1) View of the mountains from the Indian River trail, taken in April, 2011.

2) House on the ocean, taken while on a bike ride, June 2011.

3) Attack of the bald eagle, July 2011. (This eagle had been released from a raptor rehabilitation center the previous day and apparently hadn’t figured out it was free to fly anywhere it wanted. It hung around our apartment for hours before the raptor center staff came and coaxed it into flying away. Our cars have the talon scratches to show for it!)

4) View from 1000′ up Gavan Hill, hiking in May, 2011.

5) Young brown bear fishing in a local stream, July 2011. Blurry picture (darn bear wouldn’t hold still!), but thought it’d be fun to share what we deal with every summer. This guy was pretty shy, and his whitish-tipped ears earned him the name “Cotton Ears” from the locals. Isaiah and I call him “Coke Head” instead.

TGTGTGTGTGIF! Happy weekend!

1) Nissan Cube. Oh mylanta this car is hideous. I can barely stand to look at it, let alone imagine owning it. FUGLY.

2011 Cube. It looks like a Barbie Minivan.

2) Volkswagen Beetle. I know they were super popular way back when, and when they made their reappearance (I think I was in high school) they had their share of die-hard devotees. Still, I’ve never thought they were attractive or practical, and I’ve seen enough new beetles with variations of tacky vanity plates to last me a lifetime.

Siiiiiiiighhhh…

3) Minivans. ANY minivans. I hate them, I will never drive one, you couldn’t even give me one. I would immediately sell it and buy something equally as practical, that doesn’t scream “soccer mom” or “I inherited this from my parents.” I mean, if you’re going to drive one you might as well go all the way and get a few bumper stickers a’la “My honor student can beat up your honor student” or those tacky stick-figure family stickers. You know the ones.

Barf.

4) A Lamborghini. I know, fat chance I’d ever even be able to afford one, but still. If I DID have that kind of money, I’d burn it before I bought such a fugly car. Okay, maybe that’s a little extreme, but…you get the point. Hate ‘em.

The only people who drive these wish they were either a) Batman or b) a Transformer.

5) PT Cruisers. I don’t know who thought these were a good idea, and I have no idea why they were ever popular, but I remember my first thought when they first starting producing them. “Holy crap, that looks like a station wagon/hearse hybrid.” I still hold to that opinion.

You’re reeeeeally not fooling anyone with that spoiler, dude.

Anyway, that’s it. There are PLENTY more cars I’d never be caught dead in, but these are the five that came to mind first. Feel free to share your least favorite cars in the comments!

TGIF and have a great weekend!

]]> http://oftongueandpen.wordpress.com/2011/08/12/5-things-friday-cars-id-never-be-caught-dead-in/feed/ 2 angi 5ThingsFriday Nissan-Cube2011 beetle decal-pix-001 lamborghini_gallardo-gallery pt_cruiser http://oftongueandpen.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/5-things-friday-random/ http://oftongueandpen.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/5-things-friday-random/#comments Fri, 05 Aug 2011 22:11:38 +0000 angi http://oftongueandpen.wordpress.com/?p=717 Continue reading »

I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to specifically talk about in list form today, so you’re getting random stuff instead. Hah.

1) I got turned down for the job I applied for and REALLY wanted. It would have been the perfect job, and an increase from what I was making at my last [sucky] job. At least they were nice enough to call and let me know, but…still. There pretty much aren’t any other jobs right now that I both a) qualify for and b) would make enough money working there. Suck. We can’t buy a house until I have a [good paying] job…and who knows when another one will come along? Last time I had to wait almost 4 months before another good job opened up.

