Chocolicious Links for Everyone's Soul

Chocolate toothpaste. That just doesn't sound right. Thanks, Cat, for the heads up. And the link led me to the Strange New Products blog.

Talk about playing with your food. A man built a city with biscuits and wafers and such. Link found on Cynical-C Blog.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
Technorati Tags: links

Lovestruck over Moonstruck Chocolates

These look so yummy. Moonstruck Chocolates. Check out the cute truffles. Link from Candy Addict.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
Technorati Tags: chocolate

When There's Nothing Else to Blog About

There are always quizzes.

People Envy Your Compassion

You have a kind heart and an unusual empathy for all living creatures. You tend to absorb others' happiness and pain. People envy your compassion, and more importantly, the connections it helps you build. And compassionate as you are, you feel for them.

What Do People Envy About You?

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
Technorati Tags: quizzes

Commercials

I posted this over on Write Stuff, but figured I'd post it here, too.

I've been enjoying watching I Spy and Man from UNCLE on the American Life channel which caters to the boomer generation, but the commercials are really getting on my nerves. The ones for wills were bad enough, but tonight's commercial for women's unwanted hair went too far. Sheesh. Is that really all they think we over 50 folks want to hear about? I'm watching a spy show, damn it. I don't care about hemmoroid creams and calcium supplements.

Meanwhile, I saw a great ad on the subway today for Manhattan Mini Storage: A man dressed in cowboy hat clutching a teddy bear dressed in bandana and a cowboy shirt, with the copy text that says "I don't know how to quit you." "Brokeback Mountain" is definitely in the public vocabulary now.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
Technorati Tags: commercials

About Time

Yes, finally, I've done another Blogthings quiz.

Your Quirk Factor: 57%

You're a pretty quirky person, but you're just normal enough to hide it. Congratulations - you've fooled other people into thinking you're just like them!

How Quirky Are You?

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
Technorati Tags: quizzes

Allergy Season Already?

Sheesh. Seems like I'd barely stopped sneezing for the last allergy season, which for me lasts on and off from March/April through September. But here I am, itchy eyes and sometimes runny nose. feh

And the tooth that's bothering me, the one the dentist can't find anything wrong with, is bothering me again.

It's going to continue to warm up this week. It won't last, but even if if slides back a bit, I can still sense spring is coming. I am so ready for spring. I want some nature colors in my photos. I want to wear my cute leather jackets. I want to not have to wear a scarf or carry gloves and earmuffs just in case. I want to take Mal the Action Figure out on photo shoots.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
Technorati Tags: allergies

Take Your Action Figure to Work Day

Many thanks for the blogiversary congrats and well wishes.

Today was Take Your Action Figure to Work Day — don't tell me you didn't know about it. So, I took Mal to work with me and took lots of photos. Here's one. The rest are in the Mal set on my flickr page.


Went to lunch with co-worker to a new diner. Great atmosphere, but despite the good review I'd seen in the newspaper for the place, the food wasn't all that good. The pancakes were undercooked and her eggs were nothing to write home about either. It's a shame. We'd been hoping we'd found a good new lunch place.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
Technorati Tags: humor

Blogiversary

It's been 2 years since I started blogging, so along with the tour of my apartment (and work will be added soon) mentioned in the previous post, I made a celebratory graphic. I'd like to thank all my regular readers for sticking with my blog(s) and me and a Big Hello to newcomers happening by. I hope you find something you like and return for more.

I will admit to some disappointment at slipping back to a Flippery Fish in the Ecosystem. I didn't mind going back down from Reptile to Amphibian, but this is fairly depressing. I know a lot of links back to Cyber Chocolate were due to folks doing memes that were from here, and that once that died down, I might slip a bit, but I didn't think it would be enough to bump me down to fish. And I can't even swim!

But spring is in the air and life is good, and something like one's rank in the blogosphere seems so silly and trivial. And yes, I am trying to convince myself of that.

Anyway, this is supposed to be a celebration. I don't have any cake, but I hope this dish of chocolate ice cream will suffice.


Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
Technorati Tags: blogging

Two Years of Blogging Goodness

Back in March 2004, I started the original Cyber Chocolate on AOL, along with Presto Speaks! on LiveJournal (now called The Write Stuff), AOL, and Blogger. In honor of my blogging anniversary, "Mal Reynolds," the captain of the Serenity ship on "Firefly" will give you a tour of my apartment. A couple of the photos appear here, obviously.




Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
Technorati Tags: blogging anniversary

Like a Slacker

That's kinda how I feel. I feel like that every time I miss a day posting here. At least, I don't recall posting here yesterday.

Yesterday was busy but a good kind of busy, the hectic get things done kind of busy. And lunch was yummy bacon waffles with bananas. Today could've been a disaster, but the third staff I'd feared wouldn't be in (she'd been sick) did come in as scheduled in the afternoon, so the other person and I avoided 4 hours straight of reference desk time.

Took a break from scanning photos backward in time to jump back to the little black & white shots of the '60s. It's been fun playing with these and I really wanted to see how the old b&w ones scanned. Not bad once I boosted the contrast.

The weather's been cool and clammy, but the showers in the forecast never came. I can't wait for spring to finally show up for real.

As you can see, I don't have much of interest to say, so I'll end it here.
Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
Technorati Tags: personal

Official Business

Got a letter from the DMV. Thought they want to revoke my non-driver's ID, but it was actually good news. I'm getting a refund.

It seems that on Oct. 1, 2005, NYS raised the price of photo docs to $10 from $5. That's what I paid. Seems that was in error. As the letter says:

"However, the law that raised the photo document fee did not specifiy an increase to the photo document fee for non-driver identification cards."

Cool. Hubby said I should tell them to keep the money and let me get a better photo. I'm just happy I didn't have to pay so much for such a frightening photo.

Meanwhile, this month marks the end of my second blogging year. The original Cyber Chocolate was created on AOL in March 2004. I have something fun in mind to celebrate, but will consider other ideas short of posting a recognizable photo of me or my friends/family.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
Technorati Tags: dmv

Thursday Stuff

Yet another entry in the category of great 404 pages. Found on Very Big Blog.

In typing today's subject title, I realized I often mistype "Thursday" as "Thrushday." Once a Man from UNCLE fan, always a Man from UNCLE fan, I guess.

TV sucks tonight. No CBS shows due to the NCAA tournament. Mets pre-season game was rained out. No Islanders game. I have the NJ Devils on. However, I just remembered the new Sleuth TV cable channel, so all might not be lost. Miami Vice is airing as I type this. But I was never the biggest Miami Vice fan. Maybe the next show will be more to my liking.

Work has been hectic. We're doing training in prep of getting a major upgrade to our circulation system in another two weeks. Then I come home to a stack of started projects, most of which I want to get finished by mid-May when I go on vacation.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
Technorati Tags: links miscellany

Chocolate on the East Side

March2206UES 042
Originally uploaded by ShellyS.

My favorite donut place closed. They're tearing down all the buildings on the block to put up a highrise.

Meanwhile, I found a chocolate place that looks to be worth a visit.

Stuff

Newspaper Snippet Generator. Found on Generator Blog.
Another goodie from The Presurfer is Make Your Own Search Engine. Here's mine:
Also from The Presurfer: The Cleaning Hunk. Safe for work, but just, uh, barely.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
Technorati Tags: links

Too Cold for Spring

How much would you pay for your chocolate fix? Ten dollars for a bar of dark chocolate? I dunno. It would have to be really, really good for me to pay that, especially when there's cheap chocolicious goodness around.

Had a bit of trouble getting into Blogger earlier, so I continued with my photo scanning. I'm doing my California trips now, starting with 1979. I've done the trip from LA to San Francisco and will do the San Francisco shots next. Then there are the trips from '81, '83, and '86.

A balmy 24° F. greeted me this morning when I left for work. Spring, huh? Yeah, sure. In spring's defense, it did warm up to the 40s and the sun was out most of the day. I'm just not sure that really counts.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
chocolate
personal

Brain Overload?

I think I've reached the point where I can't remember if I've posted something or not. At any rate, I saw this on Leesa's blog and in case I haven't posted the link before, here's an online Etch-a-Sketch.

One of the unexpected, yet simple pleasures of life is when the roll of toilet paper in the staff restroom at work is nice and soft, not the usual cheap stuff with the texture of newsprint.

Rumor has it that spring has sprung. I'm waiting for confirmation in the form of tangible proof. Temperatures that stay above 40 degrees Farenheit would do for starters.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
links
miscellany

Me Me Me Meme

Another questionnaire I found on LiveJournal.

