This Is The Day...This Is The Day... *

...to delete your myspace page I guess. Happened across this blog entry and had a nice little chuckle. Sounds like this guy arbitrarily decided to make January 30th "National Delete Your Myspace Page Day". It's funny, I almost did this on my own last Sunday.

On his original post about it, he gave some reasons you might want to delete your account. Here are a few I thought were funny:

4. You visit someone’s Myspace profile only to suddenly have music start blasting out of your speakers. Bonus points if it happens to you while you’re at work.

This usually isn't a huge issue for me. I keep my speakers off most of the time. But if you're surfing myspace at work?...kinda serves you right don't you think?

6. You visit someone’s profile only to have your eyes bleed because of terrible page layout with non-matching designs and font colors.

Haven't I talked about this before? Oh yeah. Here it is. This is a serious serious problem people. Don't you ever visit your page and see what it looks like to the rest of us??

9. You’re frustrated with the fact that Myspace doesn’t allow you to post your contact info, meaning to contact someone you can only use Myspace’s glitchy Instant Messenger, message/email system, or wall commenting.


Ok. It's going to start sounding like I'm sticking up for myspace here or something (and that's not what I'm doing at ALL) but doesn't everyone know the reason you don't put actual contact info on a very public web page? I mean aside from the fact that you'll get a CRAPload of spam...it's dangerous folks. And if you REALLY want to post your email address?...um, you all know that workaround right?

10. You’re tired of seeing Tom stare out at you from millions of friends lists and just wish he would change his f***ing profile picture. **

Tom has always cracked me up. Maybe I was a little hasty when I immediately deleted him from my friends list...but hey. I didn't know the guy. He wasn't my friend. Why has everyone kept him around? Are they really that desperate for the largest number of 'friends' they can possibly come up with? Yeesh.

Now don't get me wrong. Myspace has its uses. I have several music friends that swear by it for networking. And thats great. But boy am I tired of having to pick my "top" friends. Or all those stupid bulletins.

I may not have jumped on the bandwagon THIS January 30th...but there's always next year.

One of these days Myspace...

...one of these days.

*who can finish the good ol' Sunday School tune the title came from?

**curse word omitted to protect the innocent. After all, this is a family friendly site folks.

We're not in Kansas anymore...

Crazy wind! Just lost power briefly. Another reason laptops rock!

Today's high was somewhere around 60 degrees at sometime around 12 or 1ish.*

The temperature now? 20 degrees.

And windy as CRAP!

After being TOO warm in my sweater around 12:30 this afternoon, this is the site that greeted me when I left the office at 3:30 this afternoon to do an inspection:



That's snow. I wish I had had my good camera in hand when I walked out the door instead of the work camera.

*correction. Kristi's right. The high was actually 73 today. Sheesh.

Time I'll never get back

I stumbled across this site today. Hilarious stuff. But I have one major problem with it.

Whoever captions those things should be hung upside down by their toes and slapped silly with a herring. I'm not sure if the person really has no grasp on the English language or if they're trying to make the statement that the animals have no grasp on the English language.

Regardless, it's highly annoying. So annoying in fact, I almost stopped looking after the first couple of pictures.

Almost. I'm currently on page 16. Someone stop me...please?

Here are a couple of my favorites. And I'm sorry to whoever runs the site...I HAD to take the link off the bottom of each picture. "moar funny pictures"? Really.



Has anyone seen The Illusionist? I seriously can't figure this one out...



Can I get one of these for the office? Does anyone know what the current version is?















Kittens=World Peace






Seriously people. Go waste a good hour and a half of your day on this site. What's that? You want to waste MORE of your day?

Hey. That's entirely your prerogative.

Orange

Knock Knock.

This is where you say 'Who's there?'.

Banana

That's you again. 'Banana who?'

Knock Knock.

'Who's there?'

Banana

'Banana who?'

Knock Knock. giggle

'Who's there?'

Banana

'BANANA WHO?' now look, there's no reason to shout.

Knock Knock.

*cricket cricket

psst. That's you.

*cricket cricket

ehem. Hey! Come on. Just say 'Who's There?' There you go! That wasn't so bad right?

Orange

'Orange who?'

ORANGE you glad I didn't say banana?

Ok, for any of you still reading this, I was going to stop there and let that be my orange post. But you all know me. I need to post photos. NEED to. And since orange is one of my favorite colors...I couldn't let this one just go by. So, without further ado:

Orange is...

