Semi-Moved In

You know, in the process of building a house - you forget, in all the excitement, that you have to MOVE.

Notes for next time:

Do not start retching when you see what is behind a dresser you haven't moved in 14 years.

Do not apologize, while retching, to movers who are hefting dresser, for all the dust water buffaloes lurking. They have seen worse, evidently.

Do not attempt to move the cat without adequate protection, lest you want your husband's blood all over your new tile floor.

Move everything at ONE TIME. Because if you don't? Once you're settled, you NEVER want to visit the old house to get the rest of your stuff.

A dumpster can be your best friend, especially when you haul 8 bags of worthless trash out of your old home in 2 hours.

If the child is over the age of 10, keeping toys from her baby years is pointless.

Now, on to the photos you really want to see:The big screen is a LOT bigger than it appears here. Oh, and DVR? How on EARTH did I live without it?This is our new king-sized bed. We bought the frame at our local furniture store, and the nearly new bed and boxsprings from a friend. Said friend wants the mattress back, b/c the new one he got doesn't feel as good to him as this one. Tough. Wait until I go on vacation, then you can bed-sit.

Here is an idea of the living room. Notice that there aren't any photos on the wall yet? Roger isn't thrilled about driving that first nail.On to some new art my aunt gave me, and check out our bamboo shades in the bedroom! We have "Shanghai White" shades like this in the living/dining rooms:The dining room table was also a gift from my aunt. Those are lion pedestals - and the movers had a LOT of fun with the 7 1/2-foot piece of glass:Here is a semi-panoramic view from the kitchen area:And a panoramic of the bonus room with a small bit of Roger's musical equipment moved in:We did a "sound check" around the house, and none of the neighbors should be able to hear the drums or screaming electric guitars. Sweet.

Here is a view of the bar and our new barstools. I still haven't trained the natives to put things AWAY and to use the coat closet.And the master tub is AWESOME - nothing more relaxing than a bath in this sucker. Jets rule!More photos are available here on my flickr site.

And for the record, I keep waiting for hotel management to knock on the door and kick us out...it will be a long time before it TRULY feels like we belong here!

I Couldn't Resist

I know you're waiting for house photos, but I HAVE to post this. Several of you know I have a celebrity crush on Matt Damon, and kindly sent me this NSFW, naughty video that appeared on Jimmy Kimmel (please watch at your own discretion):

THEN, lo and behold, came Jimmy's response, complete with an all-star cast!

I think you'll agree, these are better than photos of my boring furniture, any day!

Fun Monday Answers on a Tuesday

Wow - you guys are nosey little buggers, aren't you? Actually, it was pointed out that I never did explain the "Tiggerlane" portion of my blog title. Shame on me!

As you can read from the description above, it's a bit easy to see how a "Tiffany" could be dubbed a "Tigger." Add a passle of college buddies and a few pitchers of beer? Yeah - that's where the nickname originated. Bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy - fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN!

The "lane" portion? Very simple - it is my last name! And the reason I'm not shy about sharing this with all of you is that b/c of my business, my real name and photo are plastered everywhere.

Secondly, many of you asked how to do a strike-thru, and after a bit of research, I have found the answer. You have to use the word "strike" in the carrots, just like any other HTML coding...make sense? I tried to figure out how to "show" you the HTML coding here, but it just coded the dang sentence and struck thru it. But you know how to italicize and embolden text? Just use the word "strike" in the place you might put "em" or "strong."

Clear as mud? Make sense?

Fun Monday - and Tigger is BACK!

I am SO glad to be back in time for Fun Monday this week. With all the packing and moving and working, I felt TOO absent from the blogosphere! Mariposa is this week's hostess, and she wants to know "what's in a name and what's on our plates."

As for the name - she is referring to our blog name. I am asked at times WHY I call myself "The Neophyte Blogger." Well, if you had any idea what it took to put together a post like this, by peering over my shoulder, it would be obvious. I have been on the 'net since 1996, but all these cool tricks that other bloggers can do with their sites elude me. I had to get help from Bond to put together the masthead you see above. I am an HTML idiot, literally - and I feel like a total newbie when it comes to blog design, etiquette, linkage, etc. I have tried a gazillion times to work with Photoshop - to no avail. I have to spend so many of my computer hours uploading photos and data to our company's real estate web sites that blogging is a foreign landscape. Even after all this time, I have to ask people like Willowtree how to do simple things like strike-thrus. So now you know - the real story behind the title of my blog!

