OH--BURN!

Over the last couple days, I have been "burned" twice by my hubby and my oldest Ms. M.

  The first conversation happened between my daughter(5) and myself while driving home.
Me: We have to really knuckle down and start working on writing more words So you'll be prepared for school.
Ms.M: *rasberry* I don't want to go to school. I already know everything.
Me: You don't know everything, you still need help sounding out words in books and you also need my help to spell words.
Ms.M: Well I already know plenty.(insert litany of numbers letter and shapes)
Me:yes, but you can always expand your knowledge. I'm much older than you and going to college and there is still plenty I don't know.
MsM: Well I don't need to. I'm plenty smart.
Me:So your going to wallow in ignorance like most youths today choose to do? You want to stay irresponsible and poor the rest of your life(fill in epic lecture)---
Ms.M: Fine...I'll go to school. But I want a real teacher who knows how to teach and knows lots of stuff. Not you.
                *Hears Kelso from "That 70s Show" shouting: BURN! in my head*
# 2 Conversation.
With hubby(who did it on purpose--thinking he's funny.)Ha.
Me:...So, you want me to make you coffee and bring it all the way upstairs to you?
Hubby: *Grins* I looove you hunney...
Me: *sigh* I'm going to install a dumbwaiter in the dining room so i can just lift stuff up here to you.
Hubby: *evil grin* Why get one...*pause*...when I have you. *hubby snorts and giggles*
        *Kelso: BURN! He SOOO burned you!*
  I feel the love.
Now lets see what Turkeybutt(youngest daughter) has up her sleeve for me...
                            You know, I think these are the moments that Hallmark advertises. heh

Oh, holy night

    As always at this time of year I have become nostolgic and thoughtful. Turning inward and pursuing different avenues of philosophies that I force to stay dormant during most of the year.
    A couple weeks ago I attended a program called Socrates Cafe. The premise is to bring up subject matter and have an open discussion/debate about the topic. Anyone and everyone can attend and/or speak up. Your comment will be questioned to help you and others see other perspectives and to open your mind to different ways of thinking.
    The last topic was that of the idea of religion. 
    There were many things said and many ideas about the pros and cons of religion--but one section stayed with me, poking at me at different odd times.
    The moderator had said that religion was the cause of so many deaths, wars and strife in the world. But somehow this archaic idea was still very much a part of life. That people still clung to this silly notion. Then proceeded to say that the state that the stories in the Bible were impossible and even ridiculous. What's the point of religion? Why do so many "leaned" people keep following a nonsensical thing?
    One girl piped in and said that it gives people a sense of hope and communion. Then the subject diverted off in another direction.
    But her statement stayed with me and I had to ponder it. 
     Then this evening I was singing some Christmas songs to my girls. One of my favorites is "Oh, Holy night." I find the melody to be poignant and the rythem soothing. And I get a chill up my spine when a really good singer(not so much me anymore. :) nails that high note toward the end and holds it.
    But, I realized that the words draw me in as well. That there is a particular section that appeals to me and I suspect to many others as well, whether they are aware of it or not. 
 

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. 

    "A thrill of Hope a weary world rejoices...."
    Life can wear you down. Many of us feel the weight of the world on our shoulders. Stress heaps up consuming us--suffocating us. Many of us are weary. But then along comes hope.
     That girl at the Socrates Cafe was right. At least for me and my perspective. It's about hope. and faith in God and in our fellow man. Religion has been used for some pretty horrible things (when in the hands of men) but it can do some really wonderful things too. 
    I especially see this at Christmas time. People are filled with that hope and love. They care more and give more. That hope fills people and they see it in others. At Christmas time life doesn't seem to be so bleak. There is hope and a sense of community of being part of something bigger than the self. Your not just an unimportant blip on the timeline, you are important. 
    Will I blindly follow some religious figure like a sheep? I sure hope not. Do I want to feel that joy and hope? Damn straight. 
It's probably why Christmas is my favorite time of year.
    Now, I usually don't preach about religion--in fact I've been trained in my previous career working with the public to not mention any controversial things(i.e. politics,sex,sports and religion) and have adhered to that rather well for the last decade. 
    And even though religion was the catalyste to this blog, it wasn't the focus. What I was really trying to get out was the idea of hope and how it's essential to our lives. That it shouldn't matter what we use to gain acess to that hope. Even if it's religion.
    We all need to feel that. 
    If we don't have hope....well, what's the point really?
    I don't want to live without hope.
    
   In any case all. I hope you get to experience some of that Christmas spirit. And I wish you all happiness and peace.


   Merry Christmas.

My favorite scottsman.

Hello folks.
    Today's randomness is brought to you by Diana Gabaldon.
     I have seen posts lately from Ms. Gabaldon stating that "The Scottish prisoner is coming out on the 29th. She's also posted that book 8 of the "Outlander" series is coming out in the spring of 2012. All I can say to that is *SQUEEE!!!*
     Hence the reason I put the countdown widget on my blog.
     Ah, that's better. Now moving on.
     I came across another fan's excited blog about loving Jamie Fraser and it inspired me to write a little something. Then I have to be a big girl and do my NaNoWriMo word count.
     For anyone who hasn't read the 'Outlander' series, boy you don't know what your missing.
It's such a vivid world with unique and well developed characters. As you read through the series, these characters become real to you so that when you read. It feels like your visiting old friends. I love the main character Claire. She's funny, smart and spunky. I'd like to be her.
     And then there is Jamie Fraser. *Fans self* whooh! He's just an awesome guy character.  Is he perfect--no. Actually all of the characters are perfectly human--i.e. imperfect and with flaws. but, their good traits are so endearing and likeable that you just have to like them.
       Every time I finish one of the huge novels I am sad because it ends too soon and I dread having to wait for the next book.
       I am definitely eager to read both upcoming novels and I suggest it to anyone who likes adventure, romance, humor, and manly fighting. 
     If you need me after the books come out--well, you'll just have to wait until I finish them.
until next time.

