thursday's ten or so: to make me laugh

i have a quirky sense of humor.
meaning you may not find any of this funny.
but i'm laughing a lot these days thanks to several sources. so the least i can do is share :-)
here's a very few of the things making me laugh.


i can't help but laugh when i see this. until i'm at work, and then it seems like every child in the building is lining up behind this one!

this one cracks.me.up. anthony also laugh-approved it. 

i don't use pinterest just for recipes and home organization tips (but i'm always trying something off my boards!)


it has other uses too. one of my bff's natasha and i constantly send each other gems we find that we would never post publicly...but there are a few exceptions that i'll share here.

 (the next one pretty much sums us up)

(oh and this one too)

the amazing amanda shared this with me when she was at our house for dinner the other night. we laughed our butts off, so i HAVE to share it with you.



all those "hey girl" memes make me giggle a lot. but THIS one is just extra-special.

replace "men" with "everyone"...

natasha sent this one to me too. if you work with children (your own or someone else's) you'll relate to this at least a few times!

this one makes me laugh and cry simultaneously

and finally...

which leads right into this. you HAVE to watch this. and just know that i WILL instagram it.





***photo/video credits...all of these have been found on facebook, twitter, youtube or pinterest. :-)

Monday's Memory: the one with the white elephant exchange

once upon a time, in that wonderful small group i was in

(before things came to light that eventually caused our necessary disbanding)

we gathered for a Christmas party, complete with a white elephant gift exchange

all of us aimed for goofy gifts.

and they were all fantastically silly

but i will never forget that when i opened the gift i had selected from the pile

(right before the laughter broke out)

my friend michael (his son is the one i now nanny for)

said calmly and dryly

"well, you can be assured that no one will want to steal THAT one."

(here's about the point where he said it, actually.  i had no idea i had photos of that moment!)

 yeah...if you can't tell, i'm holding two identical plastic bags

both of which contained a fish

the look on my face kind of says it all.

(i told the group that if they stayed at my house they would be named "cat" and "food".  thankfully i taught across the hall from a teacher who had a fish tank in her classroom...so they became extra Christmas gifts for her!)

what's the funniest gift YOU have ever received?

you can't make this stuff up: volume 14 (yet another tennessee edition)

do you have a local character (or 20)?

ours is a chicken.

or rather, a person in a chicken suit who protests...stuff. 

short blurb about the chicken. 

AND possibly best of all...

he has a twitter feed


so seriously -- who are the characters in YOUR town or city?

I ♣ This (Irish for I ♥ This)

nashville has a controversial piece of art
it's called musica
it's a gorgeous bronze statue in the middle of a roundabout on Music Row
some folks around here apparently took issue to it when it was raised
and it has the nickname of "nudies" to most of us natives
(but I still think it's beautiful. don't you?)

musica (or the nudies) has the (un)fortunate position of being right.next.to an Irish pub
in fact, the pub that i spent a lot of time at before my friend opened his own
(and where i will still be going from time to time)

with all the irish and scottish pride rampant in nashville today
is it any wonder that the nudies were kilted?

I Heart Faces: Hilarious Outtakes!

This week's theme is hilarious outtakes. They might only be hilarious for me--but here's a few funny pics I just HAD to share.

My friend Angie and I having cookies and milk...
...just the looks on our faces...

love this one
Izzy had just bit Anthony's hand
and it TOTALLY reminded me of that "Chahlie BIT me" video

same night, same baby
smiling for a picture with mommy
and all of a sudden, burst into tears

my friend Jean was having a birthday party
complete with a feather boa
which she dramatically slung over her shoulder
and I caught the picture immediately after...
...with a feather up her nose...

and finally
a friend's wedding
her twin nieces had fallen asleep during the ceremony
were less that thrilled to be awakened for photographs
and were terrified of that big white dress


click on the camera above all the pictures to see other hi-larious photos!

You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Volume 5

This crazy news story brought to you NOT from Nashville...

...or is he?

This British dude escaped from prison in September and is now taunting police from his facebook page. You'd think Scotland Yard would have found him by now, eh?


story at dailymail.co.uk.

THAT'S what I did wrong!

Avoiding the Swine Flu

Eat right! Make sure you get your daily dose of fruits and veggies.

Take your vitamins and bump up your vitamin c.

Get plenty of exercise because exercise helps build your immune system. Walk for at least hour a day, go for a swim, take the stairs instead of the elevator, etc.

Wash your hands often. If you can’t wash them, keep a bottle of antibacterial stuff around. Wear a mask when out in public places and avoid going out in public as much as possible while the swine flu is spreading. Get lots of fresh air. Open windows whenever possible. Get plenty of rest. Try to eliminate as much stress from your life as you can.

