Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear in Blue Me Away!

Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear nail color in Blue Me Away! #04

Blue Me Away! is a rich and vibrant creme color, and an active member of the extreme wear family.

Rocking this bright blue always gets me in a good mood. I think among my blueish polishes, this one is definitely my favorite. It even has it's own nickname around the house, which I can't say is true about any other color in my collection. This, my friends, is my Tron blue.

I picked this color up on sale, buy one get one 50% off, original price $2.99. Can't beat that deal! Okay, I guess you could, but you don't really need to. It went on and covered well in one coat, though two looked much more uniform. The paint tends to separate in the bottle, but blends back together easily and glides on smoothly. Blue Me Away! definitely lives up to the long wearing promise of this line of polishes. I use acetone polish remover, and it took 4 total cotton pads to clean up. My finger tips were a bit more blueish than I would like, but that all came off in the shower. I got exactly the color that I expected. A brilliant blue that matches the bottle.

I give Blue Me Away a 9 out of 10, only because of the staining during clean up. This color is easily my desert island pick. If I could only have one color for the rest of my days, it'd be Blue Me Away!

Autoharp Funtimes

I've learned a lot about my autoharp over the last couple days. Mostly just by reading about them online, but also by spending time getting to know my way around the instrument.

We had a check-up at Lightning Joe's today, where I was given the good news that not only is it in good playing condition, it actually needs no work (other than tuning) before it can be played! I was a little worried because some of the tuning pins have a bit of rust on them, and the strings look old and like they've not been played in ages. I should be able to get by with it how it is now, and I know what maintenance to expect soon. Another plus -- a full set of strings doesn't cost anything near what I expected -- so in case that's my first related expense, it shouldn't stop me from playing.

Autoharp, meet Lighting Joe's shop.

Lightning Joe seemed to imply that tuning one of these things is quite a challenge, in an effort to get me to not ask him to tune it. I don't care! Part of learning a new instrument includes readying it for play, so I had better start practicing. My autoharp has 36 strings and 15 chords. It took me about two hours to successfully tune it, and I still feel like the tuning could use some work in a few places. I'll tune it more before I play it tomorrow.

Now I have to find some beginner instruction... I have no idea if that will be simple or difficult.

Be Happy

When I wake in the morning I am happy.

I have survived to witness another day.

When I dress I am happy.

The clothes in my closet all fit well and are comfortable.

While I prepare a morning meal I am happy.

I have food and drink to fill my belly.

When I leave to go to work I am happy.

I am eager to get there and see my friends, so I arrive early.

While I am working I am happy.

I choose to do work that is rewarding, fulfilling, and aligns with my values.

When my work is done I am happy.

I completed each task thoroughly and to the best of my ability the first time.

When I return home I am happy.

I have a roof to sleep under and walls to keep me warm and safe.

While I cook dinner I am happy.

I treasure the learning experience of turning ingredients into cuisine.

While I unwind at the end of the day I am happy.

I have entertainment and conversation to inspire my mind.

When I spend time with my partner I am happy.

I am loved, trusted, and respected as I love, trust, and respect him.

When I go to sleep at night I am happy.

I have a warm bed and fluffy pillows to hold my sleepy head.

When I dream I am happy.

My dreams are vivid and full of my own mind.

When I wake in the morning I am happy.

Why are you happy? Take time to count your blessings.

Sometimes I can't believe everything I read, but I try anyway

This evening I read a most interesting article. I bet KFC can't wait to get their hands on one of these chickens, for research purposes of course... Too bad he's dead already.

Also, I hope I never spontaneously develop an extra anus which turns out to be homicidal (or would that be suicidal?) I'm adding this to my list of "ways I'd prefer not to die."

Extra anus kills four-legged chick

25 October 2006

By YVONNE TAHANA

Forzie the four-legged chicken will cluck no more.

The Te Uku-bred Barnevelder chick - hatched at Marlene Dickey's property at the start of last month - has died.

But it wasn't the extra legs that led to its death, more likely an extra anus, Mrs Dickey believes.

"He developed two bottoms and I think he got glugged up," she said.

While she was surprised by Forzie's death - he weighed a "good pound of butter" and was gaining feathers slowly - it was not totally unexpected, she said.

And it was fun while it lasted.

"He was a bit of a laugh."

Looking ungainly on its extra legs but twice as cute, the bird was an exception to the rule that chickens with defects are not normally born alive.

He was found dead on Friday and is now in the Dickeys' freezer waiting to be stuffed.

After he's been to the taxidermist, the family plan to donate the bird to Auckland Museum.

Currently listening: Black Holes and Revelations By Muse

Release date: 11 July, 2006