Help me, Obi-Mom Kenobi! You're my only hope. » meme

The Chancellor is behind everything, including the war.

Obi-Mom Kenobi — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:20:43 +0000

“The Chancellor is behind everything, including the war. Palpatine is the Sith Lord we’ve been searching for.” - Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith

Wendy, from Athena Academy, wants to know the 10 things I’ve done once in my life which I wouldn’t want to repeat, ever. Wow, I only get to pick 10? OK, but from here on out, I get to blame all of these things on The Chancellor.

Using assorted “herbs” and “chemical spices” as a teenager, because a new friend said it was great fun. Not so much.
Having the skin ripped off my hands because I froze when my horse completely freaked out getting into our new trailer and, thus, I didn’t let go of the rope.
Riding in a horseshow, in leather gloves, for 8 hours after the aforementioned skin was ripped off.
Taking the local train (after an overnight flight to The Netherlands) from Amsterdam all.the.way.down to Maastricht because I misinterpreted sneltrein to mean slow train – get it: snel sounds similar to snail. (It literally means ‘fast train’).
Calling a friend in Germany using my AT&T phone card, instead of back home to Dad Windu, because I figured “It’s closer, so it’ll be lots cheaper.” Visual path of phone call from The Netherlands to Germany using an AT&T phone card: The Netherlands –> USA –> Germany Bill for one month of ‘cheaper’ calls to neighboring Germany: $300 USD
Working a 36 hour shift – and then driving 35 minutes home.
Driving 8 hours, in and out of a blinding snowstorm, to visit Dad Windu while we were at different schools. Only to returning in the same manner 48 hours later.
Flying into a wall and breaking my wrist because my cousins wanted to play “The Flying Game.”
Crashing the family truck after having my driver’s license barely a month.
Saying that final goodbye to my childhood’s best-friend-in-the-whole-world.

I’d love to hear your 10 things. Yes, I mean you. Let me know when you post yours.

Wait, Master. There is something I must know.

Obi-Mom Kenobi — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:37:04 +0000

[Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda are leaving the Jedi temple when Obi-Wan notices the hologram center]
Obi-Wan: ”Wait, Master. There is something I must know.”
Yoda: “If into the security recordings you go, only pain will you find.”
Obi-Wan: ”I must know the truth, Master.”
Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith

Meg over at Get In, Hang On found a fun book meme. Since I’m feeling lazy experiencing a burst of low creativity today, I’m going to complete it too. Let me know if you decide to fillit out as well.

Book Confessions Meme

1. To mark your page you: use a bookmark, bend the page corner, leave the book open face down?
I’m a bookmark pusher. I’ll even go through the house and un-fold the page corners of other people’s books and insert a bookmark.

2. Do you lend your books?
Yes, if I trust the person. There are a few people I will not lend books too ever again because of the condition they come back in or become the books never come back (even with my name written inside).

3. You find an interesting passage: you write in your book or NO WRITING IN BOOKS!
I’m OK with writing in my own books, but it has to be a pretty significant thing for me to note it permanently.

4. Dust jackets – leave it on or take it off.
I hate dust jackets. I store books in them but cannot read a book with a dustjacket on (unless it’s glued in like the library does).

5. Hard cover, paperback, skip it and get the audio book?
I prefer to read hardcovers from the library over paperbacks of my own. I generally have at least one audio book going at all times in the car.

6. Do you shelve your books by subject, author, or size and color of the book spines?
Shelved by subject only. We have two bookshelves: one fiction and one non-fiction. Fiction is sorted by Dad Windu’s books (fantasy crap) on the top shelves and my 18th, 19th & early 20th Century classics on the bottom shelves. The non-fiction bookshelf is sorted roughly by topical area: science, history, foreign language materials, English language materials, geography, shelf, how-to, art. There is no mixing if I can help it.

7. Buy it or borrow it from the library later?
Library, library, library whenever possible. I rarely buy fiction.

8. Do you put your name on your books – scribble your name in the cover, fancy bookplate, or stamp?
Simple pencil for my name on books being loaned out – on the inside cover.

9. Most of the books you own are rare and out of print books or recent publications?
Published within the last 20 years for the most part. I have a few published in the 1950s.

