9/8/11 Often Imitated, Never Duplicated

Hola Internets! I'm baaaaaaaaaack!

I'm sure that for the last month you've noticed the gaping hole in your life that is Quirky is a Compliment. And no doubt you have spent the last bit of summer gripped in the deepest depths of despair because of it, right? Of course. Mea Culpa. I took the month of August off from blogging to work and play and have grand adventures with my little family. And instead of trying to blog it all, I just concentrated on being "in the now" as they say.

And I know that some of the more excitable among you might have been worried that I would never come back, but rest assured that that is not the case. At the risk of damaging my imaginary street cred with outdated MC Hammer references, I am too legit, too legit to quit.

Hey. Hey.

Speaking of legit, apparently someone else has started a Quirky is a Compliment blog on blogger. (I KNOW! THE HUMANITY!) There is exactly one post on it, and the person calls themselves Quirky, which we all know is just wrong! wrong! wrong! because I am the original Quirkster, and it is MY compliment. Now, I'm sure that it was a total case of great minds thinking alike coincidence and not deliberate, and I'm just pointing this out not so that you will flame that poser with burning poop in a bag, but so that you may be on your guard against possible confusion.

Another reason why bookmarks are your friends.

So to recap: I'm back, I missed you guys, and be sure to insist on the original Quirky is a Compliment. We'll get back to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.

12/13/10 Tender Tennessee Christmas Tour

Well, it's that time of year again! The lights are lighting, the eggnog is nogging, and the Nester is doing her annual Christmas Tour of Homes! This year has a special bonus, because it just so happens to be snowing right now, which may not be much of a howdy do where you live, but pretty much thrills our little souls here in Knoxville, TN. (And by thrilled I mean flurries will shut down the city and cause a run on the milk in the super market, because hey, snowing in the South. But it does make for some pretty pictures, no?)


But where are my manners? Come on in and have a nice warm cup of cocoa.

I'm going to admit that we didn't really go all out this year like we have in years past. (For years past, feel free to click here or here or here). Reason number one is that we'll be traveling for Christmas this year (although with a house sitter so all of those with larceny in your hearts can just settle right back on down, thank you), and reason number two is that it's a little harder to deck those halls when the preggo belly keeps bumping into anything. But we did manage a little bit of Christmas cheer, so feel free to take a look around anyway.

Okay, so it isn't your traditional Christmas tree, but I think it makes a pretty stand-in. This is the Bird of Paradise from the back porch, and since it had to come in for the winter anyway, I thought a few snowflake decorations might liven it up a little bit.
What's with all the stockings, you ask? Why, one for each of the cats, of course! (If you're just passing through, you should know that we're cat people). 5 cat stockings, and 2 people stockings. And if you think that's crazy, just wait until next year when we add another one for Baby Girl! (I'm going to need a bigger mantle).

One thing that I absolutely insisted on, traveling or not, baby bump or not, is the icicle lights on the house. I love love LOVE coming home to all the colorful lights all lit up. It's so festive! So my dear ol' Dad very lovingly came over one afternoon to climb around on my roof and put them up for me. (This is usually my job since Tony has a fear of heights beyond the second step of the step-ladder, but something about the idea of a five and a half month pregnant woman climbing around on the second story roof and my mother nixed that idea toot sweet and sent poor Dad out as a stand-in). But he did a fabulous job, and I love all the pretty pretty blue lights, so thanks Dad!
So I suppose that's it. Thanks for stopping by and checking out our little tender Tennessee Christmas. If you're here by way of the Nester, then leave a comment and I'll return the favor.

Have a safe and blessed holiday, ya'll!

10/14/10 The 700 Club

Guess what? This is my 700th post! (And you people are still here! That shocks and amazes me!) 700 entire posts of the serious, the mundane, the comical, the ordinary, and the individual little moments that make up my life.

Who would have thunk it?

You know, the infamous "they" say that bloggers are just digital voyeurs. They say that my generation feels the need to constantly draw attention to themselves by scrupulously recording every single thought and emotion and event that happens to them and sharing it with the world. They say we blog because we are whiny and emotionally needy.

"They" don't get it at all.

What you guys are are friends. Maybe friends that I've never physically met, or friends that live far away, but you're still friends. And blogs are just letters, telling my friends about my day, and finding out about yours in return. It's a community. My community. Of my friends.

So I want to thank you, my beloveds. Thank you for reading and commenting and sharing your lives with me. Thanks for the encouragement and the validation, and the laughs, and the thought-provoking messages that we share. I am a better person for getting to share with you, and having you share with me. Thanks for being there through 700 talks.

7/12/10 Psssst! You Asleep?

I spent the evening catching up with my old friend insomnia last night, so I'm a bit tired today. That means that today's resulting post-o-pointlessness is going to be one of the old stand-bys...meme or random bulleted list. And since I secretly enjoy reading other people's meme answers, I'm going to go with meme. Feel free to answer along. The best part is when I realize that I'm not the only one who does [insert bizarre action here]. Then we laugh about it together, and a bond is formed. See how that works?

Anyway, my favorite are the themed memes as opposed to the ones that just ask random questions like "What's the closest thing to you that is red?", so I did a little digging and came up with one that actually ties into last night's insomnia: the Sleep Meme. (You see how I did that? Tied in the part about insomnia above and the meme? That's talent, my friends. They don't let you on the Internet unless you can do that.)

