Wednesday What Is It?

What is it?

Here's how to play.

Wednesday What Is It? Results

The results of last week's Wednesday What Is It?

Coffee Beans!

5 points to Bon!
2 points each to SharShine and Maggie.

Good guessing everyone!

Deece's 25. Even though I'm 27.

I have shared a lot with you already, my internet friends. But I’m going to share some more. My dear childhood friend tagged me on Facebook. So I decided to post it here and have it import to Facebook. I mean, why not? It's not like I still have to post the Wednesday What Is It? or anything.

Here goes...

1. I feel like I’m very awkward and make terrible first impressions. And that I’m a very forgettable person.

2. I am not afraid of you.

3. I feel like most people, especially people I used to drink with, don’t understand why I quit drinking at 19. Sometimes I think they think it’s a way to get attention or a way to make me feel better than other people. Neither is correct. When two drinks can give you a buzz, when you can tell yourself to stop because you are the designated driver, when you throw up and don’t want to drink more, when you don’t crave alcohol all the live-long-day-long, when you remember more than you don’t…when you’re that, any of those, when you’re not me – you can’t understand.

4. Many of my friendships have inexplicably gone sour. Perhaps it is me.

5. In my heart, left to my own devices, I’m a jerk.

6. I dream of staying home with my kids and designing clothes, sewing bags, making jam, and baking.

7. I don't review all of the movies I watch.

8. I am not anti-social. I just don’t go out much.

9. I hold fake conversations with real people in my head.

10. I am tormented by nightmares.

11. If I don’t write something down, I will forget it.

12. I sang Amazing Grace on my dorm balcony one night. I stopped when my friend Mike came out. He asked me to keep singing.

13. I once dated a guy who I think was probably gay, but he just didn’t know it yet. We’d go to raves and he’d ask me to watch him dance.

14. I don’t understand how it’s possible to deny the existence of God once you become a parent.

15. I have never been in a fight, but I have never backed down.

16. I recognize the presence of God in my life everyday, and am ever thankful.

17. I really want to own a bike again. And just go ride whenever I want to. Just take off and ride and feel the wind in my face like I did as a kid.

18. Put up or shut up, I say.

19. I really, really want to add the unlimited data plan to my cell phone. But I can’t bring myself to spend the extra $9.99 a month.

20. I had a folder full of poetry and other nonsense I wrote. I lost it. It makes me sad to think about.

21. My husband and I grew up a world apart. And I’m not just talking CA vs. Saipan. Nor am I talking a nearly 13 year age difference. It would blow. your. mind.

22. I feel like I never look my age. And it bothers me.

23. I cannot stand CSI and other junk like that, but I love The First 48.

24. I constantly wait for miracles.

25. I could only choose one: Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies or Jingle Bell Rock. I chose Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies. I was regretful for years.

The emotions of the morning.

"I like gloves!"

Wrapping up the hammers...

Ready to rumble.

Blast him with the right!

Blast him again! He's ready to go down!

And the winner is...Jake "The Reaper" Reeeeeviiiilllllaaaa!

"If you pull on me, I'll kill you both."

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 - I didn't know this was based on a book series. I really enjoyed it! It plays into my love of girly movies AND my enjoyment of cheesy teenage drama. Now I need to watch part 1.

Appaloosa - Wow! Excellent! Watch it! The look, the feel, the atmosphere, the pace, the tension, the humanity, all of it - it's great. I'm not normally too keen on westerns, but this one is my favorite. And the acting is amazing. Ed Harris - OMGosh! Viggo Mortensen - naturally! Jeremy Irons - so bad because he's so good!

Speaking of Jeremy. It doesn't seem right - a grown man named Jeremy. But not quite as wrong as Zack. I don't think I can take a man named Zack seriously.

Meanwhile, a baby girl named Gertrude is just a harsh set up to send her straight from newborn to old maid.

What are you talking about? Katelyn and Jacob are perfectly fine child OR adult names.

I said, they're. perfectly. fine.

Where we were yesterday.

Can you imagine?

