tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8638783426412306372024-03-14T00:53:29.523-07:00Beth in the CountryA city girl moves to the country, and ready for a new adventure.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-78195617360728036382012-11-15T06:18:00.001-08:002012-11-15T06:19:09.986-08:00A little physical therapy never hurt anyone<br />
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I walk 2-3 miles every day. I run once or twice a week. I take martial arts classes 3-4 times a week. I do the elliptical 2 times a week. I’m not ready to do an Ironman, but I’m no slouch. So going to the doc for some nagging hip pain wasn’t going to be a big deal…</div>
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Neither was physical therapy… right?</div>
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So I went to the first physical therapist appointment for my hip. Nothing like a good physical therapist to make you feel completely physically freakish and inadequate. In the span of 2 minutes, she told me my shoulders were uneven, my back was crooked, my hips were uneven (right is higher than left) and my left hip muscles are atrophied. (Yes, she used the word “atrophy”.) Nothing like someone telling you you’re atrophied to make you feel good about yourself!</div>
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Then she made me do some tiny little exercises (put your leg here, straighten your knee, and lift up 2 inches and back down again while i push on your leg) which nearly killed me. I apparently have “a good deal of weakness in that area.”</div>
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It’s going to be a long 3 weeks…</div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-91171614359238007712012-03-02T14:41:00.004-08:002012-03-02T14:43:31.245-08:00Feeling persecuted...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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or... we could keep an open mind to other peoples' feelings? just a thought...Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-49747167593236952202012-02-29T14:58:00.004-08:002012-03-02T14:43:13.688-08:00Bridal Gown Shopping - Combat StyleI had an appointment today to try on bridal gowns at Lord & Taylor in NYC. And right there on the website it says, "In our brand new Wedding Shop you'll find everything you need." I needed a dress, so I made an appointment. So I trekked to the third floor, past the rows of hyper-vigilant perfume sprayers, makeup experts, and accessory hawkers, and up the elevators, to a little section in the formal wear department that was all white...<br />
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On the wall a sign that said "Wedding Shop" and a little table with a phone and a computer sitting in the midst of about 30 dresses. Looked good! The only thing missing - a human being. There seemed to be many salespeople wandering about very busy with...something. But none stopped to ask if I needed anything, very few made eye contact, and those that did quickly glanced away and put their heads down and ran. One I actually got to speak to me said "Yes, I'll be right back" and fell into a black hole (that's the only explanation I have for her unexplained disappearance.)<br />
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After waiting 20 minutes for someone to show up, I finally helped myself to the racks, looking through the small selection of dresses, and lugged three torn, patched, dirty and limp gowns to the dressing room (alone) and tried them on.<br />
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One other girl came in at one point to try on bridal gowns, too. She had as much luck finding assistance as I did, and her poor dad ended up combing the racks and lugging the gowns back and forth for her to try them on. He did, however, seem more pleased that he had something to do other than sit in a dingy sofa-chair like the other men in the department store.<br />
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There was no success finding The Dress at Lord & Taylor. Not because the dresses weren't pretty, but because I was a little concerned about putting my faith in a store where the Brand New Wedding Shop seemed to be more like a Deserted City After the Zombie Apocalypse. But I'm nothing if not positive, so I came up with this:<br />
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<u>Constructive Criticism for Lord & Taylor:</u><br />
1. Have salespeople available at the Wedding Shop to actually sell wedding things to people. You'll be surprised how successful that might be in increasing your sales rates.<br />
2. Answer your freakin' phone.<br />
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Anyhoo, after that bit of fun, I decided to head over to the famous RK Bridal and try some gowns on there. It's a no-appointment place but I figured a Friday wouldn't be too bad, right? (Wrong. But we'll get there later.)<br />
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I entered the door... and was greeted by racks, and racks, and racks of gowns. Acres of wedding gowns, prom dresses, bridesmaids gowns... you name it, it was on a rack, smooshed together in such density as was almost unimaginable. The front-door greeter-woman handed me a flyer - it gave instructions for "First Time RK visitors".<br />
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The instructions were along these lines: <i>Welcome! Put your name on The List on the clipboard, pick out 5 dresses (maximum) you'd like to try on, and put them on Rack A. Tie a ribbon around them, and then have a seat and wait for your name to be called. Thanks for your patience.</i><br />
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They're already asking for my patience. On a flyer. Uh oh. I should have used the loo before coming.<br />
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It was packed with dresses. It was packed with brides-to-be. And all the women were like carnivorous animals, stalking the dresses like prey...each looking for the choiciest one to snag before the other brides spotted it.<br />
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I dutifully forced my way through the crowds of brides and their variously-sized entourages and put my name on The List...about six names were before mine...and went to the racks of gowns. It was overwhelming. The wedding gowns were all wrapped in plastic bags, squashed together so tightly that some were standing on their own, held up by the other gowns squashing it on the rack. You had to force your way through the bulging tulle skirts to get from aisle to aisle. Supposedly they were arranged by designer...but I never found any patterns to the piles. <br />
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Sweating, and my arms literally were sore from pushing, pulling, manhandling gowns to see them... I eventually gave up on looking at the actual gown on the rack and just went by the photos on the tag to pull out my first 5 gowns. I put my gowns on Rack A and tied a navy ribbon around them...and waited.<br />
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And waited.<br />
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And waited and waited and... I <i>definitely </i>should have used the loo before coming.<br />
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There were brides of every size, shape, and color. Moms of brides, fawning. Friends of brides sneaking photos (which, according to the much-ignored sign, were not allowed until you're purchasing a gown.) There were even a few unfortunate men there, with eyes as big as saucers, no doubt wondering why they'd been dragged into this hellhole nightmare. There were literal fights over dresses, whispered commentary about how good / bad / fat / skinny / ridiculous that one looked on that girl, or that one looked on that girl. Crying moms, nervous girls, impatient salespeople, bridezillas, mom-zillas, friend-zillas... I tried to make myself comfy resting against a swath of tulle-puffed towns and watched the circus... and tried, in vain, to be patient.<br />
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I wasn't that successful at the patient part. After an hour, my bladder was maxed, and so was my cranky level... but my name was finally called. I met with my consultant, Mariah, and headed back into her room with my navy-ribboned gown collection, which was suspiciously reduced to four. Apparently another bride spotted one of my finds and snagged it for her own try-on session first. (Did I mention the bridezillas?) Mariah told me not to worry...she'd find it.<br />
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I tried on 6 or 7 gowns, and Mariah was fabulous... she tried to find the dresses that I brought photos of, and wrangled gowns from other dressing rooms when necessary (and trust me when I tell you, blood was nearly drawn over a few gowns that several girls were eyeing simultaneously.) She brought dresses she thought I might like that were a little different than I would otherwise look for, and was totally game when I wanted to try one or two dresses on again, just to take another peek.<br />
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About 60 minutes later, my cranky level had gone to nearly zero thanks to Mariah and two gowns that I now need to make a decision between. Overall, a rocky start, but in the end, we had achieved success! And next time, I get to make an appointment...which puts me right up at the top of The List.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-11797426464494211272012-01-09T08:46:00.000-08:002012-01-09T08:48:07.936-08:00Working from homeI have a few eyes watching me when I work from home...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No pressure.</td></tr>
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<br />Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-81371960129580704822011-12-15T14:20:00.000-08:002011-12-15T14:22:33.214-08:00Dear Granddaddy...Dear Granddaddy....<br />
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My aunt called today, and told me you'd passed away. I know you're 87, you've been sick for a while, but it's never easy to hear this news, even when it's not surprising... </div>
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As I'm thinking about it today, I remember my mother dying years ago. There are things about her that I'll never forget, but I'm sure there are things that I've forgotten, too, that I wish I hadn't. So here, I'm going to write a few things I've been thinking about today... things that I don't want to forget, and things I hope you remember, too.</div>