As for my plate? Nothing is better than this:A big steaming heap of cheese enchildadas...they never get old. Must be the Mexican in me!

Now go check out the other participants! And Happy Fun Monday to ALL! (Photos of us in our new home, as well as responses to your comments, coming this week!)

Fun Monday is Tiggerless

I can't believe I'm not participating in Fun Monday this week.

I also can't believe that I got a toothache, illness and "Mother Nature's Reminder of My Womanhood", all in the week before I'm supposed to move.

OH...yes...did I mention that I'm moving? Tomorrow. Starting at 8:00AM. Mind you, we have been moving stuff for WEEKS into that new house...which means both of our homes "don't feel right." Like, one is halfway destroyed - while the other is stacked with boxes.

The Offspring is leaving for a conference first thing tomorrow, giving me an opportunity to pack her GOOD stuff and get rid of her CRAP without interference.

Thank you all for your well wishes. I am somewhat better - at least well enough that the movers won't have to move a bed with someone still on it.

I will not be at my orifice (which has a reliable internet connection) for the next three days, nor will I have an internet connection at the new house immediately. Well, I scheduled it for "immediately," but we all know how that goes.

I promise to finish my memes, my award-thank-you's, my tags, and photos of the new house. I will most surely be updating you by the end of the week.

And please pray for my husband - this process is about all that his Virgo nature can take.

Where is Tiggerlane?

Hacking and coughing somewhere, hopefully not near you!

Yeah, the Tigger is sick...and didn't get to visit most of the Fun Mondayers this week. Which is REALLY rotten, since the topic was GREAT!!! AAARRGGHH!!

I have been in bed for a while...I am not leaving the blogosphere...promise.

So, have any of you caught the "Flu of the Year?"

I have to go out of town tomorrow, so I'm resting as much as possible. Drop me a line, and tell me what has worked for your winter illnesses. I'll take just about anything that doesn't involve urine.

Fun Monday Song (and Video)

I can't believe I'm still doing Fun Monday, in the middle of packing and moving, but with Crown Princess as the hostess giving us this GREAT topic, how could I resist?

Her challenge: I want to hear the ONE song that is you. The song that whenever it is heard, you smile. I am not looking for the soundtrack of your life, just that one song.

You might not be familiar with the Swedish artist, Bosson - but if you've ever seen "Miss Congeniality," then you've heard his song, "One in a Million." But the song I've chosen is called "We Live," and the first time I heard it, I was hooked. I felt as if it embodied my whole philosophy, as well as a pop song can. And I love the beat, the tune, and it makes me want to dance. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that Bosson is HAWT.

I pulled this CD out again, right after 9/11, to help me remember the message. I won't bore you with all the lyrics, but here is a sample:

"We live, and we die...and we learn to find the things we live and die for...
And the time that we have inside it keeps on ticking, till the end.
So it's time that we live our lives and celebrating..."


I try to live my life like this - and no matter how often I hear this song, it DOES make me smile. Now go over and visit the other participants!

Cardboard Boxes and Fire Trucks

I'm getting weary. I thought a solid month of packing time would be sufficient - what the heck happened? I've packed a total of four boxes, and Roger has packed almost two entire rooms and moved them to the new house. I've lost motivation, and the empty boxes are taunting me with yawping cardboard mouths. Reminding me that they need to be filled, and soon.

We had our new furniture and television delivered, and guess what? The furniture I had picked out months ago "didn't quite work" in the living room. Not to mention that I had a double-reclining sofa, which is NOT conducive to having a sofa table behind it. So, after living with the furniture for less than 24 hours, we called the furniture company. They were WONDERFUL, picked up stuff, and let us select new stuff, which they delivered yesterday. It works. And we're one step closer. Why am I so sad?

I went to our old house, plopped down on my grungy couch, and felt right at home. Then I started to feel sad. The rooms Roger had packed felt naked, depressed, bare and lonely. The walls filled with holes where our family pictures had once been seemed to be drooping, having lost their purpose. I suddenly didn't want to leave. I felt as if I was abandoning an old friend, who had carried me thru tough times. I felt like a traitor.