Of all the people who were at the presidential inauguration, my friend, from our tiny little island of Saipan, was shown on all the news stations! My friend! Twice! How cool is that?!

This video is of Senator Feinstein opening the inauguration ceremony. My friend, let's call her Merced, can be seen in a white Georgetown beanie at the 1:46 mark.


This is the opening prayer by Pastor Rick Warren. I haven't had the ability to really listen to it yet, but I hear it is great. You can see my friend at about the 3:15 mark. My friend!

Another day in paradise...

You mean today is just another day?
Not unlike any other day?
I didn't get a raise and my student loan debt was not erased?

(Name the artist for 5 points)

Where were you?

Three nights ago I had a ghostly dream. I blame my friend Lyn. We exchanged ghost stories and I shared with her that I have recurring nightmares, often about my childhood neighborhood and house. It's #1326, what is now the blue Homeland Security office. That house is not right. My nightmares are usually about escaping, being chased, fighting in slow motion and making no impact, feeling trapped, falling to no end. They produce feelings of vulnerability and inadequateness, strength and complete helplessness, loneliness and camaraderie. They cause my heart to jump and my muscles to twitch. I wonder if I whine and whimper in my bed because of them, or does the beast within me growl out loud? But when I wake, they disappear. I move my arms and go back to sleep and that dream is lost for the night.

But the ghostly dream has been bothering me since I first experienced it. It shook me to the core. It awakened my senses. It made me call out to my God. I cannot share it with you here. I don't want to preserve it. I want it to go away. As far away as the east is from the west. I want to be free from that evil.

Two nights ago my son woke up upset. With what I cannot tell. He wanted water. I gave him water. He refused it. He wanted to go downstairs and get new water. No son, not with the images from my ghostly dream still freshly floating in my mind. He wanted to lie down. But he wouldn't. I tried to hold him. But he got mad. It was a long and trying night. My poor, sick baby boy.

Last night I witnessed history. I am not eloquent or intelligent enough to adequately describe to you what I feel. And I only watched it on TV, I cannot imagine what Angelo felt being there in person. Our new president is in office. For certain generations the question is, where were you when JFK was shot? Now we can ask, where were you when Barack Obama took the oath of office? Me? I was sleeping. But I woke up just time to watch him begin his inaugural speech. He is fantastic! I am not speaking of his politics. I am speaking of him. Our 44th president. He is a charismatic speaker, he is intelligent, he is inspiring, he is hope for so many.

I don't write about politics, period. On the local level or national level. I publicly affiliate with no one. I am good at remaining neutral. Mainly because of my job, but also because I prefer sound policies to parties and for most of my life I have been very indifferent to politics in general. But I tell you what, today is an historic day! I wasn't there. But I was changed. I am inspired. I came to work with a renewed energy and sense of service. I'm so excited for what's to come.

Where were you when Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States of America?

I am not normally a fan of the thumbs up. But I cannot otherwise express my glee in a picture that I took of myself by myself outside my office at lunch without the use of a tripod or other camera holding device.

For 5 random points, how many references were made in this post? For 5 more points, name them.

Wednesday What Is It?

What is it?Here's how to play.

Wednesday What Is It? Results

The results of last week's Wednesday What Is It?

A Steamer!

Also acceptable: steamer basket.

5 points to SharShine!
2 points to Erdene and Mark

I thought long and hard and I made several Google image searches and I decided that only steamer and steamer basket were winning answers.

Eat iiiit. Just eat iiiitt!

(Name the song and artist for 5 random points.)

I'm a big fan of semi-homemade. Not the show. While I no longer make fun of Sandra Lee, I still don't watch her. I'm a fan of the idea and process of semi-homemade cooking. Take last night's dinner for instance:

Pork chops and cucumber tomato salad:

(this was the first pork chop I have ever enjoyed)

And egg drop crab and corn soup:

For the soup I used a mix. But I started off by frying garlic and sweating onions; it created a really nice layer of flavor. I also added chunks of imitation crab, which Katelyn loves.

~~~

Last night sucked. I didn't get much sleep because of the wailing baby and my fear of having another ghostly nightmare. I will tell you about both later on.

My tangerines are better than your tangerines.

Nim's Island - I enjoyed it. I suppose the reviewer is mostly correct, but, come on, it's a children's movie! Katelyn loves it. We bought it for her.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - I guess I saw the first two? These types of movies aren't really my thang, but whatever. It was entertaining.

