I know it's old but...

I know it's been out on youtube for a long time, but I really love this video so as it's been a while since I've posted I thought I'd add one of my favorite things. Enjoy!

Who am I?

I think I'm addicted to those personality tests and so when a friend sent me one that combined two of my favorite things: personality tests and The Office, I of course had to jump at my chance to take it. My results are below and to the left. I'm Pam? Although I do have a streak in me that does play the pranks on people as well. I must say I was a but suprised as I never saw myself as the nice one. I guess that's what happens when you're away from work for several weeks at a time and have to watch puppies on TV.

BTW, my friend who sent it to me said she was a combination of Dwight and Jim. What an odd combination. All I could picture was one of those pics from Connan O'Brian of the love child of two famous people. I wonder if anyone has done of those. I looked for one online and didn't find any. Oh well.

Just so you know, I'm also Wonder Woman.

Super Bowl Play by Play

I heard that the game was today. I know two teams were playing, but I have no idea which two were actually facing each other. Although I understand that one of the QB's is supposed to be beyond hot and that he'd gotten some actress preggers and then dumpped her for a super model from Brazil. That's all I know about what happed during the Super Bowl today.

Thank goodness that as this is considered public domain I don't owe the NFL any money for using the phrase Super Bowl over and over again. Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl

I think I'll go watch the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet now.

Chicago 2016

For the last couple of years the Mayor (around these parts that title refers to Mayor Daly even if you don’t live in Chicago proper) has launched his campaign to bring the Summer Olympics to Chicago. I’ve followed some of the media coverage for it and have even popped over to the official website http://www.chicago2016.org/ to see what they have to present.

Now, I am probably one of the biggest proponents of telling people of how great a city Chicago is and why everyone should come for a visit, but I wouldn’t even drive the 42 miles from my house based on the information that is provided on the videos. Here’s the most recent one from YouTube:



Where’s the mention of the culture of the city? Why does it only mention the diversity in passing? What about the neighborhoods?

Some of the cities that Chicago is competing against (Madrid and Rio de Janeiro) both present themselves as fun cosmopolitan cities. Chicago branded itself as having huge parks?! I love the parks and I think the lakefront is a fantastic feature of the city, but why make that the way to brand ourselves? We are an international city and we want to host an international event so why don’t we recognize the fact that we have much more to offer than just the lakefront and its amenities. That was fine for the USOC, but we need to let the rest of the world know what Chicago is about: the diversity of its people, the neighborhoods, the culture of the museums, the theater, the festivals, and yes even the parks.

It's Been a While

So I have a really good excuse. I was resently cut open and then screwed back together. For the second time. Last time I didn't record any of the experience so this time I made sure to take a couple of pitures of my drug-induced haze. Although I must admit that I'm doing much better this go around than I did last time. I'm even posting a lovely picture for everyone to see the awsomeness of the bruising after two weeks. And I thought that the ACL was on the inside of my knee.

Right now all I have to concentrate on is the whole walking thing (really, who would have thought that bending and straightening your leg could lead to so much trouble) and of course the up coming special elections in my congressional district.

I've been under the excellent care of my parents since the surgery and they being the excellent members of their political party have been recieving phone calls from a canidate who is running to replace the former Speaker of the House of Represetatives. None of us like him as he is shall we say...a biggot. Unfortunately I'm afraid that he will win the nomination of his party and that means that he will most likely go on to win the special election to be held shortly thereafter.

I'll post some more pictures in the next couple of days of me at physical therapy. It should be interesting. Overall I'm healing really well.

Secrets? Me?

Every year it seems that without fail, I am the keeper of the secrets around the family holiday surprises and 2007 has turned out to be no different. I always know who’s getting what gifts or what everyone else should expect on Christmas morning.

Except this year, it was WAY BIGGER!

My brother who is in the Navy was not going to be home for the holidays at all for the second year in a row. To make matters worse, it looks this will be the last year we will all have the chance to be in Chicago together for a while.

Last week my parents were out of town and I got a phone call from my brother who sounded a bit worried. He told me that he unexpectedly had been given a week of leave while his ship was going out of port and was coming home, but he couldn’t get a hold of Mom and Dad to tell them. I said, “Well, they’re out of the country and as they’ll only be getting back two days before you’ll be coming home, I think we shouldn’t tell them you’re coming.” (I think I had a couple of little giggles in there as well.) This was going to be the most awesome surprise ever.

So we didn’t so much tell my parents that my brother wasn’t going to be home for Christmas as much as failed to mention that he would be.

Last night I picked my brother up at the airport and then drove him to my parents house under the guise of picking up something that I needed to ship to him. As we snuck upstairs, it was all I could do to contain my anticipation. I had to wake up my parents and told them that I wasn’t taking the package for my brother. Now keep in mind they were just being awoken out of a sound sleep and I don’t normally wake them up for anything unless it’s an emergency. Once they were assured that all was right in the world. I repeated that I wasn’t sending anything to my brother because instead he was right there.

That was one of those moments that will always get extra special time in my mind when I play back the happy moments in my life that I’ve been able to give a good thing to someone else. And it cost less than $20.

Spirit of Giving

So this year for Christmas I've set limits on myself. The type of limits that make me challange two of the the things that I like to do: shop and give gifts. I decided that I don't want to spend more than $20 on any Christmas gift this year. Instead, I'm spending my time putting the thought and energy into getting the gifts together. Not a homemade Christmas, but a thoughtful Christmas.

What thoughts are you putting into it this year?