The Island of King Friday Bear

Every weekend, I hope to knock off several household tasks on my list. A list that seems to grow larger every week. This week was no exception. Saturday, Lee and I did some routine cleaning and took a few things we had outgrown to our local Savers. Later, we decided we would take in a late showing of Speed Racer. It was quite a trip. Unfortunately, when we got home we noticed that someone had hit my car while we were at the theater. The damage wasn't too bad. There is a gouge in the bumper, a rear light was out and the housing was cracked. My main concern was getting the light back in working order. So, we pulled the bulb and went out in search of a new one. Fortunately, there's a Nappa Auto Supply around the corner from our place and they had what we need. A dollar and little elbow grease and my VW is officially back in business.

Later we installed some new ceiling lights that we had purchased about a month ago. It's really not too difficult but it was nice to get them out of the boxes, up on the ceilings and off the list. We also took this as an opportunity to change out the lights to compact fluorescents, so perhaps will save some money too.

Once that was done, I juiced up the cordless drill and installed a smoke detector in the second bedroom. We had purchased two and installed one in the main bedroom, but decided to do the second one later. I think that was around 6 months ago but now the second one has been installed and I couldn't be happier.

But wait, there's more! Our bathroom sink had been draining really slow, so we decided to fix that too. Is all this really worth writing about? Well yeah, I think so. And you know what else I knocked off my list? Writing a new entry in LiveJournal! Now that's one that's been on my list for a very long time.

Every Christmas I seem to be overwhelmed. The end of the year is always super-busy and this year is no exception. Unfortunately, I never seem to have any idea of what to get my family until mid-December and then I have one weekend to go out and fight the crowds. I spent the better part of the weekend shopping and I'm still only about 40% done. I can do some shopping this upcoming week but once the weekend hits I probably won't see the inside of a store until Sunday evening. I really hope I'm finished by then. That way we won't have a repeat of last year's "Christmas Towel". What is the Christmas Towel? Well, it's what happens when you run out of time to wrap your presents. You run in the other room, wrap the gift in a towel, return to the room and unveil. My niece actually thought it was pretty great. In fact, at a recent birthday party she remembered the Christmas Towel with surprising delight. Isn't it great when you create a new family tradition? I may have to wrap one of her gifts in a towel just for her. Maybe I can get her her very own Christmas Towel. We shall see...

Well, if I haven't got enough to do, the drain in my kitchen sink is leaking. Guess, I will have to play plumber tonight too. Wish me luck.

The Flash (Wally West). You have a quirky sense of
humor and can be impulsive, dashing into the
fray before you think. You always mean well,
however, and you're a natural with kids.


Which Justice League character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I started out the day with a plan of action and overall I am
happy to say I accomplished my goals. However, rather than just digging in right
away, I decided I would start out my day at Ikea. There are few things that I
have had my eye on and since Ikea is having a sale, I thought I should check it
out. To further sweeten the deal, Ikea was serving up 2 pieces of bacon, roasted
potatoes and scrambled eggs for 99 cents. Yum! Okay, actually they were out of
eggs so I got the above with 2 Swedish pancakes rather than eggs. Not bad, not
great but it did the trick.

After breakfast I checked out the sales. As it turned out, not
surprisingly, the stuff I wanted wasn't on sale. However, I decided to check out
the "AS-IS" section. Strangely, it's something I rarely do because of
the disasters I have seen there. That actually worked out well for me. I had
been looking to buy the VÄRDE wall shelf. Being in a two
bedroom condo, my floor space is pretty valuable and I thought 2-3 of these
shelves would really do the trick. Well, I didn't find 3 but sure enough there
was one VÄRDE wall shelf priced at 1/3 less than a boxed one. It was put
together (a plus) and there were absolutely no major blemishes that I could see.
I thought about it for a bit and looked it over very carefully.
"AS-IS" sales are final and I didn't want to be stuck with it if
something was seriously wrong. All I found was some very minor scratches and
"AS-IS 212" written on the part of the shelf that faces the wall. So,
I bought the shelf and drove home.

