bizefingers

This is for the curious reader. Go here to find out the history behind the name of my blogsite.
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Well, I was going to post about Kiah's interview on Lakeland news last night but, it must have ended up on the cutting room floor. Oh well.

There was no school for the kids today because of the extremely cold temperatures. I didn't feel like carting them all over the college today and bringing them to my classes so we all stayed home. I have a feeling I am not the only SOTA (Student Older Than Average) who is absent today.

This post is rather dull which is a reflection of my mood today. I will try to post later.
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We got to stay home tonight. Our church cancelled classes tonight on account of the cold weather. I am so glad. I just wanted to be home tonight. I think the kids did too. We watched another great family movie on the Disney channel, "Pixel Perfect". The computer theme of the movie was giving me the nagging feeling that I needed to post something other than the bloggin'-bloggety-blog-blogs (all 6 of them)! But - I resisted the temptation to deviate from the impromptu agenda of spending quality time with the kidlets as we all sat silently (except for the clicking of our forks and slurping of our drinks) staring at the tv... ah, yes, quality time (any time we are not crabbin at each other).

We did go shopping earlier for some school supplies and the dd *needed* to spend the remainder of her "red and white" gift card. (We looked for you, Sara, where were you?) We stayed in the store for no more than 25 minutes. In that time the temperature outside went from -22 to -27. #plugged the car in when we got home# What a wonderful new perk to my new car... a block heater.

Just for fun... take this test to determine which type of Barbarian you are.
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I did not like the pressure of this assignment... blogging our own classmates. I had a very hard time picking three that I would comment on. I read all of your blogs every day. I find them all interesting. Having to face you all in class, in the end, I decided on blogging the three blogs that I have linked to my own blog.
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Did you miss me? Having been up since about 1:30 this morning, and it is now 7:15, I figured it was time for my first cup of coffee. Anyway, I know that A will understand the delay in creating this post.

Insider #3
Merlot at Midnight is my favorite journal-style blog. I feel like I am reading a *sneaking into my sister's* diary. The entries are so varied and the links are so revealing of who she is, it is a very workable style. Also, somewhat revealing of her personality is the design style of the page. The full-moon really sets the atmosphere for the reader. In keeping with the theme of sneaking a peek at a sister's diary, I feel like I am at a sleep-over and we are swapping girl stories into the wee hours of the morning. There are poems, and narratives, and short essays all written so beautifully and updated often. I encourage you to go there and see what I mean.
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Sweet and Sour Goth always delivers. The first time I saw this blog I was curious to see what a goth girl would write about. I have always thought of a goth person as being rather shy or reserved so, I was truly surprised to see such honest and self-revealing writing. This is what kept me checking back for new stories which eventually led to me cutting a link to her page (saves me time in schlogging through the class daybook). Besides, I felt her site warranted sharing with other readers who would visit my blog page. Serving as a notebook, this site is fun and full of long stories that are totally worth the time invested. Ms. Goth does a fab-u-lous job of entertaining her readers. Some of the topics are a risk to tackle and yet she can and does so with flair.

Instead of competing with tons of graphics, which are fun, (don't get me wrong) the simple page design highlights the true art, the words on the page. I like that. (I still think it would be nice if you would make some design reference to your gothness through color choices on the template). Also, what works for this site is that it frequently gets updated.
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Froyd's Rants Rocks! This site operates largely as a filter for info. It is easy and quick to read because he teases you with one or two inciteful lines that are meant to pique your interest enough to follow the provided link. Even in the abbreviated entries, so much of his personality comes through. How this is accomplished is a combination of design choices - colors that play off of each other - and clever, conversational writing that is witty.

This site also serves as a journal. Being a writer, I am always interested in people and their personal lives. It must have something to do with character development. I am frequently amused by his stories and wish that I didn't have to spend so much time doing homework so that I could read the elder scrolls. Very nicely done.
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Ok!! Now this one I like!! I was intrigued by the sites address, "Mommy Needs Coffee". Anyone who knows me will fully understand why (that could be a post in the future). When I got to "Java Diva--Fresh Brewed Daily!" I was immediately hooked. A mostly journal stlye blog written by a woman who is lively and funny and honest with herself and her reader. (I laughed out loud in some places). She is a very creative writer, for example, using fun pseudonyms for her children in her sidebar intro. These monikers are used throughout her writings.

She has successfully created her blog around a coffee theme complete with the sidebar links being titled with "things coffee-esque". I loved the color combinations she uses to create an atmosphere that is fresh and pops, kind of like a good cup of fresh coffee. Both side bars include some fun graphics, ie. "mandatory picture of coffee cup", a calendar, and a search engine.

