No, I didn't drop off the face of the earth. Honest!

Yes, I have been lazy and haven't blogged for over two weeks. I know.
No, you can stop reminding me.

Not that anyone really HAS mentioned it. Therefore, maybe no one READS my blog very often. :P
Good thing that I don't just blog for the RAGING AND WILD DEMANDS of my readers.
(Though, really, if you WANT me to blog about something, lemme know. I can cater to some whims!)

I have totally and completely given up on my NaNoWriMo this year. Yeah, I'm not motivated.
And life is blowing up in little ways.

My kids have NO DESIRE to go to storytime. What's up with that??
(TMI ALERT: My period came and made me go all sorts of crazy. Enough so that as I was LECTURING the children about the sorry state of their shoes in their closet [i.e., that they weren't PUTTING their DANG shoes in their DANG closet ... so they can't FIND their DANG shoes. And I was TIRED of it] that Michael sent me for a time-out. In which I totally emptied the medicine shelf in our bathroom cupboard and reorganized it. So we didn't go to a science exhibit and Wal-Mart in a bigger city. But we went to a closer Wal-Mart. Didn't buy anything. And I did tell the kiddos that I was really tired of the "gimmies."
(Srsly, my daughter always asks what we're going to buy her when we go into a store. And I told her, point blank, that when she does that, I don't want to buy her ANYTHING. EVER. Yup. That's some GREAT MOTHERING TECHNIQUE. I know that Dr. Phil is going to have ME start doing his show for him. >.< NOT.)
Someone griped at Michael's work that Micheal's had the work truck for a long time. (It was supposed to be until he passed the Engineering License exam last Spring. Which didn't happen.
So... well, we'll be a one-car household for a while.
I think that I've gotten most of my grieving for my lost independence for the next six months out of the way.
It still sucks ... since it cuts into what I'd LIKE to be ABLE to do.
At least now I have an excuse for being such a homebody. Oh well.

My aunt had her toe removed. And now is back in the hospital after a weekend at home (because her doctor wouldn't okay her going into an assisted living facility STRAIGHT from the hospital. And this he put the kibosh on AFTER my mom jumped through all the hoops to get it worked out so that my aunt COULD go straight to Assisted Living to recuperate. Since my aunt doesn't heal quickly and gets infections easily).
After she's done in the hospital, she'll be in Assisted Living to recuperate now.
This has been quite the fiasco.
Especially since we were going to spend Thanksgiving with my folks. Now, our plans are a little changed.
But, hey, on the plus side, I'll get to go out and get a pedicure with the womenfolk on Black Friday. That'll be nice. (Reminder to self: Shave legs well. Just in case.)

A couple weeks ago, Michael and I had a little bit of a date night -- we helped with the Youth temple trip. We didn't get to spend a lot of time together, but it was good to get to the temple.
We did family portraits for Christmas presents last week. Shhh!!! It's a surprise. (Sorta. My mom knows that she's getting pictures. But I told her to act surprised anyways. ^_^)

The missionaries are coming over for dinner tonight. Costco lasagna, salad ... and something for dessert. Exciting. I need to do the dishes.
And, once the roads aren't so icy, we'll drive into the next town to return library books and pick up my hold. That's what I get for procrastinating. I should have done it yesterday. Oops.

Yes, we did get some snow. Crazy! I only noticed as I answered the phone this morning. The kids hadn't looked out the window at all.
It's only like ... maybe a half-inch? But the roads are icy, so all the schools in the area are closed.

I put flea medicine and a STINKY flea collar on Diana-cat. (We could only find dog flea collars ... what gives, Target?? Is there some anti-cat sentiment???)

I don't want to do the dishes. Or fold all the laundry.

I had a weird dream the other night. I had watched "Every Little Step" about the making of and the Broadway revival of "A Chorus Line," which had Tyce Dirorio (From SYTYCD, the choreographer? Ring a bell?) auditioning.
But, in my dream, he and I were just chatting. He was charming, in a non-threatening-type of way.
Which was better than the dream I had had the night before that ... Fuzzy, but full of dread. And a car. Hm.

