Sunday, November 30, 2008

To all my caffeine junkie friends...


Check it out!

(ps. If someone can tell me why I can't copy and paste to have the entire video shown here, please let me know. I can only copy a snippet of the code--thanks!)

Thursday, November 27, 2008

For those of you who went to H.S. with me...

Hank Dombrowski passed away yesterday morning. I found the story here. My thoughts and prayers are with the family. If anyone hears any information about the arrangements, please let me know.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

HD--Huh?

I finally got the coupon in the mail for my digital converter box and went out and purchased the box (thanks, Ben for the feedback!). I'm not very electronical about setting things up. I just don't get it. I tried to set it up today. And by "set it up", I mean I kept plugging and unplugging things until I could make it work. So far, not so smooth:

1. Why does it keep skipping and getting all pixelated? That's really annoying. If I wanted my TV watching experience to resemble a really poorly dubbed Japanese movie, I'd rent Godzilla.

2. How do I make it work through the TV instead of as a component like the DVD player? My TV does cool things like Picture in a Picture. What's the big deal about this? I can watch 2 football games at once! Or, in the fall, the Cubs and Bears at the same time!! I'd really like this one fixed!

3. Where did CBS go? How do I get CBS so I can watch football on Sunday?

4. There are some people who should not be viewed in high definition...I was not prepared for Cloris Leachman sans makeup.

I'm not sure how I feel about this whole HD business. I wonder how long it will take me before I suck it up and read the directions.

Monday, November 17, 2008

It's Nubbers!

I was at Hagen's Fish Market yesterday, and I saw this sign...
I have no idea why they made me laugh, but they did. Nubbers is just a funny word (say it, you'll laugh!) I also have no clue as to what type of fish is a "Nubber", but it makes me want to go fishing so I can try to catch one!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Are You Smarter Than an NFL Quarterback?

Most of you know that my Sundays are spent glued to my couch watching football (btw--I have no comment on the Bears/Packers game that wouldn't be an obscene string of swear words). Today, the Eagles/Bengals game resulted in a tie. Check out this post-game interview from Donvan McNabb.

Are you freakin' kidding me?!? AAARGH!! I almost fell off my couch when I first heard the interview. He didn't know that that it could result in the tie?! "I didn't even know that was in the rule book." That's ridiculous! You can't tell me that I know more about football than an NFL quarterback (with the exception of Brian Griese, of course)! It seems like that would be critical information, for a quarterback--ya know, strategy wise?

So, Donovan, here's how it works: If at the end of the game there's a tie between two teams, there is a 5th quarter that is sudden death over time. If at the end of that quarter, no team has scored, the result is a tie. The NFL standings have 3 columns; the first marked with a W (for wins), the second with a L (for losses) and the last with a 'T' for tie. It seems rather self-explanatory, and it's been that way since 1974. Since you missed it, a tie counts as 1/2 a win and 1/2 a loss.

Finally, Donovan, Amazon.com carries both Football for Dummies and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Football, both for under $20. You may want to add one of those to your reading list.

'Tis the Season for Giving Froggies

I was out and about a few places this weekend and at one of them I met Jack's chickie along with his cousin. Both seem like lovely people. At the bar we were at, the two went out to have a cigarette, and since I don't like neither second hand smoke, nor cold I choose to stay inside.

Upon their return from a smoke, they are literally dragging this guy to the table to introduce me. I hate to sound ungrateful, but I do have certain criteria on men aside from "Does he have a penis?" (Thanks, Renee). I really do appreciate the effort (good try ladies!), but I had to avoid this little "gift". I would also like to thank Jack for going big brother on him.

So, in the spirit of the up coming holidays, I've created a list, and checked it twice of just what I'm looking for--if you find one of these, feel free to put a bow on him for me:

1. There is a height requirement. To quote Barb in the sign she put on my door junior year of college, placed at the 6 foot mark: "You must be this tall to ride the Bethie." (What am I, Great America?) I'm certain it's really shallow, but I'm a tall girl and have height issues. A guy would have to be gorgeous and practically perfect in every other way for me to wave this one. To be honest, I don't think I could go much shorter than 5'10" and be comfortable. And yes, I've tried.

