Be Safe Tonight

If you are out and about tonight, be safe. Don't drink and drive. Don't ride with someone else if they have been drinking. AAA is offering free tows for members and non-members. Call 1-800-222-4357 and ask for a Tipsy Tow. They will take you and your car up to 10 miles for free tonight only. Passengers can ride as well provided there is room in the tow truck. They are taking calls from 6pm tonight to 6am tomorrow morning. Play it safe and have a blast! See you next year!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Saturday Salute: Australia Has Jobs for US Vets

With the Iraq War ending, we are expecting an influx of military veterans coming to an end of their service term, unwilling to reenlist for any number of reasons, and then adding to increasing our unemployment numbers. For soldiers and their families, this is a scary possibility. Fortunately for them, there is a solution for some service members.

Australia is hiring! They are especially looking for soldiers with experience in special forces, intelligence, and subs, but are accepting veterans with a broad range of military experiences. According to this article, we are expecting to lose over 7,000 Army jobs by October. Marines are looking to drop 16,000 positions, while the Navy has already cut 50,000 with plans to drop another 3,000. Unexpectedly, the Air Force plans to add jobs, to a tune of a few hundred.

U.S. and Australia has dual citizenship so this is a good prospect for soldiers looking at ending their military careers over the next year. Check the link above to the article to find out more information on this opportunity.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Guess What I Got!?

My dad asked me and my little sisters to go on a drive with him yesterday and surprised us with a trip to my grandmother's sister's house to get a puppy!

So here is the story. My grandmother's oldest sister passed away recently. Before she passed, she bred her female black labradoodle with a friend's male chocolate labradoodle. After she passed, her husband hasn't been up to taking care of the mother and 7 puppies. My grandmother's younger sister took the momma and puppies to her house to find them homes since the widowed husband's solution was to just "let them go" and apparently take care of themselves. He's old and grieving... Anyways, so we got there and Dad fell in love with a beautiful brown and cream puppy with blue eyes. I found a solid black puppy that was absolutely adorable. We ended up bringing BOTH of them home. How cool is that? I was shocked when Dad said it was okay to take both. So now, we have two little labradoodle girl puppies, one black and one chocolate and cream. They are so, so sweet!

On the way home, Dad held his little multi-choc puppy in his lap and I held the black one. Dad wanted a dog that will ride with him back and forth from Alabama and Ohio since he goes between our houses frequently. My little black girl had a blast in the car! She crawled up into the center console and looked around during the drive. She cried every time Dad had to stop and get out (to get gas, to get puppy food, and to get groceries). His little brown girl freaked out in the car, shaking and whimpering. Needless to say, we ended up switching puppies before we even got home.

So now I have a beautiful brown and cream puppy, and my parents have a beautiful black puppy. The black one has been named Sadie... or possibly Gracie. They aren't sure yet. Mine was originally Kahlua, then changed to Jolene. But now I'm thinking Aurora. I don't know yet. I'll figure it out in the next couple days.

We just finished building a temporary outdoor kennel for the girls to play in when it isn't raining. They are having a blast romping around in it. I stuck a tote out there on its side with a blanket for them to lay in while they are in the kennel. It is temporary after all. We need to fix a couple holes in our fence before they can run loose in the back yard. I'm taking them to the vet on Monday for puppy shots and health check-ups.

Wanna see them? Check it out!

Aurora?                                                 Sadie?

 

The girls already took time out of their busy play schedule for a nap in the temporary kennel.

Friday Five: Favorite 2011 Memories

I hope everyone is enjoying the last Friday of 2011. If you are getting ready to party tomorrow night, please remember to stay safe and keep it all in moderation. If you can't remember it, then how can it be any fun later on? Yeah yeah. Speaking of memory, that leads me to today's Friday Five. My favorite memories of 2011!

1. My brother got married in September! Yeah! Go bro! Maybe my sister-in-law can muzzle him and keep him grounded. :)

2. I finally "officially" moved back to Ohio in August. I live in the south since 2003. It was time to come home for a while.

3. I got my first e-reader in October. I have since downloaded about 600 free books and games. I intend to read them all at some point!

These last two were harder to come up with...

4. Occupy events started in September. I'm sad that it has come to demonstrations and civil disobedience, but I am very happy to keep the memory of Americans finally waking up in my mind.

5. Gay marriage legalized in New York in July. I am very, very happy that my friends in New York are legally entitled to marry their partners, but I really hate that it has come to be court cases and such over the issue. Up until 1996, there was no "definition" of marriage. Why do we need one now? The neighbor's marriage has no merit on someone else's. So yes, just like in 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2010, I am happy about the legalization, but I am still disappointed that people cannot see beyond their own egos to get over themselves and mind their own business.

