December 10, 2008

  • This is what life is about:

    Yeah, Milo's pretty much got it covered.

    Where's MY nap?
     /random kitteh post.

  • What am I? #11 (WINNERS!)

    I am open 'til I close,
    Come in to my dark den.
    False starts and true stops may be the name of the game,
    But I go again and again!

    What am I?

    It's the top of the hour! Time for a visual clue:

    What?! ANOTHER visual clue? Awesome.

    Addtional clues: Some consider me eco-friendly, others despise what I do.
    Yes, I serve food.
    I tend to startle my guests—they don't leave on their own terms.
    I'm not a store, but you can buy me at one.
    I'm a practical thing ... in fact, Jen has one in her office. (though she shouldn't)
    I have no windows and one door. NO, I'm not a fridge.
    I'm smaller than a toaster.
    I don't COOK food, I just host it.
    I'm reusable.
    I catch things.
    I'm not alive, but my guests are.
    Getting closer. Think bigger.
    It's practically been guessed. BUT you need to be more specific. There IS a big difference.

    Guess it right and win a prize!

    Spread the game around—recommend to your friends!


    The answer has been guessed!
    Continue reading →

December 9, 2008

December 8, 2008

  • A day in the life ...

    I blog because I want to document my thoughts, FOR ME.

    In this crazy world, we all need our outlet. This is mine.

    I do things for people because I am a genuinely nice person.

    Sometimes we all need a little pick-me-up in our lives; a "What? You really don't want ANYTHING in return?!" moment. I am blessed to be able to provide a moment of sheer joy to some.

    I don't ask for much, just courtesy and respect.

    Real people live behind these screen names—I think it would serve us well to remember that.

    Tell me one thing you love about yourself.

  • Today's unintentional "oopsie" moment.

    I stayed home from work today. I am sick and nursing a fairly high fever. I was so exited to sleep in and not have to worry about deadlines for the next 24 hours. (I'll have you know I slept in til 11, thank you!)

    As I checked my email this afternoon, a plethora of messages started popping up. In short, the multitude of site images my photobucket account hosts had crashed, including my own. An innocent thing, really ... I guess that's what you get when you host multiple images for many high-traffic sites.

    With over 30 pages of images to sort through, the easiest and FASTEST fix was to upgrade to photobucket pro. SO I DID. That's right, $40 of my own money went out, so everyone can continue enjoying these people's Xanga sites.

    I didn't have to, nor did they ask me to. I wouldn't have time to fix each person's site over the next few days, so I did what I felt was best.

    Most every person has the main images sent to them as a back-up, for instances like these. Backgrounds may not have been sent, due to the high amount of tweaking needed to have it fit "just right."

    I appreciate everyone's patience as I addressed and fixed this matter.

    Now, Xanga on!

December 7, 2008

  • Kitty Shenanigans (Updated)

    Milo really seems to love my iPhone. Each time a new song comes on, he perks up and listens.

    He also seems to love the speakerphone function--when husband called earlier, Milo sniffed around, looking for "daddy."

    As Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" began to play, Milo went in for a closer look.

    Aww, he's so adorable! He must really like this song!

    NO, MILO!
    Don't put your mouth around my iPhone!!
    Don't bite down!!!! Noooooo, argh!!!!


    Aw, hell, he scratched it! I ended up using my spare crystal film cover (since he gouged the first one) ... so if anyone still isn't sure what to get me for Christmas, you can help me stock up on these babies. It's apparent I'll need all that I can get!

    **And yes, for the record, the iPhone DOESN'T belong on the floor.
    It just happened to slip out of my bag**

    Yes, there's always more ...

    Milo wanted to chat with Aunt Becca (aka SnippiesBlog)

    His cuteness is overwhelming. Now get off my mac!

December 6, 2008

  • A calendar contest of epic proportions!

    I FINALLY found time to get my BFN calendar contest pictures taken! Husband was fabulously patient, taking a bazillion shots for me. Here are a few of my favorites so far:

    If I chose any of the vertical ones, I'd have to crop it horizontally. I'm pretty sure I could make any of them work, though. Which one do YOU like best?

    Haven't heard about the contest? Check it out on Edlives' xanga, or read about it here:

    Talk about the Ultimate in Contests.

