Flashback Friday: What was I doing X years ago?

Anne asks, what were you doing X years ago?

Last year, I didn't post anything on the 27th, but I did on the 26th. I'm guessing I was doing homework on this date last year.

February 27, 2007 was a banner day at Chez Mystere!

And three years ago today, I crowed over the awesomeness of my test-taking skills.

Those three posts pretty much sum up what I've talked about here these last three years: School, Muffin Man, and Smiling. With an occasional foray into body politics.

So, what were you doing X years ago?

Sorry so silent

Many things on my plate. Many plates in the air. Many airs in my head.

I'll be back when I can write coherently.

In the meantime, why don't you read some of these guys to the right? -->

People sure like free stuff

Things are movin' like hot cakes! Less for us to move.

I love my neighborhood forums (fora?)

I listed a bike trailer and our old futon "Free, but you have to pick 'em up!" on Wednesday night. Got eight replies on the bike trailer and one on the futon. They were both out the door by 4:00 PM yesterday.

The bike trailer guy also took our Sit-n-Stroll off our hands. I'll be listing more as we clear out.

Question: should I list clothes I was going to donate or should I donate them? Donating means I have to deliver them. OTOH, listing them means having to be around for someone to come try them on.

In other packing news, I've packed up all my summer clothes and thrown away all my stained clothing.

Tonight will see me packing up MM's summer clothes and sorting out the ones that are too small for listing on the forums (fora?). Kids clothes are much easier to give away, dontcha think?

Genius!

MM agreed to take apart his Lego structures if we pack the pieces into ziptop plastic bags with the instructions. "That way, I can put them back together when we get to the new house! And that will be fun."

Because I am occasionally tight-fisted

I made MM's Valentine's cards to hand out to his class this past Friday.

They consisted of: 2 pieces of clip art (a wizard's hat and a magic wand) put on the upper-right-hand side of a normal 8.5X11 sheet of paper + WORDART (flipped! Upside down!) on the lower-left-hand side of the same sheet of paper that read "Have a magical Valentine's Day! From [MM's real name]"

Then I folded them all in quarters and MM addressed them.

I KNEW there was a good reason we have at least 6 kinds of printers in the house!

Packing packing packing

Gotta keep on packing
Packing packing packing
Our stuff!
Cookbooks, toys, and towels
Enough to keep our howls
Roaring 'til our neighbors cry "enough!"
Packin' our stuff!

Three times is enemy action

1. The Thanksgiving Party was the same day as the T-Day potluck here at work. The only work-related event I was invited to attend all November.
2. The Christmas Party at MM's school was also on the same day as the Christmas party here. Again, no other work-related events all month.
3. The Valentine's Day Party at MM's is scheduled for today at 1:00 PM. My manager-to-be scheduled an all-hands meeting for 2:00. This is the only meeting I've been invited to SINCE I STARTED HERE.

Conclusion: these people can see my son's school calendar and are deliberately toying with me. There can be no other explanation.

Thank you Kate Harding!!

I just said no to a pitch from the "Health and Wellness Center" to join in their "Biggest Loser" competition.

N. O.

"I'd say 'yes' to a biggest loser of cholesterol numbers competition, or to a biggest gainer of resting heart-rate numbers competition, but focusing on weight is misleading when talking about health and is counter-productive in terms of an ultimate goal of staying healthy and reducing negative health outcomes. Focusing on weight alone leads to disordered eating, which contributes to negative health outcomes. Besides which, less than 5 percent of people actually maintain their new lower weight. When you focus on actual health indicators, such as cholesterol numbers, people do much better at maintaining healthy exercise levels and reducing junk-food intake."

At this point, they ran away from me.

Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain

The wind is whipping around our neck of the woods, pounding our house, and threatening the stability of the Thursday recycling piles.

At work, I'm hearing periodic beeps from the UPS systems and the lights are flickering. The newspaper reports downed trees blocking roads. I wouldn't be surprised if there ends up being a major power outage at some point.

