Happy New Year!

I had a post written about 2009's accomplishments and 2010's goals, but in the end, I decided to keep it to myself. Instead, I'll just say...

May your dreams become reality in the new year.
God Bless!

Resolve to get it right in 2010

Two very useful, easy-to-use posters:

and

Christmas Week: Santa?

LilGirl has reached that age: she believes in Santa Claus, but is hearing from a lot of her friends that he doesn't exist. She argues loudly with any show on TV that implies that Santa doesn't exist, has debates (mostly with herself) laying out the facts vs. the rumors, and had a very hard time falling asleep on Christmas Eve.

Today, hubby found this video that put her fears to rest. Apparently the daughter of tweeter (and actor) Peter Facinelli set out a spycam to "catch" Santa.  Here's the result:





(In the spirit of full disclosure, I had no idea Peter Facinelli was the source of the video until I started writing this post. Hubby sent the video to me and he didn't know either...so, it really doesn't count as anything Twilight-related. Right? Right? People are going to stop believing I'm not a fan...especially after a post that's coming up in the next week or so...)

Let it snow...but let it stop soon!

These were taken about 24 hours apart, yesterday and today.

Hope you're having a Merry (warm, safe & dry) Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Enjoy the "silent" monks

My mom on the news

She was interviewed just before leaving Rapid City yesterday for being one of those silly people travelling in yesterday's weather:

Christmas is for doggies, too

Wed Pic: Icicles

I didn't have to hang any tinsel - nature did it for me today. :) (I'm so glad I got to stay home today and didn't have to drive in this stuff)

Christmas Week! More SNL

I love this song, and the guys are so a-dor-a-bul!

Christmas Week: Stop! Cookietime!

This is why I use gift bags:

Christmas week! Schweddy Balls

This is one of my all-time favorite Saturday Night Live Christmas skits. (Warning: It's a bit naughty, so if you're offended by that sort of thing, well, check out Friday's post instead)

I miss my Fashion Plates!

I almost teared up when I saw this on Epic Win. If there's a childhood toy I wish I still had, this is it:


see more Epic Wins from the Past

I remember spending hours playing with these. I even had the expansion pack. I would definitely play with this set even today, if I still had it. I poked around Ebay and found a set which included the expansion pack, but it ended up going for $220! Um, I think that's too rich for me, even to relive a childhood memory. *sigh*

Friday Fun: A Charlie Brown Christmas

If you missed it this year, or just want to watch it again, Hulu has posted the entire show (Yes, I'm a Hulu junkie. The intervention is happening soon, I'm sure.)

How big is the Internet?

Created by Online Education

(found via What I Learned Today...)

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen! (Thanks for the reminder, @cjewel!)

I'm a bad, bad Jane Austen fan and forgot her birthday. Fortunately, Carolyn Jewel remembered and wrote up a nice post with lots of cool links at Risky Regencies.

Weekend TV: Part II: Twilight Lab Partners

This is the other funny thing I saw on TV this past weekend. You all know I'm not a Twilight fan, but if I were, I'd have to be Team Jacob. Taylor Lautner is such a cutie and he was fun to watch on SNL, especially this skit (again, sorry for the ad at the beginning):

My Christmas trees on tour with Cheryl St.John!

Every year, my friend Cheryl St.John hosts a tour of Christmas trees on her blog. My Christmas trees are featured today! Go check them out! :)

Weekend TV: Part I: Snoop & The Grinch

I saw a couple interesting things on TV this weekend. Here's the first.

Even though I'm really not into rap music, I get a kick out of Snoop Dogg for some reason, especially when he does stuff like this (sorry for the ad at the beginning):



Check back tomorrow Wednesday for the other fun thing I saw. :)

To play or not to play...Hamlet the Text Adventure!

I remember playing Hamlet the Text Adventure years ago and I was really happy to trip across it again. Nice to see it's still there, text-based and all. I remember the first time I played it, I was somehow killed by Othello...Hmmm, methinks I stumbled into a different play.

From the Versificator site: "Avenge your father's death, defeat your evil uncle, and ascend the throne of Denmark in this long-awaited adaptation of Shakespeare's seminal work. Guest appearances by Macbeth, Richard III, and others." (that explains Othello)

http://versificator.co.uk/hamlet/

This is me playing just about any sport

Friday Fun: It's Frosty!