1. How many keys are on your keychain?
8, plus 10 work keys on the attached work keyring.

2. What curse word do you use the most?
Uh, a tie I think between shit and fuck.

3. Do you own an iPod?
No.

4. Who on your Myspace "Top 8" do you talk to most?
I don't have a MySpace space.

5. What time is your alarm clock set for?
On work days, the radio goes on at 6:30 am, and I get up at 7.

6. How many suitcases do you own?
One on wheels, and a couple of overnight shoulder bags.

7. Do you wear flip-flops even when it's cold outside?
No, if you mean the backless sandals which I walk out of. I do have a pair I wear as slippers at home.

8. Where do you buy your groceries from?
Hubby shops at Keyfood and I pick up things at a small local grocery.

9. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?
I hate having my picture taken.

10. What was the last movie you watched?
"Walk the Line"

11. Do any of your friends have children?
Yes, my best friend has 2 plus one grandkid. Some of my other friends have kids, too.

12. If you won the lottery, what's the first thing you would buy?
If it's enough money, I'd just retire and live off it.

13. Has anyone ever called you lazy?
Not to my face or that I otherwise know of.

14. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster?
No, never.

15. What CD is currently in your CD player?
I'm listening to internet radio. I rarely play CDs.

16. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?
Either is fine with me.

17. Has anyone told you a secret this week?
No.

18. When was the last time someone hit on you?
I think the last time was over 20 years ago.

19. What did you have for dinner?
Lucshen (noodles) and cheese with raisins.

20. Do you wear hoodies often?
Well, my sweatshirts and some jackets have hoods. Do those count?

21. Can you whistle?
No.

22. Have you ever participated in a protest?
No.

23. Who was the last person to call you?
My father.

24. What is your favorite ride at an amusement park?
I'm not much into amusement park rides.

25. Do you think people talk about you behind your back?
Probably. I mean, who doesn't have people talking about them, good or bad, behind their back?

26. What area code are you in right now?
One of the NYC ones.

27. Did you watch cartoons as a child?
All the time.

28. How big is your local mall?
How local is local? There are many around, but NYC doesn't have many. Mostly strip malls, and there's the Queens Center. But we've got stores everywhere.

29. How many siblings do you have?
One, a younger sister.

30. Are you shy around the opposite sex?
I used to be, but managed to get married, anyway. ;)

31. What is your biggest regret?
Nothing really. Regret is a time waster.

32. Have you ever had Jamba Juice?
No.

33.When was the last time you laughed so hard your sides hurt?
I don't remember. Was probably watching something funny on TV. Maybe on David Letterman.

34. What movie do you know every line to?
None. I have a bad memory that way.

35. Do you own any band t-shirts?
No, but I do have some Mets and Islanders ones.

36. When was your last plane ride?
In the '90s, but I don't recall which year. Could be around 2000.

37. How many chairs are at your dining room table?
Four at it, and 2 on the sides of the room.

38. What is your favorite salad dressing?
French.

39. Do you read for fun?
Why else would I read? Uh, that's a yes.

40. Can you speak any languages other than English?
I can mangle some French.

41. Do you do your own dishes?
We have a dishwasher and I help it out sometimes.

42. What color is your bedroom painted?
Apartment beige.

43. Have you ever cried in public?
Yes.

44. Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop?
Both.

45. Which do you make: wishes or plans?
Both.

46. Are you always trying to learn new things?
People who stop learning, stop living.

47. Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos?
No.

48. Do you believe that the guy should pay on the first date?
No, I don't believe in dating rules.

49. Can you skip rocks?
No. Darn things just sink.

50. Have you ever been to Jamaica?
Sure, Jamaica, Queens. But not the island.

51. If you could be anyone in the world, who would you be?
Me.

52. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Hmmm.... counting sneakers and boots and sandals, must be about 50 or 60 pairs.

53. Do you love your job?
Yes.

54. Has someone you loved died in the last year?
Not in the last year, but the year before that.

55. What to snack on at the movie theatres?
Sno-Caps.

56. Who was your favorite teacher?
There were many, but Miss K, my high school chem teacher, is at the top of the list. Very classy lady, bought us, her honors class, our own textbooks and sliderules. Please don't ask what a sliderule is. If you're too young to know, Google it. heh

57. Have you ever dated someone out of your race?
No. That's a rather bigoted question.

58. What is the weather like?
Now? Cold and clear.

59. Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos?
I'd rather consider the guy's personality.

60. Do you have an online journal?
Many.

61. What was your favorite class in high school?
Didn't I get this question on another meme I just did? Chem, English mostly.

