Be Careful of This One, Mr. Bond

Poor Bond. He was betrayed by the beautiful Vesper. How can he prevent himself from making this next mission personal? I can't wait to see how Director Mark Forster will bring the Quantum of Solace story to life.

I took Quizilla's very fun Which Bond Girl Are You? quiz and it turns out I'm Pam Bouvier, the kind of go-anywhere, do-anything gal the CIA looks for when running guns or toppling governments. That's cool, as I did secretly have dreams of getting into the CIA when I was a naive student. So what kind of Bond girl are you? Take the quiz and find out!

I'm going to catch the film first thing tomorrow morning. I wish I had the energy to attend the midnight viewing, but I gorged on red velvet cupcakes today at JulieJulie's fabulous birthday lunch and I'm experiencing a pretty severe sugar crash. I did tell some friends to come to the movie dressed up as Bond girls. You know - in bikinis, with daggers hanging from their hips. I have a feeling they're not going to do it, but I've got my camera just in case. Oh, the things I do for England.

P.S. Is it me or does it seem that Derek Zoolander and James Bond could be brothers?

Stuck

Help...I've fallen into a rut and can't get out. Do you think they make a life alert button for this? When did this happen...I don't know. Lately I have been feeling like a robot, just going through the motions, the same motions, day after day after day.

I have been married now for about a year and a half, and in this relationship for a little over 3 years. Prior to this I was single for nearly 10 years. I dated, but mostly had insignificant un-serious relationships.

During my single years I was admittedly lonely for adult companionship but I had my son and we are very close because of this time we had together. Even though I was lonely at times I don't remember feeling stagnant with my life. Granted being single there wasn't always extra money to do certain things or travel but I still feel like my son and I did things and had fun. We always made the most of what we had. I used to go scrap booking every month, I played bingo with my best friend and I used to sit for hours and days on end sometimes cross stitching.

Well...I haven't been able to play bingo in months due to financial reasons. I tried to cross stitch again about a month ago but got too many complaints from the family about my stuff being out in the living room and I haven't scrap booked since I met my husband over 3 years ago. In fact all of my scrap booking supplies and photos are buried in a closet and I can't even get them out if I wanted to.

When did this happen? When did my life start to consist of getting up and going to work everyday, coming home too tired to do much, but still have to cook, clean, help with homework etc. When do I get some Sherry time? When can I have this time without feeling guilty about it? Why is it so much easier for my husband to just say "I'm going fishing tomorrow" and that's that. He can take off for a day and it doesn't phase anything or anyone, maybe just me. I get angry or jealous that he can just take off without a thought, yet I beat myself up and feel guilty when I do it or just even think about it.

Growing up I always watched my Mom take care of the house, the kids, the cooking, the cleaning, the everything...and she worked full time. When I watched my Dad he was mostly watching TV. I don't know that I ever saw him clean anything. I know he never cooked anything. This was acceptable, I guess...looking back now I know it wasn't. My Mom gave up so much of herself for everyone else. At 19 years old it was upsetting to me that my parents got divorced after 24 years of marriage, but I realize now that my Mom was saving her own life. Now that she is retired she calls me so excited because she is going to dinner with the girls. Or she is going away for the weekend to quilt with the girls. She is like a little girl going to her first play date. I wish she could have had this kind of fun when she was younger. I may never understand why she chose to give up herself when she was younger. I just know that I see myself following in her path. I don't want to wake up one day and wonder what happened to my life. I want to start living now!

I've Always Wanted To Be a Cartoon

I've always admired the cartoonish avatars that people are using on Twitter. I tried for hours to do it myself using Paint Shop Pro, but to no avail. Luckily this morning I found just what I was looking for. It's called be funky. You can easily upload your photos to the web site (it's free!) and "cartoonize" any portrait. They also have a nifty "uvatar" creator where you can create your own avatar, accessorize her, and put her in a scene. Or if you have a video to upload, you can turn it into a video cartoon, similar to the movie A Skanner Darkly. The nifty thing is that Hugh Grant decided to stop by and check out my uvatar universe. Obviously he just got back from Aruba, while I still have my pasty white Oregonian complexion.

Here are the cartoonized versions of myself and my family. Be warned: it's highly addicting!

New House Leader Needed. Please Vote For Me!

My eight-year-old was so swept up with the excitement of the election that he decided a new world order was needed. At least in our house. So, he decided to have an election for new "house leader." His brother and parents are expected to write up their own platforms and give a speech. Then we are to have elections.

What I want to know is, if my eight-year-old wins the election for leader of our house, is he going to make pie for us? Or is it the other way around? Here is his platform (sic):

• Apple pie once a weak
• At least anoph time to do something on a video game
• Have the rights to choose what you want to were
• Unlinited printing
• Not being bossed around
• Get to stay up untell 10:00 every night
• Family crest shall be made
• 1 hour of outside playing

Here's an added bonus - we were fortunate enough to be serenaded by all of the kids at our election party. The video is dark, but you get the idea! They were precious.

I just wanted to take a moment and say hello to everyone. I am new to this whole blogging thing and of course new to Parking Lot Mamas. Thank you Lori for introducing me to this blog site and sending me an invitation to join. I am excited to be a part of this group. Bear with me while I figure all the ins and outs of blogging. I am sure to get the hang of it eventually.

Why I Wear Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers are those canvas slipper shoes that only old people wear. Chances are you have a grandmother, mother or aunt who wore them.

