So obviously while we were away on vacation we weren't blogging about fantasy football updates. But of course we were still setting our fantasy lineups, making our picks and watching the games. Because we were visiting my family and lucky for us our various hosts are fans like us. The first Sunday while we were away I was convinced I had beaten Mr. Undefeated. The Pats crushed the Titans in snowy MA and since I have Pats' QB Tom Brady and his favorite target, WR Wes Welker, I knew I had racked up a butt load of points. I couldn't wait to get to my cousin's house a few days later to get online and check the results.
I had lost. I had 74 points from just those 2 players. Hardly anyone else had shown up to play - except for the guys I had elected to leave on the bench. I ask you, when the Pats score 59 points, how is it possible that their Tight End, Ben Watson, doesn't score any points - in the real world or in my fantasy world?! Mr. Undefeated beat me by over 20 points. That was a crushing blow.
Andy however had an even worse day. He lost to Mr. Winless - aka The Commish. Someone had to do it. It gave The Commish something to be happy about that weekend - being a Titans fan and all.
It was a dismal week in the Pick 'Em Pool too. Not for Andy mind you. It was like that Seinfeld episode where everything was the opposite of the way it should be. I came in 111th and Andy was up near the top at 28th. My overall position plummeted from 6th to the mid-20's - as predicted. This is what I do. I start of strong and then fade away. Andy's good showing pulled him into the world of the 90's in rankings.
The one bright spot in the whole week was that in the Ladies League, aka Momspective, I kicked butt and creamed my opponent by over 40 points.
Last weekend I squeaked out a win in the boy's league and Andy lost again. But my pride over this win was offset first by my Momspective opponent beating me by 1 point without even trying. She had not paid attention and left her active bench players on the bench while her inactive players sat on her active roster. And I had purposefully put my best team out there. It hurts to lose in that fashion.
But not as much as coming so close to perfection and watching the Giants snatch it away from you. Just as the G-Men spoiled the Pats' perfect season by winning the Superbowl two years ago, they messed up my perfect score in the Pick 'Em Pool last week by losing to the frickin' Arizona. I had put the most possible points on the Giants to win that game and they lost. It was my only incorrect pick of the week. It cost me a winning opportunity too. Five people finished ahead of me. The top 3 get paid.
Oh well. It brought me back up into the top 10 overall. I'm now sitting in 7th. Andy was back to the bottom of the pile but managed to hang on enough to stay in 98th overall.
So this week is the big re-match between Andy and I. He won last time but I'm hoping for better results this time around - even though my ace in the holes Tom Brady & Wes Welker have a bye this week. I'll find a way. Think of the battling Bumbles this weekend when the games are on. And good luck to your teams!
ROUND-UP: Boston Babe (Molly's Team) = Last Two Weeks, Won 1, Lost 1 - Overall, 4-3 (modifying this lineup for injuries only, ladies league)
GiselleWearsThePants (Molly's team) = Last Two Weeks, Lost 1, Won 1 - Overall, 3-4 Brady Goes To Miami (Andy's team) = Last Two Weeks, Lost 2 - Overall, 2-5 ~head to head (Molly vs. Andy) = I don't want to talk about it (0-1) (actively modifying this lineup, up against the boys)
Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.
Yesterday we posted our 52nd Thursday Thirteen which means that every post we did on a Thursday for the past year was for a meme. On Monday we posted our 52nd Monday Movie Meme which means that every post we did on a Monday for the past year was for a meme that we created and host. There have been 39 Teaser Tuesday posts, 22 Wordless Wednesdays and 40 Shutterdays on Friday evenings.
So basically, there have been weeks where we have had a meme related post every day. And I'm not sure I like that result. You see, back when I was participating in ProBlogger's Build A Better Blog, I had a forum buddy take a blind look at our blog and I did the same for her's. One piece of feedback I remember was that on first glance one of her impressions was that we did lots of memes. Another time we did a cross-post with another blogger whose readers commented that our site sure did have a lot of memes. When I took a look at our blog with open eyes I realized that they were right. Back then we were also participating in Top 5 on Friday which is a music themed meme. We were doing a meme a day.
I decided it was time to de-meme our blog and dropped Top 5 on Fridays and scaled back Teaser Tuesdays for only when I had finished a book so I could use the meme post to share my review as well. And I decided to only provide a Wordless Wednesday entry if I had an UpTake article to cross promote with it. That opened up more room for non-meme posts each week but allowed us to continue to participate in the ones that drove a lot of traffic to our blog.
The Thursday Thirteen site funnels more visitors to our blog than anything other than Blogger and Google searches. And The Daily Meme, where we have our Monday Movie Meme listed, comes in right behind Thursday Thirteen's site as a top traffic source. So in that regard memes are very good to us. And both of those memes are self-directed. Thursday Thirteen has no rules other than that each week you are to share 13 things about yourself - in any format that you would like, on any topic you choose. We can turn most any idea into a Thursday Thirteen post. And since we host the Monday Movie Meme, we dictate the topic and get first dibs on movies to fit the theme.
But in planning out our post schedule for the upcoming month, I sometimes struggle with where to fit in the creative posts about sports, adventures, musical thoughts, personal observations and whatever else might be on our minds. I also don't want people to categorize our blog as a meme blog. Memes get a bad wrap from many who feel they are the easy way out - just answer a bunch of pre-established questions instead of using your brain to come up with your own original topic. I find that sometimes we do use the memes as a crutch to build posts around.
So I wonder what to do about it all. Maybe we'll take a break from Thursday Thirteen in November just to see how it goes. Will our visitor level drop off substantially? Or will people come by anyway to see what we've got cooked up? But if we can make virtually any topic into a Thursday Thirteen, what's the harm in continuing to use them as a vehicle for creativity while at the same time introducing ourselves to new people each week? Going beyond the meme entirely is obviously something we're conflicted about.
