Tuesday, September 19, 2006

69 questions

Sixty-Nine Odd Questions
Are your parents married or divorced?:married, since 1960
Are you a vegetarian?:yes...I need to stop eating dairy, though.
Do you believe in Heaven?:not really
Have you ever come close to dying?:yes
What jewelry do you wear 24/7?:wedding ring/great-grandfather's ring/Celtic split ring
Are you eating?:no
Do you eat the stems of broccoli:I know I should, but...I don't.
Do you wear makeup?:Not usually...it melts off me, since I sweat.
Would you ever have plastic surgery?:I wouldn't mind some liposuction...too expensive.
What do you wear to bed?:t-shirt/shorts
Have you ever done anything illegal?:yes
Can you roll your tounge?:you mean trill? No, unfortunate for my Spanish.
Do You have a boyfriend or girlfriend?:no...just a husband
Do you believe in Abortions?:capital "A" abortions? Or just abortion?
What is your Hair color?:red
Future child's name, boy and girl?:Daisy/Sue/Tater/Gomer/Goober/Nub
Do you smoke?:no
If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?:Great Barrier Reef
Do you sleep with stuffed animals?:no
If you won the lottery, what would you do first?:higher a lawyer/buy a motorcycle
Gold or silver?:gold, but too expensive
Hamburger or hot dog?:veggie version of either
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?:cheese pizza
City, beach or country?:beach...I wish I lived by one.
What was the last thing you touched?:this laptop's keyboard
Where did you eat last?:a bagged lunch in my office
When's the last time you cried?:a little last night
Do you read blogs?:friends' ones
Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex?:Does Batman count?
Ever been involved with the police?:no
what's your favorite shampoo/conditioner and soap?:Dimension/Sebastian Suedeluxe/Pear's Total Body Care
Do you talk in your sleep?:I'm sure some.
Ocean or pool?:I wish I had both. I live ocean waves.
What's your favorite song at the moment:"What a Wonderful World"
have you ever had a cavity?:lots, unfortunately...and a crown and root canal
Window seat or aisle seats?:window for looking and sleeping/aisle for bathroom going
Ever met anyone famous?:Donny Osmond
Do you feel that you've had a truly successful life?:Not "truly." But I've been lucky, I know.
Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it?:twirl
What is your fav. sport to play?:basketball
Basketball or football?:playing basketball/watching football
when was the last time you went to the bathroom?:this afternoon
Do you drive a stick?:Drive it to do what? A car...yeah.
Cake or ice cream?:I like ice-cream cakes a lot!
Are you self-conscious?:definitely!
Do you like any of your close friends?:Why wouldn't I?
Have you ever given money to a bum?:Not to a "bum"...but to someone who needed money.
Have you been in love?:My husband thinks so! ;-D
Where do you wish you were?:dead/asleep
On myspace why is the 1st person on ur top 8 there?:b+c
Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?:3 times, I think
Can you tango?:Hell no!
Last gift you received?:iPod Video from Jerry
What occasion did you recieve your gift?:Valentine's Day/birthday combination
Last thing you spent lots of money on?:can't remember...Vmax?
Where do you live?:in an apartment in MA
Last wedding attended.:my sister's on October 14
Favorite restaurant?:Pizza Hut
What is your favorite kind of car?:BMW 8 series
Most hated food(s):green peas/frozen mixed vegetables
Most loved food(s)?:pizza/frozen margarita/lots more
Can you sing?:I can sing in tune.
Person on your mind?:Goober and 5th amendment
What's your least fav. chores?:changing cat boxes
Favorite drink?:frozen margarita
Currently have a Crush?:an Orange Crush? But yes, I always have crushes on someone or another.
How long was your longest drive in a car?:from Dallas to Boston
Why do you do Myspace surveys?:maybe someone will think I'm interesting
Do you know who Nick Tyo is?:nope
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Cameron's car, Big Bertha!

Big Bertha
Or should I say "stagecoach"? Them's some buckboard wheels! A new sheriff (and his badge-looking wheels) are in town! ;-D Seriously, he's (and my father and brother, too) done a lot of work on that car.

regret, again

It's hard to make a decision in a tough moment and not be afraid of the consequences, if the decision turns out to be the wrong one...or if it's the decision that results in the not-hoped-for outcome. It's tough to look back and know that one made the best decision for the moment, the "right" decision, but still suffer over it. It's hard to win against oneself, against one's regret...or even the potential for regret.crossroad

Monday, September 18, 2006

dreaming of old job

Aagh, I dreamt the same thing again last night! My mind is really set on that theme. I can even be doing whatever it is in the dream and find myself thinking (still within the dream) that I keep dreaming of the same subject.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

my previous job

I wonder why I keep dreaming of being back in my old job? In/at Chicago? Last night I dreamt of having quit my current job to take the job I had in Chicago. And then I quickly wish I hadn't done so...and quickly wondered how I might get my current job back.

