Embrace Life

Seat belts. Still people do not get the importance. Last week a very dear friend of my niece's was in a car wreck. No extinuating circumstances, no drugs, no alcohol, seasoned driver but a wet road a chain of events proved to be a dire combination. Four college age girls one minute out for an innocent drive, the next two girls ejected and one with so many broken bones and injuries she needed cpr from her friend to keep her life. Upon hearing this my college age son, who is about to embark on medical school to be a physical therapist rattled off the amount of recuperation time and therapy those injuries would require. This particular girl we were discussing had just graduated college and was about to start Pharmacy school and now will spend the next year learning to do the things she probably took for granted the day before.

Now you would think this would be a good lesson to the importance of seat belts and how in just the blink of an eye your whole world could change. I took that opportunity to reinforce my feelings and how fortunate this girls parents are that she is still alive. I felt good that at least this horrible tragedy was at least providing me with a teachable moment, that is until the following week when that very same son came home carrying a crumpled license plate. He then began to explain the crew he was working with was coming home on the highway pulling a trailer full of equipment when the tire blew. The steering locked up and the truck trailer proceeded across a lane of traffic and into the ditch where it hit two signs before stopping. Now, there were several variables that could have made this another tragic scenario, such as neither the truck nor trailer rolled, there was no opposing traffic and the signs glanced off the truck and went over it instead of through it. Instead the driver and all passengers were safe. After hearing of his harrowing ordeal, I said, "so you did have on your seat belt, right?" and to my dismay and chagrine, the reply, "no, I was in the backseat."

We can preach and teach but ultimately those we love have to come to their own conclusion that seat belts are important and save lives. Please pass this video on to those you love and maybe, just maybe it will make a difference and slowly we can saves lives, one seat belt at a time.

Buckle up. Embrace Life.

Murphy's Law

"Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong". - Murphy's Law

I have a dog. I have a dog I got for free. I have a dog I got for free because obviously the people knew she was retarded.

We named this dog, Murphy, and little did we know just how appropriate that name would be. Over the years she has numerous trips to the vet (not for free, mind you) to stitch, sedate, medicate, clean up, monitor and just general maintenance. She is the absolute sweetest dog, I sometimes wonder if she thinks she is a lap dog, which would be ok if you had enough lap to accommodate a 68 pound greyhound. Murphy does not get to leave the backyard without a leash because she cannot be trusted........she does not look both ways before crossing the street and she thinks she can run up to people full force and leap into their loving arms.......which is not really what a small child or an elderly person want.

Last week, Murphy and her compadre, Austi, made a break through a gate that was not fully latched and went on a big adventure. Although they were wrangled and put back in the corral within an hour, Murphy managed to find a way to injure herself. We don't know how but received a pretty major laceration to her upper rear hip. Well, seeing it was not going to heal itself, Murphy went to see the best vets in the world.......Apple Lane Animal Hospital.

She got to spend the night and I am sure she is just silly enough to think it was some sort of camp out and she made lots of new friends. I picked her up this morning to see her shaved and stitched. She did not have on the cone of shame when I picked her up, because she had ripped it off her head and eaten it sometime this morning. So they sent another one with a pat on the back for good luck.

So, now I have not only a beloved, mentally special needs dog but one that is spatially challenged and running into everything she encounters.......I just have to sigh and think, ya gotta love her.

Best Job In The World- Sorry, it's taken

So, I know I've mentioned that I think I have the best job in the world, but I'm going to say it again, I love my job. I work with some really awesome people that are doing some really awesome things in the world of education. I usually get to be involved on some level or another, and most often it means helping out on the creative end.......whether it be with a graphic or photograph or just picking my brain for some out-of-the-box thinking. For the last few months we have collaboratively been working on a collection of podcasts and resources targeted to teachers, parents and grandparents. My job has been to go take still photos of the process to be used for the websites, blogs and various projects. I have had such fun doing it and the last one I did was for Bentley Richert and his podcast "Labz for Kidz." You should definitely check out the site, My Kids Turn, it has some awesome ideas that will assist you as an adult to give a little added help to the kiddos as they learn. To date there are over 70 videos on the site. Some of the categories are Math, Science, Language Arts, Early Education, Art, Gaming......... and more are being added all the time.