Do you have a police scanner? If so, you'll understand what snapped me out of this funk. Roger popped his head into the living room and uttered words that made my heart stop: "The scanner just reported that there is smoke coming out of the Century 21 building!" He was out the door, flying to my office. Just for clarification, we own the office building where I have my business. To increase the panic, it still has a mortgage.

I sat in shock for a second. Then I started shaking and realized I was hearing sirens. I called the police department to tell them we were on the way. Shaking more, I phoned my firefighter friend, barely able to speak. He told me to relax - reports they were receiving did not indicate that the building was engulfed in flames. I still had to see for myself.

Flying to the office, leaving my 14-year-old daughter asleep in her bed, my mind trying to figure out how to keep business running with no building. Within the 1.2-mile drive, I had a million contingency plans. When I got to the highway, I couldn't see anything but fire trucks and police vehicles. Panic really set in.

But there is good news...my building was safe. The horrible tornadoes that passed thru our state had missed our town, but high winds had broken a furnace vent in the back of our building. The vent was spewing steam against the side, giving the illusion of smoke pouring from the office.

Relieved that I wasn't faced with ANOTHER building project so soon, my adrenaline levels finally stabilized.

And I couldn't wait to get back to my grungy old couch. When the movers come on February 19th, they might have to carry it out with me still sitting on it!

Hey - What Are You Doing?

If you're in one of the 24 states involved in Super Tuesday - get away from your computer and VOTE! I don't care WHO you vote for - JUST DO IT! I will, as soon as I finish visiting the Fun Monday participants...but I WILL DO IT.

I try to stay away from politics on this blog, and I'm not going to tell you what party or which candidate I plan to vote for. However, I received this in an email and had to share it. I heard one of the media pundits speaking about Barack Obama's way with words - how his speeches are poetic. This video seems to substantiate that claim. Sometimes the words are difficult to understand, so I have also copied the transcript of the message underneath the video. Keep in mind, I'm not endorsing Barack, or un-endorsing Barack - but I thought this video was worth sharing, if for no other reason than for its uniqueness.

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality.

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can repair this world.

Yes we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics...they will only grow louder and more dissonant ........... We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea --

Yes. We. Can.


Your thoughts are encouraged...and if you want to have a political discussion in the comments, have at it....but VOTE!

It's Fun Monday List Time!

***SCROLL DOWN FOR LATE ADDITIONS!!!***
It's Fun Monday! I'm adjusting my Hostess Crown after watching the Super Bowl...but I'm ready for Monday! Here was the assignment this week:

Have you heard of The Bucket List? Well, that's what I want from you! Make a list of things you want to do before you die. It must be at least five items - and you can make it as long as you desire. Photos are optional. And let's hear about some of the wackiest, most bizarre to-do's on your Bucket List!

I actually got this idea from The Offspring. She compiled a list and shared it with me. Some answers shocked me, while others made a mom proud. Her list follows, with MY comments in yellow.

1. Understand the meaning of life, and find out who I am. (Uh, you're MY kid, Sweetie - nothin' you can do about that.)
2. Get married.
3. Make history somehow - at least become famous. (Hopefully not for a crime.)
4. Streak, get a tattoo, and get a lip ring. (Uh...WHAT? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?)
5. Visit Japan, the U.K., Las Vegas, Germany, revisit Chicago, revisit Washington D.C., revisit California. (Can I go?)
6. Write a book.
7. Become devirginized. (You ARE trying to give me a heart attack.)
8. Go to college. (Can you wait to get devirginized until AFTER college?)
9. Make a movie.
10. Own a stripper pole. (Get the paramedics - STAT!)
11. Meet a famous actor.
12. Own a ferret. (Not in MY house, you're not!)
13. Fall down some stairs. (Sheesh - why did I put stairs in the new house?)
14. Join a band.
15. Save someone's life. (You could start by saving mine - and by not throwing yourself down a flight of stairs.)
16. Create a clothing line. (You're thinking about modesty, right?)
17. Model. (Not with that stripper pole, I hope.)
18. Go to a rave. (Do we need to have that "say no to drugs" talk again?)
19. Fork a yard. (Better than toilet paper.)
20. Sneak out. (Uh...can I have the date and time of this event?)
21. See a ghost. (I will be skipping this one, thanks.)
22. Create a new drink.
23. Have one kid. (I hope you're considering that marriage thing FIRST.)
24. Save an animal.
25. Have a party on wheels.
26. Learn German and French.
27. Dye my own hair.
28. Build my own house. (Copycat.)
29. Go hunting. (And you were going to SAVE an animal? I'm confused.)
30. Vote. (Do this a lot, Sweetie.)
31. Skinny dip - again. (YOU ALREADY DID THIS? I'm never going make it to your 18th birthday.)
32. Get involved in a music video. (Go for production - and leave the stripper pole at home.)
33. Sing in a band.
34. Stay up for a week.

