Saving it for Saturday

Okay, I know you are used to me NOT posting a lot. So, you probably didn't expect a post from me so soon.

However, I have lots to tell you. I am holding back, in order to spew forth a blog post EVERY SINGLE DAY in order to participate in the insanity that is NaBloPoMo.

Topics will include:

The teenager.

My dog.

Random photos of critters that have been discovered lately.

Music. (duh.)

Random photos of people I know IRL.

Occasional rants about stuff going on in my daily life. On second thought, I think I could post a rant a day, but then you would just think I'm some miserably unhappy person with a fork stuck in her eye.

Television.

THE ELECTION. (Yeah, I figure I can milk this, long after Tuesday.)

Of course, I'll be trying out Fun Monday and Ruby Tuesday, with a little Wordless Wednesday thrown in, just in case I run out of material.

Is there anything YOU would like to see me post about? In particular?? If so, leave a comment. If not, leave a comment.

Wish me luck.

Fun Monday Costumery - Errr...Pumpkinry

Sayre is this week's hostess for Fun Monday, and she wanted to see our Halloween costumes...or pumpkins! When I read the assignment, I remembered dressing up one year in a black garbage bag with autumn leaf garland poking out of it...while carrying a rake. Could I find the photo? No. One year, in the midst of the scandal that was Michael Jackson - I dressed up as him, complete with fake baby and face mask, ready to dangle said prop over any balcony I could find. Photos? Nope. I figured I would cheat and use the kid's costumes, and then I realized that I had already posted my favorite Halloween costumes that The Offspring has sported here. However, I found this one from 2003. It indicated the beginning of a mode of dress that became slightly less garish, but similar in spirit:
However, I WILL share a pumpkin project from a few years ago. The Offspring had to enter a contest at the middle school and wanted something TOTALLY DIFFERENT. So, we made this little guy out of pipe cleaners, gourds, mushrooms and a cucumber. We even put a strobe light inside:We got the idea from a web site, and when we finished the project and sent it to them, they displayed it here!
I think she won second place for this monstrosity - and let me tell you, skinned cucumbers get REALLY nasty looking after a few days!

Now, go check out the other participants!

Couldn't Resist

I just absolutely used to LOVE the WAZZUP commercials from Anheuser-Busch. Now? There's another one:

Just couldn't resist sharing this clever take! Have a great Sunday.

I'll be back for Fun Monday.

Remiss, but Making Amends

Long, long ago....in AUGUST, I received an award from one of my favorite bloggers: AOJ & the Lurchers. August. Did you get that? I am waaaay behind. How on earth am I going to get thru the blog-fest that is NaBloPoMo?

At any rate, MANY THANKS to AOJ & the Lurchers for this sweet award:

It originated with another blogger, RDH Mom. Why did I get this award? HA...b/c I "rant real good."

So, I need to prove I am deserving of the award. The topic: Last Minute-itis. The victim: Me.

Those of you with children will totally understand this. Those of you not blessed with the experience of raising a child, feel free to borrow mine for a taste of adventure.

Last Minute-itis means that somehow, I have to write a check for an insane amount of money, right before the teenager leaves the house for school that morning.

Last Minute-itis means I get a text message, asking if the teenager can run around town with another teenager, five minutes before I was supposed to pick said teenager up.

Last Minute-itis causes the teenager to mention that she needs a specific article of clothing, that is NO WHERE TO BE FOUND in our tiny little town...like at 9PM, the NIGHT BEFORE the event requiring the attire.

Last Minute-itis means that the teenager will need help on a complex subject like Geometry, about 30 minutes before bedtime, and after I have consumed a glass and a half of Pinot Grigio.

I know this is an "on demand" society - with all our fancy devices. I know that part of the fault lies with ME...The Enabler. I also am guilty of eye-rolling and the typical parental response such as, "WHY did you wait until the absolute LAST minute to tell me this?" And such response usually results in a prolonged argument that drives the male parental unit insane.

Is there a cure for Last Minute-itis? If so, could you share it with me?

Since I don't have one, I'm taking my only form of revenge: posting a silly photo of the teenager on my blog. For ALL to see. Hehehehe!

Fun Monday - A Normal Day

Sarah is this week's hostess for Fun Monday, and she wanted photos of our "normal" day...