Anywho, everybody ready? Pencils sharpened? Then here we go:

The Sleep Meme

1) Are you a heavy sleeper?
I'm going to start with some ambiguity right out of the gate and go with "I'm not sure". I guess it depends on what is going on around me. Like, Tony can get up, take a shower, get ready and go to work, and I'll never hear a thing. But one cat can make the slightest hair-ball hack and I'm instantly alert.

2) Do you fall asleep quickly?
Heavens no. I wish I did. Tony can fall asleep before his head hits the pillow, but it usually takes me hours to quiet my brain enough to fall asleep. It's really annoying actually, especially when I know I'm supposed to get up early. I just lay there, watching the clock, going, "Any time now, brain". I usually trick myself into sleep by making up elaborate stories in my head. Eventually the stories segue into dreams, and then I'm off to the races.

3) Do you walk or talk in your sleep?
I talk. hoo-boy, do I talk. Sometimes I remember them the next day, and sometimes I don't. (Tony told me the other day that I had woken him up to tell him that the rice was burning. We hadn't cooked any rice that night, but I kept going on about it until he told me that he took it off the stove. I don't recall this AT ALL, but apparently I quieted right down after that). I also remember a time when I fell asleep at the end of a date with a boyfriend. We were having a discussion about something, and I was arguing a point that I wanted to make. He finally conceded that maybe I was right, and then I said, "Besides, it'll never fit under your cape." That's about the time he realized that I was asleep and talking (and winning a debate!), so he took me home. (Never let it be said that I'm not an exciting date). So talking, yes. Walking? Not so much.

(PS-I also occasionally do the hypnagogic hallucinations, i.e. waking dreams, but I've mostly figured out when those are happening, so I don't bother anybody with them).

4) What size bed?
Queen. Every now and again Tony will say something about wishing we had a bigger bed. But I'm a snuggler, so it doesn't really matter what size we have, I'm never going to stay on my side. Plus the headboard fits a queen, and I'm not about to try to hunt up new bedroom furniture.

5) What kind of sheets?
I told you about the satin, right? Well, about two weeks after that, I broke down and bought some more plain cotton sheets. In addition to being less slippery, they breathe a lot better for summer sleeping, so we're currently on the cotton. Maybe we'll go back to the satin for the winter, but for now? Cotton sheets. Also of note: We only use a fitted sheet, not the top sheet. I've never used a top sheet (I tend to get tangled up in it during the night), and neither does Tony. Just one more of those odd little things that we realized we had in common when we met. We sleep directly under the duvet, and that's all.

6) Do you wear pjs?
This is probably going to fall under the category of too much information, but the answer to that is...sometimes. If I'm visiting someone else, or someone is visiting us, I do. Otherwise, I get tangled up in pj's during the night, so I tend to avoid them. (Apparently, I toss and turn a lot). Even at night, clothing will find a way to annoy me.

7) Do you sleep alone?
Nope. I share my bed with Tony and 5 cats. It sounds crowded, but the cats tend to rotate in and out throughout the night, and with the exception of Dixon, they all like to sleep on Tony's side anyway. (Dixon sleeps on his own pillow next to me).

8) What time do you usually go to bed?
I try to make it to bed between 2 and 3am. Sometimes (like last night), it's later, but usually between 2 and 3. Any earlier than that and I'm definitely not going to sleep. The joys of being a night person, I suppose.

9) How many hours of sleep do you get?
Ohhhh. Here's the benefit of being your own boss and working out of the home. I usually sleep until 10 or 11am. (I have an alarm that goes off at 11). Usually I'll wake up before it though. So 8 or 9 hours a night, with it stretching into 10 or 11 on weekends (just because I can).

10) Do you remember your dreams?
Yes. I'm a very vivid dreamer, and can control the majority of them. (Although usually I like to just sit back and watch where they go...my dream stories are often much better than the stories I made up for myself to get there in the first place). I dream best in the mornings, and will deliberately try to stay in them for as long as possible. (For me, dreaming is like being in a cloud bank. Sometimes you can hang onto it for a while before the mist dissipates and you're back to reality). Dreaming is the best part of being asleep for me.

11) Do you snore?
Don't think so. No one has ever mentioned it. (Although I'm sure that if I did, they would be very cute little lady-like snores).

12) Do you have a night light/leave a light on somewhere?
Nope. I like it as dark as possible when I sleep. It's hard enough for me to get to sleep without having some light distract me.

13) How many pillows?
When actually sleeping? One for me, One for Tony, One for Dixon (although to be fair, Dixon's pillow is really just my second pillow...he just appropriated it). During the day we add five decorative pillows on top of those three.

14) Do you read/watch tv to go to sleep?
Yes...kinda. I know you aren't supposed to do that in bed because it confuses your body as to what the bed is for, but if I didn't read or watch TV in bed, I'd never spend any time in it. I don't use the tv or books to fall asleep though. Unlike virtually everyone else in the world, I cannot get sleepy when reading or watching tv. (My parents are masters at this...the tv goes on, and they both go out. I, meanwhile, cannot seem to disengage from a plot line, no matter how stupid it is. I have to finish the book or the show out to the very end. Turning it off mid-story would keep me up and wondering for the rest of the night. You would not believe how many late night fishing show reruns I've been stuck with because of this).

