Wait for it, Vader is in there too.

helpful hints

A few friendly tidbits of advice:

1.  Do not put a Cadbury Cream Egg in the microwave on full power for one minute and then smother the accidentally rapidly solidifying molten-cement-like sugary contents with frozen ice cream: You will permanently ruin your grandmother's dessert dish and also a spoon.

2.  Do not let Jennell use the microwave.  Ever.

duh, it's a lizard!

I wanted to tell you all about my little lizard pal.

There is a little lizard who lives outside my bedroom window here in Florida.  He is a cute little guy.  Kind of brownish with some spots.  I would take a picture of him for you if I had a working phone and/or camera.  He visits me everyday, and it makes me happy.  He sits around on the hurricane shutter for a little while, then I will hear a semi-loud bang/plop sort of noise, and it means that he has jumped onto the window.  Then he sits around on the glass of the window with his suctiony little lizard feet for a bit: sometimes he walks around on the glass, a bit backwards, a bit forwards, then a bit backwards again.  Doing a sophisticated and mysterious little lizard dance. 

I see him for a little bit almost every day.  He hangs around for a while, then he leaves.  Off to go do exciting lizardy things that little lizards do I suppose.  It fills my little heart with a speck of joy when he comes around, though.  I'm not sure why I love him so, but I do.

There are lots of lizards around here.  There are a couple who live out by the pool, and many who I see elsewhere.  Some are greenish, brownish, some very bright, some very dark, some medium sized, some teeny tiny.  It has made me very much want to someday have a lizard to call my very own.  Not a very big one or anything.  Just a nice little guy to keep in a happy little aquarium with his heat lamp and ferns, and I will feed him the things you are supposed to feed to lizards, and we will watch movies together in my imaginary living room in my imaginary house.  We will be so very happy together, my lizard and I.

Everytime I see a lizard around here it reminds me of a silly story my sister told me that occurred when she was working at a pet store.  She was overhearing a coworker who was helping a customer.  The customer was asking a few questions about some of the reptiles and things.  Said customer then asked what a given animal was while pointing to the cage containing, I forget, I think a chameleon or a gecko or something along those lines.  The coworker then replied, very seriously, in a very valley-girl-esque voice, "Duh, it's a lizarrd!!"  That is one of my favorite stories. 

I wish I could walk vertically on windows and walls and things like my little lizard friend does; that would be excellent.  I admire his little lizardy ways.  Perhaps he and I are similar in some ways.  We both need to draw our heat from the sun as we seem to fail to be able to produce our own body heat.  I often am only warm if I am outside in the Florida heat or under direct sunlight abosrbing the rays and heat through my skin.  At church, for example, I go outside in between classes, out of the over-air-conditioned building, and take my shoes off to stand on the cement and/or black top so my feet can finally warm up slightly and my limbs can have feeling again brought back by the rays of the sun.  Then I can go back inside and get through another hour of air conditioning.  (Not that air conditioning is bad, mind you.  I am not against it; I realize its importance to most people. I am just freakish and constantly cold.)  Much like my lizard friend basks in the sunlight to heat his core so he can get through the rest of the day.  Unlike my lizard friend though, I do not eat bugs.  He can eat them, though; the more the merrier.  The world needs happy bug-eating little lizards.  I am happy with them in the world.  They make me feel happy and slightly less freakish.  I look in the mirror, and I look out my window at my lizard pal, and we can relate to each other somehow.

And everytime I see a lizard, that is what I say in my head...

"Duh, it's a lizarrd!!"


.

Richard: As a man, I can guarantee this is what every adult male is thinking when he is chopping vegetables.

This made me laugh so hard....

This webcomic pretty much is gospel truth. Who hasn't done this at some point? Jei, did you play pokemon games at all growing up? Because if you did you should read this webcomic in its entirety. 

Awkward Zombie

Richard: Yeah, usually I check the news on Google; that's how I knew about Charlie Sheen.