Days like today, I feel impatient with our 100-year-old grid. I want to rip off the roof of my house and re-do it with solar shingles. I want to insulate the crap out of the whole damned house. I want power lines to go the way of the dodo and never ever come back.

Local politics comes alive on Twitter

Fun to watch!

Yeow!

I've got a convert! He sings! He dances! He gets annoyed with me for singing the boy parts!

O! K!

N'Oklahoma

At least not last night. MM wanted to watch Aladdin instead.

On the plus side, we haven't watched that movie in OVER! A! YEAR!

On the minus side, I can still recite the whole thing...which means it hasn't been long enough.

How can I keep from singing?

Our lullaby routine lately.

Me: Why do they think up...
MM: Stories that link my name with yours?
Me: Why do the neighbors...
MM: Gossip all day behind their doors?
Me: I know a way...
MM: To prove what they say is quite untrue
Me: Here is the gist...
MM: A practical list of "Don'ts" for you
Me: Don't throw...
MM: Bouquets at me.
Me: Don't please...
MM: My folks too much.
Me: Don't laugh...
MM: At my jokes too much.
Me & MM in harmony: People will say we're in love
MM: Which is true (kiss!)
Me: Don't sigh...
MM: And gaze at me
Me: Your sighs...
MM: Are so like mine.
Me: Your eyes...
MM: Mustn't glow like mine
Me & MM in harmony: People will say we're in love
MM: Which is true (kiss!)
Me: Don't dance...
MM: All night with me
Me: 'Til the stars...
MM: Fade from above
Me: They'll see...
MM: It's alright with me
Me & MM in harmony: People will say we're in love
MM: Which is true (kiss!)

We sing the whole song that way (with a bit of an argument over the actual words in some places). Then he has me sing The Star Spangled Banner and I fix his blankets and brush the bad dreams out of his hair and kiss him goodnight.

What do you do for your bedtime routine?

D'oh!

After a busy, fun, exhausting weekend, I am back at work except....I left my badge at home.

I'll be back in a few after I go home to get it.

Flashback Friday - It's The Inner Beauty That Counts

Anne asks for some of our more awkward looks. I haven't got much in the way of older pictures scanned in yet - I really need to do that! But I think today I will take as my theme...

Hairstyles I Have Worn With Pride

The "Puli"

You may remember this one from "The Horror, The Horror!" I had blocked out the lower half of my face on that post to preserve anonymity, and to hide my teeth. Please note that showing my horrible teeth in this picture is a sign of my growing maturity. I like my teeth much better now, but I was going through an "avoid the dentist" phase at the time.

The "Yes, I Washed It, But I Didn't Use Mousse"

This hairstyle comes and goes with me. I'll cut my hair short, and keep it short for a few years, then grow it again. When my hair is short, my bangs ALWAYS do what they are doing in this picture unless I take drastic measures.

And my current favorite:

The "Those Frizzies Were There Before I Started Going Grey,
And I'm NOT Dying My Hair So Deal With It"

This is what my hair looks like when it's not short and I haven't put it in a french braid.

The spiral perm (and btw, those two words get more people to this site than any other, with "mushroom risotto" as a close second) had a run of 3 years back in the 80's. Not pictured: The Dorothy Hamill from 2nd grade, and the short version of the puli (aka, The Poodle Puppy).

Story time

MM's school had a story night. All the kids came and we went from room to room to hear teachers read stories. There were at least 20 choices, alas we could only pick 4.

We listened to Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like, Waking Beauty, a chapter from Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown, and Giraffes Can't Dance read by the school's Principal and performed as a play by a class of third graders.

It was a ton of fun, and all the kids got to go home with a free book.

Oh well. ETA More links

We aren't getting a h0$pita1.

MSN is posting Washington Business Journal

SEVEN

From this:
To this:

Lego-maven, Pokemon card collector (shudder), Harry Potter follower, singer, runner, funny, silly, smart, rockin' reader, polite (most of the time), considerate of his friends, loving, snuggly, and very very sweet.

He'll always be my baby. No matter how big he gets.