There are more layers to this woman than just being a mother and it shows through in her writings. I followed some of the links within her posts to the other blog sites that she haunts and they proved to be equally rewarding for my effort. (She even tackles some "politic" stuff - well sort of). These links function as a bit of a filter.

This is a site that I will definitely be coming back to on a daily basis. I see this site as an example of what I would hope that my blog could become.

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I realize that a lot of my posts center around my role as a mother. That being said, I did a search on Google for blogs that center on motherhood and came up with two related sites. Adventures in Parenting is a blog that follows a similar format to my own. The author seems to be keeping a journal-styled blog about the fun and quirky things her two (cute) daughters do that add spice to her life. She is a good writer, and her more entertaining posts are also linked to another site called DotMoms. She has made the permalinks to those particular posts from her personal blog. The DotMom blogsite is a group of mothers posting lively commentary about parenting and/or being parented. They have included a Manifesto about their site which is a nice touch as it gives the reader a definition of their goals. They both offer feedback links and are linked to other sites with similar interests. I could relate, if somewhat nostalgically - having two older children, to some of the current post themes. Both sites are well-written, and well-designed with nice graphics and color choices that make it physically easy to read them (less eye strain).

However, I realize that these sites are not going to turn just anyones' crank. They are very audience-specific. Even as a mother, there is only so much time you can spend reading stories or looking at pictures of someone else's darling cherubs. Besides, I was an individual with other interests before becoming a mother. That part of me did not die when I gave birth. I don't want people to think of me as only a mother, it is only one of the hats I wear.

::Note to self:: continue with the stories about kidlets but, change things up a bit more by adding links and stories to other things I am interested in. ::/ note::
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ARRGH! Now I've really gone and fixed myself into a pickle jar that I didn't want to be in! First, let me just say:: Note to self :: Never ask a question that can be answered more than one way when you already know what you want the answer to be.

Now I will explain. It started out rather innocuous really, just an impromptu ice breaker with the db (darling boyfriend). After stuffing ourselves on a delicious meal of tacos (made them myself, thank you. I like to think that I am a good cook... but, I digress) we were both somewhat *belly* aching (snicker-pun definitely intended) about the severe problem we are both having with the mysterious shrinking waistlines of our pants. For what EVER reason I asked if he would like to try the Atkins diet as a couple... just like on TV. Well - (exasperated scream) - very much to my dismay - he said YES!! *Whine*... "What! You were supposed to say 'no'! You're a guy, guys don't diet... You were supposed to say 'no'."

Great, just great! Now I have to go get a book and find out what to do. I don't know anything about the Atkins diet (I don't even know if I am spelling it right). I don't need this pressure.

On a Lighter Note (keeping with the diet analogy here)
I did get out of doing dishes this weekend though, because I won the fishing tournament! WOOHOO! Db decided that my kids needed some added incentive to help them stay focused in the ice house all weekend (ice fishing - that is why the posts were *thin* this weekend - oh, ho I am so punny, I am on a roll). Being prone to creative contests (see previous post) he pronounced that the first one to catch a keeper fish would be out of dish-duty. Not to long after that I pulled up a decent Northern!
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2 Martinis + 1 boyfriend = no post for friday night...
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Help Me Bubbywas the "outsider" blog that I visited. This blog has been featured as a blog of note on several blog servers and I can see why. This blog is set up as an advice column which seems to be a fresh twist to some of the other purposes that I have seen or what Blood describes in her book. This format has intrigued readers for a long time. Everyone I know has spent some time reading the advice columns in magazines and newspapers. I have spent many a lunch hour speculating with girlfriends how we would have answered the broken hearted wisdom seeker.

As a blog, I did not see any links that would suggest that it operated as a filter at all. The only links seem to be to products of commercial or consumer value. It doesn't seem to be fulfilling any kind of journaling purposes either as the entries are all centered on other people's lives. Calling it a notebook would be a stretch because the posts vary in length and the inspiration for the entries come from an unknown person(a), which brings me to my final thought.

Is Bubby real? Who knows? Bubby's site seems to be steered by her granddaughters which made me feel like Bubby may be a cleverly constructed persona. That is fine. I am not saying that Bubby needs to be real. For all that, we don't really know if some of the "Confused" individuals are really posing questions either. That is fine too. What is important to answer is whether the site is entertaining. If you like reading about other people's lives then this may be a site you would find interesting.

But is it a blog in the true sense? According to the books that we are studying and the characteristics that have been defined, I would have to say "no". But, then this is a rather new form of publishing and who's to say that maybe Blood didn't anticipate a blog being used as an advice column when she wrote her book.