62. Does your closest Starbucks have a drive-thru?
I doubt it. We don't have drive-thrus around here, but I don't go to Starbucks.

63. Do you eat breakfast daily?
Yeah, I call my first meal of the day breakfast.

64. What was the last thing to scare you?
I must've blocked it from my memory.

65. What is your favorite fruit?
Bananas.

66. Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages?
No.

67. Are you picky about spelling and grammar?
Yes.

68. What was the last thing you ate?
M&Ms for dessert after my roast chicken with pasta and veggies for lunch.

69. Do you get along better with the same or opposite sex?
Depends on the person, but usually the same sex.

70. What did you dress up as for your first Halloween?
I can't remember back that far.

71. Do you like mustard?
No.

72. Would you ever sky dive?
No.

73 Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back?
Side.

74. What character from a movie most reminds you of yourself?
None.

75. Do you enjoy giving hugs?
To people I care about, yeah, and I love being hugged back.

76. Would you consider yourself to be fashionable?
No.

77. Do you own a digital camera?
Yes.

78. What celebrities have you been compared to?
None.

79. Does it annoy you when someone says they'll call but never do?
Yes, but I forget about it soon enough.

80. Are you a jealous person?
No. More envious, perhaps.

81. Do you ever feel guilty after eating meat?
No. I'm an omnivore.

82. If you were born the opposite sex, what would your name have been?
My mother had one picked out. It was okay.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
memes

Domestic Diva Goodness

Following yesterday's cleaning of the bathrooms, I did the laundry today, which gave me an hour or so of reading time as I brought a book with me down to the laundry room in our apartment building's basement, as has become my habit. Got it all fluffed and folded and put away, too.

Also have been going through the stacks of magazine articles and did some more photo scanning. I'm up to California. Did the San Diego Zoo shots from July 1979 tonight. I've been in California many times, so there are a LOT of photos in this batch to scan and that's not counting the shots of family. I have a lot of cousins living in the San Fernando Valley. This project has been more labor intensive and addicting than I'd thought. I'm getting a bit obsessive about it.

Celebrated my accomplishments with a chocolate malted for lunch. Figured I'd deserved it.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
housework

High School Meme

Found this on Sweet Memes and it looked like fun, so...

1. Who was your best friend(s)? W.
2. What sports did you play? Nothing willingly.
3. What kind of car did you drive? Didn't drive then, don't drive now.
4. It’s Friday night, where are you at? Watching TV, reading.
5. Were you a party animal? Nope.
6. Were you in the “In Crowd”? I was so out of the In Crowd, I didn't even know who was in it.
7. Ever skip school? No. I wouldn't have known where to go. Besides, I liked school. Except for gym.
8. Ever smoke a cigarette? No. I never did like the smell of smoke.
9. Were you a nerd? That implies some standing. I wasn't even nerdy enough to be a nerd. Basically, I was just a kid in school.
10. Did you ever get suspended/expelled? No. I never did anything worthy of any form of punishment at school.
11. Can you sing the Alma Mater? Frighteningly, yeah, after all these years (36 and counting). The song was called "Oh Blue and White."
12. Who was your favorite teacher? Ah, there was Mr. H, one of the history teachers, and Mr. F, an English teacher who liked to write WGT after his name for "World's Greatest Teacher." And Mr. S who taught Latin, and my French teacher whose name, or rather, intial, is escaping me. But probably Miss K. my chem teacher was my favorite.
13. Favorite class? Latin, chem, and a couple of my English classes.
14. What was your school’s name? John Adams.
15. School mascot? Hmmm..... I have no clue.
16. Did you go to Prom? There was a prom? Uh, guess not.
17. Would you go back again and do it over? Only if I can bring my current personality and wisdom of life's experiences with me. I'm not so shy anymore.
18. What do you remember most about graduation? It rained the night before and the chairs set up outside were still wet so we had to have the ceremony in the dark auditorium.
19. Favorite memory of senior year? Senior Day when we got to dress up. Most of us dressed as little boys and girls. I put my hair in pigtails and wore one of my younger sister's girlie girl dresses.
20. Were you ever posted on the senior wall? Is that a recent thing? I don't know it.
21. Did you have a job your senior year? None that paid til after I graduated. I did school service for credits, working for one of my teachers who was also a guidance counselor.
22. Who did you date? I might've gone out on a blind date my senior year, maybe two. I don't remember the guys at all.
23. Have you gained weight since then? Yeah, but I have no idea how much since I don't recall what I weighed back then.
24. What did you do after graduation? Worked for a month, then was laid off because the department store had overhired, thinking some of us would quit. Then I lounged around the house til college started in the fall.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
memes

Family Affair

The tech guys got the computers back up at work, mostly, by 4:30 pm. Something to do with the T3 line. Not every computer was working by the end of the day, though. We'll see how things go tomorrow and next week. At least, I have tomorrow off.