Serena: Charlie Sheen? Didn't he kill a hooker?

time dwarf

This is pure awesomeness.  Just sayin'.

Friend Photos

Hello friends! This is Amanda :D

Here are some of the pictures that we took that one day. They are so cute!! I wike em :)

Obey the Dalek!

Textes

Here are some textes that we decided to share with you. Enjoy :)

 To Amanda's phone:

From Amber: I had a dream that you went on a mission. I was sad because you left me for 2 years. And because you took all my fingernail polish.

5-11-10

From Amber: I almost texted Jennell that I miss dating Batman

1-19-11

From Jennell: When you see Amber, poke her for me. Tell her it is a poke of love from me

2-2-11

To Amber's phone:

From Jennell:

Amber is so awesome

Amber is so cool,

anyone who says otherwise is obviously a fool.

She’s a sexy lady

she’s got fantastic hair,

she and David Boreanez

would make quite a pair.

5-4-10

From Jennell:

Happy birthday to a soxy fox!

Hope you get cool things in a box.

Full of mens and pens and moneys.

Hot cars that work and days that are sunny.

Ryan Reynolds and degrees galore,

robots and sexy man maids to do all your chores.

Your amazingness is song enough,

but you are so sweet and yet so tough.

Amber is the awesomest sauce,

she is so sleek and so boss.

I like her lots and wish her well,

and a happy birthday that is way more than super swell!

11-28-10

From Jennell:

Amber, my Amber,

I like her a whole bunch!

She’s finally done with finals and can have some pizza for lunch!

She passed them all with stars galore,

math and insurance are no longer there to bore.

Around Christmastime and sewing and fun she can hover,

because strong bad now says that “it’s over!”

12-16-10

From Jennell (she was in the east coast and so the new year came sooner to her than it did to us): It’s like time travel but not. I am texting you this from a different year than you are in! And a different decade!

12-31-10

That thing you do

You guys, this is the Nsync cover of That Thing You Do. I personally found it hilarious. Be sure to check out the sweet dance moves at 0:20.

Fun webcomics you might not know about.

Hark, A Vagrant - History based, but funny enough you don't need to know the history
XKCD - If you haven't heard of this one, I don't know where you have been...
DMFA- Dan and Mab's Furry Adventures. It is much better than it sounds, seriously... stop judging me!
Lackadaisy - Prohibition kitty cats: easily the bet artwork I have ever seen in a webcomic, and good writing to boot!
Dresden Codak - I still don't know what this one is about, but it is beautiful. Oh, and lots of philosophy.

There are of course many more. What webcomics do you guys read?

around around around around

I was looking at the blog and decided we needed a picture.  So I put one up.  TGS!  If you guys would like to change it, that is fine.

This is a cute video that makes me happy inside when I need happiness, so I thought I would share it because everyone always needs some happiness.  Grover is always one of my favorites.

Friday night fun

On Friday Serena was sad and I was hungry so we went to 5 Guys Burgers and Fries to stuff ourselves with deliciousness. Amanda and Josh went along too, and so did Vinny in his bear suit coat, which was a great success with the male population of our gathering. In other words, Josh loves the bear suit. Lol. 

After we ate Amanda, and I went home with Serena to check out her new dwelling. Here are some quotes that happened while we (kind of) watched Ondine on the Netflix, but mostly ignored it and chatted/played with the baby.

Serena: He had to go to....jail?

Amanda: There are children there!

Serena: Oh, it must be rehab!

Amber and Amanda: .....?

Serena: Well, he had to go through a gate.

Amanda: He got her out of the water, then they met sardine man, then they got married and he stopped wearing his hat and she wore underpants. The end!

Amber: I....want....justice!

quoth

This week's crazy quotes:

(After talking about how the snowstorm knocked the internet out and how we have a huge bag of dried dates we don't know what to do with)

Jei: "I want to make cookies."