    The BFN teamed up with theXangateam to provide 12 people with Xanga premium for one year, or the credit equivalent.

    Here's how it works:
    1. get any item from the BFN Online store (doesn't matter what item)
    2. take a picture of the item (you wearing the item, or just the item itself with a cool backround).
    3. make a post with that picture.
    4. send a copy of the picture to webmaster@brainfriednetwork.com

    You have until December 15th to get it done.
    Hurry now...as it's drawing to a close here soon. 
    (below is the cover...thanks BarelyJen)

    What are you waiting for? Enter NOW!!

December 5, 2008

  • Be careful what you wish for ...

    No, I haven't been around much lately, but I've been more than a little preoccupied with real life. Ugh.

    The big news: I have been pseudo-promoted! LOL, allow me to explain.

    I have been moved into a higher-profile management role, but haven't received a pay increase (yet). I don't blame them, given the current economic and company situation. After all the layoffs, I'm just grateful I not only have a job, but was able to take a giant step forward in my career.

    What I didn't fully account for, however, is the massive amount of work behind it. Not only am I keeping up with my previous responsibilities and doing my part in overseeing an entire site, but I am training three people at the same time.

    Since my "managing" hat consumes my normal day hours, I have been staying later to get my own tasks done. Work has followed me home every night for two weeks, too. I am overwhelmed most of the time, but I finally feel like I'm doing something worthwhile.

    It's an adjustment period for all of us, and my struggle is only a piece in the bigger picture. But I'm in it 'til the end ... 

December 4, 2008

  • How to bed your woman (a jolly old re-post)

    my friend has a friend (seriously) who needs advice.

    he wants to know how to get his wife to have sex with him.

    sounds like a no-brainer, right? wrong.

    women are an enigma, and i'm afraid that no man will ever fully figure us out.

    (some have come close, though ...)

    with that said, we're willing to throw you a bone every now and then ... because really, we want to be satisfied just as much as you do.

    guys, you need to:

    1. take charge. don't beat around the bush when it comes to sex. if you want it, make your presence known. lead us, hold us, push us on the bed ... when done correctly — and safely — it's a fabulous turn-on! which leads us to ...

    2. take the initiative! simply stated, subtlety doesn't work. believe me, we ALWAYS know when you want it — we just want to see you work for it. just because you sleep "right next door" doesn't mean she'll automatically give you a cup of her sugar. show her you want it, and she'll most likely do the "neighborly" thing.

    3. surprise her! sometimes, there is nothing better than a sexual ambush. we love passionate kisses in the hallway, surprise neck nuzzles while cooking dinner and laundry folding liaisons. caress her arm as you pass or simply draw her close for a slow dance in the living room. these small sensual acts typically have big payoffs. seriously, try it.  

    4. romance her. every woman wants to be reminded you desire her. go out for dinner, buy her favorite flower, leave some love notes around the house and yes — talk about her feelings. you've gotta work some to get some!

    5. respect her. i'm sure it's hard to believe, but sometimes, she just won't want to have sex, no matter what you do. let her have her "i feel fat/tired/headachy" day. she'll remember the effort you put in and most likely repay you (and then some) as soon as she's up to it. 


    6. keep it spicy! missionary is lame and sideways is tame. fill your "bag of tricks" with a variety of things to choose from. (this goes back to the idea of surprising us) think about it: you don't eat or wear the same thing every day, so don't have sex the same way every day, either!  

    once the passion is a flowin', you'll be sure to get her goin'!

    good luck, sirs, and Godspeed. 

    *as always, recommendations are welcome.

    NOTE: This is a re-post. You can find the original post here. ALSO, the follow-up post — how to satisfy your man — can be found here.

  • Dog days of Winter.

    When I read cre13 was hosting the "For the Dogs" photo contest, I couldn't NOT enter.

    My dog Riley left us four months ago. In fact, it's taken just about that long to not break down at the mere mention of her. No, she didn't die or anything too dramatic ... she's just with a different family now. For those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile know the struggles our family went through with this most precious animal. If you're new to my site, get caught up on the basics here.

    She was the best, yet most difficult thing I've ever had to deal with. Riley, I love you.