A Little Random and Some Coffee

I'm linking to Stacy for some random thoughts.

Not much going on in my brain right now other than academic things.  That's no fun.

It's also not fun trying to help my son with his college schedule.  It used to be so easy when I was in college. We would walk around the coliseum to the different departments and get stickers on our sheets for the class and time periods we wanted.  It was very straightforward.  Now, being on the computer, you have to have some slick tech skills to figure out what's what!

Have you ever heard of Cat Island?

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It's a real place... an island in Japan!  Aoshima Island.  Actually, there are about a dozen Cat Islands near Japan.  This one has a population of 22 people and about 120 feral cats.

I bet you've never seen this, either!  I haven't!

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A moose was loose on a bridge in Belfast, Maine.  The police department issued a warning of "heavy moose traffic" on the bridge.  No moose were hurt in the writing of this post.  In fact, I've never seen a moose anywhere except the zoo.  Cattle, yes.  Longhorns, yes.  Deer, yes.  Moose in Texas?  Nah!


Time for Coffee Chat!

Topic - Describe the perfect spring day.

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My allergies have really been bothering me, so being outside is less than ideal right now, but I'll give it a go, anyway.  My perfect spring day would be 68-72 degrees outside with mostly sunny or only slightly cloudy weather to keep the heat off.  I picture the greenest of green grass and oink, orange, and yellow wildflowers.  I also picture a creek, river, or lake nearby.  It's the perfect day for a picnic where you can just lie back on a blanket and read a book after having lunch.

Ta-ta for now!



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For the Love of Basketball

Linking up with Thursday Thirteen.

It's playoff season!  For hockey and basketball, anyway.  Since we don't even have a hockey team here anymore, and we don't ever get snowy weather, I'm much more interested in basketball.

Here are some little known basketball facts.

1.   Shaquille O'Neal has several rap songs.  It's kinda funny.

2.  The shortest person to play in the NBA was Mugsy Bogues who was only 5' 3" tall.  The Washington Bullets selected him as the 12th overall pick in 1987.  He played in the NBA for 14 years.

3.  Pau Gasol, who plays for the San Antonio Spurs, went to medical school in Barcelona, but left when he was drafted into the NBA.

4.  The American Basketball League, which began in 1976, was known for the flashy 3-point shots.  The ABA merged with the NBA in 1976, but the 3-point shot wasn't used in the NBA until 1979.

5.  Moses Malone was the first high school prospect who skipped college and went straight to the NBA.  He was signed to play for the University of Maryland, but the Utah Stars (in the ABA) came calling instead.  He was an NBA All Star 12 times, 5 of those while he was playing for my favorite team, the Houston Rockets.

6.  Did you know that jump balls used to be after EVERY BASKET?  I can't imagine that!

7.  The only player to average a triple/double for one season is Oscar Robertson who played for the Cincinnati Royals in 1962.

8.  Elvin Hayes never won an MVP award despite the fact that "he played in 12 consecutive All-Star games, won a championship and averaged 20 points per game or more in 10 of his 16 NBA seasons" (Bleacher Report)  He played for the University of Houston before the NBA, then  the San Diego/Houston Rockets, the Baltimore Bullets, and again for Houston.

9.  The Miami Heat is the only team to win both the slam dunk and 3 point contests during all-star week.  This happened in 1995, the same year Houston won their second championship in a row.

10.  Charles Barkley was cut from both his freshman and sophomore basketball teams.  He did, however, play his junior and senior years.

11.  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was known as Lew Alcindor before he converted to Islam.

12. Providence, Rhode Island once had a team.  They were called the Steamrollers.  They only lasted 3 seasons, and their overall record was abysmal:  46-122.

13.  Malice in the Palace - Some call this the scariest (or most embarrassing) moment in NBA history.  It took place on November 19, 2004 between the Pistons and the Pacers.  Take a look.




Most information in this post came from Bleacher Report

P. S. I really can't stand those GEICO commercials with the talking basketball!

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Can You Name This Landmark?

