I did it!! I won Drew's contest!! Everybody jump up and down and say "yaaaayah!!!" I would like to thank all those that made it possible for me to triumph...mostly Drew for having the contest! I'd also like to thank, well, me...who tirelessly racked up the "pwants" day and night!! I must also thank you all for supporting me by not voting for me in last month's contest when, if you remember, I came in "dead last." I solemnly believe that the embarrassment that was my showing in last month's contest truly inspired me to embrace the competition of the Benspark Add It Up Contest!! So everyone pat yourselves on the back and say "way to go!!"
I still absolutely recommend you all visit Drew's family of blogs and photo hosting sites. He puts a LOT of work into all of it and without fail there is new content every day.
I will keep you all in the loop regarding my fabulous prizes...that's right...prizeS...plural! I have a choice betwixt a Flickr Pro or Zooomr Pro account...so I have to figure out what I want to do. Once that is all set up I'll make sure you are all aware so you can see my pictures. And the other nice bonus I won is 25 bones to spend at the Kodak Gallery. VERY nice!
Stay tuned for September's big Benspark Contest...I can't wait!
Well, I'm sure if the prize awarded was a rusty can full of slugs I wouldn't like to win...but beggars can't be choosers...right?
I love to win prizes, or at bingo. One time I won $65 at bingo. It should have been $365...but I wasn't paying attention to my own cards...and well...it's something I have to live with. I guess it really is important to mind your own business.
Don't you want to win prizes? CASH prizes? Don't you want to achieve everlasting joy won in the conquer of defeat? Don't you? I do. I'm ordering one. I don't want to be dead last again. Remember that...when I only got like, 9 votes? It makes me sad a little...and who wants to be sad? No one that I know. Well, a few people I know...but those people don't have to enter the contest now do they? That just makes the odds of winning all the better for us...doesn't it? :)
Drew has added a new bit of "pwahnt" collecting to his current contest in the form of a tag (meme) challenge. Fine, I'll play.
Obligatory Rules, Copy and put in your post.
You post the meme rules before you start listing the facts of the darn meme. For each letter of your middle name, list a fact/statement relevant to you and/or your life, in some way. Alright? If you don’t have a middle name, pick one. Next, it’s your world, make up your own rules for the rest of this one and tag people accordingly .
My rules for the meme are simple, leave a comment on this post that you saw it with a haiku or free form poem about how your life has changed in the new blogging generation! Ha! Ready, set, go! (PS-You don't have to have a blog to participate...but I am going to have to tag some old standby bloggers!!)
His rules were to favorite some of his photos on Zoomr...which I did with pleasure. I had a hard time getting them to "come over" to this post...so if you go here you can see them with much better quality! These are just a spattering of my faves!!
So here's my middle name magiggah:
Television is my favorite. Hate my commute Extremely obsessed with "podcasts." (Seriously, it's scary!) Revels in all things Justin Timberlake. Endlessly searching for something I've misplaced. Someday would like to write a book. Addicted to BareMinerals.
OK...it's been awhile...so let's see who wants to play...
And I think my summer of family weddings is complete! My cousin, Kathleen married her boyfriend of eight years yesterday afternoon! It was a beautiful ceremony an an extremely fun reception! Hey...when there's a mariache band...you know it's going to be a good time. Paolo, who our family calls Paco, and Kat met at Holy Cross where they went to college. He has spent many a Thanksgiving with us and is one of the nicest people in the world. I am so happy for them! Most of his family came from Mexico and Spain to celebrate the nuptuals...and somehow we Irish were able to keep up. The weather could not have been more perfect, and the reception venue was an unbelievable sight!
I'm a little contest crazy in blogland lately? But who couldn't be...there is too much fun to be had! So now, Drewbie has entered himself into a Superbowl Ad contest over at FuelMyBlog...and I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I didn't try and get him a few more votes!!! Just follow the directions to register at FMB (if you aren't already!) in this link with more info from The Benspark himself. If you aren't already registered at FuelMyBlog...well...I just don't know why! I figure that we're all out here in blogville sharing that which we WANT to offer with the world...so why not get more peeps to come and see what you are all aboot? (Yes, I meant to type "aboot"...I'm hoping for some Canadian blog love here!) So get off your high blogs, register, make new friends...and help out an old one by sending Drew to the effin Superbowl aye?! (**PS...I spent the weekend with Spaniards and Mexicans...so WHY I'm throwing Canadian verbiage around is beyond me!**)
If begging won't get you to help out...then look at this picture of Drew in his younger years giving his all...and some high quality H2O to his team!! Won't you help the guy out?? Well, what are you waiting for...VOTE NOW...VOTE EVERY DAY...Do your civic blogging duty!!! And tell them I sent you:) And while you are at it...give him a hand at winning an iRobot Roomba! They have a baby coming, and who wants to spend time vacuuming when they can be playing with Baby Benspark?!?! Click on this link and vote for #29 "Keep your eyes out for Bathroomba..."
