairyfolk's gold.) The story clipped along without getting stale, and there was always excitement right around the corner. The characters seemed real, and it was a joy to read.

Then on to Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident I went. More fun, and just as enjoyable to read, maybe even more so! So of course Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code was up next. More of the same mindless easy reading a more adventures and fun! Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception promises another wonderful adventure, but I have to wait for the Scholastic Book order to be delivered to my son's school. LOL Why pay $7.99 at a local bookstore, when I can pay $3.95 and help the school at the same time?!

So, in the meantime, I curled up with yet another of the unread books my son had in his possession. Whispering to Witches by Anna Dale. Another wonderful book. Total witchy fantasy set in England, involving a young boy, a young witch, and a missing page out of a historical magic book. OH MY! lol I loved it.

Now, I'm beginning Eragon by Christopher Paolini. A book written by boy after graduating high school at the age of 15!! This one is about a boy, a dragon, and saving an empire. Recently the sequel ( in what will be a trilogy) was released entitled Eldest. I figure now's the time to read this one. ;)

For the record, I've been reading novels since I was about 13, encouraged by my mom, who was an avid romance reader at the time (she now includes mystery, suspense, fantasy and action into her reading lists.)

My first novel, given to me by mom, was On the Night of the Seventh Moon by Victoria Holt. A wonderful romance. After that, I read the V.C. Andrews Flowers in the Attic series and was hooked on reading for life! I read mostly romances exclusively after that until the mid 90's, and was introduced to the works of Michael Crichton. :) :) Since then I've read tons of books, including those from Dean Koontz, Dan Brown and Nora Roberts. Reading is fun.

At any rate, if you're looking for something light to read, but still WAAYY fun and totally enjoyable, pick up a kid's book. You'll be surprised how much fun you have!

As a footnote, I'm proud to say that my son finally did pick up reading (when he was good and ready) and has read the Harry Potter books, and the first Artemis Fowl installment, and is currently reading The Arctic Incident. ;) And is anxious to read Whispering to Witches after mom enjoyed it. lol)

MyFamilyCanHelp.com

Please take a moment and visit MyFamilyCanHelp.com. If you are looking for temporary living arrangements as a victim of Hurricane Katrina, or if you can offer your home as shelter, this site is for you.

Those of you who cannot offer up your home, could you PLEASE visit the site here, and snag a banner for use on your website/blog or email signature?

Thanks so much!!

Jay & Co. You guys are AWESOME!

Gas & Katrina

So this morning I've turned on my computer and headed to the kitchen to refill my coffee cup, when the phone rings.

"Hello?"
"Hey hun, Pam just told me that gas in Allen is already $2.99 a gallon."
"Oh my god. What is it here right now?" (I haven't bought gas in about a week)
"$2.60." (Actually $2.59)
"Shit. Guess I need to load the kiddo in the van and go get some before it starts rising up here."

Hangs up phone, snags kid, and is at Albertson's Express in less than 6 mins getting a whopping 8 gals of gas for just under $21. So I saved $3.20 if the price goes all the way up to $2.99. Terry will also be gettting some, hopefully making it to the station before the price change. He has a dental appointment at 10 am. *crosses fingers*

This is absolutely nuts. Man. I know Katrina has thrown a monkey wrench into the whole oil price thing, but damn.. it was out of control BEFORE she came along. Sheesh.

Speaking of Katrina.. My heart just sinks watching and reading the news coverage of the damage. Gilven continually comes to mind. Especially his statement that he, his wife, and child were the only ones of his family that left the MS Gulf Coast region. My contiued thoughts go out to him and his family, hoping that everyone is alive and well. Complaining about gas prices seems petty in light of the devestation the people of the coast have experienced.

Sin City

Ok, so we watched Sin City last night. Weird. The way the story evolved was odd. Wait, what exactly WAS the story? I even fell asleep thru about 15 mins of it.. I'm not sure what I missed, though I don't think it matters. Something about hookers, pedophiles and blood?

