Eh, why not?

I stole this from Marius, who stole it from somebody else...

Tired of all of those surveys made up by high school kids? Have you ever kissed someone? Missed someone? Told someone you loved them? Drunk alcohol? (Seriously?) Here you have 40 questions for the people who are a little older...

1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
Mortgage. It's a soul killer.

2. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
Every Friday night - we eat at one of our fav restaurants - Joe's Place. It may just be casual, but it is romantic, as I get to spend quality time with my Sheeps.

3. What do you really want to be doing right now?
Career wise? Or really *right now*. Sleeping would be my preference for now. Entertaining folks in the long run.

4. How many colleges did you attend?
One.

5. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
It was clean.

6. What are your thoughts on gas prices?
I'm glad they've come down, but think they should drop further. I think raising the prices because they're switching to the "summer blend" is complete horse dookie.

7. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
"I hope I hit the snooze instead of shutting it off..."

8. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
"get off my feet, you walking carpet"

9. Do you miss being a child?
Hmmm.... not particularly

10. What errand/chore do you despise?
Mowing the lawn.

11. Get up early or sleep in?
Are you kidding me? Sleep in!

12. Have you found real love yet?
Yup.

13. Favorite lunch meat?
Roast beast.

14. What do you get every time you go into Target?
The sensation that Walmart has the exact same items, only cheaper?

15. Beach or lake?
Lake.

16. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
You'd have to ask my wife.

17. Sopranos or Desperate Housewives?
Neither.

18. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
Emeril, as long as he cooked...

19. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
Do fender benders count? Then yes.

20. Ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
Yes.

21. Ring tone?
Whatever comes with the damned phone.

22. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
In the woods, while camping.

23. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go?
Never been to Cally. I suppose LA?

24. Do you go to church?
Only for weddings.

25. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
My wife would most likely frown on the relationship part, so I'll say career.

26. How old are you?
I'll be 45 in a month.

27. Do you have a go-to person?
I'm usually the one people come to, but in a pinch, I've got lots of folks I can rely on.

28. Are you where you want to be in life?
Nope. Haven't hit the lottery yet.

29. Growing up, what were your favorite cartoons?
Johnny Quest, Bugs Bunny, Kimba, Astro-boy, and Speed Racer.

30. What about you do you think has changed the most?
My hair. It's turning gr... er, blond.

31. Looking back at high school, were they the best years of your life?
I had a tight group of friends back then. Then again, I still have the same friends... No, not really the best times, but good times were had.

32. Are there times you still feel like a kid?
Often.

33. Did you ever own troll dolls?
What? No!

34. Did you have a pager?
Yes. Unfortunately.

35. Where was the hang out spot when you were a teenager?
The "tree" at Bryant Park in Lake Worth. There's also the arcade at the Cross County Mall. Spend hours playing Star Castle.

36. Were you the type of kid you would want your children to hang out with?
I suppose so.

37. Who do you think impacted your life the most?
Sir Rieken, Sir Bron. They pretty much influenced the way I looked at the world.

38. Was there a teacher or authority figure that stood out for you?
Not any one in particular. All had an impact, to one degree or another.

39. Do you tell stories that start with “when I was your age”?
::hangs head in shame:: Yes. Yes, I do.

40. Is it better to love and lose it or never to love at all?
That's a toss up. Feels great when you're there, but it sucks when it goes south...

Thank You, Germany!

Why, you ask? For giving us the term Schadenfreude. This is truly an awesome word, and one we really needed. There isn't an American equivalent.

It is defined as: “pleasure derived from the misfortune of others”. At lot of languages have a term for this, but a lot of them borrow from the German, and none roll off the tongue so nicely.

Basically, it is laughing at your friend who trips in a pothole, or chuckling at the antics of the Three Stooges, or finding just about anything on The Simpsons funny, but can include finding sheer joy at the utter failings of others, such as seeing an “enemy” fail in a venture.

Take, for example, the sight Sheeps and I witnessed last Sunday. We had a long day of yard work ahead of us, so decided to catch a nice brunch, beforehand. There is a wonderful deli near to the house, but it is very popular, so parking is at a premium. We ended up having to park at the far side of the plaza. On the way back to the car we passed a family heading in. They had a boy, about 10, who was terribly interested at the contents of one of the storefronts (though I have to wonder why – it was a Citi-Bank loan store, so nothing interesting inside…) He had his forehead pressed against the glass and was looking in, sliding along as he continued walking. Well, the storefront was not *all* glass, as it had nice, solid, steel dividers between the window sections, as the boy soon found out. With a loud “clang!” and an “ow!”, the boy bounced off the window frame. It was one of those moments of horror wherein you wondered if the boy was all right, but the guffaws of laughter would not be halted. Hey, even the parents were laughing. We apologized, as we stumbled past, tears of joy dripping down our faces… It was one of those “had to be there” moments, and I was glad we were.

Thanks Germany! Great word.

Too Bizarre

This is a commercial produced for a furniture company in North Carolina...

Um.... wow.