tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60425392012-02-16T21:10:45.462-06:00As opposed to little simpering sobs.Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.comBlogger9881100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-47788237972231122442011-08-11T10:34:00.001-06:002011-08-11T10:34:35.335-06:00

Happy Brenden, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I have switched blogs - the transition was pretty easy. I'm now at http://www.brendenmaynard.com/BlogNote that capital B in Blog. If you put in 'blog' you get a 404 error. Very annoying.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-9790819802824407132011-07-18T14:58:00.001-06:002011-07-18T14:58:30.330-06:00

IMG_0653, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.There's no way I can write this post without sounding like I'm gloating. Jon and I feel very fortunate over the last year. We managed to sell the drop zone and the airplanes, and last Thursday we closed on the old house getting exactly what we asked for it.Because of the results of those two sales I was able to send a HUGE check to Wells Fargo and

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-64165191157726979172011-07-11T09:16:00.002-06:002011-07-11T09:19:09.687-06:00

bpic3, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Two weekends ago, the 4th of July weekend, the weekend right after my El Paso trip, we went camping. Jon, B and I, plus Stacey, Sierra and Andrew, went to Rickwood caverns state park, about halfway between Birmingham and Cullman. Yes, it was hot. Saturday we went swimming in the park's pool, and I have come to realize that I would rather own my own

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-30432428222039888342011-07-01T12:50:00.001-06:002011-07-01T12:50:14.576-06:00

Downtown El Paso, Texas, originally uploaded by Paul Garland.I don't want to be fired so I don't talk about my job here. But, I just spent the last week in El Paso, Texas on a business trip. What can I say? I'm glad I've tried to be helpful to the site implementers (they install and customize our software) over the years because I met a few of them and I finally got to attach some faces to email

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-81881597178724280632011-06-24T09:07:00.001-06:002011-06-24T09:07:32.440-06:00

IMG_1164, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.We went to St. John again this year because the friends that went with us last year sprung for the house. That's usually the most expensive component of the vacation. How could we say no? Trip tip #1: If someone offers to cover as big an expense as housing, find a way to pay for everything else and go.So we drove to Atlanta on the 30th. We decided

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-89063459102109424382011-06-07T15:01:00.002-06:002011-06-07T16:44:53.137-06:00

Happy Birthday B!IMG_0499, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.June 6 is Brenden's birthday. I would have blogged this yesterday but we were coming back from St. John and didn't get home until 11 pm.So the boy is 6 now. Holy cow. He's going to be a surly teenager before I know it. *Sniff!*Anyway, Photos and trip report soon come. I interrupt this irregularly scheduled blog post to tell people I

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-79223111517888433332011-05-26T08:37:00.001-06:002011-05-26T08:37:31.095-06:00

IMG_0167, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Today is Brenden's last day of Kindergarten. Wow, that was fast! I'm sure it wasn't to him.Last Saturday Brenden struck out his first at bat but his second he singled and drove in a run. Yay! He has his last game this Saturday.On Sunday I finally was brave enough to let him help me with a plastic scale model (a ship) I got for my birthday. I had to

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-52276349223820229132011-05-17T09:48:00.001-06:002011-05-17T09:48:26.408-06:00

IMG_0187, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Happy birthday to you,happy birthday to you.Happy birthday, Bill Paxton,Happy birthday to you!My favorite Space Marine is 56 today.Ever since getting his first hit in a game, Brenden is 6 for 6 at the plate. He has another game tonight. Will he be able to extend his streak? Stay tuned...What I'm Watching:The Green Hornet I've confirmed it - Seth

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-28666422516641638422011-05-09T09:07:00.001-06:002011-05-09T09:07:33.809-06:00

IMG_0473, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I can't exactly say nothing new has happened so the only excuse this time is sheer slackness. So Alabama got whacked by a bunch of tornadoes, all of which thankfully missed us. We were without power until Sunday. Madison and Huntsville, where our jobs are, didn't get power until Monday afternoon. I was surprised at how little damage Hartselle

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-31678289073924502552011-04-13T09:16:00.001-06:002011-04-13T09:16:18.251-06:00

IMG_0718, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.So Brenden is playing baseball this year - the 5-6 year old league uses a pitching machine and the rules are closer to real baseball than T-ball but not quite. Brenden's team, the Dodgers, is in last place (0 - 4). That doesn't bother me because it doesn't seem to bother Brenden. The first game of the season I found myself rooting for the Dodgers

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-74120561815452537752011-03-28T13:54:00.001-06:002011-03-28T13:54:14.906-06:00

IMG_0598, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Thursday, March 17th:Thursday was a sea day - we started the day with a character breakfast; while we were served breakfast a bunch of Disney characters would come by the tables for autographs and photo opportunities. I left midway for a pedicure. Really! And I enjoyed it! That seemed to be the theme for this vacation for me - doing relaxing

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-36880106156907401672011-03-27T17:11:00.001-06:002011-03-27T17:11:49.228-06:00

IMG_0173, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Nifty, eh? Nothing else to say, the rest of the trip report soon come.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-53036258945651073372011-03-25T08:03:00.001-06:002011-03-25T08:03:43.986-06:00

