Throwback Thursday: Roos

Kangaroos that is.  They rock.  This is my son's second pair.  These were his first pair.  The pair in the picture are his current tennies.  While we rode to train to D.C. this past weekend to visit the National Museum of Natural History, we put quarters in the zipper pockets like I used to do as a kid :) You know, just in case you get lost and need to use the pay phone! They come is all sizes and colors, I just might have to get a pair for everyone in the Barr household.  For now, my little boy can kick it old school, solo :) TTFN!

Throwback Thursday: Narcissistic Facebook Notes

I'm not entirely sure why I was even thinking about those Notes people used to do on Facebook, for example, The ABC's of Me.  So I looked back on my FB account and found a buttload of these things I wrote about myself.  I can't help but laugh, because occasionally my husband will ask what I am writing for and/or about because 'only like 5 people read your blog'  Well, actually since I started this blog, I have a whopping 11, 855 pageviews and my highest for Teacher Appreciation Week at 734 pageviews.  I am no blogging expert but I think close to 12,000 pageviews is pretty damn good.
Back to the Notes, I actually enjoy writing these things because I think they are fun, not because I am obsessed with myself.  And to answer my husband's question about why I blog, it's kind of like therapy.  I write a lot of things that I never even publish because it just feels good to get it out.  So there............

Anyway back to Throwback, check out this old 'Note' on Facebook:

April 21, 2009 (Did I really take the time to write 65 things about myself, jeez!)

1. First thing you wash in the shower? my armpits

2. What color is your favorite hoodie?  red.....red hooded sweatshirt!

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?  many more times

4. Do you plan outfits?  yes

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now?  testy

6. Whats the closest thing to you that's red?  oden's sweatshirt

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?  i honestly don't remember the last one

8. Did you meet anybody new today?  No

9. What are you craving right now?  its hard to crave something after consuming an oatmeal creme pie :)

10. Do you floss?  Yes

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? that polish dish with meat, i cant remember the name

12. Are you emotional? um, yeah

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000?  probably

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?  bite

15. Do you like your hair?  most of the time

16. Do you like yourself?  sometimes

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush?  yes

18. What are you listening to right now?  oden and jeff make funny noises at each other

19. Were your parents strict?  i would say they were conservative

20. Would you go sky diving?  yes

21. Do you like cottage cheese?  Yes

22. Have you ever met a celebrity?  Yes

23. Do you rent movies often?  Yes

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in?  glittery yellow stars

25. How many countries have you visited?  1 (i think)

26. Have you made a prank phone call?  yes, really stupid ones like 'this is the electric co. calling, your refrigerator is running.............'

27. Ever been on a train?  Yes

28. Brown or white eggs?  brown eggs scare me

29.Do you have a cell-phone?  Yes

30. Do you use chap stick?  all the time

31. Do you own a gun?  i do not

32. Can you use chop sticks?  if picking up one grain of rice is considered 'using' then yes

33. Who are you going to be with tonight?  my family

34. Are you too forgiving?  i don't believe so

35. Ever been in love?  Yes

36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow?  taking car of children