Here is to a very Happy New Years to you. Stay safe. Have fun. Ring in the new year surrounded by those you love!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Thursday Thought: New Years

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
Edith Lovejoy Pierce

A very appropriate New Year's thought coming from a poet and shared by a writer. Have a safe night of celebrations and a wonderful 2012!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

My New Years Writing Resolutions

2012 is quickly upon us. I have a general rule of avoiding New Years resolutions simply because people never keep them, but here we are anyways. Instead of making life resolutions (I'm already doing a great job of taking better care of my health, losing weight, and relinquishing toxic relationships. I'm good on those!), I'm making Writing Resolutions for 2012. A friend of mine found this post and it is exactly like what I'm looking to do.

I like limebirdkate's 11 resolutions, especially #1,7, and 9. #1: Write gutsier. Everyone should do that. Stop being so careful that you sabotage your writing. Some things require taking chances. Writing is one of those things. #7: Take a writing workshop. No matter your place within the writer's food chain, you can and will benefit from taking a writing workshop. No one is perfect; everyone has room for improvement. Even the pros. #9: Build relationships within the writing community. I cannot communicate how important this is. I have a few friends that write... without them, I probably wouldn't write. I would go crazy from all the ideas and questions so I would block it all away like I used to do. As a writer in this day and age, you have to network with other writers. Not only will you make some amazing new friends, but you will improve your craft, learn some neat tips and tricks, and receive feedback that you wouldn't otherwise get. I know for a beta reader, I prefer writers and/or fantasy readers because those people can offer much better feedback.

So I have a few writing resolutions to share.

Wednesday Weird: Ninja Cow

Residents of Plattsmouth, Nebraska have been tormented by a cow, nicknamed "Ninja Cow" at some point, for months. They think the cow escaped from a cattle truck in mid-September. The townsfolk tried everything to catch her... bribing her with biscuits and gravy, using recording cow sounds to lure her in, etc. Nothing worked.

Several Facebook pages have popped up supporting Ninja Cow. There are even talks of an annual Ninja Cow Day celebration!

The police chief, Steve Rathman, refused to shoot the cow. They went as far as to bring in a contractor to catch her. Eventually, animal control officer Sue Baker called up some ranch hands John and Jessica Vallery. They found the cow's newborn calf and used it as bait. They captured her temporarily but the broke the gate down. After that, Rathman gave a kill order. A cow loose in a residential area poses a great risk to human life, so I can understand his order when their options were exhausted.

Finally a couple cowboys caught Ninja Cow. She is happily residing at the farm of one of the men that captured her. Unfortunately, her calf was sold to another farmer while she eluded capture. The calf would have died without care, so while that is sad, its better than the baby died of starvation. City animal control just doesn't have the resources to care for a cow.

I'm very glad this story has a happy ending. I'm sure the residents of Plattsmouth are happy to not clean cow pies out of their yards, off the streets, and from the tennis court any longer. Yuck!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Tuesday Treat: Devils on Horseback

Found a great New Year's Eve appetizer that I am going to try this weekend called Devils on Horseback. According to the post, these little things are the perfect mix of salty, sweet, crispy, chewy, and crunchy. We'll see how they turn out.

Ingredients:
20 wooden toothpicks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
20 dates, pitted and left whole
20 whole smoked almonds
10 bacon slices, cut in half

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Soak the toothpicks in water. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan/dish.
2. Mix the ginger and soy sauce in a bowl. Put the brown sugar in a separate bowl. Spread open a pitted date and stuff it with an almond. Wrap the date with a half slice of bacon and pin it together with a toothpick. Dip the bacon-date bundle into the soy sauce mix and then the brown sugar. Place the dipped date in the prepared baking dish.
3. Bake until the bacon is brown and crispy, 15 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and serve warm/room temperature.

Ideas:

• Double or triple the recipe for large groups.
• Replace dates with dried apricots or prunes.
• Use reduced sodium soy sauce.
• Replace almonds with mango chutney or walnuts.
• Sprinkle finished bundles with extra brown sugar for more sweetness, or with red chili flakes for a spicy kick before baking.

I don't know that I've ever had a date, so we'll see how this works out. As for the nut, I'll just have to see what kind is the cheapest. I know nuts in general are fairly expensive. As for the suggested ideas, I have no idea what mango chutney is... but the addition of some red chilies sounds amazing. Wonder if it would ruin the entire taste if served with Ranch dressing? Hmmm... my mouth is watering now. Have a blast this weekend!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Monday Machination: The 36 Plots

I came across this RPG plot guide by Loren J. Miller earlier in the week as I worked on my genre post (it is still a WIP) and thought I'd share it for the Monday Machination. I know this post is a day late, but I figured I'd post it anyways since I already had it worked up in draft form. Sorry for the late post. :)

Check this article here and then read after the jump.

