a day off, a day of...

in honor of martin luther king day, i am watching Lean On Me.


i'm not sure what the correlation is there, but it IS there somewhere.  anyone?  : )  


oh, i know!  it's that one man (one person) CAN make a difference in seemingly impossible odds.  


speaking of - does anyone know where i can find Stand And Deliver?  (is that the one w/ edward james olmos as the math teacher?  that's the one i want.  we watched it in class one year... anyone remember what class that was?  i want to think it was darin's math class, but it could've been during retreat. 


i've had a nice day off.  slept in, read, played cityville on FB (seriously, i hate those games, but they do suck me in for about a month before i shut it down.  i think my farmville actually lasted a little longer than a month because april played, too, and it was fun to exchange livestock.  *grin*), watched CSI: Miami & Undercover Boss (a really GREAT episode!), finished Toy Story 3, watched Kindergarten Cop & of course LoM.  : )  


wrote some postcards & letters, as well, which i'll hopefully get mailed out tomorrow.  woot!  


i've just enjoyed the "quiet" time today.  bret asked if he & angela could hang out here tonight, but i just wanted to keep the quiet, ya know?  tomorrow will be soon enough for all the crazy to begin again.  


i hope you've enjoyed your day, whether at work or at home, out in the crazy weather or snug in your PJ's.  : )  


ttfn!

Libropio? Scorpra? What the new Zodiac means to me.

well, i mean, nothing, reallllly.  i'm not a follower of the horror-scopes, as i like to jokingly call them.  as a christian, i don't feel they're all that significant. 


and yet...


i've always had this knowledge that i'm a scorpio.  water IS my element.  i am intense, and there are many attributes of a scorpio that i can identify with.


Intense, passionate, brooding, magnetic; stubborn, unyielding, driven by emotions; stands up for self, usually covertly, manipulates power; understands deeper layers of the psyche beyond the ego, unable to communicate this well leading to misunderstandings; intrigued by the "dark side" of life; the underground, people whose job involves going beneath surface appearances; sexuality, especially the transformative power of the orgasm; self-mastery, breaking free of illusory limitations, the Hero. 


then, we have the description of a libra, which would be my sign under the "new" zodiac.


 Libra (the balance) is said to be the most desired Zodiac Sign. You are charming, good looking, gentle and kind. You are a good judge of character and have many good friends. You do not like it when your decisions are challenged, and are impatient with people who criticize you. You hate people who are cruel to others. Libras enjoy the arts more than science, so a career in the arts would be a good choice. You will understand other people's views and sympathize with them. A negative Libraian (there aren't many) flirts and seems shallow. They also are impatient with a daily routine. 


mmmm.  yep, there are some similarities there as well.  


i like this article, which states that as "westerners" our zodiac hasn't changed.  : )  


and so, i've decided to embrace my scorbra-tarianism.  LOL  because, really, can't we all pick out bits of any sign that apply to us?  some of the descriptions i found for the various signs aren't really positive aspects of my personality (*ahem* aries *ahem*), while others might be more how i want to be than how i appear to others (aquarius).  each bit that i've picked out contain things that i see, hope to see, or wish i didn't see.  let me know what you think, based on what you know of me?  if you're comfortable with it.  i've been told i don't take bad news well, even tho i try... *laugh*  


Aries:
Aries will get impatient if your ideas do not work out immediately and as expected. You are unwilling to follow someone else's suggestions, especially if they do not make sense to you.


Gemini:
You will act like a child for most of your life. That includes both the good and bad characteristics of children. You are happy and energetic when things go right for you. However, when things go wrong, you can be passive-aggressive and very mean. You find decisions hard to make, since you can never stay with the one that you originally choose. You tend to fight loosing battles for something that you call a "moral" cause.


Leo:
You are a well-loved person since you speak attractively and have good manners.  You are helpful to those in trouble and don't expect anything in return


Aquarius: 
You are unprejudiced and can see other's points of views. You are serious, but you can also be funny with a dry sense of humor. You are also logical and intelligent. There are times when you feel the need to withdraw from people and be alone for a while, which causes some people to think that you are a loner. But, while you are alone, you enjoy meditating and prayer. Aquarians are usually gifted in drama. You are very independent and rarely go along with the crowd.