37. Ever have cream puffs?  yes

38. Last time you cried?  a while ago

39. What was the last question you asked?  are you going to do that again?

40. Favorite time of the year?  summer

41. Do you have any tattoos? No

42. Are you sarcastic?  me? no

43. Have you ever seen?  The Butterfly Effect?  yes, loved it

44. Ever walked into a wall?  one time too many, even swam into one and broke a tooth

45. Favorite color?  prob. pink

46. Have you ever slapped someone?  Yes

47. Is your hair curly?  No

48. What was the last CD you bought?  I don't buy cd's, but i bought the album rockabye baby bob marley on itunes

49. Do looks matter?  not really

50. Could you ever forgive a cheater?  no

51. Is your phone bill sky high?  No

52. Do you like your life right now?  Yes...

53. Do you sleep with the TV on?  Yes

54. Can you handle the truth?  depends

55. Do you have good vision?  yes

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?  definitely

57. How often do you talk on the phone?  depends on the day

58. The last person you held hands with?  oden

59. What are you wearing?  v-neck and jeans, standard

60.What is your favorite animal?  big cats

61. Where was your default picture taken?  what is a default picture?

62. Can you hula hoop?  Not for my life

63. Do you have a job?  Yes

64. What was the most recent thing you bought?  groceries

65. Have you ever crawled through a window?  yes

Throwback Thursday: Food Delivery

For some reason the term Schwan's comes up often in my family.  For example the other day I asked my son if he knew what a picture of something was (it was a swan) and my husband heckled from the background 'Schwan!'  My family had this food delivery service growing up.  I specifically remember the chicken fingers, but not much else.  I assume my parents utilized this service while one of my younger brother's was very sick with Leukemia.  They were often with him at C.H.O.P. and my sister, youngest brother and I were taken care of by one of wonderful au pair's.  One of whom I am still friends with on Facebook, how amazing!  The truck pulls up, delivers your frozen food and off they go to the next family.  Anyway, my husband and I often joke about the Schwan man and wonder if we should utilize the service, I am thinking  Yes please!  This also brings me to another delivery service where I grew up named, Charles Chips.  Literally, chips, pretzels and candy could be delivered to your home via truck.  That sounds like something I could definitely utilize!  Did and/or does your family use Schwan's? I'd love to know!  TTFN!

P.S. I have added a few new tunes to my playlist.  you will have to press play, as it no longer plays automatically :) some birdies have told me that is no bueno

Throwback Thursday: Guess the Dictator

Do you remember this game?  I do. I remember hearing about it while living in an apartment with my unamed friend, who I have referenced before, and our then boyfriends, now husbands.  Those were great times.  In between playing Asshole at the dining room table and doing shots of Jagermeister, we did a lot on the computer and watched a lot of t.v.  She and I played "You don't know Jack" all the time on our desk tops that probably weighed more than both of us.  But then I heard about Guess the Dictator Sit-Com Character.  To be honest I did not completely understand it until I played it, BUT even then I didn't quite get it right, which you will see in a second.  You are supposed to have a dictator, i.e. Ho Chi Minh or Sit-Com Character, i.e. Alex P. Keaton in your mind.  The game will 'ask' you a series of questions trying to figure out what you are thinking.  Pretty fun! I even stumped it a few times. So, the first time I played I answered all of the questions about myself, shocking :).  Even funnier, is the fact that at the end the webiste declared "I know! You are Blair from the Facts Of Life!
Wow, that was a reality check.  According the the Wikipedia:

At the beginning of the series in 1979, Blair was played as very rebellious. She was seen smoking cigarettes, drinking beer, and had many boyfriends and was looking to lose her virginity, unlike a lot of the other girls she shared a house with. When the show was retooled in 1980, all instances of Blair's rebellion were either dropped or given to the new character of Jo Polniaczek and she was rewritten as an unashamedly spoiled "Daddy's Girl," whose business alone could have kept Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus afloat.

Seriously dying over here................You can read more about Blair and Eastland School alum here.  

In Summary, you got two throwbacks today.  1. Guess the Dictator/Sit-Com Character and 2. The Facts of Life.  I hope you found my little anecdote amusing, because every time I think about that day it brings a smile to my face.  And a little humility.  TTFN!

Throwback Thursday: You Know You Love The 90's If............

Borrowed from vh1.com

If I haven't mentioned it by now, I heart the 90's.  First and foremost, I love the music. I would say I listen to the 90's station on my Sirius 90% of the time.  I love the clothes, I mean not literally, but I adore looking back at the fashion choices my friends and I made during that decade.  I love the  toys and the movies, in 1990 I was 12, but I grew up with brothers who are 6 and 7 years younger than me, so I was always surrounded my the toys and movies.  I am not even really sure how to sum up my love into one of my top 10 lists.  I think I'll change up the format and go with "You know you love the 90's if...." I am going to try to do 25.  Let's go.

*Please note these are MY favorites, feel free to comment on yours!*
You know you love the 90's if:
1.  You have seen the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie.
2.  You can do a perfect imitation of Joey Lawrence saying "Whoa."
3.  You wore a Hypercolor shirt. **
4.  You wore one strap off of your overalls.**
5.  You know the words to Silk's Freak Me.
6.  You saw all 3 renditions of the Amy Fisher Story made for TV movies (not to forget Alyssa Milano starring at the Long Island Lolita!)
7.  You know who Wayne and Garth are.
8.  You wore/owned a Simpson's T-shirt **
9.  You had more than 5 Beanie Babies.
10.  You have seen every episode of Beverly Hills 90201.
11.  You wore babydoll dresses with bike shorts underneath. **
12.  You made fun of the 'I've fallen and can't get up' commercial.** ok fine......
13.  You had a discman and a hookup for it for your car cassette player.
14.  You wore Adidas Sambas.
15.  You wore white slouchy socks.
16.  A scrunchie (sp?) was permanently attached to your wrist.
17.  You often said "Psych!" at the end of your sentences. **
18.  You wore Dr. Martens.
19.  You wore used Levi's.
20.  You know the choreography to the Electric Slide.
21.  You have Rollerbladed.
22.  You've eaten Berry Bears and/or Shark Bites.
23.  You tried Pepsi Clear. **
24.  You logged hours watching Supermarket Sweep (what the hell is wrong with me?)
25.  You dreamt of being on Star Search (technically this show started in the 80's but ended in 1995).
**Items that I am NOT guilty of.

