It’s that time of year again ….
Holiday Guinea Pigs!!!
I love this time of year
1 comment December 4th, 2007
Piggy in the wild!
A couple of weeks ago while I was doing yard work, the piggy came outside to play! After wandering around the grass for a bit, he found the air conditioner and hid. =)
He seems to be enjoying hanging out in the grass and sun. Last weekend he came and lounged outside while we unpacked from camping.
1 comment June 8th, 2006
Sleeping piggy … sad piggy
Ahh, the life of a guinea pig. Just curl up around your dish and take a nice long nap.
Sleeping piggy’s aren’t happy when the camera flash wakes them up, though.
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2 comments March 27th, 2006
Me? A model? Who’d have thought???
On Wednesday, April 12, I will be ‘modeling’ for a benefit for Liz’s House and My Sisters’ House (communities from Dwelling Place). Modeling might be a bit excessive … I think they took everyone who offered. 
There are quite a few people from the community who will be modeling. It should be a good time. Anyway, here’s the formal invite. If you can come or can just make a donation, it’d be much appreciated. 
2 comments March 21st, 2006
Survivin’ Katrina
As many of you know, I frequent the message boards on The Nest. One of the ladies who frequents there lives near New Orleans. After the hurricane hit, she changed her screen name to Survivin’ Katrina, and for good reason. She had her daughter just 5 weeks before the storms started, and they basically lost their entire house. She’s got a great compilation of before, during, and after pictures here.
This is a post she put up on the board today; it really gives some perspective on things.
For those that asked about our insurance…….they paid $781. Total. That’s it. I have been trying to put together a pie graph of sorts to put in my bio to show the expense of our rebuild after Katrina. I think most people assume that insurance is paying to rebuild our home. That is so not the case!!! Our losses for last year are over $160,000. So far it has cost us over $60,000 to rebuild, including the donations from the nest, family, friends, depleting our savings, a grant from the state of Louisiana and a small grant from our energy company, charges to our credit cards and our new 3rd mortgage. Most people do not realize how incredibly expensive it is to live during evacuation. Our credit card bill for evacuation (with only 3 days in a hotel) and living out of our home for 4 months was over $5000. It is not cheap to live outside of your home, even rent free for an extended period of time with 4 people in one family. I don’t mind sharing this information because based on some of the replies I’ve gotten over time, I think there is a big misconception that people are receiving money from insurance companies to rebuild and that the govt is just handing out money. NOT the case. We are doing this on our own with help from strangers, friends and family. Plus a lot of hard work on our parts. We are hoping and praying the community block grant legislation goes through that will help us. This will be our saving grace. Anyway, I just thought I would post this for those that were curious.
Add comment March 8th, 2006
Grand Rapids Metro Barbies
Mattel announces the release of models of Limited Edition Barbie dolls for the Metro Grand Rapids Market:
Hudsonville Barbie: This born again version of the previous Barbie comes with a New Testament Bible. Her hands are flexed in the praise position and she gazes upward. While she drives a mini van, it comes with 3 different bumper stickers, Choose Life, Jesus is My Co-Pilot, and WJQ 99.3. As a bonus, she comes with a Crissy doll who was student of the month at the Home Schooled Society.
Cascade Barbie: Has freshness date on package. Do not buy after that date or product may be spoiled rotten. Comes with no appreciation for how the other 95% live. Does not have career or an idea of what makes her happy. When bought in conjunction with Hard working Ken, she will change her appearance . . .will gain 75 lbs., will cut her hair, and belittle anyone who crosses her. No one, including Ken, is right, ever. Ken’s head melts after 17 years.
Sparta Barbie: This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler Jeans two sizes too small, a NASCAR shirt, and has a tattoo of a Tweety bird on her shoulder. She has big, stiff hair, a six-pack of BUD long-necks, and a Hank Williams, Jr., CD set. She can spit over 5 feet and can kick mullet-haired Kenny doll’s ass when she’s drunk. Purchase her pick-up separately and get its Confederate flag bumper stickers absolutely free. Comes with personal concealed gun license.
