LDSM, Soccer Mom

I haven't posted in a year, almost!

2011-12-11T23:31:00.003-05:00

Here are my Christmas lights. Hopefully I can get back into this blog thing again.

Win some chocolate!

2011-01-31T20:32:00.001-05:00

Comment on this post and be entered to win a box of chocolates for your sweetie. Contest ends February 7, 2011.

Today could be THE day...

2011-01-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2011/01/sbi-2011-full-mls-mock-draft.html

Well lookie here!

2011-01-06T09:52:00.002-05:00

Best of luck at the combine!

'Cause who doesn't want free stuff?

2010-02-20T11:29:00.002-05:00

Cool contest for World Cup soccer fans...

SoccerPro just launched a "Jerseys for Life" Sweepstakes. It's part of their World Cup celebration. (Damn, I wish I could afford to go, by the way.)

http://www.soccerpro.com/World-Cup-2010-c549/

You also get a $10 coupon for entering.

I believe you can enter through Facebook, too, which is where I've been mostly hanging out lately and one of the reasons I haven't been blogging much lately. Among the other life changes I've been through in 2009. More on that, later. I'm sure all 4 of my readers are dying to know!

Anyway, go enter the sweepstakes. People do actually win stuff. I won an iPod Touch a few weeks ago by filling out a little card in the drug store. So who knows? Good luck!

A Cool Shirt for a Good Cause!

2009-09-20T19:15:00.002-04:00

I've blogged about the Homeless World Cup before but it's been quite a while. My friends at Soccer Pro sent me an email reminding me about this year's event, which unfortunately I just now found. Anyway until September 30, Soccer Pro is selling a cool HWC shirt and donating the proceeds. So go buy one!

In addition, Soccer Pro is offering a $1,000 college scholarship to a college student actively involved in soccer. The application deadline is October 30, 2009 and can be found here. Good luck!

Another Excuse

2009-08-10T19:41:00.003-04:00

So...another month I skipped posting. See, um, my mom passed away unexpectedly at the end of July. And it's just weird. It's like it's weird even to mention it to people, and when you don't, they think you are heartless or something. I'm not very good at this.

I Can No Longer Deny It.

2009-06-09T17:31:00.003-04:00

So...driving around today in the middle of the 90-degree-plus heat in the middle of North Carolina ('cause I am currently semi-unemployed) in the BF's borrowed Chevy with the NASCAR stickers on the window, I put the beer (Miller Lite) and the carton of Native-American-Brand-So-You-Don't-Have-To-Pay-Taxes cigs I had just bought for him, in the trunk. (The lottery ticket went in my jeans-skirt back pocket.) I got in and noticed the popsicle stick handmade Jesus cross and the tree air freshener hanging from the rear view, along with the cup of used butts in the cup holder.
When I got home and opened the trunk, the box of cigs had slid up next to the Bible that's always in there, and the beer was all the way back by the old Dale Earnhardt #3 cap.

Sigh.

I guess I can't claim to not be a redneck now, can I?

Review: Nike Air Legend II FG

2009-05-30T11:09:00.003-04:00

So, the LDSM family needed some new soccer cleats (don't we always?) And the people at SoccerPro.com were kind enough to send me a gift certificate, so that I could check out their products. What I ended up ordering were these Nike soccer shoes. They were a great price, easy to order, and best of all, there was FREE UPS shipping. I had no problems with payment, and when I did have a rough spot entering the gift certificate, customer service got back to me almost immediately by email to solve the problem (which turned out to be user error on my end.)

To the left is a shot (thanks, wjarrettc) of my kid wearing the cleats last weekend during a PDL game. He's very happy with them, which thrills me, because he used to be Mr. "I-need-the-most-expensive-boots-money-can-buy" boy, the more brightly colored the better. Seeing him wear a classic black shoe is kind of nice. The Nike Air Legend II FG's are a sharp-looking all-black boot, and he says they fit well. They're made of kangaroo leather and seem to be holding up to near-daily training sessions and games. So far so good. If we need cleats in the future (and I'm sure we will), I'll be sure to check out SoccerPro.com because I appreciated their fast shipping and good customer service.

(So, to be clear, I did receive something for writing this post, but I like the shoes, my son does as well, and I'm happy with the company I ordered them from, and would do so again.)

OMG I need one of these shirts

2009-05-02T22:43:00.005-04:00

And you do, too! How did I not think of this first? :) Or maybe that should be :( .
Anyway, they are here. Buy one.

(Update 5/30/09: I got mine in the mail, even though they sent me a gray one. I'm wearing it out to do errands today; I'll let you know if I get any comments...)

Lisa & Chuck, Round 1, 1983

2009-04-04T15:23:00.000-04:00

Update on Carrboro HS women's soccer

2009-03-21T11:19:00.005-04:00

Well after having the first game snowed out (!!) and two rained out, out of the last seven, here are the results of the five games the girls HAVE gotten to play:

03/06 @ East CH L 0-1 (should have been a tie...)
03/09 @ Graham W 10-1
03/11 @Cummings W 9-0
03/18 vs Durham School of the Arts W 4-0
03/19 vs Cummings W 4-0 (rained out after 1st half)

The ladies are currently ranked 6th in the state in 2-A. Go Jaguars!

