If I Could Blog Back Time Thursdays - Favorite Peaceful Place

Come join me for a very special edition of If I Could Blog Back Time Thursdays! We'll be taking time out to share some memories. We'll Blog Back Time with possible ways to right past wrongs or about how times have changed. We'll share childhood memories, school/work memories, family and friend memories.

Today's topic is: Favorite Peaceful Place

This week's topic courtesy of Stephany @ Soulful Sepulcher

What are some of your favorite outdoor places to go where your spirit is lifted and the rest of the world doesn't matter? Where life stands still and you feel at peace?

The most recent place I can think of is Starved Rock in Uttica, IL
I wrote about our weekend getaway here, Lola's Diner 05/30/09 - Our Weekend.

Everyone says to go to Starved Rock in the fall for the leaves, but I have to say this wintery view was beautiful. I hope the next time we go we are able to spend more time enjoying the view.

Please post your "Favorite Peaceful Place" on your blog. Then come back to Lola's Diner and leave the actual post link here. Please grab the html code for If I Could Blog Back Time Thursdays! Badge HERE.

Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

NOW USING MckLinky, YOU MAY ALSO POST A LINK TO YOUR "FAVORITE PEACEFUL PLACE" IN THE COMMENTS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE AWARE OF YOUR PARTICIPATION. THANK YOU!



PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MckLinky IS STRICTLY FOR 'IF I COULD BLOG BACK TIME THURSDAYS' PARTICIPANTS ONLY.
ANY OTHER LINKS WILL BE DELETED WITHOUT PREJUDICE!

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Thursday Thunks/Rants

Welcome to the July 9th version of Thursday Thunks!
(posted on Wednesday)

1. Do you tend to have a guilty conscious? Yes....doesn't it go hand and hand with obsessing?

2. Do you still have your wisdom teeth? Not all of them.

3. Peanut Butter - creamy or crunchy? Creamy JIF

4. Get up off your butt. Take 5 steps. Which leg did you start out on? Left

5. What color is your favorite kitchen utensil? Blue

6. Did you watch the Michael Jackson memorial/funeral? I watched the whole thing.

7. Do you know anyone who graduated from high school this year? Were you invited to their graduation party? Did you go? No.

8. White with black stripes or black with white stripes? White with black

9. If we were to call your 6th grade teacher, what would they say about you? She's shy.

10. Can you draw a perfect circle? How much time do I have?

11. What was your favorite scratch & sniff sticker scent? Watermelon

12. What does your sibling do for a living? Office worker.

13. How many light switches and electrical outlets are in the room that you are in right now? 7

14. Do you know sign language? Just the important one....

15. Do you step on cracks in the sidewalk? We don't have sidewalks. But doesn't everyone know you step on a crack you break your mama's back?

16. And the sheets on your bed look like....? Tan.

17. What is something that everyone else has but you don't? MONEY. Could I just have 1 month where something unexpected doesn't come up? One month where I could go for a freakin Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino (my fav) and not have to debate (in my head) the expense and then walk away deciding I can't really afford it?

Oh, in case you haven't seen me around, it's because my DSL modem took a dump Tuesday. I'm on dial-up until the new modem arrives. When I told Anastasia how much the new modem was, she said "Happy Birthday". So, Happy freakin' early birthday present to me. Sniff...and I was hoping she'd get me something purty.

And I could rant on about my experience trying to get a new modem, but let's just keep it short and say that Best Buy shouldn't tell you something is in stock, when it's not and Radio Shack needs to train their employees. They sold me a flippin' modem that isn't wireless, therefore I could only hook-up the desktop and not my 2 laptops. When the guy asked me what O/S I was using I said "2 XP's and 1 Vista". That should have given him a clue that I wanted to hook-up 3 computers, NOT 1.

Oh, and because I'm on dial-up it's virtually impossible to upload images to my blog or send the photos of the neighbor dog that our son took to Animal Control. Drummer Boy aka Metallica-head is at it again with letting his dog run wild. Our son scared the bejesus out of me when he abruptly ran back in the house this afternoon. He went to get the mail and had to run back in.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

he's teaching angels to dance

OOk. Jackson's Public Memorial Concludes After Remarks From His Daughter, Paris

Who did not see the spectacle that was Michael Jackson's Memorial Service? I'm sure if you haven't seen it, you'll be seeing clips of it on the news for days. I wouldn't be surprised if they even aired it again, but this time with yet even more commentary.