15) Do you have a ritual before bed?
I'm assuming this question means a standard bedtime routine as opposed to draining the blood out of chickens or something. I guess my ritual is read/watch tv/play on the computer until the natural ending of the book/show/blog reader falls sometimes between 2 and 3. Then I'd go to the bathroom, put a night moisturizer on my face, get into bed and tell myself stories until I fall asleep. I used to use a white noise machine to play sounds of the ocean, or rain, or crickets (the crickets made Tony crazy) when I went to bed, but the noise machine only had a 90 minute timer and it takes me longer than 90 minutes to go to sleep. So I'd be allllllmost asleep when suddenly the room would go silent, and then I'd be all alert again. Turned out it was more trouble re-relaxing than it was worth. I'm not really into the warm milk thing though, if that's what you're asking.

So. What do you think? Do any of my answers match yours? Is there anything you do that's different? Is either one of us crazy insane? (Maybe don't answer that last one). Let me know. These memes are only fun if you share your answers too.



Edited to add- The spellchecker jumped all over hypnagogic (as expected), but the only alternate suggestion it could come up with was "spongecake". I was like, "Oh spellcheck. Epic fail on that one".

7/1/10 Please Stand By

You know that annoying high pitched screeching noise that comes with emergency broadcasting tests? Yeah, please make that noise to yourself. We're having some technical difficulties over here at the House of Quirk.

Don't worry, I'll be back as soon as I can give the hamsters that power the Internets a good whack.

5/26/10 Just for Kicks...

You know those millions of quizzes on Facebook and Blogthings and whatnot that claim to tell you about your personality based on 5 random questions, only to come up with such a vague yet flattering result that of course you agree 100% with the diagnosis and thus send it to all of your friends?

Yeah, I love them too.

And in honor of those quizzes, I present this one:

What kind of book are you?

Normally, I wouldn't bother to post the results, but the words "quirky and eccentric" caught my eye, and I was like, "You know what? I AM quirky and eccentric!" And if 5 measly questions about my reading style could divine that about me, then obviously this is a very talented quiz. Here's me, in book style:

You Are Fantasy / Sci Fi

You have an amazing imagination, and in your mind, all things are possible. You are open minded, and you find the future exciting. You crave novelty and progress. Compared to most people, you are quirky and even a bit eccentric. You have some wacky ideas. And while you may be a bit off the wall, there's no denying how insightful and creative you are.

What Kind of Book Are You?

Blogthings: Our Quizzes Weren't Written By Bored 12 Year Olds

4/14/10 Random Dozen and Hand Me Another Tissue

I have a cold. And allergies. At the same time. And while I know that neither colds nor allergies has ever actually killed anyone, I think the combination may just do me in.

(Insert heartfelt sympathy and gifts of soup here).

Anyway, suffice it to say that the stupid cold has thrown off my entire schedule. No blogging, no yard projects, no cleaning the house, and no gym. (That's right, April Challenge is officially derailed since exercise requires breathing and that isn't currently possible. I know. I'm very disappointed. I haven't even been able to try out my new snorkel. I may unofficially change it to May challenge instead).

And while today is slightly better than the 6, no, 7 days before it, just crawling out of bed and over to the computer has exhausted me. Which is why I'm doing the Random Dozen over at 2nd Cup of Coffee instead of today's regularly scheduled post. Because she's already done the thinking part for me with the questions, and I'm just high enough on cold medicine that there's no telling what I'd put on here if left to my own devices. Trust me, it's better this way.

1. How do you feel about "Gladiator" sandals, also called "Roman" or "Jesus" sandals? A fashion yea or nay?

I'm not really a shoe fashionista (I know, you're shocked), so I don't really have an opinion on them one way or the other. If they protect your feet and are comfortable enough to walk in, then they're considered a success in my book. Personally I do not own a pair, (mostly because I haven't gone shoe shopping since they became popular) but I will not disparage you for wearing them.

2. What is your favorite pizza?

I'm a carnivore. I like the meat. Pile on the pepperoni and bacon and ham and hamburger and sausage and I'm a happy (albeit artery-clogged) camper. But I am not a total meataholic. I also enjoy the occasional spinach alfredo pizza too.

3. There are plans in the works to sell roughly 1,000 items from Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas. This means you could buy Picard's chair for your family room. If not a Star Trek item, what prop, background, set, etc. from what TV or movie would you buy if you could?

My Dad was a big Trekkie when we were growing up, so I know just enough about Star Trek: Next Generation to make a fool of myself, but nowhere near enough to consider myself a fan. (Or to purchase show memorabilia). However, I do recall that the pre-teen me had a mad crush on the young ensign Wesley Crusher, so if they're auctioning off Wil Wheaton, I'll take him.

4. Name a local food or restaurant that your area is famous for.

I'm not sure we're really famous for anything. Maybe Jack Daniels, but that's about 2 hours away from here.

5. What is your current favorite snack?

Chili's chips and con queso. Although is it still considered a snack if you make an entire meal out of it?

6. Hypothetical: You are required to be a reality show contestant. Which show would you choose based on your probability of success? (You cannot choose "none.")

A. Dancing with the Stars

B. Biggest Loser

C. Survivor

I suppose A out of these three, although I'd really like to do the Amazing Race. I also wouldn't mind trying the Wipeout obstacle course (if you can count that as a reality show and not just a really long episode of adult Double Dare).

7. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being uninhabitable and 10 being cleanliness that meets the standards of OCD, how clean is your vehicle's interior?

Maybe a 6? There isn't any trash or random flotsam roaming around in it, but it could probably stand to be wiped down and vacuumed out. I run around with the top down this time of year, and a lot of dust and pollen tend to sneak in.

8. It doesn't feel like Spring until _________.

The Hyacinths bloom.

9. Something that made you laugh really hard recently is ____.

BigMama. That woman is a hoot.

10. Tell me about a goal you're working toward

at the moment? Breathing through my nose again.

11. Share a thought-provoking or inspiring quote this week.

I saw this one on another blog today, and enjoyed it so much I'm going to steal it too:

"In the Spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."

12. Name one thing that you do as a parent that you absolutely know will make your kids happy. If you're not a parent, feel free to substitute "friend" or nomenclature that works for you.

Well, not being a parent, I guess I only do things for Tony. And Tony is happy when I buy ice cream. I recently came home with a carton of cookies and cream and he ate the entire thing in two sittings. Which I guess means that I need to go back to the store for more ice cream.

3/13/10 Bloggy Spring Cleaning

Don't freak out! It's still Quirky is a Compliment! I've just been messing with the design. Spring cleaning of the blog, if you will. In addition to changing the design, I've made some stuff easier to locate (see home, about me, email, RSS feeds and reader favorites up at the top) and removed some clutter from the side columns. I'm still tweaking things here and there, (like fonts and the comments...AGAIN), but hopefully the new look will be easier to read and navigate.

Edited to add: Comments are back up again, although I'd like to point out that the little clicky-dohickey is up at the top of the post (right under the title) as opposed to at the bottom. Please make a note of it.

Edited again: I just managed to create (after about two hours of playing with designs) a little purple Q favicon (the little picture next to the web address in the browser bar) for your viewing and bookmarking enjoyment. Can everybody see it? I know it works in firefox, but I haven't checked it in any other browsers.

3/5/10 It's Like That Game Mousetrap But With Music

Okay, so I first came across this video when another blogger was talking about it on her blog, and because I am a total idea stealer fan of Rube Goldbergian devices, I thought I'd post it on my blog too. Because it's a cool video.

And imitation is the purest form of flattery.

And I'm lazy.

(C'mon people! It's Friday! How can I come up with a real post when my brain is taxed enough just trying to figure out what meat-free things to cobble together for dinner? Do you have any idea how many cheese dishes I've eaten today?!?)

What's more, I'm not even going to give the original blogger credit because I can't find where I first saw it, even though I looked through roughly eleventy-bajillion blogs. (I profusely apologize if you are the one who posted this first and are now feeling totally ripped off and without due credit...I can't remember who you are, but I love your blog!) *Grins sheepishly*

Anyway, without further ado:

3/1/10 A Little of This, A Little of That

Happy first day of March, ya'll! I feel like this is the turning month for having survived what feels like the LONGEST. WINTER. EVER.

I was in Target yesterday, and I cannot tell you how happy it makes me that they've put the swimsuits out for sale. Seriously, I did a little happy dance right there in front of the Mossimo sign. Not that I have a particular love for bathing wear, mind you, (or the tone classes that I'm going to have to take to get back into swimsuit shape) but the fact that Target thinks that it's time to put them out must mean that warm weather can't be too far behind. (I say this as the last of yesterday's snow fall still lingers on the lawn). And if Target is confident that we will one day soon feel the sun's warm rays again, I trust them. Target knows all.

***

I'm currently reading a book titled, The sociopath next door: The ruthless versus the rest of us by by Martha Stout. Don't ask me why. It was just a book I saw and thought I'd try. My tastes are varied and unpredictable. As far as I know, none of my neighbors are sociopaths...or ARE they? (Peeks through slit in the curtains suspiciously). Anyway, the book premise is that that a shocking 4% of the population (or, said another way, a scary one person in twenty-five) has a sociopathic mental disorder, the chief symptom of which is that the person has no conscience. He or she has no ability whatsoever to feel shame, guilt, or remorse. Further, to them, life is a game where they win by doing whatever they want through power and manipulation.

The good news is that no one's face popped into my head as I was reading it. (No one I knew personally anyway. I can, however, think of several famous people who sound suspiciously sociopathic based on what I know of them). And I doubt any of you are sociopaths, since they do not really care about anyone else, and reading this little ol' blog serves absolutely no purpose other than for us to reach out and share our lives with each other out here in cyberspace. So that's good news. I'm okay, you're okay, and whatever else we have going on, at least we aren't sociopaths. If you're worried about someone else though, you might want to pick up the book. She gets a little repetitive in some places, but all in all, not a bad read.

(In the mean time, what lesson can we draw here? I think it's obvious: People who do not read this blog clearly have a mental disorder). :-)

***

Which reminds me. A few weeks ago, I was talking to someone who reads this here blog and she said, "I know you aren't really like this because I know you personally, but sometimes you come across as a little mean in your blog." And I was like, WHOA! WHAT?!? THAT'S CRAZY TALK! Because I'm like, the nicest (and most modest) person I know! But then I got to thinking about it, and I maybe she's right. Not that I'm mean (or, at least I try not to be, anyway), but I think sometimes it's hard to see the good-natured joking when all you have are printed words. I tend to write like I tend to talk, and a lot of my humor comes from making exaggerated comments. (See everyone who ever met me nodding their heads vigorously). Granted, this works better in person because you can very clearly see my "I'm just messing with you" face, but if you didn't know me, you might occasionally read this and think that I'm a real jerk. Or at least vain. And sarcastic. And maybe a little too snarky.