IMG_0289, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Tuesday, March 15th: St. MaartenI must have low standards or something because everyone told me Saint Maarten sucks but I liked the place and we had a great time. There is a nice beach near the cruise dock so we all went there for the day. I went in the water a few times but it was cold. That never stopped Brenden. He made a friend named Brett whose

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-22165465379709765822011-03-24T10:59:00.001-06:002011-03-24T10:59:41.022-06:00

IMG_0213, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Friday, March 11: Travel DayOur flight left for Orlando at noon so I just kept Brenden out of school and started his Spring Break early. We took Air Tran, which just recently started flying out of Huntsville. The flight to Orlando was uneventful. This time around I had booked us a hotel room in Cocoa Beach instead of staying at a hotel in Orlando.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-24742179998401646002011-03-23T13:17:00.001-06:002011-03-23T13:17:31.084-06:00

IMG_0395, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I would say I was slack, but I'm also sick, a souvenier from the cruise. Thank goodness my cold didn't manifest until we got off the boat.We got back from our cruise Saturday, and I did have the wherewithal to post some pictures to my Flickr account. I will write up a trip report as soon as I get the gumption.Overall, we had a great cruise, but as

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-24242059820111141652011-03-01T07:56:00.001-06:002011-03-01T07:56:54.843-06:00

WTF stovetop, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I'm going to reply to Nancy's comment as a post: I like the island, too - I mentioned before we are going to have a new one built around a gas range that I've already ordered. We've also hired a cabinet maker to build the island for us. Once that's done that wall between the kitchen and living room will come down, the oven, the cabinets below

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-61801499228171213202011-02-25T15:22:00.001-06:002011-02-25T15:22:25.897-06:00

Kitchen, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I'm slack, I know it. We had our first thunderstorm in our new house last night. The winds got up to 60 mph. No damage to us but there was a tree down in the park. 4 or 5 more good storms and the park will be treeless.Yesterday I stayed home and waited for repair guys. Our toilets were making funny burble noises so the roto-rooter guy came out and

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-26220075640638772972011-02-08T12:49:00.001-06:002011-02-08T12:49:21.447-06:00

IMG_4219, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Yesterday we signed 30 bazillion pieces of paper and now we have a new house! Photos soon come, I promise. That is all.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-39364680907471105502011-02-04T15:50:00.001-06:002011-02-04T15:50:30.937-06:00

IMG_0109, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Not much is happening. We got some more snow last night. Big, fat, fluffy flakes. Then it started raining and it ruined it all.What I'm watching:Red I've been wanting to see this movie since I first heard about it and I was somewhat disappointed. I think the problem was the plot was too pedestrian meaning I guessed everything before it happened. The

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-13464647292978835662011-01-20T09:30:00.001-06:002011-01-20T09:30:59.312-06:00

IMG_4216, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.We may have the planes sold - at least the guy buying them gave us a significant deposit and will pay the rest in a week or so. The holdup is paperwork - Jon just payed off the note which means the bank has to notify the FAA who are notorious for snail-like behavior. Seriously, they make the post office look like it's staffed with cheetahs.After a

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-85061216099221361302011-01-18T12:26:00.001-06:002011-01-18T12:26:00.965-06:00

Inception, originally uploaded by BestLife Movie.On Saturday Brenden and I visited a cousin (to be more precise: the daughter of my father's mother's brother. Got that?) who is in town getting a Cracker Barrell restaurant ready for opening at the end of this month. That's her job - she travels around the country and oversees getting these restaurants open. I can't decide if I would like that kind

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-37986637539355017662011-01-12T12:24:00.001-06:002011-01-12T12:24:45.112-06:00

IMG_0107, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I took this photo shortly after dawn on Monday morning. We received about 6 inches of snow, which isn't a record but it's definitely the largest snowfall we've seen since moving to Alabama. The last time I can recall a significant snow was New Year's Eve 2001 and that was at maximum 3 inches.We had a home inspector come out and look at both our

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-989652947879049992011-01-10T00:56:00.001-06:002011-01-10T00:56:03.927-06:00

Dick Winters November 1944, originally uploaded by carljay725.So I am up and was surfing when I read a news article that Major Richard Winters has passed away. He died January 2nd after a long illness. Here's a wikipedia article on the man or you could rent Band of Brothers to get an idea of what an amazing soldier he was.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-46095520082890663502011-01-06T13:23:00.001-06:002011-01-06T13:23:29.090-06:00

Soper's Hole, Tortola, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.So Jon has the dz sold, and apparently he misses all the stress, because he wants to buy a new house. It's about the same size as our old one, except it's on 5 acres, there's no pool (Yay! No - Boo! Crap, I don't know), and there's a huge storage building / garage, hopefully big enough to store all of Jon's stuff.It's also a couple of

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-67153931929494490592011-01-04T10:59:00.001-06:002011-01-04T10:59:15.552-06:00

IMG_1145, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.January: Not a damn thing. Brenden made a joke.February: Not a damn thing. I do remember it was so freaking cold we had a fire in the fireplace almost every day.March: Not a damn thing. Katheryn Bigelow won Best Director, I guess that's something.April: Brenden plays Tee ball. He enjoyed it and so did we.May: St. John! The highlight of the year,