And of course I have to have a picture of an animal of some sort.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk - Graduate KU!

Well, this weekend was another milestone in the life of my family. My first born, my sweet little cherub graduated from college. Technically he still has his internship to finish up but classes and grades are finished. I watched with pride as he put on his cap and gown and walked down the hill and through the campanile which at University of Kansas is a tradition. He got this checked off his list but his scholastic journey doesn't end here.....after the internship - 3 more years of med school then we'll do this graduation thing again for Aaron Fast, Doctor of Physical Therapy. It just dawned on me that theoretically both my sons could graduate the same year, same time, same school next time.......Aaron and Brett with his degree in architecture. Wow, wouldn't that be something. I'd be a bawling mess, to be sure. But today I'm just beaming, ear to ear and dealing tear to tear as I recall the sometimes rocky road we've traveled to this point so far. You know when they are just babies and you are so proud when they do all those things.......learning to walk, to talk, to ride a bike........those are proud moments and then they move on to elementary and high school and they win an award, make top grades or just do something as a nice human being.......and you think to yourself, I just couldn't be any more proud of them and then they achieve some other accomplishment such as this and somehow, someway, they manage to squeeze just a little more pride out of you. Aaron Gregory Fast - your momma loves you and is proud of you.

The Campanile myth.

The myth around campus is that if you walk through the Campanile before graduation, you won’t graduate at all. This only applies to walking in one door and out the other, so if you want to see the inside but you aren’t interested in risking your degree, walking out the door you came in is a safe bet. If you follow this advice, it naturally leads to the next item on the list.

You don’t graduate at KU. You “walk down the Hill.”

At KU, we don’t call it “graduating.” It’s called “walking down the Hill” and it’s definitely unique to KU. All graduates from all schools line up at the top of the hill and process through the Campanile into Memorial Stadium.

Cinco de Mayo- Chicken Enchiladas and Guacomole - Olé

Cinco de Mayo can be celebrated in more ways than beer this year. Recipes, tradition and Cinco de Mayo's history are all aspects that can make May 5 different and not a holiday that is a common misconception. Cinco de Mayo is not an American or Mexican independence day. Viva Cinco de Mayo online explains Mexico's real independence day is September 15, 1810 when they declared their independence from Spain at midnight. May 5 is still a historical day that does involve Mexican heritage. Cinco de Mayo, 1862 was the day 4,000 Mexican soldiers fought French and a traitor Mexican army outside of Mexico city. The French were apparently coming to a collect a debt then were supposed to leave.

French Emperor Napoleon III planned on staying in Mexico however. The brought a Hapsburg prince with their fleet to rule in Mexico. This was during the American civil war, meaning Mexico was on its own.

The French Army eventually lost because of overconfidence. They chased Colonel Diaz and his cavalry but were stuck in muddy terrain, storms and stampeding cattle. America later became involved by helping with men, materials and weapons to fight off the French together.


Source: Viva Cinco De Mayo
 

Guacomole

Ingredients

• 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno (seeded for less heat, if desired), finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 ripe avocados, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the onion, jalapeño, cilantro, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using the back of a fork, mash the vegetables until they begin to release their juices.
2. Add the avocados and lime juice and stir to combine.
   
   
   
   

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 pound tomatillos (papery skins removed), chopped
• 1 onion (preferably white), chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 2- to 2 1/2-pound rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/4 cups grated Monterey Jack (5 ounces)
• 8 6-inch corn tortillas
• Pico de Gallo or salsa

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatillos, onion, poblano, garlic, cumin, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, add the cream, and puree.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, tomatoes, 1 cup of the cheese, ½ cup of the tomatillo sauce, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
3. Warm the tortillas according to the package directions. Spread 1 cup of the remaining sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Roll the chicken mixture in the tortillas and place them in the dish, seam-side down.
4. Top with the remaining sauce and cheese. Bake until beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with Pico de Gallo

Weird And Wonderful Hangover Cures

Different hangover cures can be found in different countries and here are some of the strange and curious ways to cure hangovers in different parts of the world.

