Anniethology on Idol: Guys Night

These three guys left the others scrambling for the scraps tonight. Let me introduce you to "Cutie", "Funky", and "Hunky".

(Remember this is an "All Idol all the Time" Zone, it doesn't matter the topic of the post, leave a comment about A.I. whenever you want.)

As if there could be anything more about me...

Anne, talented author, horse lover, and distant cousin to Phil Collins, recently tagged me with a "7 Things About Me" Meme. In case you don't know what a "meme" is, here is a great place to illuminate yourself. Having been at this blogging thing for quite awhile, it's hard to think of things that I haven't bragged about told you about already. That being said, here we go!

1. I love watching court tv. It makes me feel superior to the rest of humanity, because I'm smart enough to 1. Not to loan anyone money and 2. I always get it in writing. I also had enough sense to not "play house" with someone I wasn't married to. So many of the cases are about these pathetic women who make car payments or buy gold chains for their boyfriends and then when things go bad and/or they find out that he has another babymama, they want their money back. Suckers. I think they got what's coming to them for "giving it up" so easily. As much as I enjoy my superiority complex, I only watch it with Secret Agent Man and we only watch People's Court with Judge Marilyn Milian. We love her signature line, "Lo barato sale caro." Translation: Cheap things turn out expensive. Ain't it the truth, sistah?!

2. My favorite Girl Scout cookies are Thin Mints and Samoas. Did anyone notice my new Good Mail Countup Clock on my sidebar? I'm just sayin.'

3. I have been on a super secret mission to Singapore with Secret Agent Man. I don't know what he did while we were there, but I spent a good portion of our week-long trip crying in my hotel room. It was the first time I had been that far from my babies for that long. I couldn't stand the fact that if they needed me, I was 24 hours away. Waaaaaaaah! It's a beautiful island country. The subway is super clean and modern. After using the underground transporation in Singapore, the New York subway system was horror to behold. Our last night we had wonderful Asian meal at the Clark Quay promenade. (pictured)

4. I am not a soccer mom anymore. I am now a basketball mom. My boys play on a 3rd grade city league. I try to pay as little attention as possible to the game. I can't stand to watch their uncoordinated growing bodies tripping, traveling, and in the case of my boys, shuffling down the court. But, there's always, of course, one or two kids who really "get" the game and ride rough shot over the kids whose mamas just signed them up so they would have something to do after school or get them off the couch.

5. I am not repressed. Compulsive Writer sent me this article. The article titled "Mormon women seek greater role" makes me laugh out loud. I think my role in my church is great enough. I am in charge of the two hour Sunday services for over 100 children, including the coordination of 15 teachers and other leaders, as well as planning and carrying other weekly activities and overseeing the Cubscout program. Hello?! I think my role is "great" enough. I don't think that anyone who knows me or reads my blog would consider me a "repressed" Mormon woman. That adjective just does not fit the culture. Over-achieving, hard-working, caring, civic-minded, yes. Repressed? No way. I may be able to think of one person who would look at my life and think "repressed", but that is because they don't appreciate the value of God, home and family and the only thing they have been able to fully committ to is their smoking habit.

6. Speaking of being repressed, did I mention at I am going to Hawaii? Yes, that is where all the repressed Mormon housewives go to relax. Seven days, six nights on the big island, just S.A.M and I. The kids are staying home with their repressed Mormon grandma. That's the great family tradition. My parents went to Hawaii three times while we were growing up and never took us kids. So, we, in turn, are leaving our kids behind, also. Don't worry, we will bring them home the customary souveniers of sugar cane, grass skirts, and shell necklaces.

7. Oh, wow, I am almost done. Hmmm, number 7. What am I going to tell you for number 7. It's got to be good. Oh, the pressure! I got nothing. You'll just have to be happy with 6 things about me.

Thanks Anne, this was a lot of fun! Now, I guess, I have to tag some people. Hmmm... Glittersmama, Nancyface, and Aubrey, your turn. If you have done this recently, guess what, you get to do it again:)

Anniethology Video Log: a la Valentines Day

Two ways to feel the love.

My ♥Valentines-inspired post can be found in two places today.

This one has a tad bit more geographical information, but it probably won't be posted until the p.m. so keep checking back.

&

This one is where you can leave a kind little comment, wishing me the best, because I am all on my lonely for ♥Valentines Day:(

Don't feel sorry for me. ♥Secret Agent Man's ♥ gift to me was a free round trip ticket to anywhere in the continental U.S. Woohoo! Where to go? Where to go? Anyone want to have a blogger crash on their couch?