My cousin and his daugher were visiting from California, so I went to dinner with them and my father, at whose house they're staying. We had rather bland Chinese food in a restaurant we were trying for the first time. But since this was a family thing, not a food thing, we had a nice time. Since we live on opposite ends of the country, I don't see my cousin very often, and I'd never met his daughter, who is now 18, so this was a special night. I've met his wife, before they got married, and I've never met his son, both of whom stayed home in California.
Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
computers
family

Adventures in Real Life

Today was one of those days I could've stayed home for all the work I got done at work. But I did have some sort of perverse fun rebooting my work PC at least a dozen times in the hopes it would finally, properly, hook up to the remote server, same as just about everyone else at work today. Made me really glad I didn't pay for that computer system. Good thing I'd laid in a supply of dark chocolate Hershey Kisses.

I wish our IT folks had the sense of humor that Blogger's staff has. They had some equipment problems and this is part of their solution for it.

The second miniature nude I'd commissioned came in. So, I present a little clay pornography for you, my faithful readers.


Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
work
miniatures

Couldn't Care Less

First, the expression is "I couldn't care less." Not "I could care less." If you say the latter, you're saying, "Yes, I could care less if I really tried." Which isn't much of an insult, when you think of it. But when you "couldn't care less," no matter how hard you try, you can't dredge up an iota of caring. Got it? Okay. That's one misunderstood expression that really annoys me when I hear it said wrong.

At the risk of offending someone by naming one of their favorite celebrities or whatever, I offer, in no particular order, my current list of "Things/People I Couldn't Care Less About."

• Howard Stern
• Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
• American Idol
• Desperate Housewives
• The Sopranos
• Lost
• The Apprentice
• Donald Trump
• All the other reality TV shows (or as some critics call them, "unscripted shows."
• Paris Hilton (Does anyone care about her, anymore?)

There might be others. These are the ones that came immediately to mind.

What about you? Got a list you'd like to share?

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
lists

Fun Times Ahead

It seems we get a whole week to indulge our love of chocolate, with Chocolate Week. And Ghiradelli introduces Intense Dark Gourmet Chocolate Bars.

This has to be the oddest generator online: Monty Python's Silly Walks Generator. *wink wink nudge nudge* Found on The Presurfer.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
chocolate
links

Chocolate Covered Oreos

Chocolate Covered Oreos
Originally uploaded by ShellyS.

Yummylicious goodness from Harry London. Hubby had gotten these for me for Valentine's Day. I'd brought them to work, using great restraint to wait to open the tin. Today was the day. Yum!

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
chocolate

Betty Grable, That's Me

Okay, this works for me:

You are Betty Grable

The ulitmate girl next door You're the perfect girl for most guys Pretty yet approachable. Beautiful yet real.

What Famous Pinup Are You?

Went to see Paul Taylor Dance Company today with my friend C. We've been going for 30 years or so now. We've seen a lot of dancers come and go, and this was the first season in a very long time without Patrick Corbin, my favorite, who retired after last season. So my new favorite is Michael Trusnovec. Now that he doesn't have to defer to Corbin for some big parts, he's really showing off what he can do. The three dances today, including a new one ("Banquet of Vultures" which was very dark and disturbing), were excellent.

Rainy day, so I didn't bring my camera. I find I really hate not having it with me because that's when I spot something I want to photograph. There were some neat archways and architectural details I'd missed last week. So I made a list.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
quizzes
dance concert

Stuffed Stuff

These cute handmade dragons watch over me while I work on my computer. They're part of a fairly diverse dragon family. All of the same design, all by the same woman, but all in individual colors and sometimes, different texture of fabrics. They're all over the den.

Had work today, very busy. Islanders won a tight game, managing to avoid overtime, and I remembered to watch Hustle, which was excellent. I'd say as usual, but since this is only the third I've remembered to watch, I can only assume the ones I've missed were as great.

All 3 SciFi Channel season enders were wonderful cliffhangers. The 2 Stargates held some surprise, but not much, just the usual "how the hell are they gonna get out of this mess" situations. Whereas Battlestar Galactica could go anywhere because I haven't heard a thing about the whole cast being back next season. But there was definitely a "beware what youwish for" thing going on.

