Mom's Calendar Quote for Today

My sister got this Mom's Calendar for me last Christmas. It's one of those that sits on a desk or whatever and it has a quote for each day. The quote for today was especially pertinent. It's something I'm facing every day.

Toddler's Creed

If I want it, it's mine.
If I give it to you, it's mine later when I want it back.
If I take it away from you, it's still mine.
If I had it a long time ago and some other kid has it, it's still mine.
If it looks like it once was mine, it's still mine!

Spanish Word of the Day 31 August 2004 -- flor

Today's word is flor, which means flower. This is also used in the game truco, if you have 3 cards of the same suite during the envido, you can call 'flor.'

Mi flor favorita es la rosa. My favourite flower is the rose.

Feeling guilty? Nah, not me.

It's been a couple of days since I posted. It's strange how addictive this blog has become. From something I started just for kicks, now I almost feel bad if I skip a day without posting something. I decided to spend some time away from the computer, to see if I was really a junkie. I passed my test. :)

Yesterday, I read some of The Two Towers. I'm re-reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy for kicks. I've been reading this about once a year, and I think on each reading, I pick up little nuances I missed on the previous passes.

I also went out for a run/walk. I completed 2 miles in 20 minutes. That's not too bad, considering it was more running than walking. I am registering for the Race for the Cure, which is held locally on October 9. I'm signing up with one of my coworkers so we can give each other moral support. This will be my first 5K in over 10 years, so it might as well be my first. The last race I was in, I completed in under 20 minutes. My goal for this one is simply to finish.

I've been looking at some running websites for training info and tips, and I found some interesting quotes on one.

"Look around the table. If you don't see a sucker, get up, because you're the sucker."
Amarillo Slim

"Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom."
General George Patton

"Obstacles are those frightening things that become visible when we take our eyes off our goals."
Henry Ford

I found these quotes and many others at 10K Truth.

Spanish Word of the Day 30 August 2004 -- zapato

Today's word is zapato, which means shoe.

Necesito los zapatos nuevos. I need new shoes.

2005 Little Rock Marathon

This is my training goal...188 days to go.

Spanish Word of the Day 29 August 2004 -- maratón

Today's word is maratón. This is marathon.

Mi meta es terminar una maratón en marzo. My goal is to complete a marathon in March.

Spanish Word of the Day 28 August 2004 -- oro

The word today is oro. This means gold.

Argentina ganó dos medallas de oro hoy. Argentina won two gold medals today.

Double Gold Medals for Argentina

It's a historic day for sport in Argentina. Earlier, the Argentine men won a gold in soccer.

Then the Argentine men's basketball team won the gold, defeating Italy in the final game.

Spanish Word of the Day 27 August 2004 -- teléfono

Today's word is teléfono, which is telephone.

Tengo un teléfono celular rojo. I have a red cellular phone.

10 Weeks -- Don't Get Mad, Get Even!

MoveOn PAC

A link to a series of ads, 1 will debut each week between now and election day.

Argentina national anthem

You can see the flag of Argentina here as well as listen to the national anthem.

Basketball

I'm tracking the Argentina/USA basketball game through NBC. I'm getting excited...Argentina is leading the USA by 12 at the moment with 1:40 left in the 3rd quarter. Argentina outscored the US in the first half, and is on track to do so in the second half as well. Woo-hoo!!

Alright! Argentina won! I'm doing my happy dance inside, to try to avoid offending my coworkers.

Mom's Calendar Quote for Today

This is from the Moms calendar I got from my sister at Christmas.

You know you're a real mom when...

You let your husband sleep in front of the TV, your son sleep on the bedroom floor, and the dog sleep on your bed.

Argentina beat Greece in men's basketball!!

Woo-hoo! So now Argentina plays the US tomorrow in the semifinals. My husband is Argentine and I am from the US. I know this won't be the popular view here, but I would like to see Argentina in the gold medal game. I mentioned this to one of my coworkers, who made a comment about me being unpatriotic and a traitor. If that's the case, then so be it.