Busy Holidays

I spent all day yesterday shopping for holiday markdowns at Wal-Mart and the mall. I was so busy in fact that I forgot to do yesterday's post until very early this morning. I'll be working on both yesterday's post and today's post over the next couple hours. Check back soon.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Straight No Chaser: 12 Days of Craziness!

I love this video and it never ceases to crack me up. This is a group called Straight No Chaser singing their version of 12 Days of Christmas. Enjoy it with your family today.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Sunday Script: Ghostly Quips

I woke up with 13 Ghosts on my mind this morning. Yeah, I know its Christmas morning. I blame reading A Christmas Carol last night and then my screwed up brain for automatically switching to 13 Ghosts. Instead of a full script, I am going to share a few of my favorite lines and then go open presents with the kiddies. Have a wonderful day everyone!

Saturday Salute: Two Christmas Poems

I decided to share two holiday military poems for today's Saturday Salute. The links are in the titles. Have a wonderful holiday. Stay warm and safe with your family and friends. I have presents to finish wrapping and a Christmas morning to plan so I will leave you with the poems.

Friday Five: Holiday Memories

I figured today's and the 30th's Friday Five could be about memories. Today's is my favorite Holiday Memories over the years. Next week, I'll list my favorite memories for 2011. :)

1. I've mentioned this before but my favorite holiday memory is the homemade Christmas ornaments my grandmother made over the years. We put them on the tree this year and I boohooed for a good bit after.
2. In 2005, I spent New Years with  my parents, my brother, two of my brother's friends, and a friend of mine. None of us thought to pick up alcohol. It was my first New Years after I turned 21. A neighbor gave us corn whiskey that resulted in a 6 hour tape of us singing a karaoke version of Cheeseburger In Paradise and Fins over and over again. Never again but it was hilarious.
3. When I was 16, I rang in the New Year with girlfriends from high school. I was introduced to the comedy of Eddie Izzard that night and an obsession was born. I still love the guy.
4. I may have the year wrong, but we had a blizzard in 1993 where the snow drifts ended up higher than I was tall. I was around 9 then so it may have been 4 foot drifts, but still. I remember making an igloo, several dozen snowmen, and sledding in the neighbor's field.
5. Christmas 2008 is my favorite for one simple reason. I graduated from college in December 2008 and Christmas was my first holiday with a degree. It was awesome knowing I didn't have to go back in January, that I could focus on work finally.

I could come up with a dozen more favorite memories but I have to help wrap presents tonight so I'll leave it here. What is your favorite memory during the holidays? Tell me in the comments below!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Thursday Thought: Christmas Gifting

I found this quote this morning and absolutely love it.

Christmas gift suggestions: to your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.
Oren Arnold

Isn't that beautiful? I think I live my life that way as it is, but I'm not perfect. I don't forgive quickly, though I do forgive eventually. I don't know that I have opponents per say but I am very tolerant. I would give everything to my friends if I could. I've done the customer service stuff for close to 15 years (and was very good at it, not just a warm body filling a spot). I definitely give to charity... donations every time I pass the kettle, giving of gently used toys and clothes throughout the year, Angel tree gifts every holiday, serving at the soup kitchen, helping others around me when times are rough. I try to set a good example for all kids all the time, but especially E&L. I'm better about respecting myself. What about you?

Wednesday Weird: Braves Vs Brave

It seems that baseball's Atlanta Braves are so incensed over Disney's use of the title Brave for their upcoming princess movie that the team is protesting their trademark petition. Apparently, the Braves own the trademark for all references to "brave" and/or "braves" and the Disney title would cause confusion. Seriously? Yeah, not really. Okay, they really are petitioning the use of the title but they do NOT own all references to the word. I'm pretty sure that isn't the way trademark law works for a common-use word.

There are hundreds of references to brave in the entertainment industry. Movies, songs, books, and so on. I recall the words to the National Anthem includes a brave reference. Which is sung at the beginning of most sporting events, including baseball. Is trademark so specific that one can trade mark a commonly used word? Can I trade mark THE or OF? That would be awesome.

This whole thing is made even stranger by the fact that the Braves have other contracts with Disney. Their spring training camp is held at Disney Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Florida. I can't imagine this thing is going over well. And of all conglomerates the Braves want to take on... Disney? Really? Talk about David and Goliath syndrome! So is the team being juvenile and petty or is Disney taking advantage of the team's trademarked name in order to further their film?