Once I was home it was time to get the
stuff  done that I really needed to do. One of my New Year's Resolutions
was to start getting rid of stuff that I no longer need, want or wear. After
tearing apart my closets; I managed to gather around 13 shirts, 2 pairs of
shorts, 2 pairs of speakers, a computer monitor and several odds and ends that I
was comfortable donating to charity. Fortunately, I was able to gather more
later but that's all I got rid of today. It was a good feeling to make some
room. It was a better feeling thinking that someone who needs my stuff more than
me might actually get to use it. *Good Sigh*

After I dropped off my donations. I saw
and chatted briefly with my father. It was nice to see him. I missed the
extended family Christmas get together on the 26th and he had a few things for
me. There were a few little gifts and mostly just cards... or so I thought. One
envelope contained a photocopy of the church program from the day I of my
Baptism. Good Shepard Lutheran Church - Lawrence, Kansas. (November 24, 1965)

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. Mark
2. Cheetah
3. Compass

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1. Salinger
2. MisfitBear
3. KingFridayBear

THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My heart
2. My smile
3. My eyes

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. Swedish
2. English
3. German

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. Clowns
2. Disappointing people
3. Failure

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. Coca-Cola Classic
2. My Computer
3. TiVo

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. T-Shirt
2. Old Navy Cargo Pants
3. Socks

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS AT PRESENT:
1. "Love is our Cross to Bear" – John Gorka
2. "Slave to Love" – Elan Atias
3. "Hush" – Kula Shaker

THREE NEW THINGS YOU WANT TO TRY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS
1. Finish remodeling my kitchen
2. Cook, tastier, healthier food
3. Snowboarding

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP (love is a given):
1. Friendship
2. Communication
3. Affection (includes amazing sex)

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
1. I want to finish Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds
2. I own a 2001 VW New Beetle.
3. Jason is the killer in "Friday the 13th"

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE SAME SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. Hands
2. Warm Smile
3. Fur

THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T DO:
1. Be organized
2. Make spontaneous purchases
3. Pass up a (good) buffet

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. Playing video games
2. Collecting "Star Wars" action figures
3. Driving

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. Be organized
2. Win the Powerball
3. Hug a friend of mine

THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING:
1. Filmmaker
2. DVD Menu Author
3. Comic Book Artist

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. Alaska
2. East Coast
3. Providence

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. Only 3?


FEEL FREE TO TAKE THIS QUIZ IF YOU LIKE.

I saw this on bratcub's journal and I thought I would share my answers as well.

Q: What color is most reflective of you?
A: Almost any Fall color. I am partial to Gray, Green, Yellow & Red.

Q: How did you get the idea for your journal name?
A: I normally go by another name but it was taken. I went with kingfridaybear because of the King in Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. There is MORE to it then that but most people don't get it until I tell them.

Q: What song are you playing now, or wish you were playing?
A: "Do you realize??" - The Flaming Lips

Q: Has the death of a celebrity ever made you cry?
A: Not that I am aware of. However, several celebrity deaths have saddened me.

Q: What color underwear are you wearing?
A: Plaid (Reds)

Q: Do you want a baby?
A: I can't have a baby (easily) and I am at peace with that. However, I do have and want children in my life.

Q: What does your mom do for a living?
A: My mother is a very talented artist.

Q: What does your dad do for a living?
A: My father is a retired College Professor.

Q: What is your pet's name?
A: No pets currently. I had a cat named Charlie when I was a lot younger.

Q: What color are your bed sheets?
A: At the moment... dark blue.

Q: What was the last concert you attended?
A: American Music Club

Q: Who was with you?
A: My best friend

Q. What was the last movie you saw?
A: The Incredibles

Q: Who do you dislike most at this moment?
A: no one

Q: What food are you craving right now?
A: McDonald's Sausage & Egg McMuffin

Q: Did you dream last night?
A: I don't remember which is actually pretty rare.

Q: What was the last TV show you watched?
A: Friends - reruns on TBS

Q: Do you wear jewelry? If so, what are your 5 favorites?
A: I don't currently wear jewelry... unless you count dog tags and glasses.

Q: What is to the left of you?
A: My phone, a stack of bills, some checks I need to deposit, Cub Foods coupons, the remote for my TiVo, a Zip Drive and a monkey.

Q: What was the last thing you ate?
A: Chicken Breast and Stuffing Casserole

Q: Who is your best friend of the opposite sex?
A: Jill... I have known her for a very long time. She's great. I have many friends of the opposite sex.

Q: Write a song lyric that's in your head?
A: "Do you realize??"

Q: What song is that from?
A: "Do you realize??" - The Flaming Lips

Q: Who last IMed you?
A: My friend Joe

Q: What shampoo do you use?
A: Suave for Men (lately)

Q: When was the last time you cut your hair?
A: About a month a go.

Q: Are you on any meds?
A: Nope.

Q: Do you have a mental disorder?
A: Not that I know of. Some may disagree. I was told I had an anger management problem but not by a doctor.

Q: What shirt are you wearing?
A: A rusty-orange v-neck pull over from the Old Navy clearance rack.