Spanish Word of the Day 26 August 2004 -- basquet

Today's word is basquet, which is the word for basketball.

Argentina jugó basquet hoy en las Olimpíadas. Argentina played basketball today at the Olympics.

James Hart for Congress Committee - Preserving Intellectual Capacity

Oh my...I'm speechless. I cannot believe any one would think of campaigning on a platform like this, especially in the south, where racial tension is still high. All the crap about favored races -- is this guy insane?

Spanish Word of the Day 25 August 2004 -- submarino

The word today is submarino, meaning submarine. Easy enough.

Vi un submarino en el río. I saw a submarine on the river.

I want a new phone

I have a Motorola v60 at the moment, that I've had for almost 2 years.



It's been a good phone, but it's getting to the point that it's not holding a charge well (I'm having to plug it up about every 24 hours even without using it). Also, half the time when I put it on to charge, it tells me that it's unable to charge. I checked into getting a new battery for it, but the cost of a new battery is about $40. I have insurance for my phone, but it's $50 to file a claim for a replacement, and I get whatever the insurance company is issuing. I might as well buy a new phone, so I can pick what I want.

I'm considering a couple of options.

One is a LG LX5550




The LG has a speakerphone, voice commands, all the usual stuff like mobile web and text messaging, and that cool colour external display. It's $60 now with a 2 year contract.

The other is a Motorola v710, that my phone company will have this fall.



The Motorola is cool too. It has Bluetooth, a 1.2 megapixel camera with flash, speakerphone, voice dialing, all the usuals as mentioned above, and a cool external display that's capable of picture caller id. I have no idea what the price will be on this. Verizon has it now for $250 with a 2 year contract, so I'd assume the price for me would be similar.

Part of me is leaning toward the LG, for the instant gratification thing, as well as a possible $200 savings. But I'm kinda partial to Motorolas. That's all I've used for the last 4 years.

On top of all this, my husband says I don't need a new phone and not to worry about it. I would hate to not be able to use my phone when I need it because my battery is dead and I can't charge it.

I'm still weighing the options.

USS Razorback

The USS Razorback is coming to Arkansas. It's being refurbished and is going to be opened as a floating museum. As it was making its way along the Arkansas River to the site where it's been temporarily located while undergoing repairs and such, a friend of mine snapped a photo with her phone.

International Korfball Federation Site

Korfball? It's recognized by the IOC. Has anyone out there played this? It looks like it might be fun.

Torino 2006

As the Athens games wind down, it's time to start looking ahead to the 2006 Winter Games, which will be in Italy.

Mom's Calendar Quote for Today

This is the quote for today taken from my Moms Calendar that my sister gave me for Christmas last year.

HELP WANTED

Position: Mom
Job responsibilities: Must provide on-the site training in basic life skills such as nose blowing. Must have strong skills in negotiating, conflict resolution, and crisis management. Ability to suture wounds a plus. Must be able to think out of the box because it will be useful in completing school projects.

A South American Showdown for the men's soccer gold

So it's going to be Paraguay and Argentina playing for the Olympic gold on Saturday. Go Argentina!

Spanish Word of the Day 24 August 2004 -- agosto

Today's word is agosto. This is the word for August. Note that the months of the year are not capitalized in Spanish.

El cumpleaños de mi marido es en agosto. My husband's birthday is in August.

The Jabronie Test

I'm not a wrestling fan, but I'm posting this here for my co-worker who calls everyone a jabronie. I took the test and I am a jabronie. Oh well.

Spanish Word of the Day 23 August 2004 -- pierna

The word of the day today is pierna. This means leg.

Mis piernas son cortas. My legs are short.

Spanish Word of the Day 22 August 2004 -- brazo

The word today is brazo. This is arm.

Tengo dos brazos. I have two arms.

