Genius

The more I have thought about my blog's reading level ... see two posts down ... the more offended I have become.

I don't think it's very nice that you have to be a genius to read my blog. More likely than not, that means my grammar is so horrible that it would take a genius to decipher!

Or, even more likely, it's finding all my Bollywood blogs, and determining that the reader should be well-versed in Hindi.

I will think about it, but I may have to take that off .....

Gaggling

Hi! Matt likes the word gaggling; an expression he uses for someone talking quickly, breathlessly, and almost without end on one subject.

I get obsessed with things, which if you know Matt and I, is pretty funny to consider. I get drawn into something, and I CAN'T stop until I am finished. And then I gaggle about it. Honestly, Matt knows I'm tired or moody if I'm not gaggling about SOMETHING.

A few blogs back, I gave my Harry Potter post-predictions, and then said I'd have to read the Twilight series that everyone is "gaggling" about. I had been hearing things about these books on all sides.

I'm really not much of a book reader. Until about 5-years ago, the only thing I read was an occasional magazine article. I can thank the Harry Potter series for changing that, and I do every time I enjoy new reading. Amazingly enough, I can now say that there are times when I WOULD rather read a book than watch a movie. There was a time I would have scoffed at that idea.

Part of my problem, probably, is that I'm an excrutiatingly slow reader. I can read about 100 pages in 2-hours, and if I try to go faster, my comprehension spirals down!

Well, I started Dec 6 at 9pm. After two nearly sleepless nights (about 3.5 hours combined on Thursday and Friday night) I finished Twilight and most of New Moon. Then, I sat and spewed the whole storyline to Matt in what felt to me like 20-minutes, and what felt to him like hours. And hours. I won't say how long it actually was, although we figured it out. :)

I should say at this point that my brother Robert has much sympathy for Matt, because he thinks that there is nothing worse than being told the storyline of a book. But, in my defense, I know Matt won't read it, and I had to get it out.

Gaggle, gaggle.

In our powerless house, I read into the wee hours Saturday night/Sunday morning with Matt's little battery-powered reading lamp, finishing New Moon about 5am. Another 5 hours of sleep followed.

I used MUCH self-control reading Eclipse Sunday-Thursday, finishing the series last night about 8:30pm.

So, I can now say that all the talk was well-founded. I really enjoyed all three books, and will look forward to the next 2+ that are planned. And also re-reading the first three at a slower pace.

I've gaggled, my mom's gaggled, and my friend's have gaggled. I've read the gaggling in the blogs and the stepheniemeyer.com website. And I've even made a gift of Twilight to a few friends/family and can gaggle to them later.

I've speculated and I've driven Matt to the edge. So, now it's time to start paying attention to my house, and finalize getting ready for Christmas. And quit gaggling! About Bella Swan and Edward Cullen at least.

Reading Level

Wow!!!! How did that happen?!

Cash Advance Loans

Bollywood

I haven't written anything about Bollywood lately!!!

So, here's the scoop for anyone interested ... which of the people I know read this thing, that would be ZERO!

Anywho ... it continues. I just got a couple more Bollywood flicks in the mail this week, and I'm really excited to watch. Here is my Bollywood movie list of what I've seen so far:

1. Dhoom 2

2. Dhoom

3. Veer-Zarra

4. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

5. Koi ... Mil Gaya

6. Janneman

7. Krrish

8. Kaho Naa ... Pyaar Hai

9. Na Tum Jaano Na Hum

10. Mujhse Dosti Karoge!

11. Yaadein

12. Paheli

13. Don

14. Lakshya (haven't watched yet)

15. Fiza (haven't watched yet)

16. Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage (haven't watched yet)

I'm also anxiously awaiting the release of Jodhaa Akbar, which looks to be really exciting, and also almost 4-hours long! I guess that's what you get from a Bollywood epic!

So, if any of you are interested in picking up a Bollywood movie tonight ... don't bother, you won't find them at Hollywood Video. But, if you are interested in trying to locate a Bollywood to watch one, these are the ones I currently suggest as my top five, in no particular order:

1. Koi ... Mil Gaya

2. Krrish

3. Dhoom 2

4. Paheli

5. Veer-Zarra

And as an alternate in my top five, I would mention the first 10-minutes of Don, which I can watch over and over again!