Are you overloaded with memes? Do you care? Are you a former memer? How did you make the break away from them? Did it impact your audience and your blog? Do you think memes are for kids or do you like the purposes they serve? Don't be afraid to share - your blogger thoughts are safe with us.
2. Right This Way - Our T13 post that resulted in the most comments. It is a tour of our blog - or at least of what it looked like at that time. Seems we might want to do an updated version of this one sometime!
3. Worthy Causes - A link list of some very deserving charities we admire and support when we can.
4. Skating Season - Something we're gearing up for now - steps to building a backyard skating rink.
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. What do you do? Write Thirteen things about yourself, summarize your week in one entry, make it easy for other bloggers to get to know you on a weekly basis. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is not only encouraged, it is part of being a Thursday Thirteener! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun!
Betty @ Betty's Books passed on the above blog award to us and we really are appreciative. She sent it to us all the way from Malaysia! It is called Neno's Award and what is unique is that not only does it dole out recognition, but it provides an avenue for explaining our love of blogging.
It serves as a dedication for those who love blogging and love to encourage friendships through blogging while seeking the reasons why we all love blogging. The award requests that we share our reason(s) for blogging and pass it along to as many as we like.
This is our kind of award since we don't have to list a bunch of bloggers and move on - we can make it personal - not to mention it fit perfectly with the tone of our planned post.
We love blogging for the relationships it builds. I'm not talking about in the blogosphere. I'm talking about in our real world.
We learn things from fellow bloggers every day and we pass that knowledge along to our friends, family and co-workers face to face
When we come across a job post that sounds like it might suit a fellow blogger to a tee we pass along the ad to them, with the hope that it may improve their livelihoods or gets them on the path to a new dream
We introduce fellow bloggers to each other - through awards like this, through memes we host and in comments all over the place hoping that they make connections which otherwise might have taken longer to find
We try to provide basic blog tips on HTML or helpful sites to reduce frustration and save time for our fellow bloggers
We try to convert as many people as possible to Red Sox Nation - because that means there are less potential Yankee fans in the world which helps everyone really (kidding Otin!)
We get to walk where fellow bloggers have been - and I don't mean stalking - see what we mean below...
On our vacation last week to North Carolina we made a point to visit Asheville as we were staying about 45 minutes away. We wanted to get a taste of this place that Molly lived in very briefly as a young tot. But we also wanted to follow through on a comment made to fellow blogger Colleen @ Loose Leaf Notes to visit her son, Josh, at his pottery studio Clayspace which she posts about often. We had misplaced the scrap of paper with his studio's name on it and so we drove over to our best recollection of the general area of the city where it should be located. Molly recognized the building driving past it because of the images Colleen had shared on her blog. And so we walked in, introduced ourselves to Josh who showed us his cool clay moves and gave us a tour of the gallery. While in the gallery one little box shaped pot caught our eye:
This particular item struck a chord because it reminded us very much of fellow blogger Janet @ Fond of Snape who is always sharing wonderful photos of her dog, Wolf. This pottery was made by artist Melissa Weiss who happened to be in the studio that day making mugs for a local restaurant. Melissa's bio says in part:
"...I make pots to let the world disappear. Clay makes me feel calm, centered and right...I don't always know what those pots are until they come out of the kiln...It's a process of making from start to finish that I can never entirely control. This is where my motivation is found. I can make pots everyday for the rest of my life and each one will be a learning, growing experience. I make pots to use. Pots to contain food and drink and sometimes the occasional treasure."
And so we bought the little pottery box of Wolf. Not because we knew what kind of treasure to hide inside of it, but because the story behind the discovery of it was the best treasure of all. And without blogging, that wouldn't have happened.
We're passing this award along to Mark @ An Eerie Tapestry because he has truly built a relationship due in part to the blogging community. His posting has been less frequent lately because he is reveling in his girlfriend across the pond. Mark lives in England and his girlfriend is in Deleware. They met through NaNoWriMo. I can't think of a better recipient for the Neno Award.
Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.
This week's movie topic is all about Surprise Endings...
So around these parts we are getting ready for Halloween. But we've already covered horror movies. There's always candy on Halloween, but we've already talked about movie snacks too. Of course those little ghosts and goblins planning to ring our doorbell for the candy will greet us with a chorus of Trick or Treat! We always avoid the tricks by giving them the treats. But we do enjoy tricks when they come in the form of a shocker movie ending. Share on your blog movies that you thought you had all figured out which then left you with your jaw hanging open in wonder at the final scene. Don't forget to link back here at The Bumbles so we can share recommendations and visit your fellow participants!
The Usual Suspects (1995) - Kevin Spacey took this role and parlayed it into great success. If you don't know who Keyser Soze is, pop this movie in and let Verbal Kint tell you all about it. I guarantee you will want to instantly watch it all over again when it ends to look for all the possible hints.
Seven (1995) - Here's another shocker a la Mr. Spacey. Hmmm. And it came out in the same year as The Usual Suspects. Who knew we could be duped twice in the same year? Terrific cast covering a gruesome serial killer fascinated with the Seven Deadly Sins.
Saw (2004) - Talk about gruesome serial killers, Jigsaw takes the cake. And your life if you can't get out of his sadistic, yet ironic, traps. And the ending will take your breath away. The five sequels? Not so much.
No Way Out (1987) - Kevin Costner wearing his tight Navy whites may be the reason Molly was distracted from the truth revealed at the end. Then again it could have been the incredible stress throughout as Costner's character is the unidentified prime suspect in a murder and he is the one in charge of tracking himself down. That's not a spoiler. That's just the tip of the iceberg.
