Hopping on the Name Post Bandwagon

I really enjoyed reading all of your comments in relation to my post about my name being Jen/Jenny/Jennifer. Apparently name posts were big while I was gone. Swistle and Shelly Overlook had a really fun posts about names also. Swistle's post was about regretting the name you chose for your child. I commented that I LOVE my children's names and do not have any regrets for the names Tate and I chose. Shelly Overlook wrote about whether or not you like your own name and if not, would you change it. I jokingly commented that if I weren't Jen/Jenny/Jennifer, I wouldn't mind being called Trixie LaRue.

All of these posts got me thinking about what my name would have been had I been a boy. I'm pretty sure I would have been Shawn Scott. Blech. Not the greatest combination of names in my opinion. I like the names individually, but not paired together. Also, I prefer Shawn to be spelled S-E-A-N. My brother, had he been a girl, would have been Elizabeth Lane, Beth for short. I think it's interesting that my parents didn't keep the name Shawn Scott and bestow it upon my brother. Of course, when Ella was born, I didn't keep the girl name we'd chosen if Carson would have been a girl (Emeline Siobhan).

What would your name have been had you been the other gender? What names would your children have been had they been the other gender? Did you use the other name chosen for your first child when your second (or third, fourth....) was born?

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By the way this is my 301st post and sometime in November was my one year blogiversary. It's hard to say the exact date since I deleted lots of my original posts and pre-dated others.

I appreciate all of you out there in BlogLand and credit you with helping me feel like "me" again.

My Eyes Feel Like They're Gonna Bleed

I guess Google Reader can't count past 1000. For the first time since last the Friday before Thanksgiving, I checked Google Reader to find 1000+ unread items.

In between laundry, house cleaning, going through a weeks worth of emails, and deprogramming my children's new found belief that there is always someone available to play with them, I'll do my best to read a few blogs and attempt to catch up.

In the event that in the past week you've written an unbelievable, earth-shattering post that you are certain I can't live without reading, leave me the link in the comments so it doesn't feel the wrath of the "Mark all as read" button.

Thank you and good day.

This Lame Post Brought to You By NaBloPoMo

Have I ever told you all how much I loathe David Caruso?

Well, I do.

His character, Horatio, on CSI: Miami makes my skin crawl. I'd like to kick him and his sunglasses wearing, dramatic slow-talking, one-liner self in the balls.

That is all.

This lame post was brought to you by a brain-dead NaBloPoMo participant.

You Can Call Me Al

Most Darling Internetz,

Those of you with un-nickname-able names are lucky. With a name like Jennifer, I have a plethora of nicknames of which to choose. Perhaps "plethora" is a bit of an exaggeration, but there are at least two nicknames that I've been called.

When I was a baby, I was called Jennifer. Sometime during my childhood, Jennifer was reduced to Jenny. Most everyone I know from my childhood, all the way up through college and a few years beyond knows me as Jenny.

My parents call me Jenny. My husband calls me Jenny.

A few years ago, I decided that I'd prefer to be called Jennifer. This wasn't a decision that I announced like, "hey people who've called me Jenny for over 20 years! Yes, you! Call me Jennifer now, mkay?" Nothing like that, I just started introducing myself to new people as Jennifer. Whenever Tate introduces me to new people, he does so as Jenny. This has caused some hard to explain moments.

At Carson's recent birthday party, my people-who-call-me-Jennifer friends were brought together with my people-who-call-me-Jenny friends. Each was surprised to hear me called by the other name. "But I thought you hated Jenny?" (I do kinda.) "I didn't know you preferred to be called Jennifer?" (Yep) While I'd prefer to just go by Jennifer, it would be odd to hear my childhood friends or my parents to start calling me Jennifer at this point. This seems to make people feel weird, though, when they find out about my double name possibilities.

To further complicate manners, there are people who call me Jen. The funny thing about this is if complete strangers automatically ASSume they can just shorten my name and call me Jen, it irritates me to no end. I don't feel this way if a friend up and decides to call me Jen, even if they've never asked.

A final thought on names...since Ella has become a thumb sucker, can I keep the "Binky Bitch" moniker? Is that breaking some sort of sacred Internet rule if I'm continued to be called by a name that no longer accurately describes me?

Your (hot as hell) friend,
Jen
Jenny
Jennifer
Binky Bitch

Loose Ends and a Call For Questions

I hate having loose ends.

Lately, I feel like all I have is loose ends. And split ends, too! I could really use a haircut, but that's neither here nor there.

Moving right along. My post the other day about what subjects I should cover has lead me to this conclusion. You all are completely unable to come to a consensus. I'm now going to be forced to cover all the topics. Not sure when I'll get to them all, but at sometime or another I'll be discussing:

1. Alabama, in a series of posts I've tentatively titled "Stars Fell On." There's just too much to say in one post.
2. Underwear shopping and frumpy clothes and mom jeans will be lumped into one post.
3. I started a recipe blog, just in case you didn't already know. I've already posted 3 easy recipes for your enjoyment.
4. And last but not least, if you'd like to ask me a question that I'll answer in future post, please leave it in the comments or email me at playgroupie at gmail dot com. Ask away. One question per person, please! I'll give you until Friday to dazzle me with your quesions.