I personally think the entire thing is stupid and that the Braves folks are acting like elementary school kids picking fights with high school students just to try to show off for their little girlfriends. Weird situation that I'll be watching... especially considering I am so very excited about Brave!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Homemade Holidays Part 5

I got into the crafting mode again tonight (yes, I know I'm supposed to be writing but its the holidays man... I'm like a freaking raccoon OH SHINY!!!!!!). I found a very cute snowman set up and had to give it a try. And then I modified it to suit my own needs. Check it out!

Tuesday Treat: Buffalo Chicken Dip

One of my cousins made this dip for our family Christmas party on Sunday and it was incredible. Seriously, I think I ate more of this dip than I did of real food. Holy crow it was great. Sorry I don't have any pictures but I'm sure there are some on Google if you look it up. It is super easy to make and serves a whole freaking lot. This is a great addition to an appetizer spread, tailgate parties, and BYO covered dish festivities.

Monday Machination: Mystery Fiction

Today's Monday post relates to a post on genre that I have been working on recently. I'll finish it eventually, but until then, here is a little something.

Mystery fiction is an umbrella genre encompassing specialized fiction like medical thrillers, police procedural, and "hardboiled" fiction. It is associated most usually with crime fiction, although supernatural thrillers are not uncommon. The name should tell you exactly what it is, but in a nutshell, mystery fiction is at its heart a puzzle and solution story. There are many cliches in mystery fiction like the alcoholic detective, the ditsy girl that solves the case, and the main suspect is innocent all along.

Probably the most famous mysteries are those of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, and the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew series. It grew in popularity in the 20's and 30's, giving rise to pulp magazines before declining in the 50's. Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine is one of the remaining pulp magazines today, continuing to churn out monthly volumes since the 1950's.

Today, mystery stories remain popular. The genre is popular in television (NYPD Blue and its ilk), books (James Patterson is amazing), and comics. Whodunit fiction is surprisingly selling well. Murder mystery dinner theaters pop up all over the place and have amazing online resources for at-home murder mystery parties. Mystery fiction is a very neat genre when done well. Not many can do it well though, as Tod Goldberg (wrote the books Burn Notice is based on) likes to point out. Check out his rant... it is hysterical.

So do you have any favorite mysteries that you could read over and over, or that you recommend to everyone? I cut my teeth on Nancy Drew so this is a favorite of mine even though I write fantasy.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Sunday Scene: Steve Gets Pwnd By a Priest

I love The Ringer. It is an incredibly funny movie from 2005 about a guy (Johnny Noxville of Jackass fame) that tries to fix the Special Olympics in order to pay off a huge accumulation of debt. There are some amazing one liners and features many actors with disabilities. I didn't think I would like the movie... I assumed it was making fun of adults with disabilities, but it ended up being very uplifting and completely hilarious. Link here.

A few of my favorite one liners from the movie:

Homemade Holidays Part 4

I was supposed to be getting ready to go see friends when the girls begged to make more ornaments. I had several I needed to make anyways so here are more pictures!

Charlie Brown's Woodstock, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and Snoopy! I still need to add their hangers but I need to get ready to go (only about 5 hours late).

Saturday Salute: The War In Iraq is Over

The 15th of December marked the official end of the Iraq War. We spent 9 years in Iraq, starting March 20, 2003 under the name Operation Iraqi Freedom. Former President George Bush Jr., with the help of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, launched the attack with the intention of finding weapons of mass destruction. They did not find any WMD in 2003, with an American survey group concluding that Iraq ended their nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons production in 1991 but warned that President Saddam Hussein planned to resume production immediately after sanctions against such lifted.

Saddam was captured December 13, 2003 and executed November 5, 2006.
The UK pulled their troops April 30, 2009.

The United States has cased the colors and the flag (along with most of the soldiers) is on its way home. According to this article, about 4,000 soldiers remain in Iraq, though President Obama has said multiple times that all soldiers will be recalled by the end of the year.

We lost some 4,500 soldiers. The UK lost the next highest amount, but only about 4% of what we lost: 179. Iraq lost near 100,000 soldiers and civilians.

Yes, Saddam was gone, and I don't think many can argue that he was not a bad guy. Even without proof that he supported al-Qaeda, evidence shows he participated heavily in the genocide of Kurds between 1986 and 1989, resulting in the death of over 200,000 civilians. He invaded Kuwait. He tortured and imprisoned his own people and killed as many as a million during his rule. Yeah, he was a bad guy.

