tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104630332011-06-22T09:41:39.857-04:00If the dog eats the strudel, it’s not a real crisis. It’s only strudel.Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.comBlogger2411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1157839114851550702006-09-09T17:46:00.000-04:002006-09-09T17:58:34.886-04:00

I'm over here. For good. (I think!)New feed.

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1157513063643903542006-09-05T22:48:00.000-04:002006-09-05T23:26:49.580-04:00

J.P. and I returned from Minnesota on Sunday night, after two long days of driving. We had a good, relaxing vacation, and Maggie couldn't have been better with the kids, dogs, and birds, or as a passenger in the car.I won't say I was looking forward to going back to work today—that would really be a stretch. But somehow it did seem almost like the first day of school and the fresh start it brings

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1157008754672831392006-08-30T15:05:00.000-04:002006-09-06T00:35:59.410-04:00

Would you believe we went back to the fair? Yep, tonight after Character Builder got home from work, we all headed out. The kids rode the rides and played games. And of course, we had a few more things to eat. I think we're pretty much "faired out."I took a bunch of kid pics in the hopes of getting one good enough to put this free photo canvas coupon to good use. But alas, it seems all I got out

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1156914968495769322006-08-30T00:41:00.000-04:002006-08-30T01:18:44.563-04:00

Today's diet (in order of consumption) included:A corn dog.Southwest chorizo egg burrito from Tejas.Ribs from Famous Dave's.Chocolate chip cookies from Sweet Martha's.Milk to go with the cookies.Cheese curds . . . of course!Hotdish (that's casserole, if you live outside the Midwest) on a stick with cream of mushroom dipping sauce.Famous Dave's ribs . . . again.Deep-fried Snickers bar.Dashababy

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1156827507237830552006-08-29T00:22:00.000-04:002006-08-29T01:01:00.416-04:00

Well, we made it to Minnesota safe and sound. And it seems like we've been stuffing our faces ever since we got here. Ham, potato salad, unbelievably awesome coconut cake, baked French toast, hamburgers on the grill, Chinese from Leeann Chin, and awesome toasted macaroni and cheese from this place:After we returned from Florida last month, a gift card for Lettuce Entertain You restaurants arrived

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1156397339225456832006-08-24T01:20:00.000-04:002006-08-24T01:49:21.990-04:00

Well, my last post has moved from "withering" on the vine to outright dead. I've been busy trying to wrap things up before we leave on vacation tomorrow, and consequently the blog has been neglected.I'm still getting used to the MacBook. Mostly it's good, but I seem to have trouble with some of the keys. Especially the G, and sometimes the T—they just aren't quite responsive enough, and soon I'll

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1155530055736117472006-08-13T23:03:00.000-04:002006-08-14T00:35:09.416-04:00

Have you ever spent any time trying to write with your non-dominant hand? Your brain knows how to form the letters, but somehow it has trouble directing your hand to move in the direction you know it needs to go. That's how I'm feeling right now because we got a new computer this weekend, and it's a MacBook. It has a keyboard and a mouse and a screen, but everything else is different enough that

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1155269191448070882006-08-10T23:30:00.000-04:002006-08-11T00:15:10.746-04:00

I've driven by this tree for years, and every time I think, "I've gotta take a picture of that." I just think it's so cool looking. I'd love to get closer to it, but there's a fence that prevents it. I think I might have to go back with the telephoto lens sometime. It reminds me of when Character Builder's son Alex was little guy, and he was afraid of the Berenstain Bears story The Spooky Old

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1155007148397155562006-08-07T22:53:00.000-04:002006-08-07T23:19:08.633-04:00

I haven't been so into the photography thing since we got back from Florida. It figures, doesn't it? Now that I have two memory cards I can store more than 1000 photos. But have I wanted to take any? No.I thought I might need a little inspiration, so last week I was browsing rentglass.com. They had a fisheye lens in stock, and I rented it on the spur of the moment. It's a 16mm, and it's not quite

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1154798960803555482006-08-05T12:54:00.000-04:002006-08-05T13:29:20.910-04:00

So yes, I've had the blogging blahs lately. Truthfully, I've kind of had the blahs in general. I'm not sure why—still trying to figure out that part. (Note if you know me in real life: Everything's fine! Really! No need to worry.)I was excited to find this email this morning when I logged into my Flickr account:I guess since I'm only on the "short list" they haven't actually selected my photo yet

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1154314455296611262006-07-30T22:49:00.000-04:002006-07-30T22:55:52.043-04:00

J.P. was giving me a hard time yesterday about how long it's been since I updated. He's right. Trouble is, I don't even really care at the moment. Not sure why.So here's a shot I took in Florida. Vanity plate? Or unfortunate luck of the draw? Talk amongst yourselves . . . .

