The Random Ramblings of Samm Diep: December 2006

We got a new turtle!

Meet Steve. We just adopted him. Please take a couple minutes to play with him and feed him. Thanks & have a merry new year!!!

adopt your own virtual pet!

Who ya gonna call?... HoaxBusters!

Along with greeting cards, for some reason, the holiday really seems to invite masses of chain letters and email forwards. Unfortunately (or is it forunate???), most of these forwarded messages are hoaxes.

Wikipedia defines a HOAX as an attempt to trick an audience into believing that something false is real.

How do you recognize a hoax? What do you do about them? And, what is the history of internet hoaxes?

Well, these are all questions that can be answered by visiting:

At HoaxBusters.ciac.org, you can search for hoaxes and chain letters by catagories or key words before continuing to forward false information on to others. If you consider everyone that receives a hoax, the risk and cost of hoaxes can be very high.

So, let's work together and stop them in their tracks!

Will we starve to death???

Went to the grocery store tonight to stock up and prepare for this weekend's storm. Since most places have still not received any deliveries since last week's storm, restaurants have been out of salads and fresh vegetables, and grocery stores are out of bread, milk, eggs, etc. I got the last two cartons of eggs from the grocery store (the only reason I got two was because they were buy one get one). I've never seen the bread shelves and milk refrigerators look so bare. There were only a few loaves of bread left and I think goat's milk or something to that effect.

Anyway, this storm is expected to be as bad as the last one (depending on who you ask) so it could be some time before places get more deliveries.

So, with that in mind, I ask, "Will we, in Colorado, starve to death???"

I hope not...

... to be continued ...

Well, the weather outside is still frightful!

Not more than five hours after my last blog, we attempted to brave the storm for some fondue. You see, it was Chisolm's birthday and I made the mistake of suggesting fondue. Well, that was before I realized the entire state was on emergency shut down. It takes a lot for that to happen here. We know how to handle snow in this state!

Anyway, this photo doesn't do it justice, but here's Chisolm at the back door posing with the drifts.

Just before Vegas plowed his way through it...

Unfortunately, we didn't make it to fondue, but we did make it to the grocery store where we bought lots of cheese (to make our own fondue at home) and other goodies and rented five videos: The Family Stone (entertaining but strangely directed, we were pleasantly suprised to discover it was a holiday movie), United 93 (interesting and touching movie, i just wish the acting was better), Team America (very funny and offensive all at the same time, much better than I expected), Capote (been wanting to see this one for a long time!), and Brokeback Mountain (curious about this one). Man! It's so much cheaper to rent movies from the grocery store than it is from you-know-where. Most of the movies they still consider New Releases at the other place are only $.99 from the grocery store. Oh! And we ended the evening with a brilliant movie and an early stocking, The Village.

We camped out like refugees on the floor in front of the couch and didn't move for about eight hours (it's been nearly ten, for me).

I'd like to think Chisolm's Birthday still ended up okay even though we were snowed in. There was no cake (because we have SO many sweets in the house already), but I did make a deviled birthday surprise.

I hope the weather clears up by the end of the week because Rose and her boyfriend Tom are spending the weekend with us. They get in on Friday. YYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

...but, the sad excuse for a fire I've made is delightful!

League is (hopefully) canceled tonight and businesses are closed. How will people finish their last-minute Christmas shopping??? Thankfully, I'm all done but I know a lot people who are not. Well, if they're still shopping today, they're probably have nothing against shopping on Sunday. hee hee

Anyway, that was Vegas earlier, just wanting to come inside instead but I made him pose for me.

We finally exhausted our firewood supply from when I got the trees topped more than four years ago. We've made it last quite some time now. In a desperate need for fire the other night, Chisolm tried to buy firewood from the grocery store and all they had were those four-hour logs... :(

It's just not the same. So, anyway, every few minutes or so, there's a big sizzle from a big pile of snow falling down chimney.

I hope no one is caught in today's storm. It does NOT look fun!

0 for 2 in TV & Movies - at least I still have the MUSIC!

While at the video store the other day, we were about to rent SawII when we saw (no pun intended) it was for sale (previously viewed) for the same price, $3.99. So, we bought it instead. We watched it last night and I was so distracted by how old former NKOTB, Donnie Wahlberg, looked. He looked decades older than his brother Marky Mark, whom at the time I thought was his older brother but as it turns out, Donnie is two years older than Mark. However, he looks MUCH more than two years older. Anyway, I didn't even know he acted, or, was in movies, rather. Not much to say for his acting job, especially since I'm a huge Mark Wahlberg fan.

The rest of the movie was just okay. I was happy that it wasn't as scary as the first one. The token meathead guy was pretty annoying but it was mildly entertaining nonetheless.

That was last night.

On Sunday night, we watched the season finale of Survivor Cook Islands. It's finales like these that make me wish Chisolm had never turned me onto reality shows. It was yet another disappointing ending to an exciting season where one survivor, Ozzy, was clearly the ultimate survivor and got completely screwed! Yes, Yul played a smart game, but Ozzy, more than last year's Terry (who also got screwed!) or season 10's Tom completely dominated every single challenge.