I signed up late, it's Sunday, and I may have a little trouble with this one. I can't start off in the morning, so how about a peek at a 24-hour period? Let's start with Friday night...we heard cheeping, coming from a strange place, and found a helpless baby cardinal nestled between some decorative items at the garage entry. Quickly devising a trap, we tried to decide if the red spots indicated an injury.

The bird was cheeping and "panting" - so we put it in a larger tub for a closer look:
No, those are NOT bloody spots. Those are little red feathers! A baby male cardinal! So, being the curious sort - I just had to lift the lid to get a better look...and...well...then....
MAYHEM! Healthy cardinal, yes. Injured, no. BOTH good things...except for all that flying around the kitchen. And all the screeching by the child. And all the flailing of the male persons in the immediate area. I was beginning to wish we didn't have such an "open" floor plan.
Finally - a successful recapture. Now, what was that saying again?

Okay - time to head outdoors. Our first attempt to "release" did not turn out as expected.
The second attempt included a flight, with the same result. Finally, the baby was placed in a bush near an area where we could hear what sounded like panicked cardinal parents. And more flight! But...the baby seemed to want a new parent...
Sigh. C'mon bird...another flight later, and the baby wants to roost on our back lights. Gentle coaxing was necessary.
Coaxing, coaxing, and then? Something told me that we might have to send the bird home with our friend.
Finally, after a bit more encouragement, the baby cardinal decided to depart us.
The next morning found me working at our town's "Wheels and Wings" festival at the local airport, where I got to watch my kiddo and her choir group perform.
And had an encounter with a chicken. Oh, but look deeply into her eyes...this is no ordinary chicken.
This chicken has a special talent. She is trained to walk on a leash.

What's even better is that halfway thru her walk, she laid an egg.

Just another normal day in the life of Tiggerlane. Now go to Sarah's, and check out all the other Fun Monday participants!

Random on a Dreary Thursday

If you're coming here, expecting the usual coherent post, might as well click away now. I'm sleepy. My thoughts are disjointed after a night of vivid, realistic dreams and a morning that did not include enough coffee. But I MUST get in gear for the insanity of blogging that is NaBloPoMo, which still sounds like something nasty you do to clowns.

First of all, don't you know "Joe the Plumber" was cringing last night? Someone told me his name was mentioned 26 times in the debate. Joe Six Pack's day in the sun is officially over.

Today, if you have never done so, I encourage you to play this game:

Warning: it can be addictive. Good news: your addiction will make a difference, and very well may save someone's life.

Grr...I was DVRing "Project Runway" AND "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" last night. DVR went awry. Boo. Hiss.

Major congratulations to my kiddo for making the SATB All-Region Choir as a FRESHMAN! She is the second alternate for All-State auditions...and I just couldn't be any prouder. Who knew that all those hours I spent listening to her bellow out songs from "The Little Mermaid" would actually pay off someday?

Oh, and her yellow pants are in high demand. Had a friend and his daughter visit last night, so that she could borrow them to wear at today's pep rally.

Last, but not least - a triple thank you to Swampilicious. Not only did she send me a beautiful, Swampy-made card the other day, but she awarded me with this:I know I lot of you bloggers have had this for a while, but not me! Swampy is a special lady - a survivor of breast cancer, and a big advocate for breast cancer awareness. If you have never been to her site, GO NOW.

I am supposed to award this to other bloggers, but Swampy has given it to all of you already, methinks. However, if you don't have it, and want it, GET IT! Put it in your sidebar...but one catch, you MUST VISIT SWAMPY FIRST.

Okay - all my energy is gone. And I must do some work. Remind me not to play drinking games during presidential debates.

Fun Monday Doodles

It's another Fun Monday! And this week's hostess is {i}Post, over at Nine Acres - 20 Miles North of Nowhere. The assignment was to start a "doodle," with a red nine - and go from there. We were to aimlessly scribble, doodle, etc. on a page...and guess what? I cheated.

I don't doodle much. If I'm doing something while watching television, it's most likely texting, checking email, twittering, putting on makeup. HOWEVER...I DO know someone who doodles CONSTANTLY: The Offspring. So, I handed her the piece of paper (I did draw the nine myself), and told her to doodle away. Being the expert doodler that she is, in less than five minutes, I got this:
I'm almost afraid to check the analyzer and see what this says about my kid. I did tell her to make it "PG" for the Fun Monday audience.