When I was in high school, my art teacher would tell us that you had to really exaggerate highlights and shading so they would stand out. Make your lights lighter and your darks darker than what they really are...otherwise other people are going to look at your picture and see gray. So rather than be gray, I write a little lighter and a little darker than who I am in "real" life. (Although it's also accurate to say that I write from my internal dialogue, and sometimes you can't help but think things that, even if they're true, you're waaaaay too polite to say out loud in person. And then, yes, those things end up on the blog. So maybe I'm not a saint after all). But if you're ever reading something and you go, Ouch, That's a little brusk or negative or whatever, please know that I'm wearing my "just teasing" face, and I've laid the shading on thick for extra contrast. Because I really am a very nice person on the inside. Nice and polite and refreshingly optimistic. A treasure to all who know me.

And did I mention modest?

1/30/10 The Happy Things List

I was going to do a rant over the freezing cold and annoyingly wet snow that has descended over my fair city, but then I figured that I could just sum it all up in these grammatically incorrect words: The cold, I likes it not.

Instead, I am choosing to take a page out of BooMama's book and list some random things that make me happy. (Notice that snow is not one of them). I figure that you can read my list, and maybe even BooMama's list, and then you can tell me what makes your list so that we may all bask in our happy thoughts together. (Although I'm telling you now, if snow is one of your things, you are officially no longer my friend).

(Okay, just kidding. You're still my friend...just my friend who is obviously insane).

(Or possibly just able to maintain a higher core temperature than I am, in which case I am jealous).

(This is a lot of parentheses...better add those to my list).

Okay, here goes. Things that make me happy:

Sunshine
Any day over 75 degrees (yeah you heard me, crappy snow!)
A cat asleep in my lap
spring flowers
thunderstorms with lots of lightning
chocolate!
Tony
the colors blue and green and purple
comfort food (bonus points for anything smothered in gravy)
a well-written book, blog, or article
happy endings
an unapologetic overuse of parenthesis (told you!)
laughter
sleeping in
my parents
my sister
blog comments (not that I'm fishing or anything. Okay, maybe just a little)
the way the library smells
blue skies with white puffy clouds
hydrangea bushes
bodies of water (be it the ocean, lake, river, pond, fountain or bird bath).
a new project
home improvement stores
laying in the hammock
the sound of lawn mowers
a bargain
Japanese Hibachi food
sunsets
old friends
the smell of fresh sawdust
music you can sing along with
dancing (although not necessarily well)
grape slushies from Sonic in the summer
going barefoot
long soaks in the tub

So that's...35 things that make me happy. Are any of these on your list? Or did you come up with something completely different? Let me know. Despite old man winter making a mess outside my window, making this list has put me in a pretty good mood. If you add yours, I may just be able to make it to the spring thaw.

1/15/10 Comment Tinkering (Not to be confused with 'tinkling', which just gets the comments all wet).

I've been annoyed with the lack of respondability (new word? Spellcheck says yes) of Blogger's default comment widget. Therefore, I've been investigating alternative comment widgets, and I've decided to give Intense Debate a try. Hopefully, it will not only allow me to respond to you with my patented witty witty banter, but you may also do the same with your fellow commenters. Plus, it also lets you connect with Twitter or Facebook or whatever brand of social stalking you prefer, so if you just so happen to disgorge some comment gold (and really, why wouldn't you?), you can instantly tweet it or face it (book it? fb it?) or whatever. What's not to love?

Of course, I'm still getting used to it, so if you would be so kind as to help me out by leaving some test comments (or real ones, I don't care) so I can see exactly how things work, I'd be much obliged. (Try replying to someone else's comment too. I think that looks neat). Also, I'm pretty sure that I can change absolutely every aspect of the comment setup, so if there's something that you really like or don't like, let me know and I'll see if I can give the ol' switcheroo.

Thanks much! Love ya, babe! Now leave a test comment!

1/8/10 Hey Now, You're A Rock Star!

ooooooh lookie! I won an award! Natalie at It's a Wonderfully Crazy Life has blessed me with the Rockstar Award! (To say that I am excited is a wee understatement...I'm endzone dancing around the kitchen in my bathrobe, high-fiving my imaginary friends and scaring the cats with my insane cheering. Mental note to get out more...)

And now, without further ado, I shall accept this honor by obeying the award's rule where I must hereby list all of the reasons that I am, in fact, a rock star.

1. I'm easy-going. None of that over-the-top drama queen garbage for me. It takes a lot to get me going. I'm laid back, going with the flow. Not too happy, not too sad. Just cruisin'. (This may sound like the opposite of most rock stars, but I say they could learn a thing or two from me).

2. I'm dependable. If I say I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it. It may not be on the time-schedule you expected, but it will get done.

