Rad

Attention Star Wars Fans (Max, that means you)!!!!!

Storm Trooper Hoodie:


Pretty sweet, 

Madge

Tomorrow=October

Guess what I got at Safeway yesterday?

CANDY CORN.

I love it. I love it equally as much as I love fresh corn and popcorn....and corn bread. If it has "corn" in the name, I probably like it. Yep. Corn tortillas, corn tortilla chips, corn chowder...cool!!!!!! WAIT, high fructose corn syrup...don't like that one. darn. 

ANYWAY, let's leave the corn discussion there for now because I have a more pressing question. At what point is one skinny enough not to chafe in the inner-thigh area? 125lbs? Anyone have a guess? I have a FRIEND that would like to know. 

It's been a while since I've done a list...and I don't have much else to say today. So ponder these...

Best places to drink hot chocolates:

1. High school football games in November

2. Somewhere in Europe where they serve it in a tall glass with whipped cream and chocolate shavings

3. Before, after, or while you pick out a Christmas tree

4. Walking Greenlake in the winter

5. Taking a break from sledding, skiing, snowboarding or innertubing

Top 5 things I don't even pretend to care about:

1. Germs

2. Tim Eyman and his initiatives 

3. High School Musical (sorry, but the window of time where it was acceptable to have not seen the first movie has long passed and since I still haven't seen it I HAVE to not care)

4. Matching socks

5. Cats

Last night I watched the season premiere of Grey's online. Meh. I did NOT like last season and I am not sure about this one either. The best part of the episode was when Rose told McDreamy she was carrying his child and after a lengthy pause shouts "GOTCHA!!". That was the only part I really liked.

The Office, on the other hand, was FANTASTIC. 

In order to step-up my daily workout regimen, I have been doing wall sits and dancing for 3 minutes alone in my room in the dark before bed. Let's hope it does the trick.

Never shave your feet/toes- just don't start, 

Madge

P.S. Whipped cream or marshmallows on your hot choc??? I like 'em both....I don't want to pick one....I'm not going to. I asked the question, so I am allowed to choose both.  They each have their right time and place. Seaside hot chocs at the cabin need mallows, but walkin-greenlake hot chocs from Starbucks obviously have whipped cream on them. Football game hot chocs usually have neither, which is also a fine option. Yeah, so you don't have to pick one if you don't want. It's ok.

Things I like that are yellow...

Big Bird- thought he was a girl for the longest time. Same goes for the rabbit on Winnie the Pooh. With Big Bird, it was his voice that threw me off. With the rabbit, it was the gardening. I guess I had it in my head that men don't garden.

Funyaks- oooh, takin out a funyak at Camp Hammy and cruisin around Lake Hannon is simply heaven. 

Rubber ducks- they're timeless. Pure class too. Just a great, timeless, classy toy. I remember going somewhere with my Mom to watch the rubber duck races...on the Slough? Hmm...

Corn- poor kids with braces who have to cut the corn off its cob. Glad those days are over.

The Cash Cab- a FANTASTIC show. I can't believe I don't blog about it more.

Buttercups- they're pretty, they're wild, and they can tell you whether or not you like butter. Quite powerful little flowers.

Bananas- delicious, help you de-bloat, and get really sweet when they're heated up (bananas foster, bananas in oatmeal, banana nut muffins, banana cream pie...). Plus, they have an awesome peel.

Mustard- yellow mustard, sweet hot, dijon, stoneground...I'll take em all. Yum.

Stay tuned for things I like that are blue, 

Madge

09/22-09/28 Week-In-Review

It's a bit of a snoozefest...next week will be better.

Oh- do you like the new design of my blog???

I accidently refer to my MacBook as an imac at the end of the blog!!! Who AM I? Embarassing times a million.

Your friend, 

Madge

Dog Horoscopes...

I decided to google dog astrology just to see if it exists. Turns out- it does. 

check it out

here

and here

and here

and here...god, there are so many- I'm not going to post them all.