Now go check out the other participants!

She Sends Me Email

One of the joys of parenting a teenager involves keeping up with their activities. It was easy when I was a child. All my mom had to do was peer into my room. Now, I have to monitor my child's myspace page, text messages, iPod, music downloads and emails. Not to mention all the other profile sites for which she has accounts.

The up side to this is that I often get text messages in the wee hours. Sometimes, I get them when she is spending the night at a friend's house. The messages are often heartfelt, and deal with subjects she might be mortified to mention face to face. I won't go into sordid details here, but suffice it to say at least she is discussing things we might never talk about if not for the power of technology. Things that are downright uncomfortable to discuss between a teenager and her mother, even with my reputation for being frank, open and providing T.M.I.

All this leads to an email I received from her. Halloween is her FAVORITE holiday, because she has the opportunity to dress in shocking attire. Here are some previous outfits: Halloween, 2005 - and yes, she totally had shorts on under that skirt.
Halloween, 2006Halloween, 2007

So I get this email entitled "just some suggestions as to wat i want for halloween", that states, in typical teenager fashion, "i kinda want to get that seductive victorian maiden sorta look...or a victorian doll thing...idk yet but i wanna wear a dress thats frillyish and dark =D." Followed by a photo of a $54 Tripp brand dress from Hot Topic. SEDUCTIVE VICTORIAN MAIDEN???? NOT. And to go with it? These: Adding insult to injury, the message continues: "also if u have read twilight....which is a no....well there are victorian vampiresses....and well that would be hot." And another photo to solidify the intent: HOT? The goal for Halloween is HOT? Sigh. I may not have read "Twilight," totally ruining my credibility as a worthwhile parent, but I DO watch "True Blood" on HBO.

I'm thinking...how is this Halloween different than any others? And exactly when did Halloween become an excuse to dress as a sexy vampire? In looking at costumes online, I became acutely aware of the options NOT available for purchase. Everything was a "Sexy Vixen" or a "Sexy Maid" and even a "Star Wars Sexy Adult Leia" costume (NOT the gold bikini, mind you). Even the "classic" women's costumes had titles like "Medusa the Mythical Siren." Since when did Halloween get so sexy? Let me hear from you.

Fun Monday Story Challenge

This Fun Monday is hosted by Mommy Wizdom, who had a "wordzle" assignment - we had to use one of three themes, ten words in our story, and optional bonus words. I have highlighted the words we were required to use (and the bonus words I could manage) in yellow.

The theme I chose was "Raising a Teenager," AKA "Why I No Longer Have Time to Blog"

The room of a teenager is a mysterious place, and I am constantly fascinated with what I might find hanging from the doorknobs at any given time. Lanyards, keepsakes, nametags, beads - all manner of items that are "treasures," not to be disturbed by me. I see that a panda backpack has found his home there, looking a bit lethargic - not obviously remembering that he was a MUST HAVE purchase in a Washington D. C. museum gift shop, requiring me to jet across town on the Metro at lightning speed to provide the needed funds. I also remember the bookcase - innocent, white, and so adorable that held her "Goosebumps" books from middle school. Now, all the bookcases in her room are the requisite fashionable color of black, and her reading choices have moved to magazines, strewn across an old-fashioned trunk that was also painted black, to match the overall room decor.
And the room is often filled with a variety of the teenager's friends - corralling them all into participating in a simple activity such as dinner is akin to herding cats. And the dinner itself? Well, sometimes, I have to take a bit of respite in a shot of tequila in order to calm my jangled nerves. Such moments find me offering meal items such as a can of chicken soup, Ramen noodles, or a couple of biscuits leftover from the morning breakfast. I know - I sound like a horrible mother at times. But have you raised a teenager lately? With their wireless devices constantly at the ready, I feel like a prehistoric relic of an age gone by.
When I finally have a moment to myself, I am tired beyond belief. Being able to use the computer at home is a rare privilege, and so checking my comments is a treat indeed. Much less blogging a full post. And what do I sometimes find? That a blogger with an avatar of an ostrich has left me a humorous comment that brings me to tears, reminding me that there are people out there, just like me. Mothers of these beautiful people we call children, even though they can sometimes suck the very life out of us.

And yes, I finished this post shortly before 11PM, when the teenager finally let me on the computer. Now go check out the other participants!