Thursday Thirteen: Fall Line Up

1. Bionic Woman: I watched the original of this with Lindsey Wagner growing up and am dying to see the remake. The nearly 10 minute teaser that was released on yahoo a couple of months ago has left me more than eager to see more.

2. Heroes: This action packed show premiered last Fall and never stopped peaking my interest with attention grabbing twists & turns. I can’t wait to see what is in store for Season 2.

3. CSI: I only watch the Las Vegas version of this show, but last season we were left wondering what in the world is going to happen with Sarah who is left dying under a car (esp. now that everyone knows how Grissom feels about her). In case you don’t watch this one, it is not as soap opera-ish as I just made it sound, lol. It is actually precisely as titled, Crime Scene Investigation, giving you a look into the forensic science of solving crimes.

4. Journeyman: This is a new NBC mystery-drama about a guy who is somehow traveling through time, who may or may not be able to change people’s lives. I hope this one turns out as good as the ad’s are making it look.

5. Desperate Housewives: My only defense for this one is that I don’t watch day time soaps so I need some fictional scandal from somewhere right?

6. Biggest Loser: I can use inspiration from any where it is available. I love how in the premiere they put small facts about bad & good foods on the bottom of the screen. It is amazing the clarity that comes with awareness about the impact of certain foods on your body.

7. Grey’s Anatomy: Though this used to be one of my favorite shows, it is falling quickly. I hope this season they can do something to get the chemistry back between Mc.Dreamy & Merideth, and dump the lame affair between two friends with NO chemistry.

8. Kid Nation: This is a new reality show about a bunch of kids who are rebuilding an old western town without adult interference. They have to make the city function with businesses as well as cook and work. It hasn’t even premiered and I want to get my 9 year old on it. He could desperately use a good lesson involving hard work and a true look at the reality that sometimes things are “not fair”. (This is a phrase I have hear uttered by him a couple of times recently).

9. House: If you haven’t seen this show, you have missed out on one rude doctor. Hugh Laurie plays a PHd who mistreats his staff, superiors and patients, but is the best at what he does so they keep him on. Each week he and his team are trying to find a cure to a mysterious ailment that one of his patients has been plagued by, adding mystery to the standard medical show genre. This is one of the only shows Riley and I enjoy together, so it’s place on the tivo is secure.

10. Lost: Yes, I am one of the millions of viewers hooked on this rediculous plot, and eagerly awaiting its end as I ponder what direction the writers are going to go this next season. Personally I think they all crashed and died and we are getting a glimpse of their personal hell’s. Guess we won’t really know what is going on for a few more years, as they signed on for a final four seasons.

11.Brothers & Sisters: Riley despises this show, but my side of the family is sometimes equally full of drama, if not more, so I try to watch it when he is not around.

12. Private Practice: A spin off of Grey’s Anatomy which takes Addison to Los Angeles to work with a new staff in a private practice. I am slightly interested in this because the staff includes some of my former favorites like Amy Brenneman (Judging Amy), Tim Daly (Wings), and Taye Diggs. But I have never been a big fan of Kate Walsh as her acting skills are somewhat lacking. Last season we got a peak at this shows future, hopefully it will be worth watching.

13. Smallville: This is a show that I have resisted watching for 7 full seasons as it completely contradicts the original Superman movies (of which I am a fan). However my mother (thanks mom ), got my 9 year old watching it, so now after a full Summer of watching multiple season reruns, I am anxious to see what is going to happen to Clark Kent as he is growing up and uncovering secrets of his heritage.

Manic Monday

Well, I am going to outdo myself here and post twice in one day. Yep, that’s right, you heard me, TWO post’s in one day. I found this Manic Monday Meme and thought it would be fun, so here it goes.

If you could “un-invent” one thing in the world so that it would no longer exist, what would you choose?

Weapons of mass destruction.

Monday morning you usually waking up thinking:

Whew, two of the messiest members of the house are gone again for most of the day. Maybe I can catch up from the weekend slop.

Do you find it easy to ask for help? Why or why not?

This is a tough one because everyone around me is equally busy and I don’t want to add to their chaos. I do find myself offering to help others out when I can, mostly because whatever they may need help with sounds like more fun than cleaning.

Find more Manic Monday’ers Here

Theme Tweaking & Photoshop

I can think of countless ways to waste time online, however this weekend my attention was drawn towards finding a new theme and tweaking it. Though I didn’t have a great reason for needing a new one, there were too many things wrong with the theme I had. It would not allow for anything additional in the header, it was not widget friendly, and every time I edited a post, I would have to fix many funky line changes that would appear. So I found a new theme and went to work on personalizing it for my own likes.

Part of this process was the time consuming, but well worthwhile, hunt for Photoshop tutorials. Having been in love with this software for the past 5 years, I can tell you there is always something new and fun that can be done with it. For example, popping a person or object off the page:

selectively coloring a person or object:

Framing a photo:

or in this case, making your pictures resemble those that came with the original theme:

.

I am aware that I should be focusing more of my energy on content than appearance, but since I seem to be lacking in ideas, I thought I would update anyone stopping and let you know that I haven’t dropped off the planet.

Nice Matters Award

“This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you?ve been awarded please pass it on to 7 others who you feel are deserving of this award.”

I haven’t been blogging long, nor have I been very consistent as I am seemingly always on the go, however after Damien (aka dh) over at Riley Central nominated me this morning for a Nice Matters Award, I thought it was my cue to get back on board (he probably figured out that the funny looks across the room weren’t working he had better try something more drastic).