I alsp spent too much time tonight rearranging two of my photo sets on flickr. Computerization is progress for sure: it's made procrastination and cat vacuuming so much easier.


Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
miscellany

The Perfect Skirt

Yes, the perfect skirt does exist. Well, one such skirt is now in my closet. It's long enough to cover my knees. It's got 2 deep pockets that actually button closed, good for carrying my wallet and keys. It's a nice shade of brown (blue or black would've been better, but I can't be that fussy). It was reasonably priced. And it fit! I found this gem at H&M after leaving the gym this afternoon.

Other things happened today, but they pale in the face of this great find.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
wardrobe

Just Another Thursday

I think I need a random subject line generator. Unfortunately, I haven't found one yet. However, thanks to Generator Blog, I did find a Comic Strip Generator.


Candy Addict points us to this maker of chocolate skulls. Doesn't that sound yummy. And I'm only being partially sarcastic. It is kinda cool in a grotesque kinda way.

Well, it's official; I'm average.

Your Luck Quotient: 49%

You have an average luck quotient. There's been times when you've been extremely lucky... but also times when you've been very unlucky. You probably know that you can make your own luck in life, if you're open to it. So listen to your intuition as much as you can. It's right more often than you might expect.

How Lucky Are You?

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
links
quizzes

Because I'm Lazy

Because I'm lazy, I'm doing a Blogthings quiz.

You Are Coke

A true original and classic, you represent the best of everything you can offer. Just the right amount of sweet, just the right amount of energy... you're the life of the party. Your best soda match: Mountain Dew Stay away from:Dr Pepper

What Kind of Soda Are You?

Had a cracked filling fixed. The novacain shot ended up being worse than the drilling, and now my jaw aches. I don't usually have problems with the shots, so this is rather annoying. And because I wasn't in the mood, I didn't go to the gym and ended up walking down from 35th Street to Greenwich Village (45 or so blocks), taking photos along the way. They've already been uploaded to my flickr stream (you can click the flickr box in the sidebar for them). It turned out to be a really nice day and I topped it off with a liquid meal: a yummylicious chocolate malted.