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1153716879890028032006-07-23T23:34:00.000-04:002006-07-24T00:55:58.960-04:00

So here's one of the pictures that I took when we met Suzie and the Hubs. You may remember from yesterday's post that when we showed up to meet them, I didn't have the data card for my camera.J.P. had taken the card out of the camera so he could post the photo seen here, and he forgot to put it back in. And at that point, I hadn't taught him my trick for remembering the card. However, as we

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1153594007836979892006-07-22T14:29:00.000-04:002006-07-23T12:48:20.506-04:00

So the highlight of our trip—dinner with Suzie and the Hubs—occurred on Thursday night.J.P. and I rose early that day to attend our conference's closing event. Then we packed up and checked out of the super-nice Westin resort to move down the road to a Marriott. The four hours of sleep I'd gotten on Wednesday night just weren't cutting it, and I decided to take a little nap before getting ready

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1153024387546607832006-07-15T12:21:00.000-04:002006-07-16T00:33:07.563-04:00

In the morning J.P. and I are heading out to Florida for our company's annual customer conference. Each of us is teaching a couple of different sessions, and of course there'll be some fun too.Most of the fun will be Thursday-Saturday when the conference is over and we're on our own time. We're very excited (and a little nervous) to meet Suzie and The Hubs for dinner on Thursday night.I've never

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1152582848474262452006-07-10T21:46:00.000-04:002006-07-10T21:54:08.510-04:00

My typing skills have waned a bit in the last few years, but in my glory days I could type about 100 words per minute. I don't have to look at the keyboard while I'm typing, and I can usually finish typing a sentence while someone is talking to me.But tonight something really strange happened. I was sitting here working, and I typed the word client. But when I looked up, it appeared on my monitor

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1152472365329905692006-07-09T14:23:00.000-04:002006-07-09T15:12:45.350-04:00

Every night when it's time for bed, J.P. and I have an argument. Sometimes it's good-natured, sometimes it's less so. It kinda depends on the day. What do we argue about, you ask? This:For some reason, J.P. believes that a dog should be confined at all times when you can't be there to keep an eye on it. I understand this mentality, to a certain extent. We put Maggie in her crate when we leave the

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1152066984158288392006-07-04T22:25:00.000-04:002006-07-04T22:36:24.173-04:00

I'm sure you'll be seeing pictures like this all over the blog world tomorrow. Good thing I had this one in reserve (from the Strawberry Festival back in June), because J.P. and I decided to forego (forgo?) the fireworks tonight.I had to play in a concert at Longwood Gardens tonight, and didn't finish until about 8:45. We considered going to some nearby fireworks, but we'd been gone since about 4

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1151987148417707602006-07-04T00:24:00.000-04:002006-07-04T00:25:48.430-04:00

Enjoy your barbecues, pool parties, and fireworks. Can't wait to read all about them later this week!

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1151952456554885342006-07-03T14:00:00.000-04:002006-07-03T14:47:36.626-04:00

We've got a new look around here! I'm no graphics expert, but I'm not afraid to spend five bucks to get the look I want. I bought the shark from istockphoto.com and tweaked him a little bit.Then I very creatively followed a link from dooce's site and found the little background image. It looks a little like ocean waves, no?And I accomplished all this before my shower today. Never mind that it's

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1151640858030161382006-06-29T23:24:00.000-04:002006-06-30T00:14:18.160-04:00

This certainly isn't the best picture of Maggie I've ever taken. But Kranki has been asking about her. And a certain pink-cloaked blogger has requested that I post something to push his photo down the page. Since I'm all about making people happy (okay, maybe not exactly), here's a new post.Ms. Maggie is doing well. I haven't taken many pictures of her lately, but that could all change soon. I

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1151366580867539972006-06-26T19:56:00.000-04:002006-06-26T20:03:00.890-04:00

I dared him, and he took me up on it. Lucky for me he didn't negotiate anything in return.

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1151214609844638142006-06-24T23:44:00.000-04:002006-06-25T01:52:37.790-04:00

The Kimmel Center is the home of the Philadelphia Orchestra. And guess who played here today?!? Yep . . . I did! Well, I and the 79 other people who play in the community band.It was the Summer Solstice concert, and it was crazy. (You know us craaaaaazy music people!) It was like a three-ring circus, with multiple acts going on simultaneously from 11:00 this morning straight through until 6:00

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1150861837783128682006-06-20T22:47:00.000-04:002006-06-20T23:50:37.850-04:00

It was quite the trip. Fortunately, the travel part was uneventful (the flights were on time, our luggage arrived promptly, and there were cookies!), because our time in Minnesota was a whirlwind. Here are a few highlights.We arrived on Wednesday and spent the first few days at my sister's house. She worked on Thursday, and J.P. and my BIL went golfing, so I spent the day with the kids. We

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1150477289818507732006-06-16T12:59:00.000-04:002006-06-16T13:01:29.833-04:00

But I had to share this mug . . . .Have a great weekend!

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1150347250952830012006-06-15T00:35:00.000-04:002006-06-15T00:54:11.006-04:00

J.P. and I flew to Minnesota this afternoon. My cousin is getting married this weekend, and we decided it was a good opportunity to come home and visit family that we haven't seen since Christmas.We flew Midwest Airlines, which we'd never done before. It meant connecting in Milwaukee, but it also meant bigger, leather, first-class-like seats, and these . . .They were baked on board the plane, and

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1150243837589489862006-06-13T19:31:00.000-04:002006-06-13T20:12:52.840-04:00

This is the suburban Minneapolis house that I bought (all by myself) in 1997. I signed the purchase agreement, and a few days later my parents came up to see it. I took them on a tour, and they tried to convince me to get out of the deal before the closing date. Looking at the exterior, you can probably see why.What you can't see here is the interior, which had been completely redone. New carpet,