But regardless of how many pictures they show of little kids celebrating the arrival of US troops, women crying as they receive water and rice, and old men playing checkers with allied soldiers, I still go back to this and articles like it. These people didn't want us there and they are very glad we are gone. Maybe some benefited from our occupation of Iraq. But I can't help but think that 4,500 families will be without their loved ones this holiday season because Bush Jr. wanted to have a pissing contest with his daddy's rival Saddam. And it makes me very sad.

That being said, I am very happy the troops are coming home. I hope the 4,000 still in Iraq will make it before  the holidays are over. Today is a great day to thank a veteran for their service if you know any. Give them a call, swing by with a plate of cookies. Visit the veteran's home and say thank you for their service, their sacrifices, and their dedication.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Friday Five: Favorite Holiday Movies

I'm sticking with a holiday theme. :)

Top 5 Holiday Movies:

1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Written by John Hughes. Automatically qualifies as #1 for that reason alone.
2. Hogfather. I have written about Terry Pratchett before. His Disc World series includes this story and it is a fantastic "alternative" version of a Christmas type story.
3. Prancer. This movie makes me cry every time. I considered Cloris Leachman's role as Mrs. McFarland her best until she portrayed Maw Maw in Raising Hope.
4. The Santa Clause. I discovered David Krumholtz for the first time as Bernard and crushed hard on him for years!
5. A Charlie Brown Christmas. This classic cartoon always gives me a feel good high.

Honorable Mentions in no specific order:
A Christmas Carol. This cartoon played every year when I was a kid. I have fond memories of yelling at Scrooge and then cheering for Tiny Tim.
Home Alone. Another John Hughes film. It only rates an honorable mention because I have to listen to Joe Pesci screech throughout most of it. No amount of John Candy, Macaulay Culkin, and Christopher Columbus can make up for that.
Babes in Toyland. This always played in school when I was a kid. I remember that because it wasn't a cartoon, a lot of kids didn't watch it. I did though. It was amazing.
Scrooged. Bill Murray plays Scrooge in this remake of A Christmas Carol. The story is slightly different, but its still true to the core of ACC. Plus, Bill is hilarious.
The Christmas Shoes. This was a made-for-tv movie based on a song of the same name. Kimberly Williams from The 10th Kingdom plays one of the lead characters and the role is tragic. It makes me cry.
Miracle on 34th Street. Mara Wilson's portrayal of Susan (the little girl) is brilliant. A great remake of a classic story.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Thursday Thought: Happy Holidays

Pardon me while I jump on my soap box in today's Thursday Thought. If you are one of those people that have gotten your panties in a twist over someone telling you "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" then you may want to close this post. Or, better yet, keep reading.

I'm sticking a jump in here. You'll thank me later.

Homemade Holidays Part 3

I had to switch gears for a while since my family just had to have the dinning room table, so I started making ornaments and crafts with pipe cleaners. Check out what I have so far after the jump!

Wednesday Weird: Natural Formations

I found this on Yahoo! a few days ago and bookmarked it for today. Go to this link to watch a cute video about 5 of the weirdest natural formations in the United States. I'll wait for you.

Tuesday Treat: Hot Buttered Rum

Alright, I will admit that I enjoy a drink or two on occasion. To my knowledge (correct me if I am wrong), I have not blogged while intoxicated. However, I thought I would share an interesting blog post full of incredibly yummy alcoholic holiday drinks. Check the full post here. The one I thought sounded the most interesting was the hot buttered rum, even though I dislike rum. Captain Jack, you can keep that shit. Yuck. But anyways, this recipe was neat nonetheless.

Ingredients:
1 pound light brown sugar
1/2 pound unsalted butter (softened)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Lots o' Rum

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and spices (so all of the above minus the rum) until well blended. Refrigerate once prepared.

Serve:
Heat a coffee mug in hot water and dry it quickly. Drop 2 heaping tablespoons of the batter in the cup with 1 1/2 ounces of rum. Fill the cup with boiling water. Stir well to mix the ingredients and then serve with a spoon.

Ideas:

• A mixer should work with this I would think.
• Refrigerate in an airtight container. The batter lasts up to a month if stored properly.
• It can also be frozen and then thawed out when needed.
• A better flavor comes from allowing the spices to mingle in the batter so prepare this ahead of time. Give it 6 hours to breathe once removed from the refrigerator for optimal taste and consistency.

I love the idea of individual servings of a special drink that can be prepared in advance and stored until needed. A friend of mine makes mead for her parties and always ends up with a huge pot of it left over- taking up half of her refrigerator afterward! This would work so much better, especially for parties where you are unsure how many people actually want to give it a try.

