Friday, January 20, 2006

From Boxtops to Dead Skunks to Washboards - How My Mind Works


Please bear with me as I randomly rant through this post. This will give you all great insight into the way my mind works...

If you are a semi-regular reader of my blog you will may have noticed that I have requested my fellow bloggers to save their Boxtops for Education for a school in Gary where Mama Chep works. If you would like to read more about that click here.

ANYWAY.....Cheryl offered to help out the best way she could (she lives in the UK) by spreading the news through her blog (which if you haven't read - you should - she is always entertaining)

OK....This idea has caught on. I recieved a comment from 'Zilla tonight asking if she can also post on her blog about the Boxtop Challenge. Which by the way 'Z - if you are testing my skills on higher math - there is a reason I am holding back getting my Masters....;-)

SO....'Zilla asked me some questions to which I did not have the answers. Logically I call my mother. (Sidenote: It's 9:30 CST)

My father answers. He is groggy.

Papa Chep: Hello?
Chep: Hi Dad - you sleeping?
Papa Chep: Yes
Chep: It's 9:30. Is mom sleeping too?
(I just figured he was "staring at the back of his eyelids" on the couch)
Papa Chep: Yes
Chep: Why are you in bed so early?
Papa Chep: Your mother had a bad day today.
Chep: What happened?
(Thinking something went wrong with the demolition - yeah that's for another post)
Papa Chep: Your ma hit a dead animal on her way to work today.
Chep: Oh no. A dog? A cat?
Papa Chep: Nope it was **starts to sing** "A dead skunk in the middle of the road" You know that song?
Chep: UM - no - you have got to be making this up.
(My father can take most conversations and relate them to a song. He doesn't even make them up They are honest to goodness songs. It's a talent. I have also acquired this skill.)

Here is my father singin' is heart out! I love this photo!
**Conversation continues about the song Dead Skunk (yeah here's proof it exists)**

OK - If you are not already aware....I am an internet geek. I love to find things on the internet. Some say it's resourceful. I say - I'm a nerd. So I start my search. Must find more than just the lyrics. Must find song.

Found a midi. Boy - I had forgotten how badly those suck.

Continue to search...find other songs by Loudin Wainwright III.

Then I come across this treasure....The Washboard Wizards. These guys remind me of our family reunion band "The Nitty Gritty Dirty Underwear Band" (my Uncle Tim made up that one). Played the washbasin bass, the washboard, the spoons....you know...a backyard band. Made me a little nostalgic. Mama Chep - if you are reading this - make sure dad check's this out he may get into their music. Hard tellin' my dad listens to literally EVERYTHING.

So anyway - wanna know if I found the song? Hells yes I did. They don't call me the "Internet Geek" for nothin'.

Enjoy and goodnight!

Thursday, January 19, 2006

It's my lucky number - so I had to!

Four Jobs:
Assistant Park Manager
Softball Umpire
Telephone Operator
Stage hand

Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over
Animal House
Major League
Toy Story
Braveheart

Four Places I've Lived:
Lowell, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Hobart, Indiana
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

**Can you say boring midwest girl**

Four TV Shows I Love to Watch:
2 and 1/2 Men
24
Numbers
Criminal Minds

Four Places I've been on Vacation:
Virginia Beach, VA
Nestor Falls, ON Canada
St. Mary's, PA
Orlando, FL

Four Websites You Visit Daily:
Yahoo Mail
E-Bay.com
KGAN.com
Various Blog sites

Four of My Favorite Foods:
Ribeye
Crab legs
Sushi
Anything SPICY!

Four Places I'd Rather Be:
Fishing
In Canada Fishing
On Vacation
Chillin with my girls WM and Kelscraggly

Four Albums I Can't Live Without
Barenaked Ladies - Gordon
Barenaked Ladies - Everything for Everyone
Barenaked Ladies - Greatest Hits Vol. 1
Aerosmith - OH YEAH!

I won't tag - but I'll offer it to anyone interested!
Comment and let me know you posted!

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Chepner's Boxtop Challenge



As you all know I am from the "Armpit of America". My mom, (bless her heart) still teaches 7th and 8th grade science there - Gary, Indiana to be exact.

If you are unfamiliar with the area here are a few interesting facts about Gary, Indiana:

The median income in the city:
Household: $27,195
Family is $32,205.
25.8% of the population and 22.2% of families are below the poverty line.
Information from Wikipedia

72% of the student population is eligible for reduced or free lunches.
Information from Great Schools.net

As you might notice the majority of the students at Mama Chep's school don't have a lot of money. The city also doesn't have a lot of money, therefore the schools are lacking in funds.

Boxtops for Education is a wonderful program that awards schools money to spend on necessary items. Schools can earn up to $20,000 from the box top program. Lake Ridge Elementary (where Mama Chep works) only earned $544 last year.

In order to increase participation in the program the school holds a contest 2 times each year. The homeroom that collects the most boxtops wins a much needed prize. A healthy breakfast.

Mama Chep likes to win. She asked me to do what I could to collect boxtops for her students.

SO - if you don't already collect boxtops for a school - please send your boxtops to the post office box at the end of the post and I will be sure she gets them. It's a free way to help a school in need.

You can find boxtops on hundreds of items. You can click here for a list.

I have saved 32 so far....who can beat me??

Chepner's Boxtop Challenge
PO Box 9792
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

Monday, January 16, 2006

Trivia About Chep

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Colleen !

  1. Women shoplift four times more frequently than Colleen .
  2. Some birds use Colleen to orientate themselves during migration!
  3. The difference between Colleen and a village is that Colleen does not have a church.
  4. Grapes explode if you put them inside Colleen .
  5. Four-fifths of the surface of Colleen is covered in water!
  6. US gold coins used to say 'In Colleen we trust'!
  7. Most bottles and jars contain at least twenty-five percent recycled Colleen .
  8. In Eastern Africa you can buy beer brewed from Colleen .
  9. About 100 people choke to death on Colleen each year!
  10. The military salute is a motion that evolved from medieval times, when knights in armour raised their visors to reveal Colleen !
http://thesurrealist.co.uk/trivia.pl" method="get" style="background-color:#5F5F42;color:#CFCF95;padding:4px;text-align:center">I am interested in - do tell me about

Sunday, January 15, 2006

A little late...

I should have added this link at the end of my Holiday road trip blog.

You lookin' for a laugh? Click here.

OH yeah....it's true only Illinois is worse....