All About Me (Maybe more than you wanted to know)

The \\
Last Cigarette:	Basic; a few minutes ago
Last Alcoholic Drink:	a Diamond Bear beer that a friend brought to me a couple weeks back
Last Car Ride:	today on the way back from my mom's house
Last Kiss:	last night with my husband
Last Good Cry:	in May, remembering the death of my father back in 1985
Last Library Book:	the Dean and Deluca cookbook
Last book bought:	I don't remember. Yes, it's been *that* long.
Last Book Read:	I am currently re-reading "The Fellowship of the Ring"
Last Movie Seen in Theatres:	One of the Matrix movies...
Last Movie Rented:	I rented 3: Grosse Pointe Blank, Chicago, and Bob the Builder
Last Cuss Word Uttered:	fuck
Last Beverage Drank:	diet vanilla Pepsi
Last Food Consumed:	Half a Turtle Cookie
Last Crush:	hmmm...Orlando Bloom, I guess.
Last Phone Call:	calling my husband on the way home today to help me carry in some things
Last TV Show Watched:	America's Funniest Videos
Last Time Showered:	yesterday afternoon
Last Shoes Worn:	a pair of silk brocade thongs
Last CD Played:	The Mars Volta -- De-loused in the Comatorium
Last Item Bought:	For me? A sports bra. In general -- Hamburger Helper
Last Download:	Windows updates
Last Annoyance:	insurance issue on the car
Last Disappointment:	when I didn't get offered a job I really wanted
Last Soda Drank:	diet vanilla Pepsi
Last Thing Written:	a comment on someone's blog
Last Key Used:	g
Last Words Spoken:	Do you want me to hold you? -- to my son
Last Sleep:	last night, until about 9 am today
Last Ice Cream Eaten:	home-made banana ice cream
Last Chair Sat In:	the one I am in now at my desk
Last Webpage Visited:	Google AdSense
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!

I've finally accepted it --

I have no social life anymore. This weekend, I went out for dinner on Friday night with my husband, son, and one of our family friends(who happens to be my ex). On Saturday, I stayed home most of the day and did household chores. I did venture out once to do my grocery shopping, and I went to the new Wal Mart Supercenter that was celebrating its grand opening. I've been doing my shopping at Wal Mart for over a year, but I've had to drive all the way across town to do it. Now with this new one open, I don't have to drive quite as far. Since it was the grand opening, they were giving away all kinds of free stuff. I got a free bottle of that Coke C2 stuff, a sample of cereal, some Keebler elf stickers for the kiddo, and a sample of Stax chips (which were eaten by the kiddo). They also had all of the cashier lanes open, which was nice. Today, Enzo and I went out to see my mom and step-dad. Now I'm back at home, watching the Olympics and doing laundry. What a weekend!

Spanish Word of the Day 21 August 2004 -- pelo

Today's word is pelo. This is hair.

Tengo pelo marrón. I have brown hair.

Yard Sale for Democracy!

MoveOn PAC

Spanish Word of the Day 20 August 2004 -- amigo

Amigo is today's word. This means friend. This is another word that needs to agree in number and gender with who you're describing. Amigo is for a singular male, amiga is a singular female, amigos is a group of males or a group of mixed gender, and amigas is a group of females.

Lisa es mi mejor amiga. Lisa is my best friend.

Arrgh!

