A great big ol’ “Good Frickin’ Riddance” to 2008. The important thing is, I’m not bitter.

Some good stuff came out of 2008. 

Top Viewed

1. His name was Dice.
2. Eeet’s not a too-mah.
3. We’ve been Elf’d!
4. Signing Saturday, the Pilot Episode
5. Joyce Meyer 26th Annual Women’s Conference
6. Musings on Steps, Grief, Love, and Old age. Oh, and divorcing dinosaurs.

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Where’d ya’ll come from? Besides my old blog, then Google Reader, and then Twitter and Facebook, these lovely folks made with the kinky linky love. Thank you so very much, you lovey people!

1. Five Star Friday
2. Country Girl, City Girl
3. Okay Fine Dammit

Top Commenters
Sorry, this only goes back to August when I switched from Blogspot to WordPress. I just didn’t have the energy to do the math between the two casas. Nonetheless, my most loviest of love goes out for my dealers of verbal cocaine. You give good comment, Mah Peepull. I love you guys.

1. Kizzle (27)
2. City Girl (19)
3. BEG (16)
4. Jim (16)
5. Heather P. (11)
6. Caron (9)
7. maggie, dammit (9)
8. Trienne (9)
9. fatboyfat (8)
10. Britchik96 (7)

Top Posts
Handpicked by yours truly.

January 2008 There’s no place like home. Except your childhood home.  ”…I’m not sure how deeply I want to dissect the last few days, because I’m just exhausted; physically, emotionally, and mentally. So we’ll break it down in a safe, distancing, I Use Humor as a Defense, sort of way. Ready… Break!…”

February 2008 My HMO declined to cover that particular ER visit. The bastards.  ”…Cut to two thirtysomething women up on bar stools laughing uproariously and weaving back and forth in their seats as only the seriously shnockered can. Several empty shot glasses (one of which has been licked clean)…”

March 2008 The One That Almost Was Not  ”…I don’t share Dr. Jekyl side of myself a whole lot; well, I did once and got no comments that post, so I had to conclude that no one wanted to hear that crap, much less put a hand out to steady me. So I thought, Aw hells no, I’m never doing that again. Then I changed my mind…”

April 2008 That’s Alllllll I Waaaaant…  ”…Now, never having been in this situation before, let’s just discuss exactly what I pictured Mr. Bondsman to look like. The only thing I have to pull from is Janet Evanovitch’s Stephanie Plum series and Dog The Bounty Hunter…”

May 2008 Stoo-pid is as stoo-pid does. -OR- Life is like a box of cat poop.  ”…He so stoo-pid, he chewed the cord on the LitterMaid, gave himself a pretty good jolt, and is now afraid of his own litterbox. In his feeble mind, The Potty Bit-ted Me On My Mouf…”

June 2008 Happy 13th Anniversary! Yay, us!  ”…Syllabus…Class: How You Can Can Make Yer Wimminfolk Happy Just Like I do; Instructor: Hunky; Location: Billiards Room; Pre-Reqs: Meaningful Commitment With a Significant Other…”

July 2008 The One Where We Went To Michigan. Again. Now with added contest at the end!  ”…At one point, Dino went and sat on Seester’s lap and she leaned into him and deliberately burped in his ear. He turned around to look at her, and completely dead-pan said, “That was HAWT”. I laughed so hard I almost peed. That’s my boy. We’re SO proud…”

August 2008 Mi Casa Es Su Casa times 200 divided by PMS squared. Or something.  ”…Now, before we begin, let me warn you that today I am sporting PMS colored glasses…”

September 2008 Where do you send the fire truck if Teh Innernets go up in flames?  ”…To the estrogen laden population of my readers, and the testosterone-y ones who have estrogen-laden significant others, I don’t need to explain this next revelation. But just in case there’s one or two readers who I dunno, possibly live in a frat house on a men-only campus on another fooking planet, I will state the obvious…”

October 2008 In. Mah. Damn. HOUSE.  ”…About an hour went by, and all of a sudden, I wrinkled my nose and inhaled a little more deeply. Smoke. OMG, something’s on fire! Just then, Hunky came out of his cave office, and said, “Do you smell cigarette smoke?…”