"Family Guy" quote

Lois: "Oh, you can overcome shyness. Think of the spider in Charlotte's Web who had to overcome Tourette's."

Charlotte the spider: "WHORE"

Thanks!

Thanks!

ciento quatro y tres

I know 69, but didn't know 143.

143, Jerry! et. al. (you know who you are)

airplanes

B-24
B-17
B-25







In Plymouth this afternoon, Jerry and I watched a B17, a B24, and a B25, from the Collings Foundation in Stow, MA, take off and land a couple of times today. They're (the WWII planes) are impressive to see...and hear.

OK

Jerry: "I have my own chocolate puss over here."

Carroll: "?"

Cross reference: "Tater" (on Jerry's lap)
Cross reference: "Daisy" (on my lap)

air horn

air horn
Jerry actually wants me to buy him a "comedy horn," aka an air horn. He cracks up every time he hears one.

Diet Pepsi Jazz

Diet Pepsi JazzOh my God, what a girl drink! And I'm a girl. Oof, this is way too feminine looking and sounding. And I've never understood the attaction of cream- or vanilla flavor in a carbonated soda.

(available in black cherry/vanilla and strawberries & cream...yikes!)

according to The Death Clock...

...I'll die on June 27, 2040. Just over a billion seconds left.

Jerry apparently will die June 1, 2037. :-(

Friday, September 15, 2006

and yet one more

The Real Survey
.:Basics:.
First and Middle Name::Carroll Atlee
Were you named after anyone?:yes
Who?:grandfather/his grandmother
Age?:42
Gender?:female
Hair Color?:red
Eye Color?:green
Do you have any brothers?:yes
Their Names?:Jamie (deceased)/Fred
Any Sisters?:yes
Their Names?:Mary
Do you have a stepmom?:no
Do you have a stepdad?:no
Where do you go to school?:none...all "growed" up now
.:Favorites:.
food:pizza
drink:frozen margarita
alcoholic drink:see above
music genre:classical
band:Led Zeppelin
song:"What A Wonderful World"
movie: The Warriors/Midnight Express
tv show:Prison Break/House/Project Runway/Lost/Sopranos
actor:Anthony Hopkins
actress:Vanessa Redgrave
ice cream:NOT Breyer Natural Vanilla
color:cerulean
book:"The True Story of Okee the Otter"
animal:cats/turtles
computer game:Tempest
board game:Trivial Pursuit
card game:Free Cell
dessert:cheesecake/Key lime pie
holiday:Christmas (family)/Easter (colors)
number:11
name for girl:Jane
name for boy:many
cereal:Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch/Lucky Charms
season:spring
flower:iris/pansy
.:HavE YoU EveR:.
been to a wake?:no
been to a funeral?:no
had a family member die?:yes (brother/grandparents)
had a classmate die?:yes (in 5th grade)
had a friend die?:work colleague
been out of state?:yes
been out of country?:yes (Mexico/Canada/Japan/Taiwan/U.K./Ireland)
been on a cruise?:no
been sexually harassed?:yes
sexually harassed someone?:no
told a lie?:yes
told the truth when you knew it would hurt?:probably
cheated on someone?:no
cheated with someone?:no
drank alcohol?:yes
gotten drunk?:yes
passed out from drinking alcohol?:yes (in a New Orleans gay bar)
been to a party?:yes
woke up not sure of what happened the night before?:no
been the only sober one at a party?:no
skipped school?:no
cried yourself to sleep?:yes
done something you regret?:every day probably
.:LoVe:.
Are you taken?:yep
by whom?:husband Jerry
What do you love about them?:humor/personality/looks
What do you dislike about them?:sarcasm/temper
what color hair do they have?:brown
what color eyes do they have?:brown
how old are they?:40
how tall are they?:6'0"
what's their clothing style?:nothing specifically
do you think they are sexy?:yes
where do they work/go to school?:Harvard
are you in love with him or her?:yes
Name five people you have dated...#1:Jerry Cadden
#2:Marty Hickman
#3:
#4:
#5:
Sexiest person you have dated?:Jerry
Ugliest person you have dated?:none
Person you have no idea what you were thinking when you dated them?:Marty Hickman
would you date any of your exes again?:no
do you believe in love at first sight?:yes
do you want to get married?:evidently...19 years ago
how many times do you want to get married?:just once I hope
.:This or That:.
Kerry or Bush:Kerry
rap or rock:classic rap and classic rock
country or pop:pop
Walmart or Target:Target
phone or computer:computer
math or english:English
brownies or cookies:depends on cookie
cake or pie:pie, if Key lime
cappuccino or frappuccino:cappuccino
heart or peace sign:heart
pancakes or waffles:waffles
beef or pork:neither...vegetarian
kiss or hug:both!
drums or guitar:drums!!!
Sandra Bullock or Julia Roberts:doesn't matter
Brad Pitt or Vince Vaugn:BRAT PITT
Jen Aniston or Angelina Jolie:Jennifer Aniston
Matt Damon or Ben Affleck:Matt Damon
Jennifer Lopez or Jennifer Garner:couldn't care less
Vanilla Pepsi or Vanilla Coke:gross!
NYC or LA:never been to LA/only once to NYC
french fries or tater tots:both
whiskey or vodka:whisky/whiskey
tequila or gin:tequila
daiquiri or margarita:frozen margarita
KFC or Popeye's:vegetarian, but Popeye's biscuits
IHOP or Waffle House:don't care!
Mercedes or BMW:BMW 8 series/Mercedes McLaren or CLS
Ford or Chevy:not looking for either
Skittles or Starburst:both
Chocolate milk or Strawberry milk:either's fine
.:For or AgainsT:.
gay marriage:for
abortion:for
war:against
gun control:against
death penalty:against
sex offender registry:?
prayer in schools:against
pledge in schools:against
Bush:Idiot Prince
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another survey