3. I'm worth the wait. You wouldn't know it from the way that I just blather on to strangers on the Internet, but I'm actually a pretty private person. I don't say 99% of the things that I'm thinking. However, if you're one of the few people who manages to wait long enough to breach the inner circle, you'll never have a more loyal friend. Plus you get exclusive access to the inside of my head, which I've been told is a bit like falling down the rabbit hole. (You decide if that's a good thing or not).

4. I appreciate a dry sense of humor. If you can do it with a completely straight face, bonus points to you. Don't worry if nobody else gets it...I appreciate the joke, and I'll laugh right along with you.

5. I can lick my own elbow. There's an email going around that this is impossible, but I am definitive proof that it is not. (Take a moment now to try it...is there anyone else who can join me up here on my lonely elbow-licking pedestal?)

6. I'm pretty handy. Reroofed my own porch? Check. Installed all the ceiling fans? That was me. Some assembly required? Bring it on. I have a knack for seeing the process that takes me from point A to point B, so getting there is never any problem, whether it was building a deck, laying hardwood floors, tiling the kitchen, or building my own entertainment center. If it wasn't for all the math classes, I would have been an awesome engineer. As it is, I'm just project savvy.

7. I can appreciate the small things. A good book, a sunny day, a catchy song on the radio, flowers in the garden...I never take them for granted. I make it a point to take a moment and just enjoy the happiness that the little things bring.

8. I'm quirky...what more can you ask for?

Now, who else is a blog rock star? I can certainly think of a few. In no particular order:

Fully Alive...Ready to Smile

The Space Suitcase

Adventures of the Reluctant Housewife

Wonju Wife

Rock on, my rock star sistas!

12/22/09 Sleazy Santa- A Wonju Wife Exclusive

Wonju Wife is hosting a Christmas Blog Party called the Day that Santa Died over at her site, and yours truly is today's guest poster! (Don't worry, Santa's not actually dead dead...it's just about the time that we as children found out that "Santa" was really just Mom and Dad doing their thing.) Anyway, I fully encourage everyone to pop over to Wonju Wife and read my post about when I figured out the truth about Santa. Go on now...head over and visit Danielle's blog party. Tell her I sent you. And have a laugh as I shed some light on some of Santa's sneaky skullduggery.


PS- Don't send me hate mail in defense of Santa. I'm just joking. And I totally cleared it with him in advance. He's cool with it. Promise.

12/16/09 Meez, Myself and I

You may have noticed my new little animated avatar over there on the sidebar. I added it (her?) on a whim one day because I thought it might be fun to play with for a few minutes. Now I have to admit it...I'm totally hooked on my little meez. It's like having a little personalized paper doll or Barbie or Sim character all rolled into one.

She's supposed to look like me, but I think the nose is still a little off. And of course, my eyes aren't that big. And the beauty mark needs to be a little higher on the cheek. But other than that? Pretty close to the actual me. Or as close as I can get anyway with the choices they offer. (I even gave her the J-Lo butt like the real version...just because she's digital doesn't mean that she can escape the junk in her trunk).

So far I've changed her outfit and activity every day. (My view towards my own clothes? Eh. Her clothes? So much fun!). She put on her workout stuff when I went to the gym. She worked on her computer when I blogged. She read a book while I read. She even wore a santa outfit for the Christmas tour of homes this weekend. I think the draw is that her "closet" has more (and cuter) outfits than my real closet. Sometimes I'll put outfits together for her and think, "Hmmm. That looks fabulous. I should see if I can find a similar thing for the real me". (Yes, I'm now taking my fashion cues from a pixilated image. I'm not proud). I spent the last week saving up my little pretend coins to buy her a Blackhawks hockey jersey to wear in honor of tonight's game (Hawks vs Blues, 7:30 in case you were interested). Those jeans and black ballet flats? Authentic replicas of my real clothes. (Although I have to admit that she looks better in her jersey than I do in mine).

I'm working on the alter ego version now. So far she has spiky blue hair and a motorcycle. And black boots. And maybe some tattoos if I can gather more pretend coins. (She's tougher than both the real and avatar me. I like her). She'll represent every crazy thing I've ever wanted to try by was too rational to actually do. Once I get the alter ego finished, I'll unleash her on the blog too.

I've lost almost two full days to playing with my little digital me. It's the complete freedom to reinvent yourself, but without any consequences. Dress up for the digital world, I suppose. I can totally see how people get sucked into spending all their times playing games with these online versions of themselves. It's addicting, and so far all mine really does is just hang out on the blog and blink.

Which, come to think of it, isn't that far off from what the real me does, but she does it in better outfits.

12/14/09 2009 Christmas Tour of Homes

Hi there, and welcome to my part on Hooked on Houses and The Nester's Christmas Tour of Homes! If you're a first time caller, this is where I live with my husband Tony and our Siamese cats. So come in! Come in! Make yourself at home. Let me show you around.

Thrifty Decor Chick is hosting a Christmas Tree party, so here’s our Christmas tree! It’s a tradition for us to go pick out a live tree each year. We always get the Douglas fir, because it’s Tony’s favorite (and I love the smell). Our ornaments are a hodge-podge collection from our lives, from my Baby’s First Christmas and the teddy bear shapes that used to hang on my crib mobile, to the ornaments we picked out each year as kids, to the University of Tennessee balls, to our first Christmas together. It’s a sentimental journey to hang each one on the tree, and it will be fun to continue to add to them each upcoming year.