Jenn: "Can you make cookies with dates in them?"

Jei: "I don't know, I don't have the internet to tell me how.  But I can make other cookies."

Jenn: "Well, the problem is, my stove...."

Jei: "Is it connected to the internet?"

Steve: "Yes, it's an internet oven."

Jei: "I want... to be Canadian.  No.  I meant, I want one of those fritters."

Jenn: "Do you think if I put blood on her dogfood she would like it?"

Jei: "Um, it would depend on where you got the blood."

(She was cooking a steak.)

Steve: "Hey Jenn, what's this really sharp thing you threw away that's ripping holes in the garbage bag?"

Jenn: "It's for killing you."

Steve: "I know that's what it's for, but what is it?"

Jei: "The thing I don't like about oranges is how they leave your hands all orange and weird for the rest of the day after you peel them."

Steve: "You know, they don't stay that way if you actually wash them."

(After torturing niece and nephews by touching the back of their necks with frigidly cold hands from being outside)

Niece 7, to one of her brothers: "Don't let her get you, just RUN!!!"

The Randomness We Love

"There's something on your face."
"IT WAS PAIN!"

stories through photos

I'm not feeling up to words right now, but here are some long overdue photographs.

Bridge on the way to Baltimore. Gorgeous lighting.

This shop directly next to my favorite restaurant.  Lots of memories here.  The full sign says "Shop while you wait." (FL)

The best chowder I have ever tasted. The best restaurant in the world.

Shrimp!  The tasty sauce it comes with is akin to fry sauce, and is the best compliment to fried shrimp I've ever found.

Blue Spring Manatee Refuge

Mama and baby manatee

An awesome new friend

Many happyawesome new memories

Silly seagull beach gymnastics

One of my most favorite places in the world. Where I spent so many childhood summers.  And this past year's Christmas Eve-Eve.

Flagler Pier.  It is gorgeous to me.

Pretty beachfriends

I love this sand.  Just as I remembered it.

Flagler Beach

Daytona Beach

Fried vs. Non-fried Twinkie Extravaganza! Minds will break.

The most amazing fish sandwich ever.  EVER.

Me and my rental bass; we became quite good pals. I was sad to leave him.

Helpful puppy

What everybody needs

First snowfall. This was before the "big storm." Backyard on one side of the fence, the woods on the other.

The end, unintended, destination on a journey through the woods with my canine companion.

That is all for now, my tomatofuzzies.  This is only 1.4% of the photographs I have taken thus far (literally, I counted and did the math).  So, naturally, I can't put all of them up here.  These are a small few to get a feel for the general gist.  If you'd like to see more or have a specific genre request, I can certainly and quite happily fulfill it. I wasn't sure how many pictures of beaches, trees, snow, sand, and my relatives you wanted to see.

It's just so horrible

Just something I found that was too horrible not to share. Yes, Tiny Tim is a man... sort of.

special times

Hello ladies,

      I am just home doing nothing so I thought I'd write you a blog-note. I didn't go to class because I was feeling icky and blah so I thought I'd eat pizza and watch tv instead. Sounded like a good and relaxing plan, but then I found what looks suspiciously like a fingernail clipping in my pizza (cue prodigious amounts of vomit) and netflix on the xbox isn't working. So much for taking it easy and feeling better. 

    I hope your respective nights are going well.

                                       Love, Amber

always more

Taking place immediately after the dinner prayer today:
Nephew 9: "Are we having eggs for dinner?"
Grandpa: "No, why do you think we're having eggs?"
Nephew 9: "Because Nana asked to bless the hens that prepared this meal."

Bonus:
Super helpful baking instructions in recipes we have made recently:

 Bread pudding recipe: "You will know it is done because it will jiggle like a thigh, a well-endowed thigh."


Vanilla cake recipe: "When it is ready, it will smell done."

the hilarious things we all say sometimes

These are some fun and exciting quotes that have occurred as of late, for your laughing enjoyment.


