Oh Em Gee, Cute!

Just had to share... I thought this was too funny, this popped up on my "Today" screen on MSN.com

Article copied from here.

"OMG! It's a keyboard for blondes!"

Blondes have suffered decades of ridicule, but it's time they embrace the jokes. When it comes to a hot-pink boost of self-confidence (or at least a few good laughs), the Keyboard for Blondes may do the trick.
The all-pink keyboard swaps out standard keys with funnier, dumber key names. The backspace key now says "Oops!" and the entire row of function keys spells out USELESS KEYS. Hit the "$" sign and you get the sound of a cash register clinking.
Blondes can even get a little technical and use special keys that type out "OMG," "ALI" (Absolutely Love It!) or "XOXO." My favorite? The caps lock key now says: "Warning! size XXL letters."
Though this fully functional keyboard would be a great gift to poke some fun at your fair-haired friends, regular computer users may find it a bit challenging. However, like the completely blank Das Keyboard, the Keyboard for Blondes might help poor typists improve their skills, since the keys are 1) a distracting pink, and 2) no longer have the standard labels.
According to its manufacturer, European Trends, the keyboard has already been released in the U.K. to some success, and at $49.95 probably only a true blonde would purchase this novelty item. It's compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux. I know what Paris Hilton will be getting for Christmas.

I'd want one... but wouldn't waste the fifty bucks on it!

Hmm...

Hmm... yeah, there isn't really anything to write for the time being, so I am going to take a cue from Bridgett & Brandi, and answer these questions from James Lipton, host of Inside The Actor's Guild.

What is your favorite word?

Conduit. Lovely. Sweetheart, Sweetie (any pet name like that really, unless it’s used in a patronizing way), Weiner ;) I say it so often, my dog thinks it’s her second name.

What is your least favorite word?

Gizzard. Maggot. Earwig. Cadaver.

What turns you on?

A sense of humor, a person who reads(!!!), European accents (I know, I’m SOOOO original), an educated person who isn’t cocky about it
What turns you off?

Arrogance/Cockiness. Bad New Jersey accents. Bad grammar. People who refuse to try new things (what a lame way to limit your experiences in life…), Hypocrites.

What noise do you love?

Birds in the morning. The crackle of a fire. The roar of the sea. The chime at my door at work (don’t ask). My puppy’s bark, she very rarely barks, and when she does it’s generally for a good reason. “I love you” whispered in my ear…
What noise do you hate?

The ring tone on my phone that I have as my alarm in the morning ( I chose it on purpose because I end up hating any song that serves as my alarm). The sound of sirens. People honking their horns. Gross coughing. Someone spitting.

What is your favorite curse word?

I say “Hella” a lot… does that count? Russ gives me the worst time about it, but I honestly don’t notice when I say it anymore.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Author or grade-school teacher

What profession would you not like to do?

Something like an accountant… basically anything working with numbers/math. A creditor. A sales person.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

"Come on in" would be lovely :)

-K

It's a Dog's Life

When the humans are at work...well....

Just had to share the lovely mess that we come home to every so often. That is all bark that Delilah has dragged inside into our kitchen. Now, I went through our entire backyard and literally picked up every piece of bark that I could possibly find and threw it away. Somehow, she still finds plenty to decorate the house with.

Hey, what else is there to do, right?

P.S: Are you all sick of seeing my red plaid scarf yet? Cuz I'm clearly not...

-K

Here...there...everywhere!

Above: My morning drive on Friday

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Well... okay, to me at least. The mornings have been especially foggy, and I guess for me that's winter! So my mom's birthday surprise for me on Friday was AMAZING! We drove to a little spa called Harmony and she treated me to a pedicure, a facial, and a massage!!! I have never had a facial or a massage, and it was absolutely wonderful. I haven't felt that relaxed in a long time.

Friday night Russ and I went to the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner, and then went and saw Four Christmases. Well, it wasn't as bad as I expected, we had a few laughs and enjoyed the sweet parts of the movie and just overall getting into the spirit of Christmas.

On Saturday we went to a Christmas parade with our Dachshund meetup group, and afterwards went to our friend's store for snacks and just to hang out with friends and our dogs. Because the city was geared up for the Christmas parade, they also had a "Santa" in the store available for pictures, which I ended up mostly taking of people. Not that I'm complaining, I love taking pictures, especially ones that will put a smile on their face!

It was a lot of fun... If you haven't ever checked it out, Meetup.com is an awesome site to go find local clubs. My mom started our Dachshund meetup, and there are over a hundred members now. We do fundraising for local animal rescue and also just socialize with people who have at least one thing in common with us (though generally more)! I also found my amazing book club on meetup, and am having the best time with the girls I've met there!