Hey, it's still Friday...for a little while...



(via Unplggd)

Snowed-in Netflix: Lost in Austen

Being snowed in, I should be getting a lot done. [Insert maniacal laughing here] The truth is, I've spent most of my energy trying to excavate my driveway. After several attempts each day, more than a third of it is still buried in a four-foot drift that refuses to be moved by my measly shovel (Santa, I want a snowblower). When I come back in from shoveling, I have no ambition left for anything else but to collapse on the couch and turn to Netflix.

Yesterday, I discovered Lost in Austen had been added to the titles available for streaming. I've had this one in my DVD queue for some time (ironically, it was finally second in line) so I was excited to sit down and watch it at last.

In Lost in Austen, Amanda Price is obsessed with Pride and Prejudice, and would generally rather spend her time re-reading the book than living her life. When Elizabeth Bennett turns up in her bathroom, Amanda trades places with Lizzie and proceeds to completely muck up the story. She fails to help Jane and Bingley reveal their love for each other, causing Jane to marry Mr. Collins, and things go downhill from there. Through it all, Amanda tries to make sure that Darcy falls in love with Lizzie, which is difficult when he's never met her.

If you're a fan of the 1995 Pride and Prejudice miniseries, you'll probably enjoy this scene as much as I did (heck, if I met Mr. Darcy, I'd probably ask the same favor from him)



If you're unfamiliar with the earlier miniseries, this scene may help clarify Amanda's request (or there's the link if you just want to watch it again...over and over. I won't tell).

As a writer who has often had a character do something unexpected and then gone "Where did THAT come from?" I'm sure Jane Austen would have the same thought if she ever watched this. When a couple characters act particularly, um, un-characteristically, Amanda can't help but comment:

"Hear that sound? Duh-uh-uh-uh! That's Jane Austen spinning in her grave like a cat in a tumble-dryer"

and 

"Goodness. Jane Austen would be fairly surprised to find she'd written that!"

The whole show was a fun romp, kind of the ultimate Jane Austen fanfic. I highly recommend it!

Wed Pics: Snowed In

We had a doozy of a storm yesterday and last night. When we woke this morning, this is what greeted us:

I'm sooo glad I scooped the steps yesterday so they wouldn't be so bad today. Um, yeah...

The yard usually slopes down back there.

 

I don't remember buying a conehead vehicle

Friday Fun: So I Married an Axe Murderer

Allow me to go a little, okay, a LOT fangirl here...

Before he was Austin Powers, before he was Shrek, Mike Myers was Charlie Mackenzie. So I Married and Axe Murderer is one of my all-time favorite movies. It's up there with The Princess Bride as one of those movies I love so much I can recite them by heart. Or as some people I know would put it (and you know who you are), it's my Galaxy Quest.

Charlie's a poet, and several of my favorite poems ever (or at least ones I recite a lot, to the annoyance of all around me) are in this movie, especially the one that begins "Harriet! Sweet Harriet! Hard-hearted harbinger of haggis." My absolute favorite poem from the movie is in the opening scene, but you'll have to watch in order to hear it - it's better that way.

Multiple viewings have also given me a sort of Axe Murderer Tourettes Syndrome: I will randomly shout "Head! Pants! Now!" or "Two words: therapy" or any of several other quotes at odd moments just because they popped into my head, and it makes life goood. (Yes, I'm strange. Hadn't you figured that out already?)

So, even though Hulu took away Dr. Horrible, it seems they gave me So I Married an Axe Murderer in return, so life can go on. You can watch it here. Go! Do it now! You won't regret it. (sorry, Hulu wouldn't let me imbed it).

Candied Bacon Fudge, anyone?

I love fudge. I love bacon. But I find it hard to believe that mixing the two can be anything but horrible. Or, it could be one of those things that turns out to be just evil-ly good. Either way, if you make this stuff, don't offer me any. I don't think I could handle it. After all, I already need a little Obi Wan in my head saying "These aren't the snacks you're looking for."

How to Make Candied Bacon Fudge at The Kitchn

More confessions of a less-than fan of musicals

I've blogged before about my aversion to musicals in general, but I've recently found one I can't get enough of. I even bought the soundtrack! Gasp!

Here's the preview for Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. It doesn't seem to be online for free anymore (Bring it back, Hulu! I haz a sad!)