A couple weeks ago, Bruise was being bossy ... telling Michael that he was driving the wrong way. Yup, the four-year-olds are total backseat drivers already.
So Michael and I told him that if he wanted to be bossy, we'd drop him off and let him walk home.
"No! Don't doo dat! I'm widdle and I don't know da waaaaay!" was Bruise's plaintive response.
Then he corrects Michael (who was already headed the right way) on which way to go home. :P

A couple days ago, I noticed that Bucket has a chip in her front tooth.
"Bucket, how'd you get a chip in your tooth?" I asked.
"Um ... maybe one got stuck there?"

I love my kids.
"Why are yoo laffin', Mommy?" "I'm just so happy ..."

With the snow, the kids went out in it. I went and took pictures after I got them bundled up and grabbed shoes and a jacket. And my camera.
All they wanted to do was to throw snowballs at each other.
The snow, sadly, was too fluffy for snowballs. But, hey, we looked at tracks that people had made. We saw that Michael walked out to the mailbox. And I pointed out the tire tracks from the truck. Bruise loved seeing his own "twacks!!"/footprints in the snow.

I taught the Beehives at church last week. I got a night's notice. And, since I sat in the Laurel's class last week (and they were a lesson ahead), it didn't take too long to prepare. We got through the lesson. Even with two of the girls being a TERRIBLE DISTRACTION. I was REALLY ready to just tell them, "SHUT UP or go sit in the hall. And I'll have Sister _ go get your parents, if you can't sit still and quietly."
Because THAT'S going to be all conducive to the Spirit, right??? *glowers*

I think that really sums up the last couple of weeks. Life threw up, I quit NaNoWriMo (on purpose this time), lost my running buddy (her life got busy), I need to finish cleaning and run an errand before this evening. (Wish me luck, driving in the snowy-ice.)

And I need to get ready for the holidays. *sigh* I love the holidays, don't get me wrong. But I'm still a little sad that I don't have all the presents bought and all, I have no idea what to get for Michael, and we'll be down to one car. Which does bum me out a little. Oh well.

I'll work at being thankful. After I get the dishes done. ^_^

Wow ... Just ... I mean, did she even think??

Every so often, while perusing the internet, I come across something that just BLOWS. MY. BRAIN.

Today's winner - Judith Griggs.

Because ... well, it takes some serious balls to steal another person's work (PLAGIARISM!), profit from it, and then, when called upon it act like you DID THEM A FAVOR.

Really?

Yes, really. Because I cannot make this crap up.

So, yeah. If you want to read more about Griggs' egregious error in judgment and humility, please do.

Here (via Nick Mamatas)

Here (via SmartB*tches -- profanity involved. Just to warn you.)

Here (more Smart B ... with more story.)

And, straight from the victim, here.

Moral of the story: Just because something might be considered "Public Domain," does NOT give you the right to copy it word for word.

(Because, if that were not the case, I could just copy "Pride and Prejudice" or "Jane Eyre" word-for-word ... or sections thereof, and be completely done with NaNoWriMo ... which I am not. And, at this point, I won't ever be. And I'm okay with that.)

(Because it's better to be a quitter than a plagiarizing Cheaty McCheaterpants. ... Just saying.)

Still, Ms. Judith Griggs (it's so nice, I link it twice!) believes that she is in the right, that she has done nothing wrong, and that she's even done Monica Gaudio a favor by cleaning up the spelling (of words written in [correctly-spelled] medieval English.

Yes, she's done a favor by doing something that would get any college student expelled.

*sings* One of these things is not like the other ...


So, yes. Please remember that when you use someone else's words, you should either rewrite it, ask for permission, always cite your sources, ... and, if the person or his/her estate is still living and you DIDN'T ask for permission (ESPECIALLY for a paid publication), be aware that financial restitution and/or a formal apology may be required.

Update - 4:29 PM - There's quite a few articles out there about this scandal. HERE is one that shows that Cooks Source has plagiarized at least SIX other authors/publications. Not all of them were online. And a few of the online ones DID have copyright notices on their sites.