TJ: I have always liked you Don.

Don: Thank you TJ. I too have also always ... liked me.

Oh, it's so good because he's so bad!

Ornaments 2006

Here are our Christmas ornaments from 2006:

Darth Vader is Matt's and Cookie Monster is mine. I must have been around Stephanie Wilson a lot last Christmas; the biggest Cookie Monster fan I've ever met! Okay, the only Cookie Monster fan I've ever met.

No lights!

This Christmas season we are grateful for power, which we didn't have for 52 hours! From 9am on Dec 8 to 11am on Dec 10. It is very nice to have it back!

We had our family Christmas party on Dec 9, with 22 people in attendance! We ate by battery-powered candlelight, and put the "spotlight" on the person opening their gift so we could see what they got. Definately a different holiday experience. Merry Christmas everyone!

Ornaments 1996

Matt and I pick out a Christmas ornament each year and have done this since our first Christmas together. We are currently in the process of getting our 21st and 22nd ornaments; well, Matt has his, but I'm getting mine.

Here are our ornaments from 1996:

They hung on our little and real Christmas tree in our apartment! 1996 was the only Christmas we've spent together outside of the house we're in now.

Music in English

Some of you will be glad to hear, I've recently begun to listen to music in English.

As opposed to non-stop Hindi music.

I know Matt was glad to hear it, although when I told him I thought my obsession was coming to an end, and would soon just blend in as a part of my life instead of a MAJOR DISTRACTION, he told me he really liked the movies and the music and hoped I didn't stop all-together.

Ahhhhh.

Maybe we've found a happy medium.

Harry Potter

Yes, I'm a Harry Potter fan. Recently I was thinking about book 7 and I realized that I don't remember a lot of the details, since I read it at lightning speed the first time. I can see that it's time for a re-read.

Doing some year-end cleaning I ran across a "live and die" list that I wrote a few weeks before book 7 was released. I didn't do so bad. Here were my predictions:

Live:
Ron Weasley
Hermione Granger
Harry Potter
Ginny Weasley
Mrs. Weasley
Fleur Delacour
Charlie Weasley
Fred Weasley
George Weasley
Minerva McGonagall

Die:
Voldemort
Peter Petigrew
Bellatrix Lestrange
Hagrid
Percy Weasley
Severus Snape
Lucius Malfoy
Draco Malfoy
Remus Lupin
Tonks
Bill Weasley
Mr. Weasley
Victor Krum

Those who have read it will know where I was right, wrong, and who missed the list! Guess I'll have to start reading the Twilight series that everyone is gaggling about!

Creeds

A few weeks ago I ended up on Wikipedia, reading about different Creeds. I was surprised that they listed the Articles of Faith of the LDS church. After reading different creeds of Christianity and Islam, although not exact, I could see many similarities. One statement in the LDS Articles of Faith I noticed wasn't similar to anything in the others. It was Article of Faith #11:

"We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may."

I think this is really cool. I am grateful to be free to believe what I want, and I'm grateful that I believe that others have that same privilege.

Busy Thanksgiving Weekend

It was a busy Thanksgiving weekend, but a lot of fun. On Wednesday day/night, I made every Thanksgiving dessert I could think of ... pumpkin cheesecake, apple pie, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, and a chocolaty-fruity-whip-creamy cake concoction ...

I was up at 5:45am on Thursday morning to get the turkey out of the brine and into the oven:

I cooked Thanksgiving dinner (we ate at 1:00, but it sounds funny to say Thanksgiving lunch) for my parents, Robert, Weston, Lisa, and Matt and I. It was a lot of fun! Here is the Thanksgiving group:

We went to "Enchanted" that afternoon ... actually pretty funny ... and then came back home for seconds. Thanks everyone for making it a great Thanksgiving!

On Friday Matt and I went to the Jazz game ... how nice that they won!

Saturday we put up Christmas lights, and our tree. (I'll have to get some pictures.)

Sunday after church we did more on our tree, and went to see the light show: www.christmasutah.com

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Another long absence!

How sad is it that half way through the month I am entering my first blog of the month! Time has been zooming by! So, I guess I'll give you a quick 2-week commentary on life in my world.