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1150083179176936982006-06-11T21:52:00.000-04:002006-06-12T00:15:41.046-04:00

Have you seen Bridezillas on the We network? It's not something we ordinarily watch, but we happened to catch it tonight. Oh. My. Gosh. How can these women live with themselves? Why would anyone want to voluntarily sign his life over to live with one of them (though some of the grooms aren't exactly prizes themselves)?It got me thinking about our wedding. No, not because I was a bridezilla! In

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1149735744552612172006-06-07T22:47:00.000-04:002006-06-07T23:29:19.486-04:00

You may or may not have noticed that it's been a while since I posted. Part of the reason is because I went to Chicago last week to lead some training. As a small token of her appreciation, the woman who organized the training gave me this cute pen.She also asked me to bring a pen back to someone in my home office who had helped her on a project. No problem—I threw them both in my computer bag,

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1149047182677047952006-05-30T23:17:00.000-04:002006-05-30T23:46:22.693-04:00

What is it about a holiday weekend that makes it so relaxing? An extra day off, of course! And so much the better if that day happens to fall on Monday, because that means the short workweek comes AFTER the holiday. Bonus!After run, run, running last weekend, J.P. and I were quite content to have a nice weekend (mostly) at home. I cleaned the bathroom (yes, that's a blog-worthy event in

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1148913986228372372006-05-29T10:15:00.000-04:002006-05-29T12:20:37.740-04:00

AND HEREIN THIS PLACEOF SACRIFICEIN THIS VALE OF HUMILIATIONIN THIS VALLEY OF THE SHADOWOF THAT DEATH OUT OF WHICHTHE LIFE OF AMERICA ROSEREGENERATE AND FREELET US BELIEVEWITH AN ABIDING FAITHTHAT TO THEMUNION WILL SEEM AS DEARAND LIBERTY AS SWEETAND PROGRESS AS GLORIOUSAS THEY WERE TO OUR FATHERSAND ARE TO YOU AND MEAND THAT THE INSTITUTIONSWHICH HAVE MADE US HAPPYPRESERVED BY THEVIRTUE OF OUR

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1148784065839268812006-05-27T22:18:00.000-04:002006-05-28T00:02:25.773-04:00

Tonight as we walked out of the movie theater with some friends, an overwhelming sense of contentment washed over me. Part of it's the weather, I think—something about these warm spring evenings does it to me every time. But tonight it was more than that.After we got in the car, I said to J.P., "I'm just so happy to be here." He was like, "What—happy to be in the car?" I replied, "No. Here on

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1148446555359451632006-05-24T00:43:00.000-04:002006-05-24T00:55:55.380-04:00

So I think the vet was wrong. Maggie's sudden lethargy was due to a back or leg injury, not a stomach bug. We haven't been back to the vet, but we've been giving her baby aspirin to help her feel better. And it's working—she's been playing, running, and just being her usual silly self—mostly. She still kind of gimps up and down the stairs, and she's hesitant to jump on the furniture. I've been

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1148308773272240022006-05-22T10:04:00.000-04:002006-05-22T16:11:23.316-04:00

We were gone a lot yesterday, so Maggie spent quite a bit of time in her crate. We got home around 6:30, and she was her usual spunky self. But by about 8:30, she was like a different dog. I noticed her sitting in the family room, just staring off into space. I called her over and invited her onto the couch with me. But she couldn't make it. This is the dog who commonly launches herself and

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1148070125694338012006-05-19T16:14:00.000-04:002006-05-19T17:31:10.700-04:00

I'm sitting here watching Oprah, and this dog is on. Appropriately enough, her name is Faith, and she was born with deformed front legs. She learned to walk like a human, and it's amazing. If you haven't seen it, watch the video on Oprah's site. It brought tears to my eyes.Have a great weekend!

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1147745296295122622006-05-15T21:24:00.000-04:002006-05-15T22:08:16.580-04:00

I'm writing this post while watching Grey's Anatomy. This show is stressing me out tonight! Izzy's stupid moves, and then none of the others would stand up to her and do the right thing. Now they're all in trouble! But the show wouldn't continue without them, so they'll get out of it somehow, right? I'm guessing we won't know the answer by the time the show ends 90 minutes from now—we'll be

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1147542130286175672006-05-13T13:08:00.000-04:002006-05-13T17:19:14.616-04:00

I'm very lucky to have been mothered by two great women. The first is my mom, who pushed out my nine pound, six ounce body before she was even 20 years old. And the second is my step-mom Janet, who married my dad 23 years ago. These women, while very different, have had lasting effects on my life.From my mom, I learned to be strong and independent. She knew what it was like to be on her own,

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1147132508421645552006-05-08T19:43:00.000-04:002006-05-08T20:01:55.220-04:00

So it seems David Blaine is up to something new—living in an aquarium for a week. And tonight he plans to put on 150 pounds of chains and handcuffs, and then try to escape within nine minutes. Basically before he blacks out from lack of oxygen.I'm no psychologist, but it would seem these highly visible stunts are a huge cry for attention. Couldn't this guy do something of value with his life and

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1146788574840409412006-05-04T19:50:00.000-04:002006-05-04T20:22:54.886-04:00

