Month: December 2009

Giveaway/Contests

Coffee Chat: December 2009

Karen

AND THE WINNER OF THE $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE IS: #195 LILY KWAN!!

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THE WINNER OF THE $10.00 STARBUCKS GIFT CARD IS: #10 CHELSEY BURKE!!

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Thank you to everyone who visited and played!! I really enjoyed reading your answers! We’ll do this again in March!

(Lily and Chelsey, if you read this before I’ve contacted you, please email me!)

Coffee Chat is ALL about YOU! Here’s what you do: Answer the daily question. That’s it! (Beware! The questions get more challenging as the days go by!)

1. Each answer you leave in the comment section counts as one ticket. (One comment per day, please).

2. Subscribe to my feed, receive another ticket. (Please leave separate comment if subscribed).

3. Follow me on Twitter, receive another ticket. (Please leave separate comment if following).

On December 11th, at 4:00 p.m. CST, I’ll draw two winners – first place winner gets to choose a $25.00 gift certificate to an online retailer of his/her choice (see this page for store listings) AND, the second place winner will receive a $10.00 Starbucks gift card (U.S. residents only for the Starbucks gift card, please).

Confused? Contact Karen.

Ready for the questions?

Question #1: Do you prefer being around men or women? Do your closest friends tend to be men or women?

Question #2: Are you more likely to avoid conflict or engage in it head on? Why?

Question #3: What’s your dream job?

Question #4: What was your first job? How much did you get paid?

Question #5: If could switch job responsibilities with your boss (or your last boss, if unemployed), would you do it? Why or why not?

Questions #6: Which is the greater tragedy: an innocent person imprisoned or a guilty person set free? Explain.

Question #7: How difficult is it for you to forgive someone who refuses to apologize?

LAST Question: What makes you stand to your feet and cheer?

My answer: I’d have to say people who overcome obstacles, or injustices, and persevere against all odds. I’m the sort of person who cheers for the underdog because not only do I feel sorry for them, but I admire the strength and determination required to come back from behind and win, or conquer, the situation. It’s not easy, and I think that alone requires a standing ovation.

More from Write From Karen

Photo Story Friday

Photo Flasback: Bonus! Or – Geez, Another Photo Flashback?!

Karen

photo-flashback

As I was looking through pictures, I came across these:

Making Christmas Candy

I totally forgot I used to do this! And this makes me want to do it again!

I would melt colored chocolate and using paint brushes, paint the molds with these colors, let them dry, and then pour regular chocolate into the molds. I made these for a small number of years before I got burned out. And the boys got older and well … you know how it is.

Christmas Candy

And as I look over the assortment in this picture, my mom must have been there with me. Because there’s no way I made all of this stuff by myself, I’m not patient enough. We must have gotten together to make Christmas “goodies.” Remember that, mom?

Man. Now I have a hankerin’ to make more candies. I think I may have to make a trip to the craft store.

Soon. 🙂

Do you guys make Christmas “goodies?”

Photo Story Friday

Photo Flashback: Christmas at Silver Dollar City

Karen

photo-flashback

Christmas at Silver Dollar City

Yep. This is us, freezing our butts off at Silver Dollar City during the Christmas light display they host every Christmas season.

(If you’re ever in the Branson, Missouri area at this time of year, I HIGHLY recommend going. The kids LOVE IT!)

Let’s see, Dude looks like he’s about five and Jazz looks about three-ish. Judging by my strange tongue-in-cheek expression, I’m extracting food from my teeth, (which sounds about right).

I had to doctor this photo up quite a bit. It was over exposed and though our faces still look ghostly pale, at least now you can see them. You can see them a little better in the bigger version. (If you’re so inclined but I have to warn you – my face at 1000 pixels wide? SCARY STUFF).

I sure wish they had digital cameras back then!

I like my hair here. I’m quite certain, at some point in my future, I’ll most likely get my hair cut like this again. I’m starting to get to the stage where I’m feeling just a wee bit ridiculious having long straight hair and being … um … the age I am.

Anyway, I love this family moment. Brings back memories. Dude remembers this trip, Jazz does not.

In fact, I need these pictures to remind me that yes, our boys were indeed that little once upon a time.

Sometimes, it just doesn’t seem possible.


(A Mad Russian’s Christmas by Trans-Siberian Orchestra )

VideoPlay

Video: Giving In to Your Kids: Does It Make You Feel Guilty?