Nov 1: Watched Bollywood movies with my mom until midnight.
Nov 3: Dinner w/Wilson's at Outback, and Bollywood movies until midnight.
Nov 4: Dropped by Deb & Mark's to wish Shaun a Happy Birthday! 21!!
Nov 6: Primary meeting. Last one in 2007! - Holy Smokes! (as Kirstie would say)
Nov 7: Matt's Birthday! Dinner at El Farol's.
Nov 9: Best day of 2007. We took a vacation day and drove around taking pictures and fishing.
Nov 10: Cement at Justin & Andi's. Jodhaa Akbar trailer on line!
Nov 11: Primary Program (It's done!)
Nov 13: Dentist (nuff said)

Happy Halloween!

I can't believe my favorite holiday (and favorite month) is over. After our Halloween party (pics below) I feel like Halloween is done. We had the party early this year, so it's felt done for over a week ...

until last night when I got to dress up for Fran's Four Corpse dinner ...


and tonight when the trick-or-treaters started coming. We had 29 kids. That's a record at our house! It was fun to take pictures of the kids from our ward, and I had bottled water and cookies for the parents, which is something I've always wanted to do but hadn't until this year! It was a lot of fun ...

Hope you all had a great Halloween!

Favorite Things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens ...

No, really, I had a very relaxing stroll downtown over the weekend and took pictures ... these are a few of my favorite things!

Debt

I would love to live without any debt, wouldn't that be nice?

I absolutely loved this video clip on debt, and really think it gets to the bottom line on how to stay debt-free. Enjoy!

Potions

Surprisingly, the part of our Harry Potter Halloween Party that I wasn't sure would work was a hit! But, that is thanks to the creativity of our guests!

We had a bunch of liquids and dry items out of which we made "potions". Here are the potions that were made:

• Lisa's Potion: "Hiccohault" - Stops your hiccups and gives them to your enemy for 2 weeks. (Instructions: Mix in exact order. Drink upside down after sunset.)
  
• Matt Wilson's Potion: "Po' Worm" - Shrinks people into worms.
• Allen's Potion: "The Shizzle" - He hasn't decided what it does. (Instructions: Drink all at one time, and don't look down.)
• Salli's Potion: "Plantariffico" - Makes peoples breath smell like stinky feet.
• Ashley's Potion: "Smooth" - Gets rid of calluses.
• Launee's Potion: "Age Reduction Elixar" - Makes you half the age that you currently are.
• Karisa's Potion: "Bobblegorp" - Makes bubbles come out of people's nose and ears.
• Linda's Potion: "Cinderella" - Zaps your zits. (Instructions: Apply lightly to problem areas.)
  
• Travis' Potion: "Morning Bacon" - Turns your hands into George Foreman Grills, but they are useless, as the grills are broken. (Instructions: Not intended for ear infection treatment. Do not chew.)
  
• Anna's Potion: "Twenty Four Ha's" - This potion makes someone laugh uncontrollably for twenty-four hours straight. (Instructions: Shake twenty four times while jumping up and down, then drink rapidly.)
  
• Justin's Potion: "Extenzall" - EDITED FOR CONTENT (Is anyone surprised? Justin - I know you're loving this.)
  
• Andrea's Potion: "Maturity" - Will turn immature boys into suave men. (Instructions: Use only when tired of immaturity.)
• Spencer's Potion: "Don't Worry, Be Happy" - No bad days at work. (Instructions: Drink before work.)
• Pam's Potion: "Patience" - Brings you patience. (Instructions: Smell, don't drink.)
• Diane's Potion: "Love Conquers All" - (Instructions: Swirl 10 times, shake 30 seconds, marinate 30 days in the Chamber of Secrets)
• Weston's Potion: "Cortana's Love" - This potion will improve your Halo 3 skills so that you can beat Halo on Legendary with your eyes closed. (Instructions: Chug immediately before playing; do your best to keep it down.)
  

