Random Tuesday

I'm linking up with Stacy.

I'm exhausted, so just some funnies for today.

Texas state "rodent" with a Lone Star beer!

Hahaha!

Have a great week!

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Sunday Synopsis

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this Newbery Award winner. The story about Ivan, a gorilla who lives in a cage in a mall. It is based on a true story of a Silverback who was captured in the wild and lived behind the glass walls of an enclosure for 27 years. The author's note explains the differences between the real facts and the novel.

The story is told in first person by Ivan himself. He watches the world go by, learns about humans, creates "art," and makes friends with some of the other animals. He even has a friend in the custodian's daughter. Ivan is complacent about his situation until Ruby, a baby elephant, joins them under the big top at the mall. He watches how she is trained to perform. He comforts her when she misses her family. Then Ivan decides to do something about it.

This is a story about animals in captivity who are forced to perform, but it's also a story about human nature and friendship. I think you'll like it.



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Remember When...

1.  We had to answer the phone without knowing who was on the other end.

2.  All the stores were closed on Sunday.

3.  We had to set the VCR to tape our favorite shows.

4.  Dial-up was the only way to access the WWW.

5.  Car phones were the size of two bricks and at least as heavy as one.

6.  No one carried a backpack to school.

7. Bubble gum was a penny.

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8.  Your first TV remote had a wire.

9.  Microwaves were almost as large as a regular oven.

10. Doctors made house calls.

11.  We would "lay out" all day because we didn't know the sun could cause skin cancer.

12. We waited "in line" instead of spending all day online.

13. You had to go inside the restaurant to order food.

I hope this brings back some memories!
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Photo Day

Copyright DLA

This picture that I took is the side of a building in downtown Houston.

I'm proud to be born and raised here.

Image-in-ing

Wordless Wednesday

Random Tuesday

I'm linking up with Stacy.  Come join the fun!

I'm so mad at Bath and Body Works!  No, not mad enough to quit buying their products, of course.  They used to have aromatherapy "sleep" fragrances:  lavender & chamomile and lavender  & vanilla.  They still make a lavender vanilla fragrance, but it's different.  They don't carry the lavender chamomile fragrance anymore.  They changed their "sleep" fragrance to lavender and cedarwood.  It's nice, but it's not the same!  They also have a "comfort" fragrance that is nice:  vanilla and patchouli.  It's kind of like candy and pepper.  I like it!

Speaking of cedarwood... When I was growing up, I was always told that my sister was allergic to cedar so I would inherit my mom's cedar chest.  I loved that cedar chest.  I had it in my home for a while waaayyyyy back when I was in my 20's, but I have no idea what happened to it.  It sorta bums me out.

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And speaking of allergies... I've been writing a personal narrative at work, teaching my students how to write, so I've been writing about the time I stepped on a nail when I was 6 or 7.  That is when they found out I was allergic to tetanus.  Yep!  I got out of taking the DPT booster vaccine all my life because of it.  I don't know if that's good or bad.  It just IS.  You might be surprised how difficult it is to document this kind of allergy for school officials.  I was always very careful about playing outside barefooted after that.

And now...

I saw this on Facebook, and it made me sad.  I, too, have a Master's Degree, many, many years experience, and have had to work two jobs to make ends meet.  It shouldn't be this way.  I'd be making two or three times my current salary if I were a professional in another industry.

And on the funny, but also true side...

And Hahaha!

Have a great week!

Sunday Synopsis

Origin by Dan Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, and I was excited to find out what would happen next at each point, but I feel like this time, Dan Brown dragged the story out more than was necessary. Luckily, he's a good author; otherwise, I might not have read the entire book which is almost 600 pages. Actually, I love the Robert Langdon character who is said to be based on Dan Brown himself.