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You used to give us hugs when we saw you that were so strong that we couldn't breathe. I hated them as a child, but when I grew up, I looked forward to those crushing hugs every time I saw you. Over the last years, they got weaker, and that made me so sad.</div>
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You wore Old Spice aftershave, and I have loved the scent ever since.</div>
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You had the biggest Christmas stocking of anyone, and we always tried to sneak coal or sticks into it every year. You never complained, and we always thought it was such a funny joke.</div>
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You loved to travel, and for as long as you could, you traveled all around the world. I still tell people today that you were snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef in your late 70's... and I wanted to do exactly the same thing.</div>
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You took tons of photos... we still have the slides. Some are the most beautiful photographs I've ever seen. But the one I remember most is of a broken down, bent fence on a beach in New Jersey. You were an artist, and I cherish the memories that you preserved for all of us with your camera.</div>
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You played with all the grandkids at Myrtle Beach every year when we were little, leading all of us down to the water like little ducks... all of us lined up in single file, with a floaty around our waists, marching down to the beach in size order... tallest to shortest.</div>
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You went to war, but never spoke about it to anyone. The only story you ever told me was about the time when you and the guys were taking "baths" on the beach somewhere in the Pacific. You said you were using your helmets to scoop up the water, and pour over yourselves, and you remembered a few native girls walking by and giggling at you.</div>
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When my mother passed away, you told me that I looked just like her... a compliment that still holds my heart today. And you told me that no father should outlive their children, and I know how it hurt you when she had to go.</div>
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You told me that I would find someone that would take care of me, but that if he ever hurt me, to let you know and you'd come and take care of it for me. I have found someone... he won't hurt me. But I can't tell you how happy I am that you met the love of my life before you left us.</div>
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You made wooden furniture for the grownups, and wooden toys for the kids in your shed in the back yard. You loved working out there, and what you made was so beautiful. I had to force you to make me a wooden train one year... and a little wooden table. I still have them. I cherish them.</div>
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You were an engineer for the phone company... I remember when I was little, you pointed to the payphones at the airport, telling me that you helped make those. I was so impressed and thought you must be famous.</div>
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You taught me the sign language symbol for "I love you"... which our entire family uses all the time now. It's a part of our lives forever.</div>
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I know you're with mom now...where you are not sick, or suffering... where you can see what us silly people down here are doing, fretting about the small things that don't really matter much in the end.</div>
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I love you, granddaddy. And I miss you. You are part of me forever, and so I won't say goodbye... but instead, I'll just say ... I'll see you later, in another place. Say "Hi" to mom from me... and give her a hug.</div>
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I love you,</div>
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-Beth</div>
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<br /></div>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-45195714725116221982011-11-03T06:26:00.000-07:002011-11-03T06:28:16.862-07:00Our Arizona Vacation<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grand Canyon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yay!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A friend on the trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Literally, ON the trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">scenery</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our shadows enjoy the view</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxDNcqGaBCrTI0lXTessVlMDWtxxczznvkiukRpzvmdC1NSZc0T4AWhIn72FseUljMLpbNBBUBO_LqMF0H5euVf-Nc11cst2dwiSaYjdvh9ZBUGPeq8l5XV3zYJxqQaFN648oOpiB8EA/s1600/IMG_6256sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxDNcqGaBCrTI0lXTessVlMDWtxxczznvkiukRpzvmdC1NSZc0T4AWhIn72FseUljMLpbNBBUBO_LqMF0H5euVf-Nc11cst2dwiSaYjdvh9ZBUGPeq8l5XV3zYJxqQaFN648oOpiB8EA/s320/IMG_6256sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise on the rocks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKptuK-EjSXQ-yxqLTUu4x0oe-sG40m6osRlaU6g8WkVSETA7yXhRjvt5jZM-xdLExXH0axKkBB1OK1Z2K0gZb6JWU0NaqR4xeN1jQUXsgI1fIs9R3MR0tPTIw6pIXxNDJ5b5eSqJDilw/s1600/IMG_6262sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKptuK-EjSXQ-yxqLTUu4x0oe-sG40m6osRlaU6g8WkVSETA7yXhRjvt5jZM-xdLExXH0axKkBB1OK1Z2K0gZb6JWU0NaqR4xeN1jQUXsgI1fIs9R3MR0tPTIw6pIXxNDJ5b5eSqJDilw/s320/IMG_6262sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going down is optional - coming back up is mandatory!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaOnUvxbeXcWg8fS5GpNvfMeU2vg61qzi3EYeOWTeunkJ9MBplYHZDfeibhYprlrw41-gP3gvthlxxEGitIkXoHJnzIQo54Ry1RncxV93XGzGPDZ5sssKkFOQUX2A_HGlwagoDe6jfUc/s1600/IMG_6275sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaOnUvxbeXcWg8fS5GpNvfMeU2vg61qzi3EYeOWTeunkJ9MBplYHZDfeibhYprlrw41-gP3gvthlxxEGitIkXoHJnzIQo54Ry1RncxV93XGzGPDZ5sssKkFOQUX2A_HGlwagoDe6jfUc/s320/IMG_6275sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going down!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuBM9CDPq7LgnCRsbQHCqTdb8PyghJUxhp2USGqiGJl3v_Ch44YArkyeZW5NWm9ahXcnkHIAXqENdtMuNNL_Y1ZCPZP5CI4EVCkL6ur7ZwWmoyZddBiUgowBVmNnKVvVDHRkzonlwD_A/s1600/IMG_6283sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuBM9CDPq7LgnCRsbQHCqTdb8PyghJUxhp2USGqiGJl3v_Ch44YArkyeZW5NWm9ahXcnkHIAXqENdtMuNNL_Y1ZCPZP5CI4EVCkL6ur7ZwWmoyZddBiUgowBVmNnKVvVDHRkzonlwD_A/s320/IMG_6283sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And more down...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6K-lii-D6uyGmq5HpnWdFoC9QHQF0nulCORmlu0hKn4wsubakQVkgdlz8fYeWoODM14b0xxEuXwJjoPUb594e7GBVxBdbkxKa7aOqZBgMhHIr7UFh9hQrjrCjr5p0IXXwH0EuuwpRA0/s1600/IMG_6308sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6K-lii-D6uyGmq5HpnWdFoC9QHQF0nulCORmlu0hKn4wsubakQVkgdlz8fYeWoODM14b0xxEuXwJjoPUb594e7GBVxBdbkxKa7aOqZBgMhHIr7UFh9hQrjrCjr5p0IXXwH0EuuwpRA0/s320/IMG_6308sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up at the canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfTbNIdwz0NywrNSmO5JzFXWi1ckT3tkx-B9bgxhw56kmdjrjxyIixYZsEBKlsuPdptvlmyOtHSPVskB_gKymYf6PqqRIAduKCPLEXCbTsHqEWluPo90s_c9pEbnb3TFCu0RWAmHP2Bw/s1600/IMG_6323sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfTbNIdwz0NywrNSmO5JzFXWi1ckT3tkx-B9bgxhw56kmdjrjxyIixYZsEBKlsuPdptvlmyOtHSPVskB_gKymYf6PqqRIAduKCPLEXCbTsHqEWluPo90s_c9pEbnb3TFCu0RWAmHP2Bw/s320/IMG_6323sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Condors flying below us</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUAmKooqcqW3bsnU-xP-1YwE7AN1RKuEKfb2M1VUJJpTM3P6K_UMMHkIfXQJHVU5W4nCCTG33JTNmLcBEz-frXLGZycYL24P7xWxRc-qGocWAFK-BevbHGuCLs0zIRMxmoffsIALSKTY/s1600/IMG_6341sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUAmKooqcqW3bsnU-xP-1YwE7AN1RKuEKfb2M1VUJJpTM3P6K_UMMHkIfXQJHVU5W4nCCTG33JTNmLcBEz-frXLGZycYL24P7xWxRc-qGocWAFK-BevbHGuCLs0zIRMxmoffsIALSKTY/s320/IMG_6341sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down on the path we just hiked... eek!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuckJ6dpwPFf5WA1kfwZG6JxIWPxEhZI0a-keijHjFofBJ0JCrKKPzheL4u76GtClINvOh99QfX6xzRkMcbtEO3M5u0Q38dTedLU-dMZjmrABLY6hUPVBNslocbEdIwEaUUQGcy3VEkw8/s1600/IMG_6345sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuckJ6dpwPFf5WA1kfwZG6JxIWPxEhZI0a-keijHjFofBJ0JCrKKPzheL4u76GtClINvOh99QfX6xzRkMcbtEO3M5u0Q38dTedLU-dMZjmrABLY6hUPVBNslocbEdIwEaUUQGcy3VEkw8/s320/IMG_6345sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on the canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_v4g6kFU8rqSYylXPJCJ89rfTGBjalVXRor1Ajl_T08kTHaIjsJfZby9YUSyDeyfAp3H2a9bPDjVNtrM_k8oeCFuM03nZGvlv1Wd6L1HhNE5cgRXPYeCJZ6jiLT80YsbJaIhbD85ji4/s1600/IMG_6355sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_v4g6kFU8rqSYylXPJCJ89rfTGBjalVXRor1Ajl_T08kTHaIjsJfZby9YUSyDeyfAp3H2a9bPDjVNtrM_k8oeCFuM03nZGvlv1Wd6L1HhNE5cgRXPYeCJZ6jiLT80YsbJaIhbD85ji4/s320/IMG_6355sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Canyon at night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6k5AVw5LhSLXU4uPXblMb2RDcr46qnn-4r3EhAutfSY4P0L5FJot-WrEwZ5HSdy7R1y41_CwDnkuHvCqLnRIyTFN03Mpin5m-4EaQZStYbFi6Ai0Ahh-WSsc7DWdi5usCfr0hO4WOrQs/s1600/IMG_6371sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6k5AVw5LhSLXU4uPXblMb2RDcr46qnn-4r3EhAutfSY4P0L5FJot-WrEwZ5HSdy7R1y41_CwDnkuHvCqLnRIyTFN03Mpin5m-4EaQZStYbFi6Ai0Ahh-WSsc7DWdi5usCfr0hO4WOrQs/s320/IMG_6371sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready for a hot air balloon ride in Sedona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7I2DLE3egp0BnLjzaIj6yX2o2rjK7tFIHFsFSgY7BtJB6gA_HMca5HRPp1UwLjCMA5-wG2piBtjkRnS9mVaTgTi_n6kBsPvKazU5jyxwlyJbXL_aeIDwWqxZW7Ub4KFWq5V3_zkCgpw/s1600/IMG_6374sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7I2DLE3egp0BnLjzaIj6yX2o2rjK7tFIHFsFSgY7BtJB6gA_HMca5HRPp1UwLjCMA5-wG2piBtjkRnS9mVaTgTi_n6kBsPvKazU5jyxwlyJbXL_aeIDwWqxZW7Ub4KFWq5V3_zkCgpw/s320/IMG_6374sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">helping inflate the balloon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHDtILPAXRvKFxaWkbjEbLn764aSsoszlqdnIirTmqGzqXcILf_REtZ78U5zyQj00hqjxPU4ls6snGhJ2E8Vr5rhBEhq_I0Qh4qXqLul7jlX17gZu0WqPA3RPJWZz24PTZItSM7zSY6Q/s1600/IMG_6378sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHDtILPAXRvKFxaWkbjEbLn764aSsoszlqdnIirTmqGzqXcILf_REtZ78U5zyQj00hqjxPU4ls6snGhJ2E8Vr5rhBEhq_I0Qh4qXqLul7jlX17gZu0WqPA3RPJWZz24PTZItSM7zSY6Q/s320/IMG_6378sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pOl7REHStG5b1NYrr_dqm8Ks-jJJBOjhSsZ3c40x9mY65A0RlQsCBdeZO4hkx6AGEFwH80OGcolMJ68_nJzkAWRAOzXee16F47Oip1HmWWPMfuT5gHtxk1akg4_79rinxPwendk_sgA/s1600/IMG_6379sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pOl7REHStG5b1NYrr_dqm8Ks-jJJBOjhSsZ3c40x9mY65A0RlQsCBdeZO4hkx6AGEFwH80OGcolMJ68_nJzkAWRAOzXee16F47Oip1HmWWPMfuT5gHtxk1akg4_79rinxPwendk_sgA/s320/IMG_6379sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAJtTdH-rOMlTOyaaGKIuFz6lOhkeyTk2LB4Ri1e4hh66l44ZFLRCMnQn8_aMonfiSYaYI52vrI5hjCcxd-TehZ9fKr28xT855MvWs7skyiZ3zCu6jokq4CPYZpiZq92ZnQq8n2ot9P4/s1600/IMG_6383sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAJtTdH-rOMlTOyaaGKIuFz6lOhkeyTk2LB4Ri1e4hh66l44ZFLRCMnQn8_aMonfiSYaYI52vrI5hjCcxd-TehZ9fKr28xT855MvWs7skyiZ3zCu6jokq4CPYZpiZq92ZnQq8n2ot9P4/s320/IMG_6383sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">going up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDhDVtcIOmp6CKMhEUPj0eHTlxTTJn_hAxohm-ySWgvY6Z31XHv-54140H9FozLzxtDkqpwus83_pp2WjFxHQHeHOnwR_ON0kOqvf_8gAUAyKCoZYa6_5858_BUK2AjzrOuMkzoVfKNg/s1600/IMG_6389sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDhDVtcIOmp6CKMhEUPj0eHTlxTTJn_hAxohm-ySWgvY6Z31XHv-54140H9FozLzxtDkqpwus83_pp2WjFxHQHeHOnwR_ON0kOqvf_8gAUAyKCoZYa6_5858_BUK2AjzrOuMkzoVfKNg/s320/IMG_6389sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WAY up!