(As an aside, see the picture above? I live in the community to the right. And yet I drive to the home games. I'm a bad Carrborito.)

My boys at Clemson

2009-02-22T00:16:00.001-05:00

I think T is going for the "Charlie Bucket" look...

Yes Indeed.

2009-02-16T15:34:00.002-05:00

(thanks to Indexed.)

Some new blogs/websites I'll be reading...

2009-02-07T13:46:00.004-05:00

....but can't add them to Blogrolling because it's still hosed:

A Tall Glass of Milk

NASCAR Race Mom

Gaytona.com (which starts out "welcome gay NASCAR fans." Can I still read it even though I'm straight?)

Where I'll be blogging this month

2009-02-01T14:21:00.001-05:00

Twenty-Eight Tables.

I'm so gonna suck at this...never done a group blogging thing, or an "experimonth," before.

Stolen from Facebook

2009-01-30T07:59:00.002-05:00

This meme has been going around for a few weeks; I'm not going to tag 25 people here on my blog since I've already done so on Facebook, but if you'd like to play along, go right ahead...

Rules: Once you have been tagged, you are supposed to write a note wth 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged, you have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, that means I want to know more about you.

1. I met three members of the band R.E.M. and was on their VH1 show Storytellers. I'm also ashamed to admit I'm still in their fan club.

2. I really don't know much at all about soccer even though my kids played club for years, I was a long-time team manager and even a head registrar for TFC at one point. And I have a son playing in college.

3. My sister is my best friend even though she might not think so.

4. My biological father was in prison for over 25 years for murder.

5. My middle toe on my right foot is way shorter than the middle toe on my left foot.

6. Key West is probably one of my favorite towns.

7. I've never been outside the US other than the Bahamas, though I've had a passport for 8 years.

8. My first car was a Renault Encore.

9. When I was at Duke I lived on all 4 campuses: North (Trent), East (Southgate), West (House Z) and Central (Anderson Street).

10. My favorite colors are green and purple (Pisces, duh.)

11. I hate wearing shoes. (Do Birkenstocks count?)

12. All of the PC's I've personally owned at home have been Macs. (I'm supposed to clarify and say "desktops" here since I now own a Toshiba laptop, too. Because it was cheap.)

13. I can't figure out how to work the DVR even though I can fix other people's computer issues at work.

14. I'm left-handed but I play miniature golf right-handed.

15. I've been told I'm a beer snob when I'm out even though I mostly drink Miller Lite at
home.

16. My dream house is a Craftsman bungalow. With a maid in it. :)

17. I don't know what my dream job would be but I know it ain't what I'm doing now!

18. I'm a big fan of candles.

19. Don't talk to me before I've had coffee or I will hurt you.

20. I grew up in suburban Maryland, and the field where we used to go drinking in high school is now the big soccer complex in Germantown where my kid has played in several tournaments.

21. I have 6 ear piercings but they aren't symmetrical.

22. I do Mystery Shopping. But I'm not allowed to tell you where :)

23. I thought I would already have my divorce papers by now.

24. My favorite Disney character is Eeyore. I cry when they take away Dumbo's mom.

25. My mom got a new kidney this month and I'm very happy for her. I hope she comes to North Carolina soon now that she can travel.

okay, now your turn...

My Twitter Followers!

2009-01-26T13:09:00.001-05:00

This is a mosaic of all the "Tweeple" who follow me on Twitter:

OK I had to...

2009-01-14T20:10:00.001-05:00

Coming soon...

2009-01-12T08:43:00.001-05:00

...when I figure out how my camera works: pics of my recent trip to Disney World.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T10:11:00.001-05:00

(Thanks to Hugh at gapingvoid.com)

Because today I am having a boring day

2008-12-01T12:46:00.002-05:00

I stole this from another blog today. You can play as well....cut and paste into your own blog posting. BOLD the items you've done! Mine are bolded and italicized.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland or Disney World
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood or platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (but not driving it)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (3x!)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own

My Turkey Day Menu

2008-11-27T14:20:00.002-05:00

So today in new Chez LDSM this is what we will be having:

A 15-lb fresh turkey from Liberty, NC that we got at Cliff's Meat Market in Carrboro, NC, cooked like this.

Honeybaked Ham (thanks, Lou!)

Stuffing

Green Bean Casserole

Mashed Potatoes with the skins on (waiting for the complaints from the "new" people?)

Sweet Potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows

Stouffer's Mac & Cheese (a special request)

Fresh-cooked cranberry sauce

Rolls

Three kinds of pie with a choice of ice cream or whipped cream: cherry, pumpkin or pecan.

