That's twice this month you've slipped deadly nightshade into my tea and run off.*

What a week I've had! So Friday we had our 4th annual pumpkin carving contest. Here are some photos.

Our company blowing up the competition

The Grinch (I totally see it)

The Scare-osel. It actually spun

The Worst Claim Ever!

Balloon Boy

Friday afternoon I went up to someone's desk to ask them a question and while I was talking he randomly started to make a kissey face...I was confused, but kept talking. I don't think he meant it in a creepy way at all, otherwise I would have come up with an excuse to get out of there quickly. I mean, we all have our moments where we do something and realize that we are doing it. Maybe it's his thinking face...I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, just struck me as odd.

Another thing, last Thursday at basketball I got hit in the face with the back of my friend, Jaron's head. The hardest spot possible on his head met the bottom of my right eye. Black eye would have been cool. Instead I look like I smeared green eye shadow on my cheek. I know people notice, several people have asked what happened. Most people at work do not, but it's there. Today one of the ladies finally noticed and the other lady with her said, "I noticed on Monday but didn't say anything." I said, "Thanks for noticing the warning signs, but not doing anything." She said that she figured it was basketball...and it was. So now I know for sure people can see it.

I think that's all the really weird stuff that happened to me this week. Sorry I couldn't be more interesting. When I get a chance I'll post the video's of the pumpkin bomb (featured above) and the scar-osel. Until then...see ya.

Whale? I wish I could speak whale*

There are so many reasons I love my nephew. These are just two of them.

Don't stand too close to them you'll go into sugar shock*

It's been one of those weeks. You know, the one where everyday you wake up you wish it were just Friday already, or better yet, Saturday morning. That would be so nice. But I'm close, so very close.


There have been highlights to my week however. Monday I went with my sister, Joanna, to look at a house. And just so she knows that I actually did like it and am not just making it up, I will officially write in my blog that I liked it. I have my fingers crossed and keep thinking of all the cool things I could do with the basement (that's right, I have decided that it is that time in my life that I morph into a cliche. You haven't lived until you've been a cliche at least once in your life, I choose to the 'single sibling living in my sister's basement' cliche). So Joanna, I really do like the house.

Tuesday I got to look at another house, but with another sister. Don't worry, no one's two timing Joe Jr.* Sister one is buying, sister two is renting (sans me). But I went with her to look on our lunch break. A totally cute house, other hand's fingers crossed for her.

After work on Tuesday I had the honor of talking to Murbatron on the phone. She had a much more eventful day then I did (911, crazy rainstorms and flooding...oh California weather, you so crazy). From that conversation I was off to Institute followed by burgers (yes, a goal of mine has been to stop going out to eat after institute, but so far epic fail on my part - don't judge). At, we'll call it dinner, I was the only girl on my side of the table, my time was broken up between conversation (monologue might better fit the bill) about the Mad Hatter and America's Next Top Model. Then my friend Joseph kept calling down to me from the other end of the table and would call me "Dude" and wanted me to call him "Babe"...why I had to take the male nickname I don't know. It took some getting used to, but I finally got the hang of calling him Babe every time I spoke to him.

Last night I went to a Christmas party (stop blinking and shaking your head you read it right) at Dave and Buster's. Elaina is the "Special Events Consultant" there and she invited me to come. It was funny because Isaac and Stephanie were there and I introduced Isaac to my sister and brother-in-law and he said, "I read her blog." Just like that. So, thank you Isaac for promoting my blog...10 blog bucks to you!

Today is Thursday, thank goodness! The week is almost over! It's been overcast all week (I think, feels like it has been all week) and it's amazing how that zaps your energy. I think I need to go find somewhere to take a nap until it's time to go home.

I just wish I'd realized at the time, he was talking about MY life.*

Randomly today I thought of Eek! The Cat. Anyone remember him?

I didn't remember anything except the name of the show...and that he was a cat. I didn't even remember he was purple. So I googled it and suddenly I remembered a lot about it. Like Sharky the dog.

For some reason I wish I could remember dialogue and story line, but I'm sure I can find something on Youtube later on. Weird how random thoughts come into your mind.

Of course, on Friday night we had some people over to watch Psych and before we started to watch we went off on shows we used to watch as kids. It was really fun actually as someone would mention one you would think of another. And at least one other person knew what you were talking about so you didn't have that moment where you were like, "Maybe I made that one up".

...Pardon my nostalgia

I'll stop. But feel free to mention any shows you remember watching as a kid!

I thought U2 was a type of submarine*

As promised, even though a little behind, pictures from the U2/Muse concert.

Now for the videos

I was totally distracted by this couples dancing on more than one occasion...at the end I begin to pull myself away, worried that others notice that I am videotaping these strangers.

How to Prevent Swine Flu

First of all...don't do this.

My sister sent me an e-mail today with 6 useful tips how to avoid the H1N1 (or Hini (pronounced hi-knee) flu as SNL apparently likes to call it).

1. Frequent hand washing (which I support all year round).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of your face (unless you want to eat, bathe, or slap). I fail at this every time I read it, it's like telling a little kid they can't drink water, suddenly they are dehydrated and must have water.

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
6.* Drink as much of warm liquids as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

I was talking to my coworker today and she said she was watching the Today show and they said your bathroom is probably the cleanest place in your house...which is strange to think, but in the end makes sense.

She also said that if you haven't changed your pillow in a few years 10% of your pillow's weight is dust mites. I googled...and you should be replacing your pillow(s) once every year.

Anyway, just thought I'd pass on the information. I'll post pictures from the U2/Muse concert soon.

I don't have time for a grudge match with every poser in a parka!*

The other night my roommate, Anne, and I had to head over to Ashland in the dark of the night. She locked her keys in her car (don't ask me how) but it was right before Institute class (which is in downtown. Richmond...Ashland not so close together) I was going to show you a map but there were two problems. The first being there is no map already made up to show you the distance from Richmond to Ashland (they aren't that far apart, but when you are racing against the clock Ashland just isn't a place you can swing by on your way downtown). The second problem, I'm not really sure where Ashland is on a map (A+ student here...).

Anyway, point being she locked her keys in the car and her boss gave her a ride downtown to class where we met up and we were going to go get her car later. After class we went to burgers so it was after burgers, around 10 o'clock that we headed out to Ashland. Right by her office is a 7-Eleven. Which I hadn't noticed the last time I was there, but it would explain why I saw a slurpee cup in a tree not too far from it.I see the sign as we are sitting in the car and she is getting her keys out and I say, "Hey, you want to go get a slurpee?" To which she replies in the positive. So we mosey on down to the local 7-Eleven.

We walk in and the girl says, "how are you?" and we reply and I ask, "How are you?" and she says, "evil". No joke. So I had been prepared for the usual perfunctory nod of the head because that's what you do when someone replies that they are "good". I stop mid nod and look up at her and a sinister smile ripples across her face as though to confirm my suspicions. I choose not to alarm Anne who had not actually heard what the girl said. I get my slurpee and Anne gets a drink and we walk up to the register. The girl is standing there now and she says, "Who wants to be my next victim." I choke on a bit of awkwardness, quickly swallow and shoot my hand up in the air, "I do!" She rang up my slurpee and I paid.

I checked with Anne once we were outside if the girl had in fact said "evil" when I asked how she was doing, but there was no need to ask, her behavior was all the confirmation I needed.

Never let it be said that I was intimated by supreme weirdness.

...Only in Ashland.