2) I had a kidney infection this last weekend. PAIN. Unimaginable pain…I’m pretty sure the only thing that can even come close in comparison would be my worst migraine EVER. On Saturday and Sunday my back was hurting a little bit and increasing in pain factor, by late Monday morning I could barely walk, my right kidney hurt so badly. I went to the doctor and got a prescription for antibiotics, and then a follow up call with the doc yesterday revealed that I did indeed have a bacterial infection. Apparently the strain of bacteria I have is really rare, though not necessarily more dangerous than any other bacteria. So…hopefully this round of antibiotics will clear it up. I have to go in for another appointment after I’m done with this bottle of pills (10 days) to make sure it’s cleared up; if not, possibly another double-dose round of antibiotics and a recommended ultrasound to make sure nothing’s REALLY wrong. Pray this round of antibiotics kicks that bacteria out, because I don’t want to pay for an ultrasound out of pocket!

Serratia Marcescens. Evil bacteria.

3) I had a great idea for a necklace I could make. It would be a TEA Party necklace (you know, as in “Taxed Enough Already”?). I found some really cool antique silver American flag charms, as well as a charm in the shape of a tea bag that has “TEA” stamped on it, and some really super cool pendant-shaped sea glass beads. I have a great idea for how to put the necklace together, but I don’t know for sure that they would sell, and before I spend $40 (ish) on supplies to make them, I’d want to make sure they’d sell. And since there’s no way to know that ahead of time…yeah. Probably won’t make them.

4) I made two loaves of banana bread on Tuesday. It’s almost completely gone. We love banana bread. I used this recipe, and it. is. spectacular. Probably the moistest (is that a word?) banana bread I’ve ever made. MAKE IT. You won’t be sorry.

5) Speaking of websites, I have a new favorite website. It’s called dafont.com, and it’s BAJILLIONS of free fonts. FREE FONTS. I think I might have a slight addiction to awesome typography, and this website discovery isn’t helping any. I want to download them alllllllllllllllll…….

That is all. Have a great weekend!

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1) I have never been to Europe. I know, that seems like a really easy, cop-out thing to list since lots of people have not been lots of places (huh?), but it’s the first thing that came to mind, since I really, really WANT to go to Europe. I want to go everywhere…Italy, Greece, London, Germany, Israel (is that Europe?)…I mean, just look at this picture of Greece:

I mean, if you don’t want to lay on that beach and swim in that water and hike that hill, you’re nutso.

2) I have never had anything professionally waxed. Again…I’m sure there are lots of people that haven’t, but I have very specific reasons why not. First of all, the money. It takes me literally 5 minutes or less to shave in the shower every morning, so the idea of spending mucho dinero just to not have to shave for a couple weeks isn’t worth it, in my book. Second of all, when it comes to things like eyebrows…honestly, I just don’t to live with a screwed up face if they accidentally rip one of them off, or tear my skin off, or make them uneven. I know they’re “professionals”, but a “professional” dental assistant once gouged a giant cut in my gums when her hand slipped and the scraper thing slipped off my tooth. I couldn’t drink orange juice for like three weeks, so, yeah.

3) I have never been skydiving, bungee jumping, parasailing, base jumping, or done any other sport that requires jumping off an irrationally tall object. It’s NOT that I’m afraid of heights. I don’t mind flying, I love hiking tall mountains and looking over the edge of cliffs, there is no such thing as a scary roller coaster, the Space Needle could have been taller in my opinion…it’s that I’m afraid of jumping. Or falling. You know, it’s not even that…let’s be honest. I’m afraid of hitting the ground at an ungodly speed and having my insides splattered everywhere. That’s the truth.

4) I have never bought makeup at an actual department store makeup counter. That’s right, I’ve never owned anything from M.A.C., Benefit, Clinique…or any of the rest of them. In fact, I only own one single item that’s not from a drugstore, and that’s my Naked Palette from Urban Decay, and I bought it online. You want to know why I only buy drugstore makeup? Because I can make it work just as well as anything else, and it’s CHEAPER. Yep, I’m cheap when it comes to makeup. I love DOING my makeup and experimenting with new colors and products and all that jazz, I just don’t want to pay more than $10-15 for it. The most expensive thing I own besides my Urban Decay eyeshadow is my face powder, and it’s like $13 at the drugstore (Physician’s Formula).