If you check the post (link above), there are all kinds of recipes listed. Holiday Glogg, Mocha Nog Punch, Gingerbread Apple Cocktail, and Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake Martini are just a few others you will find. This post was a year old two days ago so show the author some love while you are there!

Love is love, no matter the back story! <3 DS

Monday Machination: What the Hell is Going On?

A friend of mine sent me an article yesterday that pisses me off and scares me at the same time. Apparently, when the National Defense Authorization Act went through the Senate recently, an amendment (Section 1031), made at the last minute that may authorize (or require by orders) U.S. military to detain American citizens arrested on American soil indefinitely, wormed its way through too.

Sunday Scene: Buttercup Marries Humperdink BOOOO

I'm slightly obsessed with The Princess Bride. I wrote a piece about the movie and the book a while back. You can read it here. Anyways, so I love this movie. Below is a truncated version of my favorite scene. Interspersed through the marriage scenes are scenes of Fezzik, Inigo, and Westley bluffing their way into the castle. I had to do quite a bit of cut and paste to get the marriage scene together, otherwise this would have been a very long post! (Find the script I used to cut and paste this scene from here.)

CLERGYMAN
Mawidge...mawidge is what bwings us togewer today...
Mawidge, the bwessed awwangement, that dweam wiffim a dweam...
Ven wuv, twoo wuv, wiw fowwow you fowever..
so tweasuwe your vruv

HUMPERDINK
Skip to the end.

CLERGYMAN
Have you the wing?

BUTTERCUP
Here comes my Westley now.

HUMPERDINK
Your Westley is dead. I killed him myself.

BUTTERCUP
Then why is there fear behind your eyes?

CLERGYMAN
And do you, Pwincess Buwwercwup...

HUMPERDINK
Man and wife. Say man and wife!

CLERGYMAN
Man and wife.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Saturday Salute: Honoring a Pledge

This is a very short Saturday Salute. Kids are going crazy right now. :)

I want to recognize the veterans and active duty military that have come out to support the Occupy protesters. When enlisting in the military, soldiers take an oath to protect and serve United States Constitution and obey the orders of the President and officers. However, if you ask most soldiers, they will say they made a promise to protect U.S. Citizens and our Country. And some of those same soldiers are taking that promise to protect to heart. They have joined ranks to provide support and protection for the 99% protesters across the nation.

From the Veterans for Peace to groups of Occupy [Military], soldiers are coming forward (along with members of the police BRAVO!) to continue protecting us even after they have returned from war. It hasn't come without some issues. Former Marine Scott Olsen was critically injured at a raid against Occupy Oakland. Sargent Shamar Thomas verbally abraded NYC police; dissidents immediately went to work to tear him down via the Internet for daring to stand up for his beliefs.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you soldiers, for your service at home and abroad. You are exemplary of why I resolutely support the troops!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Friday Five: My Christmas List

Alright, I know I'm too old to have a Christmas list for Santa. But, I still have wants! I'm making everyone gifts this year, but that doesn't mean that I would refuse a store bought gift. haha This list is a little over the top and so totally not realistic, but I like to do this every year for giggles.

My Christmas List- Top 5

1. Kindle Fire. Don't get me wrong, I love my Kindle Keyboard and I hate anything touchscreen but damn this looks awesome.
2. Keurig Mini Plus Brewing System. It makes coffee. From little packets called K-Cups. They are flavored. It can't get much better unless it came with someone to serve it to me!
3. A knitted hat. I don't know what it is called but its the poofy kind that fits snugly around the head (like a headband I guess) and then has a poofy back where your hair can be pulled up in it. They just look ridiculously comfy. I like greens and grays for my hats, although I've been rocking a pink fedora lately.
4. An extremely wide banded watch. A band of 2 inches or wider of a soft material, preferably in black with a silver watch body. I like chunky fashions when I wear jewelry. Watches are no different.
5. A digital camera. Nothing flashy. No touchscreens. SD card slot preferred. Nothing remotely like Kodak EasyShare software (hate that crap). Green.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Thursday Thought: Altruism

I had an interview this morning, slept all afternoon, watched holiday movies with the family tonight and then fell asleep until just a little bit ago when I realized I had not written Thursday's daily. Sorry about that. Here we go... and it is a few minutes before midnight. ;)

Altruism is [selfless concern for the well-being of others]. Everyone is capable of altruism, but it is rarely practiced. As the holidays grow nearer, I think more and more about altruism and society. How often do you stop to look at the donation trees in the grocery store from local children? Or drop money into the donation kettles? How often do you model altruistic behaviors so that your own children learn of the gift of unselfishness?