Feeling:

~~~o0o~~~
quizzes

The Chocolate Barn

NE4
Originally uploaded by ShellyS.

I've been scanning in my old photos for archiving and posting to flickr. This was appropriate for here, so I'm showing it off. It was taken in Vermont in 1986. Ya gotta love a shop devoted to chocolate.

--o0o--
Feeling:

Questions and More Questions

Yup, you guessed it, another questionnaire meme. I liked most of these questions, so figured I'd do them. Found this on a mostly-friends only LJ, so I'm not linking to it.

1. What time did you get up this morning?

7:00 a.m., grudgingly as usual.

2. Diamonds or pearls?

Diamonds.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

"Walk the Line," seen with a friend on Presidents' Day.

4. What is your favorite TV show?

Always a toughie. Current or previous? Night of the week? heh. Seriously, I love too many. See the fanlistings links in the sidebar for some of them. But currently, I love NCIS, House, Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, and Battlestar Galactica the most, with Charmed, Medium, and Invasion close behind.

5. What do you usually have for breakfast?

Workdays, I mostly get a chocolate croissant, but sometimes a bacon, egg, and cheese thingie on tortilla bread the little catering place across the street from work makes. At home, juice and a cookie. I don't like eating much in the morning.

6. What is your middle name?

Begins with an A. I don't like it.

7. Favourite cuisine?

Chinese.

8. What foods do you dislike?

Nearly all seafood, anything with curry, cooked fruit, nuts except in Chinese food.

9. What is your favourite chip flavor?

Plain potato chips. Or chocolate chips if I can interpret "chip" liberally.

10. What is your favourite CD at the moment?

I don't really listen to CDs. I'm a radio kinda gal. I listen to the classic rock station at home and an oldies station that streams an the web at work.

11. What kind of car do you drive?

I don't drive.

12. Favourite sandwich?

Lox and cream cheese on a bagel.

13. What characteristic do you despise?

Dishonesty.

14. Favorite item of clothing?

Jeans.

15. Where would you like to travel to?

Alaska.

16. What color is your bathroom?

The one I use is black, white, and red. Hubby's is blue. Yes, we're a 2-bathroom household!

17. Favorite brand of clothing?

Whatever fits that I can afford. I'm not brand conscious and don't particularly like advertising on my butt, so to speak. I used to love Calvin Klein's clothes but not much since he sold the company.

18. Where would you retire to?

If we don't stay in NYC, Hawaii would be lovely.

19. What was your most memorable birthday?

The surprise party my best bud threw me at a fan media convention (for fans of tv shows and movies).

20. Favorite sport to watch?

Baseball, followed closely by hockey. I have an Islanders game on now. :)

21. Goal you have for yourself?

To retire so I can write more often. Then, to get published.

22. When is your birthday?

Coming up in a couple of months.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?

I am so very much a night person.

24. What is your shoe size?

8.

25. Pets?

No.

26. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us?

I ate some purple potatoes with lunch today. Never knew they existed, but they were yummy.

27. What did you want to be when you were little?

Cop, teacher, then I spent all my teens not knowing what I want to be, didn't really decide until after college.

28. How are you today?

Bemused.

29. What is your favorite candy?

Trick question. You'd think I'd answer "chocolate," but that's an ingredient, not a candy. So I'd have to say M&Ms.

30. What is your favorite flower?

Anything without a scent. I like Morning Glories.

31. What is a date on the calendar you are looking forward to?

That fan con I mentioned, and the miniatures shows I go to.


Feeling:

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memes

All in All a Nice Day

Went with my friend C to see Paul Taylor Dance Company. First season without my favorite dancer Patrick Corbin, who retired. It was weird not seeing him on stage. But before that, came brunch. C and I have been going to the same coffeeshop a block south of Columbus Circle for years. So after I walked over, snapping photos along the way, I discover the place is not only closed, but there's no more than a faded outline where the sign used to be. The F word came to mind. We went to a restaurant in a nearby hotel and I got my challah French toast, but it wasn't quite the same. So my ability to curse restaurants into closure continues apace. *sigh*

Otherwise, except for the wind and the fact that I'd managed to overdress, it was a nice day. And here's a chocolicious article for your entertainment.

Feeling:

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personal

Oooo, a Questionnaire Meme

Saw this on Anonymous Rowhouse and, of course, had to do it. There were numbers missing; I don't know why.

1. Put an x in the parentheses for those things you have done in your life:

( ) Smoked a cigarette
( ) Drank so much you threw up
( ) Crashed a friend's car (but into a friend's car!!)
( ) Stolen a car
( x ) Been in love
( ) Been dumped.
( x ) Been laid off/fired
( x ) Quit your job
( ) Been in a fist fight
( ) Snuck out of your parent's house
( x ) Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
( ) Been arrested?
( x ) Gone on a blind date
( ) Lied to a friend.
( ) Skipped school
( ) Seen someone die
( x ) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
( x) Been on a plane
( x ) Been lost
( x ) Been on the opposite side of the country
( x ) Gone to Washington, DC
( x ) Swam in the ocean
( x ) Felt like dying
( x ) Cried yourself to sleep
( x ) Played cops and robbers
( ) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Sang karaoke
( ) Paid for a meal with only coins
( x ) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
( x ) Made prank phone calls
( x ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
( x ) Caught a snowflake on your tongue.
( x ) Danced in the rain
( ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe (I kissed someone at work once; does that count?)
( ) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about or love
( x ) Blown bubbles
( ) Made a bonfire on the beach