While cooking, lots of coffee with Bailey's and/or beer will be consumed. Yum.

How I've Been Feeling Lately

2008-11-24T12:33:00.001-05:00

Bands I was forced to listen to last night

2008-11-17T11:12:00.002-05:00

We (ED and I) went to Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte last night to see the "Sassyback" tour, and this is who we saw, along with a lot of heavily pierced girls and young Emo men in skinny jeans with hair that looked like this.

Sing It Loud. No fair when guys have prettier hair than most girls do.
Hit the Lights. This is actually the second time I have been "forced" to see them, the first being in Greensboro last summer. The lead singer (Nick) is a cutie and he let ED have a picture taken with him after the show. One of the other band members (Omar) came up to ED also and told her he liked her shirt (she was wearing a HTL one, of course...) which also made her day. I actually recognized one of their songs!
Forever The Sickest Kids. I'm a little ill with this band as they said they would come out after their set and do a meet and greet. ED was very pumped up about this and waited a long time. Finally Jonathan came out and looked like he couldn't wait to get away fast enough, signed a couple of autographs, and bolted ASAP, promising he would come back. He never did. I also knew a few of their songs, too, due to non-stop CD playing on the way to soccer practice and back.
Cobra Starship. I agree with ED--their lead singer, Gabe, is a cutie. Though a bit too fond of the F word in general. I knew all of their songs except for one. And they didn't play this one, too bad! I wanted to see ED and all the little Emo kids do the goofy dance.

Keith says it all

2008-11-12T12:09:00.003-05:00

Please DO Vote, k??

2008-11-02T18:17:00.000-05:00

Asheville is...different...

2008-09-25T21:32:00.001-04:00

Wait, wha...?

A rarity these days

2008-09-22T16:11:00.003-04:00

ACC Men's Soccer 9/21/08:
Clemson 3
Va Tech 2

Club soccer 9/21/08:
Triangle FC 93 White G 4
Jamestown 1

Congrats, TD and ED. Now if only T can score a few goals this year...

Google doesn't love me, again.

2008-08-13T17:33:00.003-04:00

What do I need to write about to make the ads come back at the top of my blog? Why does Google hate me? How come I'm still at work right now? Where is my beer? :)

What My Friends Are Getting For Christmas, Maybe?

2008-08-04T11:39:00.002-04:00

I'm published! Well, sort of. This blog has been listed in "The White Trash Mom Handbook", which will be in stores on Tuesday, August 5th. We're listed in the section "White Trash Mom's Favorite Blogs and Websites." I'll have to get some copies for my friends, for sure.

I guess I actually have to start posting again now that I'm semi-famous, hmmmm?

Once a month...

2008-07-31T11:33:00.003-04:00

...is not enough to post, I know. And I'm sorry again for the lack of content. There are 4,237 and a half things going on in my life right now (give or take 8 or 9) and I just haven't had the time, or the internet access half the time for that matter. Next week might be catch-up time. Stay tuned!

Where has this year gone?

2008-06-30T21:19:00.002-04:00

Really? It's July tomorrow? WTF have I been doing all year? Besides losing a parent, getting 2 new jobs, buying a car, and registering a soccer team for Regionals? I promise to post more soon for the other 3 of you who read this!

In Memoriam: Edward G Welenc, August 1928- May 2008

2008-05-28T18:44:00.004-04:00

Sorry we didn't make it in time...We tried. I hope they told you we were coming.

It's About Time, Guys!

2008-05-25T11:51:00.004-04:00

Triangle Futbol Club Navy U19 Men, the new State Champions of North Carolina 2008.

(Mine's the one with the trophy.)

My new favorite music

2008-05-17T15:56:00.001-04:00

Norwegian Recycling. This guy is genius. Seamless mashups.

Watch this one, but be sure to watch the rest, as well:

How I Spent My Saturday

2008-04-28T15:33:00.008-04:00

I took my daughter and her friends to see Panic at the Disco in Atlanta this weekend. I am much too old for this stuff! But here are some pictures I took, once it stopped raining. The first is of the Honda Civic they are giving away, and what I assume is their tour bus. My daughter would love me forever if I won this car. She thinks I would give it to her. Ha :)

The second is of me and a guy from the band Phantom Planet. The sing that "California" song from the O.C. show, and some other stuff that I had never heard before. (I didn't actually take this picture, since I'm in it, duh. ) Anyway he was very sweet (and cute) and is probably young enough to be my son. He was probably horrified that he had to stand there and have his picture taken with someone's mommy. I apologized to him for that.

The picture is so dark because we (the adults) were in a bar (no, really) at the venue, and not outside in the rain watching some other band we'd never heard of before.

This last one is an actual picture of Panic at the Disco, and it is fuzzy because (a) I was being elbowed by the teenage girls around me that were angry that I had pushed in front of them a little bit to take the photo, (b) I'm not very good at using a camera phone, and (c) Miller Lite was present in large quantities.