OR …. You can take the doctor’s office approach. Think about it, when you go for a shot, what do they do first? Clean your arm with alcohol.. Why? Because alcohol kills germs. So…… I put on my mask, walk to the liquor store (exercise), I put lime in my Corona (fruit), celery in my Bloody Mary (veggies), drink on the bar patio (fresh air), get drunk, tell jokes, and laugh (eliminate stress) and then pass out (rest). The way I see it, if you keep your alcohol levels up flu germs can’t get you!!!!

So there you have it. I just haven't been keeping my alcohol level up enough!

LaLaLa (HaHaHa)

I am NOT a Taylor Swift fan...but this literally had me laughing out loud!

Thursday's Ten -- Let's Be Silly!

We celebrated A's mom's birthday on Tuesday night. I did ok with finding a gift, but the card was ridiculously complicated.

The funny ones were either not funny or inappropriate.
We're not in a mushy-gushy flowery type relationship (his mom and I, that is.)
It wasn't a "milestone" birthday.

And there was not a category at Hallmark for "Your-son-and-I-have-been-dating-awhile-so-it's-serious-but-we're-not-related-but-I-still-love-you"

Pity.

I actually wrote that on the miniscule card that I finally ended up attaching to her gift bag. She laughed. Thankfully.

Soooo...I'm listing today 10 categories of cards that Hallmark really should have. Please join me!
(any silly list will really do. Laughter will help brighten the awful dreary weather we're having here!)

Suggestions for Hallmark

1. The aforementioned "Dating Your Child and Love Your Family, But We're Not Related"

2. Oops...I May Have Just Hit Your Car. And Caused Damage That You'll Probably Need To Report to My Insurance Company...

3. Sorry I Took That Last Piece of Cake

4. This is an Intervention

5. Hope Your Hangover Is Short-Lived: Here's What You Did Last Night

6. I Accidentally Let the Dog/Cat/Hamster/Snake Out

7. RIP (Insert Piece of Electronic Equipment such as playstation, laptop, cell phone Here)

8. I'm Sorry Your Team Keeps Losing (this would be a popular one in TN this year...)

9. You Have an Obscene Rip in Your Pants and I Can't Tell You to Your Face

10. I'm Not Really Sure How to Tell You This, But...

You know the drill by now--sign up on the MckLinky below and link back to me (handy-dandy button code right there to your right if you so chose to use it!)

And if Hallmark card categories isn't your thing, just do your own top ten list of whatever you're feeling today!

You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Volume 3

You knew it was coming eventually!

I was sitting in the doctor's office today, waiting on DMN (Driving Miss N) to get out of her appointment. Huge cardio doctor's office, comfortable waiting area with sofas and loveseats scattered around the room. I was polite and took an armchair (a very comfy one) in a secluded spot so as to let the actual sick people and their family/friends have the more spacious seating.

One seating area was taken by a family. Another was completely empty. I was in the mid-section.

Elderly couple--at LEAST 75 comes in. Sit beside me. Go figure.

They're having a rather loud conversation that I try really hard not to eavesdrop on.

Until this gem:

"Well, if the doctor gives you a clean bill of health today, we'll have to try something sinful tonight!"

I *think* they were talking about food...

Dear Tennessee,

When you go and decide to make the news, could it not be for something like this?

MEMPHIS, TN – Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery fist-bumped the Dalai Lama as he arrived in Memphis for the National Civil Rights Museum’s “Freedom Awards.”

The Dalai Lama was greeted at Tom Lee Park by Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery and Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton Tuesday afternoon, September 22, 2009. Mayor Lowery shook hands with the Dalai Lama and then grabbed his hand and showed him how to fist-bump. Lowery then told the Dalai Lama that he, “always wanted to say ‘hello Dalai.’” Both laughed at the gesture and joke.

Later, the Dalai Lama explained – laughingly – that smacking fists is considered a sign of violence. The Dalai Lama seemed to be amused by the greeting.

The Dalai Lama is in Memphis to receive the National Civil Rights Museum’s International Freedom Award at the Peabody Hotel, Wednesday, September 23. The award is given to an individual who has had a global impact or has impacted the state of human and civil rights abroad.

Which begs the question: is the mayor of Memphis 12 years old?

Of course, politics out of Memphis usually leave the rest of the state shaking it's head.

I suppose it's better than being reminded that for the umpteenth year in a row Tennessee has made the nation's fattest list by having one of the highest populations of obese citizens...

But really? Could we try a little positive press next time? Or a slightly more normal view of our state?

Thanks much,
Lora

Thursday's Ten -- Time For a Little Laughter!

First of all, those of you who have commented sweetly on my last couple of posts have encouraged me greatly. I promise I wasn't trying to be a downer...just sharing my heart and part of my journey!