Here are all the stockings hung by the chimney with care. (Well, almost with care. You may notice that Sebastian's stocking is hanging by a silver ribbon instead of the traditional red loop...that's because someone pulled it down in the middle of the night and ate the loop part. I know, I know, Bad Tony!)

This is something neat. Every year my grandmother gives everyone in the family a gold ornament from the Danburry mint. I used to hang them in the tree with the rest of the ornaments, but I think this ornament holder displays them better. I just love the detail on each ornament!

Here's my nativity scene, waaaaay up on top of the entertainment center and safely out of reach of all the pilfering kitty paws. (This is a trick I learned the first year after a certain wise man kept being kidnapped and hidden under the bed). You can get a really good view of it as you come down the stairs, and I figure that the heat from the DVD player makes the scene feel more like an authentic desert).

These are just regular ornaments that I tied with silver ribbon and hung from the chandelier. I think it gives the kitchen a funky, festive touch, don't you?

Merry Fishmas! Window decals are fabulous for decorating the fish tank, and of course they have their own little stocking!

So there you go! That's the grand Christmas tour! Thanks for stopping by to visit, and feel free to come back anytime. We're a little quirky here, but we think that's a good thing. And if you're new here, be sure to leave a comment and let me know where you're from so I can return the favor and come see your decorations also.

12/12/09 Coming to a Blog Near You!

Just to tempt your taste buds, this is some of the upcoming awesomeness you can expect on Quirky is a Compliment:


Has your interest been peaked yet? It should, my friend, it should.

12/9/09 Meme Time!

I was looking over ye old blog here, and I said to myself, "You know what we need around here? More meaningless question memes." And so I set out to hunt for one, and I came across Sunday Stealing. It seems that they steal memes from all over the Internet. And they encourage further stealing of those memes.

So I did.

They stole this particular one back in November, but I liked it, so I took it anyway. They appear to do a new one every Sunday, and they don't really require me to think about what I'm blogging, (Dedicated to my craft, that's me) so get ready for more of these to show up.

From Sunday Stealing: The Strange Question Meme, Part 1

1. What is the color of your toothbrush? Hmmm. Blue? Purple? (checking) Yep. Blue and purple

2. Name one person who made you smile today. Tony-come to think of it, he's been the only person I've talked to so far today. I don't remember exactly what he said, but it was funny.

3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Sleeping, of course! Repeat after me: NOT A MORNING PERSON!

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Catching up on all my favorite blogs.

5. What is your favorite candy bar? Symphony with almonds. Luvs me the chocolate!

6. Have you ever been to a strip club? Thinking, thinking...no. I don't think so. My initial reaction to those places is to bathe in hand sanitizer. Kinda like hanging out in a gas station bathroom if you ask me.

7. What is the last thing you said aloud? "Mason! Leave your sister alone!" The children are restless today.

8. What is your favorite ice cream? How to choose? Cookies and creme. I'm pretty boring when it comes to ice cream flavors. I just stick pretty much to my one favorite.

9. What was the last thing you had to drink? water. I try to make water my first drink choice when I can. Be kind to the one kidney and all that.

10. Do you like your wallet? Only when it has money in it! Heehee!

11. What was the last thing you ate? Nothing yet today. So I guess that would be last night's handful of chocolate chips (dark) for dessert. I can do that because the anti-oxidants are good for me, right? And it was just a small handful. (Okay, okay, it was two small handfuls. Shut up).

12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? I bought Tony a t-shirt and a new pair of yoga pants for myself. The shirt was white. The yoga pants are a bright glow-in-the-dark, make-your-eyes-bleed teal. I was feeling adventurous. No word yet on if I'll actually wear them out of the house.

13. The last sporting event you watched? On tv? Hockey. Hawks vs. Nashville. In person? Also hockey. Tony vs. the wolves, I think. It's that most wonderful time of the year.

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Kettle corn. But the real kind, like you get at the fair. Not the microwave version. Must actually be made in an actual kettle to count. Then I can wolf down one of the giant bags all by myself.

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? Probably Mom. She loves those things. I find the tiny keys annoying.

16. Ever go camping? I wish! I think I would like camping, but Tony doesn't. He thinks that once the excitement wore off, I'd freak out because you can't really lock a tent and I dislike being unsecured while sleeping. Which means that I would keep him up all night listening for every rustle and snap of twigs and imagining serial killers lurking right outside. Which he's right...I totally would. But I think I'd like it up until that point.

17. Do you take vitamins daily? Not at the moment. I used to be really good about it, but now I've slacked off. Lack of a routine schedule and all that.

18. Do you go to church every Sunday? Mostly. Occasionally we'll miss one (usually due to hockey), but we try to get there on a regular basis. Enough that they know who we are.

19. Do you have a tan? A little bit. Most of it has faded by now though. Stupid winter.

20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? Depends on the mood. Sometimes I'm feeling beef and broccoli, sometimes it's meat lovers thin crust.

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? I don't drink sodas. Haven't touched anything carbonated for about 20 years. I find them rot-your-teeth sugary and I hate the feel of the bubbles. But when offered a straw in a restaurant, I usually use one with my water.

22. What did your last text message say? I have no idea. I'm not much of a texty person. Probably responding to one of Mom's.

23. What are you doing tomorrow? Lunch with Mom. Other than that, maybe a little reading...a little web surfing...it's a hard life.

