Washington Post's Mensa

I think everyone can use a new word in their vocabulary.

Here is the Washington Post's Mensa invitational which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding,subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are the winners:

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5. Bozone(n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the Person who doesn't get it.

9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The gruelling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido: All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

18. Guiltar: A musical instrument whose strings are pulled by your mother.

19. Fleezing: Running for your life, in the cold.


The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words. And the winners are:

1. Coffee, n. The person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted, adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

3. Abdicate v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. Esplanade, v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly, adj. Impotent.

6. Negligent adj. Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

7. Lymph v. To walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence, n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash , n. A rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle, n. A humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude, n. The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon, n. A Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster, n. A person who sprinkles his conversation with yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism, n. The belief that, after death, the soul flies uponto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent, n. An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewishmen.

Heap Big Rain Comin', Kemo Sabe

Since it appears we will be having an interesting week I made an 'emergency' run to the grocery store 30 miles away this morning. Also made a liquor run (we may be trapped inside but there's no point in being martyr's! ha ha) Since Steve is temporarily incapacitated and with Tropical Storm Fay bearing down on us, well, I thought having provisions would be a smart move. I'm also putting up extra water 'just in case'. I wish now we had gone ahead and bought a generator but it may not come to that. But I'm trying to be smart. Hey, even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then! Sometimes I do something intelligent. [lol]


I don't think we have too much to be concerned about, but one never knows, does one.

Steve is healing nicely and is getting antsy sitting around. A good sign! His left shoulder is still tender to touch. He has taken to walking around our 7 acres until his shoulder begins to ache. One walk around the perimeter of the yard is about 1/4 mile. So, he is doing very well.

My good friend, Rebecca, has completed her motorcycle course in Orange Park, FL. She is now an official rider! Congrats 'Becca! You Go Girl. Now, it's time to buy a nice bike of your own. All this looking at motorcycles makes me want to buy a second one. Oh, I'll keep the Suzuki V-Strom, of course, but I'm also looking at the Royal Enfield line. Nice vintage style bikes. There's a dealer north of Valdosta right here in Gawga. [giggle] I'm sooo bad.

Sparky ♥ ∞

Hubby's Rotator Cuff Surgery

Hubby had rotator cuff surgery on his left shoulder today. This is his second shoulder surgery in one year by the same surgeon, Dr. Randall O'Brien. The first one was on his right shoulder, which is now completely healed. Here's a pic I snapped as the nurses and staff were prepping him for the operation.

Here's a pic of Hubby at home after said surgery. So many of our friends have called this evening. It's heartwarming to hear from everyone. We are exceedingly blessed with wonderful friends! ((Hugs)) Anyway, we're hoping he'll heal soon that we may start riding again.

Thanks for visiting y'all!

Sparky ♥ ∞

Patterson, Georgia ~ January 2008 Sunset

Greetings y'all,

This is an 'old' photo taken by me in January 2008, from our back yard in Patterson. I used my FujiFilm FinePix E510 (5.2 mega pixels) digital camera. We have some of the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets here. I just thought I'd share this today.

We both love living here so much. I told Steve just after moving here in 1993, that I finally for the first time ever feel at home. It's so much more pleasant than living in the city. And it was such an extra delight to learn that I am related to so many of these wonderful folks here (www.redbirdacres.net/irisheyes.html). It's been fun learning all about my birth family. Yeah, I complain about some things that go on, but, shoot, no place is perfect but I think God has let me come close to living in a perfect place before being with Him forever. Thank you Father for your tender mercies.

Enjoy!

Sparky ♥ ∞

Only Great Minds Can Read This

Only great minds can read this. It's weird, but interesting!

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too.

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlya s tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.

I must be weird 'cause I can read it!! :o)

Sparky ♥ ∞

Trip To Fleming Island, Florida

We just had a delightful weekend in Fleming Island, Florida with our long time good friends the Williams', J.T. & Rebecca. J.T. just turned, well, we'll say he's getting well past 60 now. [tee hee] Sorry J.T. So, we scraffed down a huge supper at a nice local Mexican restaurant in Orange Park. The next day we enjoyed relaxing in their back yard with a view of the river. We saw lots of water birds.

It was hard to come home after enjoying all those lovely surroundings.

More Photos Here:
http://redbirdacres.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album03&page=16

We also took some time for pre-planning our Fall trip to the western North Carolina mountains too. The trip should be great fun. Rebecca is going to take a motorcycle safety course very soon. [YAY]!! You Go Girl! Hopefully, she will be riding proficiently by the time we take our trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We did go motorcycle shopping, one of my favorite things to do. Chosing the right set of wheels to learn on is going to be a tough choice for her to make, I can tell.

Thanks y'all! We had a GREAT time! Can't wait for our trip North this fall.

Enjoy!
Sparky ♥ ∞

A Warning About Factory Direct Cellular

I don't usually do this, but I feel compelled to warn others about an internet company called Factory Direct Cellular. They are located near Houston, Texas. Address on the web site is: ZenCentric, Inc., PO Box 841213, Pearland, TX 77584. Their website address is www.factorydirectcelluar.com/ . DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY until you see what kind of people they are.

Here's why.

What has happened to me to-date:
22 Jun 2008: I ordered a Lithium Ion Battery for Motorola V260 V262 for my cell phone. Paid by credit card. Two weeks pass. No battery.
03 Jul 2008: I e-mail the company (they have no telephone displayed on the web page). No response. No battery.
09 Jul 2008: I e-mail them again. This time I get a unsigned message as follows: "We are writing to let you know that your order with FactoryDirectCellular.com has been shipped. You should receive it within the next 3 to 5 postal delivery days. We apologize for the processing delay and any inconvenience it may have caused." Still no battery but I'll wait.
16 Jul 2008: E-mailed them again and contacted the Houston, TX Better Business Bureau (BBB) at www.bbb.org/ . Formal complaint registered and I tried to stop payment with credit card. Too late but registered complaint with credit card company. BBB is persuing it from their end, hopefully. Still, no battery.
17 Jul 2008: I receive yet another unsigned e-mail from Factory Direct Cellular, and I quote, "We will issue you a refund today but when your battery shows up please write refused on the package and send it back to us. " Yet, right. I'll send it back 'when it gets here'. (har har) The battery never arrived at my home.
EDIT 27 Jul 2008: A refund has been done to my credit card on 20 Jul 2008 from Factory Direct. It wasn't posted for 3 days.

I still say, think twice before ordering from this company.

I hope this helps save others from having trouble too.

Sparky ♥ ∞