I could really keep going, but I would be here all night and the pinched nerve in my neck will never be the same.  I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane as much as I enjoyed writing it.  TTFN!

Throwback Thursday: Nintendo

Borrowed from Nintendo Wiki

Ah, video games.  This post could go on for days and days, so what I have decided to do is list my top 10 favorite Nintendo Games of all time.  I mean the original Nintendo System, not Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64 or anything fancier.

1.  Rad Racer

2.  Mike Tyson's Punch Out

3  Super Mario Brothers (all of them)

4.  Paperboy (Thanks AJ!)

5.  Adventure Island (my best friend had this game and I wanted to play it every time I went to her house and she would tell me it was "broken"  You know who you are!)

6.  Contra (oh yeah, I defeated the whole thing with my next door neighbor)

7.  Duck Hunt

8.  Zelda

9.  Double Dribble

10. Dr. Mario

I am sure there are tons more, but these are my best memories!  Feel free to add game names to the comments!  TTFN!

Throwback Thursday: Book It

Let me begin by saying that I was having issues yesterday coming up with a Throwback and a trusted source served this one right up!  If you do not know what book it was/is click here to learn more.  According the Wikipedia:

Book It!

Pizza Hut has been a longtime sponsor of the "Book It!" program (started in 1984^[24]), which encourages reading in American and Australian schools. Those who read books according to the goal set by the classroom teacher are rewarded with Pizza Hut coupons good for a free one-topping Personal Pan Pizza or discounted menu items. In the late 1980s, Pizza Hut threw free pizza parties for classes if all students met their reading goals. The program has been criticized by some psychologists on the grounds that it may lead to overjustification and reduce children's intrinsic interest in reading.^[25] However, a study of the program found that participation in the program neither increased nor decreased reading motivation.^[25] The program's 25th anniversary was in 2009.

I love the part of this that says that a study shows participation in the program neither increased or decreased motivation to read.  You know why?  All we cared about was getting our damn Personal Pan Pizza!  I mean I was definitely one of the nerds who took pride on getting my star sticker on my pin, but I am sure there was Book It! fraud.  

I'd also like to add an anecdote about a night we went to the Pizza Hut on Hamilton Blvd. with the family.  My brother was just an infant and my parents had his infant carrier on the floor next to one of their chairs, I can't remember whose.  What I do remember is the waiter, who was preparing either mine or my sister's pin, again I don't recall, dropped it on my brother's head.  An open, sharp object falling on an infant with special needs.  I thought my dad was going to blow through the roof.  That poor guy, he is lucky he made it to the end of his shift.  My brother was perfectly fine after the once over he was given for puncture wounds to his skull.  

For me Book It! was a great motivational tool, even it used food as a reinforcer, um can you say No No?!  Now, I don't have to read books to get my Personal Pan Pizza, I just head down to my local Target and order one up.  But, I don't get a gold star on a sweet pin.  I just get a stomachache and clogged arteries.  TTFN!

14 minutes in Heaven

No, I'm not talking about that silly little game you played in Junior High or Middle School where you went in the closet to make out for 7 minutes.  I am talking about tanning.  I know, I know, it's the devil.  It's bad for you in oh so many ways.  Wrinkles, leathery skin, melanoma, the whole nine.  However, there is really nothing like lying in that bed for 14 minutes and soaking up the fake sun.  Not to mention, having sun kissed skin makes me feel loads better about myself!  Even though this is not my typical Throwback , it kind of is because I haven't tanned in years.  But I am totally being shallow and vain for even going tanning.  I am going to a wedding on Saturday and the dress I am wearing is a golden color.  And if I don't have some golden color on my skin, I am going to look totally washed out!  Also, my husband and I will be sitting on the beach or pool for a few hours before the event and I really don't want to scare the other guests. Plus, it's just that time of year where I need a little color, and while I love my Tan Towels, they really do make me look like Snooki.  I am literally only going for a few times (so don't get your panties all up in a bunch) and after the wedding, I am stopping because I know how bad it is for you.  Anyway, lying there in the quiet solitude of the tanning bed is very relaxing and I am going to revert to my 20 something self and enjoy it for a few days! TTFN!