Stuff Portrait Friday, sponsored by KristineIt's J.P.'s golf night, so I'm taking the opportunity to get an early start on my SPF post. SPF is run by Kristine, and the rules are different each week. This week's photos include:A body of waterSomething with flavorPlant your ass (where you park it)And of course, I always add a fourth picture of the pup. Because I've taken about seven billion

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1146453299296732252006-04-30T22:42:00.000-04:002006-04-30T23:16:24.753-04:00

So this photo isn't exactly a stellar example of good bokeh. In fact, it's pretty much the opposite—all that noise in the background is a little distracting. But of the 200+ photos I took today, this is the only one I can show you.These little piggies are the same ones I showed you nearly a year ago. Hard to believe how much they and their owner have grown! My photography assignment this week was

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1146372787927085932006-04-30T00:35:00.000-04:002006-04-30T00:54:07.960-04:00

. . . what bokeh is? If you're like me, probably not. Because I'd never heard of it until last Tuesday. But now that I know, I notice it in every photo I look at.I'm learning lots of great stuff on a new (it really is new, not just new to me) site I discovered called Photodoto. If you've every used one of fd's Flickr Toys, you've come in contact with John Watson's work, even if you didn't know he

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1145853487308069002006-04-23T23:48:00.000-04:002006-04-24T23:17:13.813-04:00

On October 1, 1999, J.P. and I got engaged in Orlando (But not on Disney property! I'm not sure why that distinction is important, but it is.). Disney World is just about his favorite place on earth, and he would go there for every vacation if he could. Now I like the Mouse just fine, but come on—every year? So I instituted and he agreed to the Five Year Plan. We would go to WDW no more often

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1145398591688412402006-04-18T17:57:00.000-04:002006-04-18T18:16:31.716-04:00

When I was in Toronto (why do I ALWAYS type 'Torongo' when I try to type that word?) last week, I saw ads for these quarters. The Royal Canadian Mint and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation teamed up and created them to raise awareness about breast cancer. I wanted to try and get one, but didn't have the time.So how cool is it that two of them arrived in the mail today? Kranki sent one for me

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1145239064390328392006-04-16T21:04:00.000-04:002006-04-16T21:57:44.413-04:00

Okay, so the rabbit wasn't actually here—I hid 72 eggs around the yard. A dozen for each of the kids who was here today. Here are two of J.P.'s nephews counting their loot. To ensure that even the little kids would have a shot at finding some eggs, we color-coded them—that's why things are lookin' a little monochromatic.J.P. and I had to be at church by 6:30, so the morning got off to an early

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1144727057304618732006-04-10T22:17:00.000-04:002006-04-11T00:21:45.623-04:00

Saturday night, we went to dinner with our next door neighbors and their 10-month-old son, J. It was J.'s first time at a restaurant, and he had a great time just looking around at everything there was to see.After dinner we all went back to our house for dessert, and the fun began. Maggie was a little excited to have company. She ran from person to person, room to room, wound up like you

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1144119570729737782006-04-03T22:31:00.000-04:002006-04-03T22:59:30.746-04:00

Yep, I'm still here—the birthday didn't kill me. I'm just trying to play catch-up from goofing off all day Friday and then spending ALL DAMN DAY at the anniversary party on Saturday. It was nice, but the duration of a 50th anniversary party should not approach the duration of the marriage. I may blog more about it later if I find some time.I have lots going on right now, and I'm feeling a little

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1143818012726777972006-03-31T09:53:00.000-05:002006-03-31T10:13:32.750-05:00

Remember those Oil of Olay commercials that were on TV when we were kids? Well okay, when I was a kid—some of you are a lot younger than I am. Anyway, the ads showed "older" women slathering the heavy cream on their faces to get rid of all their wrinkles and appear young again. Well, last week I officially became one of them when I bought my first Olay product. That's right: I'm old. As of today,

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1143520082033572562006-03-27T22:27:00.000-05:002006-03-27T23:54:31.890-05:00

A week or two ago, Karen wrote about the 26 Things site. It's a photographic scavenger hunt, and challenges you to take pictures of each of the 26 things on the list. If you want to take pictures and need something for inspiration, this is a good place to start. Karen has some really cool shots on her photo blog.Tonight I was reading through the D70 group on Flickr, and someone mentioned a

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1143328525202170312006-03-25T16:26:00.000-05:002006-03-25T18:33:51.616-05:00

You may remember that about a year ago, J.P. and I were working on finishing our living room. We installed crown moulding, painted, and got new furniture. Well, we completed all but one element of the living room before the baby shower that we held at the end of April. The chair pictured above didn't arrive in time, and it turned into quite the little saga. Here's a brief summary.January 2,

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1143213676883169842006-03-24T10:12:00.000-05:002006-03-24T10:22:56.413-05:00

Have you noticed this week that several people are talking about taking a step back from their blogs? Most of them want to spend more time doing other things, and I can't blame them—this hobby takes up a LOT of time.I'm not consciously backing off. I'm just lazy. Too lazy, in fact to come up with a post for today. So instead, I give you a picture of my lazy dog. In this shot, she's sleeping on

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1142913675030943562006-03-20T22:44:00.000-05:002006-03-21T00:23:40.996-05:00

I started a community ed. photography course tonight. My ultimate goal is to become worthy of my camera, but I don't think it's going to happen in five short weeks. I guess I'll settle for marginal improvement.The instructor is younger than I am. It's the first time I think that's happened, but I guess I can forgive her for it because I learned some things tonight._____________________________You

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1142567391443053882006-03-16T22:41:00.000-05:002006-03-17T08:26:49.406-05:00

Crazy Legs O'Houlihan arrived last night, just in time for St. Patrick's Day. Click his picture or link to read about his big visit. He'll be here through the weekend, and I hope he doesn't die of boredom!