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-26529980277554991912010-12-28T15:20:00.001-06:002010-12-28T15:20:26.655-06:00

Festivus Pole, originally uploaded by freshfiction.Yeah I know I stink.So North Alabama gets a white Christmas and we're out of town. That figures. We were in Tampa, and I was in a tee-shirt for Christmas Day so there's that. We spent Christmas at my dad's house. I got to see both (brother) Jonathan and Andrew, which was a great bonus. I'm sorry that I get to see them so rarely. We met Jon's new

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-73787018135263924182010-12-20T10:59:00.001-06:002010-12-20T10:59:33.148-06:00

Loading the Magic, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.The drop zone has been sold. Jon spent the last weekend there and worked as a pilot - he seemed to enjoy the fact that every problem was Not His Problem.Now if we could just sell the King Airs.Brenden is doing fine - I'm glad school's out for Christmas break. He seems to be getting bored with the whole school thing. The next 12 years are

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-64872959083333400802010-12-06T18:53:00.002-06:002010-12-06T18:55:27.554-06:00

see more Lolcats and funny picturesEven the Elder Gods were adorable babies.My "big news" is we are in the process of selling the drop zone. Jon has officially HAD ENOUGH. He also wants to spend more time with his son. Next weekend should be our last weekend. All I can say is HOORAY!!!!!

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-38351537119866433302010-11-30T16:07:00.001-06:002010-11-30T16:07:06.721-06:00

HTTYD feature, originally uploaded by HP PC.My how the time flies. The deep-fried turkey was a semi-success. I fried it too long so it was a little tough. I did manage to not set the house on fire so I can't complain.I also made a stuffing that was predominantly vegetables and it was NUMMY. So there was that. Both Jon and Brenden seemed far more interested in the Moose Tracks Ice cream I bought

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-42659664805409377232010-11-19T15:59:00.001-06:002010-11-19T15:59:56.853-06:00

Magic at Castaway Cay, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I have 3 whole days off next week. The shocking thing is one day is a vacation day - I actually made it this far into the year with one vacation day intact!I am deep-frying a turkey this year. Man they're tasty but kind of expensive. Especially since my deep fry thermometer is broken plus my frying kettle was used as an ash bin last

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-35793220334851675412010-11-09T10:30:00.001-06:002010-11-09T10:30:39.534-06:00

Waiting for the Elevator, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.What I'm watching / reading / playing:I finally got into Caprica so naturally Syfy cancelled it. Dammit.I love Fringe's bifurcated nature lately - if the opening graphics are red we get an alternate universe ep and if it's blue we get an ep set in our universe. I picked on Anna Torv last time I wrote about Fringe and I decided that

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-91645646249906889042010-10-28T11:48:00.002-06:002010-10-28T11:49:27.157-06:00

see more Lol CelebsHave I ever mentioned that if you're in Huntsville, you can't swing a cat without hitting an engineer or a rocket scientist? And this yahoo becomes an internet meme. Sigh.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-81658125006626369442010-10-26T10:40:00.001-06:002010-10-26T10:42:41.468-06:00

see more MemebaseNow *that's* a princess party!!!

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-1859177979488732632010-10-25T12:02:00.001-06:002010-10-25T12:02:45.716-06:00

IMG_0064, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Whoa, no updates for a while. Sorry you had to keep looking at creepy fish photo so here's one of my kid. Now a quick summary since I last updated:1) Brenden's first report card was good - only one 'needs improvement' and that was counting to 20. Sometimes he forgets '14'.2) Jon jumped off a bridge again this year.3) I have new glasses. 2 pair - one

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-87691171431050460312010-10-08T09:14:00.001-06:002010-10-08T09:14:56.162-06:00

Saw Fish Face, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Is this photo creepy or what? This is what you get when I'm bored, have absolutely nothing to write about, and have an Adam Sandler song stuck in my head. I shall share the pain:Woke up in the morningPut on my new plastic gloveServed some reheated salisbury steakWith a little slice of loveGot no clue what the chicken pot pie is made ofJust know

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-63818045023465433302010-10-05T09:13:00.001-06:002010-10-05T09:13:49.833-06:00

Fiji Mermaid, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Hooray! Warehouse 13 just got another season. I'm worried about Fringe, though, which just got REALLY INTERESTING. The ratings are not good.Jon and I had skipped the last 4 episodes from season 2 but caught up just before this season started. I love the alternate universe - it is so much fun to see what is the same and what is changed. The

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-70974727801369372282010-10-05T07:35:00.001-06:002010-10-05T07:35:45.023-06:00

Coach Jon is coaching, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.As you can see, Brenden is playing soccer this year. He enjoys it but gets upset when he doesn't get to score much. Last Saturday's game his teammate Emily scored 5 out of their 7 goals. Brenden scored 1 and a yellow team member accidentaly gave us the other goal.Jon is the team coach, and he loves doing it. My new computer is supposed

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-62720014438535244242010-10-01T10:57:00.001-06:002010-10-01T10:57:46.710-06:00