Do you know where I took these photos?

Let me know in the comments!
I'm linking up with Image-in-ing and WW.


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Some Random and Some Coffee Chat

I'm linking up with Stacy for some randomness.

One of my co-workers really brightened my day last week with these:

I don't know (for sure) who sent them, but I have my suspicions.  She wouldn't admit it, though.  I think not knowing as a certainty is part of why it really cheered up the bad week I was having.

I take a migraine preventative medication, and I ran out about ten days ago.  I'm had a headache every day since.  It feels like my head is in a vise.  Nauseated.  Exhausted.  Yep, it's just a party over here!  I have migraine medicine, but I only take it once or twice a year, and when I do, I have to lie down for at least half an hour.  It makes me feel worse at first, then all the pain subsides, usually within an hour.  I haven't been taking it, even though I feel like it, because I'd rather prevent them than treat them.  I finally get to see the doctor this afternoon.

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I finally saw the new Beauty and the Beast!  I loved it!  I also loved the changes they made in the story line.  Emma Watson was fabulous.  I had no idea she could sing!  Have you seen any comments or articles about there being a gay scene in the movie?   There was a funny part in the end where two men ended up partnered. That was just funny.  And maybe LeFou had intentions toward Gaston, but it wasn't blatant.  This article calls it, "In your face."  There was nothing offensive!  Just my opinion.  I adored it!

And now, Coffee Chat with Rory Bore.
Today, her topic is...

It's Angel Girl's birthday today.  

What advice would you go back and 

give your 10 year old self?

I've been asked to write letters to my younger self before, but it brings up a lot of feelings and memories I don't care to talk about or especially relive.   What I would say to myself is this:

This is me at 8 years old.  I couldn't find a picture of 10 year old me.

Glasses (I got them when I was ten) do not make you a nerd.  When you get to high school and college, you will be grateful for those "nerdy" grades you got!  Also, don't try so hard to fit in.  Don't compromise your values just to be accepted by those kids you think are popular or cool.  When you feel unwelcome, or you feel lonely, God is there for you.  Continue to stay active in church.  You are smart.  You are kind and sensitive.  And you are a child of God.  You can accomplish anything you set your mind to, but set your goals on personal preference rather than what everyone else is doing.  Enjoy being a kid.  You'll grow up soon enough.  Love you!

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Sunday Synopsis

Cut to the Bone by Jefferson Bass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jefferson Bass does it again! This is a fascinating read. When I began reading this novel, I didn't realize that this was the prequel to his "body farm" series. I thought the timing was off, or perhaps I had read the books out of order, but I continued to read and finished the book. I didn't realize it was the prequel until I was ready to write my review. Makes sense now!

Dr. Bill Brockton is the head of the anthropology department at the University of Tennessee. He starts an experiment at the university where he studies dead bodies (sounds gross, but it isn't, really). One of his goals is to determine "time since death" by studying the evidence of decay and infestation. Another is to discover clues to the cause and manner of death. The purpose is to help the police solve crimes, thus, forensic anthropology is born.

This book finds Dr. Brockton helping the police with several murders. He then realizes that some of the cases are eerily familiar, like cases he has helped to solve in the past. There is a serial killer with a grudge out to get Dr. B.

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Wordless? Almost. Image? Wednesday!

My daughter sent me this snap today after we got off the phone.  Roommate problems at college.  Two more months, pretty girl.  You can make it!

It's hard when your child is so far away and you want to comfort her, but you can't.  All you can do is listen, sympathize, and encourage.  What I really want to do is hug her!

Even though she's not happy in this photo, I love it!  Her eyes! 

Link up and join the fun!  WW and image-in-ing.

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It's Tuesday - It's Random - It's Coffee Chat!

I'm linking up with Stacy for some randomness.

Does this ever happen to you?

Isn't it annoying?  Instead of going rollrollrollrollroll, your toilet paper roll goes thunkthunkthunkthunkthunk.  How irritating!