The action would have been ok if Tarantino had left his gruesome little fingers out of it. Blood and guts is ok, but there's just something twisted about that man. *shiver*

Maybe I'd get more out of the movie if I were to watch it again, but I just don't think I can. Oh well...

Here we go...

Well, the hubby and I have made the decision to join a few of our friends and get healthier.

For us it means losing a bunch of weight. It'd be nice to tone up, tho something we'll deal with later, the main goal for us is just simply getting the weight off. I am over weight by at least 45 lbs. and Terry by about 65 lbs. I wore a size 2 when we married, but I'd be happy with a 8 now. I think Terry wore about a 32 waist jeans at the time, so I'm sure he'd be happy with a 36 or so.

We are both bigger than we've ever been, and it's gotta stop. So here we go...

The Fat Burning Contest

Several of the people from our little gaming group are losing weight, and toning up. A couple have even posted progress pictures (Jay & Dave). And I must say, I'm jealous... and becoming a little movitated.

I'm about 5' even. Before I had children (pre-age 23) I weighed 98 lbs, and wore a size 2. I'm now 37. I have 3 kids, and I weigh about 155. My youngest is 2, and tho I was about 138 went I got pregnant with her, she really did me in. I haven't gotten below 148 since she was born. I wear a size 14 Levis and usually an XL women's t-shirt.

Tho I know I'm not massively obese, if I'm up on my feet for long periods of time, say cleaning house all day or going to the mall, my legs ache and my back hurts. I run out of breath walking to the car after shopping at Wal-Mart... I'm TOTALLY out of shape.

But where do I start? I can't afford all that protien stuff some of the guys are using, I can't buy a Bowflex or even a stationary bike because even if it were in the budget, I have NO place to put one. I don't like going to public parks alone, and certainly not with a 2 year old.

I know I can start by watching what I eat, but I've never been very good at knowing what to eat and what not to. It doesn't help that everyone had a different diet for you to try. Hi Protien, Low Carb, Fat Free.. etc etc.

Plus, with a husband and 3 kids, it's hard to resist what THEY are eating, and a real pain in the ass to make a dinner for them you can only stare at. I'm not a big veggie eater, and tho I'm not a big steak eater, and can't see living without meat completely.

So, is there a plan for me out there? Or am I just coming up with excuses.... hmmm...

Do you use Messenger Plus?

If so, you need to read this petition by Patchou.

Seems that MS Anti-Spyware is wreaking havock on the computers of people using Messenger Plus, because it is seen as spyware by the program. This apparently doesn't happen with any other anti-spyware program, and MS is basically avoiding the issue.

So please read the petition, and sign it if you agree that something needs to be done to fix the problem.

Make sure you read the last paragraph. Looks like if something isn't done.. Messenger Plus is toast.

Link to petition: http://www.msgplus.net/petition.php

I say quit using MS Anti-Spyware. I personally use Ad-Aware and love it.

Burt's Bees

Just a little note about the most awesome lip balm on the planet.

A few months ago I was with my youngest son at Books-A-Million when I noticed his lips were horribly chapped. So, at the checkout I picked up a little tin pot of Burt's Bees and asked him if he'd use it. He said yeah.. and I bought it. I personally thought it was a little expensive as far as lip balms goes.. I think I paid over $2.50 for it.. when you can get a stick of Chapstick at Wal-Mart for under a $1. At any rate, he used it for a day or so, then I never saw it again.

A week or two ago, I cleaned his room. And by clean, I mean boxes of toys and trash left the room, never to be seen again. But that's another story. In the process of doing so, I found the pot of lip balm, and promptly pocketed it. Later I put it here by my computer, where it has sat ever since.

Day before yesterday, I couldn't find my stick of generic chapstick I usually keep here by my pc, so I used the Burt's Bees stuff.

WOW! Yeowza! Does this stuff feel GOOOOD! Not only does it make my lips smooth as silk, but it tingles and FEELS great!

Ahhh.. I'm hooked. You'll never find me without Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm again!!

Teenagers, rules & loopholes

Teens. That word pretty much sums it up. For any of you that have a teen, you know what I mean.