We had fun, though. And we got to eat at the Varsity afterward, which was a first for everyone in our group. Their onion rings are very yummy.

Gabe the Brewer

2008-04-03T00:09:00.001-04:00

I can't stop looking...

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2008-03-25T15:18:00.001-04:00

(I'm going to refrain from any ball-handling jokes.)

What I Got For My Birthday This Week.

2008-03-16T12:38:00.003-04:00

A call from my mom. A card from my Nana (I'm too old for her to put a check inside anymore, darn it!) A call from my five-year-old nephew who didn't want to talk to me because I am "mean." A coupon for a free drink at Sonic. A card from my sister with a silly picture on it. A call from my oldest at college, who probably saw that it was my birthday when he logged on to Facebook that day :) A card from someone who used to be my neighbor when I was in elementary school. Hugs from my two youngest. Some cat throw-up in my favorite chair. An e-card from one of my son's old soccer coaches. Lots of spammy Happy Birthday emails from various companies. A new driver' license with a better looking photo than the old one. A coupon for a free Red Robin hamburger which I can't eat because I'm doing NutriSystem. A call from a very good friend. A fight with my husband. A new zit on my chin! And some flowers from my boss.

If Only She Knew (...and she will...)

2008-03-13T08:57:00.002-04:00

Fourteen-year-old daughter says to me while watching The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom:
"It's a good thing YOU never had to give any dreams up for US."

I'm Still Not Ready for the 21st Century!

2008-02-28T07:54:00.002-05:00

Two things that happened this week that made me feel OLD and out-of-it (despite the fact that I have three teens who try to make me feel that way every day):

Finding out a casual friend is newly pregnant with her second, by seeing her baby's ultrasound photos posted on her Facebook profile. (Congrats, A&J!)
Discovering another friend's ex had passed away last week, by reading a newsgroup dedicated to the famous music group he had once worked for. (So sorry, R.)

I Know a Lot of People Who Could Use This Excuse!

2008-02-15T09:05:00.001-05:00

New Study Finds Old Forgotten Head Injuries the Source of Many Mental/Emotional Issues.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T14:31:00.003-05:00

I'm really sorry I haven't posted at all this month. Lots of stuff going on, though I'm still mostly jobless.

And here's the obligatory Valentine. (The only one I got in real life was from the receptionist in my old office. It had a pig on it!)

nataliedee.com

Interview with Kasey Keller

2008-01-31T09:44:00.000-05:00

Sounds like he may be headed back to the US, sooner or later...

Q&A: Kasey Keller, Ready To Seattle Down

What I Will Be Doing This Summer.

2008-01-27T10:25:00.000-05:00

Going to a lot of these games, apparently.

Eye Candy!

2008-01-27T10:17:00.001-05:00

Thanks to the Red Sox Chick for these shots of Gabe Kapler in Boston recently:

YUM.and YUMMER.

What Future Soccer Stars Eat

2008-01-13T11:50:00.001-05:00

While going through some old papers, I found a list from about 1997. Apparently my then-9-year-old son was having some issues with what we cooked for him, so he was kind enough to make us a two-page list of the only foods he would eat. And here it is, misspellings and all:

Ham-Burgers
Hot-Dogs
Fried Chicken
Lays potato chips
Brownies
pork rins
Gold fish
chili
rice
steak
subs
cokies
Doritos
crab chips
scrambled eggs
rice cacke
pizza
ice cream
Lobster
crab legg
fish ccat, found, murel (note: WHAT???)
Almons
scaloped potatos
baked potatos
potato weges
Noddles
spagetii with no sause
popsicles
vegetable soup
Macoroi and cheese
Kiwis
peaches
salad
tomatos
Apples
Twix
Snickers
bonckers
War Heads
Shock tarts
Sweet tarts
Ham
turkey
stuffing
mashed potatos
pine apples
Green beans
corn
broccolie
Jello
Lemon sorbe
bagles
gummys
cheese sticks
grape
olives
Holopinios
Alligator
toast
snail
sausig

So we fed him Twix with Holopinios and Alligator for the rest of his life. The End.

Taking a Small Break

2008-01-10T08:11:00.000-05:00

Sorry the posts have been so sparse lately. This is due to a trio of reasons:

The holidays took a lot out of me this year, including some stuff that happened with my parents around Christmas,
My oldest just went back to school from break, and
I'm looking for a job as of January 1st.

Last night the youngest broke her clavicle and we ended up at the hospital until past 2am. We need to go back today and see if it needs to have a pin inserted or not. Because of this (and the need for a job search) I probably won't be posting a heck of a whole lot in the next week or two.

Get Smart. Give Rice. Waste Time.

2008-01-01T17:35:00.000-05:00

Okay, like I needed another way to waste time online. At least this is for a good cause! And it appears to be very legit. I just found out about it this morning and have made it up to level 43.

FreeRice.com

Well at least ONE of us has a job!

2007-12-25T10:53:00.000-05:00

Brewers, Kapler agree to one-year deal.
($800,000?? Heck, I'd be in heaven with 1/10th of that salary.)