Karen

You know, after watching this, I think I’m trying to justify the fact that we DO spoil the kids and I DO feel guilty about that – at least a smidgen. *sigh*

This is a video answer to Momversation’s question: Giving In to Your Kids: Does It Make You Feel Guilty?

I would have liked to post Momversation’s video here, but they have it coded to automatically play and WOW, that’s annoying and I wouldn’t do that to you guys, so, you’ll have to click over and watch the original video on their site.

Sorry about that.

At any rate, here is my response to that question.

Your turn to answer the question: Giving In to Your Kids: Does It Make You Feel Guilty?

(And by the way? I just noticed that I have two subscribers on my Youtube channel and for some reason, that cracks me up. I mean, it’s just me, blabbing. But if you want to subscribe, knock yourself out. There are more videos coming, in case you’re into self-torture. 😀 )


(Blue Christmas by Sheryl Crow)

Dear Diary

Dear Diary … Too Cold

Karen

What a freaking cold day. The high only made it to 20 degrees. That’s pretty cold, even for Missouri. And even for December.

I had my weekly lunch date with Kevin – we went to Zios. Kevin has this theory – if he eats pasta, then he won’t wake up hungry in the middle of the night. And yes, he usually wakes me up around 3:00 in the morning to go eat a bowl of cereal or drink a protein drink. I’m getting a little worried about him, he’s hungry all the time.

We were leaving Zios when I noticed that my low-tire light came on. Again. I love my car, and the tires are awesome to drive on? But they are sort of notorious for leaking air. After I dropped Kevin back off at work, I went to the gas station near our house to check it out.

The winds were not only strong, they were biting – as in, single digit biting. I checked all of my tires and three tires were sitting at 25 lbs. They’re supposed to have 32 lbs. So, I set about airing them up. Only, I had to pay 0.75 cents to run the damn thing and then I had to pull and tug the hose out of the box and step on it so it wouldn’t whip back into the box when I wasn’t using it. I got the first tire aired up, finally, when I couldn’t handle the cold anymore and had to sit in my car to warm up.

By the time I was warm enough to air up my other tires, the stupid air had shut off and I had to pay another 0.75 cents to turn it back on again. That’s a $1.50 for AIR.

How stupid.

*****

I think I have the bulk of my Christmas shopping done. I talked to the boys after school today and all three of us put our heads together to try and come up with something for Kevin. I get so impatient with Kev because he won’t TELL me what he wants.

“I just want your love,” he says.

Aargh! He’s GOT that already. I want to give him something fun to open on Christmas morning.

“I gave you a wish list.”

Which consisted of: cords for his guitar, a microphone stand and guitar strings.

YEAH. How exciting!

So, the boys and I brainstormed and we came up with something that I think he’s going to LOVE.

I can not WAIT until Christmas morning just so I can see his face. It should be pretty entertaining. And to top it off? I got the best deal!! I can’t wait to tell you about it because YES, it’s that good.

The boys are done – for the most part. I still need to get some stocking stuffers, but that shouldn’t be too hard. We have gag gifts to buy for the family exchange and I want to buy my mom and dad something.

Other than that? I’m done shopping. Now I’m just waiting on packages to arrive. Don’t you love how you can get all of your shopping done and not even step outside your house?!

*****

We went over to Kevin’s parents’ house tonight to see his uncle. We had some of my MIL’s famous tacos (YUM! I only ate one because they are so greasy!) and then we played a little game where we had to draw a number and pick a gift. The next person could either draw a number and pick out a gift, or steal the gift of the person before them.

It’s all quite fun and all IN good fun. All of the presents were bought at the dollar store, so they weren’t anything big, but I think those are the best kinds of gifts to give because no one truly cares about the gift itself and can just concentrate on having fun.

I didn’t pick a gift, I took the mug that Jazz picked out. He got another gift and got an awesome Coke glass. Dude got a huge candy bar, but traded it for Tootsie Rolls and Kevin got a packet of 100 Grand mini bars.

*****

Two new business opportunities have jumped out at me and if I play my cards right, I might be able to seal the deals.

I’m excited, and yet I’m not. I always get extremely nervous when I start a new project just because I’m so focused on trying to design something that the client both wants and feels proud of. It quite stresses me out, to be honest.

