Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
A HUGE thanks to those who have ordered books already! The books are starting to arrive, and it's so much fun opening the boxes and sorting them for families. Pretty soon, I'll start wrapping. The deadline for books to arrive at my house is DEC. 13.
This year, we have ten "adopted" families with a total of 36 kids. As a whole school, over 80% of our kids qualify for free or reduced lunch. The selected families are the neediest of that group. To give you some guidance if you want to select different/additional books, 7 of the 10 families are Spanish-speaking (parents only speak Spanish). One of the families speaks Somali. The other two families speak English. My goal is to collect enough new books so that each student receives at least one book of their own for the holidays.
Thank you again to all of Santa's "elves" who are using Amazon to get some fun books to kids in need! (If you can't participate, that's okay too.)
To help out, go to Amazon.com and put my name into the Baby Registry search engine. You'll find my list of books for kids and can click to buy and send.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Cute, funny, amzing parrots
Some of the best parrot videos that Pippin & I have found on YouTube:
Snowball the Cockatoo Dancing
Einstein animal impressions
Amazon parrot sings opera
Why you should not have a parrot and a baby at the same time
Talking budgie
A very narcissistic talking budgie
Baby African Grey
It doesn't do anything; it's just cute. :)
Leo the Conure's Blanket Trick
Alex, the famous African Grey (research subject)
Although Alex's intelligence is amazing, this is kind of sad to watch because Alex is clearly not enjoying himself and keeps asking to "go back." Also, Alex passed away unexpectedly last year.
Snowball the Cockatoo Dancing
Einstein animal impressions
Amazon parrot sings opera
Why you should not have a parrot and a baby at the same time
Talking budgie
A very narcissistic talking budgie
Baby African Grey
It doesn't do anything; it's just cute. :)
Leo the Conure's Blanket Trick
Alex, the famous African Grey (research subject)
Although Alex's intelligence is amazing, this is kind of sad to watch because Alex is clearly not enjoying himself and keeps asking to "go back." Also, Alex passed away unexpectedly last year.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Another meme
01) Are you currently in a serious relationship?
Nope.
02) What was your dream growing up?
I wanted to be a marine biologist and work at Marine World. I loved dolphins (well, I still do).
03) What talent do you wish you had?
I wish I could draw.
04) If I bought you a drink what would it be?
Root beer.
05) Favorite vegetable?
Mushrooms
06) What was the last book you read?
And the Band Played On
07) What zodiac sign are you?
Scorpio
08) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Explain where.
Just ears
09) Worst Habit?
Not sure about the WORST. Sulking?
10) If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride?
I used to give people rides a lot...and then I decided that giving random strangers a ride was probably not the smartest idea.
11) What is your favorite sport?
Yoga
12) Do you have a Pessimistic or Optimistic attitude?
I'm often told that I'm overly optimistic (particularly related to the kids I work with), but I think I lean towards pessimism.
13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?
Smile & say "hi."
14) Worst thing to ever happen to you?
Let's skip that one.
15) Tell me one weird fact about you.
I like to brush my teeth in the shower.
16) Do you have any pets?
Yes, my dear Pippin.
17) What if I showed up at your house unexpectedly?
I don't answer the door when people come unannounced (but since the complex has a security gate, people don't really come without calling first...though a couple of my friends know the code).
18) What was your first impression of me?
Can't really answer this one generically. :-)
19) Do you think clowns are cute or scary?
Scary
20) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?
One thing?? I guess my nose.
21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?
Conscience
22) What color eyes do you have?
Brown
23) Ever been arrested?
Nope
24) Bottle or can soda?
Bottle...I can put the cap back on and keep the fizz.
25) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it?
Hmmm...well, Suzie Orman says I should wait to pay back student loans, but I think I would put some of the money toward loans anyway. Maybe I could go on vacation.
27) What's your favorite place to hang out?
Sabino Canyon
28) Do you believe in ghosts?
Not really. I believe in spirits but not ghosts, per se.
29) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
Read, relax, spend time with friends just talking.
30) Do you swear a lot?
Not too much
31) Biggest pet peeve?
People who are fake, especially those that are nice to me in person and then say bad things about me behind my back.
32) In one word, how would you describe yourself?
Multifaceted
33) Do you believe/appreciate romance?
Um...yes. I believe in romance.
34) Favorite and least favorite food?
Favorite: Cookies or ice cream or cookies in ice cream Least Favorite: Red meat
35) Do you believe in God?
Yes!
Nope.
02) What was your dream growing up?
I wanted to be a marine biologist and work at Marine World. I loved dolphins (well, I still do).
03) What talent do you wish you had?
I wish I could draw.
04) If I bought you a drink what would it be?
Root beer.
05) Favorite vegetable?
Mushrooms
06) What was the last book you read?
And the Band Played On
07) What zodiac sign are you?
Scorpio
08) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Explain where.
Just ears
09) Worst Habit?
Not sure about the WORST. Sulking?
10) If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride?
I used to give people rides a lot...and then I decided that giving random strangers a ride was probably not the smartest idea.
11) What is your favorite sport?
Yoga
12) Do you have a Pessimistic or Optimistic attitude?
I'm often told that I'm overly optimistic (particularly related to the kids I work with), but I think I lean towards pessimism.
13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?
Smile & say "hi."
14) Worst thing to ever happen to you?
Let's skip that one.
15) Tell me one weird fact about you.
I like to brush my teeth in the shower.
16) Do you have any pets?
Yes, my dear Pippin.
