And the countdowns begins

I can't believe it's already November. Before we know it, the year will be over and 2010 will start. There are some events of note that I'm counting down, for better or for worse.

T minus 7 days until the new Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 comes out and the hubs disappears. Amazon promises to have it delivered to our door on November 10. This gives my husband 7 days to finish the drywall for his game room in the basement. Is it going to happen? My husband would have to answer that but I'm gonna say the basement has a snow ball's chance in hell of being finished!


T minus 16 days until The Twilight Saga: New Moon opens in the US. I really can't wait to see this but have no idea when I will get to see it due to...

T minus 18 days until my sister's due date for baby #2. I have a feeling we're going to be watching New Moon and she's gonna go in labor. I'll just call for the ambulance and finish watching the movie. The theater's only 10 minutes away from the hospital.

T minus 26 days until NaNoWriMo is over. Current word count: 4791. I totally slacked off with twitter on the train ride home today. If anyone wants to see a summary of my work, just comment below and I will post it. (I'm hmmille on NaNoWriMo.org if you want to be buddies) FireCr0tch over at WeBitePrettyHard has deamed November BlogoWriMo and she's going to post everyday. I've promised to comment every day, even if the comments are off topic and make absolutely no sense.

T minus 51 days until Christmas. I really have no idea what to get anyone. I'm betting it's going to be a gift card Christmas this year. (And for anyone reading this blog that buys me presents: I want gift cards to Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble, thank you) Plus this means 50 days until I get a much needed week and a half long vacation.

My Twitarded Meme Finally

Everyone knows the drill by now so I won't waste space reiterating the details. The girls at Twitarded started a meme and I was tagged by the fantastic OnePushyFox. I'm pretty sure everyone else has been tagged by now so I won't tag anyone. Here are my answers:

1) What is the craziest/most stupid thing you've ever done (that you would be willing to share!)?
Trying to get into a rock club with my high school bff when we weren't even close to 21. FYI: dressing slutty does not make you look any less 16 years old. I'm sure there have been other crazy moments but all of my edumacation has written over those memories. Seriously, a high school friend asked me if I remembered something and I had to lie and say yes I did. I had no clue what the hell she was talking about! Sad thing is I don't have the excuse of drinking or doing drugs back then to use for forgetting all of this stuff.

2) One of my personal favorite games: Fuck, Marry, Kill. With the Twilight cast.
Fuck: I'm gonna have to declare a slight fascination with Emmett on this one. He loves grizzly bears so maybe he'd be wild like that in the sack?
Marry: Easy, Edward hands down. He's a little stalkerish, but you'd never have to worry about him leaving you ever!
Kill: Most of the wolves. They are mostly whiney cry-baby bitches. And Rosalie just because.

3) What is your favorite band/type of music?
Hard rock/alternative. I graduated from high school in 1993 at the height of grunge. I still vividly remember seeing Pearl Jam open up for Red Hot Chili Peppers right before Alive broke big. Alice In Chains is my all time favorite band. Layne Staley had such a haunting voice that you can still feel his pain. I've seen them live 6 times now. Soundgarden, Peal Jam, Alter Bridge, Staind, Evanescence, Breaking Benjamin, Faith No More, Chevelle, Taproot, etc. I will admit I love Irish rock music (and I'm not talking U2). The Tossers, The Elders, Dropkick Murphys, Carbon Leaf, and Flogging Molly are my faves.

4) What is your favorite movie besides Twilight?
I'm a comedy kind of gal, so anything Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Broken Lizard are my faves. If I have to pick a few movies, I'd pick Super Troopers, Beer Fest, The Hangover, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Step Brothers to name a few. I do like the girlie movies as well, my faves being The Holiday, PS I Love You (although that one makes me blubber like a baby and the book was 100 times better than the movie),

5) Do you RL life family/friends know you’re addicted to Twilight? A blogger?
I don't think I'm as fully addicted to Twilight as some of my bloggy friends are, I've only read the books one time through, my copy of the Precious II that I won from WeBitePrettyHard is still hidden away in it's mailing envelope, and my New Moon movie companion has yet to be perused too thoroughly. Since I went back to work I don't have as much time to peruse the blogs for spoilers. I don't avoid spoilers though. My husband knows I have a blog and twitter. He follows both. My sister and sister in law know about the blog and twitter as well, but my mother doesn't. I have a couple of work friends that I can talk Twilight with so I'm not totally alone. I think my sister is more addicted.

6) How many hours a week do you spend doing Twi related things? You know, blogging, looking at pictures of the cast, reading fan fiction, etc.
I really only spend about 10 hours a week between blogs and the majority of the time on twitter. I try to steal little snippets of time at work. I only follow 5 or 6 stories of fanfic so that doesn't take up much time.

