Rainy Day Hulu. Who Knew?

Thursday was a rainy cold day -- so my kiddos watched Harold the Purple Crayon on HuLu.



We had never seen Harold and the Purple Crayon on TV... how fun.  No commercials during the show.  The ones we saw were at the beginning and the end and they were for things like iPhones.  Very family friendly.

Do You HuLu?  What is your favorite show?

Ohh... I can't wait!!

I'm due to get the entire 2nd Season of THE OFFICE from Swap-A-DVD. Woo Hoo!! (Old hat.. I know... but it'll be new to me).

Winter is so dull around here... I'm looking forward to some OFFICE TALK! Plus -- I need to get in shape... I hope to laugh my gut off. Think it will work?

Let's Talk about the Weather

Do you recognize this guy? Some of you Iowa readers might. I'll give you a hint. He wears make-up when he performs his job. Not many men will admit to that.

Today our home school group had a field trip. We gathered at the library in town to meet with Jason Parkin. Mr. Parkin is the weather man from KCCI Channel 8 News. It was a very interesting field trip.



He started out by telling us all about himself... ok -- probably not ALL about himself -- but a few things about himself. Did you know he once had a job where he wore a hair net? Interesting, I know. I never knew.

Then he showed a video. It explained all about his job as a weather man. I'm curious as to why Wayne has the deer in the head lights look.

Then we all got to ask HIM questions. Robert wanted to know if it would be snowing when his Grandma flew into Iowa from California on Friday. It MAY BE! Won't she be thrilled? There were some other good questions asked...

Mansel asked about how to measure snow fall. Do you know how?
One can measure the snow fall in 8 different locations in your yard, then average them together, and that the snow fall for that area. I think we could find 8 different place in our yard to measure. I think that would be interesting to know. What is the snow fall for OUR YARD!!
He said it doesn't work to just measure in the snow drift and call in 12" of snowfall... that's not accurate.

I asked him what his dream job would be as a meteorologist. He mentioned being a storm chaser in Oklahoma. That doesn't sound fun to me -- but then again... I'm a mom and not a meteorologist. Ü I wear make-up, but I don't know much about predicting weather, or chasing tornadoes.

Here are some VERY COOL links he told us about. Check out the movies on You Tube by AKRHERZ. He said the one to watch is the "Gravity Wave". I'll admit -- that's a pretty awesome 32 seconds of video. Check it out.




That show me how AWESOME our God is. Who knew there would be weather video on You Tube viewed almost 1/2 million times? Cool.

One more suggestion was for us to check out USA today for some "good weather graphics". I found it -- he's right. The USATODAY.com weather graphic index is FULL of stuff that is neat to know.

AND last but not least -- he was kind enough to pose with my kiddos... most of them. Danielle decided to run off and play ring around the rosie with some of her friends when he was done talking. She missed out on getting her photo taken with some one famous.

Mr. Parkin is a very personable guy, and knowledgeable about the weather -- we just couldn't stump his this time... maybe next time.

Billy the Kid

Do you all get the History Channel?

I do.

I also get "This Week's Educational Programming Update" via e-mail, from the History Channel.

Sometimes there is information in the e-mail that I find useful.

Like this little tidbit. Investigating History: Billy the Kid, Thursday, January 17thth at 5PM/4c

There also is a link so you can BUY the DVD instead of watching it on TV for free. Ummm... I think I'll turn my TV on for free. Here is the link so you can take a sneak peak at what is coming up next.

Oh... I bet I could stop what I'm doing and take a sit down and watch a bit of the history channel.

Let's see -- what do I know about Billy the Kid? Not much actually.

The History Channel e-mail writers say that...

Billy the Kid was the Old West's most infamous desperado, yet we actually know little about his short life--and more important--his death. Now, New Mexico has reopened the investigation into Billy the Kid's crimes and mysterious death in 1881. Did Sheriff Pat Garrett kill him or fake the death and allow his friend to escape? Throughout this one-hour episode, we talk to those involved in the investigation, including Governor Bill Richardson, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist N. Scott Momady, and historian Robert M. Utley to unravel the mystery. This program would be an excellent companion to course units on the American West.

Well -- what do ya know about that? I'll put that on my calendar -- and count it as school. ;) Remember watching TV during school? The teacher would turn the TV on and we'd all count down with the TV... 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4... I wonder what that was... was it the History Channel or PBS, maybe? I don't know... but if the public schools can do it -- I can do it too. °Ü°

My Husband and his Hair Dryer

Dan: "I"m going up onto the roof... where is the hair dyer?"