17) What if I showed up at your house unexpectedly?
I don't answer the door when people come unannounced (but since the complex has a security gate, people don't really come without calling first...though a couple of my friends know the code).
18) What was your first impression of me?
Can't really answer this one generically. :-)
19) Do you think clowns are cute or scary?
Scary
20) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?
One thing?? I guess my nose.
21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?
Conscience
22) What color eyes do you have?
Brown
23) Ever been arrested?
Nope
24) Bottle or can soda?
Bottle...I can put the cap back on and keep the fizz.
25) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it?
Hmmm...well, Suzie Orman says I should wait to pay back student loans, but I think I would put some of the money toward loans anyway. Maybe I could go on vacation.
27) What's your favorite place to hang out?
Sabino Canyon
28) Do you believe in ghosts?
Not really. I believe in spirits but not ghosts, per se.
29) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
Read, relax, spend time with friends just talking.
30) Do you swear a lot?
Not too much
31) Biggest pet peeve?
People who are fake, especially those that are nice to me in person and then say bad things about me behind my back.
32) In one word, how would you describe yourself?
Multifaceted
33) Do you believe/appreciate romance?
Um...yes. I believe in romance.
34) Favorite and least favorite food?
Favorite: Cookies or ice cream or cookies in ice cream Least Favorite: Red meat
35) Do you believe in God?
Yes!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Meme
Here we present a list. Highlight those tasks that you have accomplished in your life. And then add a new task to the list of something memorable that you've done that isn't on the list yet.
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree (on New Year's Eve on a commune in Marin with Dani!)
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris (well, the airport)
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s nappy
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten tipsy on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse of both the sun and moon
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states (
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had/Have amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business (when I was about 10!)
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days (with an IV in the hospital)
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest (4-headed sea monster)
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted a river
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage (many times...and once at the Kennedy Center)
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in a Rocky Horror Picture Show
96. Raised children (just other peoples')
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth (well, helped Pippin lay eggs)
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept 30 hours in a 48 hour time frame
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read “The Iliad”
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident (a very little one)
150. Saved someone’s life (I've been told that I have)
151. Organized a HUGE event!
152. Seen something you can't explain with science.
153. Had a book published.
And my addition...
154. Tried to rescue an orphaned animal.
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree (on New Year's Eve on a commune in Marin with Dani!)
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris (well, the airport)
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s nappy
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten tipsy on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse of both the sun and moon
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states (
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had/Have amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business (when I was about 10!)
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days (with an IV in the hospital)
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest (4-headed sea monster)
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted a river
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage (many times...and once at the Kennedy Center)
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in a Rocky Horror Picture Show
96. Raised children (just other peoples')
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth (well, helped Pippin lay eggs)
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept 30 hours in a 48 hour time frame
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read “The Iliad”
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident (a very little one)
150. Saved someone’s life (I've been told that I have)
151. Organized a HUGE event!
152. Seen something you can't explain with science.
153. Had a book published.
And my addition...
154. Tried to rescue an orphaned animal.
Sort of new news (but not really)
The Mayo doctor sent me a copy of the summary he sent to my local GI, which included his ideas about possible diagnoses. These were the possibilities he listed:
1. rule out inflammatory bowel disease (Crohns/colitis)
2. celiac disease (but he says he doesn't think that's what it is)
3. eosinophilic gastroenteritis (http://www.apfed.org/egid.htm)
4. auto-immune enteropathy (http://www.cancer.gov/templates/db_alpha.aspx?CdrID=560647)
5. hormonal-related diarrhea (example only: http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic2379.htm)
6. rule out neoplasia (tumor/cancer)
So...I'm waiting for insurance to approve more tests related to those possibilities.
That's all. Not too new, not too exciting.
I'd like to offer some media reports, but I regret to inform you that I don't have anything to provide. I'm currently listening to Brisingr (the last of the Eragon) books on audio CD. It's so-so. I'm also very slowly reading Outlander by Diane Gabaldon. I'm not very far though, and the book is, like, a million pages so I can't give a true opinion yet. Oh, I did read Define Normal (by Julie Anne Peters) for our middle school mother-daughter book club! It's a great book for that audience. :) Right now, I am frequently accosted by Twilight-crazed teens begging me to find them a copy of Twilight (our library is out) or let them watch trailers for the movie. I expect it will only get worse as the release date approaches!
1. rule out inflammatory bowel disease (Crohns/colitis)
2. celiac disease (but he says he doesn't think that's what it is)
3. eosinophilic gastroenteritis (http://www.apfed.org/egid.htm)
4. auto-immune enteropathy (http://www.cancer.gov/templates/db_alpha.aspx?CdrID=560647)
5. hormonal-related diarrhea (example only: http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic2379.htm)
6. rule out neoplasia (tumor/cancer)
So...I'm waiting for insurance to approve more tests related to those possibilities.
That's all. Not too new, not too exciting.
I'd like to offer some media reports, but I regret to inform you that I don't have anything to provide. I'm currently listening to Brisingr (the last of the Eragon) books on audio CD. It's so-so. I'm also very slowly reading Outlander by Diane Gabaldon. I'm not very far though, and the book is, like, a million pages so I can't give a true opinion yet. Oh, I did read Define Normal (by Julie Anne Peters) for our middle school mother-daughter book club! It's a great book for that audience. :) Right now, I am frequently accosted by Twilight-crazed teens begging me to find them a copy of Twilight (our library is out) or let them watch trailers for the movie. I expect it will only get worse as the release date approaches!
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