Ocean's Eleven (2001) - Having never seen the original Rat Pack version, we're not sure if it contained such elaborate trickery as the modern remake. But it was pure fun discovering exactly how George Clooney's band of thieves implemented their attempt of robbing one of the richest casinos in Vegas.
The Crying Game (1992) - This was perhaps the worst kept secret ending in Hollywood. So we're pretty sure you are aware of the big reveal. But since we hate spoilers we'll keep it to ourselves. This movie gives the complication of love between Britain and the IRA a whole new meaning.
The Sixth Sense (1999) - Did you see all the dead people? I bet you missed one of them. Look closely - because it's all laid out for you. And we still fell for director M. Night Shaymalan's trick. Possibly because Haley Joel Osment and Bruce Willis' performances were so good.
Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Leave it in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.
Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.
Earlier this month we chatted here about people who disappear from blogging without explanation and then give us an Apology Post. Today I want to talk about the opposite end of the spectrum. People who don't know how to stop blogging.
You know who you are. You stay up way past bedtime visiting blogs, writing posts and tweaking your blog design. You notice the nice day because of the weather update on your home page. You sneak in a quick update during your lunch break at work. Or you blog instead of doing your job. You can't stand to be unplugged and taking a vacation makes you go into blogging withdrawal.
We're on vacation ourselves as you read this. But I wrote it before we left and scheduled it to post. A daily presence is something visitors here have come to expect because that's just the way we roll. So keeping new material flowing is important to me. But not at the expense of vacation. The laptop comes with us so that I can store photos and free up camera card space (because of my ANCIENT camera). It is helpful for checking on personal e-mails or monitoring our Fantasy Football teams. But if we don't have internet access I don't mind. When I'm on vacation I'm on vacation.
No offense, but I don't really want to worry about you while I'm away. I need time to recharge and so does my laptop. I might be thinking about material for new posts but I'm not writing them. I think if I never took a break from blogging, just like from anything I do, I would get burnt out. I need a break from books sometimes. And the gym. And even though I never realize it myself, I do need a break from the Red Sox every now and then (though preferably after the World Series, not sooner). It allows me to remember that I also enjoy watching movies and TV shows instead of a ballgame every night.
Andy needs to see what my face looks like away from the glow of the computer screen. My cats need a lap to curl up in. My family needs to hear my voice every now and then and my friends need someone to play bar trivia with. And I know this. So whenever real life needs me, or when I decide that I need it, I put the laptop away. After all, blogging is supposed to build relationships - not ruin them.
Are you a blogaholic? Have you ever felt guilty for blogging on the job? Do your friends and family get annoyed when they learn you've brought the blog on vacation? Do you set strict days and times for blogging or does it spill into time you planned for other things? Is your blog the boss of you or are you in control? Don't be afraid to share - your blogger thoughts are safe with us.
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. What do you do? Write Thirteen things about yourself, summarize your week in one entry, make it easy for other bloggers to get to know you on a weekly basis. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is not only encouraged, it is part of being a Thursday Thirteener! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun!
Share the title of the book the teaser comes from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!
From pg. 259 of REBECCA by Daphne Du Maurier (fiction):
"I wondered how many people there were in the world who suffered, and continued to suffer, because they could not break out from their own web of shyness and reserve, and in their blindness and folly built up a great distorted wall in front of them that hid the truth. This was what I had done."
Bonus teaser...on Page 191 of my musty, 1956 hardcover copy of this book, someone had written in cursive with pencil the following personal note, which had nothing to do with the book but everything to do with the time when it was read:
"BUY - Lawson-Haggart Rockin' Band Bopping at the hop - Decca, L.P."
And that is why I love used books. But anyway, back to my thoughts on this book...
Having only seen the movie many moons ago I was pleased to give this classic a go and see how I found it. I didn't remember much of the plot - more the sense of the story than anything else. From the very beginning I felt like someone was narrating the movie in my mind as I read along. I could see Hitchcock's images playing in my head and was happy for it.
The book starts off very descriptive of the scenery which may have bogged me down a bit had I not already had all of the images flooding in from my movie memory. There is certainly a detailed scene set within the pages so that you can feel the ocean spray on your face, smell the fragrence of the spring flowers blooming throughout the grounds and feel the tingles on the back of your neck whenever a certain Mrs. Danvers appears around the corners of the Manderley estate.
A naive, plain young dreamer with an active imagination is rescued from her unpleasant job and life by an older, suave and rich gentleman trying to forget his wife's tragic demise within the past year. This bout of puppy love leads to an unexpected and sudden marriage and then she is whisked away to the famous Manderley estate to be installed as the new Mrs. De Winter.
Unprepared, alone and timid our narrator arrives and tries to make sense of her new life and find her way, all the while living with the constant reminders and comparisons to the wife who's place she has taken - the beloved Rebecca.
Trouble ensues with lots of twists and turns. There is much foreshadowing by du Maurier but she holds her biggest surprises closest to her sleeve. Just when I thought I had figured out the way it would go, she made me look silly. I enjoyed the story and although the narrator and her husband at times frustrated me with their personalities, I know that they needed to be the way they were for this wonderful tale of suspense to succeed. And that it did. Now I need to go rent the movie and see the images come alive again.
If you have read Rebecca, stop by a discussion Sandy led in two parts this month - here and here.
Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.
This week's movie topic is all about Westerns...
We're on vacation this week, and although we didn't go to the Wild, Wild West we thought we'd make this week all about it. We are visiting Molly's extended family down South this week including some cousins Molly played Cowboys & Indians with as a child. We'll also be visiting her grandmother who always had tons of books to read including a few all about prairies and dust bowls, ghost towns and gold. Since it isn't a favorite genre of ours we don't have a lot of selections to share. So please share on your blog movies all about Westerns and then link back here at The Bumbles so we can get some recommendations. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!