Anyway, we felt Ozzy was very clearly the ultimate survivor. He was like a fish in water and a monkey on land. He won every single challenge for himself and his team and not by a little but by a landslide every time. We were disgusted when they read the tie-breaking vote for Yul. We couldn't even believe it was that close! I'm all for my own peeps doin' succeeding, but Ozzy really deserved to win. It was very disappointing. Well, I'm sure there's lots of behind the scenes stuff that we don't know about. I don't care! He was still the obvious winner in our book! Not to mention, Yul is an attorney. He doesn't need that money more than a 24-year-old waiter that wants to use it to further his education.

Okay! That's enough on that!

I'm currently listening to my own playlist of a delightful Christmas medley, including songs from Elton John's Christmas Party. If you have not yet checked it out, some of my personal favorites are Rufus Wainwright's Spotlight on Christmas, the classic Pretender's 2000 Miles, and Elton's Calling it Christmas (featuring Joss Stone).

Oh! And while we're on the subject, don't forget to check out Merry Christmas From The Family by Rosie O'Donnell & the Dixie Chicks (one of my personal favorites). I know. Strange combination but it's from Rosie's Another Rosie Christmas. Anyway, it's HEEEEEEE-larious!

I Heart Christmas Music!!!

I know... I'm a dork... :S

Last Night's Party

I would definitely classify last night's party a success.

We had our annual Birthday / Holiday / Any-Excuse-For-A-Party Party at the Pair-o-Dice Poolroom on the second floor of the Skylark Lounge. It's a quaint little poolroom with three 9-foot tables, a barbox, a shuffleboard table, an old school bowling game and a super old school jukebox. It was recently featured in Billiards Digest as the Best New Room.

You see, since neither Chisolm nor I have normal, corporate jobs where we have holiday parties that we can invite our significant others to, to meet and mingle with our co-workers, we have to throw our own. The Skylark was the perfect venue, actually. I brought a shrimp cocktail, some veggie, and a fruit tray with lots of chips and dips. Oh! And a couple cheeseballs, too, of course! Can't forget those.

With our good friend Tom Ross bartending and about 30 of our closest pool-playing friends, the evening was a big hit! Oh! And the best part! Since they don't normally serve food there, you're allowed to bring your Vegas's. Our Vegas was pretty pooped by the end of the night.

Anyway, click here to view the incriminating photos from the party.

Call Santa

Call Santa at this number:

1 - 800 - 972 - 6242

HA! Here's more!!!

Here was the original photo:

And, here's what happened:

http://www.myheritage.com

Vegas is good-lookin' - no doubt about it, but that doesn't say much for poor Daisy. I was thinking more like the Clinton's dog Buddy, or even Lassie or Benji.

http://www.myheritage.com

The hat must've thrown them off.

http://www.myheritage.com

Uh..... Yeah..... One of these kids is definitely doin' their own thing here......

Can't wait to see your celebrity look-alikes!

Interesting Site

http://www.myheritage.com

Just load your pic and they find your celebrity look-alikes. It's as simple as it sounds.

Yeah. There's one I'm not quite sure about but they seem to think it's a 74% match.

Interesting...

What's also interesting is that she's the only celebrity I'd heard of. Oops.

Make-a-Flake!

I know. I know. Nothing from me for weeks and now two posts in two days. That's just how I roll.

Anyway, if you haven't already, you should definitely check out this site!
Design your own snowflake. Then, save it or email it, or whatever!

Here's mine:

It came out a lot better than I was expecting.

Good luck & have fun!

"Auld Lang Syne" since I last blogged...

Confession: My guilty pleasure............CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!! Yes. I admit it. Right here. Right now. To everyone. I'm a closet Christmas Music junkee!!! (poor Chisolm) I love, Love, LOVE Christmas Music!!!

Anyway, I'm currently blasting Dan Fogelberg's "Same Old Lang Syne" as I type these words...

Well, I've since been back from Charlotte, had Thanksgiving, went to a Nuggets game, and shipped quite a few packages.

Charlotte was just as amazing as I knew it would be. It was such a blast to spend time with Chisolm's family. I love them so much!!! I don't know. We're always so much more critical of our own families. Don't get me wrong. I get along great with my parents now that I'm an adult but his family is super cool! In fact, how could I not be disappointed when all we did was eat and shop?! Only two of my top things to do!

Let's see, Thanksgiving was really cool. Nugget's player, Marcus Camby picked up the tab for this year's Thanksgiving meal and we served almost 1,000 people. He even showed up himself. Man! He's tall! I didn't know much about him before but I have so much respect for him now. I came home and looked him up. He has a ton of non-profit projects that he does and really believes in giving back to the community. He's my hero!

Let's see...

What else???

Well, I guess that's all for now. Hopefully, it won't be so "lang" before I'm back again.

The Random Ramblings of Samm Diep

30 December 2006

We got a new turtle!

29 December 2006

Who ya gonna call?... HoaxBusters!

Will we starve to death???

21 December 2006

Well, the weather outside is still frightful!

20 December 2006

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

0 for 2 in TV & Movies - at least I still have the MUSIC!

17 December 2006

Last Night's Party

14 December 2006

Call Santa

08 December 2006

HA! Here's more!!!

Interesting Site

07 December 2006

Make-a-Flake!

06 December 2006

"Auld Lang Syne" since I last blogged...

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