I've Been Simpsonized

This website is where you can Simpsonize yourself.

Dixie Update

It even looks like she's snoring!
















I'm afraid Dixie must be relation to Ashley. I see tendencies that are not attractive.
-She seems huge. Gypsy was always slim and svelte and would sit with her two front feet daintily together with one foot ahead of the other. Not Dixie. She has a wide sit stance (like Fat Ashley)

-Gypsy would sleep in a round curled shape. Not Dixie. She sprawls on her back with not a care in the world. I guess she feels safe.

-Dixie is very active and seeks us out to play with her and brings her toys to us. She can leap3 feet off the ground in play and will 'whine' talk to tell us we need to play with her.

FETC

The tech conferences are always fun and besides talking to vendors and learning about new technologies is collecting conference swag.

Most of my swag this year is a collection of pens and t-shirts. Each vendor wanted participants to wear their shirt with the enticement that you might be chosen by a secret shopper to win a set of clickers, ipod, smart board, Promethian board, etc IF you wore only their shirt.

I have about 13 different shirts. The TI shirt is really cool, but I had to sit through a high school math presentation to get one. Oh, the joys of changing just one exponent and seeing where it might be replotted on a graph!

Penguin had just taken one, but I was toooooo slow and had to suffer.

Finished Furniture

I went to Orlando for the FETC conference and it was a good time to check out that area's furniture stores. We went to Orlando's new IKEA. What a change from So Fla's. Parked right up front and there were PLENTY of parking spots. The store was not crowded and we went right through.

Next day we trudged through 7 different stores. The same problem of really dark finishes. I took pictures of any that might be acceptable. After awhile they all look alike.

Rooms To Go outlet had a nice unit, but no base. It would be very hard to match the finish color with something else. Blaine had missed the party atmosphere and drove up. We decided on a Broyhill unit we both like and sometime in the middle of February we will update from the 'Blaine Built' unite crafted from leftover lumber from construction sites of 30 years ago to a real piece of furniture.

Now this is going to make something else look bad.

Furniture

OK it's been years since we've shopped for furniture other than the 2 La-Z-Boy chairs several years ago, but we were totally unprepared for the current style of furniture available now.

Huge heavy furniture. People must have massive sized rooms as the furniture has massive tree-trunk sized legs and so much ornamentation that it would take a castle atmosphere to handle it.

In addition to being huge, it's dark. So dark it seems to suck the light out of a room. I find it depressing in oppressive. Where are the light woods and airy, spacious feeling? I don't mean that furniture should look and feel spindly, but it could be sturdy and uplifting.

Another annoyance. If the furniture is 'modern' it means it must be only 2 feet from the floor uncomfortable. I don't think people live with their furniture, but just use it for display only.

Entertainment centers available are only for their 'furniture' appeal. It's to display artifacts and match the other ornate pieces in a room. They are not to have DVD players, sound systems, etc cluttering up the view.

IKEA Madness

Today on MLK holiday, we went out looking for entertainment centers. The IKEA store was new before Thanksgiving, so we thought we'd browse for shelving.

Still the craziness continues. Rent-a-cops controlling traffic. The IKEA parking garage full. The only parking was several miles away at Bank American arena where you wait and take a trolley back to IKEA.

When we drove by the arena, we could see throngs of people waiting to ride the trolley. It reminded me of waiting for the trolley at the remote parking lots at Sea World.

Again we will wait. This frenzy has to die down sometime. Doesn't it?

To Do List

Christmas is put away, but......don't go into the spare bedroom. All of my silk flowers are in piles. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Christmas, roses and plastic tubs. They all won't go back into the boxes now.

Garden Ridge had nice stuff.

Post-Christmas

I FINALLY got all of the Christmas things
together in one place. Things had been
stashed in 3 different closets. It's now all
together and will be easier to find next
year. It is secure and Krystal is guarding.




The weather has been damp and chilly.
The only bright spot is the poinsettias on
the stoop.
The rain hasn't stopped the ugly Muscovy
ducks from raiding the bird feeder.





Dixie has filled out. With her winter coat
and fine dining she is very comfortable
on my computer chair.

The Ritz is slipping

The Ritz video has been surpassed by the Buckingham Guards. Fame is so fleeting.

Throwing Down a Challenge

I challenge everyone to be able to do the Soulja Boy dance.
Instructions by Soulja Boy himself.

Be ready to rumble come this holiday weekend.
Top THAT!

To the Rescue

If you have ever lived in South Florida you
know about Muscovy ducks. They are the
ugliest bird alive.