IMG_6081, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Brenden's new favorite movie is Spaceballs. He watched it several times on the way to / from Gatlinburg. Will he ever know what dot matrix means? Brenden gave me Pink Eye. Don't worry, I'm staying away from the Worcestershire sauce.Jon and I watched Kick-Ass and it is cute, in a psychotic way. That movie should have either been about a teenager who

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-78545115086802477922010-09-28T07:50:00.001-06:002010-09-28T07:50:37.893-06:00

IMG_5602, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.We took a last minute trip to Gatlinburg this past weekend - we left Friday afternoon and came back Sunday. The drive ( 5 hours ) wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the traffic between Sevierville and Gatlinburg.We stayed at a motel not too far from the aquarium so we were in walking distance from the main strip. Brenden is finally old enough to

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-86667586104077790522010-09-21T11:28:00.001-06:002010-09-21T11:28:41.945-06:00

IMG_6123, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.It has been over a year since NBC cancelled Life. This past weekend I got to thinking about it enough to put season 1 in my computer and watch a few episodes. I was going to watch one or two but ended up watching 17. Yeah, I miss it.I'm still mad at NBC for cancelling this most excellent series in favor of a 5 days a week 10pm Leno show. Much

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-51298806531147976122010-09-19T08:17:00.001-06:002010-09-19T08:18:59.606-06:00

This pretty well sums it up:see more Very DemotivationalHappy Talk Drink Like a Pirate Day, Arrr.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-28015892701977628772010-09-09T07:51:00.000-06:002010-09-09T07:52:03.404-06:00

Randomly Random Bitssee more Happy Chair Is HappyI loves me some pareidolia and if you peruse the amusing photos at Happy Chair is Happy you will see faces in objects all day.I rescued a full-grown box turtle from our pool. He fortunately hadn't been sucked into the whirling vortex of doom but he may have been swimming around in there for a couple of days. He seemed kind of groggy when I set him

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-23180194785859246762010-09-07T08:23:00.001-06:002010-09-07T08:23:04.160-06:00

Gatorade, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Saturday afternoon Brenden runs up to me and yells "ICE CREAM TRUCK!!" again so I grab some cash and we ran out of the house, only to see the truck turn the corner out of our subdivision. Brenden was inconsolable. I even offered to take him to Dairy Queen, but he didn't want ice cream unless it came from the ice cream truck.On the hope the truck had

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-10180620824970042152010-09-02T10:46:00.001-06:002010-09-02T10:46:00.677-06:00

IMG_5892, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Last night Brenden was helping his dad wash the Jeep while I was getting dinner ready. All of a sudden B bursts into the house yelling "Ice cream truck! ICE CREAM TRUCK! I NEED MONEY!!!" Well how could I deny him? I went outside and gave Jon some cash. Yes, just before dinner. What about it?The rest of the night Brenden would occasionally say "the

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-25387874471523667282010-08-30T13:33:00.001-06:002010-08-30T13:33:33.318-06:00

IMG_4187, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.We just finished watching all the Star Wars movies, in the order that they were made. I'm of the opinion that episodes I, II, and III are decent movies - the good and the bad level out to ok. Like many I think the movies all have fantastic large-scale and small-scale battle scenes (the opening to episode III, the space battle over Coruscant, has

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-32209492995737722922010-08-20T11:58:00.001-06:002010-08-20T11:58:24.492-06:00

IMG_4186, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I hope I don't get Dooced for this. I never mention my work because I don't want to be sacked, but I feel compelled to mention that the company I work for has been sold to a Swedish corporation. No, I won't get relocated - we've been assured it will be business as usual.That remains to be seen, but I'd rather be working for a company that's publicly

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-59636279882321728522010-08-18T14:49:00.001-06:002010-08-18T14:49:13.719-06:00

IMG_4188, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.My honey hit the big 4-0 today. Happy birthday sweetie! *Muah!*I got him a jeep. YARLY.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-32502786489681880272010-08-11T09:16:00.001-06:002010-08-11T09:16:09.682-06:00

IMG_6173, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Brenden's first day of Kindergarden went off without a hitch. He had a smiley face on his calendar, which means he was well behaved. When Devin picked him up from school yesterday, she called me and let B talk to me about his day. I don't remember what he said except he likes his teacher and he was really tired.Brenden and I have been playing

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-72403543723601038262010-08-10T09:53:00.001-06:002010-08-10T09:53:29.605-06:00

B, Jon and Nana, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Brenden is in Kindergarden as I type. No call yet from the teacher so that's something.Jon received some horrible news this morning: his grandmother, Virginia, died last night. She was in the hospital for the last month - I'm not sure why. The doctors performed exploratory surgery a few days ago and she died from complications.I feel bad for

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-42291110232111308882010-08-03T09:42:00.001-06:002010-08-03T09:42:26.448-06:00

IMG_6194, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I met Brenden's kindergarden teacher Sunday at a meeting at his new school. She seems nice - I hope Brenden likes her. The meeting was a parent orientation meeting and hopelessly boring. Maybe it's just being in a public school setting that makes my eyes glaze over. I hope I never let on to Brenden about my piss poor attitude towards school. I was

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-41517038638952952582010-07-26T09:16:00.001-06:002010-07-26T09:16:37.980-06:00

