A quote I truly love.

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.

-- Carl Sagan

For Christel

Because she understands how hot I am. (Hot, not sexy, in this case. Just in this case.)

Here's a portion of a brilliant note to Mother Nature:

"You and I have had our differences before. As one who sweats profusely under certain conditions, such as sitting quietly at room temperature, I wasn't too wild about the summer of 2005. By late June I was technically classified as an estuary."

Click here for entire article.

Gonorrhea on Valentine’s Day

A seminal person from my adolescence and early adulthood has died. You’ve probably never heard of Larry Norman, but I considered him a friend and a hero. Larry died on Saturday after a life rich with love, stories, faith, conversation, friends, music, controversy, heartbreak, travel, adventure, and creativity. He is also known as the “Father of Christian Rock,” which, in my opinion, is a hilarious title for him. I’d call him a Revolutionary Heart.

See here some of the lyrics to his song The Great American Novel as supporting evidence:

i was born and raised an orphan
in a land that once was free
in a land that poured its love out on the moon
and i grew up in the shadows
of your silos filled with grain
but you never helped to fill my empty spoon

and when i was ten you murdered law
with courtroom politics
and you learned to make a lie sound just like truth
but i know you better now
and i don't fall for all your tricks
and you've lost the one advantage of my youth

you kill a black man at midnight
just for talking to your daughter
then you make his wife your mistress
and you leave her without water
and the sheet you wear upon your face
is the sheet your children sleep on
at every meal you say a prayer
you don't believe but still you keep on

and your money says in God we trust
but it's against the law to pray in school
you say we beat the russians to the moon
and i say you starved your children to do it

you are far across the ocean
but the war is not your own
and while you're winning theirs
you're gonna lose the one at home
do you really think the only way
to bring about the peace
is to sacrifice your children
and kill all your enemies

the politicians all make speeches
while the news men all take note
and they exagerate the issues
as they shove them down our throats
is it really up to them
whether this country sinks or floats
well i wonder who would lead us
if none of us would vote

well my phone is tapped and my lips are chapped
from whispering through the fence
you know every move i make
or is that just coincidence
well you try to make my way of life
a little less like jail
if i promise to make tapes and slides
and send them through the mail

and your money says in God we trust
but it's against the law to pray in school
you say we beat the russians to the moon
and i say you starved your children to do it
you say all men are equal all men are brothers
then why are the rich more equal than others
don't ask me for the answer i've only got one
that a man leaves his darkness when he follows the Son.

(Click HERE to hear him sing it.)

Once upon a time, I met Larry at a retreat that my youth pastor had arranged. That was in January of 1987, I believe. We were in northern Indiana, and on the church bus trip back to Indianapolis we stopped at McDonald’s. Larry said, “C’mon, I’ll buy you a burger.” (This still makes the VeryBestFriend and me and laugh.) We were NUTS about both Larry and our youth minister. Later that year, VBF and I went to Florida on spring break; my dad and mom drove. VBF and I insisted on playing Larry the whole way down. And back. Not only that, we frequently piped up with "I'm Larry Norman." "No, I'M Larry Norman." I'm surprised my dad didn't throw us out of the car.

Anyway, sometime during the retreat weekend, Larry said about this life and the hereafter, “I think you get where you’re going.”

Enjoy your destination, Larry.

So.crazy.

Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

Emailed Meme.

Place an X by all the things you've done, or remove the X from the ones you have not. Then answer the questions below and send it to your friends, or post on your veryownblog.

(X) Smoked a cigarette.
( ) Drank so much you threw up
(X) Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
( ) Been arrested
( ) Gone on a blind date
( ) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
(X) Been to Canada
(X) Been to Europe
( ) Been to Asia
(X) Been to Mexico
(X) Been to Florida
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Been lost
(X) Been on the opposite side of the country
(X) Gone to Washington, DC.
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers ---(or cowboys and Indians!!?)
(X) Recently colored with crayons.
(X) Sang karaoke
(X) Paid for a meal with only coins
(X) Ate the same thing for a week to save money.
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
(X) Made prank phone calls
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue and made snow angels
(X) Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
( ) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Made a bonfire on the beach?
(X) Crashed a party
( ) Ever done it in the back seat of your car?
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Been skinny dipping...
( ) Gone to the movies, paid for one ticket, and then snuck into another theater to see a different feature afterwards