The following are strictly to be taken tongue-in-cheek and you are solely responsible for the outcome of the following methods of hangover cures.

1. Australia
   A big T-bone steak. If that fails then a chocolate milk shake.
2. France
   Drink thick, hot onion soup the next morning.
3. Germany
   Downing a sour herring with a beer chaser.
4. Haiti
   Stick 13 black-headed pins in the cork of the bottle that gave you the hangover.
5. Norway
   A heavy glass of cream
6. Outer Mongolia
   Eat a pickled sheep's eye in a glass of tomato juice.
7. Puerto Rico
   Rub a lemon under your drinking arm.
8. Russia
   Heavily salted cucumber juice or black bread soaked in water.
9. Switzerland
   A sip of brandy with a dash of peppermint.
10. And my personal favorite..........don't drink too much in the first place.

I abso-stinkin-lutely LOVE my job

I know I have mentioned it before but I will say it again.......I LOVE MY JOB! Graphic manipulation is fun but taking pictures of something as fun as baby ducks -words cannot describe that. Now you might be wondering why on earth I would need to take pictures of ducklings ...........and even if you are not......(in her best Italian accent says) I'ma gonna tell you.....

A bazillion years ago (approximately) someone made the mistake of calling ESSDACK (the place I work) ESSDUCK, and since then our little mascot has been the rubber ducky. Now I happen to be in the farm store a week ago (no, I do not live on a farm, or near a farm) and they had gotten some of the cutest little baby ducks in, they had chickens too, but they are gross. I happen to know a big wig there and asked if I could rent the ducks for an afternoon. He told that wouldn't be necessary and I could borrow them. So this morning I made the trek back to the farm store to borrow some ducks. I brought them back and of course most people oooo'd and ahhhhh'd because let's face it baby anythings are cute -except chickens, like I said, they are gross.

I took pictures of the ducks by themselves, in groups, sitting, standing, running toward me at break neck speed, with Starbuck the cyber-safety pup, with Kevin Honeycutt and his ipad. (He made a video). We had a fun time with the little critters.

I learned that although cute as can be, baby ducks poop alot and then they stink.....because their food is probably made of ground up bugs so duh? why wouldn't their poop stink? Anyway, I digress.....had a great time of taking pics of the babies. So now I have roughly 250 pics of baby ducks that I can use for something, sometime, in some way...  Just gotta figure that out.

Plight of the Creative Bone

Heavy sigh, ahhhhh, the plight of the creative bone.....   I don't know why it is that sometimes, certain people just get the urge...I liken it to spring fever and cleaning. Spring comes and you just want to clean stuff out. That is what the creative urge is.....for some it might be learning to knit, then knitting a scarf for everyone you know (even if it is mid August) then putting the needles away never to be used again. For some people it is some sort of class, or purchasing some sort of equipment or being inspired by HGTV (the H standing for Heaven or Hell, depending on whether you are the husband or the wife). For me it can be sitting and playing at my computer for hours.......yes, my husband has informed me, HOURS.

Sometimes you just want to be creative. No particular reason, you just feel the "need." OK, so maybe not ALL people feel that way, some just want to get through whatever task is at hand. Yesterday was a little of the creative day for me......I was going to shoot photos for background for a podcast and was waiting at home for "the call." I was checking out the cameras, (I use a Nikon D50 and a little pocket for candids - Panasonic Lumix), gathering lens, making sure sufficient battery and card space and all that jazz and starting goofing taking pics of myself. Now some might consider this weird, and it is........but I use those to play with and I don't feel bad when I chop my own head off or make it look really weird.....but feel kinda guilty doing it to others, so I like to keep a variety of pics in my "bank". Also I like to change and it is probably time to change the banner on this page in fact.........

So I started going through Stumble upon......I love that, if you don't have it, it's great, check it out. And saw a picture of a woman looking through the blinds.....I thought......hmmmm I can do that. So if I would have been really industrious, I could have just taken the stupid picture of me looking through blinds, but never one to take the easy route, I set off to "create" the illusion. Now the initial thought was me looking out the blinds but after several tries and not finding the right starting pic, I decided what the heck and went the other route. Someone looking through to me. Now I didn't have alot of time, but in the end I was quite satisfied with the outcome.