My grandmother was a very old-fashioned Southern Baptist woman with a pretty strict code of behavior that applied not just to her immediate family, but to anyone who crossed her path. She was a tough old bird, but the first on your doorstep if you needed help. Meals for widowers, children adopted for $1 a day in third world countries, caring for her mother-in-law through Alzheimer's, church work, you get the picture.

Well a big part of her code was how a woman dressed. In church: dresses or skirts were a must. Slacks forbidden. Pantsuits OK for shopping during the week. Pants and a blouse OK for yard work, talking with neighbors or getting her hair done. But inside her own house (no one else's) she would wear shorts and grasshoppers. The only place appearances didn't matter, where she could just be herself was at home. I have fond memories of her sitting at her organ playing "Harbor Lights" and singing along. Or giving me ice cream before dinner. And pushing a $20 bill into my hand for "walking around money." So I wear my grasshoppers (at home only) because they remind me of the grandmother who was just for me. Sentimental yes, but it makes me smile inside.

p.s. if you ever see the kelly green ones in the store, let me know. Those are the very best ones.

What Would Happen if the World Could Vote in the US Presidential Elections?

What would happen if the world could vote in the U.S. Presidential Elections? Cast your vote! So far, 87.2% of the world would vote for Barack Obama.

I'm so excited, and admittedly a little nervous about the outcome, so I got up early and made Obama Muffins. Husband thinks I'm a bit batty. Gobama!

Another Nifty List

Well Ladies, I decided to channel my inner Lori the other day when I was writing my grocery list for the week. I noticed that over half of the items were on each week's list. I thought to myself (here's the Lori part) "maybe there's a better way to do this online!" I did a little research and found an awesome pre-printed grocery list that you can download for free. You can put it on your fridge door and check off an item as needed, I put mine on my bulletin board, you could keep a copy in your purse or car, whatever... It reminds you to bring your reusable bags (I always forget until I get to the store), bring in plastic bags to recycle, prompts for ice, coupons, movie rentals and returns etc. I love it. Here's the link http://www.grocerylists.org/

Also on this site, they encourage you to either leave your list in the cart, or send it in to them. They maintain archives of other people's grocery lists, which are pretty darn funny to a voyeur such as myself. Many years ago I went to the grocery store and bought: cat food, a bottle of wine and a People Magazine. The check out clerk looked at me and then my items and said "Just you and the cat tonight?" All personal humiliation aside, check out this site if you are a list lover.

Apple Pies, Spiced Candles, and Flag Girls

It's the end of flag football season for both of my boys. Flag football is one of the most exciting games to watch for a parent. It's fast-paced and the kids love learning all of the plays. For me, it also brings to mind college football games in the fall. I can still remember the sound of crunching leaves under my feet as I walked to the football stadium, and the yummy smell of brats roasting at the numerous tailgates in the stadium parking lot. It brings to mind apple pies, squash soup, and pumpkin spiced candles.

But then my mind starts to wander and I think of high school football and I remember the fact that I was too lanky and uncoordinated to make the pom pom squad for my high school's football team. The pom pom girls got to wear Las Vegas-esque gold sequin outfits. Out of pity the high school rah-rah committee let me be a flag girl. The flag girl outfit was not made of glamorous gold sequins. No, no, no. It was a horrid white and red polyester getup that went down to the knees, complete with fake white vinyl boots. The yearbook photo says it all. We're the dour ones in the front row on the left. The shiny golden pom pom girls are on the right.

Then there was the time when I didn't make the primary cheerleading squad, so the "alternates" were forced to be cheerleaders for the boys cross country team. Imagine two freakishly tall "alternate cheerleaders" standing in the middle of a golf course in Waterloo, Iowa, in 80 gazillion degree humidity. There is no one around. No birds, no people, no nuthin'. Every twenty minutes or so, one lone boy would come running by and we would yell GREAT JOB! KEEP RUNNING! But we kept showing up, every week, to sweat it out in our alternate cheerleading outfits. No one ever checked up on us. I'm thinking we were victims of a practical joke.

Sorry. My mind took a u-turn there for a minute. Stay put - let me go smell a few pumpkin candles. I'll be right back.

.....aaaaaah. Thanks for waiting. I feel much better now. Actually maybe it was the Frangelico. But I really do love fall. I love all holiday seasons. I go a bit bananas by March, but that's pretty standard practice for most Bendites. But then I dig out my coconut butter lotion and Hawaiian Plumeria candles, and I'm right as rain. Aloha!

Bit by the Travel Bug

I've got the travel itch, and I've got it bad. Just when I made peace with the fact that we canceled our Italy trip in favor of a more saner decision to explore US National Parks, I happened upon Rashbre Central's wonderful blog, complete with live video camera shots of London. Once I saw the picture of London's Oxford Circus, it was all over. I got hit with the desire to go back to Europe, this time with our kids, who are certainly old enough to appreciate the wonder of visiting a different country.

The last time I went to Europe, it was 1988 - a whopping 20 years ago! It's time, it's time, it's time. And with the value of the dollar rising these days (how the heck did that happen?), it might even be doable. I'm going to enter every airline and London travel contest on the planet. Wish me luck. Doesn't Christmas in London sound magical? Anyone have any free miles they'd like to donate to the cause? I'll bring back a heaping plate of plum pudding for you!