10. Page edges – deckled or straight?
I loath deckled pages. I find them incredibly annoying. And yes, I know how ridiculous it is to care this much.

11. How many books do you read at one time?
I generally have 2-4 going at a time.

12. Be honest, ever tear a page from a book?
No, but I give my MIL grief (teasingly) at aleast twice a year about the fact that she has done this.

I don’t know where you get your delusions, laser brain.

Obi-Mom Kenobi — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 01:00:23 +0000

“I don’t know where you get your delusions, laser brain.” – Princess Leia, Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back

Sometimes there’s just nothing like a good meme. Jason, over at The Jason Show, just finished a fun one, and I have decided to see where I fall in this “before it’s too late” list. I’m also feeling silly and lazy, and therefore looking for someone else to do the majority of my thinking for me at present.

100 Things to Do Before You Turn 40

Do you think you’ve really lived far? This is a list of 100 activities–some I have experienced, some I really, really hope to do, and some just won’t be happening if I have anything to do about it.

1. Started your own blog (Um, you’re here.)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (Haven’t yet, even though my in-laws go for 3 months every.single.winter)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Bathed in a river
7. Been to the Taj Mahal
8. Walked on a glacier in Alaska
9. Caught and held a snake
10. Spoke in front of a big crowd
11. Bungee jumped
12. Had a whirlwind love affair that broke your heart
13. Found an arrowhead or fossil
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Rescued an animal
16. Ate sweet breads, glands or tripe
17. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hiked to base camp on Mt. Everest
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Watched an animal being born (Not even my own kid, sadly - c-section)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Learned a foreign language
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (No, but I’ve been to Venice, and now wish that I hadn’t been so afraid of acting “touristy” to do so. Sorry, E.)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Stayed up for more than 24 hours
31. Trained a dog to do cool tricks
32. Been on a cruise (Caribbean, like Jason I want to go on a World Cruise some day.)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Learned to drive a stick shift car
37. Won over $1000 in a raffle or lottery
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Been serenaded
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Broke a bone (My right wrist alone has been broken three times)
47. Started your own business
48. Quit a job because you were totally unhappy
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the Eiffel Tower (No, but I’ve seen it. See #28, it was a similar situation.)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain passionately
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Joined a prayer group
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Received flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (The mean blood drive people won’t let me)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London
77. Broken something extremely expensive (Busted up Dad Windu’s brand new car three months after he bought it – but it wasn’t my fault, someone else hit me…)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Got a tattoo
83. Been to a coffee shop in Amsterdam - (But walked past them several times. They stink!)
84. Seen the Aurora Borealis in person
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Toured the UN
95. Hiked to Machu Picchu
96. Swam in the Indian Ocean (Do you know how many biting/stinging things are swimming in there???)
97. Conversed with someone when neither of you spoke each others language
98. Dirty danced
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Acted in a play

All in all, I’m pretty pleased with my life to date. I’ve traveled, loved, lost and learned. You?

We haven’t much time.

Obi-Mom Kenobi — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:06:23 +0000

“We haven’t much time.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace

Christmas has been called ‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ but it seems to have morphed into ‘The Most Busy Time of the Year’.* Over the past weekend, I heard versions of my buddy Obi-Wan’s “We haven’t much time” quote in circulation:

There just isn’t enough time to shop for everyone!
The kids are too busy to help decorate the tree, so wifey and I are doing it in stages this week.
Sorry, we don’t have any time to get together until January.
Oh, rushing here, rushing there. You?
I ordered our Christmas dinner today, there’s just no time to cook anymore.

It would normally make me a little bit sad that the holidays have become such a whirlwind for so many people, but all of the people I heard saying these things seemed happy and content so I’m not in any mood to judge. Deep down, maybe I’m just really that boring for having so much down-time in my life, but I’m happy and content too. Therefore, I was glad to see that Ami. Mental. was able to grab a few minutes to complete and then pass along a fun Christmas meme.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Brown shipping paper with real bows. The benefits to this system: The presents look marvelous under the tree; if needed, no one can tell which is his or hers if I ‘bow’ by color or pattern; the paper is recyclable; and I can reuse the ribbons. (I write the name of the person under the ribbon, if I’m wrapping secretly – just in case). Generally, I get a small ornament or present topper to stand in for name tags. (Best answer)

2. Real tree or Artificial?
Real. Here in the Great, Frozen Midwest, we have perfect Christmas tree growing conditions – especially in areas that aren’t useful for growing anything else. The Christmas tree farms are generally multi-generational operations, handed down to the present owners from their great-grandparents. The trees clean the air, keep the ground from eroding, save the land from being sold for yet another sub-division, and make for a wonderful, annual tradition for our little family. I wouldn’t want to give that up. We also have wood floors, which makes clean up a breeze, and a cast iron tree stand from L.L. Bean that works like a charm.