Of course as you can guess, I used my very favorite filter in the whole wide world......Topaz Adjust. I see in my email this morning they have some upgrades out so I'm excited to check that out. So with that filter and with a little cleaning up of the photo and a few tweaks here and there, creativity addiction successfully quashed, at least until the monster rears it's head again... : )

Little Cabin in the Woods

This past weekend I went to a little cabin in the woods in Missouri. It is located on Table Rock Lake and is in a beautiful area. Now I must admit the very thought of spending time in place with no internet access, felt like my umbilical cord would be severed. My communication with the entire free world, coming to a complete stop, all the necessary social networks halted, I could not even fathom how I would survive. But I went, and after the initial withdrawal period, I must will say, had a wonderful time of relaxation. I read an entire James Patterson novel in one day, sat on the deck watched birds and wildlife, took a few pictures.......was nice. Now, granted it was only for 2.5 days and I could not wait to get back and get plugged in, but for that brief moment of disconnect, I think I actually breathed.

Here are some pictures from the weekend.

 and here is a little poem I wrote about it........
Sitting in the shade,eyes closed in quiet contemplation,
Aluminum frame chair, plastic webbed seat,
T-shirt and sunglasses, and old blue jeans,
lazily dangling flip flopped feet.

Cool breeze, slowly moving the leafy canopy overhead
Causing soft tendrils to cascade gently around my face,
Blowing and tangling my carmel colored hair without regard
I tuck a curl haphazardly behind my ear, interlaced.

Sounds drifing from the  brush and trees,
Birds wing softly flapping in flight above
Calling to one another in playful banter
Melodious sounds and cooing of doves.

Beaks noisily pecking on the bark of the trees
Hungry bellies looking for tasty morsels to eat
Males with bright plummage, females nearby
Lighting on moving branches, clutching tightly with feet.

The sun starts to peek from behind the clouds in the sky
Random beams, gleaming down on my skin
warming my shoulders like a comfortable sweater.
Tilting my face to welcome the warmth from within.

The smell of the foliage, earthy and sweet
soft musky smells drifting with the breeze
The wildflowers interuupting the browns and greens
with color that pops, releasing their perfume with ease.

Curling up with a book, in the serene location
Nature giving me beauty and peace as a backdrop
Rest and renewal coming to fill my tired body
all interruptions and stress coming to a well deserved stop.

iPad: The Latest Gadget/ Kevin Honeycutt: The Ultimate Geekster

OK, so Kevin, one of the educational technology specialists in our office got an iPad. When I was naming this entry I wanted to call Kevin a geekoid, but when looking up that word, it was defined as a person that was socially inept......Kevin is far from socially inept so, I chose the word geekster. I couldn't really find a definition for geekster.....but in LoriLand that is a word, and if there was a picture of it in the dictionary, it would be Kevin Honeycutt.

Now I frequently take pictures of our people doing their podcasts so they have stills to use and today I took pics of him and his iPad while he was filming an episode for our parent resource site, My Kids Turn. He has posted them for people to use in presentations on Kevinhoneycutt.org and on Flickr. You can see the podcast episode, Raising Digital Kids: iPad- The Latest Gadget,  for Raising Digital Kids that he made for MyKidsTurn.com, it is also on you tube.

Before the filming started, we were goofing around with lighting,  I'd like to do new staff pictures with some black and whites so I used Jerry Butler, one of our tech gods, as my model. Afterwards I used the Topaz filter (have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE, LOVE that filter?) and I smile every time I look at it. We voted and can't decide if he looks like a poet or a serial killer..... anyway I will share that also.


More of the ipad photos can be seen on my flickr page.

Don't be offended...........

 

I am sorry, I know there will be some that will be offended, but I just couldn't resist. This just makes me laugh, having dogs of my own, I could just see one of them being so proud to bring me this as a little token of their love. But never-the-less, I hope your easter basket contains a special gift for you.