Last night was yucky. I watched the Olympics, and was waiting for the evening news to come on when the lights flickered off and on about 4 times before finally going out. It was about 11 pm. I had no idea when the power would be back on, and my shift at work starts at 7 am. I decided I would stay up until the power came back on. My husband went to bed around 11:30 or so and opened the sliding door in our bedroom so it wouldn't get too hot inside. I headed to the living room with a book and some candles. I called the electric company to report the outage and they said at the time that power should be restored by 3 am. I'm cool with that. I can do 3 am. Around 12:30, the lights flickered back on and off a couple of times but stayed off. I called the electric company again around 2. At this time, the recording had changed and they were saying power would be restored by 4. I couldn't do 4 am, so I headed to bed. I did everything I could to try to make sure I would wake up this morning on time. This morning around 5, a thunderstorm came through. The thunder, rain, and wind blowing woke me up and I got up to close the door. While I was up, the lights came back on. I went around the house and turned all the lights off and reset the clocks. I went back to bed, since I still had another 45 minutes I could sleep. Then driving to work, there was a tree down across our road that I had to avoid. The roads were wet, which kind of spooks me now after I had an accident in April on wet roads from losing traction on my back tires, so I took it slower than usual. It didn't help that I had a police car behind me, either. On my way to daycare, I discovered why our power was out. There was a truck that had wrapped around a pole. I saw the truck on a flatbed tow truck and it was a mess. The tailgate and the headlights were both facing in the same direction. Not pretty. There was also one lane of the road blocked off and there were several electric company trucks out repairing the lines. Plus, school in our area started this week, and I have to pass through a school zone with a 25 mph speed limit not once but twice. I ended up being late for work this morning. Definitely not the way I had hoped to end the workweek.

ClubPed

It's an online walking tracker, you enter your steps and can see how you're progressing toward your goals. There are 2 rewards to choose from: a Virtual Dog or an Evolving Story.

Spanish Word of the Day 19 August 2004 -- deshecha

Today's word is deshecha, which is exhausted or worn out.

Estoy deshecha. I'm exhausted.

CLUB ATLETICO RIVER PLATE - Sitio oficial

River!

Beer Mail

Beer Mail? What is going on here?

Eurotrash

Eurotrash

Here's a neat blog I happened upon in my browsing today.

Spanish Word of the Day 18 August 2004 -- proteger

Today's word is a verb, proteger. It means to protect.

Here's the conjugation:

yo protejo
tú proteges
él protege
nosotros protegemos
ustedes protegen
ellos protegen

Mi paraguas me protege de la lluvia. My umbrella protects me from the rain.

Rant

I've been stewing on this for a few days now and I'm still pissed off about it. Over the weekend, I ordered a pizza online from Pizza Hut. This was the first time I used their website. I had considered it some time before, but it doesn't seem to be very user-friendly, i.e. to use a print coupon offer, you have to enter a code from the coupon, but the site doesn't accept any codes as valid. Anyway, so I placed my order using one of their online specials. The closest Pizza Hut to me is in a shopping center along with a grocery store, and I needed to get some things from the store also, so I placed my order as carryout. Things are going well so far. I get my total, $16.95 for a large pizza, an order of breadsticks, and tax. I select that I want to use my credit card. I'm not prompted for any card info, but I get a message that my order has been transmitted, and to be sure to take my card and photo id to the restaurant with me when I get my dinner. The estimated time is 20 minutes. I'm thinking this is going to be great. I wait about 10 minutes and then head out. I get my items at the grocer, and then drive over to the Pizza Hut and enqueue myself in their carryout drive-through. I haven't been there for more than 2 minutes when my cell phone rings. It's my husband, announcing that there is a guy at our door with the pizza. WTF?! My husband is at home cashless, checkless, unable to pay this guy for the pizza because I'm at the restaurant waiting to pick up my carryout pizza. So I tell him I'll be right there. I back out of the drive-through lane and rush home. I get there, and there's no pizza guy. My husband says that the guy had another pizza to deliver in our apartment complex, so he went to do that and will be back. I use the wait time to make out a check, for the amount of my online order. At this point, I still have some hope. Everyone makes mistakes after all. Then pizza guy reappears. I open the door and he hands me the pizza and breadsticks and informs me that my total is $21.xx. Excuse me? So I tell the guy that no, that must be wrong, that I ordered online and it was supposed to be carryout and that my total, tax included, should only be $16.95. He shows me the receipt, which has every item priced higher, as well as including a delivery charge. I'm insistent that I shouldn't have to pay more since I was quoted a price already and have an email confirmation to back it up. He borrows my phone and calls back to the restaurant and gets my bill lowered to $19.66. Wow! What a bargain. At this point, I'm so totally fed up (not to mention hungry) that I just write out a new check and give it to the guy so I can eat.