Jenn: "Steve doesn't like cross-dressing."

Jenn: "All of us were on our feet working all day, just so we could party.  Why do people party?  It's just a lot of work.  They're crazy!!"

Steve: "Who's the Prince fan back there who is sad that we skipped the Prince song?"
Nephew 9: "It was me!"

Jenn: "Pesto salmon, is weird.  That's what we've learned today."

Jenn: "I need to go home and drink.... water..."

Jenn: "We are sexy dancing people."
Steve: "No exclamation mark at the end?"
Jei: "No. It's just a fact."
Mom: "Of course you are.  Dance on."

Steve: "I can't remember the name of that restaurant, but it's a bit more expensive."
Jei: "Yeah, that's because they actually cook your food."

Jei: "You can keep them around to wear for when you do things where they might break.  Like sports.  All those sports you do.  Your secret sports."
(Me trying to convince Jenn, who plays no sports, that her new glasses she doesn't like will have a good use.)

Jei: "Have you seen Scott Pilgrim vs. the World?"
Amber: "No.  You?"
Jei.  "Yes.  I am in love with it.  Tomorrow I am marrying it, and on Saturday we are having babies.  Little bass playing Canadian babies."
Amber: "Wow, quick gestation period."
Jei: "That's how they do it in Canada."
Amber: "Makes for easier planning, I guess."

(During the middle of dinner.)
Niece 7: "I'm going to take my pants off, right now."
(And she did.)

(He randomly runs up to Jenn, out of the blue)
Nephew 9: "Mom, I was coughing and coughing a lot and coughed so much that I threw up a little bit, so if the floor is kind of slippery, that's why."

Sushi night

Tonight was the first of what we hope will be many monthly sushi nights. We went to Sakura. The service was TERRIBLE. Super slow and totally unconcerned about our needs. Not like the last time we went there at all. Nevertheless it was good food and good friends so it all worked out in the end. I missed you, my fellow bloggers of the friend blog. Here are some pictures for you.

 All gone

 Josh tried to help me get a picture of Jeff

Yay for friends and Sushi

Karren told me that since she took Japanese Humanities or some totally random class like that (sorry Karren, I can't remember what it's called) she knows the story of this painting. It is about a girl who has to practice a dance so they lock her in her room with a lion head to practice it but the lion spirit possesses the girl and she turns into a lion and breaks out and kills people.

indie-fied adventures with auntie

Here is an actual conversation that happened this past weekend between me and Niece 7.

Niece 7: "What are you listening to?"
Me: "A song my friend told me about."
Niece 7: "You have friends??"
Me: "Yes I have friends!!"
Niece 7, sounding rather unconvinced: "Really??"

A short while later, in effort to disestablish the notion that I am the uncool friendless aunt, armed with Suave and Pureology, I took charge of Nephew 9's new haircut and fauxhawked it.  It went over rather well.  Nephew 9 was pretty stoked.  Niece 7 was also fairly excited about her nifty side part and swoopy bangs.   Nephew 11, however, took one look at me when I walked into the room afterward, and ran, yelling "You're not gonna get me!"  I guess he is not as excited about having his hair poked and prodded by auntie.  That is ok.

Nephew 9 and I are always talking about music; he is my little music buddy.  And last night in the car we were listening to the radio, as always. And from the seats behind me I heard Nephew 9 asking Niece 7 if she knew who David Bowie is.  She said no, so he took the opportunity to educate his little sister about who David Bowie is.  It brought such joy to my little heart.

Another funny thing

Superhero hipsters:

http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1809153

Party like it's stardate -323000.63378361234

I thought you ladies might appreciate this video. I found it quite funny. Also: yes, I am nerdy enough that I found a website to calculate the Star Trek stardate equivalent of 1999. I too am in awe.

Just a quick post real fast.  Sister showed me this funny blog link thing.  I thought you guys might get a kick out of it.

Funny mom thing.