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| Thursday, August 24, 2006 |
| Half Nude Thursday |
It's been a hellacious week at work. It's rush and every time I look at the phone there are at least 3 calls backed up. Plus 2 people are out right now, one with a planned vacation and the other with a death in the family. So we are hurting. And on top of all that we had a major fuck up and in is causing all sorts of problems and complaints. So I am very tired and drank way to much at the pub and then continued once I got home. So instead of posting I am going to invoke another rule of HNT that you can post other pictures.
This includes a story.
A couple of years ago Spencer Tunick decided to Come to Cleveland. Gods knows why, but I'm not going to question Spencer or the Gods' wisdom. My friend Orange, who is a nudist, told me about the photo shoot and forwarded the link to sign up. I thought long and hard about this. Orange had been inviting me to nuddie swims for years. While I do not have issues with the human body, I was a little leary about walking around in front of a lot of people I didn't know. But, I am no great shakes. No one is going to paint some great painting of me and hang me in a museum. This was my one chance to be in a museum. So I took it.
I told no one but my husband and mom about this. Mom told my sister who was slightly horrified, but told me to have fun. It was the end of June and 57 degrees that morning. It was a great equalizer for the men and just plain miserable for me..as I am a huge freeze baby. Orange's wife, who was breast feeling at the time made a comment about frozen cantaloupe, I just looked at my chest and said better than apples. Another friend of orange's (I never caught his name, he was a very dark African American) said at least they weren't Granny Smith apples. I found the hilarious and the rest of the morning passes in a cold but fun manner. Here is a basic
picture of what we got as a payoff for freezing our various body parts off.
The one we got is a little different but it is a beautiful picture and I am proud to own a copy of it and be able to say I was part of it. Now the problem came when they did the women only shot. There were several news agencies there. I had only told a few people about my participation in this. Come Sunday morning I get a call from my sister telling me that her busband had seen my picture in the paper. WHAT!!!
There was my picture on page 2 of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Oh well...I came out and admitted that I did it. Here is the picture that was in the paper. Look at the center then move to the right and up a bit and there I am. Orange's wife is in there too. OK...well Blogger is having issues at the moment...click here and it will take you to the sight. I will try posting it later.
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posted by Raven @ 10:32 PM  |
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| Tuesday, August 22, 2006 |
| The New Cell Phone and way too much PC |
My cell phone was dyeing a slow and horrible death. I decided it was time to put Mandy on our cell phone plan, and while I was there I would look and see if I could get a new one as well. I found one I liked...it's shaped a little like a car and makes strange asthmatic sounds when you flip it open...I think it's supposed to be a car revving up. I like it though, it has easy buttons for text messaging and the buttons are big enough to deal with so I'm not hitting 3 buttons at once with my nails.
The fun started when I sat down with the manual last night. Now I can figure out most of it on my own just playing with the phone. But there was one function that can change from phone to phone...that' putting it on vibrate. I work in a call center and the kids call my cell, the people I work with and those on the phone do not want to be treated to a rendition of Ah-ha Take on Me or Mission Impossible Theme. So at work the phone is on vibrate and sits on my desk so I can see if the kids call.
So I sit down with the manual and get distracted by taking pictures of the kids and pets...then I see this one little button that has a picture of a phone that is kind of split in half, top and bottom. So I press it and up on the display pops a little message saying "Manner Mode On." Manner Mode? What the hell is a manner mode? So I use the house phone, and call my cell. It vibrates. Oh you have got to be kidding me!? We can't call it vibrate now? To many jokes about women using their cell phones to have a little fun. We have to call it manner mode? I don't think so...
Who the heck came up with this? It had to be a guy. We women like our vibrators...and we joke about them with our significant others, make the jokes about the phones. And that is what they are jokes...Sorry to say my phone goes over to voice mail too quickly to do anything more than give me a little tickle. Some out there is taking things way too seriously. They need to get down off their cell phone soap box, have a glass of wine, and chill out. Isn't their enough PC in the world already than to inflict in our cell phones as well? Now excuse me while I go see if I can program my cell to do repeat dial to call itself...if vibrates when there is a call waiting too! ;-) |
| posted by Raven @ 7:52 PM |
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| Monday, August 21, 2006 |
| Before and After |
Redneck and Orange commented about how sexy I looked in my last Half Nude Thursday I thought I would show before and after photos of my diet. Some of you have never seen me as I was and some or you (Mary I know you are lurking around here somewhere) haven't really seen me since I lost the weight. This photo is from just over a year ago at my graduation for my MBA...
This one is from Laura's birthday last month... 