Drewbie, of The Benspark Fame, won a photography contest at fuelmyblog!! Although, not for the photo above...for this one...of the dragonfly! The photo above is his Photo o' the Day...and I like it for it's pretty colors. I'm in a simple childish mood...so humor me! I like this picture mostly because it reminds me of a better time...when the world was innocent and lovely...and Gilmore Girls was still on Tuesday nights!!! Get it...Dragonfly Inn...Gilmore Girls. It's still such a fresh wound to me! Regardless of my loss of Tuesday night entertainment...Drewbie is a "winnah" and should be heralded as such!! Congrats, pal!!
I know what you are thinking...you're still concerned about my Tuesday night activities considering GG is a fading memory. Well, it's not fading to me...GG will live on forever...in my heart and my DVD collection!! Sad.
So anyway, tonight I went to see Stardust. I'm all about fairy tales and such...so it was perfect for me to see. Well, it far surpassed even my hopeful expectations. In all truth, I went because I have a weird little crush on Ricky Gervais. I know...but it's not for anything but his brain. Boyfriend is a brilliant comedic mind so pretty much anytime I can see him I'll go and "have a laugh." Amazingly enough, Robert DeNiro made me laugh harder than anyone else in the movie. Well, at first I had quite the chuckle at Michelle Pfeiffer's dreadful British accent...but Bobby D won out in the end. When the critics say that he'll surprise you...believe it!! After a summer of sequels and "highly anticipated" but really just waste of time movies...this one was a very pleasant turn of events. I'm glad that I went for my own selfish purposes...because it turns out that it's my favorite movie of the summer. I hope the buzz gets going a little more...I think it could be as popular as "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" if enough people take the opportunity to not miss this film. But that's my silly little opinion:) I just wish I could turn back time and find a way to get Michelle Pfeiffer to pass on the movie...or at least work with a proper accent coach.
Look how adorable Sparky is all preggo! That is a picture of Drewbie's Baby Mama with the new crib they got at IKEA. (For more info on the shopping day...hit this link!) I've never been to IKEA, but something tells me it would be dangerous in there for me!!! I'm so excited to meet Baby Benspark in October!!
I had an exhausting shopping day myself...it seems like I've been spending money like I actually have it lately! It's expensive to be me! Ha! Anyway...after I woke from my JT coma (totally worth the exhaustion!)...I got up and had some b-fast with my moms. Then I got the cats into their little pet taxis to send them off to the vet. Simba doesn't "meow." He just growled like a dog...seriously...it was freaky. Nala just whined her little monkey whine. What is it with my pets not sounding like the creatures God made them? Weird. So anyway...after they were off I got myself together to head over to Linen's N' Things. I bought a new mattress last weekend that was delivered yesterday while I was at work. It's beautiful. It was expensive-but totally worth it. My back already feels better...no joke. At any rate, it's a very deep mattress so of course I needed the deep sheets to fit them. I went to L&T's and was there for an hour, just in complete disgust. The least expensive sheets I could find were $80. $80. For an effing fitted and flat sheet. No pillow cases, no dust ruffle, no purchase for me. They had some sets that included those items...but that would cost me over $120 bucks and I wasn't having it. I had a coupon that I thought would ease my woes...but then after reading the fine print the set I finally decided on was excluded from the coupon. See ya. However, I did find that the Simmon's BeautyRest body pillows were on sale BOGO 50% off...so for $15 bucks I got 2 body pillows. That and they "match" my mattress...as it's a Beautyrest too...I felt the purchase was fated. There was no avoiding it. Then I got suckered into the cases for them and I don't even want to talk about how much those cost. Thankfully, there was the coupon and all was well. However, leaving L&T's I still needed some dang sheets. I went to Kohl's...there was a sale...and I got there too late to find sheets that I actually liked in the size I needed coinciding with a price I could afford. I wound up going with some plain white sheets...boring...but not being a shopper...I was ready to go!!! I hit BJ's for some supplies...and found a cute quilt WITH pillow shams for $40. I wish I had gone there first! I