Blogroll.

Okay, I tried it. But I hate it. My blogger friends have become just names on a list to the very bored people who happen to find my blog. I don't like that. So I'm bringing the rotating gallery back.

I've always been the type of person who keeps only a few close friends so some blogs that I have on my blogroll will not be included in my gallery. Rest assured that if you were in the last gallery I had up, you'll be on the new one, though.

Happy blogging!

Update! Gallery script is a biotch. Going with the clickable images. It fits better and I won't have to spend the next 4 days trying to figure out how to make the gallery script behave. :0)

Oh, and Erin, do you have a pic that I can put up?

My salad dressing...

tells me that I should refrigerate it after opening, but that it should be served at room temperature. I've never had high maintenance dressing before.

Update:

Those of you who read about our "bad date" incident (located 2 posts down if you're not familiar) will understand this update to the story.

B.J. came home from school talking about having his friend over on Spring Break. Apparently, his mother and he had talked about it amongst themselves and decided that this would be a better time for them.

Did I mention that she still has not called to apologize for not showing up or contacting me when she realized that they wouldn't make it?

Now she is making plans to bring her child over to my house without consulting me. Apparently the children are running communication between us now.

Hate to have to tell B.J., but his friend isn't coming over to my house unless his mother calls me to a) apologize, and to b) get my permission to bring her child here.

Okay, I feel little better.

Word up!

I was listening to the local radio show this morning while taking B.J. to school. A popular DJ on the show was going to do a stunt on-air. He was going to lift a 100 lb cheerleader over his head (which, I guess was an achievement to him).

He was introducing the cheerleader to the audience and asked her a series of short questions. He wanted to know her name (Nicole), how much she weighed (101 lbs), and finally if she had eaten anything after being weighed. Her response to this question was: "I have ate nothing", at which time they teased her language skills. She "corrected" herself by saying "I haven't ate anything". The radio personalities cheered her for this, although she still wasn't using correct grammar. -Sigh-

I firmly believe that using the English language correctly is a huge step toward success in life. People don't take you seriously when you walk around using slang, incorrect tenses, and words that are only accepted by default (such as the word "ain't"). Call it a peeve, but I want my children to speak correctly and to speak well. It is the second thing that people notice about you (the first being your appearance).

I suppose that being in certain areas of the world you get so used to hearing certain words like "ain't" that it seems natural to use them. I have worked hard NOT to use that particular word because it has a controversial history with the English language and was really only accepted by default. Read more here if you are interested.

I'm not saying that I'm better than others. I just think it's important that we use our languages correctly. You are only as good as you make yourself, and I want to be great.

Bad Date.

B.J. called one of his favorite classmates last week. His mother answered the phone and asked to speak to me. I got on the line and she asked if her son could come over to play this weekend. We had talked about this idea before and it was an open invitation, so I accepted.

Last night I went to the movie store and got them a "cool" movie and some popcorn. B.J. cleaned his room (a miracle in itself), and I spent all morning cleaning the house for company.

The agreement was that the mother would call me Saturday morning to tell me what time they'd be coming over on Saturday afternoon. It's 5:04pm and so far, no call.

B.J. is beside himself. He's called their house about 60 times with no answer. He's bored, disappointed, and aggrivated. This was a big deal to him. I'm listening to him cry as I write this and I'm just so upset that things didn't work out for him.

I'm mad that we have to make this up to him, like we did something wrong, because the Mom didn't give me the courtesy of a simple call to tell us that they couldn't make it or that they simply forgot and just remembered that they were supposed to come over today.

I'm mad.

Hey!

Today's "Short Story Friday"! Pop over to Captain's R.J. blog to catch the most recent addition to his story. Then choose the ending for next Friday's addition! Hurry! Do it now!