3. When do you put up the tree?
Because it’s a real tree, we usually wait until one or two weeks before Christmas. A few ‘It’s time’ indicators are: there’s some good snow on the ground, it’s cold so we’re not walking through slush, and we have the weekend free to take our time on the tree.

4. There is no question #4.
There is no spoon.**

5. Do you like eggnog?
Gag. No. (Best answer)

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
A pair of heavy-weight stirrups for my English saddle. I’d wanted them for so long, but just couldn’t spring for the ridiculously expensive price tag of $14.99. Yes, I still do remember the price for them. I burst into tears when I opened the package that Christmas. (Best answer)

7. Hardest person to buy for?
Dad Windu. He asks for nothing, wants very little and deserves so much.

8. Easiest person to buy for?
Padawan Learner. I keep my ears open during the year when he talks about games that he’s enjoyed playing at friends’ houses and keep my eyes open to things that are wearing out, wearing down or that catch his fancy. Kids are easy.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
Nope. I never did, even as a child.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
When I send them, it’s always through the mail and personalized. I love mail, written letters and anything that takes someone more than 30 seconds to do.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Fuzzy, pink, acrylic-yarn sweater with a kitty opening a present on the front from my grandma – just a few years ago. Oh my eyes! It burns, it burns! (Best answer)

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
A tie between A Charlie Brown Christmas (for nostalgia) and A Christmas Story (for enjoyment).

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
When I see something that I think someone will really love. (Best answer)

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
No, but I have given them away with the acknowledgement that it was a gift that I didn’t want or need and I thought they might.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
A single piece of Banket.

16. What decorations are on your tree?
A mish-mash of gift ornaments, things that we’ve gotten on our vacations, beautiful pieces that we’ve found, German blown glass ornaments that my great-grandmother got in Germany when she was stationed there after WWII, and the ones that Padawan Learner made for me when he was little.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
I’ll be home for Christmas by Bing Crosby.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home?
Stay at home. My mom had a single, simple rule about the holidays when her kids were growing up: Kids should be at home on Christmas. She stuck to her guns when she had kids and I’m sticking to it now that I do.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?
Of course.

20. Angel on top of tree or star?
Used to be an angel, but we never really liked it. After we went heathen, it gave us the excuse to leave it off without familial comment. At this point, the top of the tree has no designated topper. Last year I tied a big bow onto it.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
Christmas morning. Dad Windu’s family usually gets together on Christmas Eve, so I guess you could say we do both, but I insisted on Christmas morning for our family gifts.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
When people complain about not getting something they wanted, not getting enough, or flaunting their gifts as some kind of victory. Oh, and giving gift cards out of a sense of obligation. If you can’t think of anything else, maybe you shouldn’t buy anything. A gift shouldn’t be confused with a right.

23 What theme or color are you using when you decorate?
No theme, no special color. Red, green, gold and silver predominate, but that’s to be expected. I’m a bit of a minimalist and prefer all white tree lights, but Dad Windu likes multi-colored lights so use those on the tree. (Best answer)

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Our luncheon always includes Dad Windu’s homemade cinnamon rolls and an egg and sausage casserole when my family comes over.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
To have Dad Windu and Padawan Learner love their gifts this year and throughout the days to come. And world peace.*** (Best answer)

*Sorry, for the painful grammar up there. I wanted to keep the ‘shell’ of the quote intact. (VanderKitten)
**Quote from The Matrix, for those of you who haven’t seen the movie. (Nin)
***Quote from Miss Congeniality.

Since this is a busy time of year for many, I’m hesitant to tag anyone. So…. if YOU are reading this, I invite YOU to complete the meme and leave a note in the comments section letting me know YOU have taken me up on the offer. I would love to see how YOU have answered.