Ultimate Survey (377 questions long)
time started:4:28 pm
full name:Carroll Atlee Hardin Cadden
nickname(s):Spud/Nipplet//Honeybun/Sugar Plum
birthday:Wednesday, April 15, 4:11 am
where were you born:Baptist Hospital/Knoxville, TN
zodiac sign:Aries
height:5'10"
weight:no way!
hair color:red
eye color:green
shoe size:11 woman's/9.5 man's
ring size:8
skin type (freckles, tan, albino, etc.):freckles
blood type:A+
grade:all grown up
GPA:high in college
siblings:Jamie (deceased)/Fred/Mary
tattoos:none
piercings:ears
hobbies:motorcycles/pipe band drumming
favorite
color:cerulean
food:pizza
candy: lots
type of cheese:cheddar
pizza topping:cheese
salad dressing:Caesar
sandwich:cheese/tuna
cereal:Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch/Lucky Charms
fruit:pineapple/lime
vegetable:NOT green peas
berry:cranberry
cake:pineapple w/sour cream frosting
book:The True Story of Okee the Otter
movie: The Warriors/Midnight Express
magazine: Sports Illustrated
newspaper:SunHerald
tv show: Prison Break/House/Project Runway/Lost
website:http://carrollcadden.com/
radio station: not talk
font: lots
cartoon character: Curious George
artist (painter):Claude Monet/Edward Hopper/John Singer Sargent
actor:Anthony Hopkins
actress:Vanessa Redgrave
cd:all the ones on my iPod
song: "After the Ball"/"What a Wonderful World"
music group: Vienna Philharmonic/Led Zeppelin
music type:classical, but lots more
day of the week:Friday
month:April
season:spring
holiday:Christmas/Easter (for the colors)
shampoo:Dimension
conditioner:Sebastian Suedeluxe
number:11
phrase:"Hey!"
store:Marshall's/thrift and salvage stores
weather:sunny, breezy, cool
restaurant:Pizza Hut
channel:ESPN
teacher:Bruce Garner/Sherman Hong/Charles Moorman
weekend activity:sleeping
hangout:home/Biloxi
house color:white brick
sport to watch:football
sport to play:basketball/motorcycle riding
animal:cat
flower:iris/pansy
guy's name:Jerry
girl's name:Carroll
board game:Trivial Pursuit
party game:?
story from childhood:painting/roofing the house
body part:chest
have you ever
been on a train:yes
been on a plane:yes
been in a car accident:yes
caused a car accident:no
run into a wall:yes
burned a potato chip:no
almost burned the house down:no
smoked:yes
been drunk:yes
been high:yes
broken the law:yes
burned a cd (if yes, the one above is yes):yes
kissed someone of the opposite sex:yes
kissed someone of the same sex:no
frenched an animal:no
made out:yes
had cyber sex:plead the 5th
gotten engaged:yes
had an online relationship:yes
been rejected by a crush:yes
loved:yes
made yourself cry to get out of trouble:no
cried in public:yes
cried over a movie:yes
fallen asleep in a movie theater:no
given someone a bath:yes
been to a boarding school:no
been home-schooled:no
lost a valuable item:yes
bungee jumped:no
skied:yes/on water
met the president:of what?
met a celebrity:yes/Donny Osmond
gotten a cavity:yes
shopped at abercrombie & fitch:yes
made a prank call:no
skipped school:no
faked sick to get out of school:yes
purchased something that you knew didn't fit:no
climbed a tree:yes
fallen from a tree:no
broken a bone:yes/well, cracked and chipped
sprained anything:yes/ankles all the time
passed out:yes
made yourself pass out:yes/in 5th grade
been to disney world:yes
been to a theme park (not disney):yes
said i love you and meant it (not to a relative):yes
made a model volcano (working model):no
made a clover leaf with your tounge:no
past
what did you do yesterday:rode motorcycle to work
memory you miss the most:of times in U.K.
memory you want to forget:things in Waverly/Mexico
something you regretted after it was done:lots
the last
song you heard: something on my iPod
cd you bought:gospel documentary for Jerry
thing you said: don't remember
time you cried: a little the other night
movie seen in a theater: "Talladega Nights"
thing you ate:bagged-lunch tortellini
person who called:work client
nail polish shade worn:chrome
time you showered:this morning
person who complimented you:my therapist
at this moment
what are you listening to:sound of typing
what are you wearing:mauve/striped Polo shirt/denim cargo shorts/Ferragamo loafers
what are you thinking:about what I'm thinking about
what are you scared of most:death of loved ones/dying alone
how many people are on your buddy list:2
future
occupation:computer support specialist
marriage site:Columbus, MS
honeymoon:Gatlinburg, TN
place to live:near family
kids:just cats
car:leased Subaru Forrester XT
what are you doing tomorrow:sleeping/test driving Kawasaki ZRX 1100
do you think george bush will be reelected:already has
will there be a wwIII:probably so
will politics ever be truthful:not totally
will humanity snuff itself out:eventually
can the gov. be changed:always changing
friends
best friend:Jerry/mother/sister/therapist
funniest:see above
silliest:see above
loudest:sister's friend Angie
quietest:me
craziest:sister
calmest:me
skinniest:cousin
best secret keeper:Jerry
worst secret keeper:me
the one you have but don't want:none
smartest:Jerry
preppiest:me
peppiest:
most hyper:
hottest:5th Amendment
weirdest:coworker
biggest pervert:none
most annyoing:coworker
shyest:me
most religious:
do you believe in
heaven:not really
hell:not really
angels:no
devil:no
god:not really
buddha:no
aliens:yes
ghosts:not sure
spirit (soul):not sure
soulmates:yes
reincarnation:no
love at first sight:yes
karma:no
love in general:yes
luck:yes
yourself:sometimes
crush