I am still trying to get down to close to what I was when I got out of the military. That was after I had my girls...so I know it's possible. Only problem is that I was 12 years younger then... Oh well, even if don't get down that far I feel much better about myself now. I also feel a heck of a lot healthier. |
| posted by Raven @ 12:06 AM |
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| Thursday, August 17, 2006 |
| Half Nude Thursday |
Well this is as good as it gets...I spent way too much time at a bar tonight with co-workers having a very good time...I'm going to go to bed now, with hubby...Good Night! |
| posted by Raven @ 10:32 PM |
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| Tuesday, August 15, 2006 |
| I'm feeling verbose this week |
I have no idea why...probably too much caffine!
1) first grade teacher: Mrs Krone and St John's Lutheran
2) last word you said: upstairs
3) last song you sang: Pressure by Billy Joel
4) last person you hugged: Mandy
5) last person you kissed: Hubby
6) last time you said 'i love you': To Hubby about an hour ago...
7) last time you cried: Sunday night after Hubby left for Albany...you think after 5 years he could leave each week without me crying! I am such a wimp!
8) what's in your cd player: I don't have a CD player...iPod Shuffle
9) what color socks are you wearing:Black with little pink flowers on them
10) what's under your bed: killer dust bunnies and old textbooks...some spare candles...shoes...probably some books that have fallen off the bed...anything else, I don't want to know about it!
11) what time did you wake up today: 5:45AM
12) current close friend(s): Hubby
13) current hair: Short with curles and waves refusing to be tamed
14) current clothes: Black pants...you already know about the socks...teal shirt...ditched the bra when I got in the house.
15) current annoyance: Someone at work...let's just not go there...
16) current longing: Hubby to find a job back home
17) current desktop picture: a picture of hubby Fritz and Q all sleeping on the couch together.
18) current worry: That Laura is going to end up waiting to go to college and having to work even harder for that degree like I did
19) current hate: The only thing I truly hate is winter...the temps get below 50 and I just want to hibernate
20) story behind your username: Orange nicknamed me Raven in high school thanks to having almost black hair back then. It doesn't really fit anymore with the gray and lots of red in there now.
21) current favorite article of clothing: NADA!
22) favorite physical feature of the opposite sex: Kind eyes...the rest, who cares!
23) last cd that you bought: I have no clue...I think it was one with scary noises on it to play during trick or treat times on Halloween. I haven't bought a music CD in years.
24) least favorite place: standing in front of my microwave in the morning...trying to operate it half asleep to heat up my tea...it's a vicious cycle...need the tea to be able to operate the thing with any competancy, can't get the tea without working it.
25) time you wake up in the morning: usually 5:45
26) do you play an instrument?: Bongos on my kids heads whrn they are being dorks!
27) favorite color: Purple
28) do you believe in an afterlife: yes, I also believe in reincarnation and next time I want to come back as a house cat!
29) how tall are you: 5'10"
30) current favorite word/saying: asshole!
31) favorite book:This is really hard to pick...but I think The Stand by Stephen King is tops on my list
32) favorite season: Any season as long as it is above 50!
33) one person from your past you wish you could go back and talk to: My Uncle Rich
34) favorite day: Thursday...Hubby comes home!
35) where do you want to go: Arizona...Preferably Phoenix but I'll take anywhere in the state at this point
36) what is your career going to be like: At this point...stagnant
37) how many kids do you want?No more than I have right now! The P word is a very bad one in this house!
38) what kind of car will you have?: My dream car is a converible...but I would be happy with any small car that gets a 100mpg
39) type a line you remember from any book: "Maybe you can take her along with you on a bust," Grandma said. "Maybe that'd perk her spirits up."
"No way," I said. "She already tried being a bounty hunter, and she fainted the first time sone held a gun to her head."
My mother made the sign of the cross. "Dear God," she said.
40) a random lyric: And here you are with your faith and Peter Pan advice. You have no scars on your face and you can not handle pressure.
*specifics*
1. do you/have you done drugs?: no comment
2. what kind of shampoo do you use?: Whatever is in the shower...I'm not picky
3. what are you most scared of?: Water and closed in places
4. what are you listening to right now?: Kelly Clarkson Because of You
5. who is the last person that called you?: Hubby
6. where do you want to get married? Forget it...I'm not doing the singles scene again.
7. how many buddies are online right now?: Do AIMbots count? No...then 3 two are my cousins though.
8. if you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?: a little more up top if you know what I mean
*favorites*
1. color: purple... is there an echo in here?
2. pasta: Any that hubby will fix...if I'm cooking then spaghetti
3. boys names: Well, the one I had picked out if I had a boy was Tymothy Scott
4. girls names: Used them already
5. subjects in school: Religion and Ethics
6. animals: Flamingos, giraffes, moose, and cats dogs and anoles
7. sports: Football!!!