IMG_6297, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I have the next two Star Trek discs but didn't have a chance to watch any. I did enjoy two movie blasts from the past this last weekend, although they aren't really past because plenty of people still watch both movies.Monty Python and the Holy Grail In high-def on IFC, no less. I first saw it sometime after my 6th grade teacher had talked about it,

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-34336600165606847392010-07-19T14:20:00.001-06:002010-07-19T14:20:58.663-06:00

Spock and Uhura from Deleted Elaan Scene, originally uploaded by birdofthegalaxy.I haven't burned my farm down yet but I did watch some of the original Star Trek episodes this last weekend. I watched the first disc Netflix sent me and they are arranged in the order they were shown on TV, which is not the order they were produced.I won't go into in-depth synopses - you can browse yourself silly at

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-78441677009050109532010-07-13T08:10:00.002-06:002010-07-13T08:15:22.877-06:00

A Blast (of Music) from my PastIMG_4208, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I'm having a tough time coming up with things to write about. Those of you who are Facebook friends are probably grumbling that if I didn't spend so much damn time on Zynga games I'd have more time to watch movies. Mea Maxima Culpa.However yesterday at work I was listening to a mix of old 80's tunes on my iTouch, and "

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-64204069850945311352010-07-01T08:55:00.002-06:002010-07-01T13:44:35.990-06:00

IMG_6396, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.On Nancy's recommendation we went and saw Toy Story 3. Wow, Pixar is getting REAL GOOD at making me cry! And cheer, and laugh. I've only seen it once so it's too early to say, but I think this one is easily as good as the first two and maybe the best of the three. The funny scenes are Pixar-perfect hilarious, but there are truly bleak, horrific, and

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-69577198024672710902010-06-24T13:28:00.001-06:002010-06-24T13:28:33.644-06:00

IMG_5850, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.What I'm watching, What I'm going to See, MaybeMovies have been a wasteland lately. I can't remember such a yawn-inducing summer.We watched The Green Zone, a Matt Damon movie about the decided lack of WMDs in Iraq. It was ok. The thing that impressed me most about the movie was Brendan Gleeson's American accent. Oh, and Greg Kinnear could make a

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-1096352451469203052010-06-22T11:38:00.001-06:002010-06-22T11:38:27.874-06:00

IMG_5804, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I'd better update - the weekend before last Nancy, Mark, and Anthony came for a visit. It was good to see them again - I was happy that Nancy wasn't allergied out of the house by 3 cats. Matter of fact Zoe Mal Owen, the black and white kitty, charmed Nancy and purred into her ear for a long time. And Anthony enjoyed the pool! I inflicted an old

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-19677701811943871162010-06-08T08:17:00.001-06:002010-06-08T08:17:49.778-06:00

IMG_5577, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.This past Saturday I surprised Brenden by setting up a 2 1/2 gallon aquarium in his bedroom. It's a nice starter system and fairly durable. I had it up and running, complete with gravel and some Spongebob-related decorations. It was all set up execpt for fish. When we did our traditional Saturday grocery run, I let him pick out 2 tiny goldfish at

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-5635375370390530132010-06-08T08:01:00.001-06:002010-06-08T08:01:25.567-06:00

A Million Parts, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I'll blog a bit later about my Precious Snowflake's birthday celebrations, but I wanted to blog this picture. It's a K'NEX rollercoaster and had about a million parts. The K'NEX system is like an ultra-sophisticated tinker-toy set and the directions are surprisingly easy to follow, but *DAMN*.I put it together Sunday afternoon for Brenden.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-73519446021157613882010-06-06T20:01:00.001-06:002010-06-06T20:01:36.925-06:00

IMG_5611, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Happy Birthday, my beloved son! *Muah!* It's been 5 years. It feels like 5 minutes sometimes.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-16219367271140975042010-06-04T08:58:00.001-06:002010-06-04T08:58:56.521-06:00

My Swimming Son, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Woo-hoo! I got this spam unsolicited email today:Greetings,I understand that through Internet is not the best way to link up with you because of the confidentiality which my proposal demands.However, I have already sent you this same letter one month ago,but I am not sure if it did get to you since I have not heard from you, hence i am

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-41208185236375330652010-06-01T10:45:00.001-06:002010-06-01T10:45:43.140-06:00

IMG_3936, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I decided not to bring my Kindle on vacation and ended up re-reading Dan Simmons' Ilium and Olympos and they hold up to a second reading. I will be reading them again sometime down the road. I recall reading a review of one of Simmons' books (Black Hills), where the reviewer can't get past all the fantastic elements in his novels but she loves his

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-34387464045612511842010-05-28T08:35:00.001-06:002010-05-28T08:35:01.332-06:00

Gatorade, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I have commented on the end of Lost, but I haven't on the end of 24 or American Idol. I know Idol hasn't been cancelled yet, but it should be. First off, Simon Cowell has left the building. He simply can't be replaced. Second, how the HELL did Lee DeWayze win over Crystal Bowersox? Lee can sing be he couldn't hold a candle to Crystal's power. Meh, I

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-51161587797117811962010-05-25T08:10:00.001-06:002010-05-25T08:10:11.284-06:00