Splurge of the century, right here…

5) I have never worn leggings as an adult. I KNOW, hold your gasps. I’ve just never been able to make myself do it…I used to wear leggings when I was a kid, of course. Who can forget stirrup pants with scrunchy socks and L.A. Gear high-tops!? But that’s my last clear memory of leggings, so when they started coming back in style, I just couldn’t make myself wear them. I’m not a fan at ALL of the whole “miniskirt+leggings” look, and I can’t stand it when girls inexplicably wear leggings AS PANTS. Not attractive, I don’t care who you are or how skinny you are. I am a fan, however, of the whole tights+shorts+boots in the fall look, I just have yet to find a pair of tights that aren’t so uncomfortable I can’t even sit still while I’m wearing them. Seriously, when are they going to make low-rise tights with a wide waistband so I don’t feel like I’ve got a rubber band digging into my waist? Any suggestions for that problem?

Nonononononononononononono…

So there you go. Five things I’ve never done. Feel free to share your own five things in the comments! And have a great weekend.

]]> http://oftongueandpen.wordpress.com/2011/07/29/5-things-friday-things-ive-never-done/feed/ 0 angi 5ThingsFriday greece nakedpalette leggings as pants http://oftongueandpen.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/facebook-i-hate-it-there-i-said-it/ http://oftongueandpen.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/facebook-i-hate-it-there-i-said-it/#comments Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:58:18 +0000 angi http://oftongueandpen.wordpress.com/?p=703 Continue reading »

The more time goes on, the more fed up I’m getting with Facebook. At first, I just didn’t like the pressure to consistently have to update 200+ people on my life. Then, it got really annoying having to see everyone else’s stupid drama all the time. (I have since figured out how to block status updates of just certain people).

Here lately, I’ve started getting really annoyed with the sheer amount of completely pointless status updates that people seem to enjoy posting for the world to see. I would block these updates but sometimes the people who post them are my friends…and I’d like to see future postings of theirs. I wish there was a simple “Filter Out the Dumb Updates” button instead of just a generic “Block All Future Posts” button.

Case and point…the following are ACTUAL STATUS UPDATES from friends and acquaintances of mine (don’t worry, none of them read this blog).

“I was awakened prematurely today, and now I can’t go back to sleep. Grr.”

“Homemade cheesecake. Mmmm.”

“Bored.”

“So tired.”

“Awoke to thunder and lightning this morning.”

See what I mean? Completely pointless. And I do understand that not every status update is going to be brilliant or inspired or even remotely amusing or interesting, but…usually when I’m “bored” or “tired”, I don’t presume to think that anybody on Facebook could give a crap.

But the one that has recently taken the cake is also the one that inspired me to make this graphic, based on a website I’ve recently discovered:

The offending status update reads like this:

People make me angry. Give us our things back, stop trying to hurt a 2 year old. Stop spending his money on an expensive lawyer just so you can feel better about yourself. Why can’t you just be normal for his sake and try to get along? Don’t you want to be part of his life? What is wrong with you? You need to wake up and realize you’re not the only one hurting. I’m so angry frustrated and overwhelmed. But that’s what you want isn’t it?

Seriously…???

So, if you see me mysteriously vanish from Facebook one of these days, it’s because I’ve finally had enough.

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Enjoy this Friday playlist!

1. Gym Class Heroes ft. Adam Levine, “Stereohearts”

2. Civil Twilight, “Soldier”

3. Imogen Heap, “Aha!”

4. The Civil Wars, “Poison and Wine”
(Don’t even lie and say you didn’t do a double take, thinking that’s Johnny Depp!)

5. Jimmy Eat World, “Coffee and Cigarettes”

So, today for 5 Things Friday I’m going to list 5 products that I think everyone should own. The other day, a guy friend asked me what kind of face wash my husband uses, because he’s never really been able to find one he really likes. I told him that my husband and I actually use the same face wash, and we both really like it. That got me thinking…I bet there are a bunch of items I use/own that a guy or a girl would really like or find useful. And, shocker…I thought of some!