Scrabble Macot Bracketology- Final Four

OK, so my first round of bracketology my way was not a rousing success, however even the people who used scientific and statistical methods failed miserably, so I don't feel so bad. For the final four I am going to use a method I call, "Scrabble Bracketology." Now I'm not going to do anything fancy such as triple letters or double word scores, because I could easily manipulate the outcome. The points will be broken down to the simplest of values as determined by letter tiles in the game Scrabble. The final four will be decided by the school name and the highest amount of points - wins. The championship will be decided by the amount of points given to the letters according to the mascot names. So I do still have faith in mascot bracketology  - I'm just going to change it up a bit.
So, here's how it plays out:

Duke  9
West Virginia  21

Butler  8
Michigan State  20

Mountaineers  14
Spartans  10


So by my guesstimation, the winner of the NCAA Championship for 2010
West Virginia

Yeast Cinnamon Rolls - YUMMY!! - Tiara wearin' good.

Why is it that a rainy, dreary day makes me want to bake? Maybe because baking or cooking in general makes me happy. I love it. One thing that I don't love is cleaning up the mess. So with that in mind, it's easy to understand why I don't just whip up a batch of cinnamon rolls every weekend for the family. As you can see by the pictures below, I seem to make a huge mess with these, but they are so good, sometimes ya just gotta do it. SO, today was the day. Try them yourself, when they come out perfect - OMGOSH - they melt in your mouth. Now I'm not gonna lie and say every time is that time, because I have created some real duds....but just like with anything baking......alot depends on the weather and other conditions, but when it's good, it's reeeaaal good. I wish I had a smell widget because the smell of them baking cannot be described or imitated and there is no candle in the world, that, well,..... holds a candle to it. 

So carve out a little time and dress for the mess, then, prepare to impress. And then wear the tiara, because by golly, you've earned it.



In a large bowl, mix
1 c. Dry Milk
2 Qts (8 c.) Flour
1 TBSP Baking Powder
1 TBSP Salt

Mix in bowl and set aside 10 minutes:
2-3 pkgs Yeast (5 tbsp)
1 Qt. Lukewarm water

Cut 1 c. Shortening into  the Flour mixture. Make hole in middle and pour yeast liquid, it will be very sticky. Turn onto floured surface. Dough will be soft, knead a few minutes. Pat or roll dough into a  flat rectangle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Spread softened butter thickly over dough.
Then sprinkle on a mixture of:
1 c. Brown sugar
1/4 c. Cinnamon  (I don't even measure I do what I need to liberally cover the dough)

Roll up tightly, pinch ends and cut
into 1 1/2 inch thick rolls (I use thread)
Let rise 45 minutes or so in a warm place.

This is what my shirt looks like when I'm done----------------------------------------------------

Bake 375 25-30 minutes.

 After rolls are cooled, melt together:
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. White Sugar
1/2 C. butter
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 c. nuts (optional)
After that is melted together add 1 c. of powdered sugar, then pour over rolls.

Horn-Rimmed Dreadlocks

I am sure you are saying to yourself, "Horn-Rimmed Dreadlocks? Whaaaat?" This is my son Brett and his friend Sammy. We have the State Fair in our town and it is quite a big deal. On this particular day, Sammy and Brett decided they were bored, wanted to go to the fair and had no money. With neither having a "real" job they opted that the best idea was playing music for money. Now on the surface this may not be such a bad idea but it would definitely help if either of them could sing or play the pictured ukulele.........   but not to be deterred by their lack of skill,  the two donned their best jamaican-type outfits and formed a little duo they called the Horn-Rimmed Dreadlocks. They took their show first to the mall and sat on a bench and played and sang (not songs that anyone would know - matter of fact, songs THEY didn't even know).....songs made up on the fly.....  They did manage to draw a small crowd and even made approximately 35 cents. But soon the fun was over when mall security informed them they could not "perform" there. SOOOOOO, they took their little dog and pony show (you decide which is which) to the state fair, found a bench and proceeded to "entertain". They were drawing small crowds and the old men seemed to love them but it was not a big money maker. I think at the end of the day they managed to make enough money to buy them each a snow cone and a corn dog. Every time I see this picture it reminds me of how important it is to not be afraid to take chances, put yourself out there even with the risk of ridicule and reach for your goals - even if that goal is simply a little pocket change for the fair.