who and when was your first crush:6th-grade teacher, Mr. Faulk
any now:yes
a celebrity crush:yes
who do you want to be with right now:my family
whos number do you want:husband's ex boss
who do you want to kiss:plead the 5th
what is something you dont understand about the opposite sex:fascination with Rain-X
if you could go on a date with anybody, who would it be:plead the 5th
on scale of one to ten, how romantic are you:4
first thing noticed about the opposite sex:that I'd gone through puberty
what do you look for personality-wise:humor
biggest turn on:chest
biggest turn off:
something they wear that turns you on:
something they wear that turns you off:spandex
the most romantic thing you want to happen to you: 5th Amendment
the most romantic thing that has happened to you: ?
what do you wear on a coffee date:regular stuff
is it right to flirt if you're taken:sure
is cyber cheating:maybe
are eyes the passegeway to the soul:maybe
who would you like to take to the prom:never went
do you want to hug somebody right now:no
do you know what an aphrodisiac is:yes
describe
mellow: avocado
melancholy: sad
the perfect date: Jerry
the perfect mate: Jerry
how m&m's are made: by a machine
why manhole covers are round: roll/won't fall down holes
one or the other
coke/pepsi:Coke (Diet)
sprite/7-up:Sprite (Diet)
boxers/briefs:briefs
gold/silver:gold
vanilla/chocolate:vanilla
flowers/candy:candy
book/magazine:magazine
tv/radio:TV
glass half empty/half full:half empty
democrat/republican:Democrat
colored pencils/markers:markers
coffee/tea:tea
sun/moon:sun
day/night:day
hot/cold:hot
dog/cat:cat
button/zipper:I can live with both.
cotton/feather pillow:cotton (no animals scalped)
blue/purple:combination
plumber/trashman:whoever I need
jeans/shorts:shorts
long distance relationship/none:none
mechanical/regular pencil:mechanical
matt/ben:Matt
that 70's show/simpsons:"The Simpsons"
kelso/eric:Kelso
donna/jackie:Donna
bart/lisa:Lisa
romeo/juliet:Prokofiev's version
romantic comedy/thriller:thriller
nsync/bsb:some of both
peanut butter/jelly:cruncy peanut butter
waffles/pancakes:waffles
letter/email:e-mail
florida/california:both
pizza/burgers:pizza
hat/visor:visor
football/rugby:football
iceskating/blading:ice skating
movie at home/in theater:in theater
first thing you think of when you hear
yellow: don't like/mother's favorite
red lipstick: too bright
socks: I don't know.
cowtipping: for real?
moulin rouge: Paris/movie
greenland: big
iceland: ice
harry potter: fun movies
red: used to be my favorite
blackberry: never had one
rose: nice smelling
rooster: Ma Ford
taxes: a pain
bill clinton: wish he were still president
whipped cream: tasty
george w. bush: ruining the U.S.
lollipops: banks/kids
dreams: I love them.
love: family
guys: plead the 5th
south park: Cartman
boy bands: come and go
pengiuns: tough life
girls: me
thong: never ever
death: sad
spoons: I can't play them.
junk mail: a waste of time/resources
dairy: I should quit consuming it.
panties: girly sounding
your father: corny/smart
pizza: my favorite!
britney spears: a trashy acting has been
vitamin: multi
are you
happy: usually
sad: often
religious: not if I can help it
bitchy: sometimes
crazy: I hope not.
messy: no
mad: not often
slacker: sometimes
nerd: don't think so
bookworm: no
jock: sort of
preppy: yes
selfish: definitely sometimes
giving: sometimes
obsessive: can be
violent: no
calm: yes
peaceful: generally
mellow: yep
eccentric: no
caring: yes
untrustworthy: I don't think so.
loyal: yes
patriotic: not really
perverted: don't think so
colorful: sort of
artistic: no
miscellanoues
what color is your jacket:flowery
do you shave:yes
where:girl spots
what color is your razor:aqua
what size is your bed:double
what color crayon would you be:cerulean
what are the last four digits of your phone number: why?
feelings on abortion:up to the woman
how lond does it take you to shower:5-15 minutes
what does your screenname mean:It mean's my name.
thoughts on blonde pop stars in general:They're blonde?
who so you trust the most:Jerry/therapist
is cussing a necessity in life:fuck yeah!
how about coffee:no
is the world screwed:no, but it's screwing itself
what something you can't live without: breathing
what time did you fall asleep:9:30 pm
know what 69 means:a cozy number
how about 143:143, too!
can you live without a microwave:yes
what you think about death: sad and unavoidable
where and when do you want to be married:where I was, when I was
do you want to drop out of school:nope...I'm already done with it
why is the sky blue:because of reflected/absorbed light
what is a good trait about yourself: love my family/funny
what do you always think about: plead the 5th
what is wrong with your school: very decentralized
what is right with your school: very decentralized
how do you react to change: depends how it affects me
do you talk to yourself: yes
what is your opinion on love: it's there?
can you afford to lose weight:and how
what color would you dye your hair:same as is now
best thing anyone's told you: many things
what is your reaction to someone telling you you're hot:I'll let you know if it ever happens.
does being psycho appeal to you:of course not
if you wrote a book, what would it be about: wouldn't ever
what would you change your name to:Carroll Atlee Hardin McCollough
longest crush lasted how long:still going on
time finished:6:26 pm
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Tuesday, September 12, 2006