Well, we wrapped up the weekend on Sunday doing some work on the house (me on the inside, Russ outside). Russ topped off our side planter with bark (gosh, what a cheap and easy improvement), and started on our Christmas lights. I will most likely post some pictures of our lights once they are up!

Hope you all had an amazing weekend!

-K

T.G.I.F...almost.

Hello! Well, I haven't written lately because life has been quite uneventful. Poor Russ is sick with some stomach virus and called in sick, and took himself (gasp) to the doctor. Now, I have to say it must be something quite nasty if Russ takes himself willingly to the doctor.

I snapped some pictures of him cuddling with Lilah, she has been cuddling with him constantly while he's been sick. I think dogs just know those kinds of things...

Oh, and I DID figure out that if I use the red eye for humans, it sometimes works for dog eyes too, but not always. And it gives her kind of a "beady-eye" effect, but still an improvement over the yellow orbs!



As for me, I am certainly glad that tomorrow is Friday! I only work half the day tomorrow, and my mom will be taking me to an undisclosed location (it's an early birthday surprise). Needless to say, I am quite excited!!



Take care and enjoy your Friday!

-K

Book Review: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Summary of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - from the book jacket:

Lily is haunted by memories – of who she once was, and of a person, long gone, who defined her existence. She has nothing but time now, as she recounts the tale of Snow Flower, and asks the gods for forgiveness.

In nineteenth-century China, when wives and daughters were foot-bound and lived in almost total seclusion, the women in one remote Hunan county developed their own secret code for communication: nu shu ("women's writing"). Some girls were paired with laotongs, "old sames," in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments.

With the arrival of a silk fan on which Snow Flower has composed for Lily a poem of introduction in nu shu, their friendship is sealed and they become "old sames" at the tender age of seven. As the years pass, through famine and rebellion, they reflect upon their arranged marriages, loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their lifelong friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a brilliantly realistic journey back to an era of Chinese history that is as deeply moving as it is sorrowful. With the period detail and deep resonance of Memoirs of a Geisha, this lyrical and emotionally charged novel delves into one of the most mysterious of human relationships: female friendship.

My review of the book:

Asian culture, both past and present, fascinates me to no end. This book held the same mystique that book such as Memoirs of a Geisha (Robert Golden) and The Hundred Secret Senses (Amy Tan) have provided for me in the past. Books such as these almost seem to open the door to another universe, one in which everything centers on bizarre tradition and duty. The very idea of foot binding in itself is both gruesome and at the same time, extremely fascinating to me.

A pivotal point in Lily’s life is when her feet are bound and her entire life changes… for the better. She is able to land an incredible match with her future husband; whose family is of much higher wealth and status than her own. She is able to do all of this mostly because of her perfectly bound “lily pad” feet. She does; however, endure excruciating pain, including being forced to walk on her tightly wrapped feet until her bones slowly break in her feet. Her younger sister also undergoes this process at the same time, and dies in the process due to complications and infection.

Above: A real example of "bound" feet

On the other hand, Lily’s “old same”, Snow Flower, who is graceful, beautiful, and of (seemingly) good status, sees her future take a turn for the worse as her family deteriorates. While Lily sees herself wed to someone far above her family’s status, she finds that she owes much to Snow Flower and the woman’s education that she has provided, and she is sad to see her "old same" wed to a lowly butcher (which in that region was considered a very low status due to it being an “unclean” practice).

Well, before I start summarizing the entire book (or giving anything away for those who may pick up the book) I will just say that I, personally, very much enjoyed this book, though I don’t know if I would recommend it to everyone. If you are interested in Asian culture (including foot binding and women’s practices), then I would highly recommend this book. However, I did find myself becoming bored with some parts of the book, and irritated with others. I guess my problem is I have trouble with the horrible way that women were treated, and phrases such as… “Nothing is as evil as a woman’s heart” and in another part, when a miscarriage occurs, they imply that hopefully it was a girl that would not bring trouble into the world. That being said, that isn’t the book’s fault, because sadly, it’s most likely very close to the truth!

If you pick up Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, I hope that you enjoy it, and let me know what you think!

To read more about Nu Shu - the secret language this book centers around, please click here.

Also, please let me know if my book reviews would interest you in the future… I read a lot, and love talking about what I read, but want to know what you guys think as well!

Mad for Plaid...

Sorry, I realize this isn't really an entry of substance... but just wanted to ask a favor... if anyone sees a shirt like the one above... but in actual flannel (and for a reasonable price), let me know! I just love all the 90's plaid that is coming back, with a twist! Every now and then I get these weird "clothing cravings" for something, and right now it's plaid plaid plaid! And ruffles... and bows. I like the shirt above... and it's reasonably priced... but it's description says it's silky... and that's not what I was really looking for.

LOL, okay well I just thought it might be easier to find if I enlisted the eyes of others.

Okay... that's all. (Yes, that was really my entry)
-K