Twelve Years

In this year of twelves (12-12-12) and the fun of celebrating the end of the world, mayan style, today I'm celebrating another 12

Twelve years of being married to this guy:

Happy Anniversary, Love!

Here's to dozens and dozens of more happy years and surprising twists to come.

xoxo

Build a blog hop Super Late

On man, I forgot, totally dropped the Christmas ornament...I mean....ball today.

So, while it may be too late, it's still the 20th, so here goes.

In celebration of 800 follows David Powers King is hosting

We're supposed to post our dream blog design element. I would pick a header with those cool old fashioned typewriters with my name coming out the top and then brown paper packages tied with twine with tags for my pages. So when the boxes boxes are hovered over they would open up, revealing bits of nature, a rock climbing quick draw, a yoga mat, my favorite toys, that kind of a thing. 

My other dream, that isn't even logical as I don't drink coffee is from Holly Black's blog. She has a coffee cup with letters that swirl her name when the mouse tracks over it. Of course as her last name is Black it makes a lot more sense. Still, every time I see it, I can't get over what a cool, simple, yet perfect element it is.

Thank you for the blog hop David. Sorry Christmas swallowed me whole and I posted late.

12 number facts on 12.12.12

And yes, I'm nerd enough that I set this post to post at 12:12pm.

1. The body has 12 cranial nerves.
2. A 12 sided polygam is called a dodecagon
3. 12 is a sublime number (yes, that's a real thing-I can't believe you thought I made that up)
It means that it has a perfect number of positive divisors (6): 1,2,3,4,6, and 12 and the sum of these is also a perfect number 1+2+3+4+6+12=28
This is huge because there are only 2 known sublime numbers. The 2nd one is 6086555670238378989670371734243169622657830773351885970528324860512791691264
4. The atomic number of magnesium is 12 in the periodic table.
5. The duodenum is the first 12 inches of the small intestine.
6. The United State is divided into 12 Federal Reserve Districts (can you name them?) and all paper currency has serial numbers beginning with one of twelve different letters, A through L, representing the Federal Reserve Bank where the currency originated.
7. In ancient Greece the 12 Olympians were the principal gods of the pantheon.

8. In Arthurian legend, Arthur subdued 12 rebel princes, won 12 great battles against Saxon invaders, and had 12 knights of the round table.




9. The 12 Tribes of Israel stem from Jacobs's 12 sons and Jesus has 12 apostles.

10. 12 months in a year, 12 zodiac signs, and the basic units of time (60 seconds, 60 minutes, 24 hours) can all be perfectly divided by 12.

11. In both soccer and American football, the number 12 can be a symbolic reference to the fans giving support to the 11 players on the field.

12. 12 Days of Christmas (most people think this is the 12 days before Christmas, but it starts from Christmas day to the eve of Epiphany or January 5)

I wanted to add more, (such as the number of function keys on most PCs, and the 12 Colonies of Kobol from Battlestar Galactica, or the fact that there are 12 basic hues in the color wheel) but then I wouldn't be listing 12, so I didn't.

 I think I may have a new favorite number.

I'd love to read your favorite number 12 knowledge in the comments. I'm curious too, how many of you realized it was 12.12.12?
*All this wonderful information (and more) is found on wikipedia here 
*Did it drive you nuts that I used 12 instead of twelve? me too, but seeing all those twelve, twelve, twelves everywhere drove me batty too.

It's that time again-IWSG Christmas Style

The first Wednesday of every month is IWSG, a bloghop hosted by the amazing Alex J. Cavenaugh to encourage and inspire each other and a safe place to admit our writing doubts.

The elves decorated my house and the tree (a 30 dollar Wal-mart special) is standing and some of the (cheap plastic) ornaments have yet to be used as baseballs.

With the white lights of the bottom half of the pre-lit tree glowing, I feel like our tree is a reflection of me, not dense, or thick, or bushy (although I do need to attack my eyebrows again), but sparse, breaking, and with no lights on top. Since NaNo I've had so many responsibilities and Christmas packages and recitals, and ...and... that the time I'm able to devote to writing is few and far between. And when I do sit down, it's not quality coming from these fingertips.

But there is one saving grace on our tree, my floating, yellow orange, origami star from my CP Emily. When I'm frustrated at one more disaster from Descructo Man, I can look at that star and think, even if I am this falling apart, crap tree, above me is a star, and if I can stand a little taller, I can find a minuscule scrap of its brilliance, and those tiny moments when I can write, they're going to be worthwhile *stands of tippy toes* *wishes for a fireman's ladder* *settles for a stool*

And You Are Bloghop

Emily and Tammy are doing a bloghop with the help of David Spade to determine who's naughty, who's nice, and who should get some presents.

For me, David Spade was never better than in Tommy Boy, so having his 90's self back to do your bidding-crazy awesome. Had to include this clip since the hubs and I are having a contest of who can learn all the words to REM's It's the End of the World (As we Know it).


These are the "And You Are...?" questions:

1. How many speeding tickets have you gotten?
None, but I have been pulled over twice. The first time I stalled making a left-hand turn into my neighborhood in front of a cop. He pulled me over in my nosy neighborhood, but when he saw it was 3 kids in Sunday dress he let me off.

2. Can you pitch a tent?
Heck yeah-I started camping before I could walk. I can even build a fire.

3. What was your worst vacation ever?
Fair warning, this includes projective vomiting, so feel free to skip to #4.  About 8 years ago my husband was invited to his 1st Therapy Conference at a golfing resort on the coast. We packed up everything-including our 6 month old. The first day was fun, even if I discovered that having the hubs in meetings all day and the baby sleeping half the day, I didn't get to have as much fun as I'd imagined. Then came the first night-and the throw-up from the 6 month old. He'd been known to projectile vomit if I ate anything he didn't like (raw onions, anyone?) so I didn't realize it was stomach flu, until I cleaned him up, put the one extra fitted sheet on the pack and play, and went back to bed for all of two minutes, before he threw up again. We lived in the shower, he was so sick, and we were so gross. When he hadn't thrown up for a few hours I went to the lobby to get some breakfast and climbed the winding resort stairs, holding him over my shoulder. Five carpeted steps before the floor with the food, he projectile vomited in my hair, down my back, and over the railing.

4. What was the last thing you bought over $100?
My new phone-Samson Galaxy S3. 

5. We're handing you the keys to what?
Our 2005 tan Dodge Grand Caravan with build in car seats. We call her our sports car. 

6. What was the last meal you cooked that made even you sick?
Hmmm...I've been wracking my brain on this one and coming up empty,,,but Saturday I didn't realize the milk had spoiled and chewed my kids out for not eating their cereal-until I poured my own bowl, of course. 

7. Fill in the blank: Oh my gosh! Becky, look at her butt! It is so big. She looks like  ____?
a rap singer's girlfriend. Before that song maybe a hippopotamus?

8. What was your first car?
1985 Ford Escort-it was the family kid car. My first "real" car I had to marry into:) It was a 1990 gray Saab. Whenever I see one now, I think back to my dating days and all that parking. 

9. Your best friend falls and gets hurt. Do you ask if he/she's okay or laugh first?
I snicker, cover it up, ask if she's okay, and then I help her up and we laugh together.

10. What's the worst song ever?
In the Leafy Treetops. It's the most revolting song in existence and if I hear it or think of it, like right now, it starts running through my head and torturing me. It takes me hours to clear it, even with other songs to block it out. If you dare play it, I'd advise going back to the top and letting Tommy and Richard sing it away.