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35HR97uH65-upFbcuLuV9Fjkt2ht31_XcuvoFVzff3QEvf_cfT2TmUvyyKwu-19zc6W0Qlc183yP0EO8he3CPGmvwOp0CLEhrbf7jnje0GFmuj2WySf8hMq-eOtyrV4kFo1xImnxTqFs/s1600/IMG_6398sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35HR97uH65-upFbcuLuV9Fjkt2ht31_XcuvoFVzff3QEvf_cfT2TmUvyyKwu-19zc6W0Qlc183yP0EO8he3CPGmvwOp0CLEhrbf7jnje0GFmuj2WySf8hMq-eOtyrV4kFo1xImnxTqFs/s320/IMG_6398sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mule deer cant' figure out what our balloon is</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9scLgkyYwBprLd6nPXozcawKh1fMV-tz8vVvfU3wiNRWKYDBne2ZmKODAyQwCti-T_77r-ErI8ScLlFZvnCIHbjQb1QlhS1jzbHzOc6I-hKE0hnRYPhv5Rd8c6amhBtJFSKqDu_hQDl8/s1600/IMG_6400sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9scLgkyYwBprLd6nPXozcawKh1fMV-tz8vVvfU3wiNRWKYDBne2ZmKODAyQwCti-T_77r-ErI8ScLlFZvnCIHbjQb1QlhS1jzbHzOc6I-hKE0hnRYPhv5Rd8c6amhBtJFSKqDu_hQDl8/s320/IMG_6400sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise on the red rocks of Sedona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">:)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going ATV riding with our friends</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yay!</td></tr>
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<br />Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-88652771135949095432011-10-26T18:43:00.000-07:002011-10-26T18:43:42.317-07:00Old photos...Going back through some old photo files...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXpNA-1iy9d7nxIVKm2swU-KbpP2IoC0cTsecSCaZ2P2b52s7zSVENqi5prGQpq0NucW-wYDBqauK0lskFPnxiws0FNKy8PhPNIQzjxDPS47US-QRokFnI50wXF8Rz-aM0CSN52ZK2NA/s1600/IMG_0713sm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXpNA-1iy9d7nxIVKm2swU-KbpP2IoC0cTsecSCaZ2P2b52s7zSVENqi5prGQpq0NucW-wYDBqauK0lskFPnxiws0FNKy8PhPNIQzjxDPS47US-QRokFnI50wXF8Rz-aM0CSN52ZK2NA/s640/IMG_0713sm.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
I took this in 2008... I really need to blow that up and get it framed sometime...Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-37420003644396945792011-10-25T15:15:00.000-07:002011-10-25T15:15:13.115-07:00Meditations on Grimace...I was chatting with a friend the other day about Ronald McDonald (the clown that was the mascot for McDonald's many moons ago) and we started discussing how disturbing the entire cast of characters was for the whole McDonald's campaign back then...<br />
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I mean, let's look at your basic 1970's McDonald's characters(R):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHvTUU3vuuFWyhD-rjJwcjcGbOGDNqvKVJy81i4N3CARNBQOn3vR7J1AHUtbfeZhWD9QdtGsVKN5B7C_uT7cqZHKrgY0VkjSzWC_cQHMoBZvRYhdFr96iw12OYB18C3UlDMIp_Xu2PbQ/s1600/mcdonalds_characters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHvTUU3vuuFWyhD-rjJwcjcGbOGDNqvKVJy81i4N3CARNBQOn3vR7J1AHUtbfeZhWD9QdtGsVKN5B7C_uT7cqZHKrgY0VkjSzWC_cQHMoBZvRYhdFr96iw12OYB18C3UlDMIp_Xu2PbQ/s200/mcdonalds_characters.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Hamburglar </b>- a freakishly big-headed thief... who stole hamburgers.<br />
<b>The Fry Guys</b> - a bunch of strangely colored yarn-type figures... who stole fries.<br />
<b>Mayor McCheese</b> - head of this town apparently rampant with thievery<br />
<b>Birdie </b>- not sure what she ever did... but we had to have a representative for the chicken nuggets on the menu, I guess?<br />
<b>Ronald McDonald</b> - a clown who was the smartest one of the bunch...<br />
<b>Grimace </b>- a big purple.... something? Huh?<br />
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In fact, what the hell was Grimace anyway? According to the McDonald's website: "<i>Grimace is a big, loving, fuzzy purple fellow who is Ronald McDonald's best friend. He's sure Ronald is the world's ultimate authority on everything. While Grimace loves all McDonald's foods, he's absolutely crazy about milkshakes. Grimace is very enthusiastic and eager to try new things. His joyous spirit helps everyone overlook the fact he's a little slow and clumsy sometimes.”</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grimace the...blob?</td></tr>
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But before this happy purple bumkin became a "joyous spirit", Grimace was "Evil Grimace" and actually had four arms - with which he was more effectively able to... yes... you got it... steal more milkshakes. So this makes Grimace perfect for him to fit into the McDonald's lineup of junk-food-stealing hoodlums.<br />
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(Geek side note: That seems to have precious little to do with the actual definition of the word (care of the American Heritage Dictionary, 1996 edition): <i>To "grimace" means, "a sharp contortion of the face, expressive of pain, contempt, or disgust."</i>)<br />
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Now that I think about it, I would have loved to be in that board room meeting at McDonald's headquarters when the brilliant thought a town full of thievery was received as a fabulous marketing idea to put in front of kids while they're watching their Saturday morning cartoons. But hey, I watched those guys steal fries, burgers and milkshakes for years, and it hasn't messed me up... too much...Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-22477486756635451722011-10-23T10:26:00.000-07:002011-10-23T10:29:41.446-07:00Confessions of a girl gamer 3The days of visually-stunning adventures games continued for a few years from the mid-90's and into the new millennium. A few of my favorites during that time:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mXktvDjQajOZvLfvMc9ecPLU_hpXHt8ExD-fwSBjb8FMGc1y2LgaFq8pQ0ezpFr2m1nqqU7Sni-PPlrNCMnHvIdu6m8yHAWcfs8is_GFDHEezqzxHxbaZ1HvFFewPaIFVueQxTW6IG4/s1600/games+grim+fandango+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mXktvDjQajOZvLfvMc9ecPLU_hpXHt8ExD-fwSBjb8FMGc1y2LgaFq8pQ0ezpFr2m1nqqU7Sni-PPlrNCMnHvIdu6m8yHAWcfs8is_GFDHEezqzxHxbaZ1HvFFewPaIFVueQxTW6IG4/s320/games+grim+fandango+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grim Fandango</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79BNwZ3eTxDp8Q4gRFh5dpjJBdAGNWaqf6vmBuwXjjqCIHGk7IR4O14wDJeeZSA-19Okpk8_d7ckvV5DW5dynXSebPActJIx3WEZxg5kAAs4V_OBxvBB3SQCZ7oD3BZsSw_s9zqrSl4A/s1600/games+siberia+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79BNwZ3eTxDp8Q4gRFh5dpjJBdAGNWaqf6vmBuwXjjqCIHGk7IR4O14wDJeeZSA-19Okpk8_d7ckvV5DW5dynXSebPActJIx3WEZxg5kAAs4V_OBxvBB3SQCZ7oD3BZsSw_s9zqrSl4A/s320/games+siberia+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Siberia I</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeOCS-hRDzqT0O2mMpT7yQ3GVF4tIICAPgcfrK08qfWKN2dLfuSsDJFr4yhcZZFdogVaJw2prMH0RIMJAQ24Ak4OkjUP0gIcWGmvzhaa54gmFftopfuffR2wcM4sJj7ZYGDEW7n2QLts/s1600/games+siberia+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeOCS-hRDzqT0O2mMpT7yQ3GVF4tIICAPgcfrK08qfWKN2dLfuSsDJFr4yhcZZFdogVaJw2prMH0RIMJAQ24Ak4OkjUP0gIcWGmvzhaa54gmFftopfuffR2wcM4sJj7ZYGDEW7n2QLts/s320/games+siberia+2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Siberia II</td></tr>
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I was so involved in the genre of adventure gaming that I even started volunteering my time to be the "New Releases" editor for the website <a href="http://www.justadventure.com/">Just Adventure</a> (which, if you're interested in adventure games, is a fabulous resource.) We got snooty for a while, judging all other game styles as unintelligent, non-thinking games (which isn't true unless you haven't ever played those other types of games.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09GtG6MUddJwZaLKRAZgvJ8mCzA7tH8z173yelIsAI49hTDqaOk58_bgOGoGhc3CmSmy3E17Ej-dQCZoRkAlU1OmVepXvemLx6naFJ-VdnzXjPRr9wsDyg29O8q56slVPt_5ePCnl_Yc/s1600/games+world+of+warcraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09GtG6MUddJwZaLKRAZgvJ8mCzA7tH8z173yelIsAI49hTDqaOk58_bgOGoGhc3CmSmy3E17Ej-dQCZoRkAlU1OmVepXvemLx6naFJ-VdnzXjPRr9wsDyg29O8q56slVPt_5ePCnl_Yc/s320/games+world+of+warcraft.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World of Warcraft</td></tr>
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And then I found World of Warcraft. Yep, I got hooked. I started out with a warlock, and now have a warlock, priest, hunter, shaman, paladin, mage... and when the expansion comes out, I'll make one of the new classes - a monk. The game has changed a lot since I started, but the goal of the game stays the same: Suck you in and don't let you go. I have been a serious "raider" and a less serious "casual" gamer. But the game is pretty good (for what it is.) There are far too many people who take it too seriously. Those that play are offended by every update that the manufacturer creates. Those that don't play judge it for being addictive (which is true) and mindless (which can be true, depending on how you play.) But the game is what you make it - can it be addictive, mind-numbing and destroy your life? Yes, if you let it. Can it be a casual past time that is entertaining? Yes, that too. Is it destroying the world as we know it? Likely not. I still play today, though less than in years past. And now I have more of an interest in collecting the in-game "pets" than anything else.<br />