Anyway, take a look. I had fun there. Tell the class what you think.
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It's Cold Outside!
At 7 a.m. it was 18 above. By the time I went to my first class at 9 a.m. it was -6 (F) and high winds. Now at 5:30 p.m. it is -13 with 24 mph winds creating a windchill of -41! We are staying in tonight and snuggling into the big bed with a good book. I love this weather. (Really - I'm not kidding)
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He's done it again.
(B) has developed a new game. In order to describe his new past-time I will be exposing my housekeeping skills which during the school semester fall by the wayside. (Homework comes first). Anyway... To set the game playing field you must first scatter papers all over the floor (I am currently editing last years files). Next, you sprinkle in odds and ends from Christmas and just to spice things up a bit, a tich of dirty laundry. There! Now you are ready to play "Don't Touch Anything!" The object of the game is to make it from one side of the room to the other touching only the exposed carpet floor. Skirting the room is considered cheating. In order for you to achieve full points for your pass you must pick a route with a high degree of difficulty (usually down the middle) and navigate to the other side without touching anything else on the floor. Any movement of the obstacles will be deducted from the total points possible. Speed and length of route are also factored into the event. Point values are arbitrary and renegotiable within the context of each contest. Which means that there is a lot of sideline squabbling with his sister about how many points they each have. The winner is actually based on who can be more convincing in the post-game debate.

I have noticed a pattern here though that I would like to comment on. I have noticed a propensity among the males in my life to deliberately seek out fun and games in their lives on a regular, almost daily, basis. It seems to be unique to the male. My daughter knows how to have fun but rarely is she the creator of the game. She is great company and a good sport when she plays a game. I am wondering if it is a genetic predisposition in males that has been passed down as a survival mechanism to stave off boredom in the deer stand or on a boat when the fish aren't biting. (Speaking of fish not biting... here's one that did!!)

Here is another example~
Saturday, Eric and I drove over to a local Chinese restaurant near his office for lunch. On the way out of the parking lot Eric spied an un-crushed aluminum can and immediately the 'game' was on. Carefully maneuvering his truck with the intent of deflating the can with his tires he attempted to get the 'kill'. Alas, his first pass was unsuccessful. He decided he would take a second pass after lunch when we drove back into the parking lot. But, his plans were sorely thwarted. Obviously another male had been there before us and the can now lay flattened off to the side. Eric berated himself for not making the second pass before we went for lunch. He instinctively knew that the temptation would be too great should another man come along and the risk he had taken by leaving the can un-crushed.
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Mother Breaks Back Getting Dinner For Her Family

Today we were all back in school. Then off to hockey practice. It was "B's" turn to pick dinner. That usually means that we will have either: a) macaroni and cheese and not your gross homemade stuff either... the boxed kind b) tacos or c) pizza. Tonight was a "C" night. So while ds (that's darling son) was skating oval laps chasing a little black package of gouda cheese up and down the ice I hustled over to the Papa Murphy's to retrieve din-din. Being the bargain hunter that I am (not), I saw a special that would allow us to get a 2-litre, a pizza, and cookie dough for a ridiculously low price. I couldn't resist. Herein lies the flaw in my plan. I am now juggling a purse, a 2-litre baby, a family-sized pie, and a vat of cookie dough. On a good day, any mom worth her salt could handle this. And I was! Thank you very much! UNTIL! I got outside to put my treasure in the back and in the process of opening the hatch I slipped on ice and screamed words that no mother is supposed to know let alone say in front of her ever-impressionable children. I caught the cookie dough (you know it has CHOCOLATE in it! Geez) and managed not to fumble the baby of pop. But! Up went the pizza and down came the pizza. Fortunately the pizza was entombed in half a roll of plastic wrap and landed face up. I was able to smooth everything over, including the new vocabulary words my dd (darling daughter) learned. Oh yeah, and I managed to stay upright, avoiding a season-ending injury.
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Monday night was a special night for me and my kids. It has been almost 2 years since I have had a bed big enough for all of us to snuggle in together and watch a movie or read a good book. After getting my tv hooked up and running last week, we were finally able to do just that last night.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Day the Disney channel was running Remember the Titans. What a great movie. We talked about racism and the sad fact that it does still exists in this country to this day. I am not a very politically active person but, this issue really bothers me. How come, with all of our psycho-babble and our high-tech gadgets, we can not learn how to see past someone's skin color? How can this country be looked up to as the 'leader of the free world' and still oppress its own citizens? I have no answers - I am just venting. I will be doing whatever I can to teach my kids the importance of seeing into the heart and making a decision to be a friend with someone based on their character not their pigmentation.
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Well, I skipped my opportunity to post on Sunday thinking that no one would be particularly interested in knowing that it was 5-ish and I was heading back home from the cities. Little did I know that I would be soon having soooo much fun that two more days would fly by.