A beach on Jost, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Let's see, what's happening in the world? Lost and 24 ended, meaning I have nothing to watch. I have a bunch of Fringe in the queue, but it's not the same. Lost went out out well, even though not all questions were answered. I say it went out well because all the characters did things that made me love them, even the normally douche-baggy

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-37456657045724684482010-05-19T10:40:00.001-06:002010-05-19T10:40:46.428-06:00

IMG_0603, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.May 10th: Scuba day with Low Key. We went to Lovango cay and Grass Cay. I think I either need to make it a point to go scuba diving once every six months or so or just quit altogether because I didn't really enjoy myself that much. Of course, putting a BC with a heavy tank over my severely sunburnt back may have had something to do with it. After

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-35293075229005878032010-05-18T11:43:00.001-06:002010-05-18T11:43:11.535-06:00

IMG_0872, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.So I owe a trip report, don't I?May 6-7: Travel days. We left for Atlanta, caravaning with the family we were going with: Stacey and JK, and their two kids Sierra (9) and Andrew (11). Even though the kids are older, they get along great with Brenden. We arrived without incident at one of the Comfort Inns near the Hartsfield airport. Did you know you

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-33966585686849657172010-05-17T19:36:00.001-06:002010-05-17T19:36:30.918-06:00

IMG_4057, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Happy birthday to youHappy birthday to you!Happy birthday Bill PaxtonHappy birthday to you!!!!

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-3625867898822404542010-05-09T12:41:00.001-06:002010-05-09T12:43:38.219-06:00

see more Lolcats and funny picturesHappy Mommy's Day Y'all! I'm enjoying today from an awesome view from my favorite tiny island. If I weren't so lazy I'd download a pic instead of stealing something from LOLCATs.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-89455486704534849392010-05-01T20:08:00.001-06:002010-05-01T20:08:43.283-06:00

see more I love this photograph. I don't know why.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-78751866149671807472010-04-29T11:36:00.001-06:002010-04-29T11:36:01.063-06:00

Enjoying the sun, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.What I'm Watching: Same old stuff.V: This series isn't doing much for me, except it's nice to see Nicolas Lea again, and every time I see Elizabeth Mitchell I miss Juliet from Lost. Speaking of...Lost: 3 Episodes to go. I have some ideas, but it's fun to have no real idea of what will happen.American Idol: Unless she really hoses it, Crystal

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-46718013191167241552010-04-28T07:58:00.001-06:002010-04-28T07:58:53.798-06:00

Sleepy men, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Nothing new to report - I just wanted to post this picture.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-47123221788263566412010-04-26T12:08:00.001-06:002010-04-26T12:08:31.506-06:00

IMG_4805, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.This weekend was uneventful even though the weather forecasters were all running around screaming "ZOMG WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!". I do realize some people were hammered that hard on Saturday but we were just soaked thoroughly. There were no trees uprooted in the park so it was fairly tame weather for us.Friday evening despite a little rain Brenden

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-77912912849429844692010-04-19T14:09:00.001-06:002010-04-19T14:09:13.280-06:00

IMG_4803, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.We had a busy weekend - noontime Friday I was groundcrew for a skydiving demonstration into an elementary school. Then I hurried to buy supplies for a camping trip. Photos soon come, I think. We stayed close to home at Smith Lake in Cullman. Friday we froze our butts off because I neglected to pack adequate blankets.Saturday we went fishing but

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-37863925382475970322010-04-14T15:06:00.001-06:002010-04-14T15:06:54.594-06:00

What's on the Beach, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.We'll soon be going back to my favoritest place on the planet. We'll be going in May for a week. Hooray!I have been thatching and mowing the lawn the last couple of weeks all with no allergy symptoms. I'm not bragging as much as advertising how well Nasonex + immunization shots have been working for me. Many people here at work this week

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-55062541961260416792010-04-13T13:14:00.001-06:002010-04-13T13:14:34.832-06:00

sitting up, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.This last weekend Brenden and I chased a hot air balloon. Well, I chased it in the minivan while Brenden watched Spongebob in the back. I took no photos, like an idiot.Skydive Alabama celebrated its 10th year anniversary and amongst the festivities were hot air balloon jumps. My job was to chase the balloon, bring jumpers to where it landed, and

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-2485708114875922822010-04-01T16:59:00.001-06:002010-04-01T16:59:56.005-06:00

Hickory Smoked Bacon, originally uploaded by moknits.This article,, if you read far enough down, talks about vegetarians and about if they slip back into meat eating, it's usually because of bacon.Mmmmmmmmmmm bacon. The gateway drug meat!