( ) Crashed a party
( x ) Gone roller-skating
( x ) Ice-skating

3. Any nicknames? Shelly (there have been some others; my best friend in high school called me Sheldon -- there were 5 of us who used nicknames for each other ending with "don." I have no idea why.)
4. Mother's name? Too personal; it began with an M.
5. What is your favorite drink? Milk and chocolate malteds.
6. Tattoos? nope
7. Body piercing? nada
8. How much do you love your job (1-10). 9, sometimes 7.
9. Birth Place? Brooklyn, NY
10. Favorite vacation spot? San Francisco and Hawaii were especially nice, but as long as I'm not at work, it's a great vacation.
12. Ever steal any traffic signs? no
14. A, B, C, D, DD cup size? Uh, I haven't measured in years. Last time I wore something that required me to know, I was a B, I think. It's been 30 years since then, so my memory's a bit fuzzy.
15. 2 Door or 4 Door? Is this a car thing? 4 doors is nice, easier for everyone getting in and out.
16. Salad dressing? Creamy French or Thousand Island.
17. Favorite pie? I don't eat pies. Oh, wait. Pizza pies!
18. Favorite number? 5
19. Favorite movie? I couldn't pick a favorite movie if my life depended on it. Just too many to even come up with a top 10 list.
20. Favorite holiday? Any day I don't have to work. I'm not much of a holiday person anymore.
22. Favorite food? chocolate, d'uh
23. Favorite day of the week? Any day I don't have to work.
24. Favorite brand of body soap? Dial
26. Toothpaste? Minty Crest, whichever I can find.
27. Favorite smell? Most cooking smells will do. Burnt toast is nice. Also vanilla and brewing coffee and coconut (even tho I don't like coconut or coffee).
28. What do you do to relax? blog, read, draw, craft
29. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Enjoying my retirement, writing.
30. What do you do when you are bored? blog, read, draw, craft. heh

Feeling:

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memes

Tiny Studio Apartment

Apt6
Originally uploaded by ShellyS.

Over the years, I've described the apartment I lived in on the Upper East Side of Manhattan from Oct. 1979 to Aug. 1985 when I got married. It was 8 feet wide and the main room was 16 feet long, plus there was an 8 foot long hallway where the kitchen was located. The teeny bathroom, which miraculously had a full-sized tub, was between the main room and the kitchenette. There's a large stain on the ceiling. That's water damage from the perpetual leak that plagued me the entire time I lived there. Oh, and in the part you can't see, where I was sitting while taking the photo, was a loveseat/sofabed. When it was open, there was no room to walk around it so I had to climb in and out from the foot of the bed.

Saturday Link-Up

Just had a yummy brunch of pancakes and before I start cleaning, I thought I'd pass on some links before my fingers freeze. It's f'in cold in here.

From Boing Boing: A guitar made from a toilet seat. Okay, now I really have seen everything. I am truly amazed and humbled by the things people think of.

Have a photo online you'd like to have some fun with? Make a kaleidoscopic pic of it with this nifty little online toy. You can play with it til you get an effect you like, then save. It's supposed to generate a jpeg, but that didn't work for me, so I did screen caps, instead. Here's one I made from a photo I have loaded on flickr.


Okay, that wasn't a lot of links. Actually, just two. But they're choice. What do you want for a weekend? heh

Feeling:

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links

Playing Catch Up

Managed to get a lot done at work today. Not everything on the list, and I've got 4 things that need to get done ASAP next week, and we've also have training for our circ system upgrade starting on Monday, but I cleaned out a lot of files I no longer need and straightened my desk, a sadly neglected necessity for too long. I can actually find things now. Just need to do a new To Do list. Hmmm.... I guess that should be the first item on it. heh

And I've been scanning old photos this week. Still have well more than half to do, but I can actually see that I'm making progress. Will back up the photos on CD tomorrow. I plan to get a lot done tomorrow. We'll see how well I do. (And by tomorrow, I mean Saturday, even though technically it already is Saturday, but I haven't been to bed yet, so it's still tomorrow, according to Shelly-Time.)

Feeling:

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personal

Day that Got Away

I had plans for the day. Work plans, but still, plans. And I got to maybe one thing on my list due to all manner of problems cropping up. And then the day was over, leaving me wondering where it went.

I do feel a bit better, which is nice.

Not that I need to bring my blood pressure down, but this still is nice to read.

All about rainbows. Found on The Presurfer.

Found this on Cynical-C Blog and I'm flabbergasted. Paying off a debt can get you in trouble with Homeland Security. A true WTF? if ever I saw one.

The results of this Blogthings quiz are not quite right. Some of the questions were worded in a way that made my answers to them other than they would've been with slightly different phrasing.

You Are 48% Open Minded

You aren't exactly open minded, but you have been known to occasionally change your mind. You're tolerant enough to get along with others who are very different... But you may be quietly judgmental of things or people you think are wrong. You take your own values pretty seriously, and it would take a lot to change them.

How Open Minded Are You?

Feeling:

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quizzes
miscellany
chocolate
links

Humped by Hump Day

Good News: Chocolate Tasting at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan. Samples are from Australia, Venezuela, and Europe, along with dessert wine, and listen to experts lecture on chocolate. Wednesday, March 8.
Bad News: It cost $45! to get in. Sigh. Even for a rabid chocoholic, that's a bit rich for my blood. Pass the M&Ms, please.

Feeling tired, achy, and crampy made for a very long, tedious day.

Reviewed a book over on Shelly's Book Shelf and some comics over on Shelly's Comic Book Shelf.

Feeling:

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miscellany