a rigid mind is a terrible thing

Q: After a doctor's appointment this morning I went out to my motorcycle and couldn't start it up. Here's the scenario: can you tell where my mind made its fatal error? This is a good lesson for anyone who ever does troubleshooting of any sort!

Usually, I put the key in the ignition and turn the ignition to the on position. The green neutral light comes on. Then I push the start button to start up the engine.

Today, I went out, put the the key in the ignition and turned the ignition on. The green ignition light didn't come on as usual, for some reason. I've been having some other electrical-related issues lately and figured that the ignition switch, or something connected or related to it, had quit working. I poked around for a long time and then had to call a wrecker. Before the wrecker arrived, I figured out the problem, in a frustratingly "duh" moment.

So?

A: The green light that comes on when the ignition is turned on ISN'T the ignition light...it's the light that comes on WITH the ignition. Right in capital letters on the instrument cluster, the heading above the green light is "NEUTRAL." So today, the green light didn't come on when I turned the key, not because the ignition was faulty. It was because the motorcycle wasn't in neutral. When I was messing with the ignition and key on the right side of the motorcycle, I couldn't think of anything but the ignition and possible electrical problems. But when I went around to the left side of the motorcycle finally, to check out the kickstand/kill switch, I then re-remembered that there should be a green "Neutral" light on. Voila.

Live and learn. At least I figured it out before the wrecker arrived.

when Macromedia Flash attacks!

This is very creative!

Monday, September 11, 2006

Theodore Gregory Parker obituary

Theodore Gregory ParkerIt's amazing what one learns about someone after he or she has died...my grandfather's brother-in-law, my great-uncle Gregory, died last week. Here's his obituary:

From the Johnson City Press:

Theodore Gregory Parker, age 98, 2101 Christian Lane, Johnson City, TN, died Wednesday, September 6, 2006, at the Johnson City Medical Center.

Gregory Parker was born in Gardner, MA, son of Robert N. Parker and Ruth Gregory Parker. Gregory lived in Johnson City, TN, from the age of 12 and graduated from Science Hill High School in 1926. Gregory was married for 68 years to the late Frances Long Parker, a Johnson City native who graduated from Science Hill in 1925. Gregory graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, OH, in 1930, and later received an M.B.A. degree from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA, in 1933.

After Ohio Wesleyan, Gregory became employed by Empire Furniture Co. in Johnson City, and then with Armstrong Cork Company in Lancaster, PA. In Lancaster, Gregory played one season as pitcher for the Lancaster Red Roses baseball team.

Gregory and Frances were married at the First Methodist Church in Johnson City in 1935 and moved shortly afterwards to Lewisburg, PA, where they lived until 1969. In Lewisburg, Gregory was first employed as sales manager for Lewisburg Chair & Furniture Co., where his father, Robert N. Parker, was president. In that role, Gregory conceived the trade name Pennsylvania House Furniture for the company's products, which name survives to date.