24. Favorite color? blue. Have you seen my house?

25. Look to your left; what do you see? My long-term to-do list regarding upkeep on the house. It's long but uninspiring. I shall ignore it. Recaulking the tub can wait for another day.

12/4/09 Invasion of the Quirky-Snatchers

You may have noticed that the site has been down for a few days. The sad truth is that while I was passing the gravy with my family on Thanksgiving day, some evil hacker broke into my site (well, actually the site of my web counter service) and spewed malware all over it. Then, while I was stuffing myself with stuffing, the Blogger robots that roam the cyberterrain looking for spam blog latched onto my lovely little site and completely locked it down. And THEN, if that wasn't horrible enough, while I was doing the dance of "Oh no, I couldn't possibly...okay maybe one more piece of pie", Google robots zeroed in and slammed it with a "this site will kill your computer" tag. So in short, they completely quarantined my poor little blog, and not even I could get in to do anything about it.

So for the last several days, I've just been stuck. I emailed Blogger and requested a review, and an appeal, and peppered the help forum with pleas. And then I waited. All in all, it took exactly one week to get it back. And despite what you read on a lot of the help forums, the Blogger/Google people were really helpful during that time (special thanks to nitecruzer, who must have been going insane from the 16 forum messages that I sent going helphelphelphelpHELP!). Anyway, they were able to track the problem back to my web counter and remove the code for me. Then I checked everything else to make sure I was okay and requested a review so that Google would pronounce me safe once again. And now we're back in business (albeit with a few changes...you'll notice that we're now employing the hateful squiggly word verification for comments. I know, I know, I hate it too, but it cuts down on a lot of spam robots leaving potentially harmful messages, so it is the price that we must pay for cyber safety).

And because I can now attest first hand at how scary and frustrating and annoying it is to have your blog hacked, (I swear, dear hacker, that if we ever meet in a dark alley, I will cheerfully peel the flesh from your bones and then dance on your bloody carcass while I laugh) I am providing a quick overview of things that I found helpful. This, of course, only applies to Blogger blogs since that I what I run, but I'm sure there's a similar process for Wordpress.

If the Blogger Spambots shut you down:
1) Request a review from the link on your dashboard.
2) Sign up for the appeal websheet
3) Give them two business days from when you signed up on the appeal sheet, and then post a concise and polite post in the "Something's Broken" help forum, stating the problem and when you requested a review and appeal.

If Google tags you with a "visit and die!" warning (thus scaring away all of your faithful readers, to boot):
1) Check to see what Google found on Webmaster Tools
2) Fix the problem by having your site checked at Norton Safe Web, StopBadWare Clearinghouse, Unmask Parasites, and Dasient.
3) Search your source code for hidden nasties. The step-by-step instructions at How to remove "This site may harm your computer" are fabulous.
4) Request Google to review your site again to make sure you got everything.

Anyway, long story short: We're all clean and back in business. I'm safe, you're safe, and all the quirkilicious content is safe. Thanks for sticking with me while I was down.

3/20/09 Ultimate Blog Party!

Well, I am just waaaaay out of the loop this year, because the Ultimate Blog Party at 5 Minutes for Mom started today, and I didn't even realize it until just now. Which means that I'm already somewhere around 600 billion on the Mr. Linky list for family friendly blogs (sigh).

Anyway, welcome to Quirky is a Compliment, blog partiers! Feel free to let your inner-quirk run amok here...Heaven knows that I do. As a matter of fact, that where the title came from...my very own mother described me as quirky one day, and while I was trying to decide whether or not to be insulted, she went on to explain that she meant the unique things that each of us bring to the table, and that I should take it as a compliment. So I do, and here I am.

Currently I'm 28, married, no kids, 4 cats (these are my children...they just happen to all be of the Siamese persuasion). I live in beautiful Knoxville TN, in the heart of the Smokies. (If you want to know more random stuff about me, see the 100 things link. If you want to know more about life in Tennessee, see Tennessee Living). The blog is a bit of a mixed bag- a few stories, a few DIY projects, a few daily accounts, a few funny things, a few serious things, even a recipe or two.

You never know what you're going to get, but chances are it will be quirky. But enough about me. Tell me about you. I'm a bit of a blog addict, and am looking for some new blogs to add to my daily reading collection. Leave a comment with your blog address and I'll come check you out. Anyway, thanks for coming to the blog party!

Now for that prize part (which I have a bajillion to 1 chance of actually winning, but what can I say, hope springs eternal anyway).

It was incredibly hard to choose, but I finally narrowed my favorites down to:

• Spanish Language Learning Software from Peanut ButterProvided by: Life is Sweet (because I've only had learning Spanish on my to-do list for a bazillion years)- USC 27
• Glass and stone earring and necklace setProvided by: Mrs. CPA (I love love love this necklace and earring set! It's sooo pretty and would look perfect with just about everything!)- USC 14
• a pair of ChicBud Earphones with Swarovski Crystals Provided by: The IE Mommy (I didn't even know such things existed, but now that I do, I must have them! I use my earbuds EVERYWHERE! Who knew that I could look chic while doing it?)- 15

And if my top three picks are already chosen (boooo!), I’d still love any of the following (in order of preference): 19,21,22,26, USC 47, USC 56, 91, USC 40, USC 44, or 14. You guys are awesome!