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1142486824185819882006-03-16T00:04:00.000-05:002006-03-16T09:02:40.106-05:00

Seven years and two days ago (give or take), I was sitting in a restaurant in Minneapolis with J.P. At that time, I lived in Minneapolis and he lived in New Jersey, and we'd only been dating for a few months. It was Sunday afternoon and we were grabbing a bite to eat before I dropped him off at the airport. My cell phone rang. It was my sister, and she was in labor.J.P. and I quickly finished up

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1142400108787432722006-03-15T00:02:00.000-05:002006-03-15T00:23:17.436-05:00

As you know, I'm a self-declared band geek. I played all through high school and college, and fifteen years after graduating from college, I still play my clarinet with a community band. And it's fun!The rehearsal site is about 20-25 minutes from home, and a few months ago another band member emailed me to see if I'd be interested in carpooling. He lives in a nearby retirement community, and he's

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1142216434846956152006-03-12T19:54:00.000-05:002006-03-12T21:22:08.953-05:00

Friday night we hit a milestone: It was warm enough that we could sleep with the windows open all night. It was wonderful to wake up yesterday morning to the bright light, fresh air, and singing birds. I enjoyed it so much that I went back to sleep and did it all over again two hours later.J.P. and I decided we needed to get out and do something outside, so we loaded up Mags and headed to Valley

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1142052705263558382006-03-10T23:27:00.000-05:002006-03-10T23:51:45.276-05:00

In the last few weeks, two members of my family have started blogs. They started off hanging out here, and branched out into reading some of your blogs. And now they want to get in on the action too. Go pay 'em a visit and say hello.JP Jargon is J.P.'s new home. He writes about gadgety/techy/geeky topics. Oh yeah—and golf. I expect you'll see a lot of golf posts in the next several months now

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1141791608914097962006-03-07T23:18:00.000-05:002006-03-07T23:20:08.930-05:00

My husband steam-cleans carpets. Can my life get any better?

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1141350938400671572006-03-02T20:44:00.000-05:002006-03-05T19:34:31.480-05:00

My stepdad, Frank, has been suffering for several years with chronic, debilitating back and leg pain. It has invaded and affected every facet of his life, and if he couldn't work from home he would be on disability. He regularly takes I-don't-know-how-many drugs to try and manage the pain so he can function. He hasn't been able to golf or work on projects around the house for years. It's

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1141276881414018992006-03-02T00:06:00.000-05:002006-03-02T00:21:21.430-05:00

Okay, time for a new post, if only to push the cupcake photo down the page. Every time I've come here in the last few days to read comments or click a link, I've had cupcake cravings.We got a new Eddie Bauer catalog today, and it features these:Maybe it's because I'm tall and can never find pants that are long enough, but I just don't get this. I actually do have some capri pants, but they're

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1141010902708152462006-02-26T21:44:00.000-05:002006-02-26T22:28:22.730-05:00

For some reason, I was craving cupcakes last night after dinner. We went to the grocery store, but the Hostess, TastyKake, and bakery versions just didn't look appealing. So I settled for some Entenmann's donuts. I ate two of them before I realized they have 350 calories EACH. Yikes!Tonight was the annual Mardi Gras talent show at church, and everyone was supposed to bring a dessert. Ordinarily,

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1140802963386204022006-02-24T12:13:00.000-05:002006-02-24T12:43:38.053-05:00

Can it really be that I haven't played along with SPF since before Thanksgiving?!? Yikes! Talk about lazy!In case you're not familiar with SPF, it works like this:Visit Kristine at Random and Odd to learn about each week's topics.Take the pictures.Post them Thursday night or Friday morning.Leave a comment at R&O so everyone can go check out your stuff.Go check out the people who comment on your

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1140395604102398512006-02-19T18:52:00.000-05:002006-02-19T22:09:16.233-05:00

My weekends always start on Friday. Did you know that I only work Monday-Thursday? Yep, it's true. LOVE it! Anyway, I'm almost ashamed to admit that I didn't even get dressed on Friday. But wait! I was productive while I sat on the couch and caught up on my Oprah episodes from the week!If you've spent much time around here, you know that J.P. and I have done some work with a local animal rescue (

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1139967209705584282006-02-14T20:07:00.000-05:002006-02-14T20:33:29.726-05:00

Well, Suzie, here's the picture you asked for: our freshly-shorn dog. It just kills me that her legs look so long and skinny. And she kind of has the bobblehead afro look going. Last time she was at the groomer, the whole top of her head was shaved and I thought it looked terrible:Plus her ears were too long, and the right one was very uneven. So overall, this cut is better. And next time I think

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1139872740587453562006-02-13T17:48:00.000-05:002006-02-13T18:19:00.706-05:00