*have you ever*
1. given anyone a bath?: Babies and my grandmother when she was dying of cancer
2. smoked?: Yes...going to try and quit again soon though
3. bungee jumped?: No! I like all my body parts attatched
4. made yourself throw up? Ick no...
5. skinny dipping?: Yes, Aqua Marine pool around 2am
6. ever been in love?: Yes
7. made yourself cry to get out of trouble? No, It takes a lot to make me cry usually and making myself cry in almost impossible
8. pictured your crush naked?: Pictured or taken pictures...this isn't very specific
9. actually seen your crush naked?: ...evil grin...
10. cried when someone died?: Yes...
11. lied: hahahahahah no never
12. fallen for your best friend?: Sort of...he is my love and my best friend
13. been rejected?: nope
14. rejected someone?: I try to be nice...worst one is when I drove a guy home after he showed up drunk at my house and told him not to call me any more!
15. used someone?: Used someone for what...sex...yes...to get my VCR hooked back up...yes...to motivate me to go to the gym...yes...to have a date for a wedding...yes...OK yeah I've used people
16. done something you regret?: Not really everything is a learning experience. |
| posted by Raven @ 8:01 PM |
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| Monday, August 14, 2006 |
| Bits and pieces...Dribs and Drabs |
Well thank you to Flannery for informing me that 35 is the new 21...I feel much better now about not acting my supposed age! It's nice to know I can still feel like a kid...or close to that..and not be condemned by my peers. If nothing else...my kids enjoy it...they get to enjoy mommy willing to get down on the floor and play PS2 with them...or make the puppy run around in circles.
The kids are gone for the moment...Mandy is camping with the cross country team and Laura is still at Pennsic. So I ate dinner at the pub. They have pot luck Mondays...Tonight was Pork tenderloin, cheesy potatoes and a roll (there was also broccoli...ick) for $4.50. Can't get a much better deal. Plus I get to flirt with all of the older guys there...which they enjoy and is nice for my ego. Hubby just laughs at me when I do this and tells me not to get them too worked up. ;-)
Work is still nuts...this week is technically the half way point. Plus there is one person at work I am about ready to been with my son's baseball bat.
I am very proud of myself this week. Please look to the right and you will see I have managed to finally manipulate the HTML to include links to friends blogs...if I forgot anyone please speak up. Duffie, I wasn't sure whether you would want to be included...so let me know if you want a link.
Last thing for the day...anyone out there take any prescription sleep aids...Ambien, Lunesta or the sort. I have real issues getting to sleep. Once I fall asleep I'm fine, but getting the old brain to shut down long enough for that to happen is a challenge at times. I'm thinking about going to my doctor and getting something prescribed and I was wondering if anyone has any experiences, good or bad, they would like to share? I'm tired of being tired because I can't fall asleep until 2am and drinking every night really isn't an option.
Well, I'm going to go read for awhile...One last comment...It's been a year since I finally finished school and I want to say how much I am enjoying reading things I choose again, fiction, non-fiction, horror, suspense, thriller, romance...sigh...very nice. |
| posted by Raven @ 9:52 PM |
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| Sunday, August 13, 2006 |
| When do you really start getting older? |
I was thinking about this with my last post. Is getting older an actual physical age? Is it how you feel? Is it how you look?
Let's take me for an example...
I am 35 years old. In terms of years I am relatively young. I am creeping towards middle age, but I am still young enough to be silly and not have people look at me too strangely.
In terms of how I feel, hell I still feel 18 at times. I still have the desire to roam and party at times. Yes, things don't always work they same way they did as an 18 year old kid, (mainly my knees, but a few other things are starting to make they aches and pains known to me) BUT! I still feel young and carefree most of the time.
In terms of looks, well I think I look my age or a little younger if I don't look at the gray hair coming in or my hands. I do not have crows feet, I do not have any real lines around my mouth yet. The early signs of wrinkles have not made their way onto my face. Other things have not started sagging too badly.
Then I look at my life. I have one child and 2 step-children starting high school in a little less than 3 weeks. HIGH SCHOOL! They will be driving soon. I do not feel old enough to be the mother of high school children! Granted I had my children young (I was almost 21 when I had Mandy) but still. I feel almost a fraud when I walk into school functions and see these matronly mothers. I still dress in tye die and if I can get away with a sexy top or tight jeans...I will.
Can you be 35 going on 21? I guess my personal motto should be, "You may have to get old, but you don't have to mature."
I'm going roller blading now...c'ya. |
| posted by Raven @ 12:21 PM |
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| Wednesday, August 09, 2006 |
| Half Nude Thursday |
Sorry I haven't posted more. It's nuts at work and home. Work, it's rush...which means college bookstores across the nation are calling us and ordering last minute books for classes that start in the next few weeks. Home, I am trying to get rooms rearranged before the kids go back to school. which means painting and carpet cleaning among other things.