actually might return the sheets from Kohl's because for the same price I could get some pretty, frilly, high thread count sheets AND pillow cases for the same price. Yeah, I'm going back. At that point, my reason was being overshadowed by my JT hangover...so I just left to go home and nap. I frigging love naps. Apparently I'm 60. But the nap has made me more lucid and now realize even more so that I miss Justin...I mean that the Kohl's sheets have to go back. Could it be nappy time again? I only made one more stop at a roadside Veggie stand on the York Kittery line on Route 1. If you are driving by in the next few weeks...it's on the left hand side going north, as I said...right on the Kittery and York town line...just before Salmon Falls. It's a truck that looks all ramshackly and like they are just parking there randomly for the day...but don't let that fool you. The quality of the veggie's is unreal. They have the best corn on the cob, tomatoes, and even blueberries. It's one of the best parts of living in Maine in the summer. Digression over...I got home to find out that the cat's need dental work because apparently they have gingivitis. Nuts. Just more $ to spend!!!!
Please enjoy the clips above, they are from last night's concert in Boston. I found them on youtube.
Per the norm, Justin was effing amazing. The man is just brilliantly talented...and no one can fight that fact.
The night started out with a bunch of us meeting at The Four's in Boston. Julie, Kim, Maggie, Patsy, and Kerry decided that we would miss Good Charlotte and go into the Garden a little later. When we did make it over there, I have to admit...our seats were pretty damn great. The fact that I could see the white of Justin's teeth when he smiled was cause enough to make me smile too:) Kim and Julie hadn't seen Mr. Timberlake before, and I believe they were entertained. Actually, I liken Kimberly first seeing Justin live to what my idea of a church revival event is like. There was a lot of yelling, screaming, hands being thrown in the air, hands in prayer, and the phrase "Oh God" was used quite liberally. Like most of the concert, we were seated in a "skank" section. In fact, there were two girls scantily clad two rows in front of us who turned out to be comic fodder for most of our section. They were hammered, and made no secret of it. Our section was on the stairs-so they thought it would be "fun" to dance like maniacs in the aisle in 6 inch spiked heels. Can you guess what was going to happen? The girls in front of us had cameras poised not just for Justin's loveliness...but I'm sure for the next viral video on youtube! When one of the jackass drunkard's finally fell...no one could hold back the laughter. Then it got strangely quiet enough for Patsy to yell "LOSER!" and get all the section laughing again. Little Miss Stupid Heels sat in her seat mortified, as her "friend" rushed to the souvenir stand for some "SexyBack" short shorts. I know this happened because she showed everyone when she got back to the seat...waving them around in the air and giving the finger. Very classy. I'm glad she invested the 45 bones in the shorts though, it will be a sweet story for her grandchildren someday. Perhaps, she might even pass on those SexyBack shorts to one of those grandchildren...a memento of her blissful youth. Although, no matter how much she thinks she has the SexyBack...she's never going to get her dignity back.
I am glad I got to see this show in Boston. First of all, it's always nice to see Mr. Timberlake. He's a lovely gentleman. :) Secondly, the venue of the Garden obviously is so much larger than the Verizon in Manch-vegas. Like, at the end of the Manch show the crowds were just filing out and when JT came back for his encore and brought up the house lights there were a LOT less people there than when he left. Silly. To me it's like leaving in the 8th inning of a Red Sox game. A) It's just rude. 2) It's a waste of the $ you spent to partake in the entertainment goodness. D) You never know what's going to happen...just ride it out...you came this far didn't you?
So of course, being in Boston, not only are there a LOT more fans to pay proper homage...but they are a LOT louder too. At Manch it was almost hard to hear because the audience was so quiet and the sound was too loud for that. Last night it was very easy to understand and hear the sweet, dulcet, merry, tones of JT. Sigh. I miss him already!! I can't pick a favorite song from last night because everything was perfect...but I think it might have been Summer Love....or Rock Your Body...or What Goes Around...see...I just can't decide!