I ate the pizza, and then called the local call center to try to get this settled. I got transferred to a "manager" (who didn't offer her name and sounded younger than me) and I explained the situation. She said that it was delivered because my address showed up with the order. I explained that the site asks me to enter my address initially but doesn't give the option to rescind it later. I chose from a list of the local restaurants where I wanted to pick up my carryout. I selected the carryout option. What more should I have to do? She just asks what I want and I tell her that I don't think I should have to pay more because the store messed up the order. So now I have a $3 credit on my phone number in the Pizza Hut computer system for the next time I order. Woo-hoo. Don't get me wrong, it's not that the $3 is going to make or break my existence. It's the principle of the thing. When I order carryout and am given a fixed price, I expect to pick my order up at the restaurant and pay that price.

I later went to the Pizza Hut website and filled out a comment form regarding the situation and got a wonderful form email reply back:

Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for contacting Pizza Hut. We do apologize for
your unpleasant experience and we want to address this issue
immediately.
Your comments and concerns are very important to us. We will
forward this information to the appropriate management team so that necessary
steps are taken to ensure that our customers receive 100% Customer
Satisfaction.
Again, we thank you for your input and look forward to serving
you soon.
Sincerely,
Pizza Hut Web Coordinator

That's it for now. Thanks for listening.

Apostrophe Protection Society

I think I'm in love!

NHLBI-Portion Distortion Quiz

Portion Distortion Quiz -- It's really interesting to see how much bigger portion sizes have become. It's no wonder that there is an obesity epidemic.

Bienvenidos a Wendy's en Español

It's Wendy's in Spanish!

Spanish Word of the Day 17 August 2004 -- abrazar

Today's word is another verb, abrazar, which means to hug or to embrace.

Here's the conjugation:
yo abrazo
tú abrazas
él abraza
nosotros abrazamos
ustedes abrazan
ellos abrazan

Abrazo mi hijo cada día. I hug my son every day.

Wired News: Broadband Over Power Lines?

This is an interesting article.

Spanish Word of the Day 16 August 2004 -- torta

Today's word is torta, which means cake.

Vamos a comer torta por el cumpleaños de mi marido esta noche. We are having cake for my husband's birthday tonight.

Anarchists' Convention Debates Voting

ATHENS, Ohio (AP) - A group of anarchists is taking an unusual step to make its political voice heard - going to the polls. Anarchists generally pride themselves on their rejection of government and its authority. But a faction of them fed up with the war in Iraq say they plan to cast anti-Bush votes this fall. The voting debate was just one of the topics explored at the three-day North American Anarchist Convergence, which brought about 175 participants to Ohio University. Some attendees rejected the voting proposal. Howard Ehrlich, of Baltimore, also embraces his right to "engage the political system." "I will certainly vote against George Bush because he is leading the nation to further violence and eroding civil liberties," said Ehrlich, who is editor of Social Anarchism, a 3,000-circulation magazine.

From WJLA News

Spanish Word of the Day 15 August 2005 -- caminar

Today's word is a verb, caminar, to walk.

yo camino
tú caminas
él camina
nosotros caminamos
ustedes caminan
ellos caminan

Caminé una milla hoy. I walked one mile today.

Walking

I walked again this afternoon, while my son took his nap. Today I did the same route/distance as yesterday, but at a more respectable pace. I did the 1.4 miles in about 20 minutes. That's okay. I've done better, but then again, I used to run cross country track back in the day. Now, I'm slow and fat, but hoping that both adjectives will no longer be applicable soon. I want to enter the Presidential 5K Fun Run in November. The max finishing time is 1 hour. 5K is around 3 miles. If I can do a mile right now in around 15, and I have about 2 months to train, I should be able to make a pretty good showing. I'll keep you posted.