One that note, I was too tired to come up with something creative this time. Mandy is at a cross country meet tonight, so she isn't here to help decorate my feet this time...next week I swear. This is my hand. I just got my nails done. My hands are what scare me and make me realize I'm note 18 anymore. Not even the gray hair gets me that bad, but my hands are definitely starting to show my age. See all the veins? Ewww!
To help keep you entertained I stole this off of Duffie's site. Enjoy!
1.Where were you 1 hour ago? IHOP with Laura...it was either that or cook her pancakes.
2. Who will be your next kiss? Probably Laura...Mandy doesn't like kisses. Feel sorry for her eventual boyfriends.
3. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? Ummm, book cover, some clothes ohhh....the stuffed bunny that sits on my computer screen has pink in it's ears.
4. When is the last time you were at the mall? Let me think...It was great Northern Mall...Oh, to get Mandy a one piece bathing suit for camp...that was about a month ago.
5. Are you wearing socks right now? Yes, they are sheer black ones with irises painted on them.
6. When was the last time you went out of the state? For my FIL Funeral right after Easter...I'm actually going again on Saturday to take Laura to Pennsic.
7. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? No Hubby and the kids went to see Monster House and I hung out at Border's.
8. What was the last thing you had to drink? Milk
9. What are you wearing right now? Jeans and a T-shirt
10. Have you been in a car wash? With or without the car? With yes...without no, they scare me a little.
11. Last food you ate? Pancakes and hash browns at IHOP.
13. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? Ummm, not for me, bought track spikes for Mandy, does that count?
14. Do you have any pets? Let's see, a mini doxie named Frits, 3 cats names Chippy Sugar and Q, and two brown anoles named Bert and Ernie.
15. What's the last sporting event you watched? I can't even remember...parts of my sons baseball games, several parts of different golf events on TV. The last one I watched in it's entirety was the superbowl.
16. What was your favorite class? Religion and Ethics.
Ummm Duffie...what happened to 17?
18. What is the last thing you purchased online? A bed for my daughter...she has this thing about having a mattress on the floor.
19. How old are your parents? 60 and 61
20. Are you in love? More everyday!
21. Do you miss anyone? Yes several people. Some I'll see soon, others I won't
22. Last play you saw? Jeeze a play was probably A Tuna Christmas about 3 years ago. We saw an opera of Romeo and Juliet last Valentine's Day.
23. What are your plans for the day? I really should go paint some trim, right now I'm waiting for a call to go get Mandy from the High School after her meet, then BED!
24. Ever go to camp? Yes, Amish camp...no electricity, no indoor plumbing...wear pants all the time. It was fun but have you ever tried to explain something like that when you are 11 to other kids? No? It's not a good experience!
25. Were you an honor roll student in school?HAHAHAHAHAHA!
26. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? Jasmine and Rose body spray
27. Do you have a tan? On my left arm...that's it!
28. How old do you want to be when you have kids? Too late...
29. Do you collect anything? Kids, pets, books, I have a few decorative plates but I don't really collect them.
30. Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over? See this entry
31. Have you ever drank your soda from a straw? Ummm, this is kind of like asking if I've ever been to a fastfood place...yes...I've also drank wine, amaretto sours, whiskey and water, and Mike's hard lemonade with a straw...not all at once though.
32. Last time you took a shower? This morning...trying to get the paint out of my hair. Thankfully whatever I missed just blended in with the gray.
33. What is your mood? Tired...get home Mandy
34. Are you someone's best friend? Yes, and he's mine
35. What's the last TV show you watched? Dead Zone or 4400, I can't remember what order I watched them in.
That's it...there is no more...well unless Duffie finds that missing 17th question.
PS I did a spell check on this before I posted it and it kept wanting to change the name Pennsic to penises...that's just wrong. |
| posted by Raven @ 9:33 PM |
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| Thursday, August 03, 2006 |
| Half Nude Thursday |
My kids had fun drawing on the bottom of my feet, and wanted me to put there art work on the web. I declined though and recommended they find more constructive ways to spend their time, like playing in the street!
This is my ear. It's hard to see in the picture, but there is also a nice crop of grey hair going there too, at my temple. It shows up better under sun light rather than a lamp. The earrings are in my second holes, the ones I got when I started feeling a little old. The thing I forgot when I got them pierced again though was that my ears are very sensitive...and getting the poked higher up hurt like hell!
We are heading out of town tomorrow...hell out of country...Hubby and I are going to Windsor to do a little gambling.
***Edit Friday morning**** I'm sick as a dog, we were leaving tonight for Windsor...it's been pushed back to tomrrow morning...maybe... |
| posted by Raven @ 9:16 PM |
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