...the color of my hair. According to Steph that is. She says it isn't red. So you can all start calling me an 'orangehead' from now on.

Actually. Please don't. And my response to Steph for pointing out that my hair 'isn't actually red' is this:


Why YES! I am mature. Thanks for noticing!


...one of the colors of my mom's favorite football team. (Look, the horse and I have the same color hair!)



...the color usually associated with my favorite month.


...the color of the headers and link text (like mine!) on the GIMP home page.


This is free image editing software. It appears to have some similar features to Photoshop and since it's open source, people are continuously working on developments. I'm not actually actively looking for new editing software, but I had heard of this one several times and finally decided to check it out. Since it's free, there's no risk. Maybe I'll download it and try it out some time.

Please don't tell Photoshop that I'm thinking of cheating on it. Oh, but did I mention it's free??


I could go on and on an on with this...no really, I could.

Instead, I leave you with this: (and I'm really sorry about that joke thing up there)

Let's Play Jeopardy!

The answer is:

Seven degrees below zero.


Don't forget...you must answer in the form of a question.

Enough is Enough

Lately my apartment is suffering from a severe case of high entropy. Actually, there's no lately about it. This problem has been ongoing for years. As a matter of fact...since I learned about the second law of thermodynamics, I've used entropy as an excuse for my messy ways.

The basic idea (for those of you that didn't take the time to wade through that wiki site) as it was explained to me back in high school is that a system is constantly working towards 'perfect internal disorder' or equilibrium. At its simplest, entropy is the measure of the system's change from order to disorder.

Now, it gets WAY more complicated than that but the simplified explanation was given in order to get the general concept across to our puny high school brains (with out them exploding). Here's the best part though. One of the examples that was given to illustrate how a system is constantly moving towards disorder was a dirty bedroom. That's right. The idea was that when you cleaned your bedroom that 'system' was at it's lowest level of entropy, or its most ordered. Two weeks later your room was at its highest level of entropy (or most disordered) when the floor was strewn with dirty socks, the bed wasn't made, and books were falling out of the bookcase. Got it?

This concept really stuck in my (as previously mentioned) puny high school brain. When accused of having a dirty bedroom, my answer would inevitably be "Oh no, my bedroom is just returning to its naturally disordered state. You see, this is a spontaneous change of state regardless of how ordered I would like for it to stay. I'm sure you understand that I would be disrupting the balance of the universe if I were to return it to that ordered state."

As I'm sure you could figure out, this response was not usually received well and got old. Fast. And my (as previously mentioned) puny high school brain figured it was perfectly fine to pick and choose which parts of the physical laws worked best for me. I really had no idea what entropy really was until college, and even then (and now) it still boggles my mind when I think about it. Physics is a crazy crazy science.

Aaaanywho...

Since my living-space always seems to want to return to that naturally disordered state, and since that really isn't socially acceptable, I've decided that I need some thing to help combat the Evil Entropy. Enter, storage containers. I spent the weekend going through some old boxes and...stuff...in an attempt to get more organized.

I thought about posting some before and after pictures...but that would be far to embarrassing. So, instead, here are a couple of pictures of the storage containers that will be helping me become more 'ordered'.

First I bought two of these for my craft stuff.

Funny thing though. That didn't even put a dent in the craft stuff that needed a place to live.


So, I got one of these yesterday.

I'm sure I'll be getting another in the near future.


In addition, I would like to get several of these for yarn and fabric.

And yay! They're stackable.


So there you go. Next time someone accuses you of having a messy house, just tell them (with complete confidence) that it's just entropy taking over.

They'll think you're smart. Trust me.

Properness

As previously mentioned, the temperatures during the early part of January were quite balmy in relation to how they should have been.

With the temperatures returning to more "normal" levels this week, I figured it was only fair to show everyone how proper feet should be attired in St. Louis during the month of January.

However, most people don't like a random stranger photographing their feet. You could get labeled as a 'pervert' or 'freak' or some other such name. Not that I've ever attempted to do that or been called those things. And today was not the day to start.

Because of the above listed reasons, I was only able to use my feet as an example. And for those of you that do NOT know...my feet are anything but proper.

Case-in-point:

Take a look at those shoes. I mean, they're in despicable shape. You would think I could have taken the time to at least Photoshop some polish on the toes. But hey, they do have ONE thing going for them. They're the 'inside out' version of Steph's. (don't ask)



But THIS just takes the cake.