Per requests we have had, here are the ingredients:

DRY INGREDIENTS:

1. Moonstone (White Jordan Almonds) - Scientifically known as a form of mineral orthoclase. It can be gray, yellow, red, or green, but when it is white it is called moonstone, and can be used in potions or as jewelry.
2. Scarab Beetle Powder (Pistachio Pudding Powder) - Used in the Wit-Sharpening potion and other potions.
3. Fluxweed (Dried Mint Leaves) - Fluxweed is native to North America and tends to grow along creeks and streams. Fluxweed picked at full moon can be used in many potions.
4. Dragon Heartstrings (Red Sour Punch Straws) - Dragon heartstrings have highly magical properties, and are commonly used in the cores of magical wands, as well as in many potions.
5. Puffer-Fish Eyes (Yellow Gobstobbers) - Used in the Swelling Solution and other potions.
6. Billywig Stings (Blue Sprinkles) - Billiwigs are small, sapphire blue insects native to Australia. Their stings are used in several potions.
7. Runespor Eggs (White Good and Plenty's) - The Runespoor is a three-headed serpent, which lays eggs through their mouths. The eggs when used in potions will stimulate mental agility.
8. Bicorn Horns (Powdered Sugar) - Horns from a two-horned beast that survives by eating virtuous husbands. Powdered Bicorn horn is an ingredient in Polyjuice Potion and other potions.
9. Sneezewort Powder (Purple Pixie Stix Powder) - Useful for inflaming the brain, so it is used in Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts. Generally used in potions where the intended effect is one of rashness and recklessness.
10. Ginger Root Powder (Ginger) - Powdered ginger root has been said to have medicinal properties, aiding with many ailments. It can be used in many potions, including the Wit-Sharpening Potion.
11. Porcupine Quills (Asian Stick Cookies) - Porcupine quills are a simple ingredient that can be used in many potions, including those to cure boils and aid in restful sleep.
12. Ashwinder Eggs (Red Hots) - Ashwinder is a serpent that lives for an hour, just long enough to lay eggs. The eggs are bright red, hot, and will set their surroundings on fire if they are not frozen. Used in love potions.
13. Belladonna Berries (Cranberries) - Also known as Deadly Nightshade, Belladona is a shrub with extremely poisonous berries and leaves. Used in many common potions.
14. Bezoar (Chick-O-Sticks) - A small, shriveled stone taken from the stomach of a goat. Bezoars are used by wizards as an antidote for most poisons and in potion making.

WET INGREDIENTS:

1. Acromantula Venom (Dark Purple Gatorade) - Acromantula venom is almost impossible to procure from a living Acromantula.
2. Armadillo Bile (Egg Nog) - A liquid produced by the gall bladder of an armadillo. An ingredient in the Wit-Sharpening potion.
3. Bobotuber Pus (Jose Cuervo's Margarita Mix) - Bobotubers are black, slug-like plants that are covered in pus-filled protrusions. The pus is a yellow-green color.
4. Doxy Venom (Strawberry Milk) - Doxys, also called Biting Fairies, secrete venom from double rows of needle-sharp teeth.
5. Erumpent Fluid (Guava juice with green food coloring) - The Erumpent is an African animal. It has a large, sharp horn, which contains fluid that causes anything it is injected into to explode.
6. Flobberworm Mucus (Karo Syrup with green and yellow food coloring) - The Flobberworm’s ends are indistinguishable, and both exude mucus. Flobberworm mucus is used to thicken potions.
   
7. Glumbumble Treacle (Pineapple juice with red food coloring) - Glumbumbles are gray, furry-bodied, flying insects, native to Europe. The treacle they produce is an effective antidote in many potions.
8. Hellebore (Sugar Water) - Part of the buttercup family, Hellebore is used to ward off madness. A few drops are used in the Draught of Peace potion, along with Moonstone.
9. Leech Essence (Lime Juice) - Leeches are used in Polyjuice Potion and their essence is used in the Shrinking Solution.
10. Pomegranate Juice (Frozen Pomegranate Cranberry Concentrate) - Pomegranate juice is used in the Strengthening Solution and other potions.
11. Re’em Blood (V8 Splash) - Re’em are extremely rare giant oxen native to North American and the Far East. Re’em blood endows the drinker with immense strength.
12. Salamander Blood (Grenadine Syrup) - Salamander blood is used in the Strengthening Solution and other potions.
13. Snake Venom (Papaya juice with blue food coloring) - Snake venom is used in a potion that can keep alive and restore form to a wizard whose soul has been separated from his body.
    

Hrithik Fan

Last Friday it was announced that Hrithik Roshan has signed with a Los Angeles agency and it seems they are shopping around for a good script for his Hollywood debut.