Me: Sitting up straight, from a sound nap, "WHAAAT?"

We are in the midst of an ice storm here in Southern Iowa. We are also in the midst of conference championship day of college football. Oh my -- what a mix.

Sometimes... when there are storms, rain, wind, snow, ice... whatever... sometimes our satellite goes on the blink. Today -- is was blinking... and when my husband stresses -- he starts blinking. Boy were his eyelids going today.

Dan: "Do you think if I called Perry and asked to watch the game at his house, that would be inviting myself over?"

Me: "Um... yeah."

So what does his hair dyer have to do with this?

He was getting so desperate that he was going to put a metal ladder up onto the side of a house (covered in ice), and climb said ladder with a hair dryer in one hand, (plugged into an extension cord), to give that satellite a new hair do -- or at least to melt the ice -- which ever came first.

Dan: "I'll take my cell phone up there and call you to see if the picture comes in."

Me: "Um... OK."

Yeah -- riiiight. I think when God heard that he said, "Oh Dan... Dan, Dan, Dan... let me help you brother."

BLINK -- here came the satellite back on. (Just as Dan was about to step out onto our ice covered porch).

I don't know if I've ever seen Dan run to his "strategically arranged in his surround sound system triangle" recliner so fast. He's been there ever since. LSU vs. Tennessee, MO vs. OK next, as well as UCLA vs. USC.... all kinds of games on.

Now he's blissing -- not blinking!!

Oh Lord Have Mercy!

I want your prayers.... I was upchucking at 11:30 last night.

Mom gave me a bath.

Threw up again.

Needed another bath.

Then I camped out in the hallway with mom right close to the bathroom. Used 2 more towels in the night, but didn't need any more baths. My aim is getting better.

This morning -- my mom's a bit tired. I'm praying she doesn't get cranky! Will you pray with me?

She says I can watch all the Lassie movies on Turner Classic Movies. I think it's because SHE wants to watch all the Lassie movies on TCL, but who's asking?

Wayne

Ohhhh... I got it again

I got TAGGED!!

Check out Dangit Ange -- she tagged me. I'm just too slow... I keep getting tagged. I'm working on my speed -- but I'm not sure speed helps with this tag game. It must be strategy... I'll have to find a book about getting tagged.

OK -- here it is.

4 jobs I have had:
Plant Clerk, at Pella Corporation, Pizza Maker at Breadeaux, Cleaner lady at Merry Maids, Clerk at the Post Office in College... that was FUN!! Except when my friends would steal my mail cart and hide it.

4 films I could watch over and over:
Cars (I just copied Angela!), Pride and Prejudice (the American Version -- because I own that one), Sargent York, I'll have to get back to this one - OK -- I'm to the end and haven't thought of another one. So I'll just leave it at three.

4 Places I have lived:
Des Moines, Chariton, Cedar Rapids and Oskaloosa... all in the Tall Corn State.

4 Favorite TV shows:
Yeah -- well this will date me a little. I haven't watched real TV for several months. What Not to Wear, Anything on the food channel, CATHE on FitTV, and um... I don't know -- I'm not much of a TV watcher... oh well - Fox News... is that a show?

4 Favorite Foods:
pizza, good ice cream, pretty much anything chocolate, and really moist cake with sweet, sweet frosting.

4 Websites I visit everyday:
HK Message Board, Country Doctor's Wife, Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, and last but not least... Cool Runnings. Yeah -- I know -- I'm lying... I don't visit some of these every day -- but I'll leave that up to you to decide which ones are the real thing.

4 Places I would love to be:
Coffee shop with a good book, in bed with a good book, in the library with a good book, on a train with a good book.

4 Favorite Colors:
green, kelly green, sage green, yellow/green (I don't have much of an imagination, do I?)

4 Names I love but would/could not use for my children:
Elliot, Marshall, Asher, Elizabeth

OK -- now it's your turn, 4 of my friends; Kirstin, Sharon, Jeanne, and Challice!

TAG -- You Are It!!

"Kids by the Dozen"

I stopped by the Jeub Family web-site today. They are excited because the "Kids by the Dozen" series is about to air on The Learning Channel. If you click on that -- it will take you to the place which will e-mail you a reminder to WATCH! Ü I need reminders. What a neat tool.

I hear through the grapevine that it is a neat series. A mini-series on large families. This ought to be informational. I've learned so much from the DUGGAR shows. I'm planning on watching them, and I hope you do too!