by Sarah | Mar 25, 2014 | All About Me, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Story of Me, The Geek, Top Ten Tuesday
I’m a total ghost geek.
I admit it.
Have been for…wow, at least since middle school.
I believe in ghosts, I believe I’ve seen several.
Also, I DREAM of being able to go to a haunted location.
Even my hubby, who doesn’t believe in ghosts, has talked of taking me to one just because I want to go SO.BAD.
So this top ten list – wasn’t easy. Narrowing it down to only 10 locations, but I did. There is no particular order in place here, because there isn’t one I’d want to go to more than another. I want to see them all-fully equipped with cameras, evp recorders, and video. Yeah, totally obsessed.
10. The Bird Cage Theater – Tombstone, Arizona. So much life, and death, passed through here and the tales of hauntings are pretty long standing.
9. The Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, CO. I wouldn’t be a ghost geek if I didn’t want to go to this one.
8. Myrtles Plantation – Francisville, LA. A ghost that shows up in lots of pictures? Uh, yes please.
7. Whaley House – San Diego, CA. Rumors of a man (Yankee Jim), a woman, a small child, and even a small dog have been reported haunting this home for years. It was declared the most haunted house in the US by the Travel Channel.
6. Eastern State Penitentiary – Philadelphia, PA. Gives me the shivers just thinking about going…but that wouldn’t stop me.
5. Villisca Ax Murder House – Villisca, IA. Hundreds of years later the mystery of this house remains. It would be interesting to see what you could find there.
4. Lincoln Square Theater – Decature, IL. Evidence abounds out of this theater. I’d love to add to the stockpile.
3. Winchester Mystery House – San Jose, CA. Another one where I wouldn’t be a ghost geek if I didn’t want to go.
2. Lemp Mansion – St. Louis, MO. I was right near this one a couple of years back. Unfortunately, I was there on a mostly planned weekend and didn’t have time to get to the Lemp Mansion, but next time I go to St. Louis, I AM going to Lemp.
1. Waverly Hills Sanitorium – Louisville, KY. ‘Nuff said.
~The two most likely to happen are the Lemp Mansion and Waverly Hills, because those are within close driving distance. We’ve also talked about doing Waverly Hills since they have a way to sign up and do it. It might yet happen…
~One house is notably absent, and I have many many reasons for it. That’s the Lizzie Borden House. I couldn’t add it to the list for personal reasons.
~Also not on the list are any places from Salem, MA or Gettysburg because…well, there isn’t any ONE place in those towns I could choose over another. I would want to go an experience the whole towns…so it didn’t feel right to add whole towns to the list. 😀
And that’s my list and caveats. 😀
What about you? Are you a ghost geek? Tell me I’m not alone!!
by Sarah | Mar 24, 2014 | All About Me, Redefining Perfect
Back in December I finally had surgery on my much-despised, and often painful, foot.
Without going into too much detail, a genetic quirk makes my big toes point in toward my pinky toes. I’ve had this issue since birth and it wasn’t always painful, but as I reached adulthood, and the bunions this quirk caused grew, and the toes moved further outward, pain became a regular companion.
So after hemming and hawing and delaying for years, I bit the bullet and told the podiatrist “Let’s do it.”
Right out of surgery everythign looked GREAT.
My toe had never, in my entire life, been so straight.
It was awesome…despite the levels of pain I was in, the extreme levels of cabin fever I was going through and the inability to do anything for myself (which I despise). I was able to say “It was SO worth it.”
And then…
And then…
Shortly after I started walking again, and the swelling started to go down, my toe began “drifting.”
Back toward the position it was in pre-surgery.
Back…
Back…
Back…
I’ve been back to the podiatrist, had another x-ray, had everything checked out – and there’s no clear explanation.
We don’t know why.
We only know my stubborn-fool body is reverting back to the odd quirk.
And now all I can do is pray that the pain doesn’t return.
But my hopes to have straight feet, and the ability to get whatever job I want once I’m healed are gone.
So disappointing.
All that pain.
All that healing.
All for nothing.
by Sarah | Mar 21, 2014 | All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, Blogging Life, Pinterest Challenge, Redefining Perfect
Time for another round of Pinterest Challenge!
This time I decided to take on a craft – and one my girls could participate in.
So we went with BALLOON BRACELETS!!
I actually just found this Pin a few weeks back. The original link is not currently working, so I can’t share it, but the premise was simple.
Elastic.
Twisty balloons cut into pieces.
I did add a detail. In order to make the stringing of the balloons onto the elastic run smoother, I put a safety pin on the end of the elastic. It made it about 100 times easier.
So I did a test run, in secret, away from the girls. I kept my color scheme simple, white, blue and green and slid them onto the elastic. I found myself sometimes struggling to get the balloon on, but overall it was pretty easy. When it was done, I tied the ends together, pulled one of the balloons over the tie and slipped that sucker on.
Other than making it a wee bit too tight for myself, I liked it.
(And to answer one of my reader questions – NO. The balloon did not tug on my arm hair.)
So a couple of days later, the girls got off the bus, did their homework and it was their time to try.
I gave them a short, five minute instruction and they were off!
They both picked it up really quick, although Molly was a bit faster to string on the balloons than her sister. Must be all that fine motor therapy she’s had over the years.