Q: What time is it?
A: 7:20 AM CST

Q: What is your favorite frozen treat?
A: Ben & Jerry's - Karamel Sutra

Q: Are you sexy?
A: I'm feeling that way more and more.

Q: What's your favorite shopping store?
A: Best Buy, Target and any Grocery Store.

Q: Can you imagine yourself ever getting married?
A: Well yeah, I don't know if it will be "marriage" in the traditional or legal sense.

band geeks are love
brought to you by the isLove Generator

Happy Birthday Fauxbear!!!

Early this morning I had a great conversation regarding food. If money was not an issue, what would you order? Keep in mind, some of this is food I have never actually ordered but I thought this was a great opportunity to try something new. Here's what I came up with... feel free to share or post your menu.

Appetizer:
Lightly Fried Calamari with Horseradish Dipping Sauce

Salad:
Mixed Greens, Red onion, Dried Cherries, Pecans and Bleu Cheese Crumbles, with FF Cherry Vinaigrette Dressing or Green Salad with Texas Goat Cheese and Spicy Pecans

Soup:
Pumpkin Soup with Gruyere cheese

Entree:
Rosemary Scented Rack of American Lamb with Oven Dried Tomatoes and Black Olives

Sides:
Asparagus Al Forno
and
Herbed Red Potato Wedges
or Garlic Mashed Potatoes
or Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

Dessert:
Bananas Foster and Coffee

*Tattoo not included

You Are the Loyalist

6 You have strong relationships and are intensely loyal. People find you easy to love and care for. You like your world to be stable and secure, no surprises. You're cautious. You prefer your inner circle to the outside world.

Yep! It smells like teen nostalgia! Yesteday I learned that the "Atari Anthology" was released for XBOX. Until recently, this collection was only available for the PC. Not being a fan of gaming on my PC, I have been waiting patiently for it to find it's way to a console and finally my wish was granted. As of today, I am the proud (and dorky) owner of some 85 ATARI classics.

So, this has me curious. What was/is your favorite video game and why?

My all time favorite is Asteroids. I played it for the first time on a boat. It was incredibly addictive and the most amazing computer game I had ever seen. Of course we are talking 24 years ago. I have to admit, the games that amazed me then don't hold my attention quite the way they used to but they sure bring back memories!

My classic favorites include:
Asteroids
Donkey Kong
Ms. Pac-Man
Q*Bert

More obscure games:
Mr. Do's Castle (Different from Mr. Do)
Kick-Man (Pac-Man made an appearance)

I took this quiz twice and what do you know... I'm Homer Simpson!

You represent the easiness in life.
You are the spice and fun in the group. You
don't care what happens as long as you're
having a good time. Enjoy being FUN.



What Simpsons Character Are You
brought to you by Quizilla

Take the quiz: "Who are you in South Park"

Stan
You are Stan. You're depressed because someone you love so much left you. Your older sister beats you up all the time. (She likes Britney Spearth too) You used to be a goth, your hooked on coffee, your dog is gay (Don't be gay!) and you kickass at football.

Take the quiz: "What Kind of Soul Do You Retain?"

Loving
You have a very warm and loving aura about your soul and believe in the virtues of Love. To you, there is a bright side to everything! You are the polar opposite of the Dark soul.




Take the quiz: "Which F.R.I.E.N.D.S character are you most like?"

Chandler
You are most like Chandler! You love telling jokes and love to be funny!

Well, this is my first post. I have thought about it a lot and I just know I need to get it over with. I'm sure I'll know better what I want to do as I post more. Perhaps I will even hire a focus group.

So let me just let you in on what's been going on in my life. Of course we all know Tuesday was the election but I'm not going to go in to that. November 4th was my birthday and I have been celebrating since Wednesday. In fact, I will be celebrating again today. I must add, my birthday this year was great! Wednesday was awesome. I honestly can't remember having such a wonderful birthday.

To further add to my busy schedule, this morning was my condo association's annual meeting. Up until today I was a board member and I have held a variety of positions over the last 6 years. It was my choice to step down, really, six years is enough. Unfortunately, last night I had a lot of preparation for the meeting but everything went well and now I'm done. Kind of, I still have to put together the minutes and make the association deposit for November.

More to come...

My LiveJournal Trick-or-Treat Haul
kingfridaybear goes trick-or-treating, dressed up as Officer Alex Shaw.
nlotic gives you 14 light yellow grape-flavoured gummy worms.
poohbearjim gives you 1 orange cola-flavoured gummy bears.
tbone1961 gives you 14 light orange coconut-flavoured wafers.
kingfridaybear ends up with 29 pieces of candy.
Go trick-or-treating! Username:
Another fun meme brought to you by rfreebern.