1. We’ll start with the aforementioned face wash. My husband and I both use Clearasil Stayclear Daily Face Wash. I really like the foaming cream formula, and it helps keep breakouts from happening without that nasty medicinal smell that a lot of acne-fighting face washes have. It’s oil free, which is great for oily-prone skin, but it doesn’t dry our skin out either. I give it two thumbs up.

2. Next up, lip balm (or “chapstick”, depending on what you like to call it). For years and years, I could NOT find a lip balm that I really liked. I can’t stand ones that make my lips feel like they’re coated in candle wax, nor do I like ones that taste too good, or I just lick them off. Carmex was really the only one I could tolerate, but the smell was horrendous (read: not kissable). Enter my husband, who introduced me to Blistex DCT (Daily Conditioning Treatment) a couple years ago. FINALLY, a lip balm I could love. It doesn’t feel like you’ve just slathered on a tub of Vaseline, it doesn’t smell or taste like candy (or medicine, for that matter), and it’s not so shiny it looks like lip gloss. That means guys can wear it too and not feel like a girl could see her reflection in their mouth. Win-win.

3. Next up, water bottles. I know, most water bottles are pretty unisex unless you buy a pink one with flowers on it or something, but I’ve finally stumbled across what I think will forever be my favorite water bottle. I mean, I use it literally every single day and have for quite a while now, and I haven’t even flirted with another water bottle in any of our stores. That’s saying something. Anyway, it’s the CamelBak BPA-Free Better Bottle with Bite Valve (say that ten times fast). Now, it’s not the BPA-free claim that hooked me, since I’m not sure how much I really buy into that hype anyway. No, it’s the bite valve. It’s a straw, basically, but you have to slightly bite down on it to get any water through. The cool thing is, it’s flexible, so it flips up and down, AND it’s always closed unless you’re biting on it. So you can flip this water bottle upside down and all around and that baby ain’t letting any drops of water fly anywhere. Spill proof, tough plastic, and comes in both manly or girly colors. AND, because it’s such a nifty design, it makes you want to drink more water so you can use your nifty bottle more often. Serious.

4. Next up, an item that’s kind of in the same genre as the water bottle…a protein shake bottle. I know, I know. It sounds kinda silly. But it’s the most amazing protein shake bottle you’ll ever buy. Most people I know have a cheap shaker bottle, or they throw their protein shake in the blender, or they throw it in a glass and try to stir it, which is always a bad idea, because then you’re drinking chunks. Behold, the Sundesa Blenderbottle with Blenderball. I’m not even kidding around, I have never used a better shaker bottle. The little wire blender ball mixes up the drink and eliminates all the chunks of powder, and the whole contraption is SO easy to clean (and dishwasher safe if you’re one of the lucky punks who have one of those). And again, it comes in a variety of colors so if you’re a dude you don’t have to have purple, like I use. I bought the 28 ounce shaker, which is PLENTY big…one serving of my protein shake only takes up about 1/3rd of the shaker, I just wanted to make sure I had plenty of room in case I ever wanted to make multiple servings.  You could also use this shaker bottle for mixing up salad dressings, powdered drinks i.e. Crystal Light or Kool-Aid, or you could just throw the ball in while it’s empty and shake it really hard to annoy your spouse or your cat. Just saying.

5. And now for something TOTALLY different…earphones. From face wash to protein shake bottles to earphones…that’s how I roll. But seriously, the best earphones I’ve ever owned: Skullcandy INK’d Earbuds. They’re soft and squishy and don’t make my ears hurt, they come in a bajillion colors so you can have whatever your heart desires, they come with 3 different sizes of gel earbud sleeves so you can fit your own ears, AND the sound is amazing with them. My husband has black, I have white, and seriously…ten bucks? I’d pay double that for these.

P.S. I wasn’t paid by any of these companies to talk about their products…but if any of them WANT to pay me or send me free samples of other products, I’m always game for reviews!