You know you are a true soccer mom when...

2007-12-17T15:53:00.000-05:00

...you find out the place you get your car repaired is the same place that Anson Dorrance and his players go to get their vehicles serviced, too!

Ginsu and Me

2007-12-10T19:03:00.001-05:00

A couple of my Zeta Tau Alpha sorority sisters from Duke (and me), July 2007.

For a Friend

2007-12-09T11:41:00.000-05:00

My new sort-of side project

2007-12-07T15:01:00.000-05:00

I really hate making dinner. I hate when my kids call me up and ask, "what's for dinner?" I would eat out every night if I could afford it. I'm sure I'm not the only one. And now, I am ready to be under-employed soon. So, I'm going to try to compile a site full of cheap and easy meals. If anyone would like to contribute a recipe, please let me know or post it in the comments section on that site.

Here's the place, it's not much to look at yet:
http://cheap-easy-dinners.com/

Virtual Lava Lamp

2007-12-01T21:10:00.000-05:00

My daughter's friend dug out the old Lava Lamp today, and I have spent much of the evening watching it off and on out of the corner of my eye. It's very soothing.

Here is the best "virtual" Lava Lamp video I could find online, and the music is not too shabby, either,

Happy Belated Birthday, Kasey!

2007-11-30T13:36:00.000-05:00

Mr. Keller turned 38 yesterday.

"That I'm old, that's what that says."--Kasey Keller, responding to an interviewer's question about being the only member of the national team pool from the 1990 World Cup team.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

2007-11-29T20:13:00.000-05:00

...let a baby taste them!

Babies Eating Lemon - More free videos are here

Sorry for the lack of posts lately!

2007-11-29T12:14:00.000-05:00

I've actually been a bit busy with work and holiday travel and a few other little weird things.
Here's some reading material until I think of something clever...

http://zigazoga.typepad.com/zigazoga/2007/11/featured-footba.html

http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/articles.aspx?article=2806

You Can Get Anything You Want.

2007-11-20T23:37:00.000-05:00

This song holds a weird meaning for me because I actually dated a guy in high school who had memorized all of the the words for some still unknown reason. Also, I was not very nice to this guy at the time. (I am sorry now, Brett. You were always very sweet to me.)

Happy Thanksgiving.

Imagery

2007-11-17T16:07:00.000-05:00

I stole this idea from Ursula (whom I don't know, and whose blog I found by reading Patty's. Whom I don't know either, but I find her blog very interesting, and my heart goes out to her.)

Do a Google image search on the answer to each item, and pick a photo from the first page of results. Post the photo. Make everyone think you actually wrote something.
1. Age at next birthday:

2. Place you’d like to travel:

3. Favorite place:

4. Favorite objects:

5. Favorite food:

6. Favorite animal:

7. Favorite color:

8. Town of birth:

9. Town where you live now:

10. Name of past pet:

11. First name of past love:

12. Best friend’s nickname:

13. Your screen name:

14. Your first name:

15. Your middle name:

16. Your last name:

17. Bad habit:

18. First job:

19. Grandma’s name:

20. College major:

Belated Birthday Present?

2007-11-14T15:06:00.000-05:00

Clemson's Tommy Drake Named Freshman All-ACC.

Happy 19th Birthday, Buddy

2007-11-06T20:00:00.000-05:00

We're so proud of you.

That's My Boy!

2007-11-06T13:37:00.000-05:00

You have got to see this shot.

Unfortunately, I cannot (for the life of me) figure out how to embed it, so you'll have to click here.

Oh yeah, and it was a gamewinner. Against Sixth-ranked Boston College. Which is nice.

Let me check...I might have that much in my pocket...

2007-10-30T14:55:00.000-04:00

(Someone needs a proofreader at the Chapel Hill Herald.)

No 86 Year Wait This Time.

2007-10-29T08:14:00.000-04:00

(Thanks to the Red Sox Chick for the video.)

My Pap-Pap

2007-10-27T21:09:00.000-04:00

John E Staskus, 1913-1994.
The only thing I own that belonged to him is this portrait taken when he was about 18, and a pair of kick-ass nail clippers my Nana gave me.

I can't believe it's been 13 years since he died. He was my idol when I was a little kid. So smart, and able to fix anything, even if whatever he fixed didn't look so good once he was finished. And he was hard on people, but you wanted so badly to please him, so you would always do your best.

He would be so very proud of my three kids, I think, even though he barely got to meet them.
I miss you, Pap-Pap, and even though you weren't always the nicest husband to my Nana all the time, I'm sure she misses you, too.

Pork My Ride

2007-10-27T18:30:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so, I will be driving around in the Curly's Mobile for a couple of months...got a problem with that?

Bye, bye George!