I'm also glad I went with the people I did. I have not been to a concert with Kerry and Patsy since the New Jersey Adventure! Sadly, neither Tony Lucca or Joey Fatone's Dad were there last night-then it really would have been a reunion! Not so sadly, there still aren't White Castle's anywhere near Boston...and trust me...that is a good thing for us ALL! Julie being there was awesome too, because I know she appreciates JT...and also for the first time in the (OMG...this is my 10th time seeing JT in concert!! Haaaaa!!) 10 times I've seen him...I wasn't the oldest one in the bunch:) Having Kim there was fantastic too...it brought back memories of going to see New Kids at the Worcester Centrum too many years ago! The only thing about going to a concert with so many people is sitting in the one row-obviously you don't get to spend enough time with the others...like Maggie and Katie:( We've had our moments though-so it was good we could share our joy with the newbies!! And for crying out loud, Lord knows I'm not stopping at 10...there will be many more years of *Nsync-Stalking to come!!
Justin wishes to tell you something...he totally can't wait to see me tomorrow night!! We've decided to rendez-vous in the open so as not to get the paparazzi all in a tizzy. It's cool. He's going to sing to me...and then make it look like he's having a concert for thousands of other people...but between us...it's all about me. He's handsome...and crazy talented...so basically I feel that others should be allowed to enjoy the bliss that is the Justin Timberlake. In fact, I've invited along a few friends who will act as my entourage. Back in "the day," they would be referred to as "my posse." Incidentally, this is a very important reunion of some of the original "*NSYNCerators." Also we will have some newbies in the mix...undoubtedly they will not be disappointed. It's frakken JT...I think there are laws against being disappointed with him. Well, the dramatic acting is a little...but he can work on that. If he sticks with SNL and silly stuff we'll all be a happier people. So I have to check the tickets-because last time several people had cameras. If it's not against the law and I can smuggle mine in then I'll try and take some funtabulous photos of my boy whilst crooning to me. Just me. It's all about me. :) Ha.
So obviously I should enter a contest that would call for addition!!!! Since I defeated everyone for the final slot in Drewbie's last contest...woo woo...I really thought my days of blog contests were over. It took a long time for me to recover from the defeat and sorrow...I locked myself in my room, I called in sick to work and vowed never to vacation again. I became obsessed with shows like Maury, Dr. Phil, and Oprah. I was suffocating from depression when like a gift, a light shone through my bleak existence! Drew announced another contest on The Benspark that would allow me to attempt a go at my own path to victory!! Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!
It's called the Benspark Add It Up Contest...and it's all about the points! I'm going to go the Jerry Maguire/Cuba Gooding, Jr. way here though and pronounce "points" like they pronounced "kwan." So from here on out, I would appreciate it if you would read the word "points" as "pwants." Show me the money, baby!!
So, some details...basically...Drew has taken on a lot of math by awarding "pwants" every day to visitors of yonder ye olde blog The Benspark! A LOT of math. Seriously, far more than I would ever be comfortable with. Honestly, I went to a college that did NOT require math for English majors BECAUSE the college did not require math for English majors. Again with the Jerry Maguire references...but here it is...they had me at "you don't have to take math, Mo." And the rest they allege, is history!!
So back to the contest...when you visit The Benspark you can get more info, but basically he's looking for comments and constructive feedback regarding his Photo-A-Day project which continues to be a staple in my "blog checking day." In all seriousness, (I know that's hard to believe I can in fact be serious), I love to see what Drew is photographing every day. He travels so much for work, it's something different all the time. The whole blog phenomenon started with The Benspark...as it used to say at the link on the right...it was my gateway drug to the blogland! And Drew has the decency (ahem...this is self criticism) to literally update The Benspark EVERY DAY! Even when he went on his honeymoon he had guest bloggers! I was one of them:) So check out the contest, I know several of you are photography enthusiasts and would be very interested in what The Benspark has to offer. I think you would be further interested in entering the contest because the prizes are photography related. And I believe you can get in on the action right here and now by leaving a comment on this post! What are you waiting for?? Do it, do it!!
Again, I've got more reason to be proud of my little bro! While perusing the online version of our town newspaper...imagine my shock to see my brother's face staring back at me! He was interviewed this weekend...but didn't think that it would be in this edition. I briefly pondered putting him on "the list," but why steal his glory?
Please enjoy the article...it's "really cool." Ha! (You'll get that when you read it)
