Allegria Images: July 2012

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Let's Go Do The Hop

So. The other evening I'm sitting in the living room when something goes flying onto the table. "Did you throw something?" I ask Meryl. "Nope." Then the cat jumps down and acts all interested in something under the coffee table. I didn't pay much attention.

About half an hour later, HOP!! Onto the table jumped a huge grasshopper. When I went anywhere near him to catch him, he'd jump away. And every single time it startled me and I'll let out a screech and a giggle. Yes, it's true. And I'm not too ashamed to admit it.

He had Meryl and I jumping and hopping after him all over the living room, until finally he hopped behind the sofa and that was it.

Cue the next afternoon when:

"MOOOOM!! *giggle giggle laugh* There's the grasshopper!"

Obviously too tired and probably hungry to complain, he let us catch him and put him on the porch, where he hung out for awhile, crawling on Adam, and the walls and windoww ledges, until finally disappearing.

I love his colors, don't you?

And he was STRONG. I still can't believe how high he could jump!

And how such a little guy made me jump nearly as high!

Oy.

Gotta love nature!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Dell Demise Contest

Although I have felt like doing this to my Dell laptop many times since purchasing it four years ago, I refrained. I really did. I have struggled with it, been frusterated with Dell customer "service," and generally fought with the thing for ages. About a year ago, I accidentally tipped it off the table, and some of the plastic cracked at the bottom of the screen. So I duct taped it together, and it worked. As well as it ever had.

But on Saturday morning, I tried to turn it on, and it wouldn't. And I noticed that there was a hunk of twisted metal and broken plastic in the same place where it had been damaged by me. Upon questioning, I was told it had gotten "bumped, Mommy." I know that it wouldn't have taken much, so I'm not going to blame the kids, really.

And that was that. Much of it had been backed up, and Best Buy (bless 'em, they were open on Saturday) backed up the remainder. But the computer is toast.

Thanks to a generous and much loved anonymous sponser, I will be receiving the computer of my dreams tomorrow. I hear he has a penchant for apples And I'm thrilled at the possibility of not struggling with a PC. Or Dell. Again.

But I think this old computer needs a proper sendoff, don't you?

Some suggestions have been to give the kids a hammer and nails and tell them to go for it. To drop it into the ocean as part of an artificial reef. To bring it to the rifle range and have a go at it. Dynamite. Car crusher. You get the picture!

So I'm going to have a contest. As long as I get enough entries, that is--so share away. The more entries the merrier!

So make your suggestion below as to what you think would be appropriate after the ...well, you know...that this computer has put me through over the years. Then we'll put it to a vote through a handy dandy form doohicky or do a random pick (I'll have to figure out the technical aspects of both, since I'm a newbie in the forms and contests department) and the winner will have their suggestion videotaped. The only real rule is that is has to be something that is possible without putting any dollars into it on my end. So the ocean, for example, although a great idea probably wouldn't work well in our landlocked situation.

My husband thinks that bringing it to a range and teaching me to shoot, strictly for this purpose, would be the best. He may be right, but I want to hear what YOU have to say about it first!

Contest closes Tomorrow July 18 at midnight EST. It's our anniversary, and Meryl and I will both find your responses a fun addition to our day.

So have at it!!!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Ambassadors

Hey everyone!!

Check out the ambassadors tab above!! I'm sooo excited to start this program, so if you're interested in participating or know of anyone who might be, please send them this direction for more information!