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-29186846176591105852010-03-26T09:55:00.001-06:002010-03-26T09:55:41.473-06:00

Texas Tornado, originally uploaded by michaeljames.It *must* be springtime in Northern Alabama! Plants are blooming, my allergies are on the rise, the temperature is tolerable, and the tornado siren got its first sounding yesterday afternoon!Whatever it was it passed south of us and no damage was reported. We got a frog-strangler along with some hail for about 10 minutes then the sun came out.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-66848138303754336892010-03-23T11:26:00.001-06:002010-03-23T11:26:45.339-06:00

TV 001, originally uploaded by bonniegrrl.What I'm Watching:UP We finally watched Pixar's latest. Yes, it's terrific and deserved it's nomination with the rest of the Best Movie choices (it won best animated feature) but I was boo-hooing 10 minutes into the movie and plenty of other scenes set me off too. I'd really like to see Pixar do a movie where a woman (or a female character) is the central

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-5177778496667211392010-03-09T08:29:00.001-06:002010-03-09T08:29:32.525-06:00

Ilu B me, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Wow, it's been a while! I think Winter is finally on its last legs, and it's about time. We've managed to burn through a whole cord of wood this season (you yankees - quit laughing!). Jon and I got so good at building large fires we managed to melt our fireplace grate. So I saw some of the Academy awards. I was tickled Christoph Waltz one best

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-70207395000289048282010-02-19T11:44:00.001-06:002010-02-19T11:44:52.420-06:00

IMG_3658, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.So my computer died. I wanted to Blame it on Bill but it turns out the Windows patch was incompatible with some malware lurking on my computer. That's what was causing the perpetual BSoD. Reformatting the hard drive and upgrading to Windows 7 was the best thing to do. My computer caught a virus and turned into a zombie! I'm watching (and digging)

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-81495671503907737752010-02-12T08:49:00.001-06:002010-02-12T08:49:38.701-06:00

IMG_2403, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.WTF - everyone SOUTH of us is getting blanketed with SNOW!I received a perpetual Blue Screen of Death on my home computer thanks to a Microsoft update - that's their ultimate plan to prevent vulnerabilities - if you can't use your computer, no one can!Instead of repairing it, I grabbed some things off the hard drive, re-formatted it, and have

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-64551813226761267622010-02-09T14:13:00.001-06:002010-02-09T14:13:48.236-06:00

IMG_3669, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Ugh. I've had a migraine for two days now. Blech. Or maybe it was because Jon and I watched the season premiere of Lost last Sunday and I'm still trying to get my brain around it. I guess I'll avoid spoilers, but it was sad to see all those dead people.Brenden and I play a lot of the Wii Lego Indiana Jones game together. There are some tough puzzles

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-79773456127676702172010-02-02T11:21:00.001-06:002010-02-02T11:21:21.213-06:00

IMG_3664, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Jon and I finally saw Avatar and we watched it in 3D. Yay! It was good, but not great. I've said before I judge James Cameron harshly because he's better than most directors working in Hollywood today (plus he directed Terminator and Aliens, and I love both of those to smithereens). Someday I'll rank JC's movies but for now I'll place this somewhere

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-6339986744042002372010-01-22T10:35:00.001-06:002010-01-22T10:35:34.953-06:00

IMG_3671, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Wow, I am such a frakking geek. I bought a couple of Bear McCreary's soundtracks from seasons 2 and 3 of Battlestar Galactica. His choices are so eclectic: you have plenty of celtic and arabic influences, plus for quieter moments piano and / or violin, and then there's of course the constant poundy, poundy drums. He likes them more than the Japanese

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-88190062614659984072010-01-21T12:33:00.001-06:002010-01-21T12:33:44.554-06:00

IMG_3662, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Nothing new to report - Brenden told his first joke (that I understood):Brenden: "This is yummy!" (referring to his strawberry flavored applesauce).Me: "I'm glad you like it."Brenden: "No, mama, you say 'you can say that again'! Ok? I say is yummy, you say 'you can say that again'!"Me: "Um, ok."Brenden: "This is yummy!"Me: "You can say that again!"

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-92187807269969538372010-01-14T13:42:00.001-06:002010-01-14T13:42:46.475-06:00

IMG_3666, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.What I'm Watching / Reading:Land of the Lost: No Trope links because this is a will Ferrell movie which has become kind of a trope in itself. So I was wrong about my prejudgement about this movie. It was not worse than G.I. Joe. and that is damning it with faint praise. Some people consider this movie a rape of their childhood, but really: Land of

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-21512182155015716822010-01-06T15:04:00.001-06:002010-01-06T15:04:38.618-06:00

Magic and Dutchman, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.January: Visit to Ed and Jen's place in Massachusetts. Snow! Yay!February: Disney Cruise to the Caribbean! Yar!March: Battlestar Galactica ended. Whaa!April: I got a Kindle (II). Yay!May: Life (the TV show) got canned. Boo! But, I also got to see a great movie in the theater (Star Trek). Yay!June: Much remodeling work done around our house

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-35004834869812810472010-01-05T15:11:00.001-06:002010-01-05T15:11:06.892-06:00

Raving Rabbids!!!!!!, originally uploaded by meljpouliot.I had a whole week off for Christmas, plus New Years. We didn't go anywhere and just stayed home. Jon did some work on the house but spent a chunk of time at the drop zone. He bought me Dragon Age: Origins for Christmas and I spent most of my free time playing it.Like Bioshock is distantly related to System Shock II this game is the

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-28901946948550313702009-12-25T21:06:00.001-06:002009-12-25T21:06:39.819-06:00

IMG_3672, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Merry Christmas, everybody! By happy accident, Brenden received the best toy I have ever seen. On my recommendation his abuela and grandpa sent him the Imaginext Space Station. It included these horrible looking octopoid aliens as you can see above. Well as you can see in the picture below, they sit nciely on the play figures' heads. Brain-sucking