7) Any random fact you might want to share. Big or small, it doesn't matter.
Um, I can touch my tongue to my nose? What else, I can sing. I haven't sang publicly since my sister in law’s wedding and did I surprise my husband's family. Everyone thinks I'm just a scary tall chemist and no one knew I could sing. I got so many compliments that day with everyone saying they had no clue I could sing.

I'm a serious procrastinator. I waited so long to start on my PhD thesis that I had one month to write the entire thing. I was up all night for the last week just to get it done, all 300 something pages of it. I really do my best work under pressure, so it just works for me even though I want to kick my own ass everytime I do it.

I'm really allergic to perfume. I had to go to the hospital when my sister sprayed me with Exclamation! perfume back in the day. If people wear too much perfume around me I get really itchy. Lesson here: please don't wear perfume when we go to the Eclipse premiere next June. Okay? Thanks Bye.

Damn You/I Love You Friday

Everyone knows what to do....comment below.


Here's mine for the week:

Damn you husband's new work for making him work on Halloween and missing our son's first time trick or treating. And for changing his schedule so we never see each other. Also damn you to my work for being so busy I don't have time to post me Twitarded meme yet. Hopefully tonight!

I Love You New Moon video leaks. I'm really looking forward to this movie!


PS. I love how the Edward Cullen costume here is called "Night Time Romeo."

And Baby C says "Happy Halloween Everybody! Give me all of your candies!)

Return Of Damn You Friday, with additional I Love you Friday

Happy Friday everyone! Since I have more followers and bloggy friends, I thought I would bring back "Damn You Friday" to the blog. Since I've been told that I need to be more positive (I'm a glass is almost empty since someone drank all of my shit kind of girl). So to bring myself some good karma, I've added "I <3 You Friday." How does this all work? Just add what is pissing you off this week for the damn you part. Don't forget to tell me what you are loving this week too for the love you part.

Here's mine for the week:

Damn you to the migraines that are starting to plague me with increasing regularity again. I really, really don't want to go back on topamax.

I <3 the sneak peaks of New Moon scenes that are coming out. I really can't wait for November 20 now.

Have a good weekend everyone and see you on Twitter (when we actually have time LOL).

OMG-What we looked like back in the day

Thanks everyone for being brave enough to share a few pictures of yourselves from high school. Sending in real life pics was just a crazy idea that I and Tasha had. This has been fun gathering these pics and emailing you back and forth, getting to know you a little bit better. It will be nice seeing what everyone looks like in real life. If you didn't send in your pics, you still can. I'll just add the pics to the bottom.

So, without further ado, I give you our bloggy and twitter friends (in random order of how they were in my photobucket account). The comments in italics by the pics are straight from the subjects mouth, not mine. (Well, except for my pics!)

Bex (website: Today I Feel Infinite, twitter: Becky_Boodles)

I turned 16 in the April and this was taken in the back of the limo on our way to Prom in the July 2000. My date got the crop treatment! ;)

Bitches (website: We Bite Pretty Hard, twitter: WPBHBitches)

I was probably about 16, and as you can see, had some bad bangage going on.

Call of Duty Widow (Website: Call Of Duty Widow, twitter: hmmille )


My fave pic is the one from the musical I was in. I remember that dress was super tight, it was hard to sing with it on! I had a blond phase my Sophomore/Junior year, but dyed it back right before senior pics. And I was rockin some high bangs there for a while! Man I miss that body!






Erikasbuddy (twitter: Erikasbuddy)
1991 -7th Grade Intermediate Middle School Band - I was a Clarinet player. I played for 2 years. Art Class 10th Grade = was taken in the winter of 1993 in my Art Class during my sophomore year. I am holding a SPIN MAGAZINE with NIRVANA showing through the pages. Can you guess the downward spiral that I took in April? Copy of 1996 Senior Talent Show - Erikasbuddy = was taken in 1996 at my senior talent show. I am singing DISARM by Smashing Pumpkins with my bff Erika. She signed us up to do this one day when I was skipping school. She was a sneaky little bugger lol!! I agreed to do it only if she did it with me. Copy of Art and Drama Banquet - Junior Year - 1994 = was taken in 1994 during the fall of my Junior Year. That was one of my favorite high school memories. I had a blast. I even had my first dance there. It was with a boy who had just broken his leg. He couldn't stand dance so we sat indian style on the floor and swayed to Cotton Eye Joe. I loved it!! Copy of Spring Fling 3-l3gged race 1996 = was taken during the last week of school in 1996 of my senior year. My bff ERIKA is who is attached to me. WE WON!! I think... at least that's how I remember it ;)