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Following Felicia Day on Google+ has introduced me to some of the cutest little online games to help waste more of your time. From "defend the castle" style <a href="http://armorgames.com/play/12141/kingdom-rush">Kingdom Rush</a> (which will suck away several days of your life) to the most recent flash game, <a href="http://www.kongregate.com/games/dampgnat/wonderputt">Wonderputt</a> (which will only cost you an hour or so), which is like an 18-hole mini-golf course with cows, aliens and submarines. (It's hard to describe... feel free to go see for yourself).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bK-kzxXMi3KUj1w8NQlBPigViviXvw4rS6GhxDET-trKWyjUmVKJydjMew5r0vWYRwwlOoS056apMnZF9eMQcBa457wmxkMfZyDUd-jo5YEuYBXF2zxldLWMHBhAAjm158rdypkiQd8/s1600/games+kingdom+rush+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bK-kzxXMi3KUj1w8NQlBPigViviXvw4rS6GhxDET-trKWyjUmVKJydjMew5r0vWYRwwlOoS056apMnZF9eMQcBa457wmxkMfZyDUd-jo5YEuYBXF2zxldLWMHBhAAjm158rdypkiQd8/s320/games+kingdom+rush+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kingdom Rush</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6tgVPP0RaIDaxypSWuXxmhuX3cuWtyfFb4-F4hvmQIeV9aGOe4pwPsaThs6haF3NuiCgD6ayIphszGkcrPL5fwvpkkWfUpvFju-z5E6GwVbNSLfNb3hSWO88YTCCIsyOYW9sZUVkMvU/s1600/games+wonderputt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6tgVPP0RaIDaxypSWuXxmhuX3cuWtyfFb4-F4hvmQIeV9aGOe4pwPsaThs6haF3NuiCgD6ayIphszGkcrPL5fwvpkkWfUpvFju-z5E6GwVbNSLfNb3hSWO88YTCCIsyOYW9sZUVkMvU/s320/games+wonderputt.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderputt</td></tr>
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And for cheaper games, I have had a lot of fun recently with Torchlight (which was just $20) and Machinarium (a puzzle-solving game with fascinating graphics and haunting music) which was only $10.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBFFt36nLHXbb9yDvx0XKzfnXRbUxTlNf_hnBE44r5y4Sq5nrky0iNoOD1acpBsiMiZFIkdsF632HGXWg4hcDYVEk8IPBsgsidRUm4dm3o3FfCom4F_b1NE6ZeKLqEfga9lZ7-4jDEcc/s1600/games+torchlight+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBFFt36nLHXbb9yDvx0XKzfnXRbUxTlNf_hnBE44r5y4Sq5nrky0iNoOD1acpBsiMiZFIkdsF632HGXWg4hcDYVEk8IPBsgsidRUm4dm3o3FfCom4F_b1NE6ZeKLqEfga9lZ7-4jDEcc/s320/games+torchlight+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Torchlight</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM28rv_qirL2-pJCSil4Sf-31Micl4mmnJHQo3M1wOWe9HK0CdCqGY0lvk-b-dT39norGh4AEfCmRZ3WI3E0McUCw7mOMYqE4wY1GFElayWVGy0LEJc65gkjp2-RjFgQPurz5BCcAAE70/s1600/games+machinarium+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM28rv_qirL2-pJCSil4Sf-31Micl4mmnJHQo3M1wOWe9HK0CdCqGY0lvk-b-dT39norGh4AEfCmRZ3WI3E0McUCw7mOMYqE4wY1GFElayWVGy0LEJc65gkjp2-RjFgQPurz5BCcAAE70/s320/games+machinarium+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machinarium</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We (the boy and I) are now playing Dark Souls, Prototype, and just finished Starcraft II. And of course WoW will be there for a few years to come, at least. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFON9R1FuaDQJeDPAnYq1ih0wsV3KGqgFwsPmn10gWo7eISg5wtBCIRVQeZy8NHFHQAOAHAQJPkId7eGu4XWpqM5iFiJl-zUHH5LwLxRuKnW3vymfrSW6Q6CkgPDNJKHmeXxWjXAy_7Ic/s1600/games+starcraft+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFON9R1FuaDQJeDPAnYq1ih0wsV3KGqgFwsPmn10gWo7eISg5wtBCIRVQeZy8NHFHQAOAHAQJPkId7eGu4XWpqM5iFiJl-zUHH5LwLxRuKnW3vymfrSW6Q6CkgPDNJKHmeXxWjXAy_7Ic/s320/games+starcraft+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starcraft II</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But needless to say, games will be a part of our life for years to come. And on an "hours-of-entertainment-per dollar" scale, they really are quite impressive (not quite as good as books, but better than going to the movies.) And with the average age of gamers today just around my generation, I'm happy to see that games will be created with us in mind, appealing not only to my personal preference of visually stunning graphics, but also intelligent designs, puzzles, and high entertainment value.<br />
<br />Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-65337177500786661652011-10-13T18:56:00.000-07:002011-10-13T19:52:06.285-07:00Confessions of a girl gamer... part 2<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4AdkzzQ01OLy_BEbPpwN7D_NbpAMs6yoy3XpLwD8ZUheE22A7Itg9VUxgECZ70pLpjLBJGXgIXRNuCme_uJNHvg0y2p0J1C9FAza5CYQT-lsWnyZAYPzYX7i9mXXQarYo_lkmSK4lOI/s1600/games+transylvania+2+1982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4AdkzzQ01OLy_BEbPpwN7D_NbpAMs6yoy3XpLwD8ZUheE22A7Itg9VUxgECZ70pLpjLBJGXgIXRNuCme_uJNHvg0y2p0J1C9FAza5CYQT-lsWnyZAYPzYX7i9mXXQarYo_lkmSK4lOI/s320/games+transylvania+2+1982.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Transylvania</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Do any of you guys remember Transylvania? It was 1992, and my sister and I played this game together on our parent's computer at home... and were totally in love with the graphics. I mean wow, pictures we didn't have to draw ourselves!? After the text-only games and the Intellivision experiences, these were pretty intense experiences!<br />
<br />
I think for a few years, I didn't game too much - not enough time during high school, and only played games with my sister when I came home from college and had access to my parent's computer. I don't remember playing a lot during those years (too much homework, track team practice, theater work, after school job, and clarinet practice.) And around 1993 or 1994, I found Myst. Once I left the world of text games and started with the graphics, I was hooked... and I never looked back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISaGbD21j8VVyCfkzp8nzDyUc34dukBpta_PsvESnZvTciBS7dDa_2-YUogY5LQjIZFZxSAlo04n1N6atPth8QfzS6fIrg6jN_NBBdocuGblLL2PChl0sAbXJHxKoGdnasLkcOVWLIZc/s1600/games+myst+2.jpg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISaGbD21j8VVyCfkzp8nzDyUc34dukBpta_PsvESnZvTciBS7dDa_2-YUogY5LQjIZFZxSAlo04n1N6atPth8QfzS6fIrg6jN_NBBdocuGblLL2PChl0sAbXJHxKoGdnasLkcOVWLIZc/s320/games+myst+2.jpg.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screenshot from Myst, released in 1993</td></tr>
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This game totally changed the way I experienced video games. The graphics totally blew my mind (they were impressive for their time), and I was in my 20's, didn't care much for partying and loved computers, so many weekends and evenings were spent playing these types of puzzle-solving games. There was no violence (unless the story lines had them incorporated as part of a back story) and the idea was to solve puzzles. <br />
<br />
If you've never played video games, you probably don't know Myst. But if you have, there's very little chance you've avoided it. It seems to evoke emotions of one extreme or the other - either you loved it and swear that it revolutionized the gaming world, or you hated it and thought everyone else was nuts. I haven't met a lot of people who felt neutral about Myst. In any case, I think you can now download the game on your iPod or iPhone if you want to give it a try yourself.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiu8dtBN3q1ZHVLJwz6SIheZUNrbza-WISfAzAK4K-i6CqXdEXi2TybruJ8V3M-lb4wktiROcCTZhdSYZEZ_C7BDHtNl3vFPM6zHvvmJoknTdTLHp388kLtwH1VFreell-FDLUGpFyHc/s1600/games+uru+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiu8dtBN3q1ZHVLJwz6SIheZUNrbza-WISfAzAK4K-i6CqXdEXi2TybruJ8V3M-lb4wktiROcCTZhdSYZEZ_C7BDHtNl3vFPM6zHvvmJoknTdTLHp388kLtwH1VFreell-FDLUGpFyHc/s320/games+uru+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uru: Ages Beyond Myst (and the dreaded avatar)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There were several sequels to Myst, which I made sure to play as soon as they were released. The graphics, of course, got better and better, and the first-person, slide-show style continued until the last installment, Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, in which you could create your own avatar.<br />
<br />
This caused an uproar for purist Myst fans - the player was supposed to be anonymous! Genderless! Faceless! I got the impression that die-hard fans felt like Cyan (the developer) was "selling out" to the more popular style of 3rd-person gameplay that was emerging at the time and not being true to the original Myst following.<br />
<br />
I didn't care - it looked gorgeous, there were cool puzzles, a good plot line, decent soundtrack, and nothing jumped out and killed you instantly. As far as I was concerned, it was an awesome game.<br />
<br />
There were also a few games that gave me nightmares. Blackstone Chronicles comes to mind - a creepy game that took you back into the memories of an old sanitarium, where you discovered the horrifying treatments of the patients through ghostly flashbacks and whispered echos in deserted hallways. Again, nothing ever jumped out at you, but the sound effects of footsteps behind you or the sudden SLAM of a closing door were enough to make my heart jump in my chest enough times that I had to vow only to play during the daylight hours.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJ4fK-gcX-kvROKNfrBVe0i_wJWEGghdtI9zNjQrtKwPR5TsiRnUcHfmhJGRK8oP02rYdpPbleTZ9ukew3WjUZTr7JQaJjbn76CgMqdji_N5bId_UNLsxxcoDkdu-726ad4c08Ig3iAY/s1600/games+blackstone+chron+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJ4fK-gcX-kvROKNfrBVe0i_wJWEGghdtI9zNjQrtKwPR5TsiRnUcHfmhJGRK8oP02rYdpPbleTZ9ukew3WjUZTr7JQaJjbn76CgMqdji_N5bId_UNLsxxcoDkdu-726ad4c08Ig3iAY/s320/games+blackstone+chron+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Blackstone Chronicles' creepy "treatment" room</td></tr>