Again, for those of you that DON'T know, I rarely (if ever) wear matching socks. The only time they match is when the planets are aligned, the stars stop shining, karma reverses itself, and...well, you get the idea.

I also do not set out to make any specific combinations. As long as they are the same weight and close to the same length, I will wear them together.

Today's combination tickled me though. Funny how one foot managed to get the black and white sock and the other foot managed to get the most colorful sock in my drawer. As if my feet are polar opposites. As if they spend the day in constant argument or debate.

Of course...there are always two sides to every coin.

I have NO idea what that means. Just nod your head and make that 'mmmmHMMMM' noise. People will think you're smart.

Trust me.

And I promise to stop posting pictures of my feet on this site.

Scouts honor.

Red

There are many things that come to mind when I think of the color red. But I'm sure, as many of you know, there is one thing that is currently at the top of that list.

That's right. You guessed it.



It's my new laptop! And hey, can you guess what color it is? Heh.



It's all shiny and pretty. And a fingerprint magnet! But that's beside the point...



I looked for several months and did a TON of research. This little machine was a GREAT deal for the features it has.

*Lets not even get into that vista thing right now...

Thanks to my wonderful family and my boss, I was able to get enough money to purchase this little beauty.

I don't know what my fascination with red electronics has been lately...

So, by a show of hands, who was surprised THIS was my choice for 'Red'?

WHY?!?

Why? This question is most likely going through your mind after viewing the above picture. Some of you might even be asking "What in the...?". Both of these are perfectly logical questions my friends. I'll answer the second one first.

What are they? Technically speaking they are temporary dreadlocks made from either synthetic material or wool. They're dyed in a variety of colors that could be a natural hair color or something far more funky! They can then be attached to hair by way of braiding or weaving in (like any other 'permanent' hair extension) or by way of elastic hair ties or combs. So. There you are. I've answered the 'What?' question.

Now for the 'Why?'...

The majority of you are most likely thinking "Why in the world would someone attach weird multi-colored woolly things to their heads??". They're definitely attention grabbing and, for most people, more than weird looking. But this is not the 'Why?' I'm asking myself. My 'Why?' is:

"WHY do I want some of these!?!"

Seriously...I want some. I have no idea why. I mean, where would I wear them?? I don't go out dancing much anymore, don't participate in any strange anime/live role playing/goth groups, don't belly dance (they're huge with the belly dancers), and didn't even dress up for Halloween this year! (although that last is going to change next year, mark my words!)

But inexplicably...I want some. Here are a few pictures of some I have run across and really like.

This one is one of the crazier falls...very full...but I like the colors even though they wouldn't really be appropriate for my hair color. They can be found at Cleo Wolfus Designs' Etsy shop.



Here is a view from the back.



And from the same designer:

*you can't see the elastic bands...but I'm pretty sure they're there. And I love the braided ends to cover where you've put them in your hair.



This color combo is, without a doubt, my favorite.
These are from SomethingDread.Full's Etsy shop.


Seriously. These make my fingers creep toward my wallet. They make me want to email her and ask if she'll hold them for me till Friday. They make me want to buy a new wardrobe so I can have excuses to wear them. (by the way, there are actually two in the set...) I mean, imagine these with my hair!

I don't know why. And if someone can answer my 'Why?' question, I would be extremely grateful.

However, for the following picture...I'm right there with the rest of you on "WHY?!?"

*that's from exoskeletoncabaret's Etsy shop. Wicked cool photography and wearable art...

Ok. Now that I've told you about some weird desire that I have...it's YOUR turn.

Wait. Maybe that's not such a great idea... I take it back. I don't want to know.

KiP, Oregon, and Color Blogging

Knitting in public is a subject I've been contemplating for a while. I've read other entries on other blogs about it. I've seen other people doing it. I've even done it a couple of times.

But there is just something...something that hangs me up when I think about knitting in certain places.

There are normal places to knit or crochet. You know 'em. The bus/metrolink/other public transportation, in the doctors office, waiting for your car, ok...practically any waiting room. I enjoy knitting or crocheting in these places. It's a way to pass the otherwise potentially boring time with something productive. Knitting/crocheting in public also seems to have a duality when it comes to social interaction. Pull out your yarn craft and people suddenly become interested and talkative. BUT, it's also a way to avoid interaction with potentially scary people that might be waiting with you. You can always feign total concentration.