The very funny and very pretty Mir over at Woulda Coulda Shoulda recently signed up to do the Breast Cancer 3-Day, which is a 60-mile walk to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. If you've spent any time around here, you know that breast cancer is a subject that's very close to my heart. Well, at least it used to be. Now it's closer to my hands, apparently. But I digress . . . .Mir's

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1139806834790098522006-02-12T22:52:00.000-05:002006-02-13T00:00:34.836-05:00

One of Maggie's favorite places in the house is on our stairs. Each one is just her size, and she can easily look out the front door's side lights from her vantage point on the third step. Chloe always loved this spot too. When we first got Penny, I tried to show her how great it was, but she would have none of it.Mags spent quite a bit of time looking out the front windows today, as she watched

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1139374531779642852006-02-07T23:44:00.000-05:002006-02-08T00:44:57.093-05:00

Last Friday, I had a regularly-scheduled checkup with my oncologist. He's only a few years older than J.P. and me, and we really like him. We were ushered back to the tiny exam room, which had barely enough room for two patient chairs, the exam table, and the little roller stool that the doc sits on.The appointment started as all my appointments do. J.P. and I sat in the patient chairs and

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1139269882360354362006-02-06T18:51:00.000-05:002006-02-06T19:04:06.710-05:00

Kranki Emerges Victorious in Cancer BattleIt was reported today that von Krankipantzen, the internet's favorite Siamese-cat-crushing blogger, received a clean bill of health from her doctors in Canada. "Kranki has shown amazing strength, stamina, and good humor during this nearly year-long battle," said Dr. Bob LaBlaw of Vancouver's famed Hooter Hospital.Police reported excessive traffic jams in

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1138504325969393502006-02-01T22:07:00.000-05:002006-02-01T22:46:50.160-05:00

The other day, I accessed my Bloglines account to find this:Um . . . I don't speak Spanish. And I have absolutely no idea why it's doing this. The really weird thing is that it displays normally when I'm logged in on my work other computer, and on J.P.'s computer.Fortunately, your posts still display in English.

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1138503709789391862006-01-31T12:00:00.000-05:002006-01-30T21:55:31.096-05:00

I can't believe it, but this blog is one year old today! It seems a lot of us in this little corner of the blog world started around this time last year, partly because of the community that formed in Dooce's comments section. I never really considered myself part of that community—I was just a lurker who laughed at the conversations of those who had much more time (and wit) than I did.She may be

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1138072941402343762006-01-28T21:21:00.000-05:002006-01-28T22:40:29.656-05:00

Click the links to read Part 1 and Part 2.If you made it all the way through part 2, you know how my first job sucked the life out of me. This, the third and final part of the series, explains how the company affected other people.You know all that money that gets withheld from your check every payday? Well, your employer is required to send that money to the federal and state government on a

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1137540106939063282006-01-23T17:41:00.000-05:002006-01-23T23:46:38.926-05:00

Click the link to read Part 1 of the series.In 1991, I graduated college with majors in business and music, and I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life (still don't, come to think of it). So I started temping while I looked for that first "real" job.After about a month, I landed a position with a small company in Minneapolis. This company consisted of three people—the owner, a

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1137904746708825742006-01-21T23:09:00.000-05:002006-01-21T23:39:06.726-05:00

Yes, I realize you're still waiting for the continuation of my job post. I AM working on it, but it's overwhelming me a little bit. So (in true Sharkey form), I'm procrastinating. I offer you this little story as a substitute. Warning: Do not read this post while eating!Maggie joined us today as we traveled to northern New Jersey for J.P.'s nephew's birthday party. She and Poppy, the birthday

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1137541238593788572006-01-17T16:25:00.000-05:002006-01-17T18:40:38.610-05:00

I know, I know. You just keep clicking back here in the hopes that I've posted part two of my job story. I'm working on it, but here's something in the meantime.If you've been over to Crayonz's place lately, you know about the wildfires they've been having in Oklahoma. And if you've been around here for long, you know what a soft spot I have in my heart for dogs and dog rescue organizations.Well,

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1137472403615078942006-01-16T22:21:00.000-05:002006-01-16T23:33:23.663-05:00

When I started this post I was planning to do a meme that I saw over at The Stolen Olive. But I was having so much fun with the first question that I decided to scrap the meme and just write about different jobs I've had over the years.In high school, I was a grocery store cashier for a couple years. This was back in the days when you had to key every price into the register—no scanners back then

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1137300298009276792006-01-14T23:09:00.000-05:002006-01-15T12:23:56.453-05:00

My typical mid-winter doldrums were intensified today when J.P. and I visited the mall. Since before Christmas, Casual Corner has been advertising its going out of business sale, and now in the 13 remaining days they're down to the dregs of their inventory. I stopped in to see if I could score a bargain on a spring coat, but it wasn't meant to be. I gave the store one last look and dried a tear

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1136861055666457812006-01-09T21:34:00.000-05:002006-01-09T22:13:51.160-05:00

Our baby is *sniff* growing up. Tonight was her obedience school graduation. See what a dork she was being in the picture? Wriggling and sniffing and panting and jumping and whining and just generally being a fool? Yeah, that's what she was like during every class, even without the mortarboard.I'm just glad they didn't give her the dunce cap.