I am really mixed about this. As much as I would like to see him do a movie in English, I am afraid he'll end up a Hollywood puppet like Jackie Chan ... making stupid movies that appeal to American audiences, although who knows why?! Also, the highlight of a Hrithik movie is seeing him dance. I'm not sure Hollywood will be that interested in the dancing.

He has said he won't do anything that isn't true to who he is. So hopefully he will stick to his statment, and hopefully my expectations of Hrithik going Hollywood will be completely wrong.

Little Buddy Update

Some attendees of our Halloween party are aware that Matt's Little Buddy lives, since they were mesmerized by the demonstration.
For the rest of you, we want you to know it was happily picking up Aunt Diane's confetti Sunday morning!

The Water Is Gone!

I love the fall! Aren't the tree branches wonderfully dark? But, along with the good comes the bad. October is the month that they turn off Sandy Creek that runs through our yard.
The water stopped a week ago, and won't be back until mid-April. At least we have the beautiful golden leaves to look at!

Tempting

Anyone who knows us, knows the hours .... okay, years .... we have put into our house! But, we were seriously tempted for about 1-minute when we saw this house for sale in the Daybreak Community, just west of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple site.
It didn't take long for our good sense to come back to us. But, all the historic beauty in a brand new house really made us consider ... would we ever actually move? Not now, but that cute porch swing is still beckoning!

Time Flies!

It has been awhile since I blogged. Here is a brief history of the last 216 hours:

9 days ago: My mother turned 68! Went to El Farol's for lunch.
8 days ago: Matt was in mourning. His little buddy .... the Roomba .... died.
7 days ago: Had four people over for dinner and to plan the Primary Program! ( Ah! Nov. 11)
6 days ago: Made dinner for a friend.
5 days ago: I was glad it was Friday.
4 days ago: I went shopping with Stephanie. Matt & Matt dug a trench.
3 days ago: Ordered a part for the Roomba so it can begin it's second birth. (I have been watching too many Indian movies.)
2 days ago: Made Mattal Paneer; my first Indian dinner! It tasted good, but I don't understand how you are supposed to "brown" cheese?! It melts!
1 day ago: Bosses day. I appreciated them, but was ready to tell everyone else to go to heck!

Wow! That was like pulling stinky garbage from a trash can! It just shows you that time flies whether you're having fun, or not! I'm glad that there was some fun here and there!

Sixty-Eight

Happy 68th birthday mom!
Here is a fun picture from Christmas 2006 with mom (far right) and all her family except Darwin and me! Or is it Darwin and I? I never know anymore!!!

Anyway - I hope you have a great year!

West Coast Reuben

We went to dinner tonight with our good friend Anna and her little girl Kayley. It was a lot of fun. We went to Mimi's Cafe, and I got one of my favorites ... the West Coast Reuben.
I really love how it tastes, but it is a painful food. The bread is yummily toasted, but it scraped my gums with each bite. So, now my mouth is raw .... ouch.

Culture

Culture fascinates me. I don't feel like I emit a culture, just like I don't feel that I have an accent when I speak. It's interesting to me that those around us make us aware of our culture or accent. Those differences then bring us together or push us apart as religions, communities, nationalities, etc. At this point I could turn this into a philosophical discussion, which is not the intent.
I'm still addicted to Bollywood movies, and the addiction is worsening. With each movie I see, I am eager to watch more, understand more, and stay up later! (Yawn .... stretch!) My obsession has taken a turn and now I've begun reading the Bollywood news!

Things we are familiar with in the U.S. that are associated with Hollywood include paparazzi, anorexic women, and addictions. Bollywood doesn't have a lot of buzz about anorexia (and their women look fabulous, so definately no need), not a lot about paparazzi that they complain about, and nothing that I've seen about addictions.

Bollywood doesn't appreciate it when actors (for both men and women are actors) are rude, to regular people or other actors. If they are, it spreads like wildfire and it seems it can kill their career. There are also a lot of moral codes, for example kissing in movies is currently taboo. I read an article today, which tells of another thing that Bollywood has that Hollywood does not. This is a perfect example of why culture, and right now specifically Indian culture, is so wonderfully fascinating to me:

"Self-appointed moral police of the public behaviour of celebrities and guardians of Indian culture and morals closely watch television and films and read newspapers from beginning to end, waiting to pounce on violations of public decency and codes of patriotism.
The minute they see this, they head to the nearest judicial magistrate's court to file a Public Interest Litigation.