Another pound gone!

I lost another pound this week, making my total weight loss this week 3 pounds. I guess those first 2 weren't a fluke, after all! I also decided to start walking as exercise, and I walked a little more than a mile yesterday. It took me almost an hour, because my 2 year old insisted on accompanying me, and not in his stroller. So we went at his pace, or else I carried him.

Spanish Word of the Day 14 August 2004 -- leche

Today's word is leche, which is milk.

Me gusta beber la leche. I like to drink milk.

Spanish Word of the Day 13 August 2004 -- historia

Today's word is historia, which means story.

Yo sé muy bien la historia. I know the story very well.

Julia Child dead at 91 - Aug 13, 2004

CNN.com - Julia Child dead at 91 - Aug 13, 2004

How sad.

The World Star Gazette - Submit Your Blog

Superior News from a Source You Can Trust

Democratic Party Meetup

I've lost 2 pounds since Sunday

I'm afraid it's a fluke, but I'm down 2 pounds already from Sunday. I'm not complaining, or anything, I'll take 2 pounds. It's definitely better than nothing, and a whole lot better than gaining. I'm keeping an eye on the scale to see if those pounds reappear.

Spanish Word of the Day 12 August 2004 -- bañarse

Today's word is a verb, bañarse. This means to bathe. It is reflexive.

yo me baño
tú te bañas
él se baña
nosotros nos bañamos
ustedes se bañan
ellos se bañan

Enzo se va a bañar esta noche. Enzo will have a bath tonight.

Spanish Word of the Day 11 August 2004 -- poder

Today I'm featuring another verb, poder, which means to be able.

And the conjugation follows:

yo puedo
tú puedes
él puede
nosotros podemos
ustedes puedan
ellos puedan

No puedo dormir. I can't sleep.

Here's a blurry picture (taken from a moving car) of the currently-under-construction Clinton Presidential Library 

Spanish Word of the Day 10 August 2004 -- beber

Today's word is another verb, beber, which means to drink.

And here is the conjugation:

yo bebo
tú bebes
él bebe
nosotros bebemos
ustedes beben
ellos beben

Bebo solamente soda dietetica. I only drink diet soda.

I hate spam

I have mobile web on my cell phone, and it comes with an email address that I haven't given out to anyone, anywhere. Then...why, oh why did I log in to my account tonight to discover that I had over 3000 emails -- all spam.

Here's my Abi Station portrait

Spanish Word of the Day 9 August 2004 -- hermana

Today's word is hermana, which is sister. Hermano would be brother.

Hoy es el cumpleaños de mi hermana. Today is my sister's birthday.

Feeling pretty good about what I've done so far

I just compared my current weight/measurements against where I was at on 4 January, the night before I initially started the South Beach Diet. I feel pretty good about the whole thing.

I've lost 20 pounds in the last 7 months, most of that in the first 3, since I've been doing a lot of cheating.

The nicest thing to look at is measurements, though:

• My waist has decreased 4.75 inches
• My hips have decreased 8 inches
• My chest(rib cage) has decreased 4 inches
• My bust has decreased 6.25 inches
• My thighs have decreased 6 inches
• My biceps have decreased 2 inches
• My neck has decreased 1 inch

I feel good about what I've done this far, and I'm ready to get back on track to see even more improvements. I plan to re-incorporate exercise into my daily activities. I was doing some video workouts earlier in the year, but I took my birthday off, and never really started again. My birthday was 29 January. It's high time to start working out again. I'm thinking about starting to walk in the evenings, especially since fall will be here shortly, and the weather won't be quite so unbearably hot and humid.