NaNoWriMo

First let me start off by saying that I planned to put a pic of the new 2011 NaNoWriMo participant sticker on my blog but I am having one heck of a time getting one to upload onto here(hence the lack of my profile pic as well)
  It bums me out a bit but eh, oh well. I'll figure it out one of these days.
  Even without the pic I can still blog about NaNoWriMo--for those unfamiliar it stands for National Novel Writers Month.
  The premise of this organization is to get people to just write. period. Not worry about editing or waiting for the perfect phrase or sentence...just vomit your words onto your "word" or "office" or whichever thing your using for 'paper' and keep tabs on your success through their web site.
  The goal is to write 5000 words in 1 month.
  does anyone see the horribly-unedited words that you purged from the depth of your soul?? no. You somply add the words to their special app.  and it takes a word count.
  If you hit 5k words--yay, your a winner, if you don't...no sweat, you'll still feel proud of what you accomplished around all of the other chaos in your life. WTG you!
  Will you win crazy pots of money, fame, a cruise in the bahamas? nope, sorry.
trust me though, it is worth it.
   Is it difficult to dedicate a portion of everyday to writing when you have sooo much on your plate with the looming holidays in your midst. There is no doubt about it. buut if you  have a passion for stories and story telling then you can and will do it--and become a better writer for the experience.
  so--if you have a story bouncing around in your head. If you have something you just have to tell the world or if your Muse is throttling you and screaming in your ear...head over to the NaNoWriMo.com and sign up.
Goodluck!
  I hope to see you there!
  Also don't be afraid to add me to your buddy list


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vampire physiology

So the other day, I started thinking about vampires and not in the vapid emo "OMG Edward/Damon/Louis is soo hot" type of way.
No, I got hooked on the bloody tears they always cry.
Now, most people are familiar with some of the basic vampire mythos. How they don't have to eat or go to the bathroom because, well, their the living dead and their organs no longer work. They simply consume their daily quota of blood and voila', supernatural hottie. Evidentally that blood absorbs through the body(if the stomach doesn't work, then they can't very well digest it)and sparks the brain and cental nervous system, enabling the vampire to walk, talk, and think. And apparently--if their tears are bloody, the blood must be throughout the body, if it enables secretion.
Speaking of secretion, did you notice most vampires don't sweat? I'm guessing the main reason for that is well, bloody sweat popping out all over the body would probably nix the whole "sexy" effect that vampires are supposed to have. That same theory applies to the oil glands.
And speaking of oil glands...most humans need them to keep their skin soft and supple. Without them we lose our youthful appearance. So how is it a vampire has no sweat/oil glands and is not only "Youthfull" but also ten times more delicious in the looks department? (Hubby's answer:That depends on the vampire. If it;s "life" is restored through magical means, then it doesn't matter.) Magic is appearantly the answer to most of life's mysteries.
Moving on. Next on my list: Saliva. Yet one more type of natural lubrication that keeps our tongues from sticking to the roofs of our mouths and keeps the esophogus nice and slippery. One would think that if blood tinges the tear ducts, it would also do the same to spit(and mucus for that matter--but I won't go there.)Wouldn't a vampires mouth be tainted red continuously under those circumstances, not just when he/she/it fed? If not, that vampire must suffer one hellacious bout of dry-mouth all the time.
Between the dry mouth and the fangs, you'd think they would have more trouble speaking  but again, can't have a lisping and/or stuttering vampire--it just isn't very sexy.
And finally th most risque' and fun topic. Sex
I've figured out how the male vampire has sex. It's actually quite easy. The male genetalia becomes engorged with blood, thus making it hard. (We already mentioned that there isn't much except blood in a vampire) So this is entirely possible. I would be concerned about their health at that point seeing as how regular living men seem to loose the blood from their brains when wee-willy-winky is rareing to go, it's not impossible to see how it might occure in the vamp menfolk. Since the only functions that still seem to be working after being re-born are brain and nervous system, this could be a cause for alarm. Who knows, all I can say is: beware damsels.
The female vampire. That is a little more difficult. They have all the parts and have th bonus of not having to raise their special body parts "up"from the dead. Here is my problem...If they don't have spit/mucus/sweat/oil glands that lubricate--I'm guessing other areas don't have lubrication either. (I need not get more specific) And if their is any lubrication--it's tinged with blood which is not lubricating and quite sticky. I'm going to leave this hanging with...OW...friction.
There are other thought on the Anatomy and Physiology of Vampires but for now, I think I'll leave you all with these little brain teasers to mull around on your own.
Of course, hubby could be right--it's probably magic
Remember Occam's razor: The simplest answer is usually correct.