Blazing Saddles (1974) - "Excuse me while I whip this out." Oh come on, you knew we'd go for humor first, right? Incredibly politically incorrect classic from Mel Brooks.
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid (1969) - We like our Westerns with some chuckles and some great scenery - such as Paul Newman and Robert Redford...*sigh* - er, uh all that beautiful cinematography of the mountains.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (1966) - No, not the Red Sox most recent season - Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western with Clint.
Unforgiven (1992) - Speaking of Clint, his directorial efforts in the genre that brought him so much fame.
Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Leave it in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.
where previously Molly reveled in a World Series victory in Boston..
Much was made about what would happen to Red Sox Nation if the team actually ever won a World Series in the modern era. The media put a spin on it that if the Sox won, the fans' tough love approach toward the team would go soft and any shortcomings would forever be forgiven, if not overlooked outright.
So when they won, what happened? Well, as for the team - they got swept in the first round of the playoffs by the White Sox, then they missed the playoffs entirely. They rebounded and won the World Series again, then they missed another World Series appearance by losing a Game 7 ALCS game to the Rays, and they got swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Angels. Some good, some bad and some ugly. The fans seem to bounce back a little more quickly than before. But their spirit is still feisty.
Put it this way. You always remember your first kiss, your first true love, right? It holds a special place in your heart. Nothing else after is ever quite the same. You look back on it with tender memories and wish you could bottle that feeling and pull it out whenever you were sad. But just because it was extra special doesn't mean you don't ever want any more smooches, or to fall in love again. What you want is to try to replicate that experience, build upon it, make it better. You don't sit there satisfied that at least you've been kissed before. That at least you've known love. You don't wipe your hands clean of the matter and wish for nothing but lonely days with kisses only from your pet. You hope for true love again and kisses that curl your toes and melt your heart.
So why on earth would anyone think that a fandom with so much emotion invested in their team would be satisfied with a highly anticipated championship? I loved that 2004 victory. Just as I loved the Patriot's first Super Bowl victory in 2001. I have watched those championships over and over and the emotions have never dulled. And so I want to capture that essence every year. I loved their next World Series victory in 2007 over the Rockies. A different cast of characters creating their own legends in the sport. New faces to root for and celebrate. Another parade. Not the same as 2004, but still a rush of joy.
And that is why, last weekend, as Sox Closer Jonathan Papelbon - who had been the star of their 2007 season - was falling apart on the mound in a do or die Game 3 against the Angels I left the room. My stomach churned in knots. I felt like I could possibly become ill if I sat and watched the nightmare evolve. Because I devoted my time during the entire season to watching the games I knew that Papelbon wasn't the lock he'd been 2 years prior. I knew that he had turned into a heart attack Closer - with stats that looked great on paper but never resulted in an easy save. So I knew what was coming and therefore I left the room and listened to the broadcast from the top of the stairs. I knew that he would make it interesting. But I never thought they'd actually lose the game. He had a 2 run lead with 2 outs in the 9th. And then he didn't. He blew the lead and then they lost the game. Season over.
In 2003 I was not shocked that the Sox lost to the Yankees - heartbroken, yes, shocked, no. In 2004 I was shocked that the Sox beat the Yankees on their way to dominating the World Series. In 2009 I am shocked that the Sox lost to the Angels. So you can see how the expectations have changed. But my desire hasn't. I want them to win every year. They don't get excuses from me anymore like they did when they always fell short. No more built in curses or lovable losers. I want true love again. And I want it now. But I have to wait until next year.
Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.
Here's a tricky subject. AWARDS. Those pretty little baubles that delight some enough to show off on their sidebars. Then again, just the sight of an "I've got something for you" comment makes others cringe. Here's where I stand. I like that others think enough of our efforts here to bestow them upon us. I don't like that I then have to follow specific rules for linking to a ton of other bloggers. That's probably because in general I don't like to be told what to do. But mostly it is because the time and effort involved turns the nice award into a chore.
As Linda @ shoreacres mentioned recently, sometimes the awards don't really even make sense. What are they for? Because I'm lovely? They think our blog is pretty? We weren't really going for pretty. We were going for clean. But whatever. Maybe our personality is lovely? We try to be friendly but I wouldn't use lovely to describe our Fantasy Football posts.
So that leaves me with the conclusion that these are essentially link love disguised as a nice gesture. I appreciate links. But the fact of the matter is, I put plenty of links to other blogs in our posts all the time. I don't need an award to be forced to do that. And sometimes I have something really exciting that I want to share instead of posting about an award. And then there's the fact that other than the award recipients, no one else seems to read or care about the award posts.
But it is rude to turn away a gift. Or free advertising. So whenever we receive an award we give sincere thanks and do our best to pass it along to someone else in a creative and entertaining way. We use them to spotlight one blog, sharing snippets from their posts or describing our relationship to them. We try to make people care enough about our recommendation to go check them out and get to know them. Because that's what I think doling out an award should be all about.
Do you have a policy for or against awards? Do you enjoy collecting and displaying them? Do you hate them? Do you refuse to pass them along? Or do you have a creative way of handling them? Or are you looking to receive your first one and think we're being obnoxious Bumbles for complaining about them? Don't be afraid to share - your blogger thoughts are safe with us.
**UPDATE - Last week's post about Photo Pirates led Kaye to seek out official permission from the original artist to continue using her beloved Hobbit Header. Good News - she received word back that she could keep using it and now can sleep at night with proper permission and credit in order!**
6. Andy has had the same boss for 11 years. He's another keeper.
7. Andy spent many years working nights, weekends and traveling out of town as his boss' business was starting out. Molly was not pleased.