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1136348426422416742006-01-03T22:33:00.000-05:002006-01-03T23:20:26.446-05:00

You know what the worst thing is about the holidays? It's not putting away the decorations after it's all over. It's incorporating all the STUFF that you received as gifts into the limited space in your home. Oh yes, for a few days you can get by with putting it back under the tree. But eventually the tree must come down and the stuff has to find a permanent home. It's a huge domino effect.At

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1136092718222072962006-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:002006-01-01T00:27:31.216-05:00

I saw this on Crayonz's site a few minutes ago and decided to steal it. Because I need a new post to go with the new year—enough of the public restroom discussion.In the year 2006 I resolve to:Eat my weight in Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.Get your resolution here.Hey, now there's a resolution I can live with. And achieve. Maybe even by Valentine's Day. Plus, it sounds like a lot more fun than the

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1135891114088740382005-12-29T15:44:00.000-05:002005-12-29T16:18:34.120-05:00

To the various state agencies that maintain public restrooms along the turnpike:Last week, my husband and I drove cross-country to visit family over the holidays. Along the way, we stopped at several service plazas and rest areas in your lovely state, and I would like to make the following observations.Putting the diaper-changing station near the entrance to the restroom is a bad idea. No one

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1135665957903584212005-12-26T23:59:00.000-05:002005-12-27T01:45:57.920-05:00

I think J.P. and I feel like Maggie did yesterday—we're beat. Two thousand miles, unpacking and packing the entire car five times as we made the whirlwind tour, late nights, sick kids, and now I'm coming down with a cold.But we had a great time. Yesterday at my aunt and uncle's, we bundled up for the 35-degree weather and went for our traditional Christmas Day sleigh ride. Only it was more of a

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1135380112576358362005-12-24T06:20:00.000-05:002005-12-23T18:23:04.626-05:00

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1135135427584828482005-12-20T22:02:00.000-05:002005-12-20T22:23:47.606-05:00

This week we're staying with my sister and her family in Minneapolis. The kids love Maggie—even Catherine (age 6), whose favorite stuffed animal is now missing the end of its nose. She wrote this story after school today:Onese upon a time ther was a dog named Maggie and she chwd almst everting. But she was not rleey good at lisning but she was mello and she was fun to paly with. And she loved

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1134534753057238222005-12-14T00:10:00.000-05:002005-12-20T22:47:17.340-05:00

Welcome! Come on in! Can I take your coat? Would you like something to drink? Just make yourself comfortable while I put your coat on the bed with the others.Sharkey Malarkey is one of the stops on today's blog cookie exchange, hosted by the lovely Susie at What Was I Thinking? Stop over and say hello, and then check out her commenters' sites for more yummy recipes, family traditions, and gift

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1134454671850792402005-12-13T00:44:00.000-05:002005-12-13T01:21:28.106-05:00

In a lapse of judgment about six weeks ago, I scheduled haircuts for J.P. and myself for December 10. At the mall. One of the biggest malls on the East Coast. Since that was Saturday and it's now Monday night, I think I MIGHT be able to write about our experience without having a stroke.The mall was crowded, but mostly manageable. The problem was the parking lot. We drove around for a good 15

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1133876007723565402005-12-06T08:25:00.000-05:002005-12-06T08:37:10.180-05:00

Dude! You totally have to come and check out this awesome powder!Maggie's having a great time in our first measurable snowfall. Running around, grabbing mouthfuls of it. Too bad she's forgotten what she's supposed to be doing out there!Have a great day!P.S. Eclectic, I think we need some Briz snow pics . . . as soon as you get out of your jammies, 'kay?

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1133755435264884942005-12-04T21:47:00.000-05:002005-12-04T23:29:42.243-05:00

So are you tired of the Christmas songs on the radio yet? Now that it's December, I enjoy listening to them. Well, some of them, anyway . . . . Here are my picks for great—and not so great—Christmas tunes.Favorite traditional carol: O Holy Night - the words are classic, the tune is beautiful, and who can resist that final crescendo? "O night di-VIIIIIIINNNE . . . ."Favorite "classical" song: For

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1133505597423490082005-12-02T01:31:00.000-05:002005-12-02T12:09:19.033-05:00

So I'm sitting here watching Oprah's long-awaited reappearance on the Letterman show. I had actually shut down the computer, and was preparing to go to bed as soon as the interview was over. But I had to turn the computer back on to say:What is up with that dress? (When you get to the page, click the link called Uma, Oprah and Dave - 12/1/05.)