Room 42 Software's Basal Metabolism Calculator

Room 42 Software's Basal Metabolism Calculator

Getting back on the diet...again

I haven't exactly been following the South Beach Diet this past month or so. The good news is that I've only gained back about 4 pounds out of what I lost. So I'm still at a better point than I was when I began this whole expedition back in January. I just know I need to lose more weight and get back in shape.

I'm not expecting a miracle or anything. I want to lose about 1.5 pounds a week until I reach a total weight loss of 54 pounds. From January until now, my average weight loss has been 0.8 pounds a week. All I need to do is watch what I eat a little more closely and start working out again. I've noticed over the last couple of months that what I once considered reward food, to have sparingly, has crept back into my diet on a more regular basis. This last week has been a great example: last Saturday, I had Mexican food for lunch and then went to Outback Steakhouse for dinner, we had pizza for dinner 2 times during the week, and I made breakfast both mornings this weekend -- french toast yesterday and sausage biscuits today.

So, I'm renewed in my fight against fat, and anyone is welcome to tag along for the ride. I'm using FitDay to track my food intake, and I have a public journal where you can log in and see my weight, what foods I've eaten, and what my goals are. Wish me luck.

How does this work?

I've been out of high school for 10 years. My reunion is next month.

Anyway, within the last 2 weeks, I have encountered 2 of my best friends from high school with whom I had lost touch.

One is someone who I met when we started junior high school and were friends until graduation, when we went our separate ways. I ran into her at the eye doctor. She was working in the office there. It was kind of weird to me, I had never been to that doctor before, I had to choose a new doctor that was covered under his vision insurance, and it was her last week working there. She's now working about a block away from me and we're going to have lunch next week.

The other is someone who I met in elementary school, and then the rest is the same story. My mom pointed her out to me in a photo from the local paper. Her family has a farm, and they set up a stand at the farmer's market that is held downtown on Saturdays. There was a picture of her with her mother at their stand. I went to the market last Saturday, hoping that she would be working, and she was. She immediately recognized me, told me that she had been back in town since January, and said to call her. I haven't called her yet, but I would like to get together to catch up. So, I go for 10 years since high school, only really keeping in contact with 2 of my friends from those years, and then in the span of 2 weeks, I meet again 2 people I've been wondering about for all that time.

Serendipity?

New Zealand

So, earlier today, I was doing some web browsing with no particular focus or destination. I ended up at the New Zealand tourism site. Maybe it's because I've been watching the Appendices on the extended DVD of LoTR: The Two Towers, and seeing all these spectacular locations they shot in. But, anyway, I followed a link about moving to NZ, and in the process discovered that I qualify as a Skilled Migrant for immigration purposes. Mind you, I'm not planning to move there at this time. Besides, there's pricing information regarding the cost to apply and get residence and work authorization. I thought it was expensive when we did all the INS paperwork for my husband. The fees in NZ are $890 US per person. So for my husband and myself to both be legal, we'd have to come up with almost $1800 in fees, not to mention the cost of actually moving.
It is a beautiful country, and I'd love to visit there, given the opportunity. However any plans I may have harbored to move there, even subconsciously, are dead.

El Ahorcado

Here's a link to a hangman game on About's Spanish page that allows you to test your vocabulary skills.
El Ahorcado - Play Hangman and Learn Spanish - Easy Vocabulary

Spanish Word of the Day 7 August 2004 -- matar

Today's word of the day is a verb, matar, which means to kill.

I feel that my choice of word today needs a bit of explation, lest someone think that I have a deep secret. I've been listening to a tape that my husband made with some songs in Spanish, and one of the songs is El Matador by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. You can see the lyrics here.

So, with no further ado, here's the conjugation:

yo mato
tú matas
él mata
nosotros matamos
ustedes matan
ellos matan

Mato a hormigas en mi cocina. I kill ants in my kitchen.

what is really going on here? 

