I say we hit the cruise control

I posted this last night on my myspace blog but I never know if you guys read that when I link it. Or if you can't access it from work (I can't get on myspace at work).

Mom and I went to Bailey's last night to watch the game. It was Pay-Per-View, so we figured, hey, I have a free entree coupon, lets save the money on buying the game and go there. Plus, it was fun 2 weeks ago, despite the loss.

About 1/2 hour after we got there, some weird guy walks in. We knew immediately that it was Cari's stalker (Cari worked last night so didn't get to watch the game). He met her through her work and showed up at Bailey's last week and drove her crazy (and she left there before halftime). He was WEIRD during the game with us and the other people in there. But I won't get into that...

I called my father's cell when we left the bar following the game. It was off. This wasn't much of a surprise, because he was supposed to be at the game and would be on his way home. But he doesn't check those messages so I called his house to leave one. Imagine my surprise when Eric answers the phone.
"you're not at the game?"
"no" (like it was obvious)
"why not?"
"well, dad didn't go either"
"WHAT? WHY NOT?"
"he's sick"
"did you sell the tickets?"
"no"
"WHAT?"
"well, we didn't know til this morning. we didn't not go because dad is sick, he also didn't sleep last night and if we went and he fell asleep driving he would have killed me and i don't want to die."

ARE YOU F-ING KIDDING ME????????

I CANNOT believe they just let the tickets go. I HATE when people do that shit. There are certain extenuating circumstances that I will agree people can do that but this is ridiculous. Reminds me of when Stacey in college didn't go to a Tim concert and they just didn't use the 4 tickets. What goes through people's minds that they would rather the money go to waste than just GIVE them away to ANYONE???????????

On top of pissing me off about that, I called to ask about getting together today (for my birthday).
"are we still getting together tomorrow?"
"yes"
"well, what time?"
"dad says he's not coming to Germantown"
"why? I came to Pennsylvania last year for my birthday!"
"dad says he wants to go to Olive Garden".

I should add, in case you don't know, that anytime we want to get together, my
dad always wants to go to Olive Garden. Needless to say, I am now
sick of it. Plus, Cari, mom and I just went about a week ago.

"well, I don't want to go to Olive Garden"
"well, where do you want to go"
"well, if we have to go to Frederick, I have to think about it. I will call you in the morning"

Cari thinks I should have said either they come to Germantown or I won't go out. But, with my dad, we have to be the adults. He's always been the freaking child when it comes to getting his way. But I REFUSE to go to Olive Garden. I don't know where I want to go still...and I should call them soon about it. I'm just so mad.

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

I keep forgetting about Ten On Tuesday. And when I check later in the week, I usually don't feel like doing whatever it is. But the idea for next Tuesday I like so I'll do it today...

1. my birthday
2. Halloween
3. football
4. pumpkin cookies
5. changing leaves
6. cold weather (and anticipation of snow)
7. sweaters
8. going to football games
9. shopping for Christmas presents
10. finally getting to wear my jersey since it has been sitting in my closet for 9 months

I'll be a follower...like I'm ever not

Banned books I have read (there are probably very few...)

Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (I just bought it so this may change soon)
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Sex by Madonna
Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole Kaffir
Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan (I don't think...)
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (also just bought)
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
Guess What? by Mem Fox
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney (though I saw the TV movie)
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford (seriously? this?)
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

geez, 13. And plenty of them I haven't heard of...

Day off. It's nice. I went to the dentist today. Clean bill. Then I renewed my license. I am very happy with my pic--it could have been much worse. And my hair listened, despite it being rainy outside. And my zits didn't show up (it's connect the dots this week on my face). And I finally have the "new" license for Maryland, with the crab on it, and the pic of the state and a heart for being an organ donor. And no black bar on the back. And I keep misspelling "license".

We're going to Olive Garden to eat in an hour or so. It's such a tragedy we don't have one in the county that we don't go much because of traffic (it's either Frederick or VA).

Starting tomorrow, there's educators discount at Borders. I just have to bring in my ID, which I have. So that's oh-so-exciting.

Cari and I have THE BEST time Saturday at the Penn State game. It was CRAZY. I was dancing crazy after we scored each time. And during the "bounce bounce" during this one song, I was totally into it. We don't usually stand in our section--just the students' section--but people were standing. It was driving me nuts cuz I wanted to sit (it was RAINY) but after a while, I was used to it cuz I was so into the game. The problem was there was a jolly green giant in front of me. He was like 6 foot a million and I had to look around him, which wasn't that easy either. And Cari sat against the rail, which is where I sit when I go with mom, so I finally interacted with people around us. The guy who sits on our right is really nice. And the guys who sat behind us were too (they aren't those seat holders though)--they helped me pull my poncho down when it was starting to rain harder. And of course what made the day was the win. What a weekend.

And last Friday we saw OAR and Alternate Routes. They were awesome. Some assholes were chanting "OAR" during AR's set, which pissed us off, cuz they rocked. And there was a drunk/high guy near us who was dancing like a freak and we thought he was going to fall over the wall and go splat on the ground below (our seats were 2nd row, but not from the ground. Those ground seats were folded up). And we smelled pot.

Field trip to pumpkin patch tomorrow! Yippee!

The music teacher at school has been diagnosed with breast cancer. We just got an email from her stating it is stage 3. Wow. I never imagined it to be that far. She did say that women in her situation, taking the drugs she will take, she does have an 85% survival rate, which is higher than I thought for stage 3. She is an awesome woman who is GREAT with our kids (which is hard, ya know) and our kids I am sure will miss her while she's out. She's a feminist in all ways I have learned about her and tries to keep out of the gossip that happens at school (that inevitably happens everywhere). She's not married and I hope she has a great family helping her through these times. It amazes me that she is only the second person I know who has gotten breast cancer, the first being my boss at JCPenney. My thoughts will be with her for the coming months and I await her return to school anxiously.

When we were at Jammin Java last weekend (24th), we browsed the City Paper and came across this ad. I cut it out and hung it on my wall. It's so powerful and true and may be my favorite ad I've ever seen. So what does everyone think about the new justice appointee?