I really need to get back into the business groove. Kevin has officially resigned as CFO and is now just a regular employee of the company. In fact, the company’s assets were sold this past Friday and now it’s all downhill from here.

I wonder what’s at the bottom of this hill?

Only time will tell.

image via mikE~510

Wordless Wednesday

WW: Priceless Observation

Karen

Priceless Observation

Let’s be fair: maybe the guy was just walking by and saw Mrs. Obama and wanted a picture. Or maybe it’s not really a Blackberry, but some other cheaper version and the monthly plan is not as expensive as indicated. Or maybe the man really IS homeless and needs a cell phone so a temporary help agency can reach him.

Or maybe it’s more important to this man to have a phone than food. That’s his prerogative, his business, right?

Whatever the circumstances, it makes you think about priorities, doesn’t it?


(Welcome to Our World by Amy Grant)

Tuesday Stuff

Random Tuesday: Because My Life Consists of Random Bits of Nothing Right Now

Karen

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1 I’m trying to talk my mother into having Christmas at our house this year.

She’s being stubborn.

I’m offering to do this, because my mom works like a dog and deserves to be able to take it easy, relax and ENJOY the holidays for a change.

I have the perfect plan – Dude and I will drive over the 24th and pick up the gifts and her AWESOME stockings (she fills them each year with tons of useful / fun things and everyone always looks forward to them every year), and the food so then on Christmas day, all mom and dad have to do is get in their car and come over.

No mess. No stress.

I’m thinking this is a good idea. And now that I’ve put it out on the Internet, MOM, you sort of HAVE to do it.

How do you make someone you love slow down and enjoy the holidays and NOT be the hostess for a change?

2 Kevin compares pot roast and cooked carrots to candy.

Who even does that?!

Such an odd man. It’s a good thing I LIKE odd or we’d be in a pickle.

3 We have a winter storm coming through tonight (and thank God we’re on the tip of this storm because I hear it’s been dumping A FOOT OF SNOW on some folks! EEK!) and OMG, my head.

I can always tell when the weather is about to change, my sinuses go nuts and I’m like this all day:

But seriously, go away headache. Or I’ll start whimpering like Robert Gibbs when he’s forced to explain the actions of our idiot government..

OH … PWNED!

4 I witnessed two accidents yesterday. One was while I was waiting for the boys, the other was while Dude and I were out getting the pot roast that we ate tonight.

I was sitting there, waiting for the boys after school, when I noticed this red car, full of kids and none of them wearing their seat belts, drive erratically through the parking lot that I was waiting in. They do this every day. They parallel park on the road and then use the parking lot to turn around. And like every other student driver, they are goofing off and showing off for their peers.

They were trying to turn left. But there were several cars parked alongside the street, so it was hard to see what was coming in both directions.

They pulled out and though the car coming tried to swerve and miss them, the red car, instead of braking, sped up as if to try and make it and they crashed. Head on. Car parts went everywhere and though I don’t think anyone was hurt, I can’t be sure because like I said, none of the kids (and this includes the kid that they hit) were wearing seat belts.

Dude and I ran across the second accident shortly after it happened. It was another T-bone accident right in the middle of a busy intersection and it looked bad.

Oh, I forgot, the kids and I ran across another accident the day before yesterday. We didn’t see it happen, but it must have happened shortly before we got there because there wasn’t a cop car to be seen and smoke was pouring out the guy’s motor.

What do you want to bet that other than the kid accident, the others were on their cell phones when it happened?

Hang up and drive, people.

5 Did you hear that Global Warming is a hoax? Is anyone surprised by this information? I’m not.

And did you also hear that the EPA has deemed C02 harmful to humans? And does anyone else find this colossal news, that was released shortly before the climate summit in Copenhagen, incredibly stupid?

The media is a bird feeder, we are the birds and we are gorging ourselves on what they want to feed us.

Seriously. It’s time to wake up.

6 You must, must, MUST, do this. Your children’s eyes will bug out and they will love you forever.

Click on the picture below and follow directions.

You’re welcome.

You have to admit, this guy’s Christmas decoration is hilarious:

But yeah, after more than one person tried to use the ladder to rescue “the man” and other countless cars drove off the road looking at “the man” in horror, the owner had to take it down.

And yes, these are the kinds of things going through my mind at the moment.

What can I say, I’m a deep thinker.


(Winter Wonderland by Tony Bennett)