In the end, each girl had 3 bracelets and big smiles.
So of course, I have to say that this was definitely a Pinterest YAY!!!
by Sarah | Mar 20, 2014 | All About Denver, All of Us, Redefining Perfect, The Teenager
Gone are the days where the mail was full of bills and interesting items for me.
Paperless billing lessened our mailboxes load.
We don’t get many catalogs anymore.
But these days our mailbox is often full.
With items addressed not to us, but to Denver.
Letters, flyers.
College calling cards.
He’s in 10th grade now.
At school in his college and careers class he filled out something that gave his address and listed the career he was interested in.
Apparently schools don’t pay attention to the career listing, because he’s gotten many from schools that don’t do pre-med.
Still, he gets letter upon letter, flyer upon flyer.
I don’t remember ever getting so many.
My grades were just as good as his.
Are colleges that desperate these days?
by Sarah | Mar 19, 2014 | All About Denver, All About Family, Blogging Life, Pour Your Heart Out, Redefining Perfect, The Teenager
As a baby he was all Mama’s boy. I was a single mom and he was my world.
As he grew, he stayed that way. He listened to my musicals in the car with me.
Everything was shared, no secrets kept.
Over time, and with age, the world began to shift.
Sisters were born.
School got harder.
Life got busier.
He became a pre-teen.
The hugging slipped away.
The talking disappeared.
Sullenness crept in where sunshine had lived.
And then we had a teenager.
Over the past few years, the ever-changing relationship has left me at time joyous, befuddled, angry, and sad.
The need for independence, coupled with the distance already formed, has left some gaps in the relationship.
I don’t understand him, although I try.
He is a sensitive one, like I always was, and I find myself now understanding my dad’s frustration when I was that age.
There are ways Denver is just like me—and ways he is nothing like me.
I don’t know how to parent a teenager. I don’t know how to let go and hold tight. I don’t know how to keep his trust as he tests mine.
Yet, in the frustration and pain, there are moments.
Times we share laughter. Times we have a playful battle of wits (or wills).
There are some subjects we share an enjoyment of (raising a Geek when you’re one helps).
Some days I think I’m losing him and will never get him back.
Some days I worry I didn’t do a good enough job raising him.
But these days, as he’s getting a little older—a little closer to good-bye—we are starting to find that middle ground.
There are times I think he might actually like his parents (heaven forbid).
And so I think there is hope.
Just so long as he knows how proud we are of him (we are, so much).
So long as he knows how smart he is and how much potential he has.
Then I am happy, and think maybe I didn’t do such a bad job in raising him after all.
*
Are you ready for the teen years? I still have two kids to go through, and they’re girls. I don’t think I’m ready for that.
*~*
Written for Things I can’t Say’s Pour Your Heart Out
by Sarah | Mar 18, 2014 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
This list was incredibly difficult to come up with. I have a lot of quotes I love, for various reasons, from a wide variety of reasons…including movies I didn’t even like. Actually, as I write this, my list is at 17 quotes (and I know I’ve forgotten some)…and I don’t know how to narrow it down. So I may, um…cheat this week. Forgive me, if I do.
Then again, maybe I won’t. I’ll stick with the comedy quotes. 😀
10. “Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.” ~ From, of course, the movie [amazon_link id=”B001EBV0RG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Spies Like Us[/amazon_link]. I only vaguely remember watching the movie when I was younger, but this section stuck with me…until I rewatched the movie in adulthood.
9. “Maybe you’re the plucky comic relief.” ~ [amazon_link id=”B00AEFY3DQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Galaxy Quest[/amazon_link]!!! This is one of my favorite go-to movies. As a trek geek, it makes me happy.
8. “A shrubbery!” ~[amazon_link id=”B0016492BW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Monty Python and the Holy Grail[/amazon_link]. Because, of course.
7. “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” ~[amazon_link id=”B008FD36IC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Princess Bride[/amazon_link]. (Well, duh)
6. “The price is wrong, bitch!” ~[amazon_link id=”B001BA9FIG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Happy Gilmore[/amazon_link]. I’m actually on the fence on this movie. It’s not my favorite, but unlike many of the comedies the hubby watches, this one does make me laugh.
5. “We’re on a mission from God.” ~[amazon_link id=”B001AQO446″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Blues Brothers[/amazon_link].
4. “Ohhh, don’t step on broccori.” ~[amazon_link id=”B003GAFA8S” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Police Academy[/amazon_link]. We watched this over and over when I was younger, and my dad is still known to quote this line.
3. “Sometimes I have the feeling I can do crystal meth, but then I think, mmmm…better not.” ~[amazon_link id=”B008JFUUQ2″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Pitch Perfect[/amazon_link]. LOVE Fat Amy and this movie, I laughed a lot.
2. “Goonies never say die.” ~[amazon_link id=”B005KQVDH8″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Goonies[/amazon_link]…like I would leave this one off!!
1. “Never give up. Never surrender!” ~ [amazon_link id=”B00AEFY3DQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Galaxy Quest[/amazon_link]…yup, again. LOVE THIS MOVIE. Have I mentioned that?
*~*
And those are my top ten in the comedy ranges…because I can’t narrow it down any other way.
I have a feeling a list like this would be tons more challenging for my husband.
What about you? What are some of your favorite movies?
I’m a total ghost geek.
