Make yours here.

I'll admit it, I love those mega bookstores like Barnes and Noble and Borders. I know they kill the competition, the "little guy" in the book selling world. But there is something about being surrounded by all those wonderful books. I'm just like a kid in the candy store. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the small, local bookshops too. They offer an ambiance and a uniqueness that the big guys just can't offer. But for the sheer volume and multitudes of choice, I love my Borders. I can go in there alone and spend hours browsing books on a vast array of subjects. I could have easily walked out of there last night with no less than twenty books. I restrained myself and came out with only one, Fannie Flagg's new book "Can't Wait to Get to Heaven" and I'm certain I'm going to laugh out loud while I read it. Of course, I need to finish my current book, "My Sister's Keeper" first. Honestly, I am finding the premise of this book a bit disturbing. From Amazon.com: Anna was genetically engineered to be a perfect match for her cancer-ridden older sister. Since birth, the 13-year-old has donated platelets, blood, her umbilical cord, and bone marrow as part of her family's struggle to lengthen Kate's life. Anna is now being considered as a kidney donor in a last-ditch attempt to save her 16-year-old sister. As this compelling story opens, Anna has hired a lawyer to represent her in a medical emancipation suit to allow her to have control over her own body. Picoult skillfully relates the ensuing drama from the points of view of the parents; Anna; Cambell, the self-absorbed lawyer; Julia, the court-appointed guardian ad litem; and Jesse, the troubled oldest child in the family. Everyone's quandary is explicated and each of the characters is fully developed. There seems to be no easy answer, and readers are likely to be sympathetic to all sides of the case. This is a real page-turner and frighteningly thought-provoking. The story shows evidence of thorough research and the unexpected twist at the end will surprise almost everyone. I have a difficult time condoning the genetic engineering of a baby just to be a donor for another child. I suppose I cannot envision this, as I only have one son. However, I've never been faced with a life-threatening illness with my child. I know I would do whatever it took to help him. But to go as far as to create another child, a sibling, just to be a match for him. I just don't know about that. It just goes against my belief that a child, your child, is a precious gift- not only to you as a parent, but to the world. My child is not "mine"- he is his own self and I am only getting to "borrow" him for a time. "Of all nature's gifts to the human race, what is sweeter to a man than his children?" -Marcus Tullius Cicero I'm wondering, in the day and age before the super-bookstore, where did we buy books? Do we read more books now that we have these stores, plus all the available outlets to purchase books online? I know that I read and owned many books as a child. I do know that we visited the library regularly but I can't recall very many trips to the bookstore. Where did they all come from? books

This week, Kristine (the very soon to be Mrs. Shaun) has so graciously taken the time out from her busy wedding planning to assign the following:

I may have lost my marbles, but now I've found them again!

The Good Chat You scored 47% Chatability!

Well well well it seeems that you have some mastery of the art of conversation. You know how to balance the silly and the serious. You are probably just as comfortable debating foreign policy as you are debating the greatest movie of all times. People are never tired of talking to you. Keep up the good work.

This test tracked 1 variable. How the score compared to the other people's:

Higher than 49% on variable 1

Link: The Conversationalist Test written by scribyribits on Ok Cupid

Favorite summer flower: Wild jasmine- I love the smell. Flavor of ice cream or tofutti: My current favorite- Julie's organic raspberry truffle. Mode of transportation: My bicycle. Music: Green Onions- Booker T and the MG's Food: Salads, salmon on the grill, corn on the cob, iced tea Favorite game to play: Bocce ball, badminton Earliest childhood summer memory: Riding my tricycle up and down the driveway. Favorite Drink: Iced tea, fresh brewed and sometimes sweet. Favorite Snack: Fresh strawberries. Place to read: In the hammock under the shade trees Most annoying: Mosquitoes! How I handle the heat: I love it! Pet Peeve: See most annoying. All-time favorite bathing suit: My red bikini when I was about 6 years old. Best Time of Day: Either sunrise or sunset. Most romantic: Walking on the beach at sunset. Summer movie: Grease. Best for sex: During a summer thunderstorm.

I'm not certain if this is fully accurate.

Tougher questions today... hold on! :) 1. When was the last time someone hit on you? What went down? I have no idea, because I never know when someone is hitting on me. I am totally oblivious to it, and that has caused not a few problems! I have to be hit over the head with it for me to figure it out. And even then, I'm know for denying that I was being hit on. 2. Would you rather drive or be driven? :) Driven. I only like to drive when I'm in the car alone (of course, I have no choice then!) 3. On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your sex life? Oh boy- is this ever a loaded question. It is the proverbial catch-22. I think I will leave it alone! 4. Do you believe someone can truly be bisexual? I used to think no, but I've come around to thinking yes. 5. How often do you feel guilty or ashamed after a sexual experience? Never. Bonus (as in "optional"): Do you feel female homosexuality is more accepted than male? Why? Actually, yes I do. I have no idea why, except that for some reason, men find lesbians to be "hot."