In 1954, Gregory became president of Pennsylvania House Furniture until he retired in 1969. Subsequently, Gregory and Frances lived in Annisquam, MA, and Boynton Beach, FL, until 1975, when they returned to Johnson City and resumed their membership in the First United Methodist Church.

In civic affairs, Gregory was active in the Beaver Memorial Methodist Church in Lewisburg, while Frances served as church organist. Gregory was also active in the Rotary Club in Lewisburg.

Gregory is survived by his children, Frances Parker Swartz, of Framingham, MA, and Robert Ted Parker, of San Francisco; as well as by his son-in-law, Jim Swartz; his daughter-in-law, Kristine Salkeld Parker; his two granddaughters, Frances Reynolds, of Cape Coral, FL, and Heather Boggini, of St. Petersburg, FL, and their husbands, Dr. Fletcher Reynolds and Mr. Andrew Boggini. Gregory enjoyed his five grandchildren, Blake, Anthony, Dominic, Fletcher and Beau. His nieces and nephews include Johnson City natives Hardy Long, Jane Long Hardin, Edwin A. Long, Frances Long and Jerome Long, the children of Dr. Carroll Long and Mrs. Lou Ann Long. Others, from elsewhere, are Dr. William Scott Long, Vincent Long Stephens, Frear Streeter Simons, Susan Kohli Marsh, Mary Kohli Furniss, Robert Allyn Streeter and Roberta Kohli Garlock.

A memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church, 900 Spring Street (at Maple), Johnson City, at 4:00 PM on Friday, September 8, 2006. Visitation with the family will occur in the Church Parlor at 3:00 PM prior to the service. Burial will follow at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Johnson City. Floral deliveries or contributions should be made to First United Methodist Church, flowers by Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.

Appalachian Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 800 E. Watauga Avenue, Johnson City, is serving the Parker family.

my Yamaha Vmax

Here are a couple of pictures...one I took in the middle of December, 2004, and one from yesterday. It's changed a bit!

Click pictures for bigger version.

1985 Vmax
and

1985 Vmax

new motorcycle?

Kawasaki ZRXI'm thinking of selling my 1985 Vmax and upgrading it to something newer, perhaps a newer Vmax. I'm going to check out a Kawasaki ZRX 1100 this week, to see if that's something I'd like instead (though I'd probably search out a 1200). Here's a picture. What do you think?

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

dogatonic...too cute!

Wednesday the dogWednesday the dog is having none of it...

from the reality show, The Girls Next Door

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

stingrays and George Bush

Whew...being an animal lover, I'm glad all the television and newspaper reports of Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin's death reported it properly as a freak accident. Otherwise, Bush might've proclaimed all stingrays (and other rays and skates, probably) "turr'ists" and had then all shipped off to a detention camp somewhere!

Friday, September 01, 2006

Jesus is crying!

crying babyAnd he must be crying hard!

Friday, August 25, 2006

Mississippi Beyond Katrina

Mississippi Beyond Katrina

SDCPB at 2006 European Championships

...playing their medley


SDCPB at 2006 Dumbarton

...playing their MSR


SDCPB drummers warming up

Shotts and Dykehead's drum corps warming up with the MSR before this year's World Pipe Band Championships in Glasow.


SDCPB warming up: reel

Shotts and Dykehead warming up before this year's World Pipe Band Championships. This is their reel.


SDCPB warming up: strathspey/reel

Shotts and Dykehead warming up before this year's World Pipe Band Championships. This is their strathspey, "Susan MacLeod," I think it is, and their reel, "The Sheepwife."


SDCPB warming up: march

Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band warming up before this year's World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow. This is the march "Highland Wedding."


SDCPB Drummers Salute 2006

Shotts and Dykehead's drum corps playing their fanfare this year, at the Glasgow Piping Festival.


day 7: "More List Yourself"

A couple of entries from the eighth chapter of More List Yourself: Listmaking as the Way to Personal Discovery.

Chapter Eight: Mmmoney

List the jobs or companies you wish would disappear from the face of the earth.
Any one that does animal testing...Procter & Gamble, Huntingdon Labs
and

List the things you love most about your work.
  • freedom to set my schedule of calls
  • wear what I want
  • have my own office
  • good bosses and colleagues
  • nonstressful for the great part
  • good benefits
  • enough free time to get things done, to catch up

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Quiz Farm: "Which Religion is For You?"


You scored as atheism. You are... an atheist, though you probably already knew this. Also, you probably have several people praying daily for your soul.

Instead of simply being "nonreligious," atheists strongly believe in the lack of existence of a higher being, or God.

atheism


92%

agnosticism


75%

Islam


63%

Paganism


63%

Satanism


63%

Buddhism


54%

Christianity


42%

Hinduism


33%

Judaism


29%

Which religion is the right one for you? (new version)
created with QuizFarm.com

Quiz Farm: "How Will You Die?"