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Another along these lines was Dark Fall... another "only during the daytime" games that was the ultimate in creepy nightmare-inducing sound effects.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvOYOY_qFfyhcAyvbbIb23ieXIxdoGlNmDR7uuz9TOzBZjlpWgJlHuB2YFFR2yQFZDqM12VnxJph5Zw2zi-qFhtkEXWsFF25Lry2ED0wbVUEJ3NYoz9XFhkDrrn5g-HHV9vemo0-kjPU/s1600/games+dark+fall+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvOYOY_qFfyhcAyvbbIb23ieXIxdoGlNmDR7uuz9TOzBZjlpWgJlHuB2YFFR2yQFZDqM12VnxJph5Zw2zi-qFhtkEXWsFF25Lry2ED0wbVUEJ3NYoz9XFhkDrrn5g-HHV9vemo0-kjPU/s320/games+dark+fall+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark Fall: The Journal (warning: causes nightmares)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But my favorite games were primarily along the Myst lines - imaginary worlds with adventurers with no memories, following a trail of clues and puzzles. Schizm was one of my favorites. The concept was that the two main characters were split apart from each other and into two separate but parallel universes, and had to solve puzzles on either side in order to reunite and (inevitably) save the world. Again, the plot line was good, but the graphics were what always sold me. Exploring areas, drinking in the ambiance, and figuring out puzzles to unlock new, visually-stunning areas were what drew me into the gaming world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZe35k9Ay7_byDzJZkf07Y9TJkGK39zfGdaMIy4DO2AQtuGLNHMqi1YEkzF0eCsfmQzpUjDwXXgMf-GrOpcuGLa18J38G9npM_QVjn0FleL6ktrbXtMBXAet_S17wsCxjJ19kuSKt3PY/s1600/games+schizm+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZe35k9Ay7_byDzJZkf07Y9TJkGK39zfGdaMIy4DO2AQtuGLNHMqi1YEkzF0eCsfmQzpUjDwXXgMf-GrOpcuGLa18J38G9npM_QVjn0FleL6ktrbXtMBXAet_S17wsCxjJ19kuSKt3PY/s320/games+schizm+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schizm screenshot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUV-X0s9uZi8gItS6a-egCC06Wpn1h4svG7JyS_F01su186VD_V8_6bp1ATjs3sOl_1KhkAsNjwQhCdFZlmj_STyRxtV341x3NZV46daxV5DV-v5LCmi-v093_WTeypAPafkpT1KiegJA/s1600/games+schizm+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUV-X0s9uZi8gItS6a-egCC06Wpn1h4svG7JyS_F01su186VD_V8_6bp1ATjs3sOl_1KhkAsNjwQhCdFZlmj_STyRxtV341x3NZV46daxV5DV-v5LCmi-v093_WTeypAPafkpT1KiegJA/s320/games+schizm+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C'mon, tell me this isn't pretty awesome for 2002!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Even the Zork line of games made a few appearances during these years, and to this day, one of my favorite games is Zork: Grand Inquisitor. This game was hysterical, and full of slapstick humor, character actors, and even flashbacks to the original text adventure game that was, for a true fan of the genre, a geeky high.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOMVBJKGmdEdFm4C1mMwNEdMJuPhyphenhyphenzreKvlxyURVRIojhjDGuimatI62LWmbqpgC_d8fgVH6BgChAn1iYsPXi5wY8gysM_DgfW4L6VPf4rEyWXq1oJUt89rCtHjFJBmPTYZU7zEx24zE/s1600/games+zork+grand+inquisitor+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOMVBJKGmdEdFm4C1mMwNEdMJuPhyphenhyphenzreKvlxyURVRIojhjDGuimatI62LWmbqpgC_d8fgVH6BgChAn1iYsPXi5wY8gysM_DgfW4L6VPf4rEyWXq1oJUt89rCtHjFJBmPTYZU7zEx24zE/s320/games+zork+grand+inquisitor+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zork: Grand Inquisitor revisits the little white house with mailbox.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another one from 1998 was called "Sanitarium" which began in, yep, an insane asylum-gone-bad. (What is it with me and evil mental institutions that I find so darn entertaining?)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2dkIm2I1pYNDQBC3BDPeQqsq1u7OhCHt0-sdMWk_O2Tti0VoSBO1cLI6JAuyW6C6GDJ66qaU1fMivB3Ahyphenhyphen-M_3OYcWQaiBpQBWplItvNBaY9hRdtnHWnQPjP2lef4BM0qouaY34CjRg/s1600/games+sanitarium+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2dkIm2I1pYNDQBC3BDPeQqsq1u7OhCHt0-sdMWk_O2Tti0VoSBO1cLI6JAuyW6C6GDJ66qaU1fMivB3Ahyphenhyphen-M_3OYcWQaiBpQBWplItvNBaY9hRdtnHWnQPjP2lef4BM0qouaY34CjRg/s320/games+sanitarium+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sanitarium - the starting screen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I had never heard of this until several years after it was released, and didn't get to play it until well past the operating system that it was programmed for. As a result, I played Sanitarium in four-minute increments - I had to save every four minutes because the game crashed every five. If I didn't save, I would lose my progress. So I literally played this game four minutes at a time, shut it down, rebooted, and played four minutes again. (Try it sometime, it's irritating.) But the game was so engaging, and so well written, well-conceived and executed that I played the entire thing all the way through, and it was worth it. And that is really saying something right there. It was a slight departure for me personally, since the graphics weren't as drop-dead gorgeous as the other games I loved to play. But it caught me up in its talons and even with the technical nightmares, to this day Sanitarium is one of my all time favorite games.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zYHj9kF-fv4caJU-88dE9VqL9joebO2ls2LqgwuJCTeCPOFyAQfAd-xqXGlGUcixsUIg-pzJuL-g88V2T2xgH3d2zM7sCqnAgYh94wjpvMjCRlXhKWWexjAlAvRr69SMZL03_KJ-wSY/s1600/games+sanitarium+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zYHj9kF-fv4caJU-88dE9VqL9joebO2ls2LqgwuJCTeCPOFyAQfAd-xqXGlGUcixsUIg-pzJuL-g88V2T2xgH3d2zM7sCqnAgYh94wjpvMjCRlXhKWWexjAlAvRr69SMZL03_KJ-wSY/s320/games+sanitarium+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sanitarium again</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-64509289226418582202011-10-12T16:28:00.000-07:002011-10-12T16:32:39.966-07:00Confessions of a girl gamer... Part 1So, I have a confession to make.<br />
<br />
I am a girl. And I play video games.<br />
<br />
I have played them for years, and listened to the <i>blah-da-blah-blah</i> experts that say playing video games makes you dumb, or violent, or antisocial square-pants. I don't think I'm dumb (although I do still have issues spelling "awesome" because I'm never sure if I should leave out the middle "e"), and so far I'm not violent (haven't killed a <i>single, solitary person</i> in my whole life!) and as for an antisocial square-pants... didn't Huey Lewis tell me it was Hip to be Square?<br />
<br />
Anyway, I grew up with games. The first one I remember was Zork... have you ever played Zork? Guess what... there weren't any pictures! It was all... reading. Here's a stunning screenshot:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZQtwg7qqbduTMIvVpga4ZMs-cj4ygO5WqYILKKstugVhDgC9np_yAP_y6NYOyzxX7iyM0PaDHY2i6QIUge7hDxCdNPrWV9fwi_yhA52iJS4Znk_-Ok83OQSc4SF-FXGpPioXnBR2h_w/s1600/games+zork+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZQtwg7qqbduTMIvVpga4ZMs-cj4ygO5WqYILKKstugVhDgC9np_yAP_y6NYOyzxX7iyM0PaDHY2i6QIUge7hDxCdNPrWV9fwi_yhA52iJS4Znk_-Ok83OQSc4SF-FXGpPioXnBR2h_w/s400/games+zork+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Are you impressed? Yes, that's it... and it was awesome (with an <i>e</i> in the middle). You type in commands like<br />
<i>> Open mailbox </i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>> Kill thief </i><br />
<i>With what? </i><br />
<i>>Kill thief with knife</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>> Open grate. </i><br />
<i>The grate is locked.</i><br />
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I spent *hours* on this game, figuring out puzzles, and avoiding being eaten by a gru (horrid underground creatures that ate you if you got caught in this underground labyrinth without your lamp on). I corrupted my sister in the efforts to also make her a dumb, violent square-pants, and we sat up in the computer room figuring out puzzles for a bunch of games for hours at a time, and hand-drawing maps of the imaginary worlds.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-Yphz7cVM8Ja4SHYMJARw8ccgrXARbjidLbwJU_Kj1Xj5FmUgq72Fzuvg5ym45NVoVAU-Spl8TC3ABDbn5gNyrvUOGXojaZ91ta6XOsqYw9NusL_JXY9wxF2lUbfO4HMZXZ9JihnY4k/s1600/games+zork+1+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-Yphz7cVM8Ja4SHYMJARw8ccgrXARbjidLbwJU_Kj1Xj5FmUgq72Fzuvg5ym45NVoVAU-Spl8TC3ABDbn5gNyrvUOGXojaZ91ta6XOsqYw9NusL_JXY9wxF2lUbfO4HMZXZ9JihnY4k/s400/games+zork+1+map.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maze in Zork. These were the "graphics" back then.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
She eventually stopped playing with me because "the baby was crying" or some such nonsense... but I'll get her back into it, I vow.<br />
<br />
There were other games, like "Deadline" where you had to solve a murder mystery, but had a time limit to do it, so you only had a certain number of moves before something pivotal happened (a phone call) and you had to do your part to get a clue (pick up the handset and eavesdrop on the conversation.) That was my first taste of not loving time-pressure games... I enjoy the wandering around and being able to pause and think before acting. <br />
<br />
Our family got our first video game console when I was about 8 or so? We didn't have the ColecoVision or Atari that the "cool kids" had. We had... Intellivision. Some of my favorite memories from there:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLZRqJRVQjcakMSIWQRo8WgIy1AxrTwZsOAjHdadGFPre1pDKb5CbvORlrLDPkAmjscPKDsxtWdgyMkV7HUVVxYsALL10rNUWfdmV3LSIneK60nunZ4pwlQL7HsUQsqHDM6qGxstKqDA/s1600/games+intellivision+snafu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLZRqJRVQjcakMSIWQRo8WgIy1AxrTwZsOAjHdadGFPre1pDKb5CbvORlrLDPkAmjscPKDsxtWdgyMkV7HUVVxYsALL10rNUWfdmV3LSIneK60nunZ4pwlQL7HsUQsqHDM6qGxstKqDA/s320/games+intellivision+snafu.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snafu!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYMAWqdq3A_k3FlpR7nRU6P9OCJblvooa6rsJxd6t3QBZjG6DEMr7VdLCiyWT0NJKah1zRYdbjemmg8KSVu3CH29uszD2oJ88-xxWOw1jTaBmg4Li87NEkepcsXCYQJMudakHM7HvguM/s1600/auto_racing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYMAWqdq3A_k3FlpR7nRU6P9OCJblvooa6rsJxd6t3QBZjG6DEMr7VdLCiyWT0NJKah1zRYdbjemmg8KSVu3CH29uszD2oJ88-xxWOw1jTaBmg4Li87NEkepcsXCYQJMudakHM7HvguM/s320/auto_racing.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auto racing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My favorite (I think) was Pitfall. At some point, someone told me that if you went far enough in one direction, you meet the "Princess" and save her and get a treasure chest. I remember sitting in front of that screen for hours, swinging on hundreds of vines, stepping on hundreds of alligator heads... and never reached the end. (Turns out there wasn't one.)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzdjp4IScQAu150ctOy_Am27ZJQvyEkRzkDCSgOkBtZ5Jio-HrupU04K5Tb2OB2MmFpMEspINjIeaUMOW3kJVlapMywdphk9htzR37aMenRf9VryX0t7FdqJSGB8aL-oDb2-AKC-FXGg/s1600/games+intellivision+pitfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzdjp4IScQAu150ctOy_Am27ZJQvyEkRzkDCSgOkBtZ5Jio-HrupU04K5Tb2OB2MmFpMEspINjIeaUMOW3kJVlapMywdphk9htzR37aMenRf9VryX0t7FdqJSGB8aL-oDb2-AKC-FXGg/s1600/games+intellivision+pitfall.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pitfall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My love affair with games continues, although now I'm a PC gamer (with an occasional foray into Playstation games) and I'm also a graphics geek... I love anything that looks amazing. I'll post more about my favorite games through the years in future posts, I'm sure.<br />