♥Happy Valentines Day Everybody!♥

"Your mom goes to college." Part 4.0

I can sing. I can dance. I can wear rubber pants. Now, I know the geologic time scale!

If you can't tell by the picture, that's 10 out of 10 correct, thank you very much. I think it's funny to mention that my Geology of Colorado class takes place in an auditorium. I am usually surrounded by empty seats. No one wants to sit by the non-trads (non-traditional students, a.k.a "old farts") except on quiz day! I was completely surrounded! I almost laughed out loud and shoo-ed them away. You have to know that I covered my paper. Ain't no way anyone was cheating off of my paper. I worked hard to memorize the geological timescale, I wasn't going to give anyone a sneaky peek!

Happy Year of the Rat

Many of you know that I am fascinated by Asian culture. I love Asian food, movies, and décor. I find the Chinese to be particularly interesting just for the fact that they make everything. I went to into Radio Shack the other day, I asked the salesboy to sell me a phone that was made in the USA. No surprise here... no phone, no sale.

I have been a student of Feng Shui for three years. On my old blog, I used to write posts about what I was learning. Through practicing some of the basic tennants of Feng Shui I have been able to increase the good chi in my home. I think the benefits of good chi and the fact that it's the Year of the Rat, which is associated with material prosperity, has made my recent shopping expeditions even more successful. The other day in the grocery store, I found these:

10 dogs and 10 buns!

It's gonna be a good Year of the Rat!

R.I.P.

Help! Anniethology needs a theme song.

My blog needs a theme song and I need some ideas. I have seens some blogs that are not only a pleasure to read, but a pleasure to listen to also. Here are some of my favs:

Aubrey - She is always on the cutting edge of what is about to be cool.

Carronin - Her playlist can be described as 80's on the dance tip.

E-dub- Again, more 80's with a little Bollywood! Balle! Balle!

Elastic- You are just going to have to hear it for yourself. Love songs about pumpkins?

and Isaura.- She adds the Latin flava', which I love! Aye, mi amor!

Don't hold back. Make a suggestion. What do you think the Anniethology theme song should be?

Calling on the Internet Relief Society

A friend of mine is going through a really rough time. She is an amazingly hard-working woman, who is not prone to whining, and has been there for me more times than I can count.
If any of you have ever dealt with strained familial relations, health problems, or teenage drama, you will be able to feel her pain. If it's not too much to ask, please visit her blog and give her a word of encouragement.
I'm a bad cook and I'm horribly lacking in the sensitivity department. So, if I can get a bunch of bloggers to go over there and give her a virtual hug, maybe that will be one small way I can show my friend how much she means to me.

Thanks,

Annie

If you don't mind...

...please show me a little love and by that I mean comments, over at the Mile High Mamas blog. It's an old story told in a new way. I hate to beg, but it would mean a lot to me. Smooch!

Twins: Mom said so. Therapist: Oh really?

I heard someone on Oprah say that as parents, we write on the slate of our children’s lives.
If that’s the case, someone hand me an eraser.
Although the holidays are passed, I’m still in a tailspin and my kids are paying the price, especially my twin sons. I’ve spread myself a little thin lately.
If I’m not more careful, my lack of attention to detail and lack of judgment are going to land us all in therapy. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

Click here to read the rest of my latest column at gjsentinel.com. Don't miss out on reading about how the recent trauma I inflicted on my twins could scar them for life.

Dr. Phil, Master of the Make-over

Dr. Phil has been getting some bad press lately. He even inspired this scathing review from -K. But, in his defense, Dr. Phil has done some good for which he never recieves any kudos.

He introduced this woman to a straightening iron!

Before Dr. Phil!

After Dr. Phil!

I've never been jealous of a snow-woman... until now!

"How do we begin to covet?"

"We covet what we see every day."

(Name that movie.)

This icy diva lives two doors down from me. A few more warm days and she, along with my jealousy, will melt away.

Annie on Idol Part 3: Fun with DVR Version 2.0

Another proud graduate of the Anniethology School of Charm.

Awww...Nerd love.
"When I met my cousin for the first time in the audition line of American Idol,
it was love a first sight."


Thank you, thank you, Amy-Mary-Catherine Gallegher for introducing me to my new favorite word! "Whatev's."
I am going to find a reason to say, "whatev's" at least 10 times tomorrow.

Your turn to make up your own caption. Simon makes it so easy.

Pop culture sidekicks for politicians

I know it's against the Anniethology M.O. to comment on politics, but when politics crosses over into my realm of pop culture, I have to have my say.

Huck's got Chuck.

Obama has Mother Oprah and who can beat that?

Hilary has Grizzly Adams.

But, who will be Mitt Romney's pop culture sidekick?