Before I had one, I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. I mean, my son wasn't an angel (far from it) but he was pretty much average, I'd say. Yeah sometimes you had to tell him a couple of times to do stuff.. but usually, he did it.

But NOW we have a full-fledged TEENAGER. Uhhhhgggg! He's 14 and the hormones have kicked in FULL FORCE.

A few facts about teenagers:

1. They know EVERYthing. Parents are the most ignorant people on the planet. We were never teenagers and we never went to school or delt with peer pressure.

2. They have a hearing problem. "You didn't tell me that!" "You never said I couldn't!" "I never heard you!" These are their replies no matter HOW many times you've said the same thing to them.

3. Rules that they don't like don't seem to apply to them. And they also seem to make them up as they go along. Case in point. My teen son informs me that he gets an extra 30mins added to his school-night bed time each year. So since he had to be in bed last year by 9:30pm, this year he gets to stay up until 10pm. WTH? He tries to say I told him that. I never did. So that also makes them delusional.

4. Apparently all teens start out wanting to be lawyers. LOL They're loophole masters. They sit around just thinking about how they can get out of doing stuff. "Ok.. you said I have to, but you didn't say when." "Yeah, but you didn't say how." "You said no TV but you didn't say no DVD."

Today, I had to type up some rules. Rules that have been gone over time and time again. But STILL after many reminders, and many replies of "You never said that" or "You didn't say WHEN" enough is enough. So.. they're going into writing. Sheesh.

Heck.. having a teenager deserves it's own blog. Hmm...

We watched Constantine

Overall, thought it was pretty good. I've always liked Keanu Reeves. And Rachel Weisz hasn't disappointed me in a role yet.

We never took our eyes off the screen. Heaven vs Hell always makes a good movie. I thought it was well done.. the cinematography and special effects were great.

Oh hell, I don't know what else to say... we liked it. Watch it. The end.

Quick Wit

I know it's a silly topic, but it's one that comes to mind as I sit here thinking of what to write.

Quick wit is something I've always longed for. To be able to come back at the drop of a dime with something funny or smart-assed with just the right about of timing and words.

I have a couple of friends with the gift of quick wit. LuLu comes to mind. She's a really close friend of mine. I met her while playing MotoGP on Xbox live over 2 years ago, but lord is that another story.

Anyhoo, LuLu can pull a smarty crack outta thin air, and at the drop of a hat, too. You'll die laughing or drown from the coffee you've just snorted up your nose or down your windpipe. I know.. she did it to me this morning!

LuLu also has a very broad imagination. She's a master story teller, and absolutely cracks-me-the-hell up with some of the stuff she says. She's priceless.

Oooh.. to have quick wit. Thats what I want when I grow up.

I'm a WoW addict

My name is LSG, and I'm a WoW addict.

What is WoW you say? Why, World of Warcraft OF COURSE! It's a sickness I know. But one I can't help. And I figure, since I pay $14.99 a month just to play the damn thing, I might as well be an addict.

So, what is it that I love so much about this game? Gosh.. I'm not even sure. I mean.. it's not hard. Not even all that challenging. You run around getting quests to kill monsters, run errands or find items, complete them, get experience points for doing so, gaining character lvls and abilities as you rise in rank, wash, rinse and repeat. It's just so damn fun to do! PLUS, on a PvP server (player vs player,) you can kill the other "faction's" players! That right there is a pulse pounding adrenaline rush like you wouldn't believe! You against them. Will you die and have to do the 'walk of shame' back to your body to revive, or dominate in glorius player vs player battle? Oooh.. it's so much fun.

But.. even tho I'm hooked, my husband is worse. WAaayy worse. Any worse and we'd be cancelling all accounts and making appointments with shrinks! LOL

The game is now being played just about all over the world, for a total of approx 3.5 million players. Now, that's a lot of folks!

Are you also a WoW addict? Come on.. don't be shy.. 'Fess up!

So this is blogging?

So... like an online diary you share with the world? That could be a good and bad thing. lol Short on time.. I'll write more later...