I wonder what Booter and Oggie's signs are...

woof, 

madge

Our hot water heater broke...

I went to Pullman last night- twas fun. Good to see the ol' gang again. NO, I did not see Scotty. But had I, it wouldn't have been awkward- perhaps just a little bit sad.  

Right now I'm watching the debate on YouTube. Obama has such a nice speaking voice. Jim Lehrer is a good host too. I would LOVE his job- getting to ask the presidential candidates really tough questions and MAKING them give me a straight answer. Sounds like fun! I would make sure to ask about their thoughts on Cyprus. I know Obama and Biden want to unify it again. 

Next I'm going to watch the new episode of The Office...then I will sleep. Wild Saturday night!!

I had an eggmcmuffin today- they are so good, 

Madge

All aboard the caffeine train...

I am soooo tired, but I can't fall asleep! I want to nap, but I drank coffee at the bagel shop this morning. It's such an unnatural feeling- being tired, yet extremely awake. All you coffee addicts are probably used to this phenomenon, but I am not usually a coffee drinker so it's quite bizarre.

My eyes want to close, but my mile-a-minute brain is keeping them open! My limbs cannot stop spastically jerking around. It's like I'm a toy robot and caffeine has control of the remote! It's weird, but I think I can actually FEEL the caffeine molecules surging through my veins. And I can hear it. Weird. WEIRD. It's like a thousand high speed passenger trains are moving under my skin, using my veins as train tracks. They're bulleting through my arms and legs so as not to be late to their destination. Destination: Awakeville...

My brain keeps accidentally hitting my scull. Every time I move my head, my brain shifts and ends up bumping into my frontal lobe. 

Wow, this is craziness. Craziness with a horrible, metallic aftertaste. Remind me never to do actual drugs. 

 

The Midas Touch

Praise the golden Gods- CLASS CANCELLED AGAIN!! Could there be a better birthday present?? Well, yes, actually. Here it is:

My Mom and Dad sent me this wonderful gold turban (as if the MacBook wasn't enough!!). I can't wait to wear it while I slurp up my golden panang curry tonight. Thanks M &D!

Thoughts on my bday horoscope:

Happy Birthday for Monday, Sept. 22, 2008

This year, decide to express your caring by being more proactive. Ok, good idea. Family members and loved ones also love to be seen with you, especially when going out and about me and Char in Edinburgh next year? You easily could become involved in a public commitment or a political issue. I did say my next intellectual blog would be on politics....scary. You know what is important; honor those priorities. That would be: Family, friends and TV. If single, I'm listening....you meet people more easily this fall, I hope by "easily"they mean I don't have to put ANY effort into it at all and someone certainly could enter your life and put a smile on your face. Am I frowning too much? If attached, share more of your public life and do more together. This alone will draw you closer. I'll make sure to pass this along to my secret boyfriend. Cancer often makes you smile. CANCER!?! WTF!? ohhhhh, they mean the astrological sign, not the disease. Got it. And again with me needing to smile- what's up with that?

My 8th grade science teacher/full-time creeper Mr. Ross taught us all a pretty handy trick to remembering that AU is the chemical symbol for gold in the periodic table. All you have to do is think "AU!! Give me some gold!!!!" So there ya go- now you'll never forget it. It's a Jeopardy question a lot too.

In honor of my golden birth, here is one of my favorite YouTube local news clips of all time: 

"I wanna know where the gold at! I want the gold! Give me the gold!"

P.S. There is nothing like signing into facebook on your birthday and having a gajillion new wall posts. Such a wonderful feeling! Shiny like GOLD. 

P.P.S. I have had the radio jingle "Alvin Goldfarb Jewelers, we love to see you smillllllllllle..." running through my head all day.

Video Blog!!