I'm feeling much better about my loose ends now. I will be able to sleep tonight. The sad thing is, is that you probably think I'm joking about being able to sleep. I'm not.

They Made Me an Offer I Couldn't Refuse

One year ago, I joined. The lure of the good life is what sucked me in. I was sure they would take care of me, but now I'm realizing that they don't care about me at all.

But I don't know how to leave.

I fear I may have to go into some sort of protection program, every move I make they are there. I'm trapped. I can't escape. They are out to get me.

I'm afraid to even go to my mailbox. I know they'll be there, waiting, mocking, demanding action. My email has also been attacked. I'm not safe anywhere.

Today is the day, though. I'm going to do it. I'm going to quit...the Children's Book of the Month Club.

I realize full well that it's a process that will take months, if not years to complete. They'll continue to send their reply cards, I'll continue to send them back, refusing the shoddy books they offer.

It's foolish to have ever joined. TEN BOOKS for only a PENNY! God, how could I be so stupid! The shipping is where they get you, charging an arm and a leg AND threatening to send Tony Soprano and Christopher Moltisanti to break your thumbs if you don't pay!!

The books they send are of the poorest of quality. Like the fake Louis Vuitton purse you buy out of the back of a tractor-trailer on the side of the road. Or the Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses purchased at a flea market. These books are flimsy, the pages rip easily, and I suspect printed in China and probably contaminated with LEAD.

I must get out and NOW! Wish me luck. If you don't hear from me in a few days, contact the Feds and show them this post.

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Thanks for your suggestions from yesterday's post! I'm going to send a slightly altered version of the letter to the store and their corporate headquarters. I'll keep you posted.

Dork Alert

I saw this at Devan's blog and I had to know....

Where would the Sorting Hat put me?

Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?

Your in-depth results are:

Hufflepuff - 14
Gryffindor - 11
Ravenclaw - 11
Slytherin - 7


Hmmm, I always pictured Hufflepuffs to be fat.

Maybe I should stop eating like I'm still pregnant. That might help with my developing huffle puff.

Corruption in the Blogosphere

I gave in.

I wasn't going to, but I was curious. And you know what they say about curiosity killing the cat. I'd hate to be thought of as a cat killer.

So, I did it.

I set up a Facebook page.

Thanks to Bon, Sarah, and Erika, who'll now be collectively called the Original Corruptors (O.C) for either writing about Facebook or putting up a widget thingy on their blog to tempt me. I fell right into your well-crafted trap. Well played, my friends, well played.

As if I didn't already have about a zillion rounds to make each day, you forced me to add another addiction. Google Reader (113 subscriptions and growing daily...another thing to "thank" you for, Erika), two email accounts, MySpace (which has lost it's luster since finding Facebook), Sk*rt, Maya's Mom, my own blog, my playgroup message board...and now Facebook? How am I going to have time for all of this and child rearing?

Since we women can't even go to the potty without each other, I thought I'd share this Facebook phenomenon with you. Go set yourself up. But don't come crying to me when you get addicted. Blame the O.C.

When my husband comes home from toiling all day in the mines and says to me "woman, go fix me a chicken pot pie* when I've prepared nothing for dinner (or even thought about it), I'll pour all my blame onto the O.C.


*First person to guess the movie reference to 'fix me a chicken pot pie' wins an autographed napkin from me!**

**Actually, you don't win anything. Unless you really want my autograph or a napkin, to which I'd say "um, okaaaaaaaaaaaaaay?!"

In Memoriam...A View of Summer TV

I hate to admit that I watch a lot of TV. A whole very lot, way too much, what the hell else am I supposed to do when I rarely go anywhere amount of TV.

Back in the good ol' days of summer, when summer vacation was fun because it was YOU on break, summer TV was great. Sure it was nothing but reruns all summer long, but it gave you a chance to catch up on shows you missed.

Now summertime TV is filled with nothing but the rejects, or the shows that would never make it in the fall lineup. Unfortunately, for a less than excited about reality TV gal, we get gems such as "So You Think You Can Dance?," "America's Got Talent," "Age of Love." and "Pirate Master." Seriously, I can't stomach watching shows where people have NO talent and they aren't even funny, they're just painful to watch. At least with those first episodes of "American Idol," you can laugh at the people who are convinced of their star-making talent. And the pirate show? I get that they are riding the coattails of the popularity of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, but I'm just not interested. Not even for a little peak.

I do, however, like some reality TV. Can I explain to you in words just how thrilled I am at the genius of MTV for returning the Vegas cast to the Palms for another season? Sure they are only going to be there two weeks, but in that time all sorts of fun can ensue. If only "Laguna Beach" and "The Hills" had summer seasons. But alas, they don't, and I mourn.

On a very emotional note, I would like us all to pause for the passing of my dear, dear friends, The Sopranos. Pausing.......

Tonight marks the end of what I have thought for years was the best show evah! Sure they made me wait EONS between seasons. Sure I have been tortured through many a boring or WTF? episode. Sure they are very, very bad people. But I love them and I will miss them. When Tony dies tonight, which I'm sure he will, I will cry like a big sissy.

Arrividerci "The Sopranos". You will be missed.

As will all the good regular season programming. Can't wait 'til fall when we are freed from all the reject shows.