His Disney alter-ego?

How about a beloved TV host with equally impressive hair?

Or another handsome Jeff to help show Mitt's blue state side?

Or the eternally perky Paige?

What say ye? Who can put the snap, crackle and pop culture into Mitt Romney's campaign?

Annie on Idol: Part 3 Fun with DVR

"Who's my daddy?"

"Oh Vincent, please don't terminate our love."

"Annie picked out my sweater."

Now, you join the fun. Make up your own caption!

Meet me at "The Mamas"

Click here to meet at the Mile High Mama's blog to read my post, "The Good, the Bad, and the Undies of Motherhood".

I'm in the paper and Annie on Idol: Part 2

Click here to read my latest column in the Daily Sentinel titled, "35 going on 15. Not much has changed." Then click on the little speaker and have my column read to you by a computerized voice. It's always good for a laugh.

Last night's American Idol was a blur tone deafness and disillusion. There are people that know they are bad singers, but audition just to be on TV. They get what they have coming. But, it's the people who really don't know they are bad that I feel really sorry for. At least Simon is finally getting his props from that Asian-Angel-P!mp.

"Simon, he is someone very glorious, because he give chance to everyone."

Annie on Idol: Part 1

Welcome to the first of many installments of Annie on Idol. I am a faithful and avid fan of American Idol. I declare my blog to be an "All Idol, All the Time" Zone. Feel free to leave comments about American Idol, no matter what the current topic of the post may be.

I can't get Temptress out of my head. She shouldn't have been on Idol. She needs to be on Oprah. I love Paula, but her hugs aren't magic like Mother Oprah's. A hug from Mother Oprah would make everything in Temptresses life turn to pure gold.

Speaking of Paula, she was unusually lucid. I dare say, even brillant. When she had the guy in the Princess Lea bikini leave to get his chest waxed before they would listen to him sing, that was genius! It was painless for him to show up in costume and make a fool of himself to get on TV, so I loved how Paula called his bluff and made him pay with his chest hair and I'm sure a few layers of dermis to earn his 14.5 minuts of fame.

Okay. And that blonde with the glitter eye shadow and potty mouth; Here is warning to all mothers out there. This is what happens when you put your kids to bed every night with a swig of NyQuil. I'm just sayin'.

Getting it done... with a little help

Have you ever had a task to complete, but you just couldn't bring yourself to do it? You have the time, you have the energy,but the more you look at it, the more insurmountable the task becomes. That was me with the Christmas decorations.

I sent the kids back to school a week ago. I cleaned, I shopped, I did laundry, I even signed up for college, but I didn't take a single ornament off the Florentine-style Christmas tree. It occurred to me that this was more than a time issue. I needed help. Mental help. I needed someone to come in and help give me a jump start on the de-decorating. So, I called the best, most kind, and free mental health advocates I know: Mom and Dad.

I invited them over at 2 pm, so I needed to get prepared. I knew that with the purchase of new decorations, I would also need something to put them in. A quick trip to the local Family Dollar produced four new 30 gallon sized containers. With containers on hand, a plan in place, and help on the way, I felt energized and hopeful that this task, along with it's mental hold on me, would soon be packed up and in the garage.

I gave Mom and Dad the toughest job, the one I dreaded the most; taking down the seven-foot tree. When I wasn't micro-managing the placement of each ornament back in the same box it came in, I busied myself with the other de-decorating tasks. I'm happy to report, we made short order of it. Christmas taken down, boxed up, and in the garage in less than two hours. I have hand it to Mom and Dad, they work fast and didn't even mind my neuroticism.

They know who they raised.

When Secret Agent Man and I were unable to find the size of basketballs we wanted at Walmart, (Yes, basketballs come in different sizes.) we did the next logical thing. We signed me up for college!

I know that it's hard to believe that two and a half years of intensive socializing studying in the early Nineties didn't produce a degree, but it's true.
I've wanted to go back to school ever since all three of my children were in school all day, but I've never been able to fully commit. I can't even say that I am ready now. I wanted to be sure of my future career path, a.k.a, I wanted to know what I was going to be when I grew-up before I committed my time and our families money, again. But, when we couldn't find those illusive 27 inch basketballs, returning to college just seemed to be the right thing to do.

It's my birthday (tomorrow) and I'll blog if I want to...

...and I don't. I'm going to be spending the big 3-5 saving my family from "holiday house." Holiday house is when you still have your Christmas decorations up, food going bad in your fridge from all the holiday party food that didn't get consumed and 5 over-flowing baskets of laundry. Wet snowboots at every door, two weeks of unread newspapers stacked on your table and enough dishes piled up in your sink to run 3 dishwasher cycles. I am buried, y'all, buried. Don't feel sorry for me, though. It's been a fantastic year, I can only hope for more of the same. See ya after my kids go back to school!