~~~

Many of us, nay, most of us on Saipan enjoy shoulder pork and ham, better known as SPAM. While living in southern California I would never offer up the fact that I liked SPAM, and no one would ever ask. James still, from time to time, expresses his shock that his wife "is a SPAM eater". To which I so smartly reply, "yeah well, you eat the stuff with the whatever, and yeah..." I like SPAM musubi, SPAM with diced tomatoes and onions, soba with SPAM, scrambled eggs and SPAM, and plain old fried SPAM.

When I worked at the local community college, the term "spam" was way overused. Not because people were frying it up, but because emails were being sent. What? For realz! When the admissions office would send out mass emails regarding upcoming registration dates, they were said to have "spammed the campus". On occasion, I was asked to spam the campus to let faculty, staff, and students know about upcoming community classes my department was holding. This irked the crap out of me.

Electronic spam is not the sending of mass emails. Spam are essentially unsolicited commercial emails! Got that, NMC? Unsolicited commercial emails, not a widely distributed email announcing a change in venue for Charter Day.

~~~

As illustrated below, my most recent batch of marmalade (on the left side of the photos) did not turn out as I had hoped. It's my fault entirely. Only small batches from now on, as shown on the right side of the photos:

Although on a blueberry bagel with some butter too, they both taste fine.

My tangerines. They are the size of oranges with sweet, tender, orange pulp. And they taste better than yours.My regular tangerine marmalade is very bright, sweet, and tangy. The most recent batch, I suppose, would be more of a bitter, English style marmalade.

~~~

I've reached the end of the log for my free stat counter so I can only view the last 100 entries. While looking through the few searches that land people on my blog, I thought a funny one was "tube socks you, me and dupree" which landed the searcher here. But then I saw a search for, "Sheila I'd love to kiss you, but I just washed my hair". While I did just wash my hair last night, and yes, we are friends, but no. No I do not want to kiss you, Sheila. Sorry.

How I feel today...

My son's high-chair smells like pee. My daughter is sick. My back hurts. My marmalade is still cooking, still need to can it, won't be able to make it to my friend's birthday party. Haven't had the chance to sew at all today.

I know you're there.

I see you there, in the shadows.

In the dark corner, peering into the light.

Still lurking, eh? In order to intice you to get off your butt and press the comment button, I offer you this:

1. I don't like when people say "preggo" or "preggers".

2. I cannot stand the term "parental units".

What about you?

Famagu'on mu:

Do I do, or do I don't?

I'm doing it!

I'm asking for all you peeps out there peepin' my blog to come out of the wood work. Despite my gruff exterior, deep down inside I am a fuzzy warm person. I don't bite. Mostly.

If you read me today, leave something to say!


I'm talking to you in Tuscaloosa, Alabama! And you in Laguna Nigel, California! And I'm talking to you in Albany, New York, who recently landed on by blog via a search for "Belly with Cheese"! And you in Germantown, Maryland! And the bagillion people across Europe who search for Deece daily! (Can someone tell me what Deece means?!)

Tell me what you think of the new layout. Let me know if I'm lame or not. Share with me what you had for lunch today. What color underwear are you wearing? You are wearing underwear, right?

Don't be shy. Cause I'm shy, and there just ain't enough room for that much shyness 'round here. Or something like that.

Wednesday What Is It?

What is it?

Here's how to play.

Wednesday What Is It? Results

The results of last week's Wednesday What Is It?

Office Light!

Also acceptable: light panel, light cover

5 points to Boni!

2 points each to Erdene and Mark, Road-Block, Plumeria, and Lynette

Great guesses Tami and Sheila!