"Lights, camera- and me without a stich of makeup on...you guyys!" (Drop Dead Gorgeous)

This will revolutionize the way you think about Madgespace. VIDEO! OF ME! GRASSY in the flesh! So much for fine-tuning my writing skills. Get ready for Sunday evening "Week in Review" blogs and frequent "ottoman-side chats" (similar to FDR's fireside chats but instead of sitting by the fire I will be leaning against my burnt orange Value Village ottoman), and perhaps even video evidence of how good Clare and I are at the bonus round in Wheel of Fortune.

Here I am- sit back with some popcorn and a non-artificially sweetened beverage and enjoy!

I can't stand that Sting song "Desert Rose", 

Madge

NTN (no title necessary)

I am trying to muster up the energy to walk about 100 yards across the street to Super Supplements to get multi-vitamins and some fish oil.

It was particularly slow at the bagel shop today. Barbie, Clare, Alison, Lauren and I stood around drinking tea and trying to brainstorm ideas on how we could prank tomorrow's openers. We settled on switching the lunch special whiteboard with the soup/salad whiteboard. It was THRILLING. I cannot wait to see what kind of ruckus it causes tomorrow morning. The anticipation is excruciating. 

Tonight I am going to my favorite restaurant in Spokane, Peak-a-boo Bistro with Isabel's parents who are visiting this weekend. So excited! 

Small blog is better than no blog, 

Madge

P.S.  do you know about this: www.pandora.com ? Isabel seemed shocked that I didn't know about it. It's pretty great for all you cheapskates that can't cough up the $.99 for an itunes song.

Upgrade!

If you like this...

...you'll LOVE this

If you like this...

...you'll LOVE this



If you like this...

...you'll LOVE this

If you like this...

...you'll LOVE this

... consider upgrading.

In other news, tonight I have bowling class (it's 1 credit and forces me to socialize. regretting it already). It would be alright except you have to bowl THREE games. I get bored halfway through game one. I'm bringing snacks this time.

Podcasts are terrific and often free, 

Madge

The Wall Street Crisis: I report, you decide...if it makes any sense (I'm still not sure).

I talked to Max about it on Monday, so here I go- grassy's takin a whack at Wall Street.

A bunch of banks loaned a bunch of people too much money for houses that they could not afford..

This was risky and irresponsible because those homeowners did not have incomes big enough to pay their mortgages and it was FOOLISH to think they could. 

Banks aren't getting paid back for these loans and are on the verge of going under- kaput, dunzo, bankrupt!

Adding fuel to the flame, a lot of banks made deals with other banks (or bank-type things...investment banks, perhaps? this is where my knowledge gets sketchy...) and intertwined loans/insurance/contracts (??? I don't know what I'm talking about.) with each other...so they're all interconnected. Bottom line, if one bank goes down, they're all at risk of failure.

SO, the government (the Federal Reserve) and all the bank head honchos got together to discuss how the H they're going to get out of this pickle they've so greedily gotten themselves into. It was like a meeting of Mob bosses- these guys are usually fierce competitors. My guess is it'd be very humbling having to meet up and work things out as a team. 

The government said they would NOT bail out Lehman Brothers (the bank that was doing to the worst). This could be a good thing because: a.) it means the government and economic experts did not think that Lehman's bankruptcy would create a domino effect in other banks, destroy our economy and create the Great Depression II....and b.) it forces companies to be responsible for their actions and allows competitors to move in, creating a potentially stonger, more diverse economy. BUT, it will simply take time until we can see the full effects of this decision.

Now, today, it seems the government has decided to bail some guys out. They're called the AIG, and I guess they were in pretty bad shape. Is this government intervention preventing catastrophe or dangerously interfering with the free market and not holding companies responsible for their risky transactions?

I think this is where politics may get involved. I'm not quite sure what the Democrats or the Republicans think.....

Trying to understand Wall Street is enough for now- I'll tackle politics on another day.

I have a MacBook, 

Madge

BREAKING NEWS! GRASSYLLAMA GETS MACBOOK!

I can barely type this right now my hands are so shaky.

