Quote of the Day....

Background: I bribe my students to do my bidding by promising them that I will bake them cupcakes. I make REALLY good cupcakes.

Male Student: "Miss, your cupcakes are like God--in cake form."

Insert Klever Title Here...

This post has taken me AGES to finish. It began when I saw a "D"elightful post on Melissa's blog listing ten things she loves that start with the letter "D" and signed up to do one of my own.

Little did I know how truly difficult this whole "name 10 things that start with a particular letter" thing would be. I apologize that it's taken me so darn long, but if you know me at all, you know I have to overthink everything. This was no exception.

So, here they are in no particular order, things that I love that start with :

1. Kilts. I love them. I love the way men look when they wear them. I love the land they come from.

I know not everyone feels this way, but I just can't understand it. How can you look at a picture like this:

and not love them too? Seriously. Look at him.

They also remind me of my first trip to Scotland when I fell in love with the land o' the kilt

Gorgeous, init? My favorite memory of our day in Edinburgh was when a mentally handicapped Chinese man traveling with our group repeatedly told our kilt-wearing Scottish guide "That's a very nice skirt!" It went over EXTREMELY well with our very manly guide, let me tell you.

2. Kings Cross Station



First of all, I love all of the Victorian train stations in London. They contain beautiful architecture, a tremendous sense of history, and delightful almond croissants. They also offer the promise of adventure. What sets Kings Cross apart, in my humble opinion, is the fact that they've added this:



I love that they've created something that serves no purpose other than to delight Harry Potter loving tourists. Speaking of ole' H. P. can I mention that I'm incredibly excited about this:

?

Yes? Thanks!

Finally, I chose Kings Cross Station because it is a small part London, a city that I love more than my luggage. I could go back every year and still not see everything. I love that.

3. Krasinski, John and Kapoor, Kelly. Ok, you all know I love The Office.

I credit John Krasinski (who I'd like to marry me and father my babies) for initially hooking me. I love his flippy hair and smirky face. I loved watching him, as Jim, pine over Pam, and I love watching him be engaged to her. I love the tricks he plays on Dwight. I love him.

But, after watching for 4 years now, there's another character who I love nearly as much. Jim hooked me, but Kelly Kapoor keeps me laughing, week after week. Kelly is the annoying, shallow, celebrity and self-obsessed girl you'd hate to be assigned to work with, and that's the very reason she's so much fun to watch.

Here's a clip to show you what I'm talking about. It's long, but even if you just watch a little you'll see what I mean.

When I also consider that the amazing Mindy Kaling, who plays Kelly, wrote several of my FAVORITE episodes including:

"The Dundies", "The Injury", and "Branch Wars"

I love her even more.

4. Keeping the Moon (and anything else by Sarah Dessen)




I love Young Adult Literature in general, but Sarah Dessen's are, in my opinion, the best of the lot.

I've spent the last ten years of my life working with teenagers, and while they are hilarious and brilliant, they just aren't as snappy and witty as they are generally portrayed. That's part of what I love about Sarah Dessen's books. Her characters are real. They talk, eat, behave. . . . etc. like the teenagers I know. I like that although there's always resolution at the end of these books they aren't tied up with a big happy bow.




5. Kelly, Reckless Kelly.



I've already written at length about these guys. All I want to add is that my love has only grown since October when I wrote that post. I love them I love them I love them.

6. King, Jillian King:



I love this girl in general, but this particular picture makes me so happy I could weep. Posting this might be strike number three for our friendship and require me to take an online course, but I don't care. Plus, Jillian, you know you told me to put you on the list. (I would have anyway. Probably.)

7. K-9's in general, Austen in particular



I've had dogs for most of my life, and I must say that life is measurably more fulfilling and happy with them than without. When my Scouter died I tried to look on the bright side and think of the freedom I'd have as a pet free individual. While it's true that being dogless allowed me easier travel, less responsibility, and a year of hair free clothing and furniture, my life was much emptier than I could possibly imagine. During this time I struggled through a profound depression. I know that getting Austen, in large measure, is what helped me pull through that time without the use of antidepressants.

I say that even though he did this:





and this:




and this:




to my furniture this in 1 1/2 hours this past Saturday while I went out to breakfast with friends.