Hitler finds out KU lost to UNI in the 2010 NCAA tournament

Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus.......

Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus, but he is not delivering KU as Champions........heck, the dream of even going to the sweet 16 has been dashed........

It took a couple of days, but the pain has started to subside.......and I am trying to see purple, but so far the only shade of that color are the bruises on my heart from the painful pounding Northern Iowa gave my dear Crimson and Blue. Oh well, although my bracket (as well of millions of others) is totally hosed, my other final four picks are still there, so overall...... with all of the upsets considered, not so bad.

My son sent me a you tube video, and as a KU fan, it made me actually laugh out loud. It just shows, we are not alone in our surprise, dismay and absolutely Führer or Furor or even Fury that KU lost.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uejv2zz6bU

And come closely and listen because I will only say this once.........
GO WILDCATS!

Bracketology- My Way

Well, well, if it isn't March Madness time. I find it extremely amusing how people....(mumbles under breath).....men, get so pumped up around playoff time, doesn't seem to matter what the sport, when it comes down to the ultimate final battle and they seem to be propelled forward by the smell of the competition.

Now, I don't generally get all hyped up over the "big game" but let me put this into prospective for you, I am the only female in a house full of testosterone. And when my television viewing list includes, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN College and an occasional smattering of Dirty Jobs, Pawn Stars and Myth Busters, I am bound to soak up some of the tournament frenzy. I also find myself interested in this particular round of games because  of the Kansas connections. Both my sons attend college at the University of Kansas, so I feel a bit of loyalty to the school that so happily takes all my money. Rock Chalk Jayhawk.

So when the brackets come out, and everyone sits down to fill theirs out, I find myself looking at it thinking, I know nothing, I cannot go by wins/losses, tough schedules, player on the injured list.....none of that, so how do I participate? I find a different method to pick my winners.....no scientific method necessary. I have used various methods in the past and it always makes my family laugh ..........until I do well, then I'm the one laughing.....

I decided to totally mix it up this year, kind of a crazy quilt of selection methods........so hang on, the random circles of thinking may very well cause bouts of vertigo.

Round 1- Mascot Bracketology
I base this mainly on which mascot could either, A) eat the other one,  B) is just not a stupid thing for a mascot or C) my own personal preference......because I can, that's why.
Midwest -
Jayhawks-Mountain Hawks.......Duh, fictional character trumps real life every time, I mean how can you defeat something that doesn't exist?
Running Rebels-Panthers-seriously? 
Spartans-Aggies- Spartans....because it makes me think of Will Farrell from Saturday Night Live.
Terrapins-Cougars- now, most people would choose the Cougars because of their ferocity but I've been bitten by a turtle and I'm thinking they are a dark horse among mascots.
Volunteers-Aztecs- Think about it.......this land functions because of volunteers, enough said.
Hoyas-Bobcats- Hoya?.....really? I vote for them simply because the name alone should make them want to fight.
Cowboys-Yellow Jackets-one word, sqoosh.
Buckeyes-Gauchos- I'm pretty sure this line of logic would lead me to the Gauchos, since a buckeye is basically a tree seed, however gaucho makes me think of a drunk cowboy and I'm thinking a well placed tree seed could cause them to choke.

West-
Orangemen-Catmounts- Fictional.......remember?
Bulldogs-Seminoles- Well placed arrow.....no problem
Bulldogs-Miners- Miners? like on Snow White, Hi Ho, Hi Ho it's off the bracket you go.......
Commodores-Racers-this one was tough, but then I saw that Murray State has a competitive Rifle Shooting Team, so they win.
Musketeers-Gophers-gophers look like giant rats......
Panthers-Golden Grizzlies- golden grizzly? sounds like a vegas act.......rawr......I pick the panthers.
Cougars-Gators-no question
Wildcats-Eagles-cats eat birds