Proposed Dutch law would ban unsolicited toe-licking

This was just too strange not to mention.
CNN.com - Proposed Dutch law would ban unsolicited toe-licking - Aug 6, 2004

Rick James Dead at 56

Funk Singer Rick James Dies in Los Angeles



LOS ANGELES - Funk singer Rick James, best known for the 1981 hit "Super Freak," died Friday, apparently of natural causes, police said.

James, 56, died at 9:45 a.m. at a residence near Universal City, said Officer Esther Reyes, a Police Department spokeswoman.

"He died apparently of natural causes. We learned of his death after responding to a radio call," Reyes said.

Spanish Word of the Day 6 August 2004 -- fumar

Today is another verb, fumar. This is to smoke.

The conjugation goes a little something like this:

yo fumo
tú fumas
él fúma
nosotros fumamos
ustedes fuman
ellos fuman

Mi marido fúma diez cigarillos por dia. My husband smokes ten cigarettes per day.

LET THE HOBBIT HAPPEN!

LET THE HOBBIT HAPPEN! - Letter Writing Campaign to Make the Hobbit Film a Reality

I would really love to see The Hobbit on film...

Something funny

You've probably seen this before by now, but I still think this is funny. I'm really indifferent about Britney, but you have to wonder what's really going on there.
See The Mystery of Britney Spears Breasts

Spanish Word of the Day 5 August 2004 -- cansado

Today's word is cansado. This means tired. Again, this needs to agree in number and gender with what it is describing.

Estoy cansada. I am tired.

Spanish Word of the Day 4 August 2004 -- enfermo

Today's word is enfermo. This means ill. This needs to agree in gender and number with whoever it is describing.

Mi marido esta enfermo hoy. Esta en la casa. My husband is ill today. He is at home.

Spanish Word of the Day 3 August 2004 -- mirar

Today's word is another verb, mirar, which means to look at.

Here is the conjugation:

yo miro
tu miras
el mira
nosotros miramos
ustedes miran
ellos miran

Estoy mirando la versión extendida de The Two Towers. I am watching the extended version of The Two Towers.

I'm in my second day back at work after my vacation. I'm not feeling well today. I had trouble getting to sleep last night. I was up coughing and stuff until about 2 am, when I finally broke down and took some cough medicine. I then slept through the alarm, waking around 6:20. I'm usually ready to go by that time. My shift starts at 7. I was a little late this morning, but not much.

I am still so tired. I feel like I could just lay my head on my desk and sleep all day. I'm on my second cup of coffee now, but it doesn't seem to be doing any good yet. It'll probably hit me all at once later, and I'll be bouncing off the walls.

One of my husband's coworkers sent some literature home with him last week to try to sign me up as an Arbonne consultant. It sounds like it could be a good thing, if one has the time and resources to dedicate to growing the business. I'm not sure if I have the time to really make it worth my while. One possible disadvantage is that most people around here haven't heard of Arbonne. I for one, hadn't heard about it until I got the booklet. The products are somewhat pricey, and I am more likely to spend that kind of money on something with which I am familiar. Maybe I would be better off selling Avon or Mary Kay. Or maybe I would be better off not selling anything at all. I'm looking for a source of additional income for the family without having to work a second job, at least not one outside the home. I'm still contemplating it.

I love shoes!

I soooo want these shoes

Spanish Word of the Day 2 August 2004 -- necesitar

Today's word is another verb. It is necesitar, to need.

Here is the conjugation:
yo necesito
tú necesitas
él necesita
nosotros necesitamos
ustedes necesitan
ellos necesitan

Necesito hacer las compras para esta semana hoy. I need to buy my groceries for this week today.

Spanish Word of the Day 1 August 2004 -- ir

Today's word is another verb. It is ir, meaning to go. It is an irregular verb.

Here is the conjugation:

yo voy
tú vas
él va
nosotros vamos
ustedes van
ellos van

Voy a trabajar mañana. I am going back to work tomorrow.