In Honor of the 4th What is your favorite 4th of July memory? (If you aren't in the U.S., then use your own national holiday.) July 4, 1976- my family spent the day at Disney World. At the end of the day, there was the most spectacular fireworks display I've ever seen. I don't know if it was because it was the bicentennial, or because I was a little kid at the time- but the show seemed to go on for hours. I do recall that getting out of the park and back to our hotel took until 2 o'clock in the morning. Fireworks- love them, hate them or somewhere in between? I love the professional fireworks displays. I don't really care for fireworks that people light off at home. I want to see pretty lights, not loud booms. Unfortunately, I can't go see the fireworks show tonight as it doesn't even start until 10 o'clock and I have to work tomorrow.

 

 

What Your Name Means: There are 12 letters in your name. Those 12 letters total to 48 There are 5 vowels and 7 consonants in your name. Your number is: 3 The characteristics of #3 are: Expression, verbalization, socialization, the arts, the joy of living. The expression or destiny for #3: An Expression of 3 produces a quest for destiny with words along a variety of lines that may include writing, speaking, singing, acting or teaching; our entertainers, writers, litigators, teachers, salesmen, and composers. You also have the destiny to sell yourself or sell just about any product that comes along. You are imaginative in your presentation, and you may have creative talents in the arts, although these are more likely to be latent. You are an optimistic person that seems ever enthusiastic about life and living. You are friendly, loving and social, and people like you because you are charming and such a good conversationalist. Your ability to communicate may often inspire others. It is your role in life to inspire and motivate; to raise the spirits of those around you. The negative side of number 3 Expression is superficiality. You may tend to scatter your forces and simply be too easygoing. It is advisable for the negative 3 to avoid dwelling on trivial matters, especially gossip. Your Soul Urge number is: 5 A Soul Urge number of 5 means: The 5 soul urge or motivation would like to follow a life of freedom, excitement, adventure and unexpected happening. The idea of travel and freedom to roam intrigues you. You are very much the adventurer at heart. Not particularly concerned about your future or about getting ahead, you can seem superficial and unmotivated. In a positive sense, the energies of the number 5 make you very adaptable and versatile. You have a natural resourcefulness and enthusiasm that may mark you as a progressive with a good mind and active imagination. You seem to have a natural inclination to be a pace-setter. You are attracted to the unusual and the fast paced. You may be overly restless and impatient at times. You may dislike the routine work that you are engaged in, and tend to jump from activity to activity, without ever finishing anything. You may have difficulty with responsibility. You don't want to be tied down to a relationship, and it may be hard to commit to one person. Your Inner Dream number is: 7 An Inner Dream number of 7 means: You dream of having the opportunity to read, study, and shut yourself off from worldly distractions. You can see yourself as a teacher, mystic, or ecclesiastic, spending your life in the pursuit of knowledge and learning.

If you wish to look up your birthday calculator, go here. Your date of conception was on or about 5 June 1969 which was a Thursday. You were born on a Thursday under the astrological sign Pisces. Your Life path number is 9. Life Path Compatibility: You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 3, 6 & 9. You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 1 & 5. You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 7 & 11. You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 4, 8 & 22. The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2440643.5. The golden number for 1970 is 14. The epact number for 1970 is 22. The year 1970 was not a leap year. Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/6/1970 and ending 1/26/1971. You were born in the Chinese year of the Dog. Your Native American Zodiac sign is Wolf; your plant is Plantain. You were born in the Egyptian month of Pachons, the first month of the season of Shomu (Harvest). The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 29 March 1970. The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 26 April 1970. The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 11 February 1970. The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 17 May 1970. The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 24 May 1970. The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Thursday, 1 October 1970. The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Tuesday, 21 April 1970. The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 10 February 1970. As of 7/3/2006 10:55:34 PM EDT You are 36 years old. You are 437 months old. You are 1,897 weeks old. You are 13,276 days old. You are 318,646 hours old. You are 19,118,815 minutes old. You are 1,147,128,934 seconds old. Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 5.19608610567515 years old. (You're still chasing cats!) There are 238 days till your next birthday on which your cake will have 37 candles. Those 37 candles produce 37 BTUs, or 9,324 calories of heat (that's only 9.3240 food Calories!) . You can boil 4.23 US ounces of water with that many candles. In 1970 there were approximately 3.7 million births in the US. In 1970 the US population was approximately 203,302,031 people, 57.4 persons per square mile. In 1970 in the US there were approximately 2,158,802 marriages (10.6%) and 708,000 divorces (3.5%) In 1970 in the US there were approximately 1,921,000 deaths (9.5 per 1000) In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds. In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds. Your birthstone is Amethyst Your birth tree is Pine Tree, the Particularity Loves agreeable company, very robust, knows how to make life comfortable, very active, natural, good companion, but seldom friendly, falls easily in love but its passion burns out quickly, gives up easily, many disappointments till it finds its ideal, trustworthy, practical.

My Favorite- 1. smell is… freshly cut grass (but it is hard for me to limit it to just one- I'm very scent-sensitive.) 2. summertime thing to do is… eat breakfast outside on the deck. 3. tree to sit under is… my big tree that shades the deck. 4. restaurant chain is… Maggiano's. Great eggplant, a wonderful wine list and a great (non-smoking) bar. 5. room in the house is… my bedroom- fireplace for the winter, bay window to read in for the summer and a comfy reading chair.