2007-10-23T21:28:00.000-04:00

We got this sweet Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler to replace the old raggedy George Foreman grill that stopped working well several months ago. It cost a bit more that I usually spend for that type of thing, but I have been lusting after this Griddler for several months now. It can be used as a contact grill (like the GF), an open grill, a griddle, or a panini press. The best thing is that the cooking surfaces pop off and go in the dishwasher. So far we have only cooked hot dogs on it but I will keep you posted when we make something else (which will probably be tomorrow.)

For Your Goal Viewing Enjoyment

2007-10-20T22:00:00.000-04:00

First ACC start :

A nice PK:

Thanks to Jarrett.

Nothing to see here, move along.

2007-10-18T13:06:00.000-04:00

I may have posted this before, but... To the Person Who Searches for "Naked Soccer Moms" EVERY FREAKIN' DAY and ends up here at my blog:

Sorry dude, you really don't want to see that. Trust me. And it's not gonna happen anytime soon so you can stop checking.

If these were real

2007-10-18T12:44:00.001-04:00

toothpastefordinner.com

people in Chapel Hill would have them.

Go, baby Tigers!

2007-10-18T11:04:00.000-04:00

http://clemsontigers.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/recaps/101207aaa.html

http://clemsontigers.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/recaps/101707aaa.html

How to Confuse the 'Cocks...

2007-10-15T15:08:00.000-04:00

(...Gamecocks, that is.)

Well if you're not from one of the Carolinas you probably don't know that University of South Carolina fans (the 'Cocks) and Clemson fans (Tigers, duh) really don't like each other much. About as much as the Dukies and the Tar-holes do (Duke and University of NC at Chapel Hill, for you yanks.)

I had to help DH work at the UNC-USC football game this past Saturday. I had been at the Clemson men's soccer game the night before and drove straight to the football stadium in Chapel Hill, from my SC trip. I was still wearing my "Clemson Mom" shirt. Mind you, I am not a Clemson alum (I graduated from Duke like any self-respecting obnoxious Marylander who was born in New Jersey should do).

I had the best time walking around in that bright orange shirt. The USC fans seemed especially confused. Why would anyone in her right mind show up at a UNC-USC game wearing a shirt from a different school, especially as one as hated in their parts as Clemson?

'Cause it's fun to mess with semi-drunk football fans from two schools you don't particularly care for, that's why:
(Note to self: stop posing for pictures in which your chin is mushed up into your neck like Jabba the Hutt.)

The Week in Kid Soccer Scores

2007-10-11T15:01:00.000-04:00

The "ladies" did well last weekend, winning the U-15 Silver bracket in the Richmond Kickers' Columbus Day event. Here were the Triangle FC 93 Navy girls scores:

10/07	92 ASC Wildfire	2-0
10/07	U-15 CASL Spirit	1-0
10/06	92 CHSA TCU Lightning	6-1
10/06	92 ASC Wildfire	0-1

Unfortunately Clemson continues to lose:

10/5 vs Maryland, 2-4 and 10/9 vs UNC-Asheville, 1-2. Both games went to OT.

But the MD game was on Fox Soccer Channel, and I did get to see this:

Gapler has a blog

2007-10-04T20:19:00.000-04:00

Hot and literate, too. Damn.

It's a good thing we don't live in Montclair anymore.

2007-10-04T15:55:00.000-04:00

Because I'd have to beat the snot out of this teacher if one of my kids had a class with him.

Teachers: don't get any funny ideas from this guy. I'm done with homework.

Automatic, 15 years later

2007-10-03T19:27:00.000-04:00

you should see the stereogum.com drive xv player here if you have flash

Yes, it's a joke, people...

2007-10-03T15:36:00.000-04:00

(Thanks to Red Sox Chick.)

Send Good Thoughts Her Way

2007-10-01T14:48:00.000-04:00

Weekend Results

2007-10-01T10:48:00.000-04:00

Friday Sept 28
Clemson Men's Soccer 2
Duke 4

Saturday Sept 29
Triangle FC 93 Navy girls 2
Greensboro Gold 1
(EDSP's team is in first place in the standings!
She's never been on a first-place team before.
Congrats, EDSP!)

Sometimes You're Glad They Don't Really Know Everything.

2007-09-30T22:01:00.000-04:00

Me: So, J's mom said that her hamster just had babies. She wanted to know if anyone wanted some, but I said we couldn't take one because our cats would probably eat it.

EDSP: Yeah, we were talking about that yesterday. J said that she thought her hamsters were both boys but then she saw one of them sitting on top of the other one so she wasn't sure anymore. Then she thinks they were fighting or something but then about a week later one of them got really fat.

"Sitting on" each other. Gotta love it.

Dance Dance Papelbon

2007-09-30T12:39:00.000-04:00

Maybe next year it can be Gabe Kapler out there shakin' it in his skivvies...

Guilty Pleasure

2007-09-27T22:55:00.000-04:00

I have to admit, I've seen Garth Brooks live three times, at least. And I'm not even a big country music fan.

This is sort of old news...

2007-09-27T12:45:00.000-04:00

...but I'm happy to hear it, even though I never made it to a Greenville game this past summer.