----
In case you're wondering, I am just peeved that anyone (especially someone proclaiming that they have three decades in journalism) would flagrantly copy another person's work. Writing is not easy. Nor is finding a publisher. Plagiarism is intellectual theft. It just makes me upset. And very disappointed in people who do it.

(So don't do it. I don't want to be disappointed in you.)

Here's a video to help explain it. (Use captions. It's in Norwegian. But it's totally well done and worth it.)

In which I have no clever title

I have been up since dark-thirty this morning.
And I couldn't fall asleep until LATE.

And I'll be driving to pick up Michael from a seminar.
Lord have mercy on my soul. :P

I did write a little for NaNoWriMo this morning. I am not at all deluded into thinking that this is the BESTEST STORY EVAR!!!1! or anything. But I'm writing.
There are some parts that I like.

I'm SO CRAZY BEHIND in it, though. I should be hitting around 8,335 words today. I left off yesterday with about 3,000.  *sigh*

Wednesday morning was ... not all that great. I kept asking the kids to pick up stuff and pick up their stuff and pick up their @)(#$$)(*)@#*$@!! stuff ... and finally, I just got to the point where they got punished for not picking up stuff.
Then they got punished again for not picking up what I asked them to AND for not telling the truth about it.
And we didn't go to McDonald's with my mom when she came up. (She's supportive like that.)

We did get Mom the DVD/VCR that she needed. (Her TV with those built into it is dying. And, once it dies, so does her ability to watch any of the videos that aren't on DVD. But we got one. PHEW!)
I also got some makeup. The kids got clearance costumes and are having fun with those.
(Bruise now can dress up as Jango Fett, a fireman, or an astronaut -- the orange jumpsuit. Too bad it doesn't have a helmet. He also has a new engineer's hat and police hat. Bucket got a Barbie dress, a butterfly fairy, and a Supergirl costume. And a witch's hat. I got one, too. And a new pair of fishnets. ... Yes, I AM a rebel. I wear fishnets to church. So what? Most people compliment them. ^_^)

We didn't go to storytime at all this week. The kids didn't really want to ... so we've relaxed a bit.

It looks my like running/walking buddy is getting REALLY busy. :( So I'm going to have to figure out what to do. But, another of my friends has some free time. So we're going to try and get together today to get out and work off some calories/socialize. ^_^

I had a meeting last night. It was okay ... once I got there.
Too bad my skirt was a little short when I sat down. That was distracting. Boo.
It used to fit better before my belly got all stretched out from carrying the kiddos. Good thing I love them anyways, right?

I'm so lazy right now. I don't want to go to sleep .... but I don't care to do anything else right now, either. What's up with that???

Oh -- WORD TO THE WISE: The Wallflowers from Bath and Body Works? DON'T plug them in upside down. Use a different outlet. They drip if they're upside down.
Still, the hall bathroom smells DIVINE (Winter Apple Mint or something like that. Quite pleasant. And enough that you can smell it through the whole house).

So ... yeah. I need to crank out another 5,000 words or so.
help


I still haven't worked up the energy to paint my toenails.

I also have a desire to eat something ... but I don't know what I want to eat.
I HATE that.

Hey, it's only been, like, FIVE days since I've blogged! Score!

Let's see ... what all have we done since I last posted?

Friday - We took the kiddos out to the Halloween party at my library. Then we came home and I went out Visiting Teaching. And that went well. And then I got home, we started making dinner, and Michael's folks came over to visit (not to eat. They already had dinner.).

Saturday - We got the kids ready and took them (and Mom and Dad C ... and we went with C&A and their kids, the cousins) trick-or-treating downtown.
[Aside: Why are people spelling these things "tricker treat" or "trunker treat" ... It boggles my GrammarNazi brain. *sigh* Oh well]

C&A's family all had cute homemade costumes.
C: Batman
A: Wonder Woman
B: Poison Ivy
I: Batgirl
Little C (different name, same initial): The Joker (This 2-year-old Joker was a huge hit. I'm trying not to be jealous. :P)
Baby H: Harley Quinn

Michael didn't dress up at all.
I wore my Jayne Cobb get-up.
Bruise was Darth Vader (and had me do his make-up so he looked like Vader UNDER the mask. This was last minute, or I'd have tried to get some white facepaint, too. I managed with just black kohl eyeliner and brown eyeshadow.