<br />
I tried to revisit Zork a while ago and just didn't have the patience for it. But if you want to give it some effort, most of the Infocom games (including Zork) are online...and free... (including Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which is just about as much fun as the book!) Feel free to check them out here:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://pot.home.xs4all.nl/infocom/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Free Online Infocom Games</span></a></span> or I think a bunch are also available as free apps for iPhones and the like.<br />
<br />
More posts on gaming will be in the pipeline, I'm sure... I mean, after all, the more dumb, violent square-pants there are in the world, the better, in my opinion...Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-90455720938117680682011-10-10T18:55:00.000-07:002011-10-23T10:29:26.070-07:00Delusional Bride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3KdXdpODSVpCbzTcpX5gNFuUpoQJv2LnYdcwhxzIP3_Zh2bft26ZYD4nEC_N-HISyxhHj_Sqh26d8yUGiL6BlvLzhh0F1_UV-fq6dqpJiZgjbkv7Yd8VtOgtABUmmwtLIqoRirPNBLQ/s1600/delusional+bride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3KdXdpODSVpCbzTcpX5gNFuUpoQJv2LnYdcwhxzIP3_Zh2bft26ZYD4nEC_N-HISyxhHj_Sqh26d8yUGiL6BlvLzhh0F1_UV-fq6dqpJiZgjbkv7Yd8VtOgtABUmmwtLIqoRirPNBLQ/s1600/delusional+bride.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-82037954802991513392011-10-07T18:19:00.000-07:002011-10-08T14:04:18.581-07:00Wedding Don'tsWhen you get engaged, there are no shortage of ridiculous things that people feel the need to sell you. Don't even get me started on the fact that that if you want to buy a "long, white formal gown" you can get a gorgeous one for about $200. But if you want to buy a "wedding gown" the dress will look exactly the same, but the price goes up by about 1000%.<br />
<br />
But there are other things that are pretty outrageous, too. I've decided to let you know what we are NOT going to have at our wedding:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWpGqo7jYS07Q6ZE7_jmhcKBDJh4rs3kfptE076wH1WrzS0Gb8Sj63KjK1K_8LwNa6wQcGlU3m9J3HzranbRwcpwQp1vQ9V-FpgV3cT6ZHhcXr1q5HfpdtZAt-f9hOkxq_bvrTe_lGWQ/s1600/bunny+ears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWpGqo7jYS07Q6ZE7_jmhcKBDJh4rs3kfptE076wH1WrzS0Gb8Sj63KjK1K_8LwNa6wQcGlU3m9J3HzranbRwcpwQp1vQ9V-FpgV3cT6ZHhcXr1q5HfpdtZAt-f9hOkxq_bvrTe_lGWQ/s320/bunny+ears.jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bunny-ear headpieces</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-42GhREZUsgge6AQPa23ytqI0J3iwaKVFFTUdbKR-1JOV_SFqbza6Wfizg0Dg3Bgdw_s6CI3HX2bCOkSe8MAXxKmqknKdH4eCUITnjMAhocB1jZZ21-JwM_gIXX5Oq1FOOEwdI6V5v4/s1600/bridesmaid+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-42GhREZUsgge6AQPa23ytqI0J3iwaKVFFTUdbKR-1JOV_SFqbza6Wfizg0Dg3Bgdw_s6CI3HX2bCOkSe8MAXxKmqknKdH4eCUITnjMAhocB1jZZ21-JwM_gIXX5Oq1FOOEwdI6V5v4/s320/bridesmaid+dress.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bridesmaid's outfit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-q6Epj67hgJ6QZBjP0VMxIrLix0Gb-iVn2ldp9qpy6WM42H9aJRnxxLFvx8dpOyyL9tIVc75T4Z-yKVIaRnW4zj0eAWXjZlS-AcmNikxuHMl1Yaqf77fDrthJZkJ7OJdczAvQ4Wmx9o/s1600/cake+topper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-q6Epj67hgJ6QZBjP0VMxIrLix0Gb-iVn2ldp9qpy6WM42H9aJRnxxLFvx8dpOyyL9tIVc75T4Z-yKVIaRnW4zj0eAWXjZlS-AcmNikxuHMl1Yaqf77fDrthJZkJ7OJdczAvQ4Wmx9o/s1600/cake+topper.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This cake topper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnsYD70Muh44jRAQl6nlbb27AYFti7tyT75d-Rt9KZURLV5fS7N-5vdeCTE2ZIP2FBYbrJ1tsAO9oPwYzUh-I4jT7qCQB-y2KrEt1cGAJeXhgUAKKORQr8fDYDTAncAGfT4qCfG-xVGQ/s1600/mullet+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnsYD70Muh44jRAQl6nlbb27AYFti7tyT75d-Rt9KZURLV5fS7N-5vdeCTE2ZIP2FBYbrJ1tsAO9oPwYzUh-I4jT7qCQB-y2KrEt1cGAJeXhgUAKKORQr8fDYDTAncAGfT4qCfG-xVGQ/s320/mullet+dress.jpg" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mullet dresses</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnuia-mIFfJbGTuiUpso9cAfHduW-aRik8aB3FKKJQ1AiZpPgUhwOtpghY611xI__qUAzQ7rbfmAMYsRt3DMhWJdFN7l-pg2rEXAy72VgJw1CS3HtWaFlbO1ylsk5c3UyJqjYN2dAtX0/s1600/wedding+cake+lady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnuia-mIFfJbGTuiUpso9cAfHduW-aRik8aB3FKKJQ1AiZpPgUhwOtpghY611xI__qUAzQ7rbfmAMYsRt3DMhWJdFN7l-pg2rEXAy72VgJw1CS3HtWaFlbO1ylsk5c3UyJqjYN2dAtX0/s1600/wedding+cake+lady.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cake shaped like the bride (or anyone else)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzh4fbuMFLKEEKF4xcaSscmN7t0fJjv9PEqfjZcjCR2qRJNMrPLdfX3pL3LGT0OI_wPluG-Hj6ZZfm3Kjr8DrOxme1wUBzwPfpe_VI42JGAkGn4Xw21BeKKa4rePtp1uHZV3RBUo7frxI/s1600/wedding+cartoon+characters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzh4fbuMFLKEEKF4xcaSscmN7t0fJjv9PEqfjZcjCR2qRJNMrPLdfX3pL3LGT0OI_wPluG-Hj6ZZfm3Kjr8DrOxme1wUBzwPfpe_VI42JGAkGn4Xw21BeKKa4rePtp1uHZV3RBUo7frxI/s320/wedding+cartoon+characters.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cartoon characters</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIQHh3he6gZp0rH4xOGjl3TRMY5IeGQ0yV7eKTzkPSU-KmpcUl9tWcZcxsYTnmQGMwzg-sJpv7Zx4AQg7aQPeOE7lKOQqgr-T5Jqiu_g65n5mmDNIh4mfc-oQQB4nKGFIsqQAODSgdpo/s1600/wedding+dress+bow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIQHh3he6gZp0rH4xOGjl3TRMY5IeGQ0yV7eKTzkPSU-KmpcUl9tWcZcxsYTnmQGMwzg-sJpv7Zx4AQg7aQPeOE7lKOQqgr-T5Jqiu_g65n5mmDNIh4mfc-oQQB4nKGFIsqQAODSgdpo/s320/wedding+dress+bow.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butt-bows of unusual size (BBOUS's)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm absolutely, 100% sure that this post will just be the first of many blog postings along these themes...Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-1283119361829231312011-10-04T18:34:00.000-07:002011-10-04T18:34:54.591-07:00Crotchety CrochetA few years ago, I started crocheting. I do need to get back into it, but all I ever really ended up making were a bunch of scarves and a funny looking pointed hat. It's still a fun hobby that is much better for me than biting my nails.<br />
<br />
But I got nothin' on this woman... Here are the before and after photos of one of her most famous works...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFqbjHkw9tgCZSEAAH1JQgQGlRTBglZ8oaQ1l5lWh2nnxcNpK_bEKFWYaiffxm-IN76rnqkHXbDxS3F-38qPTwk0stABwz4gWp9AkCdV4Kd2LHSj6Gh21p3z_oJ3UQ_7M_qvivWyvSBc/s1600/Wall-Street-Bull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFqbjHkw9tgCZSEAAH1JQgQGlRTBglZ8oaQ1l5lWh2nnxcNpK_bEKFWYaiffxm-IN76rnqkHXbDxS3F-38qPTwk0stABwz4gWp9AkCdV4Kd2LHSj6Gh21p3z_oJ3UQ_7M_qvivWyvSBc/s1600/Wall-Street-Bull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFqbjHkw9tgCZSEAAH1JQgQGlRTBglZ8oaQ1l5lWh2nnxcNpK_bEKFWYaiffxm-IN76rnqkHXbDxS3F-38qPTwk0stABwz4gWp9AkCdV4Kd2LHSj6Gh21p3z_oJ3UQ_7M_qvivWyvSBc/s320/Wall-Street-Bull.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4_UXvlgpprY_CGOALF8CDCFYPdi2yhT2O0zvsfY5-5mM8bYp3dLJ_7hK2rDMSNbVOQq650YQrQIagBwRL7HF9HxCtCdhLaYk4ZGz6Ja7YsCDBhTMUXWU1xCvTirzOgj-3Sdl4uQg2VA/s1600/bull_by_olek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4_UXvlgpprY_CGOALF8CDCFYPdi2yhT2O0zvsfY5-5mM8bYp3dLJ_7hK2rDMSNbVOQq650YQrQIagBwRL7HF9HxCtCdhLaYk4ZGz6Ja7YsCDBhTMUXWU1xCvTirzOgj-3Sdl4uQg2VA/s320/bull_by_olek.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">..and after.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div>
...and her video of the process is below...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/zT0HhNvDFRQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
</div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-60959858990144889242011-10-02T18:35:00.000-07:002011-10-03T06:59:05.983-07:00Facebookery<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElfHFDD-zwPhxtaPQxB-BMcm7bzmIqsh4tYJ3_Q0m_qhp3uct-A22FOeRAEE-9HdNJ6PYqfb5clCrN4HeCyx1xtbATEwjyfkCOhEOelTYKUBg_FL_sr88BxH_fyLrdQ_P4eYaMKEbdXU/s1600/facebook-logosm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElfHFDD-zwPhxtaPQxB-BMcm7bzmIqsh4tYJ3_Q0m_qhp3uct-A22FOeRAEE-9HdNJ6PYqfb5clCrN4HeCyx1xtbATEwjyfkCOhEOelTYKUBg_FL_sr88BxH_fyLrdQ_P4eYaMKEbdXU/s1600/facebook-logosm.jpg" /></a>I've been pondering today the world of Facebook today. Just so you know, I have a 411 friends...and none are complete strangers. Apparently, in the FB world, this is fairly pathetic. And if I were in high school, I would be considered even more pathetic. Fortunately, I rarely take offense at the word "loser" because most of the "losers" I know are some of the most fascinating and engaging people I know. But I digress...<br />
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The people I have friendships with are an interesting bunch, and how they've fit themselves back into my life is really kind of wild. There's one woman who I went to high school with (let's call her H) and I haven't seen her since. That's 20 years, for anyone counting. She posts photos of everything... her kids gap-tooth smiles after losing teeth, or crying hysterically because they have Play-Doh stuck in their hair for the second time in one day. Lounging on the couch on a Friday night with her husband, doing absolutely nada. Today, H posted photos - "before" and "after" shots of the dog getting a bath...and it's wonderful. I can't quite put my finger on why. It's my opinion that the impact that Facebook has on our social relationships has yet to reach some conclusion. There hasn't been enough time to figure out how it will impact kids who know nothing else, or how we who watched it emerge have changed. But from personal experience, these glimpses into people's lives that I haven't seen or known in years gives a sense of almost family...and I doubt most people even realize the impact they have. H likely has no idea how often she makes me smile. Isn't that wild?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my photo experiments</td></tr>
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Several people on my FB friends list I've never technically met - only virtually, while playing games online. One in particular (we'll call her S) does crafts by the dozens, and bakes, and has shared with us her stories of life's successes and challenges... and her friends (including myself) post words of encouragement when she has a rough week, or congratulations when she got her new job. S isn't someone I've ever met, or probably ever will, but we share these things with each other and inspire each other. She's the one who got me to start blogging again. Sharing my experiments in photography have come from her posting her own crafting successes and failures, and laughing at herself along the way. Again...Inspiring.<br />