Clare texted me telling me to come into the bagel shop this morning to "see what came for me". When I got there I saw a bunch of caramel apples...needless to say I assumed this was my surprise. BUT NO! THERE WAS MORE!

MY PARENTS GOT ME A MACBOOK FOR MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have never in my life been so blown away by bday gift. I screamed out loud the poor bagel-eating patrons probably thought I'd cut myself on the meat slicer.

Yep, you heard it here first (or maybe I texted you...I texted pretty much everyone I know) my fingertips are now gliding fluidly across the smooth, white keys. The smell of new computer (turns out I prefer it to "new car smell") is wafting through our townhouse like freshly baked cookies. It's better though, because computers don't make you fat and cookies do.

I think this macbook is going to inspire me to live my life according to higher standards. I will be a better person because of this beautiful machine! I can't go out in sweats- I am a macbook owner. We're better than that! No more lame, must-click-on-the-link, whiney blog posts (wants vs. needs..remember that awful thing? scroll down).

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU my dear mother and father. I cannot say it enough. This is the most exciting day of my life (sounds like an exaggeration...but can you really think of a time when I would have been more excited? Maybe leaving to go to Europe...but I think this tops it).

Jealousy is a stinky cologne,

Madge

P.S. The caramel apples were brought in by a coworker...her roommate works for Spocandy and they had a bunch left over from the fair. Score!

Cancelled Class...like a present under your pillow.

When I was growing up (into the incredibly intelligent, stunning, extremely popular young woman I am today), my mother would sporadically leave me little presents under my pillow. Sometimes a book, a pair of socks, my favorite candy....but whatever it was it was always completely unexpected and exciting.

Today, when I went to my Journalism News Seminar class and saw "Professor Miller is ill- today's class will be canceled" written on the board it reminded me of when I would crawl in bed at night, rest my head on that lumpy, uneven pillow and discover a delightful surprise resting beneath it.

I am GIDDY with joy. I don't even dislike the class. I have nothing better to do with my hour. BUT REGARDLESS, I couldn't be more ecstatic.

This is my first post since the most infamous event in Madgespace history. If you don't know about it- contact Anna and she'll explain to you what happened. I am still too shaken up to explain it.

I am going to now make a promise to you, my dear readers, and I expect to be held accountable for it- My next blog post will be VERY GOOD (Notice I didn't say it will be amazing...but still, it will be very good). I feel I owe it to ya and to myself for my own sanity. My blogs have been sub par as of late and I blame it on: 1. my broken computer 2. our broken internet 3. lack of interesting things in my life 4. the economy 5. laziness

Peace be with you and also with me,

Madge

More to come...

digging through my old emails was more time-consuming than I thought! I gotta run to class, but I will try to find more to add later.

Have my first Bowling class tonight! Should be fun. Forced socialization is good for me.

some of my favorite emails from the past year...

9/9/08

Heads up . . . WAMU is in big trouble . . . how much money is in your
checking accts? I really have no idea what to expect if they declare
bankruptcy . . . freeze accts ?
We all watched Mary Poppins . . .

love you all
dad

7/30/08
today alex walked down his front steps and at the bottom there was a DEAD black cat. he had to RAKE it to the curb for animal control to pick up because he doesn't have a shovel (the suggested tool). SICK! Talk about a bad omen
- Anna

5/7/08
Hi to my four daughters.

I am hoping that one of you might lift your head up
from your beach towel and check your email.

I'm mailing the invite envelopes, F, and also want to
mail Lou's dress.
As I recall, I bought her size 6, and Char has the 6P.
I thought I sent Char's to her, but I have a 6P in
the closet. I have a 4 (Anna) 6 (Lou) and 6P (Char)
but how did Char's dress leave Ireland? I am
perplexed but time does fly- did you bring it back
when you came for the funeral?? It can't be Caits
because she is tall.

To cut to the chase: Is the 6 Lou's?

Lou, your Mam and Pap listened to the saved message of
you singing O Holy Night yesterday. Rich said, "Gosh,
I miss her."