From mlb.com:
When outfielder Gabe Kapler announced his retirement at the age of 31 last winter and became a Minor League manager, it was only logical to wonder if he might get the itch to play again.

Consider the itch real, as Kapler, after managing Boston's low Class A Greenville affiliate this season, has informed the Red Sox of his desire to resume his playing career in 2008.

Read the entire article here. (Unfortunately, no pics.)

Two Wins, Two Losses

2007-09-24T14:49:00.000-04:00

Friday Sept 21
Clemson Men's Soccer 0
Wake Forest 1

Saturday Sept 22
ASA Extreme Elite 3
Triangle FC 93 Navy girls 0

Triangle FC 93 Navy girls 3
Bridge FA 93 Gold 2

Sunday Sept 23
NASA G 12 Elite 0
Triangle FC 93 Navy girls 4

Cute Fix for the Day

2007-09-19T20:04:00.000-04:00

I can't even imagine three at one time...

One Win, One Loss

2007-09-19T14:49:00.000-04:00

This week's results:

Sunday, September 16
Triangle FC 93 Navy G 4
Fuquay-Varina AA 0

Tuesday , September 18
Stetson Men's Soccer 2
Clemson Men's Soccer 1

Here's hoping for more wins starting on Friday when Clemson hosts currently-number-one-ranked Wake Forest at Historic Riggs Field.

Some of the most polite young men you will meet

2007-09-10T16:26:00.001-04:00

Weekend Results

2007-09-10T13:18:00.000-04:00

Friday 9/7
Clemson 1
Virginia Tech 2 (2OT)

Saturday 9/8
Triangle FC 93 Navy girls 3
Cape Fear White 0

Sunday 9/9
Clemson 1
VCU 0
(photo above taken at Virginia Tech's stadium on Sunday.)

I Do Have Other Children!

2007-09-04T12:58:00.000-04:00

EDSP, pictured in orange.

(Photo of MDWINASP, coming soon.)

SP=soccer player (or princess, depending on whom you ask.)
WINASP=who is not a soccer player.

So Was This Worth the 9-Hour Round Trip?

2007-09-03T03:49:00.000-04:00

Why yes, it was :)

Old enough to be his...babysitter.

2007-09-01T18:35:00.000-04:00

August 31, 1975: Gabe Kapler was born. Happy (Belated) Birthday, Gabe!

"If you aren't checking them, you risk losing them"

2007-08-25T09:52:00.000-04:00

How nuts is this? Organizers are asking people to "grab your meat and come out to Atlantic Canada's first ever ribfest fundraiser for testicular cancer awareness."

Called Nuts4ribs, the fundraiser this weekend in Bedford, Nova Scotia features rib cook-offs, music and a nationally acclaimed one-man play by Daniel Schneiderman, titled My Left Nut, a humorous look at a man with testicular cancer.

(I SO want a t-shirt from this event. Think they can send one to NC?)

Facts on Testicular Cancer from the Nuts4Ribs site:

Statistics show that testicular cancer is the most common malignancy in young men between the ages of 18 and 35, and although it accounts for only about one percent of all cancers in men, it is the number one cancer killer among men in their 20s and 30s. Detected early, it is also the most curable form of cancer.

Kasey goes to Craven Cottage

2007-08-23T12:30:00.000-04:00

Fulham have signed veteran American goalkeeper Kasey Keller on a free transfer.

The 37-year-old has been available over the summer after leaving Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of last season.

With first choice Antti Niemi currently injured, Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez felt it was important to bring in a new keeper.

Read the whole story at Sky Sports.

Darn, I was hoping he would go to the MLS so I could maybe see him play in person someday. But Premier League is good too :)

I Would Be a Really Lame Homeless Person. Or Thief.

2007-08-22T16:14:00.000-04:00

Ok, so this girl ran into the back of my Xterra at a stoplight back at the beginning of July. Nothing major (well, to my vehicle, anyway--hers crumpled up like a used tissue.) I finally got around to having the damage repaired and dropped off the Xterra at the body shop on Monday. Since the insurance company had given me a few extra bucks for a rental, we went to Enterprise where they gave me a tiny little Chevy Aveo (aka "the matchbox car mom is driving.")

All day Monday it was fine. Alas, the Xterra was not ready by Monday night (though the body shop never called me to tell me it wouldn't be), so I kept the Aveo one more day. Tuesday morning I put some gas in it. About ten minutes later, I noticed the check engine light was on. No big deal to me, because my last car, the piece-of-crap Kia Sportage, had a check engine light that was perpetually lit. I looked in the manual just to be sure. "Did you just get fuel?" Why yes, I did. Maybe the gas cap was not put on tight enough. That happens. So anyway I went to work and didn't worry too much about it.