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One person in particular who I am friend with, I also knew in high school, but once again, didn't speak or see one another for almost 20 years. And then, we became "friends" because I thought "if we have so many friends in common, I'll just add 'em right in." I recall making a comment about a cheesy science fiction movie ("Blade 2", if I recall correctly) and after a few bantered comments, we decided to meet to catch up over coffee one afternoon. Two years later, we're engaged to be married. Weird.<br />
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I understand the concerns - the loss of interpersonal relations, privacy concerns, obsession with status.... Taking Facebook too seriously is like living life based on text messaging... you miss some some important nuances and it's no substitute for a hug. But overall, I really can't knock the Facebook trend too much. It's become a place where I can see photos of my far-away family as their new babies grow up or post best wishes to a long time friend who was in the hospital but lives too far away to visit. It's where I can make jokes or tell little stories, or even just post a cartoon that made me laugh. It's fun, inspiring, frustrating, annoying, illuminating, and sometimes mind-numbingly bland... but isn't real life just like that, too?<br />
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<br />Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-3145155031936128112011-10-01T14:25:00.000-07:002011-10-01T14:25:14.187-07:00The ghost of Halloween past...I know it's a little early to be posting Halloween stuff, but I just HAD to post this after finding it in my old photo albums...<br />
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That's me (the witch), my sister (the ghost) and I have no idea who that is in the middle...Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-48954123687948930812011-09-29T15:07:00.000-07:002011-09-29T15:44:53.764-07:00The Great Garlic ExperimentLet's get this out there right away: I'm no chef. About 2 years ago I decided to start teaching myself how to cook, and so far, I have a dozen dishes that I would say are pretty down pat, and some general talent in the kitchen that has resulted in almost no need for a fire extinguisher. I'm proud of that.<br />
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But I do love a good "kitchen trick". And today, I came across this video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/29605182?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/29605182">How to Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds</a> from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/saveurmag">SAVEUR.com</a><br />
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Now this is intriguing! I don't hate peeling garlic (I love garlic too much to hate it) but if there's a way to avoid the flakes of parchment-like skin that float around the kitchen; the sticky fingers after hand-peeling each clove and the general time-consuming process it usually takes, I'm all for it.<br />
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Here are the results of my experimentation: Here's my garlic:<br />
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One head of garlic. Slightly old, but hey, whatever. Step one: Smash with the heel of your hand. Notice in the video, the way his garlic head splits apart into many pieces and the papery peel goes every-which-way. Notice mine...which didn't do that. At all. I just sort of smooshed the top of it: </div>
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My first thought on this was that it is too humid - the garlic skin isn't crispy-paper like I think it should be. (To be fair, my first thought after smashing the garlic unsuccessfully was "Oh, ^@(*^$@)# that HURT!") So I peeled the garlic open a little instead: </div>
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Ah, that looks better. Next, I put it in two bowls and shook it like crazy, just like he said. Ten seconds later, here's the result: </div>
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Of the 10+ garlic cloves, two were peeled! Just like in the video! The rest were still wrapped in a little paper, but I'm thinking that fresh, dry garlic might actually work a bit better than my old garlic did. Still, this is a pretty cool trick! I did notice that the garlic cloves were a little bruised afterwards, but if you use it right away, I'm sure it's totally fine. Yay!</div>
<br />Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-40373972280788464542011-09-27T16:40:00.000-07:002011-09-29T15:10:26.753-07:00Kim K. vs. a hole in the groundI was having a conversation today about the strange celebrity status of Kim Kardashian and how I don't even really know why she's famous, but she's famous enough to have her entire 10 million dollar wedding sponsored, TV-afied and photo sold exclusively to People magazine for what I'm sure was enough to provide a lot of food to a lot of hungry people. (P.S. Dear People magazine - you can pay me for my wedding photos, too... I don't mind. I promise. I'll even give to charities to feed the hungry.)<br />
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The person I was talking to said: "I wouldn't know Kim Kardashian from a hole in the ground." First let me say, I am proud to know you, sir. And second, for you (and for anyone else who is curious):<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kim Kardashian<br />
(in the only photo allowed to be published of her wedding without risking a lawsuit)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A hole in the ground<br />
(which could be filled with $100 bills and that might be enough to cover the cost of her wedding.... but probably not the divorce.)</td></tr>
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You will not be quizzed on this later in life. Just sayin'.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-91326047827694976982011-09-25T19:22:00.000-07:002011-09-29T15:10:08.674-07:00Lions and Pizzas and Sake, oh my<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sake du jour</td></tr>
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The weekend draws to a close, and you will need to forgive me if this post rambles a bit. I have had some wine (sake, to be precise) before and during dinner, and it's gone straight to my head. <br />
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No one will ever be able to accuse me of being someone who can hold my liquor. I remember meeting a friend of the boy's for drinks one night at a bar, and we were chilling, and I didn't feel much like drinking. So I just went up to the bar and asked for cranberry juice in a martini glass. The friend was so impressed that I put down 5 or 6 "Cosmos" and told the boy that he really appreciated the fact that he had found a woman who could drink like I do. Hee!<br />
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Anyway, the weekend was great. Yesterday was the boy's birthday and we went into the city to have lunch and see a show We had a pizza and burger at Bobby Flay's Bar Americain in midtown... and it was devine! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar Americain, in NYC</td></tr>
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And then a quick tour of Times Square, including the M&M store (yep, there's an entire M&M store, complete with a wall of M&Ms in just about every color you could possibly imagine)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfidQYCSxs3t4BloF2iWarWTa6qzXXZOwSTmw01iyURL6XESsvUBJg04F-akG-s06TMwyHUN4xNFTdQ8hyUQbCQYKYnqfrLAHA3b4b3RlXEzVQDINk7BSTPgfQ30uLFKU74x6hNnSKfIs/s1600/IMG_2216+times+square+sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfidQYCSxs3t4BloF2iWarWTa6qzXXZOwSTmw01iyURL6XESsvUBJg04F-akG-s06TMwyHUN4xNFTdQ8hyUQbCQYKYnqfrLAHA3b4b3RlXEzVQDINk7BSTPgfQ30uLFKU74x6hNnSKfIs/s320/IMG_2216+times+square+sm.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Times Square... and the tourists</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDt4vnuR6NGfByKYGqpqau-jopraUifSDfpPXZrU_XQaGAshf5-Pr6ldl-qs2hULYeC-x6L-MDMgcu106gJW4z6d-sh80nw9YB4Kp3eqitfL83JT7RWyL_NmLy3ikxhx4dmyudkm3mWc/s1600/IMG_2215+mm+sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDt4vnuR6NGfByKYGqpqau-jopraUifSDfpPXZrU_XQaGAshf5-Pr6ldl-qs2hULYeC-x6L-MDMgcu106gJW4z6d-sh80nw9YB4Kp3eqitfL83JT7RWyL_NmLy3ikxhx4dmyudkm3mWc/s320/IMG_2215+mm+sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wall of chocolate</td></tr>
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And our final destination.... to see The Lion King at the Minksoff Theatre. I saw this about 15 years ago and it was just as good this time as I remembered....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqldI6P_cVlYNCiYtvCJFqYcOGp-wX-YiAuBN0KPDyzGmjfk7iINjPZ9U9fsnwbaOpo6K8Wq6vD2VsQIdf7TeYQqRGSbAT8kxtxgm83Ia_AdNYf8VNV9dQ0uSCfCCLxtsdM8PXbPHb-18/s1600/IMG_2217+lion+king+theater+sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqldI6P_cVlYNCiYtvCJFqYcOGp-wX-YiAuBN0KPDyzGmjfk7iINjPZ9U9fsnwbaOpo6K8Wq6vD2VsQIdf7TeYQqRGSbAT8kxtxgm83Ia_AdNYf8VNV9dQ0uSCfCCLxtsdM8PXbPHb-18/s320/IMG_2217+lion+king+theater+sm.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Minskoff Theater (sorry..."Theatre")</td></tr>
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Overall it was a fantastic journey to the city, despite the forecast for rain.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwupA-AxDKcMRheYQP5IDQVkqO2WaTmdMp9zOMCIBJSyVeYmWVUVuzr7OVV0EhOs5ezfSROqVBjzf2VF5ViOkaXbRkwoMLEyDPww-6EIttJETXKHTvQSkTOTXM_OujG0vkBVnrqq2XBI/s1600/LK_Zebra_HiRes_500px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwupA-AxDKcMRheYQP5IDQVkqO2WaTmdMp9zOMCIBJSyVeYmWVUVuzr7OVV0EhOs5ezfSROqVBjzf2VF5ViOkaXbRkwoMLEyDPww-6EIttJETXKHTvQSkTOTXM_OujG0vkBVnrqq2XBI/s320/LK_Zebra_HiRes_500px.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some cool costumes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmrojHg_mVupfIIxmhBUbiyAXWisLEm2IL7v3sy1rDmWU0I56NouNFy8x6OiXrMzKVOG8XXeh8j1dZpVm-iiBjZC6leJqHXm4-Ct-RmCipkcCWQBh_Cf2LIBdcc8KDqM6-pRaquRbrC4/s1600/lion-king-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmrojHg_mVupfIIxmhBUbiyAXWisLEm2IL7v3sy1rDmWU0I56NouNFy8x6OiXrMzKVOG8XXeh8j1dZpVm-iiBjZC6leJqHXm4-Ct-RmCipkcCWQBh_Cf2LIBdcc8KDqM6-pRaquRbrC4/s320/lion-king-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some more cool costumes</td></tr>