But this...

this makes everything better!  But I can't eat peanut butter M&M's right now.  I need to try to eat healthier and maybe drop a couple of pounds before my our daughter gets married.  Which is one reason we started using Blue Apron (and the fact that we got a week free).

With only two of us at home most of the time, it was taking a lot of effort to even think about cooking.  More often than not, it was easier to go out than it was to cook something.  It required too much planning, grocery shopping, and mental effort trying to decide what to cook without having tons of leftovers.

So, we started eating our meals last week, and hell froze over!  Yes, it did!  Why, you ask?  I ate radishes and sweet potatoes!  No, not at the same time.  The radishes were part of a salad with arugala and Italian vinaigrette.  The sweet potato was roasted with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.  And guess what?  I liked them both!  I have enjoyed all the meals we've had so far.

The only drawback is the time it takes to prepare the meals.  Since everything is made from scratch, there is a lot of washing, crushing, slicing, chopping, and mixing.  That's a good thing, of course, because it means we're eating healthy foods, but it's time-consuming.  The recipes are really trendy and delicious, though, so it's worth it.

And now, Coffee Chat at Ink Interrupted.  Our hostess asks,

What's the silliest or craziest thing you've ever done?

Wow!  How to answer that honestly and keep my dignity, too.  Hmmmm.  We have friends who used to live two doors down from us.  Every year they had a martini party during Halloween weekend, and we would attend, drink too much, and walk home without incident.  A few years ago, they moved a couple of miles away, not walking distance anymore.

So we attended and everything was going well.  No topless ladies jumped in the pool (that had happened at a previous party), but there were other good times happening. The party theme was rednecks and white trash, and I was dressed a little trashy, nothing over the top.  I even had a well-placed tattoo (temporary, mind you) on my, uh, my, ummm, chest area?  We all drank a "little" too much.

Crazy me, though.  On the way home, I decided I needed to get out of the car and walk because I felt sick. I needed air.  The only thing is, I forgot how to get home.  From my own neighborhood!  I couldn't get my bearings to figure out where I was.  And I did get sick.  When I finally got home, I had my phone, but I lost my purse.  How does that even happen?  A kind soul returned it to me a day later.    Turns out that my husband parked the car and fell asleep, and I didn't see him until the next morning.

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Lesson to be learned:  Write simple directions showing how to get home on your hand in permanent marker before you go to a martini party!

Our former neighbors quit having martini parties a couple of years ago.  No, not because of us!  It was time consuming to plan and cost a lot.  Our lives are a lot more lowkey now anywaydddd.
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Sunday Synopsis

Everything She Forgot by Lisa Ballantyne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The premise of this book was quite cliche'. A woman in a car accident, Margaret, AKA Molly, is saved by a mysterious stranger with severe burns. She discovers, long after the reader has figured it out, that he is her real father, George, who abducted her when she was a child with only the best of intentions. He was her dad, after all, and still in love with her mother although the mother was forced to move on.

Other characters include the "holier than thou" religious nutcase reporter who wants to capture George the abductor and become famous for his articles on the case. Then there is Molly's mother that George was truly in love with and her new husband, Molly's stepfather. The mother was in love with George when she became pregnant, but her parents would not let them marry. They whisked her away to have the baby and married her off to another man. Why? George's family, the McGlaughlins, were small town gangsters, feared, and rightly so, by everyone in town. George was the black sheep of the family. He didn't want any part of the family "business," but he was guilty by association.

So, the book is all about revealing Margaret's past, which she had forgotten. She remembers, slowly, through items that her mother kept in a box that Margaret retrieves from the attic after her mother passes away. The story is told well, just rather slowly. I believe the same story could have been written in half the time without compromising anything we learn about the characters and their motives. There was quite a bit of repetition and some materials that was completely irrelevant.

The British/Scottish vocabulary was a bit hard to get accustomed to, but it was actually one of the best reasons for reading the book.

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