Elvis Presley may have been the King of Rock N Roll, but Michael Jackson, the King of Pop got a much bigger, celebrity extravaganza. Elvis's funeral was held in the living room of Graceland, August 18, 1977 and attended by a handful of celebrities. Graceland was opened up to the masses and an estimated 30,000 came to view Elvis lying in state. Then President Jimmy Carter called in 300 members of the National Guard to deal with crowds.

It's definitely a different time. Los Angeles Police Department was well prepared.

I started watching on ABC, then switched to CBS because I got sick of the commentator and his guests saying that Michael Jackson was one of the 3 most popular figures in our time. The other 2 being the Pope and Queen Elizabeth. Nice banter, is that the results from some actual survey? I wasn't thrilled with Katie Couric talking over the beginning of every person/song, but at least the banter wasn't as inane.

I'm not a fan of Rev. Al Sharpton, but I enjoyed his speech. At the end he said, "There wasn't nothing strange about your daddy," he said later, addressing Jackson's three children in the front row. "It was strange what your daddy had to deal with!" and the crowd rose to their feet.

Yes, there were times that my eyes started to well with tears, it was a memorial service after all and I am human. It was interesting to hear the humorous stories that Berry Gordy, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and Brooke Shields told. Those stories showed the fans and the media a different side of Michael Jackson.

I was a bit disturbed by the end of the event. I think it should have ended after the big production number with the London cast. We didn't need to see his brother Marlon break down. We especially didn't need to see family members pushing Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris Jackson to the microphone. Janet, pushing the microphone in front of Paris, where she burst into tears after saying, "I just wanted to say, ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine! I just wanted to say I love him so much." To me, that seemed wrong on so many levels. Granted, the child could have expressed an interest in speaking and she was prodded to move the event to it's end, but the cynic in me thinks it may have been choreographed by the family.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

more wins!

This week is shaping up to be a banner week at Lola's Diner. First the Dork-Off win, then the Blognet Awards Comment Contest win, and then 1,000 Entrecard Credits from Dawn at Me And Craig. I think it's time to go to the boats and start winning some real ca$h!

Lola's Diner won 5th Place in the Comment Contest in June!

This is my 2nd 5th place win! And my 3rd win from them.
It's only a matter of time when I start winning some ca$h~
Cash would have came in handy, but EC credits spend pretty good too.

Not familiar with Blognet Blog Awards?
Click on their banner and check it out.

Lola's Diner

©2008-2009

200 followers! Woo Hoo!

To all my followers, thank you so much for signing up.
To everyone else, what are you waiting for?

Become a regular at Lola's Diner by becoming a Follower.
Come on, all the cool kids are doin' it!

And don't forget, each month I reward my Top Commenters. So become a Follower and start commenting!
Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Cudahy, WI State of Emergency - pfft!

In case you're wondering why I'm blogging about Cudahy, my sister lives in Cudahy. Cudahy Officials Declare State of Emergency due to a fire. I just found out about it moments ago via a news report on NBC Chicago. When they showed video of the scene I immediately recognized it as the Patrick Cudahy Plant. This is going to be a terrible hit to the community and it likely means lay-offs at the plant.

Being the dutiful sister, I called my sister immediately voicing my concern and inquiring how close she lived to Wisconsin's biggest wiener roast. She lives 1.97 miles from the plant. The evacuation area is 2.0 miles from the plant. She should be evacuating. However, she is going to her second job while her husband is at home, insisting they don't need to book a hotel.

The reason for the evacuation is due to ammonia fumes. I don't think you mess around with that. But that's just me.

Maybe I should call her back and tell her to be sure to bring home marshmallows?

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

who is the dorkiest?

Yeah, ah huh, it's Lola! Was there every any question?

Thank you to everyone who voted for me over at Lin's Duck and Wheel With String's First Official Dork-Off. Be sure to check out the lovely crown and sash that Lin's daughter added to my photo from Photobucket.
Yes, I worked it! Yes I campaigned just like any Chicago politician. And yes, I actually sent a few voters over who did not even vote for me. (Shocking I know!) And I still won!

Anastasia is so proud!

But then she did know all along that I was the biggest dork, the Dorkiest Dork, the Queen of Dorkdom.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009