8. Andy now has normal hours and travels very little. Molly is very happy.
9. Molly's weakest subject was Math and she works with numbers every day.
10. Andy's weakest subject was Physics - but he is not a rocket scientist.
11. Molly found she enjoys what she does because she learns something new every day, gets to help people reach their dreams and has a boss who considers her a member of his family.
12. Andy is lucky in that he gets to do what he always intended to do - and he still enjoys it because he is part of a small, close knit team finding success together through the good and the bad.
13. After all those years on the job we've finally found a way to put some of that knowledge to use in our lives - Molly positioned enough pennies properly to be put to use when Andy finally gets around to repairing the old garage shed - Yay Jobs!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. What do you do? Write Thirteen things about yourself, summarize your week in one entry, make it easy for other bloggers to get to know you on a weekly basis. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is not only encouraged, it is part of being a Thursday Thirteener! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun!
As we mentioned in our Monday Movie Meme, Monday was our wedding anniversary. Since neither of us had Columbus Day off on our actual anniversary, we decided to take time off Saturday from chores, blogging, TV and the rest of the world and instead spend the day together. After seven years of official marriage, and nearly half our lives as a couple, we don't tend to make a big fuss. But Molly was inspired by a beautiful fall day and a recent post from Beth Fish Reads about "The Last Dickens" in which she shared a blurb referencing Thoreau's book "Walden." So off we went for a literary tour of Concord, Massachusetts. Enjoy!
ORCHARD HOUSE:
where Louisa May Alcott wrote and set Little Women
VERRILL FARM:
where we stopped for lunch, Bluegrass & a pumpkin
WALDEN POND:
where we walked off lunch, took in the foliage and thanked Thoreau for the privilege - take a virtual walk with us HERE
DINNER:
Verrill Farm's fresh apple cranberry pie in front of the first fire of the season back at home sweet home
OK. So before I get started on Fantasy World I suppose I should address the reality of the Red Sox getting swept out of the playoffs by the Angels. I thought Angels were supposed to answer our prayers, not drop kick them into oblivion? So for all of you who checked in yesterday to see if us Bumbles were managing, the answer is yes. It happens. And then the Patriots got beat by Denver immediately following the end of the Sox season. So that didn't help improve our mood. But then I remembered Fantasy scores and that made me smile.
And that is because for the second week in a row I had complete domination in the boys' league. Hmmm. Fantasy, boys, domination. I can only imagine the disappointment on those porn surfers' faces stumbling across this post. Anyway - I defeated my opponent by over 40 points and it was all over by the end of the early games. BOOYA! I've pulled even with Andy. And our nemesis Commissioner still hasn't won a game. Karma. I'm telling you. Next week - I'm up against the undefeated team - the one I lost to by a fractional point in Week One. Re-matches always get the competitive juices flowing. So that dude better watch his back.
I won again in the Momspective (aka Ladies League) and once again I had better competition there. I had to wait for Monday Night Football to be over to be sure. My opponent was hampered by the fact that her Running Back had a bye this week (i.e. his team had the week off so he didn't play) and she forgot to or didn't realize she needed to swap him out for someone on her bench. Live and learn. Now I'm tied with a handful of other ladies for best record. Things start separating about this time of the season in Fantasy World so it's getting exciting. (wait a minute - tied, ladies, fantasy, excitement - are my words going to attract the bondage crowd here now?)
And as for the pick 'em pool I had an off week performing poorly. So I have dropped from 4th to 6th overall out of 122 people. I think I've reached the end of my rally. I tend to start strong and then begin a slow decline as the weeks wear on. Andy's trying to rally himself in the opposite direction but he's still clinging to the bottom of the list in 109th. Don't worry honey - we'll meet in the middle one of these weeks.
ROUND-UP: Boston Babe (Molly's Team) = Last Week, Won - Overall, 3-2 (modifying this lineup for injuries only, ladies league)
GiselleWearsThePants (Molly's team) = Last Week, Won - Overall, 2-3 Brady Goes To Miami (Andy's team) = Last Week, Lost - Overall, 2-3 ~head to head (Molly vs. Andy) = I don't want to talk about it (0-1) (actively modifying this lineup, up against the boys)
Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.
This week's movie topic is all about Romance...
Today is our wedding anniversary. So since we've already recently covered Wedding films, we thought that instead we'd focus on the emotion of love, which is what drives a marriage after all. But most of us don't get to experience the type of love and romance that is portrayed in the movies. If you could live any movie's love story, which one would it be? Here's Molly's pick. Share your response on your blog and then link back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!
I get a lump in my throat if I even see the image from the movie poster. Sweet, adorable Lloyd Dobler hoisting a boom box over his head while standing in the rain in front of Diane's house, playing Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" and letting them speak for his broken heart as she is tormented by the reminder of their song and the poor decision she made to dump her one true love. *sigh*
For a long time I was head over heels for John Cusack because of his role as Lloyd. I just could not believe that someone could play that part so convincingly without having some of the same qualities inside. I have no idea if he does or not, but forever after I compared all guys to his portrayal of Lloyd. I wanted to find someone who would say that all they wanted to do for a living was to make me happy because they were good at it, just like Lloyd told Diane's father. I wanted someone to never give up on me, even if I made idiotic decisions. Lloyd's pure devotion to Diane led me to believe that there were guys like that in the world. It made me set a high standard for myself and taught me that if someone like that gives you their heart, don't ever - EVER - give them a pen. Recognize the goodness that exists for you and tell them you love them and never let them go.