Coupons, Contests, and Rebates

For many years I thought they were a farce.

What is this thing, coup-pounce? I saw those small rectangular pieces of paper tucked into boxes of Nabisco graham crackers claiming $0.50 off my next purchase of Oreos. But try taking that to the cashier at Happy Market. Yeah, didn't think so. Coo-ponce? A mythical creature, to be sure.

I grew up watching Ni ni ni ni ni nick nick niiiick Nickelodeon and its barrage of commercials claiming no purchase necessary contests to give you and 50 of your friends a slime party with the cast of You Can't Do That On Television. Many will enter, few will win. How about no one will win? How about how can anyone possibly win when the TV tells me it's May 21, 1989, but my calender is claiming the 28th?

When I walked into Best Buy for the first time in December 1998, I was blown away by the sheer number of electronic this-and-thats that I had never heard of, nor known that I now wanted. But how was I iiimean my mom supposed to pay for the astronomical price of a new whatever-it-was-that-I-wanted as well as all of its accessories and warranties? Answer: reeee-bates! Yeah right, you're just pulling my chain. That chain that my then-boyfriend used to have that connected his wallet to his pants. Oh, shut up! You know they were cool - besides, I'm not certain that he really had one of those.

Question of the day: Is it a want or a need?

Na-bis-co, ding!

How does that work?

I guess you could say that I'm a bit of a traditionalist - as long as you ignore the fact that my daughter was born four months after James and I were married - I prefer that a woman take on her hausband's last name when she marries. I'm not saying ditch her maiden last name all together...I like the way we do it on Saipan, where my maiden name is now my middle name.

I don't really get hyphenated names. Do you? Let's say two people, both with hyphenated last names, get married? Does the wife hyphenate again? What about when they have kids? Do the kids have hypenated-hyphenated last names?? This is just too much for me to comprehend.

Making big bubbles with Dad on Saturday:

(Jacob's mohawk is sort of visible)

Hamburger Helper with cauliflower and mushrooms. So good! Used two boxes of Hamburger Helper, only 1/2 lb of ground beef total, a largish tray of mushrooms (maybe 16-20 pcs), small head of cauliflower, onions, garlic, and a pinch of herbs de provance. Made this before with zucchini and mushrooms, but I liked this one better.

Playing DDR with my nephew Mike.

Outkast!

Back in circa 2000ish (yeah, you like that?). Anyway, back in circa 2000ish, I visited Saipan on break from college and I brought a CD that had two songs burned on it, Butterfly by Crazy Town and Ms. Jackson by Outkast. It was the first time Saipan was introduced to those hypnotic grooves. My cousin wanted me to give the CD to the DJ at GIG's (a local discotheque...I can't stand that word, discotheque) so he could spin that split on the dance floor. I didn't. But that's beside the point. I also brought back some Mushroom Jazz. But that, too, is beside the point.

What is the point? I'm not..

I mean...

I guess...

I don't have a point, really.

But if I think about it...

Here are the Outkast photos from today's 365 Days of Deece photo shoot (at the beginning of February, I'll post a collage of my January photos):

The Bearded Lady

I tried to put on a happy face....

But I really felt like this:

(I'm thinking about joining my friend, Boni, in the great CNMI De-Lurk. Or maybe mine would be the great DCnmi De-Lurk. But I'm afraid I would just embarrass myself. So let me say now that I love comments. I do. Start commenting. Friend me via comments. And come back next week and comment again when the DCnmi de-lurk takes place. Or better yet, subscribe to me in a reader. Or follow me. Tell your friends. Do I sound desperate? Oh my gosh, I'm feeling frazzled again...see above photo.)

Twitterish?