East-
Wildcats-Tigers (and bears oh, my!) - sorry my Kansas is showing......toss up
Longhorns-Demon Deacons- Demon deacon? contridiction in terms, they lose
Owls-Big Red- I looked it up a bear of some sort.......probably with cinnamony breath
Badgers-Terriers-we don't need no stinking badgers........but terriers? woof, woof, no way.
Golden Eagles-Huskies-Huskies.....made me think of the chubby little boy in the 6th grade.....always felt sorry for him
Lobos-Grizzlies-sharp teeth to the fleshy neck area
Tigers-Tigers- hmmm, what does one do? pick the more manly of the tiger depiction (and as a KU fan it pains me but.....Missouri)
Mountaineers-Bears- I'm thinking a pick axe to the forehead.

South-
Blue Devils-Eagles- once again fictional prevails
Bears-Cardinals- birds, not just for breakfast anymore
Aggies-Aggies- this was another tough one......they both sound retarded......... but let's go with Texas at least they have the word Agricultural in their name.
Boilermakers-Saints- a train will do serious damage when coming into contact with a saint.
Fighting Irish-Monarchs- sorry, can't quit picturing a drunk leprechaun......
Bears-Bearkats-ok, history tells me the early sport teams were called "The Normals"
Spiders-Gaels-seriously, are they going to dance on the spiders?
Wildcats-Colonials- you get a wildcat going and he is going to rip that powdered wig off and it won't be a pretty sight.

Round 2- Team Color Bracketology
Basically this round was picked on pretty colors........I am not fond of the color orange, so if you were a predominantly orange team.......done..........and I like blue, so if you had blue.........you are in..........if neither of those determining factors were present, I picked the prettiest colors in the logo......
So it all shook out like this:
Kansas
Maryland
Georgetown
Ohio State
Florida State
Butler
Xavier
Kansas State
Kentucky
Wisconsin
Washington
W. Virginia
Duke
Texas A&M
Baylor
Villanova

Round 3- this round was picked by my son when I would thrown out the teams I had in my bracket. What he had to choose from only caused him to shake his head at me a couple of times.

Kansas
Georgetown
Butler
Kansas State
Wisconsin
W. Virginia
Texas A&M
Baylor

Round 4- Coaches Age Bracketology - youngest coach
Bill Self/40-John Thompson III/43
Todd Lickliter/55-Frank Martin/43
Bo Ryan/62-Bob Huggins/56
Mark Turgeon/44-Scott Drew/39

Round 5- Kansas Connection Bracketology- the team must have some connection to Kansas, because I said so.
Kansas University
Kansas State University
W. Virginia (used to coach at Kansas State)
Baylor -  Scott Drews born in Kansas City  (although Mark Turgeon coached in Kansas, I like Baylor Better)

Championship- Totally gut Bracketology
Kansas vs. Baylor

and of course, my jayhawks for the title
KANSAS!

25 Moments When A Woman Should Be Allowed To Wear A Tiara

The other day I was thinking and came to a realization. I had a day that was totally crummy, nothing had been going right, a big project was due and from the beginning it had been one obstacle after another. After struggling through the day and finally getting this accomplished on time and then it turned out better than I could have imagined, I sat back and took a deep breath and smiled. I had that momentary feeling of attitude and could actually feel my lips pursing and my eyes narrowing and quite possibly a slight bob of my head. Grinning to myself, I thought, if I had a tiara I would wear it because today, right now, I am princess of all, I have EARNED the right to wear a crown.

Now there are moments such as homecoming queen or pagent winner that a woman is issued a crown and can wear it without judgement but if I were to walk into my local Walmart wearing one, I can without much hesitation predict that heads would turn and there would probably be much muttering.

I can't say if guys have this, but I know, we, as women, have these moments throughout our lives, some are small accomplishments, some are huge ordeals but they all evoke the same basic emotion. One of success, victory, conquest, power, or pride. Feeling on top of the world and nothing can knock you off, as a matter of fact, you OWN that world. I asked some of my friends to help me with the list of 25 moments that we should be able to wear a tiara and not be judged. The list is in no particular order and by no means conclusive but I hope it brings a smile to your face. I also hope that if not today, some day soon, you have that shining moment and you don that tiara- virtual or real - and you wear it with attitude and pride acknowledging your royal awesomeness. 