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1133329414162968632005-11-29T23:23:00.000-05:002005-11-30T00:44:51.276-05:00

Would you believe I spent several hours tonight creating this music? Well okay, I didn't exactly create this tune. But I did enter all these notes (and many, MANY more) into the computer so our brass quintet will have something to play at church on Christmas Eve.Don't you hate it when you only do something a couple times a year, and you have to get out the sandpaper to remove the rust from the

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1133025087085765092005-11-26T11:56:00.000-05:002005-11-26T12:17:00.766-05:00

We're sitting here watching the Dooney & Bourke hour on QVC.JP: "What about that one? Why don't you order that one?"Me: "It's too big. And besides, it's almost $300."JP: "So? Stop being such a tight-ass. Just order it."Me: "I want the purse I already have (a Franco Sarto that I got at Stein Mart for $32), just in a different color."Part of QVC's sales pitch involves giving the measurements of

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1132892401965260062005-11-24T22:48:00.000-05:002005-11-24T23:41:57.703-05:00

Stuff Portrait Friday, sponsored by Kristine Rub-a-dub dub, thanks for the grub is the theme for this week's post, and it's definitely a STUFFED Portrait Friday. I don't think I'll need to eat again until next Thanksgiving.First up, Something/someone that makes Thanksgiving. It's tough to take a picture of gratitude, and I don't post photos of family and friends, so this pic will have to do:

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1132789345831959552005-11-23T18:20:00.000-05:002005-11-23T18:42:25.846-05:00

As disgusting as it might look, this turkey in a brown sugar, cayenne, garlic, and dijon mustard brine smells wonderful. J.P. and I are hosting Thanksgiving for the very first time tomorrow, and the turkey has to go for a little swim before we plop it into the deep fryer for its 44 minutes of cooking.We've been scouring magazines, cookbooks, and the web in search of good recipes. And I hope we've

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1132543633536666702005-11-21T09:56:00.000-05:002005-11-20T22:37:46.093-05:00

In honor of her first birthday, Maggie wanted to tell you a little bit about herself. I found this meme on Kami's blog, and Maggie thought it would be a good introduction. Happy first birthday, Magster!2 names you go by: Maggie Did You Do This?! and Magamuffin2 parts of your heritage: All parts cocker spaniel2 things that scare you: The sound of the printer in J.P.'s office, and being left

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1132326542784860952005-11-18T09:20:00.000-05:002005-11-18T10:09:03.003-05:00

Stuff Portrait Friday, sponsored by KristineI had to look back through my archives to determine what number to put in my title today. Would you believe I haven't played SPF since September? I didn't realize it'd been that long.Our assignment for today: pictures of things that represent your past, present, and future. No pets or kids allowed! First up, my past:Do you know how difficult it is to

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1132204938487250902005-11-16T23:07:00.000-05:002005-11-17T00:22:18.540-05:00

. . . Karen! I think she may have hit the nail on the head. In her comment on my last post, she said:"Then again, losing interest in blogging could have something to do with a different sort of loss altogether. Perhaps it's a form of mourning."Perhaps it is. I hadn't really made the connection between losing Penny and losing my interest in blogging. But it does make sense. She was such a fixture

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1131937472134254862005-11-13T21:49:00.000-05:002005-11-13T22:43:22.593-05:00

It's been over a week since I blogged! I think that's close to a record. I've been busy, yada yada . . . . But mostly I just haven't been into it. I'm not sure why, but I suspect it has something to do with Bloglines.A sample day pre-Bloglines:Go to Sharkey Malarkey.Use blogroll to access and catch up on friends and favorite sites.Access StatCounter to see how many hits I've gotten.Work for a few

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1131231878952386662005-11-05T17:25:00.000-05:002005-11-05T18:04:38.973-05:00

South Carolina SunsetJ.P. and I are in mrtl Myrtle Beach for a quick weekend getaway before I head down to Charleston for a meeting next week.We've recovered from the initial excitement . . . making it to the airport with exactly 4 1/2 minutes to spare yesterday morning. And then awaiting the arrival of J.P.'s golf clubs because they didn't make it onto our plane. Golf clubs, schmolf clubs, I'm

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1131080855209141362005-11-04T00:01:00.000-05:002005-11-04T00:07:35.223-05:00

I'm addicted. Have you played? Click the image to give it a try.

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1130724374208568912005-10-30T20:38:00.000-05:002005-10-30T21:06:14.250-05:00

One of my pet peeves on Halloween is the kids who don't say thank you when you plunk that morsel of yummy goodness into their bags. Now I'm not talking about the little ones who have no idea why they're walking around in the dark, begging for food. With that group, you can usually hear the stage-whispered, "Say thank you!" prompt emanating from the parent in the shadows. But even if they don't/

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1130560403375020972005-10-28T23:47:00.000-04:002005-10-29T00:35:48.336-04:00

Remember this guy? He's a Sesame Street character. I remember one skit where he was standing in the shadows when Ernie (I think) walked by.Lefty: Pssst!! Hey buddy!Ernie: Yeah?Lefty (opening his trench coat to display dozens ofwatches hanging from the lining): Wanna buy a watch? Okay, so this may not be exactly how it went, but it's how I remember it. Why do I bring this up, you ask? Because the

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1130214486179809602005-10-25T00:22:00.000-04:002005-10-25T00:28:06.186-04:00

This tag came in the mail today. It has our phone number on the back. It belongs to her:Meet Maggie. More about her later, but here are two things you should know: The tag suits her to a tee.It's a good thing she's cute.

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10463033.post-1130118626172809462005-10-23T21:29:00.000-04:002005-10-23T21:50:26.180-04:00

So we've decided we need to replace the Passat. I love it, but there are less than 10,000 miles left on the warranty, and it's had more than its share of repairs. Like the new transmission they put in at 1,500 miles. And the ignition coils, vacuum hoses, and charcoal filter (who knew cars even have a charcoal filter?). Each of these repairs would've probably cost us several hundred dollars if

Sharkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08763413019746358274noreply@blogger.com0