I can't cheat, and not follow my own rules - so here is MY very short list:
1. Live long enough to see my grandchildren be born.
2. Pay off most of my debt.
3. Teach my daughter the important things that will carry her thru life, long after I'm gone.
4. Attend at least ONE Super Bowl game.
5. Be in a financial position to create a better life for many other people, around the world.
6. Drag my husband to his first professional football game.
7. Travel to Europe (hopefully WITH my daughter).

Now go visit the long list of participants this week:
1. Swampy
2. Arkansas Songbird
3. Susan at A Slice of Life
4. Deb's Valentine Patch
5. Lil Mouse
6. Kitten
7. Mamalang
8. Straight Up and Slightly Dirty
9. La Vie en Rose
10. From the Planet of Janet
11. Kila, momto3cubs
12. AOJ & The Lurchers
13. Pete, at Holtie's House
14. Ragracers
15. Raising3Saints
16. Summit Musings
17. Three Dog Blog
18. Carrie and the Koehmstedts
19. Myanderings
20. Nikki
21. Eclectic Blog
22. Lady K
23. Ms Cellania
24. Beckie, at Give it a Try
25. Tales of a Southern Doll
26. The Rotten Correspondent
27. Sauntering Soul
28. Robin at Pensieve
29. Lisa's Chaos
30. Karmyn R, at Dreaming What Ifs
31. Jenn, at Simply Not So Simple
32. Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
33. Sallad Says...
34. Rob
35. Alix at DC Days
36. Lisa, The Food Snob
37. -Ann, For the Long Run
38. Candid Karina
39. Fianna
40. Sayre Smiles
41. Junebug
42. Robocop
43. Bermudabluez
44. Pamela
45. Jettie
46. Gattina
47. Ooh, A Shiny Pen, who has volunteered to host next week!
48. Ped Crossing
49. Andre Veloux
50. Welcome to Mi Vida Loca
51. RDH Mom
52. Mama Speak
53. Retrohipster
54. ari_1965
55. Nekked Lizards
56. Return of the White Robin
57. The Prytz Family
58. Hootin' Anni's
59. Karisma
60. Cynthia
61. Swampangel65
62. Robin, My Two Blessings
63. Patience-please
64. Ellen B.
65. Nancypants
66. Lana G.
67. Joy T.
68. Sirdar
69. Jenni, at Prairie Air
70. Schmoop
71. Serina Hope
72. Megnificent
73. Colours of Dawn
JUST ADDED:
74. Min, at Mama Drama
75. Mariposa
76. Tiger Lamb Girl
77. Heaven in Belgium
78. Detroit, at Serving Him
79. dog face girls
80. Tracey

This may be the biggest Fun Monday EVER!

Fun Monday February 4th Assignment - STICKY POST

*SCROLL DOWN FOR NEW POST*

Uh...what was I thinking in hosting next week's Fun Monday? Sheesh - it's RIGHT AFTER SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!!! (Smacks forehead.)

However, your assignment is one I think you will like, and I already have mine(?)prepared...so I guess I'm ahead of the game.

Have you heard of The Bucket List? Well, that's what I want from you! Make a list of things you want to do before you die. It must be at least five items - and you can make it as long as you desire. Photos are optional. And let's hear about some of the wackiest, most bizarre to-do's on your Bucket List!

Sign up in the comments - I'll be posting links as we go. If this Neophyte gets yours wrong, please let me know!

Whoa. That rhymed. Must be the Miller Chill.