East Grand Rapids Barbie: This yuppie Barbie comes with a choice of a BMW sports car or a souped-up H2. Included is her Starbucks cup, credit cards, and country club membership. Also available for this set are Shallow Ken and Private School Skipper.
Wyoming Barbie: This tobacco-chewing, brassy-haired Barbie has a pair of high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased beer-gutted Ken out of Sparta Barbie’s house. Her make-up is dark red lip liner with your choice of lips covered in a sparkly pink or no fill-in at all. Her ensemble includes low-rise acid-washed jeans with assorted colored G-strings that stick out the back and a white see-through halter top. Accessories include a CD player equipped with Bon Jovi CD and a rusty old Ford pickup.
Plainfield Barbie: This Barbie is the same model of Barbie that was released in 1982. She comes with shoulder pads, dark polyester skirt, white pantyhose, and a bad haircut.
Heritage Hill Barbie: This doll, made of actual tofu, has long gray hair and arch less feet, sandals with white socks, no makeup, doesn’t shave, and has a mutt. She prefers that you call her “Willow”. She thinks Paul Wellstone was a Republican.
Rockford Barbie: This trendy homemaker Barbie is available With your choice of Lexus SUV or Chrysler Town & Country minivan. Her vehicle is used for youth athletic taxi service only. She gets lost easily and has no full-time occupation. Traffic jamming cell phone sold separately. Optional matching gym outfit.
Grandville Barbie: This collagen-injected, rhino-plastic Barbie wears a leopard-print ski outfit and drinks cosmopolitans while she entertains friends at the club. Limited clothing available. Designer mini-skirts and CFM’s constitute 90% of her wardrobe. Percocet prescription available. Elderly Ken completes this set. The pre-nup papers are as worthless as the Chinese-made paper they are printed on.
Comstock Park Barbie: This model is only available at the JC Penney Catalog Store or at any parochial school bazaar. It cannot be purchased on Saturday night (because of Trivia nights) or on Sundays (Sunday school class). It comes with a case of Stroh’s Beer, pork steaks, a recipe for Hash Brown Casserole, a 1987 Plymouth Voyager, and one cell phone (circa 1982, big as a toaster) with 15 anytime minutes. She is wearing the latest fashion from Big Lots that she wore on Easter Sunday. It also comes with Ken wearing the latest U of M T-shirt (two sizes too small), a sack of White Castles, and a 72 ounce Big Gulp.
Grand Rapids Barbie: This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9 mm handgun, a Ray Lewis knife, a Chevy with tinted windows, and her own Meth Lab kit. This Barbie also comes with 6 children by four different Kens.
Add comment March 7th, 2006
Furniture is here!
All the bedroom furniture is here! Today we went and picked it all up, which ended up being more complex than I originally anticipated. After carefully measuring to ensure the dresser would fit in my car, and telling dad the measurements of the armoire so it would fit, I forgot completely about the large headboard. Thankfully, Aunt Char showed up to pick up some papers, so we were able to commission her truck to transport the headboard and get everything home in one trip. After much finagling, we finally got it all into the house and Kevin and I put it all in place.  Earlier this week I located a new comforter set and new curtains, so we broke those out, too.
Pictures of everything are in the gallery and here is one to get you started:
6 comments February 25th, 2006
Serial Killer or Programmer?
Can you judge someone from looking at them?
BY LOOKING AT A PICTURE OF A PERSON, YOU HAVE TO DECIDE IF HE IS A COMPUTER GEEK OR A SERIAL KILLER. GO WITH YOUR GUT FEELING AND CLICK ON YOUR CHOICE. THERE ARE 10 PHOTOS. YOUR SCORE WILL BE GIVEN AT THE END.
I got 8 out of 10 — there were a couple of creepy looking programmers =)
5 comments February 21st, 2006
Furniture!
Kevin and I have finally joined the world of the adult, and are buying a set of bedroom furniture. We picked out pieces from the Shanghai set at Pier 1. We’re getting the headboard, nightstands, 5 drawer dresser, the entertainment center, and the bench (which will be used in place of a footboard). Everything was ordered this weekend and should be here soon.
Finally, furniture we don’t have to assemble!
1 comment February 12th, 2006