And so after escaping from a relationship with a real jerk of a guy, I realized one day that a very good friend of mine named Andy wanted nothing more than to date me. And so I agreed. And I never gave him a pen - though I threatened to a thousand times while waiting year after year for him to propose. But then one dreary day, he brought me a dozen roses with the red ribbon threaded through a diamond ring. And he played me a selection of our songs on the CD player to act as a proposal playlist. And I said yes. Because I recognize a Lloyd Dobler moment when I see one.
Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Leave it in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.
where previously Molly's prayers to a red moon were finally answered...
After their victory over the Cardinals in 2004 the Sox and the City of Boston had initially announced tentative plans for a World Series parade for Friday. Thankfully they changed their minds and decided to hold it Saturday morning, the day before Halloween. This allowed for kids as well as people traveling to Boston from throughout the far reaches of Sox Nation to attend without skipping school and work. And by beginning the festivities at 11:00 in the morning, the likelihood of knucklehead college students rioting and endangering lives would be greatly reduced.
My brother and my future sister-in-law, unlucky to live in New Jersey surrounded by Yankee fans, immediately made plans to make the trip to Boston so that they could actually be a part of that magical season – having had to live vicariously through us and the media until then. They pooled their money and hopped a bus to Boston straight after work Friday arriving at our house around midnight. We were so excited about the season and the reason they had made the trip into town that we stayed up late and went to bed weary. Just like an awful lot of nights after Sox games that post season. I tell you, that team was the ONLY team that I would sacrifice so much sleep for. The things you do for love.
We all woke up at the crack of dawn to catch the first commuter rail train into Boston. It was drizzly and cold – and early, SO early. It was the most beautiful day in the world! All the happy faces everywhere you turned. Sox garb decorated hats, coats, scarves, T-shirts, backpacks and every other item of clothing and accessories covering all the cold, wet, beaming people waiting for the first train in to the party.
The players, coaches, management, staff, and former Sox greats met inside Fenway Park where they greeted a select group of lucky guests – mostly employees, charities, and sponsors. Then they all piled into Duck Boats – I think there were about 16 Duck Boats total. Duck Boats are amphibious people carriers – converted from old army vehicles – used to give tours of the city by land and by sea, uh Charles River that is. And so the Sox got a tour of the City of Boston by land, starting at Fenway Park, making their way through the Back Bay, to Government Center, and then into the Charles River to the MIT Bridge and back. On this tour they saw swells of incredibly happy and vocal fans – some of whom had traveled from other continents – cheering and clapping and holding signs declaring pride and devotion to them every inch of pavement and riverbank along the way.
And we were there. Having arrived in the city early, we camped out inside of my company’s Boston office located on Boylston Street, across from the Public Library. We had a bird’s eye view of the gathering crowds lining the streets, standing on balconies, roofs, and perched in trees and on top of taller people’s shoulders. It began to change from a drizzle to a steady rain – but there was no raining on that parade. As the radio and TV alerted us to the closer proximity of the parade to our location, we ran downstairs and planted ourselves anxiously on the street for an up close and personal experience.
The rain stopped as the first Duck Boats approached. The Sox were tossing beads into the streets, waving at everyone, pointing and smiling and appearing to relish the role of heroes. Many of them had video cameras pointed back at the faithful. Somewhere early along the route, someone had given Left Fielder Manny Ramirez a very hysterical sign joking about Yankees Shortstop Derek Jeter back home golfing while Manny was participating in what Mayor Menino dubbed the “Rolling Rally.” Manny’s glorious grinning smile beaming from ear to ear was found on the faces of every man, woman & child along the route that day.
Catchers Jason Varitek & Doug Mirabelli chose to perch themselves on the hood of their assigned Duck Boat rather than up high in the back like everyone else.
The World Series trophy, golden and gleaming amidst the sporadic showers, with all its little flying banners forming a beautiful tall circle was passed along from boat to boat. It was always hoisted high above someone’s head – as if it were the American Flag that isn’t allowed to touch the ground but rather be displayed with pride and awe, high above us. Good thing these were athletes with strong muscles holding the grand prize!
Pitcher Derek Lowe tossed beads with glee and Pedro Martinez stood next to him with a Dominican Flag doo-rag on his jheri curled head. Shortstop Orlando Cabrera waved the Columbian flag – exhibiting the globalization of baseball and the pride of his home country.
The Sox had their kids and wives aboard with them, just as the fans flocked to the parade with their families. Generations in fact. That season had made all of these millions of people rush to the city and stand in the cold rain for a quick glimpse of that hairy, goofy, band of idiots for one reason. They made us smile. Boston and Sox Nation was one big smile that day – bigger than Manny & Papi’s combined. And that smile, with a burning glow of happiness residing in our hearts, kept us toasty and warm through the winter until pitchers and catchers reported to Fort Myers, Florida in the spring to start another season all over again. Except that spring, they were reigning World Champions.
next week, THE EFFECT, in which we discover if a World Championship affects a fan's outlook...
Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.
See that logo image we've got goin' on right above? Stolen. I've no idea who created it. I found it on Google Images under a search for "Confession." It appeared quite a few times on a variety of locations. Since I was unable to determine the proper source, I just decided to continue the trend of borrowing it for our own use.
I always start out my Google Image searches with the Advanced feature filtering for images labled for reuse. But the problem is I can never find anything good there. So I play dumb and steal them from the general pile instead.
On the sites I work for I am responsible for providing supporting images as well as my words. And usually I use my own photos. But every now and then that isn't possible so I have to go searching through Flickr Creative Commons or for stock images on sxc.hu or contact organizations/sites that I am writing about for their media images. I have to know the original source, I have to credit to them in the proper fashion, notify them of the post and sometimes ask permission before using.
So why am I so laissez faire on this personal blog? If I came across one of my photos on someone else's blog I think I'd be angry. At first I'd be flattered that someone thought enough of it to use it. But then I'd see that they'd played the role of pirate and just swiped it and displayed it as if it were their own. And that's when I'd fire off a nasty comment claiming my photo, my effort, my love.