1. My husband turned the big 4-0 a week ago and none of you were the wiser.

2. At one time James went to school at Mt. Sac and had a friend who was at Ball State.

3. I gave my 20-month old son a mohawk over the weekend. My mom says he looks tougher.

~~~

Taco Salad for dinner on Tuesday:

And lunch on Wednesday:

(Play the Wednesday What Is It? below!)

Welcome to the Wednesday What Is It? Round 4!

What is it?

Here's how to play the WWII:

Every Wednesday I will post a small part of a picture of some object. You tell me what you think the object is. You have until I post the results of that week's WWII to submit your guess by leaving a comment.

I will post the results the following Wednesday in the morning, at noontime, or in the evening. Sometimes I am late, but I will never be early.

Submit one guess per person (or husband and wife team for Erdene and Mark); you may not change your guess - your first guess is your final guess. Please be specific. Don't say, it's food; instead say, it's a chocolate chip cookie.

The first person with the correct answer will receive 5 points, all other correct answers earn 2 points. On the following Wednesday I'll post the answer along with the results, which will be tracked in the sidebar.

The first person to 35 points wins something homemade/handmade by Deece. I'll mail it to you if you live off island.

Let's play!

What a mug!

No, I didn't get arrested. But it looks like a good celebrity mug shot, doesn't it? It's my license photo! This is the first license photo that is really embarrassing. And so what do I do? I post it online for the world to see. I dare you to share yours! Unless, of course, you're chicken! Bwak, bwak, bwak!

~~~

In an attempt to redeem myself, please look at the lovely bag I made that my cousin gave her niece for Christmas. It's a tad bit narrower than the original Maria Sling in red, and I added a cute bamboo button closure and the interior pockets are a bit different too. Everything I make is one of a kind. Just like you! Don't you feel special?

So what? Are you up for the challenge or are you chicken?

Hello world!

Warning: you are about to see me in all my non-makeup, home clothes, dorky raw-ness. Feel free to laugh in private, however, I would appreciate it if you kept your comments to yourself - at least the comments about me, comments about the hat and the rest of this post are still welcome.

I finished this hat last night.

I freaking love it! This ain't no five dolla hat.

It's soft and warm and maroon and I love it.

If only I were neighbors with Mona, then it'd be cold enough to wear it outside and not only inside our air conditioned bedroom.

~~~

War Inc. - I liked it. Funny satire. Don't believe what the reviewer said about Hillary Duff. It's almost like he didn't watch the entire movie. I totally predicted it, by the way!

Transsiberian - Wow! I couldn't predict a thing. Entertaining. Don't read the review - it's not bad, it's just long and doesn't do the movie justice.

The Dutchess - Yeah! I loved it. I guess it's a bit of a girlie movie - James laughed when I cried at one part. What? I loved watching the costume changes and how they evolved over the course of the movie.

~~~

Attention: The Wednesday What Is It? will resume this Wednesday, January 7, 2008. Get ready! Tell your friends! It's on!

365 Days of Deece

Happy New Year!!

I hope you had a great new year's celebration. Mine was nice enough. I got a charlie horse in my butt at about 8pm, so it was hard to enjoy anything after that. Yes, a ridiculous crazy painful muscle cramp in my butt!

~~~

Before...

One year ago I made Rice Crispies Treats for the first time, I explained the Saipanese ability to verb, I discovered how to make Diet Coke with Lime, and it was my father's 15-year death anniversary.

Two years ago I had a fish heart (not like Christian Slater's baboon heart), we weaned Katelyn and I told a story of two strangers, and some guy liked his ching-a-ling-a-ling ching ching (I've got to remember to post the video of this song).

Three years ago I was sick.

~~~

You know that guy who takes a picture of every meal he eats? You don't? Well, there's this guy who takes a picture of every meal he eats.

And there's this guy who took a picture of himself every day for 8 years. There's also this guy who took a picture a day for 6 years. And there's this jokester.

I am going to attempt to take a picture of myself every day for a year, starting today. Why today? Why on January 2nd and not the 1st? Because if I started yesterday, I would have already failed as I did not take a picture of myself yesterday. Hence, I am starting today.

01.02.09

(If I were willing to commit to it, I'd put together a stop motion emotion. You know, like show yourself display an emotion, but take 365 photos to do it. With the daily changing of backgrounds, hairstyles, clothes, makeup, etc...I think it'd be awesome.)