Already signed up:
1. Swampy
2. Arkansas Songbird
3. Susan at A Slice of Life
4. Deb's Valentine Patch
5. Lil Mouse
6. Kitten
7. Mamalang
8. Straight Up and Slightly Dirty
9. La Vie en Rose
10. From the Planet of Janet
11. Kila, momto3cubs
12. AOJ & The Lurchers
13. Pete, at Holtie's House
14. Ragracers
15. Raising3Saints
16. Summit Musings
17. Three Dog Blog
18. Carrie and the Koehmstedts
19. Myanderings
20. Nikki
21. Eclectic Blog
22. Lady K
23. Ms Cellania
24. Beckie, at Give it a Try
25. Tales of a Southern Doll
26. The Rotten Correspondent
27. Sauntering Soul
28. Robin at Pensieve
29. Lisa's Chaos
30. Karmyn R, at Dreaming What Ifs
31. Jenn, at Simply Not So Simple
32. Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
33. Sallad Says...
34. Rob
35. Alix at DC Days
36. Lisa, The Food Snob
37. -Ann, For the Long Run
38. Candid Karina
39. Fianna
40. Sayre Smiles
41. Junebug
42. Robocop
43. Bermudabluez
44. Pamela
45. Jettie
46. Gattina
47. Ooh, A Shiny Pen, who has volunteered to host next week!
48. Ped Crossing
49. Andre Veloux
50. Welcome to Mi Vida Loca
51. RDH Mom
52. Mama Speak
53. Retrohipster
54. ari_1965
55. Nekked Lizards
56. Return of the White Robin
57. The Prytz Family
58. Hootin' Anni's
59. Karisma
60. Cynthia
61. Swampangel65
62. Robin, My Two Blessings
63. Patience-please
64. Ellen B.
65. Nancypants
66. Lana G.
67. Joy T.
68. Sirdar

And for those of you that haven't received a Fun Monday visit from me, please know that I'm doing my best. I run a business, and Mondays are VERY hectic...so I'll be by soon!

I'll Admit It....

I don't just watch The Super Bowl for the game...but also for the commercials! Which totally cuts down on my available bathroom time. A reduction in bathroom time does NOT mesh well with my beer consumption levels...but hey, I'm a true sports fan. I'll survive. So, here is a commercial you might see on Sunday. Would it be horrible of me to say, "No sound required?"

Enjoy The Big Game!

Fun Monday - Bedside

Whew - we made it past the anniversary of Fun Monday, and it's still going strong with this week's hostess being AOJ & The Lurchers! The assignment this week was to show our bedside tables.

However, Roger has already packed all the stuff on his "bedside table," which also happens to be our computer desk:In a few weeks, after our big move, he will have a REAL bedside table, as will I. My bedside table is a very tall dresser - and it's a total pain to reach my alarm clock in the morning. It also serves as a dumping place for The Offspring's stuff - and a resting place for my jewelry:I have several beautiful jewelry boxes, but it's SO MUCH EASIER to just grab something out of an open box than to physically open a drawer, you know? Or heaven forbid, LIFT THE LID of a jewelry box. I'm too lazy busy for that.

Go check our some interesting bedside stuff! Oh, and I've volunteered to host next week, so check back here tomorrow for your assignment. I promise, it will require your MIND...and no photos, unless you need them to illustrate your assignment.

Belated Meme

I really am horrible at meeting any self-imposed meme deadline, but this one was pretty easy. Don't worry, I will still finish my "re-posting" first meme, as well as my other meme...but not tonight.

I LOVED this one, and I was tagged by Mimi Lenox for "The Band Meme." Being a musician and all, I actually was thrilled with the results. Here were the rules:

You are about to have your own band's CD cover. Follow these directions to the letter.

Go to:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
I'm going to be HOT on the music scene!

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

Whew! It got a little heavy in here this week, or was it just me? Dang those extra tacos I've been eating...

Well, if I wasn't having enough of an identity crisis already, I'm wondering what the heck is happening with my kid. She is a camera whore (yeah, I'm gonna get the "2008 Mother of the Year" award for calling my daughter a whore). I recently found these "self-portraits" on our home computer. First, we have "I Only Have One Good Eye" Kid:

(Honestly, I like this picture - but is this my kid?)