25 Moments A Woman Should Be Allowed To Wear A Tiara
1. Accomplishing a huge task and being able to look back and say I did good and this looks spectacular.
2. Getting your driver's license.
3. Sitting in your first apartment.
4. After seeing yourself in your wedding gown on your wedding day.
5. Completely potty training your youngest child.
6. After the birth of a child.
7. Your first paycheck from your first "real" job.
8. Watching your child succeed, whether performing on stage or hitting a home run, to riding a bicycle or tie their shoes.
9. Starting a brand new job, completely different from anything you have ever done, and knowing it was exactly what you were born to do.
10. Paying off a huge debt.
11. Seeing your children adopt your religious views because they agree with them.
12. Your first road trip without your parents.
13. Going to bat and advocating for your child.
14. Signing the final divorce papers and standing on the brink of a new start.
15. Getting your first car.
16. The day your first child starts kindergarten.
17. The day your youngest child graduates.
18. The day you paint a room a color no one else will understand, and you love it.
19. The day your underwear and bra both fit well and they match.
20. Slipping into "those" jeans.
21. After raising your family, going back to school and getting your degree.
22. The first time your mother-in-law tells you something you did is good.
23. The first time your husband tells you, you did something better than his mother.
24. After successfully making bread, gravy, or fried chicken.
25. The first time your child sleeps through the night.

Akvis - Decorator - NEW FILTER!

OMGosh, I am so excited. I just sampled a taste of a new filter. It's by Akvis.com and called Decorator. After seeing this plug in mentioned in an online newsletter from graphics.com, I checked it out. I was really impressed by what it can do. I am thinking there are a ton of applicable uses for this little jewel. When I went to the akvis site I also noticed many more plug ins that I'm hoping they have available to demo.

In decorator specifically, this is what it does:

Decorator v.1.

Resurface and Recolor Have you ever seen a car made of brick? A statue dressed in fine clothes? With AKVIS Decorator you can create things that were unimaginable even to Mother Nature. The Decorator plug-in allows you to change the surface of an object in a realistic manner. Select a part of an image – a dress on a girl, a car, a piece of furniture, etc, and apply new textures to it. The girl can have her dress painted in gay patterns, dotted or chequered, appear as if made of velvet or satin, or even of wood or candies. There is a great variety of built-in patterns to apply - from fabrics to stones and metal, from food to nature elements. You can apply your own textures – just save a square pattern as a jpg file and load it into the library. Unlike the "bucket-fill" tool in many photo editors, the plug-in follows the underlying features of the object, the texture that already exists, and makes the new color or texture look natural. Applying a snake scale to a car’s surface can be fun, but of more practical use is to apply AKVIS Decorator for design purposes. With this software you can quickly choose a suitable design for your apartment by playing with different colors and patterns for furniture, walls, curtains, decorations, etc. It’s useful for designers to show the customers the same room in different versions or for web-designers to represent the same items in an online shop (china-ware, blankets, clothes, piece of furniture, etc) in different colors/patterns. By AKVIS tradition, the program has a simple interface, easy grasped even for newbies. In the plug-in’s window you go to the Texture tab and select a texture from the library (you can adjust its color and frequency of the pattern), press the Run button and get a wonderful result. If needed, you can adjust the brightness and the angle of lighting. If all you need is just to change the color of the surface, then you go to the Color tab and choose a new color. The program applies a texture/color preserving the volume of an object, following its folds and creases. The new pattern looks absolutely natural and makes you see things differently.  Totally cool. Here is a before and after I did.   If you look closely you can see, Lady Liberty has on a jellybean robe! New meaning to the words, cool beans, huh? I checked the cost and it looks like a home use license for this program is about $60.00, for business, about $85.00. Since I work in education, there is no extra money, so I will use the demo until they take it away. Maybe if I can produce enough cool stuff in the meantime, my boss will shake loose of a few pesos and buy this sweet puppy for me....... OR the company could send me a copy.......that would be ultra nifty. I'll try to check out the other items offered and give you the scoop.