1. Any nickname? Aunt Tasty or just Tasty
2. Mother's name? Charlene Ann
3. Favorite drink? Coffee, Vodka, Ice water!
4. Tattoos? Yep, two.
5. Body piercing? Ears.
6. How much do you love your job? A BUNCH! But, I'm still going to leave it one day.
7. Birthplace? Pax River, Maryland.
8. Favorite vacation spot? Seattle.
9. Ever been to Africa? Nope.
10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? Have you MET me?
11. Ever steal any traffic signs? Nah.
12. Ever been in a car accident? Yes.
13. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 5!
14. Are you in the mile high club? No.
15. Favorite salad dressing? Blue Cheese.
16. Favorite pie? Cherry.
17. Favorite number? 3, 4, 5, 9... which is the right answer???
18. Favorite movie(s)? Princess Bride, Holy Grail, The Jerk, many more.
19. Favorite holiday? 4th o' July.
20. Favorite Dessert? Ice cream, cheesecake.
21. Favorite food? This week, it's pork tenderloin sandwiches, made by Todd.
22. Favorite day of the week? Every one of them!
23. Favorite brand of body wash? Bath & Body Works True Blue scrub stuff.
24. Favorite toothpaste? Aquafresh Extreme Clean
25. Favorite smell? Puppy breath.
26. Favorite Sound? Apparently, my own voice.
27. What do you do to relax? Laugh and nap.
28. Do you have a message to your friends reading this? You are a rockstar.
29. How do you see yourself in 10 years? As a fabulous, happy, healthy, gorgeous 48 year old woman who travels a lot.
30. Furthest place you will send this message? Who knows? I'm posting it.
31. Who will respond to this the fastest? Not knowin'.
32. Who is the least likely to respond? Not knowin' that, either. Prolly my dad. This one is long and kinda silly. :-)

Best political commentary. Ever.

Who knew I'd have so much in common with the creators of South Park. (Sorry, Dad.) I stumbled/surfed upon an interview with Trey Parker and Matt Stone during which Parker said, "George Bush doesn't know what's going on. Michael Moore does not know what's going on. And Alec Baldwin definitely does not know what's going on." That part made me laugh.

The part of the interview I found so brilliant? "People on the far left and the far right are the same exact person to us." They are to me, too.

Late to the party, but here I am with my fancy shoes on!

Here’s how it works:

Link to the person that tagged you: Brian and others!

Post the rules for the meme on your blog. And here they are:

Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog, tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


OK, lemme think.

1. My new job is insanity-making what with the deadlines and the details and the working on 45 projects (approx) AT ONE TIME and the spelling and punctuation malarkey. I. LOVE. IT.


2. I also would almost rather go to a movie alone than with someone. I don't want any whispering or to share my carmel corn or coke with you. I also want to be able to leave without worrying about what you want. For *me* this is really a commentary on my life. I don't really, truly want to consult with anyone. I don't care to discuss daily decisions, just philosophical positions. I'm superfun to live with!


3. One of my very best friends once said to my boyfriend, "Seriously, you have to speak up and be strong with the Ericksons. If you don't, they'll just run you over." And I took it exactly in the spirit in which it was intended. I love it 'cause it's true.


4. It almost took me longer to decide I could live without Ruby and Opal (my dogs) than it took me to decide if I could divorce Grimace (former spouse). Turns out, I can live without them. Though, I'd rather like to keep living with the puppers.


5. Y'all prolly know this, but. As much as I LOVE the party/gathering/dinner with friends on a very, very frequent basis, I LOVE being alone equally as much. Turns out, I'm decent company, and damn if I don't love a silent evening reading. Or watching TV with no interruptions. At all. (Maybe this is why I don't have les bebes.)


6. Being an aunt to Beth's kids is way more precious to me than I ever imagined it would be. It gets sweeter all the time, too. Part of my plan for general improvement/growing into some more of my potential includes being a better aunt.


7. I would much rather eat popcorn for dinner than have to do dishes.

Now I'm supposed to tag some people. But all my peoples did this already, except for His Dadness. Tag!

Something I'm doing less of this year:

Cartoon of myself

When I mentioned that something turns me into a "cartoon of myself," my darling Terri piped up with, "I envision a large Portuguese female superhero, named Estacey del las Flamencos, with a pink satin cape and a tiara, whapping the ignorant with her scepter of justice."

Is perfection, no?

A driveby a la Allie and Christel...

What Stacey Means

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?