But what is to stop them? We don't have any policy listed here about usage rights. I don't even know how to do that. Do I just make up some standard policy that nothing can be used without our permission? How do I become a part of the Creative Commons community without storing all our photos on Flickr? I've already got them catalogued elsewhere. And even after all that - who's to stop anyone from just snagging them and ignoring our rules anyway?
Google Analytics tells me that we get a lot of visitors here via Google Image searches. I don't know if that means people then take away our images with them when they leave or if they are sorely disappointed when they find that the titles of our images don't match the idea they were searching for. Should I title our images by pure numbers instead of names? Would that keep people from finding and stealing them? Or maybe some image searchers actually enjoy our blog, stick around and because of that we've gained a new friend.
I don't feel guilty stealing a non-photo image. Why is that? Someone took the time to create that Joy of Confession logo above. They used some program I don't have to cleverly modify the Joy of Sex book jacket - photoshop perhaps? People are always creating cool buttons and tags for their memes, challenges and awards. It must take time and effort and creativity to bring them to fruition. How is that any less important than a photo?
Someone needs to teach me how to make these non-photo images on my own so I don't have to steal them anymore. Or even better, make one for me. Don't worry - we'll give you full and proper image credit every time it is displayed here. Free advertising is better than theft any day. And we're happy to give it when we know where it comes from.
Have you ever snagged an image without crediting back? Do you make an effort to find only reusable images? Do you forgo them altogether because of the trouble usage rights could cause? Or do you only ever use ones you've created yourself? How the heck do you make those buggers anyway?!?!?! Don't be afraid to share - your blogger thoughts are safe with us.
Molly was recently hired to provide periodic posts on a newly launched website called LifeSnips. The site offers "lifestyle tips, tricks and advice." Can you guess which of these posts were provided by Molly? Go take a look at any that interest you. We guarantee you'll learn something. And leave a comment over on LifeSnips and let them know what you think of the place. Or subscribe if you want to keep learning.
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. What do you do? Write Thirteen things about yourself, summarize your week in one entry, make it easy for other bloggers to get to know you on a weekly basis. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is not only encouraged, it is part of being a Thursday Thirteener! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun!
Yeah Baby! That's what I'm TALKIN' 'BOUT! Rebound week for me. This week I took my 0-3 record in a matchup with the only other team in our small league without a win. This also happened to be the team managed by the Commissioner of our league. Who also happens to be the Commissioner of Andy's Fantasy Baseball league. And the person who stole the baseball championship from Andy's team last year on the final day of the fantasy season. So he's like a personal nemesis. I kicked his ass so bad he probably had a hard time sitting down this week. A 55 point victory. So thank you Commish - it is very kind of you to be able to lose to a girl and make me feel welcome in your league. Better luck next week.
In the Momspective (aka Ladies League) I was victorious as well but my opponent here put up a much tougher fight. It went down to the wire and wasn't settled until Monday Night Football was over. She lost to me by 1 point after I had built up a 41 point lead. My team managed to hang on to the win, unlike those Detroit Tigers who came up short in their hunt for the baseball playoffs this week. But I digress. I was talking about football.
As for the pick 'em pool I dropped from 3rd to 4th overall out of 122 people with a decent showing last week. Those damn Cowboys really screwed me over - yet more proof as to why my decision long ago to become a Giants fan was the right one after all. Andy's childhood choice of the Redskins has cursed him to 110th in the pool thus far. Still way too early for things to be all wrapped up - he's less than 75 points back and that's easy enough to overcome. Wish us luck this week in our efforts and good luck to your teams of choice - especially if they help our cause!!!
ROUND-UP: Boston Babe (Molly's Team) = Last Week, Won - Overall, 2-2 (modifying this lineup for injuries only, ladies league)
GiselleWearsThePants (Molly's team) = Last Week, Won - Overall, 1-3 Brady Goes To Miami (Andy's team) = Last Week, Lost - Overall, 2-2 ~head to head (Molly vs. Andy) = I don't want to talk about it (0-1) (actively modifying this lineup, up against the boys)
Time for our monthly installment of The Bumbles Blueprint. Last month we covered all our intended topics and features. But instead of the typical Blueprint format this month, we are going to celebrate our ONE YEAR Blogoversary!
A year ago, we unveiled our home here with THIS stellar post. OK, so not that exciting. But it was Miz B's meme that motivated us to set this blog up to begin with so that post holds a special place in our heart, even if no one left a comment.
We got a little shy and stepped away from posting for a couple of weeks to set up a proper blog sidebar and fill it with every widget we could find to try to dress things up a bit and make it more interesting since we didn't have any material or friends to tempt anyone with. Our trap worked because Wendi B. way out in Seattle fell for it and left us our very first comment. We thought we had become famous!
A week later, we decided to post our first original, non-meme related material and promptly alienated ourselves from the entire Tampa Bay region. That post even provided us with our first ever angry commenter which got us all fired up and determined to spread our love of good quality music, and baseball, to the blogosphere. It was also the first in our daily posting trend which has continued ever since.
We spent our first month finding, selecting and participating in a daily staple of memes to highlight the broad categories we had set out to cover from the very beginning. We had no trouble finding memes about books, music and photos. But there wasn't anything out there for movies. So, we started our own. It took a couple of months, but we eventually got it listed on The Daily Meme and finally got some exposure.
It also helped that we were introducing ourselves every day to all those other bloggers playing along with the memes we had joined. Memes often get a bad rap but if it weren't for them we wouldn't have started a blog, we wouldn't have been exposed to built-in communities of like minded souls and we wouldn't have drawn as much interest to our blog through the one we host.