I have a bird feeder near the front door and enjoy seeing most of the birds feeding, EXCEPT for the scavenging Muscovy ducks. They scarf up the seeds the other birds knock to the ground.

I saw one of them fly at the feeder like it was going to land, but it just tipped the feeder scattering even more seeds to the ground. And I thought they were stupid.

Unfortunately they also leave huge green poo piles on the front walk. I will accidentally step in it when I go out in the early morning darkness to retrieve the newspaper.

When you try to scare them away, they waddle just beyond reach and wait till you leave and calmly waddle back. When you run at them they again flutter just beyond reach and return. Grrrrrrrr.

Today Flying Screaming Monkey found his purpose! I've had him here and he'll scream when accidentally bumped annoying Blaine and scaring the cat. He IS a flying monkey.....OK a glorified slingshot, but the ducks didn't know. I take aim, he screams and hits them. They don't even hesitate to fly off across the street to the crazy animal lady who will feed anything.

Hooray for Flying Screaming Monkey keeping the neighborhood SAFE!

Lockdown

A prisoner being transported in Broward killed the deputy and hijacked the van and gun. The man was from Our Town. Since my school( and 10 others) were near major transportation arteries, we were on lock down. No one moves. Doors locked. This was at 9:00.

This is the 3rd officer in 3 months killed point blank. There was no specials or lunch. All the specials teachers had to deliver food from the cafeteria to every classroom. We ran out of chicken nuggets (only 5 to a tray), then out of grilled cheese, egg salad, turkey sandwich, then bananas, applesauce. Plenty of apples.

3 and 1/2 hours later everyone was finally fed. We could now eat, but they finally captured the guy and specials were back on. We had 10 mins to eat and go to the bathroom, then back to schedule! My poor feet!

157 SE Fallon Dr

We did a quick weekend camping for no reason at all and stopped in PSL to view the old homestead. Luckily it was empty and for rent so we stomped all around the place.
What a change.
What a mess.



















Most of the pines around the place have been cut down and the rest of the lot is grown up with weeds.You can't even see the canal.

It's been painted with pink trim.

There are tile floors and the patio has been re screened so that one door is completely gone. We did find our names where we etched them into the concrete.











The back yard is fenced somewhat, but there is only a little walkway between the fence and the growth that totally hides the canal.

The trees are mostly dead, the basketball goal is gone. The little oak I planted is huge and all over the power lines, the sycamore tree I planted looks scruffy, and the oleander I planted is still growing. Not very bushy, but still there.

West Virginia is being widened and all the homes that faced it have been bought out. It will become a major road connecting US 1 to PSL west of the turnpike. Here is a link detailing the very major project. It includes a bridge.

Happ Boo-Day.

Trick or Treat!

We had left overs. I wonder why?
He-he-he.

Happy B'Day Mac-A-Doo!

Mac-A-Doo had her birthday party at Sea World

The orange one is not from our family.

Two Princesses and Big Penguin.






She is 7!


With Bunny Bun Bun who hasn't yet received her new outfit of a bridal gown with veil. Both look cuddly.

Dixie's Wild Adventure......for her

Well, we thought we'd take the Ritz out this week-end, but it turns out it's crummy weather. Still, the Ritz is in our driveway in case we want to 'do' something. Tonight we went out, with Dixie, to Chik-Fil-A. Oh, My! She trembled and panted and shivered. She snuggled next to me on the back bed. We got our food and ate it in the camper. She never left the bed, not even for a bit of chicken. We then came back home. Big adventure. Maybe tomorrow farther still.......Orlando?

IKEA-Part 2

We headed off to IKEA today without knowing exactly where it was. Somewhere near Sawgrass Mills. We followed the traffic. Heavy traffic turning south. We found it because of the officers directing traffic to the remote auxiliary parking lots blocks away. People were walking or taking the tram. We decided this was not our day to visit the store, but let our fingers do the walking in the thick 370 page catalog that came in our Sunday paper.

Come Shop with Me.

South FLa is a happening place right now. Wednesday thousands waited in line to shop at the new IKEA store in Sunrise. We haven't been there yet, but might make it this weekend.

Also, we have a new Target. It's across of Magnolia Center. Diet Cokes were $2.25 for a 12 pack. Everything is bright, shiny, and new. The layout of the store is different so of course I couldn't find anything and HAD to stroll the whole store.

Come shop with me.

Geronimo!!

Look who came to my Book Fair.
Geronimo Stilton!
I only wish I would have remembered to have my
picture taken with him.

Fashion?

Good Lord! Who would even model a suit like the 'person' on the right has on?