Bucket was a "pink Misty cat" ... and I did her makeup quite a few times this weekend. This was what was worn to go Trick-or-Treating ... it wasn't the most intricate, but it worked.

And, yeah, I need to get some NOT FAT pictures of me as Jayne Cobb to share. But I don't have any just yet. 

Tough beans, y'all.

The kids and I went to the OTHER next town over after lunch with the family. I needed to visit Cousin Pennie. She showed the kids the guinea hens and the steers that Tom raises. We traded family history stuff. I gave her what Uncle Steve sent up ... and she gave me the wedding portraits of my great-grandparents to give to Uncle Steve.

Seriously, these wedding portraits are HUGE. Each is about two feet tall. It's crazy!

I'll take pictures soon. I just have been ... busy and tired and in a funk the last few days.

After that, we headed back home, got the kids ready AGAIN, and headed over to visit Bri ... and we ended up being about an hour late to the church Halloween party. It was really crowded and the games were ending. And we went and did about five minutes of the Trunk-or-Treat in the parking lot .... And Bruise (who I had. Bucket was with Michael) was ready to go home. Or, just to the car to snuggle, at least.

But Bucket was done about a minute later ... so we went home.

And, really, no one got my costume. I mean, Dianne did after she thought about it (which is some consolation). And Bri knew it ... and her mom got it ... but, yeah ... it was rather a letdown, since it was a bit of effort on my part.

I mean, explaining my Jem costume was expected. Jem hasn't been on the air for about 20 years. Last year's costume (fangs and glitter = Twilight vampire) was slapped together at the last minute. This year? I spent about two weeks getting everything planned and gathered .... and, yeah, it was a disappointment.

I'll get over it.

Sunday was ... Sunday. I wore cute tights to church (that had to be held up with a pair of panties over them. "One Size Fits All"???? No it doesn't.

YOU LIE!

...

I had a meeting after church ... and then we folded the mountain of laundry in the bedroom, watched She-Ra, went Trick-or-Treating at the neighbor's house, and then, in the evening, we watched Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland and handed out candy. We had about, what, 8-10 Trick-or-Treaters ... not too bad.

And we took out the garbage.

Yes, we're that exciting/hardcore.

But, then, I looked SO FAT and NOT ATTRACTIVE AT ALL in the two pictures that I saw of myself in costume. So ... Yeah, Monday was spent in a funk.

I went to do the Yoga Booty Ballet video I checked out from the library. Between the kids getting up to pee and answering the phone, I gave up.

If someone offered me liposuction for my thighs and butt and a full tummy tuck in exchange for my soul, I'd have been sorely tempted.

Dude, my period was LAST WEEK ... what's up with this????

Is this a November/Monday thing? Whatever it is, it sucked.

And I was all peeved that we only have the water heater set high enough that I run out of hot water halfway through filling up the bathtub. 

Stupid body issues. Stupid emotional rollercoaster.

So, yesterday was mostly spent crying, cleaning up the house a little, crying some more, drinking water, moping because the health challenge this week is about eliminating empty calories in one's diet (ON THE EXACT SAME DAY THAT I WANT TO BURY MY FACE IN A FEED BUCKET OF CALORIE-LADEN GLUTTONY) ... so I ate cottage cheese and honey-flavored Greek Yogurt with pumpkin/flax seed granola until I felt nauseated ... and I STILL wanted CANDYCANDYCANDY. But I didn't eat any. And I was OH SO PLEASANT to be around (<-- That there? Total sarcasm. TOTAL.) ... and I read a few more chapters of Beyond Heaving Bosoms after plodding through about 1,300 words for NaNoWriMo.

No, I don't know where it's going.

And I asked Michael what men think at the beginning of relationships. He didn't much care for that.

So: question for you, if you want to just satisfy my curiosity. And you can totally just email me if you're embarassed. I won't tell anyone.