My family decided on Thanksgiving to forgo a Christmas dinner this year. Instead, we will be serving food at a local soup kitchen that serves food to anyone that needs a meal. After we finish serving, I believe we are all going to hit up a buffet or make a dinner of cold cuts and veggies with dip. I'm very glad that they came to that decision. It is something I have been begging them to do for a long time.

These quotes hit home for me since I am now living full time with my 8 & 9 year old sisters.

Ask your children two questions this Christmas. First: "What do you want to give to others for Christmas?" Second: "What do you want for Christmas?" The first fosters generosity of heart and an outward focus. The second can breed selfishness if not tempered with the first. ~Author Unknown

What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. ~Albert Pine

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

3000 Views

I have exceeded 3,000 views by several hundred. It was on the 2nd of October that I posted about 2,000 views so in a little over 2 months, I have racked up another 1.2-1.3k views. How awesome! It looks like I'm averaging a good 20-ish hits a day. That is wonderful! Thank you to everyone that stops by. Sometimes, blogging can feel like you are talking to yourself... it is nice to check the stats page and see that there are a ton of folks that actually read my posts. You all rock! Keep visiting, reading, and commenting! You are the highlight of my day.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Wednesday Weird: Live by Eating Frozen Beer?

So apparently so some guy in Alaska is a genius. Okay, I'm being sarcastic. I have a feeling that will be a reoccurring theme on Wednesday Weird.

Clifton Vale got himself stuck in an Alaskan snowdrift and was in his truck for 3 days before rescuers found him. Vale decided to drive north along a road, just to see how far he could get on it. I am assuming, because it is Alaska, that there was a snowstorm and that it was not the brightest idea to drive on that road.

Vale got stuck in a snowdrift and couldn't dig his truck out. He figured he was stuck, and with no cell phone reception, he settled in to wait for rescue. He sat for 3 days in his truck wearing jeans, a jacket, and tennis shoes. I bet he was thankful for that coat! He climbed into a sleeping bag that he had stashed in the truck and wrapped a towel around his feet to stay warm in -17C temperatures.

As bad as the situation was, Vale was not without some comfort. Stuck right along with him were a few cans of Coors Light that had frozen through. He cut the cans open like it was a tinned meat can and ate the frozen beer with a pocket knife. After 60 hours in the truck, Vale lost about 16 pounds and began to hallucinate. No word on how much the Coors Light only diet had on the hallucinations.

Vale was rescued when his employer noticed he did not come in to work on time. Yay for punctuality!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Homemade Holidays Part 2

I literally spent all day working on the last three sets of ornaments and a couple angels. I started out with wanting to make a set of Alice in Wonderland inspired ornaments. I finished those and made a run to the craft store for more white paint when I decided to give a Wizard of Oz set a try. While doing the Oz set, I decided a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory set was needed as well.

I'm sure others will come to me over the next few days but I promised my family I would let them have the dinning room table for a few days. What other sets can you think of for me to give a try? Keep in mind, it would have to be something that I have read/watched AND enjoyed.

Check the pictures below for the three sets I finished today plus a couple angels.

Homemade Holidays

I may or may not have spoken about my Homemade Christmas back when I did the Thursday Thrift posts. Either way, here is the story.

My grandmother made homemade Christmas ornaments every year for as long as I can remember. She had too many kids and grand kids to be able to buy presents for everyone. When a majority of the grand kids (we're all about the same age) were getting at that age where we didn't like anything anyone bought us (you know, that age), Grandma started making ornaments instead of buying cheap gifts. I know the first year or so, I didn't appreciate the handmade ornaments. I was too young to understand just how special they would become to me. As I got older, I learned how much love went into those ornaments. My grandmother died in February. I have every ornament she made me over the years. They are quite literally my most prized possession for the simple fact that I will never get another one. I have wanted to do a homemade Christmas for several years (it first came to mind the Christmas after Hurricane Katrina, when my family took toys to the kids since they weren't going to have much for Christmas) and when Grandma passed away, I decided to finally start doing it instead of wanting to do it.

Tuesday Treats: Crunchy the Snowman

I found this recipe back in July when I started collecting Christmas craft ideas (I'll post about that in a bit). It is freaking adorable and super easy to do. Check it out!


Edit: 8/15/2012 Image removed. I don't want to be sued.

 From FamilyFun Magazine

Monday Machination: The Death of Thomas H. Ince

To kick off the first Monday Machination, I am writing about the inspiration for this daily post.