Here are 7 people, some of whom I have only recently started to get to know through blogging, that I think deserve Nice Matters Awards.

1. Jessica the Rock Chick: This awesome member of dh’s blog roll is not only an accomplished writer who always has interesting posts worth viewing, she has been visiting, commenting and encouraging me since my first day of blogging. She Rocks!!

2. Cyndie: One of the best scrappers I know who listens to my day to day jibberish whenever I need an ear. She is new to blogging, but I’m sure we will be seeing new posts any day now (hint hint).

3. Organized Chaos: This blogging momma has me laughing out loud most of the times when I am reading about her “gremlins” and life events that oddly parallel events in my life.

4. Scrapper Nic: Yet another incredible scrapper. She is extremely creative, a great mom and super nice.

5. All Rileyed Up: One of the funniest bloggers in the blog-o-sphere, and future million dollar author. Also a super fun & nice sister in law.

6. Derrek Semmler: Another super nice blogger met through dh. His Blogging Spouses post brought many a reader by to say hello. Definitely a guy worth reading.

7. Surrounded by Whiners: A fellow mom choosing a healthier lifestyle for her family. She is also nice enough to share yummy vegetarian recipes with the rest of us.

Thursday Thirteen: Becoming a teacher

For anyone out there that thinks that teachers are overpaid and that “those who can’t, teach”, here is my list of thirteen hoops I have to jump through (or already have) just in the pursuit to become a teacher.

2. Major in Human Development rather than anything thing else more interesting because it contains most of your pre-rec’s for the credential program. 

3. Take the CBEST ($41 pass or fail).

4. Spend many late night crumpling papers and throwing them as far as they will land wishing the school would burn down or you would win a billion dollars and get to drop out.

5. Add additional classes to your already full schedule to finish within your cramped time frame, because believe it or not, you can not get a BA in two years unless you are overloaded.

6. Expend massive energy preparing for a three part state exam (aka CSET) that you can’t teach without, then take the CSET (at $74 per part, pass or fail).

7. Once you are in your credential program, you now get to go to school full time, AND go to work every day as an unpaid student teacher.

8. Finally finished with your AA, BA, and Credential you can start interviewing.

9. In the process of finally getting hired, you will need to go get fingerprinted and have your entire background checked (hopefully while you were completing the first three lengthy steps you stayed out of trouble).

10. Get a job and start paying back years worth of debt accrued in student loans for the exciting $38k per year you will now be earning.

11. Sign up to teach summer school as well, because you need to pay off a couple of extra bills that your deficit pay check didn’t cover.

12. Listen to a bunch of idiots tell you for the rest of your career just how lucky you are to have the whole summer off.

13. Sigh in relief that college life is now over, but take a deep breath for the new world of politics and administration that has now alienated your life.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. Damozel
2. Jessica the Rock Chick
3. Jennifer
4. Damien
5. (leave your link in comments, I?ll add you here!)

Adventures in retail

If you are a mom (or a dad) on a budget, I am almost certain you have been through the wonderful experience of picking clothes for the kids based on their sale price. And if you have ever shopped at Kohl’s than you know everything is always on sale, the question is what-is-what because nothing ever seems to be on the right table. This is precisely how my adventure began on Tuesday. I found a stack of jeans for my two year old that were supposed to be 2 for $12. But I also found the same jeans on another rack which read 60% off. (both citing the specific brand so neither appeared to be on the wrong rack) I wanted to know which one was accurate so I took them to the customer service counter. Here I was told that they were buy one get one free (making neither of the other prices right). At this time I was also strongly urged to apply for a Kohl’s charge account to receive 15% off my purchase. Since I was buying a lot of clothes for the kids I thought this would be a pretty good savings, why not?

Skip to the check out where I have now rushed to because my two year old smells rotten and the diaper bag is in the car. I now have, amongst other items, my buy one get one free jeans, and my 15% off coupon in hand. My nine year old is now dancing around in circles with the two year old who reeks, and the three month old has insisted she be carried. The conversation goes as follows:

Cashier: Um, you can’t use this coupon unless you put it on your Kohl’s charge.

Me: Oh, the manager signed the back saying that wasn’t neccesary.

Cashier: Well she can’t do that.

(people are now shifting in line behind me because the kids are hooting, the runt smells, and I am bouncing the baby)

Cashier: (yelling out to a passing manager) Can she use this discount without putting it on her Kohl’s card?

Manager: Whatever

Cashier: (obviously perturbed) Ok, so long as the manager said so.

I finally get home after a full experience with diaper changes and fits about getting into car seats only to find that I was charged $18 each for the pants and the cashier never applied the 15% discount.

When did Saturday night turn into just another night?

Tonight when dh and I went for our evening walk we passed two parties, and I suddenly realized it was a Saturday night. It started me wondering just when I stopped noticing the difference between Monday and weekends. Though I was never the life of the party, there was a time when Friday and Saturday night plans were booked by Wednesday. And it made no difference if you were working a late shift, because nobody planned to start their night until after eleven anyways. Oh and for the weekends when you had no plans but just winged it going out for a movie, or hanging out with your friends at the local pool hall; no pre-planning or major wardrobe concerns, just hanging out at a dive where everyone was smoking cloves and playing songs off the juke box? The night generally ended up at an In N Out or Denny’s, where everyone split one combo because funds were lacking, but these were definitely good times.

Thursday 13: Random Facts about myself.