You scored as Natural Causes. Your death will be by natural causes, though not by any diseaese, because that is another option on this test. You will probably just silently pass away in the night from old age, and people you love won't realize until the next morning, when you are all purple and cold and icky. So be happy, you won't be murdered.

Natural Causes


73%

Suicide


73%

Posion


53%

Disappear


53%

Accident


53%

Gunshot


47%

Suffocated


40%

Bomb


33%

Stabbed


33%

Disease


27%

Eaten


20%

Cut Throat


20%

Drowning


7%

How Will You Die??
created with QuizFarm.com

day 6: "More List Yourself"

A couple of entries from the seventh chapter of More List Yourself: Listmaking as the Way to Personal Discovery.

Chapter Seven: Sixth Sense

List the times you were in just the right place at the right time.
The time I bent down to dust/vacuum under my chest of drawers and found the miniscule (no exaggeration) pearl that had fallen off my grandmother's cameo!

Having to work Christmas Eve day in Boston and ending up finding my husband a job at one of the service calls I did.

Working in the Deans' Office at the University of Chicago's Graduate School of
Business and having one of the computing services bosses come down and offer me a job, for which I had no previous formal training. I'm still doing that same kind of job now, 12 years later.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

day 5: "More List Yourself"

A couple of entries from the sixth chapter of More List Yourself: Listmaking as the Way to Personal Discovery.

Chapter Six: Us

List the people you'd like to smack around, yell at, or simply tell off.
bad drivers, especially when I'm on my motorcycle
Jerry when he's on my case
Jerry's ex Boston College boss
and

List the people who understand you best.
me, famliy, husband, therapist
and finally,

List the people you still know from grammar school or high school.
My high school band friend, John Gutierrez

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

my real age

I went through the steps at RealAge.com: my adjusted real age (as opposed to my actual age of 42.4) was 47.8, no doubt because of my horrible lack of exercise. Before that section of the "interview," I was holding close at about my actual age. I need to get moving.

day 4: "More List Yourself"

A couple of entries from the fifth chapter (I'll come back to fourth chapter later) of More List Yourself: Listmaking as the Way to Personal Discovery.

Chapter Five: Culture Club

List the injustices on the planet that trouble you.

God's letting bad things happen to the defenseless. The idea of free choice should have a limit.

Animals being exploited.

Idiots not caring about the environment. This includes drivers of monster SUVs, pickup trucks, etc.

And the standard murder, rape, wars, hunger, etc., etc.
and

List all the people you'd like to be stuck with on a desert island.
all my family, Jerry, cats, a doctor, a therapist, an inventor, an outdoors expert, a chef, a dentist
and finally,

List the songs that have affected or touched you the most.
Louis Armstrong singing "What a Wonderful World": He seems to really mean what he's singing, and the song itself is so simple...just a downward scale.

Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards singing "When You Wish Upon a Star": From 1940's Pinnochio. Edwards makes the song so sweet and innocent. It's a beautiful performance, one in a vulnerable range (the tessitura, that is) for a man.

the humming chorus in Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly: plaintive and delicate

Charles K. Harris's "After the Ball": This was, for a very long time, one of the most popular songs in the world. I wish I could've been alive to see the world as it was then.

Kirk Franklin's "Why We Sing": My mother played it for my sister and me one day and said she wanted to have it played at her funeral. I instantly felt like crying.

The transition between life and death in Richard Strauss's tone poem, Death and Transfiguration: I'm usually a dope when it comes to hearing what it is a composer is trying to portray in a tone poem. But to me there's no doubt when the tone-poem protagonist's (?) heart pounds in its last attempt to remain alive.

and more I'll think of later.

bear + trampoline = comedy

Well, at least according to Craig Kimble. The bear folks had the right idea, but it didn't play out quite as planned, I don't think.

Monday, August 21, 2006

day 3: "More List Yourself"

A couple of entries from the third chapter of More List Yourself: Listmaking as the Way to Personal Discovery.

Chapter Three: Big Wisdom

List the best teachers, priests, rabbis, and mentors that you've come in contact with.
No priests, for sure. Or nuns. Nobody Catholic.

Some great teachers, though:

Bruce Garner: a band director at Biloxi High School. Even though he was only an avocational drummer, he worked hard to help me become a drummer, something I'd always wanted to be.

Sherman Hong: my percussion teacher at the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Hong taught me to become a musician, and not just another musicality-less technician.

Charles Moorman: a literature teacher at the University of Southern Mississippi. He made it all very fascinating, from Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales to Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy.

I've had some psychotherapists and other health professionals whom I've liked a lot, too. They know who they are.
and

List the things you'd actually be willing to die for.
My husband, my cats, my family, and certain of my friends.
and finally,

List the acts you would never do, no matter how much you were paid.
Anything that would result in my going to prison. Killing someone is definitely an act I wouldn't do.

presentation of the rose

One of the most original orchestrations ever...from Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier:

Der Rosenkavalier excerptNote the kaleidescopic shifting harmonies as Strauss' orchestra shimmers in this scene. It is scored for 3 flutes, 3 solo violins, celeste, and 2 harps.