November 2008 (a very hard decision, since I had 30 to choose from, damn NahNoMoFoMe) Smoke and asses and mirrors; that’s what little bloggers are made of.  ”…I caught myself starting to whine, “Why don’t I have H8Rs and Trolls and obnoxious Anonymousi spitting their venom all over my comments?” Then I pulled my head out of my ass…”

December 2008
Ain’t no such thing as a homeless playah. ”…For the most part, the people who are given clothes really need them and are very grateful. Every once in a while, Hunky’ll get the guy who comes in and says, ‘Ah need me a coat.’ and when he’s shown what they have in his size, he says, ‘Ah cain’t wear dat. I’m’a playah.’…”

Top Tall Finger
Goes straight out to 2008. Screw you, man. You sucked. 

Rip it, roll it, and punch it, dude. Best wishes of a blessed, happy, and healthy 2009 to you and yours from me and mine.

Feed reader peepulls, please click over from your reader to view photos. I’ll love you forever an’ ever, a-men, if you do.

More Wordless Wednesday

December 21 to December 27

I’m getting in late because last night my Flickr plugin quit working and I was hoping it was just a little glitch. But it’s still not working. Dammit. 

Anyway.

Bubbles + Jack Russell Terrier = invisible trampoline

If you look closely at her left eye, you can see the reflection of the Christmas tree 

Can someone help a gal out here? I’ve played and played with my shutter speed and aperture, and I can’t get what I want out of my low light pictures. Especially since I hate using the flash. It’s so harsh and also too attention grabbing when I’m trying to get some good candids.

I’m very frustrated with my new boyfriend, Manual Mode. He’s kind of a persnickity doody head.

(Above) No flash, f/4.4, 1/2 second, and I set the ISO to 400. But the color is weird and it’s not as sharp as I’d like it to be. 

(Below) Flash, f/4.4, 1/60 second… I hate how harsh the light is and how dark the background is. 

What settings do you use for your low light situations?

I’m very determined to work it out with Manual Mode. Perhaps we should try couples counseling.

More Weekly Winners Here!

I had a little meltdown Tuesday, and it rather inconveniently placed itself smack in the middle of the time where I pick up my boys from school. When I pulled up I was all snuffly and right away I said, “You guys didn’t do anything wrong, I’m just having myself a little meltdown. It’ll pass.”

Just exactly then, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” came on the radio.

I busted out bawling again.

Rocky put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Mom, this is, like, the stupidest song ever.”

Laughing through crying helps.

• • • • • •

I invite you into my bathroom this morning, right after our shower. (Yes, HunkyDory showers together. Save water; shower with a friend!).

Just, like, in your brain, blur stuff out where The Sim’s game does.

Christmas carols are playing on the iHome.

Hunky: [singing along with 'White Christmas] IIIIII’m screaming at. A. Whiiiiiiite Supremisiiiiiiiist. Just like the ones I… [stops singing abruptly] There’s a chance I might’ve had too much coffee.

Dory: *blink* *blink blink* I got nothin‘, dude.

Hunky: *wandering off and twirling his hands* [sing-song voice] Tooooo Muuuuuch Caaaawwwffffffeeeeee!

Yeah, that’s how we do what we do when we do what we do.

Forgive the crappy picture, but remember, my son dropped my point and shoot which was kind of a POS anyway, so I was using my camera on the PPC. 

I’m pleased to report that Elli’s new heater is working out just dandy for her. Note the hot pink inside her right ear and the panting. It has a handy thermostat so I can set it to go off right before her little head bursts into flames. So, she is once again crime-fighting in the wee hours of the night, and Cedar Rapids is a little safer on her watch.

Ah, I note the looks of confusion from some of Mah Peepull. I shall explain. You see, my little Jack Russell Terrier has been unveiled as Ghost Dog. She bursts into flames in the middle of the night and heads out on her skateboard (she can’t exactly take the motorcycle; no opposable thumbs) to fight the forces of evil.

It’s quite an interesting story how this all unfolded. Don’t worry; they’re quite short. I beg of you; partake and enjoy. Part One • Two • Three • Four • Five

Rip it, roll it, and punch it, dude. Please note the fire extinguishers positioned conveniently adjacent to each of the exits.