What makes them so concerned? According to noted journalist Balmiki Chatterjee, it brings instant fame. Most of them are lawyers -- and their legal practice gets a boost. If you want to see your name flashed in newspaper headlines and news channels, and you want to be photographed in court in the company of an Indian celebrity, the shortest route is to file a PIL against them on any ground, flimsy or otherwise.

A PIL does not necessarily have to be linked to a violation of the codes of 'decency' as perceived by the angry litigant. It could be as personal as Aishwarya Rai being asked to marry a tree before marrying Abhishek Bachchan to ward off some astrological mischance. Sruti Singh filed a PIL at the Patna High Court demanding a public apology from Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. Their crime? Aishwarya, said to be a Manglik that apparently heralds bad luck to the prospective groom, had to marry a peepul tree in Benares, a plantain tree in Bangalore and a Hindu deity in Ayodhya. Singh accused the Bachchans of giving importance to and promoting superstitious practices in violation of Article 17 of the Indian Constitution."

Wow! There is pretty much NOTHING in that statement to which I am familiar, and it makes me wonder if I'm living in the same world! I want to understand these beliefs and customs. There definately is a big world out there to try to comprehend!

Good Friends

We postponed our anniversary celebration until Saturday, September 29, so we could go to dinner with our friends, Matt and Stephanie, whose wedding anniversary is one day before ours. In our nice clothes (suits/ties, dresses/heels) and in the steady rain we drove to The Roof Restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City.

Traffic was terrible, making us 25-minutes late for our reservation. Matt called 411 to get the restaurant's number so we could let them know we would be there eventually; he was transferred around for 5-minutes before getting the restaurant. They couldn't find the reservation, which was eventually discovered under a phone number instead of a name. I was appreciative of the underground parking, so at least we wouldn't have to walk through the rain in our dress clothes. We were all dizzied by the stop and go elevator ride to the 10th floor provided by the man who pushed a couple buttons when he left the elevator, and as we were getting on. He thought he was really funny. The hostess was definately not the mostest! She was very grumpy, and told us to make sure we were done within the hour, because our table was someone else's at 7pm. But we completely enjoyed dinner, the view was great, and we were there with especially great people!

I am very grateful for wonderful friends who can even make a crazy situation fun!

"Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose." - Tennesee Williams

P.S. We finished dinner at 6:55pm.

4017 Days

It really doesn't sound like a lot, does it ... 4017 days!
But, that's how many days Matt and I have been married!

11 years ago at 9:00am we got married in the Salt Lake Temple.
573 weeks ago at 11:30am we were at Cowboy Grub for lunch.
96,408 hours ago at 2:00pm we were preparing for our reception.
5,784,480 minutes ago at 6:00pm we celebrated w/friends & family.
347,068,800 seconds ago at 8:00pm we were on our honeymoon.

What else happened September 27, 1996?

• Princess Iman bint Al Abdullah II was born.
• In Afghanistan, the Taliban captured the capital city of Kabul, after driving out President Burhanuddin Rabbani and executing former leader Mohammad Najibullah.

What was the world like then?

• Bill Clinton was President
• There were no iPods
• 9/11 had not happened
• It had been two months since the bombing at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta (which I watched in Matt's basement)
• Princess Diana was still alive, and recently divorced
• O.J. Simpson trial was about to begin
• Nearing the 1996 Presidential Election where Bill Clinton would begin his second term
• Ninetendo 64 was released that summer
• No Google?! (which is 9-years old today)

"Time, which changes, does not alter the image we retain of it." - Marcel Proust

Ditto That!

In my elementary years the well-behaved "teachers pet" children were sometimes chosen to take that days assignment down to the library where the librarian would assist the child in making "dittos" on the "Ditto Machine". I never got to do this, but I always wanted to! I remember helping to pass out the warm papers with the purple-blue writing, that were also a little damp.

I love reading on Wikipedia, despite controversy that they are not always accurate, and I find all that linked information fascinating. Click, click, click!

Wikipedia tells me that Ditto Machines were a "low-volume printing method used mainly by schools and churches" and that the purple-blue writing is actually called "aniline purple".