Happy Friday!

So, I figured I’d do two things today.

First, I’ll give a shout out to all the blogs I stalk read. That way, I can passively aggressively say “Hey! You’re cool! Wanna be friends!?” Secondly, I am going to shamelessly do a “Five Things Friday” meme. As far as I can tell, I get to list five random things about myself. Which is perfect for me…randomness and lists, combined. Hallelujah.

So, here’s the list of those fabulous people I wish I were friends with in real life:

Skinny Runner. Seriously, I wish I could run bajillions of miles every day like she does. Also, she fishes. In Alaska. Where I live. Automatically cool.

Stilettos and Diapers. Cutest family, cutest little boy (and one on the way!), cutest fashion, and she makes pregnant look good. I’m hoping to pick up some tips for when the Mr. and I have a little bugger someday soon.

MODG. She puts the humor in motherhood. I can’t read a post of hers without laughing. Also, I fully intend on stealing her baby room theme (hope that’s okay). Even my husband drooled over the awesomeness that is her son’s room, and that’s saying something.

Wish Fulfillment Every Day. This chick has gone to hell and back with her health lately, and still manages to keep a good attitude and sense of humor, at least most of the time (and who would seriously expect it all the time!?). Also, she is who I’m stealing “Five Things Friday” from. Consider it a compliment!

OKAY. Now that I have that done, it’s time for…

Five Things Friday!!
(again, thanks Layla!)

1. My husband and I have decided to start shopping for a house to buy. This scares the snot out of me. I’m terrified we’re going to end up with a money-sucker of a house, or one that I won’t want to send my parents pictures of because it’s so hideous (like 90% of the homes in this town).

2. The last three times we’ve tried to barbecue, we can’t get the charcoal to light, even with gallons of lighter fluid. We keep our charcoal inside, so it’s not wet, or even damp…anyone have any ideas? I’ve never had this problem before.

3. Yesterday’s blog was written in a local coffee shop, where they have started limiting internet usage to 90 minutes per person at a time. I have no idea if they give out time extensions or not, I didn’t ask…but maybe I shouldn’t, or I could end up just living there. I love coffee shops.

4. I am so, so, so jealous of girls that actually get a summer. It’s not fair that it’s the middle of July and I’m still in long pants, closed shoes, and sweaters. I could have worn a coat the other day it was so cold, but I refused out of principle.

5. I have a job interview on Wednesday, for an office assistant position at the public health center. It sounds like a great job…state benefits, a mix of previous positions I’ve held (patient registration/reception, finance, and medical billing), full time hours and a good salary. Still, I haven’t worked in 6 months and I feel like it’s been 6 years. I’m nervous, yo!

Alright freaks and geeks, that’s it for now. Hopefully soon I’ll have more material for blogging…there’s just not much to write about when you spend 99% of your time in your house, pretty much doing nothing but making sure mold isn’t growing on the dirty dishes in your kitchen sink or the bathroom toilet isn’t turning black.

Oh, and blog stalking.

“A republic, if you can keep it.”

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces [makes evident/manifests] a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism [absolute power or control; tyranny], it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good…

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance… [Czars. Enough said.]

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. [Libya, anyone?]

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent… [Technically, we have "representation", but do we really?]

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

And I’m not really planning on it today, either, but I ran across something online that I just have to comment on.

I would like to know who in their right mind told poor Whitney Port that this would be an attractive way to pose for the cover of her book:

“Dear, could you make your right leg look a bit more gimpy? Yes…just twist it at the most awkward angle you can think of…perfect. Now, if you could also stick that same hip out, and put your hands on your waist…good. PERFECT!”

I would have demanded to have a new picture taken, one in which I didn’t look gimpy and pigeon-toed. I’m not sure who decided that’s the picture of beauty and elegance, but really, it just makes her look like she forgot to wear her leg braces as a kid. I’ve seen her on television, too…she’s actually a very tall (5’10″!), thin, attractive girl…

…Who needs to hire a new photographer.

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