FireCrotch (Website: We Bite Pretty Hard, twitter: FireCr0tch)

Me at graduation. Check out those gross looking shoes. What the heck was I thinking?
Me and my senior prom date…my mom made my dress and cut my hair like 20 minutes before my date showed up. Previous to this pic my hair was down past my shoulder blades.
Ahh…more summer camp memories. I am the fatty in the pic (third from the right). I like how the mud nicely outlined my boobs. We had even more fun in the showers afterward…
My girlfriends and I were pretty geeky and so we stayed in on Friday nights and played games. And no, this was not strip poker. But check out the flannel shirt…I was rockin’ it before RPattz. Plus I totally love that green watch.
Doing the age old fun chicken dance at the senior prom. Who the heck had full length gloves on next to me?

OnePushyFox (twitter: onepushyfox)


OK, so I'm feeling brave (or stupid from the lack of sleep) and I've decided to send in some pics of me from HS. One's from my graduation in '93 (I'm with my baby sister) the other is from the early freshman year ('89) turnabout dance. I honestly can't tell which is more embarrassing: the wicked 80's perm from freshman year or the crazy Tracy Gold glasses from senior year. Sheesh! Why didn't someone slap me??

SmuttierThanYou (Website: Jackassery In The House, twitter: SmuttierThanYou)

Here is the one from my senior year (1999), Homecoming Princess, I was hammered and grinning like a Cheshire Cat! Taken the summer before my senior year. This was my first 4X4 and my step dad helped me completely rebuild it. Lots of good memories *sigh*

Tasha (Website: Something Less Productive, twitter: um_natalie)

UhYesPlease (twitter: uhyesplease)

Ok - the show choir pic - obvious! I was also a band nerd. (Drum major) And a theatre nerd (I'm Glinda!) And then my senior prom pic. Just cause I loved the dress! All are from 1995! When I graduated from HS......

Bierbeck (twitter: bierbeck)

I always get lots of laughs with this picture. It is from my freshman year I think which is circa 1989.













Mrs_Robward (website: Peace Love Twilight, twitter: Mrs_Robward)

1st pic is me & my mom, Jr year, I was going to the ROTC *gag* dance.

2nd pic is me & my DH b4 senior Prom. Ooo, if only I was that skinny again!










Betti (website: Betti Music Twilight, twitter: Bettigefecht)


I know I'm late, but I finally found a pic from 1978. I was in the schoolband. Best I can do...

Getting to know your bloggy friends

Last night was an interesting night on twitter. @Bettigefecht was getting irritated with @fragilehuman and @FireCr0tch 's Glee discussion while @um_natalie and I (@hmmille) were trying to not be force fed the Glee kool aid. (You know you tried to make her drink it @WPBHBitches lol). I commented that I'd had enough of the glee club stuff in high school to Natalie and she insisted on seeing pictures. I missed a new South Park to hunt down the elusive high school year books, then fought with my $20 scanner from 2001 to get some pics on the computer.

After further discussion, we decided that we want all of our bloggy friends to be embarrassed with us and for us. Now taking your high school photos at callofdutywidow@gmail.com. We want to see you "The Way You Were", any photo from high school is fine. Please include a short explanation of the picture and you're website/twitter name by 5 pm CST Sunday, October 18. I'll post all of them here Sunday night hopefully. It will be nice to put a name with a face, even if it was from so many years ago.

Since Tasha requested a pic from my poms/dance team days, here's a gem from my freshman year in 1989. We're all lined up for the National Anthem at a basketball game and of course, the 80s hair is in full effect. Plus my skirt is shorter than everyone else's since I was so tall and skinny back then. I think I actually had a perm (oh the horror) back then. {{{shudder}}}

Come on, you know you want to see all of us, email away! I promise an actually photo from my Show Choir days and my basketball days! Please include your twitter screenname and/or blog/website so we can all follow each other. This is a good way to expand all of our follower lists and make some new bloggy/twitter friends ;) .

How Twilight and other vampire novels ruined regular novels for me

Let's start this up with a dream I had last week that I've been meaning to share. I was in a grocery store with Sam and Dean from Supernatural. The guy in line immediately before us bought porno mags and some shamwows. That last episode of Supernatural gave me weird dreams. I would throw those shamwows out after that guy's done if he knows what's good for him. Anyway, on to today's topic.

Last night I tried to read John Updike’s Widows of Eastwicke. I lasted through exactly 3 pages before I gave up. I haven’t read any of his other works, but this was just paragraph after paragraph of run on sentences. What’s happened to me? Have all these years of chick lit, vampire books, and chemistry texts/journals killed my ability to read regular literature and enjoy it?