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-44957371788708035542009-12-24T09:49:00.002-06:002009-12-24T09:51:32.982-06:00

We Suck!District 9 Bus Bench MNU Sign Teaser, originally uploaded by district9pics.What I'm Watching:Because of the enormous amount of time I've spent perusing Tv Tropes I'm afraid my reviews will never be the same. That site has become an enormous time waster resource for me. For instance, when I rambled about Kirk/Spock and Hector/Achilles I really, really wanted to do some quick Google

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-55922012251741279272009-12-18T16:03:00.001-06:002009-12-18T16:03:44.464-06:00

PictureOK3 087, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Random bits:Fringe had numerous Re-Animator references last episode. Considering the bad guy was someone whose head was re-attached they were hilariously appropriate.I have read over 50 books since I got my Kindle in March. When I was in high school and college those numbers would have indicated a slow year. I think that's the most I've read

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-41536886510834788842009-12-11T09:43:00.001-06:002009-12-11T09:43:27.739-06:00

PictureOK3 136, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Jon wanted to rent a movie and here were our choices:Transformers IIG.I. Joe: Rise of the CobraTerminator: SalvationYear 1Land of the LostI voted for G.I. Joe. Even after watching it I still feel I made the wisest choice. The plot involved Chris Eccleston sporting a scottish accent that would make Mike Myers blush and he's a weapons dealer who

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-66061362869795889832009-12-08T08:58:00.001-06:002009-12-08T08:58:03.717-06:00

PictureOK3 171, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I cleaned the house Saturday and sunday to prep it for Christmas decorating. When I pulled the white christmas tree from the attic Brenden and both evil kittens were ecstatic. My blood pressure went through the roof trying to keep a small child and two large cats from climbing the tree. So far 11 or 12 ornaments have been broken and when I go

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-38286776986784631132009-12-04T09:16:00.001-06:002009-12-04T09:16:02.184-06:00

PictureOK3 135, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.While watching the new Star Trek, the good chemistry between Chris Pine (Kirk) and Zachary Quinto(Spock) got me thinking, and scared, and I really don't want to go a-googling, but I'm betting that movie launched a billion slash fanfics. If you don't know what slash is, congradulate yourself and go look at some funny kittys. If you do know, and

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-54549727335929881512009-11-30T14:03:00.001-06:002009-11-30T14:03:53.373-06:00

Lake Guntersville State Park Campground, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Hope everyone ate too much. We went to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving (photos soon come) where Brenden rode around with mom, dad and Ilu)on the 4-wheelers, and even got to wheel around in his own ride (I told you, photos soon come).Ed and Jen were there too, and I seem to recall much beer and wine drinking the entire time

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-7349448231383441692009-11-20T14:52:00.001-06:002009-11-20T14:52:57.627-06:00

IMG_3139, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I am currently reading David Gemmell's Troy trilogy; and it's something like the 4th re-telling of the Trojan war that I've watched / read (including Homer's take). It's not as much fun as Dan Simmons' totally loopy Iliad and Olympos, but it's as compelling. Of all people, Hektor's wife, Andromache, is my favorite character so far. I hope her fate

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-63810661843754086182009-11-11T12:38:00.001-06:002009-11-11T12:38:45.684-06:00

digging2, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Jon and I have decided to go to St. John again next year for vacation.Well me, mostly. Jon just looked at my vacation research, which I love to do like a hobby but he hates to do with a passion, and pointed to the villa he liked the most from my shortlist.The winner is Sea Cay, (pronounced 'sea key', sometimes I have problems remembering how to

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-8856926638537593862009-11-05T15:23:00.001-06:002009-11-05T15:23:43.226-06:00

IMG_3167, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Since Brenden has discovered Noggin Nick, Jr. I have had to watch much of that channel's programming. So this is pretty much a What I'm Watching post.Blue's Clues: I don't know if this show is in production any more, but it's about a guy and his dog Blue. Blue leaves riddles around the house (heh) and the guy collects the riddles and tries to figure

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-35372163772307600472009-11-03T14:48:00.001-06:002009-11-03T14:48:37.932-06:00

Laughing mom, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.I'm still here, just nothing to write about. One big note, Jon and I went back into debt to buy his business partner out. No offense to the partner; he and Jon didn't see eye to eye and it just goes to prove business partnerships suck bad. Don't ever do it.Brenden went as a clone trooper for Halloween. He didn't have a meltdown this year when I

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-52079326058349020072009-10-25T16:41:00.001-06:002009-10-25T16:42:51.251-06:00

see more Lolcats and funny picturesI lol'd perhaps too much.

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042539.post-90576785012502260372009-10-23T13:42:00.001-06:002009-10-23T13:42:03.235-06:00

Don't Ask, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.Stacey took her 2 kids to see Where the Wild Things Are so we went too. I don't think the movie was too scary for Brenden, but the themes were over his head for the most part. I asked him afterwards if he thought the monsters were scary, and he said "No, they his friend!" He also understood that when the boy gets back in the boat, he's going home

Topcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12154063798164682113noreply@blogger.com2