2. This next one is no surprise: Packer fans need not apply. If you're not a Bears fan, I can't deal with you. I also prefer Cubs fans (this guy last night had on a Sox hat-ew!), and Hawks fans. Football affiliation is also a deal breaker.

3. Non-smoker (that guy's third strike). First of all, I think it's icky. I'll spare you all the negative health effects like hairy tongues (seriously, it was in this high school health video so it must be true!) and remind people that I have asthma, I can't breathe as it is, let alone with smoke in the air.

4. Ideally, he should be in his late 20's or 30's. I hate to sound old, but I'm just not in to the same scene that I was 7 or 8 years ago.

5. I would also prefer a guy who is at least slightly athletic. Not to mention not prettier or skinnier than I (How could I date someone more high maintenance than me? If he could fit into my jeans, that's not good--I want a real man, with meat on his bones.) I have to admit, I dig the broad shoulder type--I'm just sayin'.

6. Finally, it's important for him to be kind, empathetic and a decent human being. I'd also appreciate it if he was not gropey, creepy, icky gross or on drugs. He should actually be single, be able to have a somewhat intelligent conversation, have a job, a sense of humor, and not be a total commitment-phobe. (See previous Frog Chronicles for further info on what I'm NOT to do.)

I know it's much harder to screen for the criteria in #6, but I feel they're a little more common sense--who isn't looking for those things? Besides, 1-5 are clearly hard enough for me to find.

See? I'm not that picky. :)

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Skirt Wearing Froggies

This morning was the Go Vertical Challenge, and the last event in my "Month of Ridiculousness" (ie, Chicago Marathon 10/12, Indianapolis Marathon 10/18, Chicago Lakefront 50/50 Ultramarathon 11/1, and the Sears Tower Climb 11/9).

I wasn't feeling well, so in an effort to cheer myself up, I wore my very cute red polka-dot running skirt for the climb. I got in line to start the climb, and this guy, who was two people in front of me was a creepy looking guy who was also wearing a skirt--I say skirt because I like kilts--and I don't want to degrade the kilt by claiming that he was wearing one! I hope that it was a sport kilt (yes, they make those), but it wasn't a tartan pattern, rather it was just army green. He turns around and says to me (over the guy between us) "Try not to look up when you're climbing, unless you want a happy surprise."

EW!! The guy between us, literally took a step backwards away from this creep. Next, the skirt wearing froggie says "Aren't you curious about what's under my kilt?"

I replied "Um, not even a little."

He leered in my direction and said "Hey, you're wearing a skirt too, looks like we've got a lot in common. Ya, know there are other things that you can climb..."

Fortunately, I saw my friend Peter farther up in the line and was able to catch his attention. I'm not even sorry for running away and cutting about 20 people in line. Thanks Peter!! You're my savior from the creepy skirt wearing froggie!!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Texting Froggies

I had been chatting (email and text) with this guy for about a week. He was a Marine, worked in the fraud department for a bank downtown, ya know seemed normal. We had plans to meet for coffee, something I didn't think was a high pressure situation. I was sitting in Borders with some tea waiting for this guy to show up, when I received the following text:

"i m sorry but their appears to be a lack of spark"

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?! You did not just stand me up with a text!! (Not to mention the incorrect use of 'their'!!) What the hell?! I would think that a Marine would have a little more class than that--or a least be able to suck it up through a cup of coffee! And to top it off, I'm mortified to think that he saw me sitting there and decided that I wasn't cute enough to sit through a cup of coffee. :(

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Gettin' My Sufferage On!

I headed to the polls before work this morning to exercise my 19th Amendment rights, and I was surprised that there was absolutely no lines!

I walked in to the high school using the front door and headed through the school to the gym area to the polling place. The direction from where I came had me walking in behind the election judges. As I walked over, one of the judges said to me "What time does school start?"

I gave her a funny look and replied "About an hour, why do you ask?"

To which she responded, "Is your locker over here?"

I laughed as I told her, "No, I'm not a student--I'm here to vote!!"

She was embarrassed and apologized as she directed me to the precinct room. I told her my age and she told me that I looked great--I can't believe that she actually thought I could be in high school!! LOL!