Next up, she is pictured here on the right - looking LIKE AN ABSOLUTELY NORMAL 14-YEAR OLD GIRL. The kind that makes a mom think, "Yeah, I'm doing okay - she is using the right cleanser, she is wholesome, she has self-confidence, and she hasn't been smoking crack in the girls' restroom at middle school."And THEN?

Then...

I'm not sure if this is creativity, or if she is secretly following the doctrine of Marilyn Manson. I might need to check her room for dripping candles and instruments of torture. I also might need to locate the cat.Yellow eyes?

Where's my baby?

Pondering My Discovery

So...how does one react to the results of a DNA test? My heart rate became elevated the second I saw that my results had been posted on the Genetree site. At first, I wasn't really SEEING the results...just scanning hurriedly, trying to find out WHAT I WAS. I saw the phrase "Haplogroup A2," which meant nothing...and finally found the link to the ancestry page. That gave me the "dot-map," which had dots of all the people in the database who matched (some exactly, some partially) my mtDNA profile. All in one place - Guerrero, Mexico.

Mexican.

I am part Mexican.

It took a minute to sink in. Instantly I realized how desperately I had wanted to be Italian. I thought it would explain the parts of my personality that make me feel at home with my Italian friends - which are the same parts that make me feel like a weirdo around my adoptive parents.

I feel ordinary. Not b/c of the specific ethnicity, but now? Now there was no mystery. Yes, it's only a part of the DNA picture, but I had erased that aura of "not knowing," of asking people what they thought I could be. The excitement of hearing the theories. The look in people's eyes as they tried to puzzle over my features. Now, that parlor game is over, and I am no longer an enigma.

I raced to Google this "Guerrero" and found pictures like the one above. It is beautiful country. My mind immediately began planning a family vacation there - just to walk among the people - to see if I felt a connection. Synapses firing wildly, I pulled up photo after photo...and then realized I needed to take a deep breath.

My husband's immediate reaction to the news: "Oh, no!" Wasn't sure how to take that at first, but he explained that he felt I wanted to be more exotic, and he was hoping I was partially black.

My kid's reaction was much the same. Maybe as a result of the negative media attention surrounding the illegal immigration issue - but she felt "common," even though she has all sorts of other bloodlines on her father's side.

I went to Walmart a few days later, and looked closely at the Mexican population I encountered. I look so different - sure, most of them are not tall people, but they are so dark. I have to tan for months to be that color. A friend informed me that the Mexican people are NOT all like the immigrants that I have seen. I felt ignorant. And then I thought about the Miss Mexico contestants in the Miss Universe pageant.

As I struggled to assimilate this new "identity," I felt as if I had been haughty and imperious in the past. Am I supposed to look at the illegal immigration issue in a different way? I didn't think I had discriminatory thoughts - but I had secretly resented their actions.

I took Spanish for two years in high school, and two years in college. I retained very little of it, and yet it was an easy language to learn. Romance languages are. But I never felt a "connection," does that make sense?

Should I learn the language again?

I wondered more about my mother. I thought more about the blonde man who carried me into that gas station restroom and left me. And I'm looking at my world differently today.

Fun Monday-versary!

Wow - has it already been a YEAR since this Fun Monday thing started? Look what you've done, Vicki! But I have met great bloggers along the way. It is only fitting that the "ideator" of Fun Monday is this week's hostess. Vicki made it easy by allowing us old-timers a break, and helping the newbies see what we were all up to a year ago. All we had to do was link back to that first Fun Monday post, and then repost our VERY FIRST BLOG POST EVER. Piece of cake. Well, actually, two pieces of cake.

Even though I sometimes doubt people like "clicking back" on links, I'll do it this time. HERE is the first Fun Monday post from Tiggerlane. I like it mostly b/c it features two things: our land before we started building our new home, and a sign that Arkansas Songbird gave my husband one Christmas.

And, here is my first post ever, about what else? Football! I have no idea how to make the comments show up, but there were only five that first time.

The title: A Timid Toe Enters the Blog Pool, published January 5, 2006. And I just now realized I totally forgot to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of my blog. Darn.