One day, probably in Middle School, I realized that my assignments were no longer aniline purple, but black. Somewhere in the back of my head, I wondered what had happened to the Ditto Machine! And I wondered why the kids were sent to get copies instead of to "go make dittos".

Wikipedia instructs that few Ditto Machines were being used by 1985. That was nearing the end of my elementary years, and sounds just about right!

One last thing to mention .... the smell! Wikipedia reminds us that "the aroma of pages fresh off the Ditto Machine was a memorable feature of school life for those who attended in the ditto machine era. A pop culture reference to this is to be found in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. At one point a teacher hands out a dittoed exam paper and every student in the class immediately lifts it to his or her nose and inhales."

Breath deeply! To quote Nellie Furtado, "Why do all good things come to an end?"

I Number Months

Speaking with my good friend Joellen, I told her how much I enjoyed my drive to work this morning. It was wet and cool; the mountains were slightly cloud-covered, and I could see the snow on the top and the orange leaves on the bottom. For me, fall is finally here!

I told Joellen that I was excited because we are currently in my "Number 4" favorite-month-of-the-year. Yes, I am a geek, and I number my months. So, here for your entertainment are Charnae's favorite-months-of-the-year, numbered:

FAVORITE: October
2. November
3. December
4. September
5. May
6. June
7. April
8. July
9. August
10. March
11. February
LEAST FAVORITE: January

_____________________

Cute Matt said to me last night, "It's 8:00 and it's already dark outside; wake me up in 6-months!" One great difference between Matt and I is that we enjoy different months. However, we both agree on the placement of numbers 10, 11, and 12!

Pen vs. Pencil

I like pens.

At work today, I had someone ask to borrow a pencil. I didn't have one, and told them that I had a pen, but they refused it! I was really surprised. If only a pencil were available, and I needed a writing utensil right at that moment, I would use it temporarily. But it got me thinking about our preferences ...

Pencils are kind of creepy to me, making a scratching sound as I write. The words never look sharp and clear because the edges of the letters get smudged everywhere, and if I do a lot of writing the lead seems to smear lightly across the page, making it cloudy. Eventually the cloud of lead transfers to my skin, making a shiny gray circle on my hand. I just don't like it.

My co-worker told me that she makes too many mistakes, and must have a pencil. I never make mistakes. (Yeah, right.) No really, I would rather cross-out something, or write-over my spelling error five times until I've almost written-through the page! I would rather do that, than write with a pencil. But, I would still never refuse a pencil in desperation.

Being an Executive Assistant, and a frequent orderer of office supplies, I believe that the "Pen Preferring People" out-number the "Pencil Preferring People". I have bought MANY boxes of pens during 2007 for my team; I can't give you a number of how many. I bought ONE box of pencils, and I was curious, so I just went and looked inside.

It appears my box of one dozen pencils has turned into a bakers dozen! Either they are having babies, or someone decided to join the "Pens Team".

Old Movies

I am an old movie fanatic! Although born in 1975, I could tell you the names of actors/actresses from 1930-1960 better than I could tell you current ones.

Anyhow, here is an extremely DIFFICULT old movie quiz that I created for a team activity at work last year. If you feel up to the challenge, see if you can answer one! Or ten! I'll put the answers in a later post!