Taurus(bolded part that i was just talking about...):
People will enjoy you because you have a good sense of humor and are intelligent. You are a dependable friend who is not scared off by a challenge. You may believe so strongly in your values that you will sacrifice relationships to uphold them. Some Taureans need to be told that they did a good job after accomplishing a task before they feel that they have really accomplished anything.


Cancer:
Cancerians can have many different personalities. Most Cancerians like to be at their home, and enjoy large families. You seem unsociable to some people, but you enjoy chatting and gossiping as much as anyone else. You tend to day-dream very often and can be found in a state of fantasy. You enjoy art, writing, and drama.  Cancer is the sign most likely to believe in the zodiac, as well as other psychic happenings. You make a loyal friend and also very patriotic.


Pisces: 
fails to make "normal" distinctions, servant; tends to escapism, fantasy; very receptive, sensitive, even psychic


Virgo:
You are always logical


Capricorn:
Capricorns are dependable, but also extremely cautious. You make a fair, but stubborn leader, and this is a job that you can do well. You are very well organized, so you can handle many projects at once. You may go through horrible mood swings, being friendly one moment and mean the next.


Sagitarius:
You continue to have a positive outlook even when your ideas are put down. You are always on the side of the underdog.




all descriptions found here.  


anyway, this turned out to be a longer thought process than i'd intended!  sorry bout that?  or, not sorry.  idk!  i just felt like it was something i needed to share, because i keep reading other posts about the change (or lack of change, but still causing a stir!).  the others (natalie & challis & corey, i can specifically think of at the moment) all took different approaches, but each time i read theirs, these were the thoughts swirling in my head.  : )  hope they made some sort of sense to someone, anyway!  


and now that that's out of my brain, maybe i can get some SLEEP?  : )  i told bret he can borrow the car to go to work, so i can sleep in.  


ttfn!

three years old fun

i had SO much fun w/ him this weekend.  even if he does wake me up way too early!  *laugh* and poor bret now.  leyton was up at like 8, maybe 8:30, and of course wanted to play in the living room, where bret was sleeping... bret was really nice about it, tho.

we made breakfast, played cars, watched thomas, and then went to Big K & Office Max - finally found my pens, yay!  LJS for lunch, then playing w/ the castle we got at Big K, and some LPS turtles he found in the library.  we watched a little toy story 3 before nap - which he was okay w/ taking right before he had to take it.  *laugh*  i watched 27 Dresses while he slept - oh, so cute!  he got up about 4 & we played for awhile before i took him home.  : )  and of course there was yogurt... heh.

i am quite happy to have tomorrow to sleep in, tho.  *grin*

how was your weekend?  and do you get to sleep in tomorrow to celebrate Mr. King?

ttfn!

the heat is ON!

and thank God, too, because the whole being w/o heat thing was nutty!  


so, after i finished watching human target, i realized that i was C O L D!  and that i hadn't heard the heat kick on in awhile.  i wondered if maybe bret had turned it down for some reason.  i went over to the thermostat & it was on the normal 67.  i bumped it up to 70, thinking we just needed a little burst of warm air.


nada.  


the furnace did not kick on.  suddenly, i realized something was wrong, and apparently had been for awhile!  then, i couldn't remember the last time i'd heard the heat on, or felt it.  was it unusually cold when i got up?  i do not know.  i do know i wanted to stay snuggly in my bed, but was hungry - but that's normal for a weekend.  (okay, truth, normal for any day.  LOL)  anyway, i immediately called phil.  then bret texted from his planned parenthood protest (yes, i live with someone who protests planned parenthood.  the horror!)  (i'm sure i've told you the story of how i am all for planned parenthood?)  (but not the abortion services.  not a supporter of any abortion services, am a supporter of women being informed and having choices.)  ... i've lost the whole thread of the original sentence i was typing, drats!  


... 
... 
...
oh!  right.  so, i'm waiting to hear back from phil & bret texts to ask if two friends can come over to watch a movie.  i say sure, but the heat's out & idk when it's getting fixed & if it does get fixed, leyton's spending the night, remember?  heh.  phil came over & looked over the fuse box, the heating unit, etc.  didn't see anything wrong, but thought maybe it was just the thermostat.  that would be nice - a $20 fix!  : )  he went to menard's to get a new one.  


i decided even if that didn't work & leyton couldn't spend the night, i'd pick him up for dinner.  so i did!  he decided he wanted steak n shake, even tho we were just there on thursday.  they didn't have any booths, so we sat at a table, which i wasn't sure about, but worked okay.  we played w/ pinky & truck truck while waiting for our food.  phil called to say the new thermostat hadn't made the heat come on, so he wasn't sure what the problem was.  he has a friend who could come look at it, but not til later as he was currently at work.  d'oh!  so phil called mom to see if leyton could stay the night there, and then mom called me & said she would call the HVAC guy who installed her new furnace to see if he could come out.  


leyton played the claw game a couple of times & then i dropped him at mom's & borrowed her space heaters.  i got home to bret & his friends watching The Island.  seems like a weird movie, from the little i saw! i had just plugged in the space heaters  & gotten them going when glenn arrived.  he was in & out in 15 minutes - apparently, there'd been some sort of energy surge which fried a couple wires!  :(  thank God no fires!!  also, thank God glenn had the exact replacement wire in his truck.  and he only charged me $120!  he'd told mom it would be $125 just to come look at it, plus the fixing... so, i feel like i got a discount!  *laugh*  idk if $120 on a saturday night is normal, high, low, what?  anyone know?  honestly it doesn't matter if it's high, because i'm so grateful to have the heat back on!!  


anywhoo, i took the heaters back over to mom's & picked up leyton, who was SO EXCITED to come over here!  : )  so was mom, because she really had been looking forward to a quiet weekend.  lol  


when we got home, leyton & i played cars for awhile, leyton played food w/ bret, jumped on the couch, and then we watched Robots.  : )  then it was time for bed & we called phil & jen to say goodnight.  and now i think i'll be going to bed because oh my goodness i'm tired!!  *laugh*  i'll leave you with some pictures from tonight... leyton wanted to have some fun w/ the camera... (the first couple i took, the rest are all his!)  

 is it just me, or does angel look stoned here?

okay, i took that last one.  ; )  

goodnight & ttfn!  : )  

FB Status today: Mark Valley could guard my body any time! ; )

found here 

i mean, really?  wouldn't you let him protect you?  broad shoulders.  pretty eyes.  okay, so really it's his character, Christopher Chance, who is the bodyguard.  : )  but i'm sure mark wouldn't mind!  ; )  

today has been nice so far.  slept til about 10:30, balanced my check book, and then headed to WM for some groceries.  soda, cereal, detergent, yogurt, milk, light bread, other breakfasty stuff...and some movies, because they were $5!  i love the $5 bin!  27 Dresses, Batman Begins (cuz it's the only Batman i didn't already have *grin*), Robots (for Leyton *ahem* me), and - because i was just talking about how i need more teacher movies - Lean On Me!  :)  

of course, then i get home & have to watch two episodes of Human Target before i go pick up leytonbug.  : )  i'm not sure what he & i are going to do this afternoon.  i'll probably let him decide.  he'll probably want to go somewhere to get a toy.  LOL  i know, i know, i shouldn't.  but i'm AUNT CARRIE.  so i can.  heh.  when visiting my other nieces & nephews, i almost always come bearing gifts, so why deny leyton just because i see him more often?  

for now, i'm off to pause mr chance, and fix some pasta and meatballs for lunching.  ttfn!