Friday, August 18, 2006

day 2: "More List Yourself"

A couple of entries from the second chapter of More List Yourself: Listmaking as the Way to Personal Discovery.

Chapter Two: Your Style

List the sexually experimental activities you'd like to try.
Momma...no way I'd write down online answers to the above! Anyway, what's meant by "experimental"? Just something not done before? I suppose that's it. For me, nothing kinky and nothing involving other females.

The only thing sort of cryptic sounding that I'd respond is...I liked the idea of one of the "options" presented in Stephen Spielberg's A.I. You'll have to watch it.
and

List what you've been known to do when you've lost your inhibitions.
Again, I can't think of any provactive answers for this. One thing I definitely do differently if my inhibitions are down is talk more. I'm usually pretty tight lipped.

Once in college, after I and some friends went to Bourbon Street, New Orleans one evening, I drank way too much. We ended up in a gay dance club/bar and I danced. I don't dance usually (that was the first and only time...except when I'm imitating So You Think You Can Dance? people in front of Jerry), but did after half a million drinks. I think I finally "fell out" and was escorted/carried from the club, and deposited on a curb!

Also, if I've drunk too much and my inhibitions are lower, I might feel less self conscious about suggesting activities.
and, finally,

List what talents you'd most like to have.

Sort of like a "if you had three wishes..." kind of question. Hmm...
  • I'd like to have the ability to speak, read, write, and understand all the world's languages, past and present. That's a pretty big wish!
  • I'd like to be able to play all musical instruments at a virtuoso level.
  • I'd like to play snare drum for the Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band in Scotland.
  • I'd like to be rich and famous, though not INfamous.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

day 1: "More List Yourself"

From the book More List Yourself: Listmaking as the Way to Personal Discovery, by Ilene Segalove and Pual Bob Velick.

I'm going to do a a few entries of this, online, every day...well, that's my plan. So here goes:

Chapter 1: Day to Day

List your daily rituals that mean the most to you.
A few years ago (in April 2002 I wrote this) is was giving Gomer his twice-daily insulin shots...and weekly blood-sugar-level tests. That "meant the most to me" because he meant so much to me. Later on, his diabetes went away, but he developed cancer in his jaw. Then Jerry and I had to give him subcutaneous fluids, to keep him properly hydrated. And baby aspirin, too, for his pain.

Other than that, "rituals" and "mean the most to you" are confusing. I have rituals, in that I have I have things I do each day, but I don't think of them as meaning a lot to me. They just need to be done. Or, perhaps thinking of the question in terms of what's important to be done, I suppose taking my prescription medicines and vitamin supplements (multi-vitamin and calcium) means a lot, since I'm getting older. Or, sunscreen is important to me, since I'm fair haired and fair skinned. I know that I could get in trouble health-wise if I didn't keep up with that.

I'll try to think of more later, but this was a tough question to start with, I think.

and

List the weirdest or most exotic foods you're eaten.
I have a pretty woosy appetite for odd things. I ate (I had to chew it as part of the bargain) half an oyster for 75 cents once, in Biloxi, Mississippi, at the famous restaurant (now gone) Baricev's. See what I mean about woosy.

I tasted a Wasabi-coated peanut Jerry offered me once. It was foul and left my mouth tout de suite!

I gave a fried mushroom a second try not long again, since Jerry likes them so much. That left my mouth even faster than the Wasabi peanut. Mushrooms are way too musty and shit-like for me!

In the French Market in New Orleans once I dared try a bit of hot sauce someone offered me. I was no fool and knew not to take more than a pin-dot-sized drop, to put on a piece of popcorn. That tiny, tiny drop put me over the top for about 45 minutes. I should've known that any hot sauce that is nearly black is too intense for living beings. I drooled and spat, sucked on ice, and futiley searched out some milk for what seemed like infinity.

Friday, August 11, 2006

a long time

It's been a long time since I've posted. Jerry's gall bladder freaked out the weekend before last and he's been in the hospital since about 3:15 am last Wednesday morning. That was a long night for us both! But he's home now, finally, and is getting better. I'm about ready to have help again with the grocery toting/putting away, the house cleaning, etc.! ;-D

(Plus, I haven't been able to think of much to say.)

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Satisfectellent?

Snickers candy barWhat the hell is Snickers trying to get across with that new ad-campaign slogan SATISFECTELLENT?! I guess they're trying to combine the idea of "satisfying" or "satisfaction" with "excellent"...that's the best I can come up with. But it they're trying to get across "excellent," why the "-ectellent"?

How about "satisfexcellent" or "satisfacxellent"? All I get from "-ectellent" is something like "feculent," which I doubt the Snickers folks were looking to get across. Who knows?

Donde los yikes! as Jerry would say.