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Today was relaxation time. I did a huge amount of laundry (whoah, this blog is getting SO exciting now, isn't it?) and made a tofu/broccoli/red pepper/garlic/fresh ginger stir fry for dinner from my favorite cookbook in the world, the <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/bookstore/detail.asp?PID=469"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">ATK's Healthy Family Cookbook</span></a>. I think I've found the perfect summer stir fry sauce... here's the recipe!<br />
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<b>Lemon Stir Fry Sauce </b><br />
(makes about 1 cup)<br />
6 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth<br />
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons<br />
1/4 cup Chinese rice cooking wine (I use sake) or dry sherry<br />
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce<br />
2 teaspoons sugar<br />
2 teaspoons cornstarch<br />
1/4 teaspoon pepper<br />
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Whisk ingredients together, and add after you stir-fry the veggies and let it all simmer together for anywhere between 30 seconds and 2 minutes, until it starts to slightly thicken. It's totally delicious and would work with chicken or shrimp stir-fry too.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-9216926404077124162011-09-23T13:28:00.000-07:002011-09-29T15:09:22.215-07:00Shroomies and other (questionably) edible thingsIn case you haven't heard, there's been a little rain here in New England this summer. Record amounts. More rain than in recorded history. In fact, it's pouring right now. There's a pretty little waterfall cascading down the front of the house (which probably means the gutters need some cleaning.) It doesn't bother us too much - we're on top of a hill and so far, nothing has leaked in the house or pooled in the basement. So I can't really complain about it... the grass has never looked this good in the late summer months!<br />
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The rain has also given us quite a few new lawn ornaments. This popped up yesterday (the mushroom, not the dollar bill. Though it would be nice if my yard suddenly started sprouting bills of any denomination.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAiAqRJEzCoMfuZA1Kr1o_V1g_W1gW3U14tN7yXkRdZi6lqtyN-d3d0vb_2tAayruW9DWD-HwOGIdnCsPztTbHR-6EZLQvks-vcqvsUN6c_YAXde1uID73uEwMLTzWVAJu_2f7-5bpaU/s1600/IMG_2202+mushroom+sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAiAqRJEzCoMfuZA1Kr1o_V1g_W1gW3U14tN7yXkRdZi6lqtyN-d3d0vb_2tAayruW9DWD-HwOGIdnCsPztTbHR-6EZLQvks-vcqvsUN6c_YAXde1uID73uEwMLTzWVAJu_2f7-5bpaU/s400/IMG_2202+mushroom+sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mega lawn shroomie</td></tr>
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I spent a good chunk of time this afternoon trying to figure out what type of mushroom it is (and if you ever need a mushroom identifier, this site is pretty cool: <a href="http://www.mycokey.com/">MycoKey Mushroom Identifier</a>)<br />
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So what I think we have here is a very tightly clustered group of <i>Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca</i> (a.k.a. a "False Chanterelle".) Some sites say that it is edible and tastes very mushroomy. Other sites say it's poisonous and will kill you. First off, don't you think there would be some general consensus on this kind of thing? Second, erring on the side of caution, we're going to pass on eating it, and hope that the cats, rabbits and groundhogs in the neighborhood do the same. Also, if it starts taking over the entire yard (entirely possible with the amount of rain happening right now) I'll post photos of that, too.<br />
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On the flip side of the edible issue, today I got this in the mail:<br />
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<a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/bookstore/detail.asp?PID=506" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAj2PRUndvj74_Ubi6j4PqcHxtikZLhKFPikzK4PdimNgdzgUkwxDHc8SRiDoArCvSUrZeeY6nrRcEIAMdALH8rQaKxYJ9M5V76OwVOT7XAIPkrE30pdIJrSMTBPVS5q4aXNuy6opb2wA/s200/CI_Cookbook.jpg" width="161" /></a></div>
Happy!!! In case you aren't aware, I am a huge fan of the entire <a href="http://www.americastestkitchen.com/">America's Test Kitchen</a> line of products - magazines, websites, blogs, cookbooks... you name it, I'm addicted to it. My two go-to books thus far are the <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/bookstore/detail.asp?PID=469">ATK Healthy Family Cookbook</a> and <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/bookstore/detail.asp?PID=489">ATK Slow Cooker Revolution</a> (this is the boy's favorite, too.) But this monster book arrived today and I can't wait to get started! Not only has every recipe I've ever tried from these guys worked gorgeously, but they have lots of tips that are pretty cool, too. Again this is one of those things you'll be hearing a lot about as I experiment with cooking and foodstuffs.<br />
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But today was also a baking day. Neither the boy nor I are very keen on cakes, so for his birthday-baked-goody, I made chocolate chip cookies. (Lucky for me, he doesn't care for batter, so the bowl and spatula was all mine!) Happy early birthday to you!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukymLF_XTKQJ5BLRmTkrpA1iwlNI9qC5qZx6MnloAp1ClJqiVwBVnqKKECdr69emmmUGmG8mUT5Rhu0bCWlPtSWDKR6YswOtHhGJ4tdXFaX__8Q2YJ6VIgihetoUDh6lgycTCEP5tx3Q/s1600/IMG_2206+cookies+sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukymLF_XTKQJ5BLRmTkrpA1iwlNI9qC5qZx6MnloAp1ClJqiVwBVnqKKECdr69emmmUGmG8mUT5Rhu0bCWlPtSWDKR6YswOtHhGJ4tdXFaX__8Q2YJ6VIgihetoUDh6lgycTCEP5tx3Q/s320/IMG_2206+cookies+sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday baked goodies</td></tr>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-863878342641230637.post-49303875898094436302011-09-22T18:40:00.000-07:002011-09-29T15:09:44.375-07:00A fresh startA new life in the country! I actually moved here a year ago to join my life with an amazing man. I got a car (after 15 years of not owning one), have a garden (okay, a piece of dirt so far, but I have aspirations!) and now I have a wedding to plan (squee!). I keep meaning to start the blogging again, but writing on "BethinNYC" just didn't feel right... I'm not that person any more. So I thought I'd start a fresh blog here for those who care to read it.<br />
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I think we'll just start with some silly stuff... a few random thoughts to get started...<br />
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<b><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655370058365189666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2FCL16x9DkAomhzctTaNFdK-WpZkmDzfGODcopzuePWXLXn3LrUlmNFdKw_VEMF6MkorrGHXiS_OxPzz4cz7duF3ywplt-RGoAWd-SdmD-3BPS1V3LujwQUJDDult6icg9_3sL3f10Q/s320/Womans+Daybook.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 231px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; width: 170px;" /></b><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOR TODAY… </span>from Beth's Daybook<br />
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<b>Outside my window…</b> ~foggy, and a bit rainy...and humid. We had a nice brief cold snap that made things feel like fall for a few days, but I don't think summer is done with us yet. The rain this summer has been amazing, and it keeps going today. <br />
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<b>I am thinking…</b> ~how lucky I am to have such great people in my life. I've seen some rough times in the past, but I think that makes me realize and appreciate even more how much and how great people are that I have around me today.</div>
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<b>I am thankful for…</b> ~ finding my soulmate. Okay, okay... a bit mooshy on the emotional side, I know. But it's true...</div>
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<b>I am wearing…</b> ~comfy cozy yoga pants, and the Tshirt with a bear on it from the Wildlife Conservation Society (we got Tshirts when we joined the Bronx Zoo as members. I'm sure there will be photos of the zoo visits posted on here repeatedly.)</div>
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<b>I am remembering…</b> ~ baking oodles of cookies for the holidays. I just pulled out my cookie book from the basement and the middle pages promptly fell out. I realized that the book is 15 years old... and I'm feeling a little strange about that. I don't feel that old!</div>
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<b>I am going…</b> ~to get married. The boy and I got engaged 3 weeks ago. :) The most exciting part is looking forward to the future with him. The good things (traveling, getting a puppy or three)... and the challenges, and everything in between. </div>
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<b>I am currently reading… </b>~ too much. As usual, I have many books going at once. I'm halfway through Shogun, and on book four of the "Song of Ice and Fire" series. Both are dense sagas with too many characters that I can't remember who is who... hm.</div>
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<b>I am hoping… </b>~ to stay as happy as I am now for the rest of my life.</div>
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<b>On my mind…</b> ~ for some reason, the huge mushroom in the front lawn is on my mind. It just popped up yesterday... sprouting up in the middle of the front yard. I'll take a photo of it tomorrow. Mushrooms are weird.</div>
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<b>Noticing that…</b> ~ I am a pretty emotionally intense person. I never really thought about it, but I am. And I'm starting to be OK with that. Sort of.</div>
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<b>Pondering these words…</b> ~ "Life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew. Seek, therefore, not to find out Who You Are, seek to determine Who You Want To Be."</div>
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<b>From the kitchen…</b> ~Turkey burgers with mustard sauce and swiss cheese on rolls, along with pan-seared broccoli in rice wine sauce.<br />
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<b>Around the house…</b> ~ Need to give the kitchen a good scrub down, and the floors a good mopping... oh, and also need to fix the rock wall out front. A truck ran into it and smooshed it... and the neighbors are starting to make comments. Oopsie.</div>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18153335342661124736noreply@blogger.com1