What is the first thing you do/did you think when you see/saw an attractive member of the opposite sex?

Me? I always wondered if he was a good kisser and what it'd be like to kiss him.

Someone else who won't be named. But is a guy: What she looks like undressed.

(Are all guys like that? Just wondering. I wouldn't know. I'm not a guy.)

(And I really suck at picturing people naked. Really. It's like they're wearing black underoos.)

(If I didn't demand that I have a modest costume, it'd totally be HILARIOUS to have a black bra and black panties that read, in big, bold, white, capital letters: CENSORED. Don't you agree?)
(It could just be me.)
(Wouldn't surprise me. I'm kind of a total weirdo.)

(BUT, I totally couldn't wear that to a church Halloween party. NO. FLIPPING. WAY. Because it'd be inappropriate.)

(But I still find it rather hilarious.)
(Because, obviously, I have the sense of humor of a 12-year-old boy.)

But, yeah. To sum up: Yesterday was spent in a funk.

Today, I need to make two dinners -- one to take to a friend's house. I will go running/walking/whatever with Jenny (where I will breathe like a beached whale, since I've not be exercising by myself much. I just am not all that motivated.) ... and I will finish a load of dishes. And maybe fold some laundry. And drink 32 oz. of water.

And not eat the leftovers of THREE GINORMOUS BAGS of leftover Halloween candy.
(Because they're not Reese's PB cups, it's a little easier. ... And, am I getting totally OLD? Because Wonka's Bottle Caps don't taste as great. But I did eat all the packages of Gummi Bears before this health challenge.)

(WHAT?? They're LOW-FAT.)

(Yes, I am making a point of living in denial. ... Why can't I look like Romy and Michelle when THEY go on the diet of eating gummi bears, candy corn, and  ... something else. It's been a while since I've seen that movie. ... Speaking of, maybe I should get mono. That'd be "the best diet ever." ... Except for the fact that I can't afford to go to the doctor to get antibiotics ... Oh well.)

Okay, I think I've talked enough in parentheses.

I should finish up, do the dishes, and crank out at least one thousand words for NaNoWriMo ... *sigh*

Wanna Win a Bicycle? I do. ^_^

I don't know if you've heard of the Madsen bikes. I first heard about them from NieNie's blog.

And, really, my old bike (my dad's, back from when he could see) is in terrible condition. I don't think I've ridden it since my freshman year of college. I know that it needs a new chain. And probably more work that that, since it's as old as I am.

So ... the chance to win a bike. A bike that I could tuck my (helmeted, of course, since I'm a perfect worrywart) kiddos into the back of ... It's tempting. I could race us down the road to the library, lock up the bike and know that it'd still be there ... all the parts (I would think of taking my bike, if it worked, with the convertible jogging stroller/bike trailer ... but ... I obviously am too nervous to leave it outside for that long alone. There are too many parts that can come off. What if someone stole one of the trailer/stroller wheels?? I'd be hosed!).
If I had a bike that I could tuck the kiddos in, I might -- you know -- actually RIDE my bike around. It'd be simple to make a quick trip to Target or Safeway ... even to make a small pick-up at Costco. Or to church (in the summer, when it's not raining)! How cool would that be?

So, if you want to get in on the chance to win a pretty awesome bike (I've read the reviews), go and check it out.



Because, hey, if I don't win, it'd be cool if one of my friends did.
And you might let me give it a try. Just around the block. Right?

So, best of luck!
(And, hey, if you want to wish Katie or me luck, that's most appreciated!)

Angsty

So ... after I worked on my costume ... I don't have any pictures where I don't look like I am carting a couple of tires under my shirt.

Grrrrrr. I HATE it when I look fatter than fat in pictures. Why can't pictures be just as delusional about how I look as I am????????????????

But, yeah, if they were my pictures, instead of the ones from my mother-in-law's camera (and, therefore, posted to HER facebook account), they'd never see the light of day.

I literally feel ILL by how fat I look in them.

Of course, it doesn't help that I'm slouching next to my skinny-skinny brother-in-law.

And then, I realize, that we don't have any pictures of me in my costume.

Gorramit.