Throwback Thursday: Lip Smacker

I love Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker with a passion.  I have loved it since high school.  I use to keep it in my pocket and it would be all warm when I put it on.  Back in those days they didn't have this fabulous trio.  My mom got it for me a few years ago and it's A+.  I keep the clear one in my makeup bag for my morning routine.  I don't need a lot of color on my luscious lips, so it's the perfect gloss.  Don't be fooled by the clear gel, it still tastes and smells like the original stick.  The tube is also great because it has nice tint.  Love, love, love this.  Cheers to Dr. Pepper (preferably diet) and Bonne Bell!  TTFN!

Throwback Thursday: Crazy Eddie

His prices are INSANE!  I know, I know, St. Patrick's Day FAIL!  But honestly, I was thinking about this is the shower the other morning and I had it all ready to go for today! Then I realized I should probably do something hokey for this great day, but I am sticking to my guns.  Always go with your first instinct, just like the answering questions on the SAT's, because in my case, instinct was all i had to go on, not academic intelligence.  
Crazy Eddie commercials were always on when I was a kid. If you did not grow up in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut during the 70's and 80's, you probably have no idea what I am referring to.  These stores were only native to the Northeast. 
I particularly recall one of these ads being played in a scene in Splash. Fast forward to 6:19 here to see just what I am talking about for you non-N.Easterners.  
If you don't know what Splash is, then I seriously can't associate with you.  So look it up along with Girls Just Want to Have Fun, then get back to me.  
Crazy Eddie stores are now out of business due to Eddies's fraudulent business practices but are still fun to remember.
Not only did you get a throwback to Crazy Eddie in this post, but 2 equally as memorable 80's movies that rock.

Urban Dictionary

This post is already not going as I had planned. 1. I am searching for an image of Pee Wee Herman as the desk clerk at then end of Pee Wee's Big Adventure (can't find one). 2. I am looking at the definition of people pleaser in the urban dictionary and I find the text below.   This does not describe me, well maybe the part about being perfect and nice.  Why am I doing this you ask?  Well, I love to help people. So I am putting myself out there to let you know that I love to look things up and find things on the web.  Some of you already know this!  I am talking kids toys, books, clothes, beauty products, what have you.  I  welcome emails and comments asking me to assist in searching for necessary goods.  People pleaser, no.  Internet concierge, I might just be! 

1.	people pleaser	33 up, 5 down
	buy people pleaser mugs, tshirts and magnets A relatively new word in the psychology world, it's not in the DSM-IV-TR (a book that a couselor would use for a diagnosis). People pleasers aredoormats who let high expectations, resentment, and saying yes when they mean no run their lives. They are set on being perfect and nice. It affects mostly women because they are socialized to do for other people instead of for themselves. This has also been linked to codependence.

Throwback Thursday

I am thinking I want to dedicate Thursday's to throwbacks.  I do not plan on limiting where I pull these from and suggestions are always welcome.  If anybody knows me (and my family) we love to reminisce.  That is what Thursdays will be for.  Music, toys, vacations, food (think Bonkers), shows, etc....The possibilities are endless.  I do plan to keep this blog upbeat and positive, but I must dedicate this throwback to my first baby.  I feel so lost and empty without her.  I never thought having, or losing, a pet would have this much of an impact on me, though I dreaded the day anytime I thought about it.  I miss my protector, my companion, my nonjudgmental listener, my friend who would do anything I wanted her to (with some coaxing at times. like the time she found an old corncob on the street and it took me 10 minutes to get her to 'Drop it').  She would be lazy with me if i wanted or active.  She never begged to be taken out and she never begged to be fed.  I miss my warm friend who stole Jeff's place on the bed at any chance she got.  I miss my children's constant playdate. I miss smelling her paws (sorry). I miss leaving the door unlocked when going to the playground. I miss feeling safe in my car when traveling and I miss feeling safe in my house when Jeff is away.  I miss being greeted everyday (or almost b/c often she was too lazy to even come down to say hello!)  She was better than anything I could have imagined when taking on the task of raising a dog and I miss miss miss her dearly.