Tuesday afternoon. Pick up soccer player #1, drive home, pick up soccer player #2, drive them to practice in a big fat thunderstorm (which we really, really needed, by the way.) Didn't drive through any huge puddles, lakes, or streams on the way there. The Aveo seems fine. Practice is cancelled (yay!) so we go to get some pizza. Mr. Matchbox Car stalls out in the restaurant parking lot, twice. No big deal still, I think. Maybe something is wet.

One hour later. Fortunately soccer player #1 has been picked up by her dad so we don' t have to take her home. Crank the Aveo. It dies. Crank it again, back up, and it dies. Crank it a third time, roll it across the street to the grocery store parking lot, and it dies. Screw it. I am not driving this tin can anymore.

So I call the Enterprise Road Service number, where they act as if no one's car has ever broken down before. I guess that is their job, but it is sort of amusing. They ask, did I remember to put gas in the car? Yes, as a matter of fact it's full. Did I maybe put diesel in it by mistake? Um, no, I'm not a dumbass.

Enterprise connects me to AAA, who calls a tow truck for me and then tells me I have to wait until it shows up maybe 90 minutes later. And then what? I say. I have no way home. The AAA guy acts surprised and then connects me to another line that just rings about 20 times in a row and then disconnects. Meanwhile I really have to pee so we go in the grocery store where of course they are cleaning the women's room for what seems like thirty minutes. I call my husband and he says he can come pick us up but it will be about a half-hour.

Next, the towing company calls and asks me where I am because AAA has given them the wrong address to the grocery store. They say they will be there in 30 minutes too, not ninety. Okay so far. Except I still have to pee because the teenage boy who is cleaning the bathroom is not familiar with middle-age moms who have marble-sized bladders, and is apparently cleaning the floor with a toothbrush or something.

We see the tow truck coming about fifteen minutes later and I'm not sure what I am supposed to do with all the crap that I have stuffed the car with, so we get a shopping cart and load it up with soccer gear, mailing supplies I had picked up earlier that day, my tote bag, my purse, and some leftover pizza from dinner. The car is taken away and my daughter and I have to sit on a bench in front of the grocery store because, OH! did I mention it was still raining? And that was the only dry place to sit and wait.

Of course we are in one of the higher-end neighborhoods of Chapel Hill, so most of the people coming in and out of the store would look at us, then the shopping cart full of crap, and smile this little sad smile, then look away. If I would have felt safe leaving my daughter outside by herself for a minute, I would have gone into the Harris Teeter and purchased a couple of forties and stuck them right on top of the cart, just to complete the humiliating picture. At that point I think I would have liked to drink one, anyway. Except for the needing to pee part.

So hubby comes along eventually and we unload the cart into his trunk and he says, why don't we go by and see if the Xterra is done? What if it is? I say. Then you can drive it home and come back and pay them for it tomorrow.

Isn't that stealing? I say, and he laughs. It's your car, hon, just call them and tell them you took it. So we went by, and it was there, and it was ready, and I took it. And I felt really guilty.

And then today when I called Enterprise to get the Aveo thing straight, they still wanted to charge me for two days instead of one. And acted like that was some sort of favor they were doing me, because I had somehow mysteriously caused their little tin can to bite the big one. Nu-uh, no ma'am, I am only paying for one day, thanks very much.

PS-The Xterra let me know how much it had missed me by giving off this weird little puff of white smoke and a burnt-plastic smell from under the hood this morning. So it gets to go to the shop AGAIN on Friday.

I wish I lived somewhere where I could ride the bus to work, I truly do.

Finally!

2007-08-17T20:32:00.000-04:00

Seems more real now. First scrimmage is tomorrow, you can bet we'll be there!

My "Not-Fair" Whine of the Day

2007-08-14T14:10:00.000-04:00

You can get a freakin' LOBSTER sub at Subway in Canada now. Made with 100% real lobster, even. Down here in the US of A, I can't even get my all-time favorite fake seafood and pretend crab sub anymore, because they took it off the menu. That is so not fair.

And, PS, hello? what does a Lobster Sub ringtone sound like??

Yippee for Lefties.

2007-08-13T14:51:00.000-04:00

Today is Left-Hander's Day.

In honor of this, here is some Left-Handed Trivia:

Sinistrophobia is the fear of left-handedness.
While many people are left handed, very few are 100% left handed. For example, many left handers golf and bat right handed. On the other hand, there is a high percentage of righties who are 100% right-handed.
Tuesdays are Lefties luck day.
Only about 10% of the population is left handed.
During the 1600's people thought left handers were witches or warlocks (they're not??)
International Left Hander's Day was first celebrated on August 13, 1976. It was started by Lefthander's International.
They say everyone was born right handed, and only the greatest overcome it. (he,he,he)
It is believed that all polar bears are left handed. How anyone figured that out is beyond me.
There is a rumor that octopuses (octopi?) have but one right hand. Scientists are diligently studying this issue. Or not.

Some famous left-handers (besides yours truly, of course) can be found here.

If You Want to Do a Good Deed Today...

2007-08-11T16:23:00.001-04:00

...help out a family in trouble.

Thank you.