Anniethology Top 7 of 2007

Here is Top 7 list of my most popular posts of 2007!

7. HFM's in the Local Paper (From my now defunked, but beloved blog, "Hot Fruita Moms".)

6. Who is ready to partay?

5. Sunday Confesssional Because bloggers love a good confession!

4. Anniethology Video Blog

3. Payney's Virtual B-Day Partay! (Note the date, my friends.)

2. 100 Reasons to ♥ Blogging To see the complied list, click here, to go to Mile High Mamas.

and

1. Anonymous Comment Day! Giving people the chance to say what they will anonymously garnered some pretty interesting comments!

I wish all you bloggers out there a happy and healthy 2008 full of comments and self acceptance!

"Blog together or die alone!"

"The Huck" bests "The Hair" with his new campaign ad

I make a concerted effort to avoid commenting on the politicos. Nobody comes to Anniethology to read about politics, but when it crosses over into my realm of popculture, I have to have my say.

Mitt Romney may have invented the Olympics, but Huckabee has Mr. Fist in His Beard on his side.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I can dance better than Obama.

Dance, Senator! Dance! Hoping that dancing with Ellen would do for him what saxophone playing did for Clinton, Obama shakes his "money maker" for votes.





It is customary in the video sharing world to post responses to videos that you have a reaction towards. Obama's dance with Ellen made an impression on me. If he wants to win my vote with his dancing skills, he has got to do a little better than that! Ever heard of the Cha-cha Slide, Senator?
This is me at 11:30 pm Christmas night after too much egg nog and yule log. Lack of sleep, hostessing, cooking, and entertaining left me with absolutely no inhibition or pride. Carronin and Fashionista are the ones giggling in the background. My apron and Santa hat have definitely got me feelin' a little "crazy right now."

"How do ya like me now, Senatah'?!"

Enjoy it while it lasts. I'll probably delete this video tomorrow before it ruins my own chance at running for office someday.

Addictions, Advice, and Appreciation

The No.2 Breakfast Meal from McDonalds. "I wish I could quit you."

*****

Need some help putting together an outfit for your next Christmas party? Clickety here for Lori's wardrobing advice for dressing for the holidays.

******

Thank you to Hairyshoefairy, SoDak Angel, Cutie and Cutie's Mom, Flakey Sarah, Aubrey, Mom2princess, Tori, and E-dub for the Christmas cards and goodies you sent. You all are great and it made me smile. Thanks again! Smooch!!!

Confessions of a 24 year-old virgin

My older sisters were full of advice about sex. Some helpful, some practical, and some was just to test my gullibility. They had gone through it before and wanted to help make my transition from vestal virgin to sex kitten a smooth one, as well as get a few laughs in for themselves.

Their advice was three-fold: 1) Get on the pill three months before your wedding. 2) Spend your wedding night in your own home. And 3) whatever you do, don’t fall off the goat!

Click here to read more at Mile High Mamas!

You, Me and New York City

Thanks Fashionista for coming down to NYC from Boston to spend the day with me.

Fellow Bollywood Super Fan Elizabeth W and Me at my first screening of a Bollywood film in a movie theater. "Ommmmm Shanti....Ommmm!"

Carronin and Me at NBC Studios

B. and Me in Time Square

SoDak and Me with the angels in Rockefeller Center

Maria was here. The graffiti on the sign in the subway says, "My grandbaby father be locked up AGAIN!"

Carrot and Me overlooking Central Park

Elastic and Me in Grand Central Station

NCS and Me in Saks Fifth Avenue

Millie and me in Rockefeller Center in front of the famous Christmas tree

Aubrey and Me at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

__________ and Me with New York's Finest

Small town girl, big city dreams.

I've had my passport stamped a few times, but I have never been to New York City. Secret Agent Man is currently on assignment across the river in New Jersey. He's flying me out to spend a long weekend with him in the Big Apple. I try not to get involved in his super secrety third world dictator-toppling missions, but the chance to stand under the Time Square webcam and wave hi to all my bloggy friends (More on that to come.) was too good to pass up. We also have tickets to see The Lion King the musical on Broadway. I'm glad the strike is over. I didn't anything standing in the way of me getting my hakuna matata on!

Do you have any advice for this small town gal's visit to the city that never sleeps?

The Elfcapades

If I have your picture, you are not safe.

Jim and the Elfettes

The All Elfettes Review

The Late Night Chat Elf Crew

With Visions of Carrots dancing in their head

All Super Happy Girl, All the Time