1. What color of dress did Julie Marsden (Bette Davis) wear to the Olympus Ball that she attended with Preston Dillard (Henry Fonda) in the 1938 movie "Jezebel"? Red
2. What is the name of the book that Lucy Muir (Gene Tierney) and the ghost of Captain Greg (Rex Harrison) write together in the 1947 movie "The Ghost & Mrs. Muir"? Blood and Swash
3. While Glenn Morley (Joseph Cotton) and Katrin Holstrom (Loretta Young) are ice skating in the 1947 movie "The Farmer's Daughter", what two people are watching them through the window, making bets as to whether Glenn will fall through the ice? Agatha Morley (Glenn's mom played by Ethel Barrymore) and Clancy (the butler played by Charles Bickford)
4. Mary Rafferty (Greer Garson) becomes a maid in the home of steel mill owner Paul Scott (Gregory Peck) in the 1945 movie "The Valley of Decision". What is her profession at the end of the movie? A Dressmaker
5. What item of Edie Doyle's (Eva Marie Saint) does Terry Maloy (Marlon Brando) hold in his hand while talking with her on the playground swing set in the 1954 movie "On The Waterfront"? A Glove
6. What do reporters Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) & Irving Radovich (Eddie Albert) present to Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) at the end of the 1953 movie "Roman Holiday"? Pictures of her visit to Rome
7. Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) eludes her father and goes on the run with reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable) in an attempt to reunite with her husband of whom her father disapproves in the 1934 movie "It Happened One Night". What is Ellie's husband's name? King Westley
8. Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), Josephine (Tony Curtis), and Daphne (Jack Lemmon) are all members of the all-girl band, Sweet Sue's Society Syncopator's in the 1959 movie "Some Like It Hot". What musical instrument does Sugar Kane play? Ukulele
9. Wealthy socialite Angela Vickers (Elizabeth Taylor) falls in love with George Eastman (Montgomery Clift), a poor man working in his rich uncle's family business in the 1951 movie "A Place In The Sun". What is the name of the novel that the movie was based on? An American Tragedy
10. Allen Quinton (Joseph Cotton) writes love letters to Victoria Remington (Jennifer Jones) for his fellow soldier, Roger Morland, who has no talent for writing in the 1945 movie "Love Letters". Allen later learns of their marriage, Roger's mysterious death, and eventually meets Victoria who has amnesia and is going by what name? Singleton

Techno Music

During my high school years I was very into Techno music. What I considered Techno was KMFDM, The Grid, Machines of Loving Grace, and The Shamen.

One time while I was shopping at Media Play (ha, ha), some guy gave me a CD and told me this was "real techno". I was interested, bought it, and went home and listened to Kraftwerk. Hmmm. Not really something I wanted to listen to more than once. (Thinking back, I don't know if I ever even listened to it that once .... maybe on fast speed.)

Thank goodness for iTunes! Since I've been able to find my music on iTunes, I can tell you that KMFDM is Rock, The Grid is Dance, Machines of Loving Grace is Alternative, and The Shamen is Pop. And Kraftwerk? It's Electronica.

So, what is Techno? Well, nothing in iTunes is listed as Techno.

Maybe Strong Bad tells it best ...

A Blog About Blogs

Every day I think, "You really need to add another blog because your Bollywood obsession is the only thing people will see if they explore!" And yet each day passes without another entry.

So, I decided to write a quick blog about blogs! I have had a lot of fun lately looking up other people's blogs. I especially like that I can go to my profile, click on my interests and find lists of other people just like me!

So, if you ran across my blog because you are interested in Halloween, tennis, Mormons, or any one of the things that make up who I am ... or by whatever means you happened by .... WELCOME!

I will try to be more entertaining and insightful in the future.
But probably not as entertaining as this guy ...

Budding Interests

It's silly, but I am currently addicted to Bollywood movies!

My new obsession started slowly. A couple years ago I watched Bend It Like Beckham, and not too long after I watched Bride & Prejudice, both directed by Gurinder Chadha.

More recently I started looking into movies starring Aishwarya Rai, which led me to Dhoom 2. Anyhow, watching Dhoom 2 led me to Dhoom, Kabul Express, and last night I watched Veer-Zaara. It's official; I am hooked!

Obsessed? I actually bought Dhoom 2. Hrithik Roshan is an amazing dancer! I downloaded the soundtrack from Dhoom and Dhoom 2 from iTunes, and am going to see if they have the soundtrack for Veer-Zaara tonight. I also have two new movies on hold through my local Ruth V. Tyler Library. One is called Kabhi khushi kabhie gham and the other is Lakshya. I'm hoping for some more Hrithik dancing! (See You Tube Video below.)





Where do I go from here? I guess my obsession will continue until I get tired of the dancing, or my eyes start to hurt from reading the TV. I'll keep you posted!

Interesting thing about Bollywood movies: About 5-10% of the movie is in English. They throw English words or sentences in here and there. It's crazy to be reading along, and then realize they actually said what was written on the screen! My favorite is in Dhoom, when ACP Jai Dixit says "jail, sweet, jail". Also, Dhoom has one song where they sing in Hindi, English, and Spanish. Trippy!

Funny thought: I think I will fall over if Heather is watching Bollywood movies. We seem to pick up the same unusual hobbies at the same time, unbeknownst to the other!

Second language: Do you think if I watch/read enough movies, I'll start to understand/speak Hindi?