8. Knits



It's ironic how much I love scarves, sweaters, and knit caps considering the fact that I was raised in Southern California and now live in Las Vegas. My fashion sense is much more suited to the East Coast or the British Isles than the Southwest, but what can you do?



Kill me now. Krasinski in knits? Fuggettaboutit.


9. Kitsch


I delight in kitsch. Because I also have impeccable taste (ahem) I resist buying much of the kitsch I desire (I had to talk myself out of a pendant of the Tardis this week), although I do own the following:



In magnet form on my refrigerator (he's the official Lowe Family Elvis)

and this postcard:



That I couldn't resist buying from the Liberace Museum Gift Shop. What can I say? I'm patriotic.

I also enjoy this Kitsch



But that's another story.


10. Kitchen

The kitchen is my favorite room in the house.

1. I love to cook/bake. Annnnnnnnnd I'm really good at it.

2. When I was growing up the kitchen was a place that we'd gather to talk, often with several of us sitting on the countertops, about anything and everything.

3. The kitchen is where the Kitchenaid Mixer lives:



That's it. My list. It was more work AND more fun than I thought it would be to come up with.

Okay, so if you want to join in the blogging fun, just post a comment and ask me for a letter. I'll randomly assign you one and you can post your own list of things you love!

Fun Facts!™ #2

1. Fenrir is a wolf from Norse mythology who was so vicious that the gods tied him up with an unbreakable rope and imprisoned him in the otherworld. At the end of days he was said to break free and fight against the gods on the side of chaos.

Fenrir Greyback is a werewolf in the Harry Potter books who fights on the side of Voldemort.



Cool, eh? I love this woman. I tell you what.

2. Ty Cobb may have been the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1936 when the Baseball Hall of Fame opened, he recieved more votes than any other player.



Cobb is widely credited with setting 90 Major League Baseball records during his career.He still holds several records as of 2008, including the highest career batting average (.367) and most career batting titles with 12 (or 11, depending on source). He retained many other records for almost a half century or more, including most career hits until 1985 (4,191 or 4,189, depending on source), most career runs (2,245 or 2,246 depending on source) until 2001, most career games played (3,035) and at bats (11,429 or 11,434 depending on source) until 1974, and the modern record for most career stolen bases (892) until 1977. (Source: Wikipedia)

He was known for sliding with his feet high in the air so that he could spear opposing players. He called it "showing steel" and there is a legend that may or may not be true that he actually sharpened his steel cleats so that a player would think more than twice about attempting to tag him out.

From what I've read and seen, I can easily tell you that Ty Cobb was a disgusting human being: racist, elitist, sexist, abusive, and violent, but you have to admire the stats.

Fun Facts #1!!!!

Today I'm introducing a new feature to my little ole blog. It's called "FUN FACTS!!" I'm so excited! I have been accused (by people who are supposed to love me) of being a geeky nerd just 'cause I was on my high school's Quiz Bowl team (and the district high scorer my senior year, thankyouverymuch). This is not completely true. I was a nerd, but not a geeky one. Really. But what's a girl who has a freakish ability to remember insignificant knowledge supposed to do? Anywho, I learn things from time to time that blow my skirt up but are not significant enough to warrant an entire post. Also, I have a couple of ADORABLE nephews who are fond of sharing their own fun facts, generally about medieval weaponry or the insect world.





My fun facts will probably not be in these two fields per se, but they are in honor of Jacob and Curtis nonetheless.

So, here we go:

Fun Fact #1: "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" as sung during the traditional seventh inning stretch is in fact ONLY THE CHORUS!! The song actually has several verses and centers around the story of a girl who refuses to go out on a date unless the guy will take her out to the ballgame. A girl after my own heart.




















Nelly Kelly loved baseball games,
Knew the players, knew all their names,
You could see her there ev'ry day,
Shout "Hurray," when they'd play.
Her boy friend by the name of Joe
Said, "To Coney Isle, dear, let's go,"
Then Nelly started to fret and pout,
And to him I heard her shout.

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."

Nelly Kelly was sure some fan,
She would root just like any man,
Told the umpire he was wrong,
All along, good and strong.
When the score was just two to two,
Nelly Kelly knew what to do,
Just to cheer up the boys she knew,
She made the gang sing this song.

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."

(copyright 1927)



(I had to. I bleed Dodger blue and this picture is mythical. Click here if you, like my own sister, don't know why.)