At the turn of the New Year we got really excited because Sherry of Nite Swimming became our first known Follower (which we thought meant she was stalking us until we read up on the term) and then Jo-Jo at Jo-Jo Loves To Read gave us our first blog award. We were just completely overcome with the fact that at least two people (that we hadn't paid and that we weren't related to) wanted to read our blog. Recognition and a warm fuzzy feeling is always good motivation.
We spent a lot of time visiting blogs and making sure we treated all visitors to our home with respect. That meant leaving them a comment back in return that served a purpose and not just ourselves. And adding their blog's site to our blog roll for future reference and link love. We discovered that this common sense approach - not unlike the way we behave in the real world - was successful in building real relationships with others.
In the Spring, Molly was really into the groove of daily writing and decided to get bold and ask the UpTake travel website to let her provide guest posts. After requesting some writing samples she linked to our blog and they hired her to provide posts each month for their Attractions Blog. She was in heaven!
This opportunity allowed for our blog to be seen on a bigger stage so we decided it might be time to hear what a real blogging expert had to say and gain some tools to improve our home. So we joined Darren Rowse of ProBlogger in his Build A Better Blog month-long free course offering daily assignments and tips on doing just that. Our first assignment felt more like homework but we kept going and learned a lot. We changed the look of our site after some input from a blogging buddy we paired up with in one of the course forums. We dropped the plethora of memes we were overloaded with and built in more original posts. And we networked with some great people who we still visit - like Cardiogirl.
Darren's course encouraged us to begin using Google Analytics which is something that allows us to track our blog stats. It would have been interesting to see how we fared over the full year, but what we have is data from the last six months instead. It lets us see which posts are striking a chord and drawing attention and which ones aren't. It lets us see where all of you come from across the world and whether people like to drive by or stick around and come back for more. It shows that we are headed in the right direction and that as always in life, there is room for improvement.
So we keep setting goals and working toward them. Just in the last month Molly saw a job posting on ProBlogger and applied for that paid blogging gig. She submitted a sample post and asked readers here to check it out and leave a comment there to help her in her bid for the job. Without the support of those who did, she may not have been hired. So now she tries to return the favor by sharing links to her posts on LifeSnips which provide tips and tools in all facets of daily living. Just another example of how our blog here has been a benefit to us and why we continue to keep it going and interacting with anyone who wants to take the time.
Thank you for your interest, support and for the lessons you share. We know we are wordy Bumbles who like to bounce around from one thing to the next. But variety is the spice of life. And bland Bumbles are just plain boring. So we'll keep trying to entertain this month and always. Stay tuned - you never know what we'll come up with!
Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.
This week's movie topic is all about Dads...
Inspired by a weekend visit to Molly's family in honor of her Dad's birthday, this week we are thinking of movies featuring Fathers. Funny ones, inspiring ones, scary ones, demanding ones. They come in all types and therefore the movies give us lots of characters to choose from. Share on your blog movies featuring Dads and then link back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!
"The Old Man" in A Christmas Story (1983) - This is one of Molly's Dad's favorite flicks, and ours too. Classic holiday tale with an old fashioned Dad portrayed perfectly by Darren McGavin. We think of him dearly every time a furnace bellows or a tire needs changing. And then there's that Major Award. We bought a replica of that for Molly's Dad for Christmas one year - greatest purchase ever.
"Jerry Blake" in The Stepfather (1987) - Long before he became the dynamic John Locke of LOST, Terry O'Quinn gave us this psychotic Stepfather who would marry a widow with children in search of the perfect family. And then he would butcher them and move along to the next victims when they didn't meet his standards. Maybe that's why I never fully trust Locke on LOST!
"Chris Gardner" in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) - Truly one of the best Dad's ever, this true story portrayal by Will Smith shines a spotlight on a man who pulls himself and his son out of homelessness to become a successful stock broker on Wall Street out of pure love for his son, hard work and embracing the meaning of responsibility.
"Clark Griswold" in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) - Chevy Chase embodied so many classic characters, but one of our absolute favorites is the well meaning husband and Dad known as Clark, who put on excellent light displays, took the fastest sled ride ever and constantly looked for the bright side when surrounded by unpleasant and univited family guests for Christmas.
"Jack" in Mr. Mom (1983) - When this movie came out it wasn't really cool or common for a Dad to be the stay at home parent. Michael Keaton brought humor to the role but also pride. And now we know lots of Dads who stay home to raise the kids. None of them have encountered naughty neighbor ladies that we know of, but we're sure they have struggled with household appliances.
"George Banks" in Father of the Bride (1991) - This movie is just so damn sweet, no matter how comical Steve Martin is. The overall love that a father has for his daughter, especially surrounding her wedding day, is perfectly captured here.
"Atticus Finch" in To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) - Seriously, if you haven't seen this movie then you haven't witnessed film's greatest Father. Gregory Peck forever touched our lives in this role. Rent it if you haven't before. Rent it even if you have. We wouldn't steer you wrong.
Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Leave it in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.
Molly & Andy and their son Sam are big fans of spending time with their family and friends, taking in sports or movies, and crossing places off their travel wish list. Although they do like to stay home with their kitty too.
Additionally, Molly has more of a passion for photography and books while Andy prefers to be Concert Boy instead, rocking out to his favorite music. If you like what you see be sure to subscribe to our blog below and come back often!
You can also view Molly's contributions to UpTake's Restaurants Blog and to the group book blog, Quirky Girls Read.
MOLLY IS THE EDITOR OF UPTAKE'S RESTAURANTS BLOG. STOP BY AND VISIT WHENEVER YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN HONEST TAKE ON PLACES TO EAT NATIONWIDE AND ABROAD.