So...lately I've been wanting to knit in other public places. On several occasions I've been tempted to take a project to the local pub. When I mentioned it last weekend the response was "Who takes knitting to a sports bar??" So...I didn't. Although I DID discover that it is not a good idea for me to try and knit while riding in the car...ugh.

Maybe I'll get brave enough to ignore the strange looks I would get in a bar. I did read an interesting observation from someone that knits in bars though. A knitter's bar tab is less since your drink isn't always in hand...

In other news. Remember when we did the A,B,C-along? Steph came up with a new and brilliant idea. We'll be Color Blogging. Once a week we will post about a pre-determined color. Anyone else want to join in? Stay tuned for my first post either today or tomorrow...

So. Since this has been a photo-free post so far...and we wouldn't want that...I'll leave you with a few photos from my last trip to Oregon. Can't believe I haven't posted these yet.



This was taken on the way out. You know, when I was little, I used to look for the Care Bears when I was on the plane... Don't these clouds look they would be so fun to bounce on?






Have I mentioned I love lens flares?






I was there to visit my family. Kind of a semi-family reunion. Sorry Ben. Since YOU made the goofy face, YOU get to represent the family here. *good thing you don't ever see this...






One of the things we did as a family was visit the "Lava Caves". *please say this in a menacing, dangeresque type voice...it's much more exciting that way. See where the sign says "Bring a jacket and a flashlight?". Yeah. I forgot both. It's very cold and very dark down there.






These tubes were made from old lava flows that hardened on the outside while lava was still flowing under the surface. This one was a little over a mile long and had a nice sandy bottom. It was a little disconcerting to watch the light completely fade.






You know I had to try and get at least one shot in the dark. We carried good old fashioned lanterns to guide our feet.






The lovely Oregon Coast. One of my favorite places on the planet.






There is always plenty of wild life. Those are sea lions. But you're smart. I'll bet you knew that. But WAIT...







...what is THAT?? Awww. It's a whale! All those years living near the Oregon Coast and THIS was the first whale I have ever seen. So COOL!






Ok. I'll stop.

I swear.

Labels

Today I decided that it would be terribly useful to be able to separate the posts on this site. Now, you might ask "Gee Tracie, why would we need these posts to be organized in any specific way?".

Well...

Yeah. I got nothin. So...I was bored today and thought it would be kind of fun. Little did I realize that this blog really IS random.

I'm going to have to be very careful to NOT do one of two things:
1) Label every post either 'random' or 'photos'. Or 'random, photos'.
2) Label every post with a completely new label. (I think I already have 15 different labels...)

I've already gone back and labeled the old posts up to where I switched over to the new template. We'll see if I go back and label the ones older than that...

Is that really necessary anyway?


*After all that...I forgot to put labels on this post. Heh. Maybe this really ISN'T such a good idea.

Rockstar Photographer

Last Sunday Kristen had the chance to do a live radio show on 89.1 FM. She invited P along to do some percussion. I tagged along because, well, because I could damn it! And since I don't seem to go anywhere without my camera plastered to my face...here are the results.

*psst. Click that link up there for more information on her upcoming show

Do I get a press pass?



The radio show was called The Bones Headphones show. Yep. That's Bones.




After a brief introduction and the first mentioning of her CD and upcoming show...




...and some quick tuning...




...she launched into the first of the live performances.




They played very well together.




A good time was had by all.


Now, because I am who I am (and most of you probably know where this is going) the following pictures are (as SOME would say) 'artsy fartsy'. But, you know me. And you know that I know that you know me. So you know that I know that you know that I of course had to post these.










Now, the following picture is not and I repeat NOT for the faint of heart. If you are easily frightened, nauseated, or brought to tears...please do not continue. You have been warned.



Sunday, Monday, and most of Tuesday were above 60 degrees. It was beautiful. So...this was the most exciting piece of my wardrobe for those three days...

*you can still turn back!







Flip Flops!! Oh Hallelujah for a pseudo spring!

Yes. I just posted a picture of my feet on this blog. I'm completely, madly, deeply, sincerely, truly sorry.

But if you cried or screamed like a little girl...hey, I warned you.

Wicked Cool!

Last night was a wonderfully fun night of Wicked!



Thanks Kristi, for thinking of me when you had that extra ticket. I loved it!

Stop Post Pollution!

Stumbled across this today. It's a brilliant concept!

*caution - the following site may cause a sudden 'well duh' moment.



This one is going on my sidebar...