Monday was a day off for me but not for my kidlets. WOOHOO! (oops, did I say that out loud?) Time for a good ole fashioned play date for "mom". I packed my homework up and went to a girlfriend's house under the ever-worn out excuse of doing some homework together. Actually, after getting a couple of cups of really good and really strong coffee we did accomplish some progress on our projects.

"A" and I were more distracted by "A's" parrot than our idle girl talk. Sophie is one. Sophie is cute. Sophie likes coffee. My coffee! She provided no end to the distractions. As we giggled at our own jokes she would mimic us from her perch. When we would make our trek to the kitchen for more coffee and donuts, she would be there - drinking our coffee. If we didn't let her drink our coffee she would eat the candles. The burning candles! If we didn't let her eat the burning candles she would climb up on our shoulders and eat our hair, or earrings. If we wouldn't let her eat our earrings she would try to type on our computer key boards. From there she would be put back on top of her cage and she would start mimicking our laughter again which would only make us laugh harder. Who can be mad at a parrot who is constantly reminding you that she is a "good girl"?

And she likes to give you kisses. If she likes you, she will sit on your shoulder and lean over towards your mouth and pull on your lower lip with her beak, her version of a kiss. This was a bit intimidating the first time she kissed me. I wasn't sure if she would grab my lip and not let go. "A" did tell me AFTER the first kiss that sometimes Sophie will get inside your comfort bubble with her kisses and stick her whole head in your mouth and it is difficult to extract her once she's in. Oh Suuuure, now you tell me! Sophie was very polite though and only pecked, gently, on my front lower teeth or grabbed my lip.
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I have been reading some of my other classmates' blog pages and am very interested by one that I would like to share with those of you who are more adventurous. She describes her site this way: "The rambling blog of an angst-ridden drama queen teenage goth." I am enjoying her writing style and impressed with her courage to be vulnerable in her entries.

On a more personal note,
I changed my plans for the weekend. The kids are at their father's house this weekend which means that I can set my "Mommy" hat off to the side - but never out of reach - for a few days. Eric was going to come up so we could go out with friends (Sorry Dave and Julie) and do some ice fishing. But, last minute deadlines at Eric's work have trickled into my life and I am now sitting in the vacated cubicle next to him as he engineers his way through a remodel. As it turns out, I am now posting from a remote site so that fulfills a request from my teacher to try this blogging thing from somewhere other than our own home. I am going to be nose-to-book in just a few minutes here, as I have several reading assignments for other classes.

Inspiration
Once again my son has reminded me to find a moment of fun in every day. We were eating dinner at a local Mexican restaurant a few nights ago. In an effort to keep the conversation flowing, I was asking both kids some questions that require more than a "yes" or "no" response. Eventually, there was a lull in the dialogue. It was here that 'B' interjected his wisdom by declaring "I-Spy a shark fin". What followed for the next 15-20 minutes was an impromptu "I-Spy" game using the stucco wall of the restaurant for our imaginings.
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Thank You to all of you who have taken the time to respond so far. Already this blog has gone beyond my expectations. By visiting this site, some of you (you know who you are) have increased your computer literacy by learning how to 'bookmark' ~ Congratulations!
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GOOD NEWS

Wednesday night I retrieved my mail and found a letter from the BSU Dust and Fire editorial board. I had submitted a few pieces of my writing to this women-only annual publication for review. The editors have selected an essay that I wrote called "Lessons on the Lake". I am very excited that this particular essay was chosen as it was written for my mom about our time shared at my grandpa's lake cabin. Having this memoir published honors my mom* publicly for her private investment of being a great mom. *(When you thought no one was looking!)
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As a writer I am constantly inspired to think outside of the box by the quirking and fun ways that my kids interpret the world around them. Their novice status as participants in this world makes for some fun observations. For example, one hot day, last August, while preparing to sun ourselves on the beach, my 7-year-old son announced to me that he knew how babies were made. Stunned and a little curious to find out if he knew something I didn't know, I asked him just exactly how he thought babies get here. He explained that it all starts with a boy and a girl kissing which makes a tingly feeling inside of them around the tummy and that tingling feeling eventually turns into a baby. I told him that he was very close.
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This is an all-new format for me to write and publish on.

To start, this blog will be a journal of irregular content. Maybe in the future it will take on a more defined content.
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