Okay, so I really don't want the world to know THAT much about me. Especially the 'net world, which seems populated with various sickos (much like my REAL world!) - but this seems as good as any outlet to vent my frustrations about things in general, and even if I'm the only one getting anything out of this, so be it.

Ah - a personal online diary. I can handle this! Maybe my daughter will read it and weep one day. At least I own my own company, so anything nasty I say about my job won't get me fired!

On to the topic of the day: as an Aggie who is extemely loyal to Texas A&M University, it was exciting to watch last night's game. Torn between rooting for a Texas team (having grown up in that lovely football state) and the USC Trojans (having family from So. Cal. and having been born there), I chose to root for USC. But I was tickled to receive this in my email box, and actually thought of getting one:

Now...do you think the Texas Longhorn fans would do the same for us Ags if WE made it to the Rose Bowl? I'm not sure.

Ags have a great heart, and to be honest, Vince and the boys deserved last night's win, even if they DID have a few plays (lateral-pass-with-one-knee-down) handed to them. Vince has true potential in the NFL - here's hoping he will go this year, and not risk getting injured and miss his chance in the big leagues altogether. Wonder if he and Reggie could both save the Houston Texans?
Now that the big game is behind us, saw varsity's horns off!!

Go celebrate Fun Monday-versary!

The Answers You Didn't Expect

I appreciate all your guesses about my heritage! What a diverse answer set - I was impressed! Now...on to the results.

mtDNA. That is what my recent DNA test analyzed, which is maternal DNA. This passes down from mother to child, with little or no alterations in the sequence. However, these rare mutations allow scientists to assign people to "haplogroups". Members of a haplogroup are descended from a single common female ancestor who first had that particular collection of mutations. Haplogroups are usually assigned a geographic location based upon the location of the current population.

My results came back that I am a member of Haplogroup A2. Haplogroup A is found throughout modern Asia. Haplogroup A1 is found throughout modern Asia, while subgroup A2 originated in Siberia. Archaeological evidence suggests that the founders of modern Native American populations migrated to North America from Siberia over a land bridge across the Bering Strait, tens of thousands of years ago. These people populated all of North, Central and South America.
I read all this in my results, including information that I have the same mtDNA as at least six other people on the planet, who are in the Genetree database. They were all born in ONE place - every single one of them - the State of Guerrero, Mexico, home to Acapulco, and the silver mining town of Taxco. I have actual names of some of these people, but knowing that there could be literally hundreds of thousands of people within this mtDNA haplogroup - I'm not going on a man(or woman) hunt.

So, there you have it! I suppose I can say that I'm most likely "half-Mexican." Surprised?

Please Be Patient, My Blog Friends

I know, you KNOW I have the results. But I've been swamped and away from the computer for most of the day. Tonight, we have company coming, so I have to make my little weird house look presentable.

However, I WILL reveal the DNA results - but first, I want you to take one last guess about my heritage.

Remember - I had dark skin and kinky, curly hair as a baby:And later, it got VERY long - as my teeth grew wider and wider apart:I had a tiny, petite, NON-curly haired baby:Who is growing up to look somewhat like me:Oh, yeah - and did I mention that I straighten my hair? I also have NEVER colored or permed it - I'm all natural:Last tips - I'm 5'3" with tiny wrists and long fingers. I gesticulate wildly when I talk. I'm VERY animated.

Now, guess away - one last time!

Fun Monday Addictive Web Sites

It's that time again! Now, I got my DNA results back, but in honor of Fun Monday, I'm going to wait to post them for a few more days. So, check back...

-Ann is this week's hostess, and she said, "I want to hear about a web site and not just about any old web site. I want to hear about a web site that's changed your life. A web site that you can't live without. A web site whose inventor you'd like to see win a McArthur Genius Grant."

For me? That web site would be PostSecret. It features real secrets, sent in by real people. I can't wait for Sunday to roll around, b/c that's when new secrets are posted, like this one:Not all the secrets are funny. Some are shocking, horribly poignant, or make me want to cry. I have seen so many of my own secrets posted that I feel comfort in knowing that I am not alone. The PostSecret project has grown so large that I'm sure you're familiar with it. The band All-American Rejects even featured some of these postcards in one of their music videos:

I hope you have a chance to browse this site at least once, and I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't find yourself with a Sunday addiction.

Now go check out all the other participants!