Science versus creation, a long-time theme in Brown's books, is the subject of Origin. This time, Robert Langdon is in Spain to attend the unveiling of his long-time friend's discovery. Edmond Kirsch has discovered the answers to two questions: Where did we come from? Where are we going? The curator of the museum where he will make his presentation, Ambra Vidal, is engaged to the Prince, soon-to-be-king, of Spain. At just the moment that the answers are going to be revealed, there is an event that will prevent release of the information. Not to worry, though. The reader finds out what Edmond's discoveries were. I can't say that I agree with Kirsch's answers to either question, but it is interesting, and I feel like I know so much more about both religion and Spain.

The book is full of intrigue, subtle humor, art, politics, architecture, history, religion, science and technology, betrayal, loyalty, artificial intelligence, codes, and symbols and suspense.

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Fun Friday!

Fun Friday!  Wanna play?

I saw these ads in my garage sale group on Facebook, and they made me giggle.

For sale:  SNORES maker.


I don't know about you, but here at my house, we don't need any help making snores!  My husband does very well at that, and if I'm sick, I can make a pretty good snore, too.  LOL


For sale: HORIZONTAL file cabinet


Correct me if I'm wrong, but this appears to be a regular vertical file cabinet, right?  A horizontal cabinet would have the shelves NEXT to each other, not one of top of the other.  Correct?  Or am I confused?  I really don't know now!

Have a great weekend!

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Random Tuesday

I'm linking up with Stacy!

I've really been a slacker on the blog lately!  Partly because I've been sick for the last ten days, but partly because I've been so busy at work.  But excuses aside, I've got to work harder to make some more posts.

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So... today is the anniversary of 9/11.  It really brought our country together as one.  Our differences didn't seem so drastic.  Over the last 17 years, I feel like we've drifted apart again as a country.  I don't wish for anything like that to ever happen again, but I wish we could get back to seeing things through the same lens.

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I remember that day like it was yesterday.  I know exactly where I was and exactly what I was doing.  I've written about it before.  My twins were only 5 at the time, so they don't remember it, nor do the students I'm teaching now.  They weren't even born yet.  But I remember.  I still feel blessed to live in this country as fallible as we all are.  How about you?

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Let's lighten the mood a little.  Did you hear about the shark-nappers?  Seriously!  Three men stole an 18 inch horn shark from the San Antonio aquarium about a month and a half ago.  Ironically, it was the last day of Discovery's Shark Week.  They grabbed "Miss Helen" from the touch pool when no one was looking, snuck into a filter room, and transferred her to a stroller.  Then, they headed for the parking lot and got away.  Now... I ask you... what are you going to do with a SHARK?  Luckily, they nabbed all three of the thieves, and Miss Helen is back in her tank.

And now...

This is SOOOOO me!

Again, this is SOOOOOO me!

I love this!

Have a great week!

Random Tuesday!

I'm linking up with Stacy for Random Tuesday.

Welcome back from your long weekend!  Well, mine was long, because all day today, I thought it was Monday when it was really Tuesday.  Oops!  I did lose some time this weekend due to illness.  Two days of a severe sore throat that started last Thursday, and 4 days of cough, congestion, etc.  Why go to the doctor?  They'll just tell me it's a virus that has to run its course, and it probably is.  I am on my way to 100% now, though.

Me this past weekend!

Did you hear that Dorothy's slippers from The Wizard of Oz were found?  I know!  I didn't even know they were missing until today!  They were stolen in 2005 from the Judy Garland museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.  They were insured for one million dollars, but the insurance sued the owner, who had loaned them to the museum, and ended up settling out of court for $800,000.00 in 2007.

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I guess the FBI has been extra busy because now the shoes have been found.  They weren't even the same size!  The mates to the mismatched shoes are probably in the Smithsonian, although possibly not.  There were five pairs of ruby slippers made for Judy Garland during the filming of the movie.  Who'da thunk it?

I'm so ready for fall!  It doesn't get a whole lot cooler here for a while, but even a little relief from the heat would be welcome!  With highs in the 90's and lows near 80, it still feels like summer here.  We're used to it, but we don't have to like it!  We don't get too many color changes here, but some is better than none, and I just like the feel of a crisp, football-in-the-air kind of day!

And now this:

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And those of you who are my age might appreciate this next cartoon:

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Have a great week!