We then went to Barbie's blog and enjoyed seeing what
you've been up to.

And yes, we miss the rest of you too, but not nearly
as much as our darling, sweet last-born babe.
- Nancy Padden

5/7/08
Memory Returned
Just recalled Char trying dress on and lamenting about
the ribs. I'll send the 6.

4/24/08
Good job Joe. Now I see why MidWest is paying you all of that moola.
- Glen Shearer (in response to Joe's updated Padden-fam email list)


4/24/08
let the record reflect that my email is actually carly.e.nelson@gmail.com. . . because my middle name is elizabeth, not something that starts with a C. get it together, joe.

4/8/08
if its any consolation- when i told the girls at work that you and your bf had broken up and it was sad etc etc, there was a pause and everyone nodded and said yeah, they are so young blah blah but its always so hard blah blah. THEN, after no one said anything else for a second, joanna (the one from columbia) goes 'well, she is so beautiful she will have NO problem getting someone else' in her columbian accent. and then she talked more about your nose being perfect!!!!
- Char Kay

2/11/08
Obama took Washington for the demos and
McCain for repubs . . . Nina went to the Obama rally at the Key Arena . . . she said it was crazy . . . nearly got caught in a stampede . . . she went with Jo Pagetti
Grammy's last night, but I didn't watch . . . that Amy person got 5 grammy's ? or maybe not, anyway I've heard a couple of her tunes and I don't think Rehab is her best, but what do I know . . . I do hope she kicks her addictions . . . I met Joe's Rose . . . she seems nice . . . anyhoot honey . . . I'm going to work on a care pkg this week . . . (goldfish orig) . . . back the stix rm . . . things still very slow . .. the market is correcting . . .
love ya
dad

Wants vs. Needs

I want...

One of these

and this

ooh yum...and some of these

....this too

I want this to be the view from my window (but I'd settle for the poster)

I need this...

computer=not working. huge debacle. blogging is difficult. don't loose faith...I'll be back at it soon enough. why is this in italic? I didn't tell it to be. Too tired to figure it out. What an embarrassment. Ok, going to bed. night night.

smadgret

I accidentally lanced my dermatofibroma!!!!!!!!!

Remember when I used to make an effort to have my blog titles be cute/intriguing? Those days appear to be over.

There's just no way to fit this post's subject (accidental lancing of a benign skin growth) into some sort of catchy pun. It is what it is.

Here's the background info: My mother has had a little dark colored bump on the side of her calf for years. Docs call it a "dermatofribroma". It's been around for as early as I can remember and though SHE is comfortable with its presence (she'd even make up SONGS about it when were little..."dermatofribroma, fibroma, fibroma"...CRINGE)the rest of us would mock it when she wasn't looking. Well the big J man works in mysterious ways and one day, when I was in 9th grade, I woke up and SHAZAM- a dermatofribroma had sprouted on the back of my right calf. Karma? Perhaps. Regardless it's the most significant MLM ("most-like-mom"...an acronym me and the sibs tease each other with) moment of my life. I've never been able to live it down.

WELL, now that you're caught up, I'll continue.

The other day I was stepping over a plastic laundry basket in Isabel's room and as I brought my right leg back up to take another step, it scraped against the sharp border of the basket- LANCING my dermatofribroma off!!!!! Very little blood, surprisingly. Some of it still remains, but a good chuck of it is lying somewhere on Isabel's floor (a thought that she, a former germ-a-phobe, probably doesn't want to linger on as she sits and reads this).

Here's a pic of a dermatofribroma just in case you're curious. I tried to find one that looked the most similar to mine.


Anyhoo, sorry the blog postings have been sluggish. My ginormous desktop computer may have bit the dust (taking it into the computer repair guys this week) so I am using my townhousemates' computers and going to the library computer lab.

FroYo tonight!! (Mom, that is slang for Frozen Yogurt)

Love, Madgery