On November 15, 1924, silent film maker and producer Thomas H. Ince set sail with business magnate William Randolph Hurst, actor Charlie Chaplin, actresses Marion Davies and Margaret Livingston, and writer Louella Parsons and many others. Sometime on the yacht, Ince developed an issue that required his removal from the yacht and return to shore. Less than 48 hours later, he died. Why? How? Those reports are muddled.

Sunday Scene: Willow's Madmartigan In Love VS. Sorsha

**I wrote this yesterday but apparently forgot to hit post. It sat here all day and night yesterday in a forgotten tab. Sorry folks!

This is one of the new dailies that I got very excited about. Sunday Scene is where I will be sharing some of my favorite movie scenes on the blog! There are loads of websites that have pdf and/or html versions of popular movie and television scripts. I'm probably going to focus on movies for now, but I may throw a t.v. show in for giggles from time to time. Google "movie scripts online" without the quotes to find several sites or click the links below.
Simply Scripts
Internet Movie Script Database


Today's script is: Willow

I love this movie, especially as an adult. The names are awesome. The Nelwyns: Burglenutt, Meegosh, and Vohnkar. The humans (daikinis): Madmartigan, Airk, Sorsha. The Brownies: Rool, Teemo. Others: Cherlindrea, Raziel, Bavmorda.

Madmartigan: I love you.
He kisses her lips. Her eyes open.
Sorsha: One move and you really will be a woman.
Holding the baby, Madmartigan does not move a muscle. Sorsha holds a knife to his crotch.
Sorsha: You are a fool. Now put her back.
Madmartigan: I'm not going to let this baby die.
Sorsha presses the knife.
Sorsha: Don't make me kill you.

I love this scene specifically. Madmartigan and Willow infiltrate the daikini army's camp to rescue Elora Danan, and Madmartigan discovers he is in love with Sorsha. In the movie, I believe he was hit with brownie love dust, though I can't find it in the script I am looking at right now. That is the only bad thing about these script websites. Often, the scripts you find are early drafts that can be completely different from the final movie version.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Some Videos to Share

Some videos have been floating around the interwebs the last couple days that I thought to share. Check it out.

Saturday Salute: U.S. Military

For the first Saturday Salute, I figured I would write a broad post about the U.S. Military to introduce the Saturday topic.

The United States military includes the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. This includes the Reserves and National Guard forces as well. Led by the U.S. Department of Defense, and the President of the United States, the military works together under Unified Combatants Commands to carry out orders from the President and the Secretary of Defense.

Friday Five: Christmas Songs

I, as a rule, dislike commercial holidays and rarely get into the "holiday spirit" like my family does. One thing I do enjoy though, is Christmas music. I'm not religious but I really enjoy the music, be it the novelty songs, traditional carols, or super religious ones. I typically listen to it from July to January. Yes, I know I am weird. :) I love the old songs that I grew up with years ago. I like some of the newer stuff as well. Below is my top 5 Christmas songs and the versions that I enjoy the most. I'll try to link some Youtube vids, but they may be blocked from embedded playback. Check them out on Youtube if that is the case.

Thursday Thought: Success

Today makes the first Thursday Thought so it seems right to explain what I intend to do with these posts. Thursday Thought is going to be for quotes, sayings, and such that I find interesting. I may post multiple quotes/thoughts on a related topic within a single post. Who knows. I doubt I will do more than post the quote and source, though if any particular item has an interesting origin or relation, I may write about it. I hope you find Thursday Thought to be a little inspiration going into your weekends!

Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.
Stephen A. Brennan
Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.
George Sheehan
I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
Bill Cosby

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Welcome to the month after! The month after NaNo that is. It is time to unwind and let the stress of last month wash away. For those of you that finished your NaNo novels, you have my permission to turn your inner editors back on and start working to make your novel the best it can be! Those of you that wrote but haven't finished your whole story (even if you crossed 50k), KEEP WRITING! I can tell you from personal experience, being able to write "THE END" on a piece feels amazing. It opens your eyes to possibilities that you will never realize otherwise. Keep going. You will reach the end of your novel with it is ready to end.

With the end of NaNoWriMo comes the beginning of my new daily posts. Today is Thursday Thought. Watch out for a post later this afternoon. I think I will try to find something about success, or finality, or something else appropriate.

I genuinely hope you enjoyed my NaNo journal, the daily writing prompts, and the little updates here and there. I hope that October's preparations were helpful for at least someone. From today, I will be alternating finishing the last few chapters of Immo2 and the final edit of Immo1. Still working on that cover for Immo1. I'll be there soon. Tentative goal: Immo1 ready for publishing and first draft of Immo2 by January 31st. :) We'll see.

Have a great month everyone. I'm making homemade Christmas ornaments, soaps, and tasty treats for everyone this year. I'll post pictures!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS