Exceedingly Mundane

What’s that old cliche about something being “for the birds”? Does it mean it’s trivial or not worthwhile? Might have to go look that one up.

I had a busy day yesterday, and got a lot done. Today is a little more laid back. For one, it’s raining and grey and dreary and totally bleak here today. You look out the window and it’s the picture of a gray, rainy, winter day. Tim is not feeling well, he pulled a muscle in his neck while he was sleeping, or slept funny on it, and now he can barely move his neck. Poor thing, I never know what to do when he’s not feeling well. He doesn’t like to be bothered or fussed over.

OK, back to the title, this post is “for the birds”. Literally, not figuratively. My backyard was a virtual bird sanctuary yesterday afternoon. At one time, I counted 6 cardinals perched in my bradford pear tree. My bird feeders are nearly empty (well, the seed one, they don’t like the new suet one, more on that later). I need to refill them, but it’s raining and I think I’ll wait till the rain has passed.

I am still trying to learn to use my new camera Tim got me for Christmas. It has a lot more zoom, which I love, and more features. I feel like I should be getting better pictures, but so far I am getting a lot of blurry ones. I tried to take pictures of my birds yesterday afternoon, but I was at full zoom, standing inside the house (trying not to move and scare them and make them fly away), and shooting pictures through a mildly dirty window. So, I guess they could have been worse. Most of them are blurry… a few came out pretty good. Here’s the first one, and the others are in the extended entry.

Two cardinals, chatting, I guess!!!!

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Obviously, a no-brainer that I would do this meme. Considering I’m this huge TV addict. The only problem with this meme is narrowing down 10 shows!

10 Favorite Current Shows

{in no certain order, that’s too hard to pick them IN ORDER}

1) Lost
2) 24
3) NCIS
4) Survivor
5) Amazing Race
6) Battlestar Galactica
7) Without a Trace
8) House
9) Numb3rs
10) Monk

Honorable Mention: 7th Heaven (just through May, it’s the last season), Criminal Minds, CSI, American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Threshold (if they would renew it, but I think it’s been cancelled)

Katelyn Ray:

Gail and Jeremy sent us some pictures over the weekend. Yeah! Jeremy also has an adorable website set up for Katelyn, and it has some great photos and also some videos he shot with his camcorder. I have loaded the pictures of Katelyn Ray in her photo album on Hambones.org. I still have so many other photos to load though, I’m about 3 months behind now! {My apologies that the pictures from Ethan’s birthday party, Thanksgiving, December, Christmas, January, the Hammons family dinner, Don’s first deer, etc are not loaded yet. I hope to get time to work on those this week.}

Click the extended entry below to see a couple of more pictures, and go to Katelyn’s website and the Hambones photo section to see the rest!

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Monday, January 16, 2006

Good Monday to you all! Let’s fill in the blanks! As always, I want to thank you for playing my meme! =)

1. Before I walk out the door, I always check to make sure I have my keys and have all the appliances turned off.
2. I can’t seem to catch up on my filing :cry:.
3. The one surface in my house that always seems to get cluttered fast is the kitchen table.
4. If I sleep past 10 AM, I feel that I’ve slept in too late.
5. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to catch up on reading my magazines.
6. I hope to have my income taxes done by early March.
7. This year I’d like to make more time for reading.

I say … and you think … ?

Paralyzed:: can’t move
Bossy:: pushy
Worth:: value
Breathing:: apparatus
Uneventful:: nothing going on
Return:: to sender
Splint:: cast
Notice:: see (as in pay attention to)
Hero:: military
Vulnerable:: a word Tim has trouble with 😛

I was so looking forward to the games this weekend, and so far, I have not been very pleased. Well, I wasn’t picking anyone in the Seattle game, but I was glad they won. Same for the Patriots/Broncos, although I was pulling for the Broncos (Tatum Bell helped me out a lot in my fantasy league). I thought it was about time that the Patriots didn’t go to a Super Bowl, and mostly, I wanted Peyton and my beloved Colts to have a chance to go and win. WELL. That fervent wish was just dashed. It was tight there at the end, and after I had given up, they got the ball back and had a chance to tie it up and go into overtime and then Vanderjagt missed that kick. I’m beyond despondent.

Off to watch “da Bears” as Suzie calls them, and I guess root for them. Tim, I think, would rather the Panthers win. I will have to watch for Suzie, since she’s at that game. I’m sure they will put the camera on her and she’ll wave to us

Tim, as expected, is now outside hitting golf balls. Again.

Looking forward to tonight – Tim is going to go pick us up some Chinese food (my favorite!) and we’re going to watch the 2 hour premiere of “24”. Can’t wait! Maybe that will make me feel better after watching my Colts lose.

The original plan for today, the last Saturday in gun season, was for Tim to go hunting. However, after working 5 days this week, all day, and then having to work all 5 nights, most at 11 PM and until the wee hours of the morning, put a kink in that plan. Tim woke up this morning and decided he wanted to stay here and rest, and not go hunting.

I suspect a lot of that sentiment comes from the fact that he is obsessed with golf.

So far today :

– We ordered a golf video online, about how to practice and improve your swing
– We played out back with the club du jour, the pitching wedge. Several hours of hitting balls is rather exhausting.
– I raked leaves in the backyard and convinced Tim to help me get rid of them, and then he got all excited about raking them behind the fence (not our property, but his new golf area) and getting the leaves out of the way, so they don’t interfere with his golf practice. 😀
– We’re probably going to run to Lowe’s for a couple of things
– I’m planning on watching football, not sure if Tim will join me or play more golf, watch the Golf Channel, or read about golf. 😛

Just another day in paradise.

Happy Birthday Trent! We hope you have a great day, and a wonderful year!!!

I haven’t really blogged much this week about anything personal. I’ve mostly been doing memes and tags. And that would be because of the obvious reason, there’s not a lot going on that’s blogworthy!

Here’s what is going on, in a blabbering, rambling sort of wrap-up:

– Been a good week, but busy. Tim is working up a storm. He’s had to work late 4 nights this week (starting at 10 or 11 PM and into the wee hours of the morning). I do my best to adapt my schedule to his.
– I’ve been happy this week for the return of new episodes of some of my favorite shows . Most notably, NCIS and House on Tuesday, Lost on Wednesday, Invasion on Wednesday (but I’m ready to give this one up, gotten very disillusioned and disinterested). I’m also really liking the new Dancing with the Stars on Thursday (until Survivor starts, then I’ll have a dilemma). Tonight is a busy tv night, we have 3 shows on at the same time – 9 PM. We’ll watch Battlestar Galactica and tape Numb3rs and Monk.
– I’ve been reading my new book and I’m in love, as I expected to be. I just love, love, love the Jan Karon Mitford books. So sad that this is the last one.
– And finally, today is the big shopping trip to Sam’s. I have a long list. I go every couple of months, but I really stock up about twice a year. This is the first of those trips. I should have a big tab by the time I am finished. 🙂

Another quick one, from this site:

What are your Top 5, all-time favorite cereals?

1. Sugar Smacks (only ate them as a child, not now 🙁 )
2. Raisin Bran (Crunch is the new favorite)
3. Cheerios (plain or new Yogurt Burst, NOT honey nut)
4. Fruit Loops (again, only as a child, trying to eat healthier now)
5. Special K

Friday Flings…
In the interest of cleaning and organizing my house,…!

1. If you could choose 5 things that belonged to someone else in your household to fling, what would they be? I wouldn’t. I always run stuff by Tim before I throw it out, if it’s his or ours. I feel free to throw out my own stuff, or kitchen stuff or old decorative stuff, but I won’t touch his or anything I think is “ours” and might mean something to him. I try to be considerate that way! Now, if we had kids, I would be flinging their stuff a lot, I’m sure! 🙂

2. What would be the worst 5 things that someone could fling of yours? 1) Any of my pictures. 2) Any of the stuff in my memorabilia boxes 3) Any personal items (clothes, jewelry, etc) 4) Any of my kitchen gadgets 5) Any of my books

3. What are you the best at keeping organized? The worst? I keep our daily lives pretty well organized. I keep the house fairly organized. The kitchen is the most organized place in the house, for sure. Our room and bathroom would be next. My scrapbooking stuff and the “junk” in the office are by far the worst. I need to clean, file, organize and fling in there something fierce.

4. What is the one thing in your house that needs organizing the worst? Oops, see above. Getting ahead of myself!

::Please be Seated::

Onesome: “Please– join us for a light dinner and some conversation.” If you were coordinating a group of say, the thirty or so regulars here, where would you like to have them meet in your area to be able to spend some time talking and eating? Nothing is coming to mind… I’m sure there are some places around here that could accommodate 30 people, but I can’t think of a single one right now! 😀

Twosome: be– my Valentine? Yes, it’s early, but do you have ‘traditional” dinner plans for that holiday (or the time around it)? …or if you don’t, where would you like to go? Yes, our new tradition is to stay home. We used to go out, every year, and eat dinner out. The last time we did that, we waited 2 hours for a table, and then the food was mediocre and service was terrible. This was at one of my favorite Italian places, where the food is normally terrific. All the restaurants are so crowded, and I have gotten to where I’d rather stay home. So, I get us some steaks, Tim grills them, and we celebrate Valentines at home. If it falls on a weekday, we usually go out to eat on the weekend afterwards sometimes too.

Threesome: Seated– Hmmm… Table or booth? Do you have a preference when you go out to eat? Just wondering… I prefer a booth. Tim has a quirk about having his back to people and seeing the door. (See, I’m not the only one with Monk-ism’s!)

I have been tagged by Kathy M, webmistress extraordinaire of my favorite place on the web (other than Hambones, of course!), SBA (Scrapbook Addict.com). It’s a scrapbooking website, but so much more. The ladies there are warm, friendly and helpful and it’s just a great place to hang out.

Here’s a link to Kathy’s post, where she tagged me. Thanks Kathy!! 😀 It’s a 4 things meme, sort of thing… here we go!

4 Jobs You Have Had in Your Life:
1. Receptionist at a Photo Studio
2. Waitress/Counter Help at a deli
3. File Clerk at a state employment office
4. Systems Analyst

4 Movies You Could Watch Over and Over:
1. Any Lord of the Rings movies
2. You’ve Got Mail
3. Notting Hill
4. Princess Bride

4 Places You Have Lived:
1. Jackson MS
2. Madison MS
3. Mandeville LA
4. That’s it!

4 TV Shows You Love to Watch:
1. Lost
2. Reality shows (Survivor, Amazing Race)
3. NCIS
4. Battlestar Galactica

4 Places You Have Been on Vacation:
1. Disneyworld
2. Washington DC
3. San Antonio, TX
4. Big Cedar/Branson, MO

4 websites you visit daily:
1. Hambones!
2. All the blogs on my blogroll, as well as all the ones we host at Hambones (family members)
3. SBA
4. iWon

4 of your favorite foods:
1. Shrimp
2. Crab Legs
3. Chinese
4. Italian

4 places you would rather be right now:
1. hanging out with Tim
2. at Cups, with a cappucino and my book
3. any bookstore
4. on vacation

4 Bloggers You are Tagging:
I will attempt to tag Gail, Suzanne, Dawn, and Elizabeth. I know it may be a while before Gail can get to it. She has a new grandbaby who is not even 24 hours old yet! Anyone else can play, please do!

Katelyn Ray is here!

Kathryn and Jeremy welcomed their first child today, Katelyn Ray. She was born at 5:43 PM today (Eastern Time), January 11, 2006. She weighs 8 lb and 2 oz and is 21″ long. Her Grandma Gail reports that she has some dark hair, just like her mom did when she was born! (I’ll have to dig out some of those pictures I took when I was a mere 14 years old, and scan them in so I can post!!!). Mom, baby and Dad are doing well, and I’m sure are very happy to finally be together.

Gail promises to send pictures soon, which I will post in Katelyn’s album on Hambones, and with her parents permission, here on my blog. We can’t wait to meet her! She has a pretty cool great-aunt and uncle in me and Tim, don’t you think?! 😀

Been fairly busy today. Tim had to work really late last night (two nights in a row now) and I had to leave early to go get my hair cut. I’ve been working around the house some today, and fighting problems and “irritants” on the website and this blog. I thought I had contracted some sort of IM virus, but I ran a full scan and Norton reports nothing. If anyone gets anything odd from me, especially via IM, please let me know.

I opened up a new theme that I downloaded and tweaked last night, and so far I like the way it looks. Everything works perfectly under FireFox, but I am seeing some little odds and ends that need fixing under IE. In a perfect world, all browsers would be equal. If you notice anything that looks off or weird, please let me know.

In baby news, we’re waiting to hear from North Carolina. Gail drove home yesterday, and then we got an email early this morning that they had turned around and were headed back. Still waiting on news of baby Katelyn Ray. Will post here and on the main website when we have a new baby! 🙂