I started my love affair with vampire novels a little over a year ago. I started with Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Series after watching a few episodes of True Blood. I was hooked instantly. Once I finished all available books in two weeks, I immediately started over. Rereading these books at a much more leisurely pace allowed me to catch some things I missed the first time around. I read several more non-paranormal books before Christmas before I stopped reading novels all together. My pregnancy addled mind couldn’t focus on novels, so I read magazines and surfed the net on my crackberry to keep me from maiming the freaks on the train. Thinking ahead, I told my sister to buy Twilight as my Christmas gift since I had heard good things about the series. She bought me Twilight and New Moon. These two books were shelved away for the future when I could focus on a novel.

After Baby C was born in March, I found myself with three months of maternity leave ahead of me (Well, 10 weeks actually since Baby C was stubborn and came out a week late). On a baby supply run to Target, I bought Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. I hate to start a novel series and not be able to read them all in a row. I once spent two months reading through 13 of Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series. I don’t like having to think about what the hell happened in the last book that I read months ago (I never said I wasn’t OCD about anything!). The next books that I was due to read out of the authors I follow weren’t going to be released until the beginning of May (Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Series Book Nine – Dead and Gone and Jennifer Lancaster’s fourth memoir Pretty in Plaid). I was recovering from an emergency c-section so what better way to rest than to sit stiffly with a good book and the cutest baby in the world in your lap? Then the wheels were put into motion for my fascination. Hey, I needed something to occupy my time while the hubs was playing Call of Duty nonstop.

I started Twilight and was done in two days. There is something about Stephenie Meyer’s writing that just sucks you in. I still maintain that there are subliminal messages in the text. How else could so many people of all ages love these books? I continued on to New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. Breaking Dawn nearly broke my psyche, but I finished it after taking a break to read the books I had been waiting for above. I did watch the Twilight movie on DVD with my sister. She was totally in love with it and I made fun of it the first time I watched it. Now I don’t have much of an excuse, I’ve watched it about 10 times now. It gets less hokey upon repeat viewings. There are still some scenes that make me cringe, which I’m sure will come up in MrsVanquish and Betti’s movie vs. book discussion on their blogs. Bottom line, I read these books quickly and probably missed some key points. I plan on rereading these before New Moon comes out in the theater to refresh my memory.

Through various True Blood websites like sookiestackhouse.com and Twilight websites, I found out about other vampire series. The first set I read was the Queen Betsey series by MaryJanice Davidson. These books follow the life of the Queen of the Vampires whose main hobbies are shoes and cussing. These are very comedic but also contain some lovely lemons. Seven books are available in this series. The next set I finished was the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost. There are four books currently available, featuring a half-human half-vampire woman named Cat who fights bad vampires with her vampire husband Bones. This series is also funny but more serious than the Queen Betsey series and also contains serious lemony goodness. I can’t wait for a new release in this series to come out in 2010.

In between some of these books I’ve attempted to read non-vampire books without much success. I read Stephenie Meyer’s The Host with difficulty. The book was pretty unbearable from about 100 pages in until around page 450. Several of my friends have read this and it’s a pretty even split among those who loved it and those who loathed it. I’ve never forced myself to finish reading a book like I had to do with this one. I had borrowed it from a friend and didn’t want to buy it for myself. I finished it, gave it back, and am now on the fence about reading any future non-Twilight Saga books from this author. I read the seventh book in the Andy Carpenter Lawyer series by David Rosenfelt I had been waiting for (New Tricks). David Rosenfelt's books feature a reluctant lawyer and always have dogs in the story. In real life, his foundation has rescued over 4000 dogs from shelters and death. Then I read a book featuring a woman prophet and demons called Every Demon Has Its Day by Cara Lockwood. That book also took a little getting into even though it was supernatural. I never had a problem getting right into books before like I do now. If the subject is vampires, I’m right into it. If the subject is something else, blah. All of these vampire series has ruined me on regular fiction.

So what’s a girl to do that has free time on her commute to help her ignore the mutants that ride the train? I think I’m going to start the Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith. Next I’ll reread Twilight and New Moon. Maybe a little Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. I still haven’t gotten around to reading the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton or the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward. The covers of those book seriously embarrass me, but who cares? I don’t ride on the train with anyone I know anyway.

I guess I might as well continue my vampire book obsession. I do have the new Patricia Cornwell book, The Scarpetta Factor, coming out in a few weeks. That will be my only non vampire book to read in the near future. Any suggestions to what I should read? I need to start compiling my Christmas wish lists...