*********

recent postcrossings


from china

from minnesota 

praise the Lord for FRIDAY! (and a 3 day weekend)

sooooo happy it's the WEEKEND, ppl!  


left work at 5 tonight.  cuz i hit a wall at 4, and could've left then w/ my 8 hours in for the day, but i wanted to finish some stuff.  but by 4:45 i was just D O N E, done.  *laugh*  so i did my end of the day stuff & chatted w/ one of my wall-mates & headed out.  


found out a friend's uncle died today.  :(  keeping him & his family in prayer.  


had thai for dinner.  i miss going there for sit-down meals.  they miss me, too, apparently.  they're always so sweet when i pick up food!  one gal even said, "oh, next time, you come in & i'll eat with you!"  : )  


tried to set up a dinner w/ some friends to actually eat at the restaurant.  no response.  am trying not to be hurt by that.  am confused, tho!  when i extended the vague invitation, it was all "oh yeah, anytime!"  then when i offered an actual date - radio silence?  what the what?  


had an email from another friend, which made me happy, but then also confused, so i don't know about that.  


apparently ate too much chex mix through out the day - i didn't think it would do anything bad, but then my bs was 158 after dinner, and i don't like it to go above 140 after meals.  especially since i've been doing well keeping it under the 125 range...!  


watched CSI: Miami & CSI: NY & a really neat Undercover Boss & NCIS.  the hubby's lookin good!  : )  read some bloggity blogs.  left some comment love.  still have more to read tomorrow, but don't know if i'll get to them before i pick up leyton... so they might have to wait til sunday night!  heh.  


i think i'm going to bed.  i am plum TUCKERED from this week, and i want to get to the PO to mail back my traveling journal to jacob & adam.  but i also want to sleep in... so... *laugh*  there's that!  i think they're open til 1 on saturdays, tho.  


happy friday, bloggy peeps.  i'll leave you w/ some pretty sunrises, and also some angel playing w/ a hair tie.  btw, are there any cat-ppl reading?  angel has this hissing problem w/ bret.  JUST w/ bret, and we can't figure out what the deal is.  he's not as big/tall as phil, and she doesn't hiss at him.  but she's known him forever, and hasn't known bret because he didn't live w/ us when we got her.  she didn't hiss at holly, tho, and she's stopped hissing at leyton (i think) when he comes over.  bret's been here 3 months now, i'd think she would be used to him?  so, if anyone has any suggestions or theories & would be willing to share, i'd appreciate it!  : )  


ttfn!

today's list

1.  bret didn't have to go in to work today, so i got to work at 7:45.  and that was AFTER stopping at chick fil a to use one of my free chicken biscuit cards.  : )  oh, AND i was proactive & ordered my grilled chicken wrap right then & there.

2.  that wrap was delicious for lunch!  DE-LICIOUS.  worth waiting for.  but now i want another one.  lol  

3.  trish's husband had a fight w/ a table saw & the saw took a chunk of his thumb.  eep!  he's okay, thank God, and they were able to reattach his thumb.  when i was 2, my aunt carol accidentally closed my left index finger in one of those old folding playpens, chopping off the tip.  they reattached most of my finger, but it's still a really odd shape.  i'm VERY grateful that i don't remember any of it.  

4.  today was quite productive.  hooray!!  

5.  i left at 6 & met mom & the boys at steak & shake for dinner.  leyton & mom were in the loo when i got there, so anthony & i chatted while i took off my coat & whatnot.  when leyton came out, he RAN to me, shouting happily.  : )  gave me a BIG SMILE!  : )  dinner was fun, we played cars in btwn eating.  heh.  pinky & truck truck.  or trucky, depending on what he calls it.  heh.  

6.  angela came over tonight & we watched Freedom Writers, which is an AWESOME teacher movie.  i need more teacher movies.  Stand and Deliver, Lean on Me, Dangerous Minds... i have Summer School, of course.  lol  after FW, more animaniacs.  pinky & the brain.  (pinky the car, pinky the rat...lol)  

7.  i can't write about number 7 because of some stuff.  but whatever it was gave me hope and fear at the same time, and i don't know how i feel about it, which is slightly disturbing.  

8.  postcrossing from MN!  i'll scan it later... 

9.  jana's sending me postcards!!!!  *bounce*  

10.  sleep sounds great.  tomorrow is another BUSY and long day.

10a.  leyton gets to stay the night saturday!  *bounce*  at dinner, he said he wanted to play w/ his cars & food, pop popcorn & snuggle & watch a movie.  so cute!!  : )  

10b.  goodnight, love you, and i hope your thursday was thrilling & your friday will be FABulous!  

ttfn!