But I think a little lightheartedness is due on this blog!

So...

Ten Things that Make Me Laugh

1. Kids. They always say the funniest things.
(one of my favorite nannying moments was when the 2 year old told the restaurant hostess: "Lora needs some wine")
2. The $3.99 lazer pointer I bought for the cat to play with. Hi-larious.
3. Family Guy. Yeah, Anthony has me addicted.
4. Old episodes of Friends. When I'm feeling down, all I have to do is pop in one a dvd of Friends and life seems good again.
5. Girlfriends.
6. The woman I'm acting as caretaker for. I had to help her pick out a bra the other day (she found out I used to work at VS). She's always telling me things that make me giggle. Sometimes out loud...sometimes inside.
7. Teaching stories. My own, others. You can't make this stuff up!
8. My "skills" at certain video games. I LOVE playing, but I'm not necessarily "good". A indulges me. I'm determined to get to a level where I don't feel dumb playing with him all the time!
9. Myself. Soooo many crazy things happen to me on a semi-regular basis. I'm going to post a story I shared with my email friends a few years ago at the end of this.
10. blogs. There are some blogs that I go to regularly just for the humor within. And often leave with some pretty powerful thoughts too--some of you have such a gift for writing with humor and making us see beyond the surface.

**************************************************************************************************

Blast from the past:

I'm all about being an independent single woman.

And bugs? Bugs don't freak me out. Not really.

After all, I'm the one who made the rule at camp that if it's not bigger than your fist you're not allowed to scream. Bugs surprise me sometimes, and I'm not necessarily thrilled with them (especially the spiders who crawl up my drainpipe to die in my shower), but I'm not *scared* of them, and I'll take the necessary steps to eliminate them even if that's flushing them or spraying them with windex repeatedly.

BUT.

As I was grinding my coffee beans last night, as is my routine, Emi came into the kitchen and meowed while looking longingly at her food corner. This normally means she's out of something, and sure enough I noticed her water dish was low. I filled up a glass and when I bent down to fill the dish my eyes traveled to her food dish.

Now, I've been working in the garden a LOT lately, and mistakenly have left the door open to the patio a lot. The patio is off the kitchen.

Nestled in the corner of her food dish was a slimy looking gray...something.

I freaked.

Seriously.

And then figured out by careful (and faraway) inspection that it was a slug.

Now...my dad would have poured salt on it and thoroughly enjoyed it. I employed the help of a broom to first knock it off Emi's food dish. Then I shuddered and said "ew, ew, ew, ew, ew" I grabbed my garden shovel, but realized I didn't want to get close enough to scoop it up to throw it outside, and then if I DID throw it outside wouldn't I run into it again? So I shuddered again and said "ew, ew, ew, ew, ew". (which sounded more like "euhhhhhh" since I was thoroughly disgusted!) Finally I employed the cup trick. I grabbed a disposable cup from my "party" stash,{note: this was Lora's "pre-green phase"} and very carefully placed it over the top of the nasty little creature. My hope was that it would die under there (admittedly, cruel) before I slipped a piece of paper under it to scoop it up.
So tonight, after I got home from yoga I did just that--using a Geico advertisement. The last I saw of the slug it was in a trash bag which has been put in the outside garbage. I didn't take a long enough look to see if it was still alive...

So...THIS is why I need to get married.

But in the meantime, I'm taking applications for the immediate vacancy of "Gross Creatures Eliminator" at my house. Any takers?

and to make it better, this was one of the responses:

Lora,

Sorry about your near death experience but not at all disappointed to hear about the death of your slug. Just as a point of reference, when we lived in Washington you never went outside at night barefooted. Why, you may ask? Because out there they grow slugs the size of small bananas. I guess that’s why they are called banana slugs. Guess you’ll keep your doors shut tight from now on.

Love,

Kathryne

Sooo...what makes you laugh these days? Share please!

The Funny Side of Faith...

It's always good to laugh, right? In fact, the other night Anthony and I were reading our Lent devotion over the phone and one of us tripped up on a word which sent both of us into laughter for a few minutes. My comment at the time was "I'm glad God's laughing with us"

And I meant it.

I think sometimes in the day-to-day life I can take myself--and God--too seriously. Don't get me wrong on this at all--God is to be revered, to be honored, to be given the utmost and ultimate respect. But if I don't assume that He laughs with joy when we are happy (just as He cries when we cry) then I feel like I'm not respecting ALL of who God really is. Does that make sense at all?

So...because I just need a laugh these days, here's a few faith-related funnies.

(this one still has a message)


An entry from one of my new favorite bloggers.

And all you have to do is search "funny church signs" on google to see some examples of human-botched words that turned out pretty darn funny :0)