I would bet the guys at this car show would disagree

Last night was February Date Night

Last night was mine and Dale's monthly date night. It was Dale's turn to do the planning, since I planned January. He surprised me with a trip to Olive Garden, which many of you know is my favorite chain restaurant. I mean how can you not love the soup, salad and bread sticks. It was a very nice dinner.

After we dinner, Dale planned for us to go see the movie, Milk, which I have wanted to see for months. With some time to spare, we ended up killing time walking around the Westminster Mall. It is now about 75% empty, with even Macy's closing. It was sad to walk around a mall, where you have to pass 4 empty store fronts to get a each crappy store. So many stores closed post-Christmas. I do not think we will see this mall last much longer.

Finally, after the trip to the mall, where I did find some new shoes at JC Penny's, we headed to see the movie Mike, which was incredible. Sean Penn deserved his Oscar, as he was amazing as Harvey Milk. You honestly forgot you were watching Sean Penn after five minutes. If you have not seen this movie, check it out. Not only is it amazing, but it portrays an important time in history for gays and lesbians.

Now, although I loved the movie, I do have to say that I still think Gran Torino was far superior to any movie I have seen in the past year and was robbed at the Academy Awards.

My thanks and love to Dale for a great date night. I had a wonderful time.

Olive Garden was packed last night

Even in a recession and when nobody is dining out, the Olive Garden is packed. Look at the lobby. The picture does not do justice, but there are 50 people waiting.

While his hands are both occupied with his double donut breakfast, Officer Koharski finds a new place to carry his soda bottle.

I thought it would be fun to post a funny photo and have the readers provide captions. Here is the first one from yesterday. I think the captions are hilarious. Thanks everyone.

• Caption #1 - "Police were alerted to be on the lookout for a stolen soda bottle." - Tom

• Caption #2 - "While his hands are both occupied with his double donut breakfast, Officer Koharski finds a new place to carry his soda bottle." - JR

• Caption #3 - "Better taste, less filling!" - Rachel

• Caption #4 - "Hey Bill....Can I borrow your KY again..." - Kirk

• Caption #5 - "Due to budget cuts, police forces have turned to brand placement advertising to make ends meet" - Sally Jean

• Caption #6 - "Bob, having been a Boy Scout, was always prepared. He knew that someday someone near him was going to be thirsty. And when he found that thirsty person, he was ready to quench their thirst." - Ryan

• Caption #7 - "Squirt - The official soft drink of the San Francisco Police Dept. " - Dean

I don't know this photographer, but his photos are amazing.

I just stumbled this web site online and fell in love with the photos. There a lot more on the site - check it out. A little more research lead me to the photographer's blog. They are his daughters and you can feel the love based on his photographs. Even more research lead me to a site 100% dedicated to photography of his daughters - Kristin and Kayla. I also came across the photographer's web site - JWL Photography, which is equally amazing.

Okay, 15 million people watch American Idol each week. I suspect someone has an opinion of last night's episode besides just me.

So tonight on American Idol we heard 12 more of the final 36 and need to pick 3 to go on. Similar to last week I was NOT overwhelmed by anyone tonight and had a hard time even picking three I loved. Here are my thoughts:

1. Jasmine Murray - No. I liked her. However, I think the judges were far too critical. I thought it was a good song choice and fun.

2. Matt Giruad - Maybe. I did not love it. Seemed like an odd song choice to me. I liked him in Hollywood, but not as impressed in the Final 36. If he makes it, it is based on his earlier performances.

3. Jeanine Vailes - Maybe. I liked her. She had a unique quality and a good voice. Again, judges were too critical.

4. Nick Mitchell - No, no, no! Don't get me started on this guy. He never should had made it this far. Ugh.

5. Allison Iraheta - Yes. The first part of song scared me a bit, but I think she really picked it up with the second half and delivered. I loved it.

6. Kris Allen - Maybe. Who is this guy? Did he get any airtime in Hollywood? Okay, I'll say it - he's cute. I would have liked a bit better of a song, but overall I thought he was okay and better than others.

7. Megan Joy Corkrey - Maybe. I feel like she was trying a bit too hard and was a little pitchy (dog). The outfit did not do too much for me. Not sure why the judges were so impressed with her. She was okay.

8. Matt Breitzke - No. To me it felt more like something you see at a karaoke bar than anything else. I was not overwhelmed.

9. Jesse Langseth - No. I do not remember her from Hollywood at all, but that seem like a lot of them tonight. She was good, but seems like she should have done something more blues, than what she did. To me she was a bit forgettable.

10. Kai Kalama - No. I like him and his story. I think it was an okay song choice for him. It started rough, but he seemed to get more comfortable as he went on, but still not something I would expect to hear on the radio.

11. Mishavonna Henson - No. She was okay. She started out as a very boring performance, but picked up at the end a bit. Nothing that will get her to the top 12.

12. Adam Lambert - Yes. It started out a bit weird for me, but he picked it up and it was good overall, even though I did not like the ending. I still think he is too Broadway for this competition, but we'll see. If nothing else, he knows how to perform on a stage more than most of the others.

Here is how I think the votes will fall:

• 1st Spot Female - Allison Iraheta
• 2nd Spot Male - Adam Lambert
  
• 3rd Spot Either Gender -Megan Joy Corkrey
  

My two maybes for a possible upset on the 3 above or a wild card card spot are Jeanine Vailes and Matt Giraud.

So who did you like last night?

For those of you with kids, please do not hate me for this video

You know you have seen kids like this and thought the same exact thing. I saw this on a blog I like, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic and had to share.

I provide the photo and you add a comment the caption - photo #1

• Caption #1 - "Police were alerted to be on the lookout for a stolen soda bottle." - Tom
• Caption #2 - "While his hands are both occupied with his double donut breakfast, Officer Koharski finds a new place to carry his soda bottle." - JR
• Caption #3 - "Better taste, less filling!" - Rachel
• Caption #4 - "Hey Bill....Can I borrow your KY again..." - Kirk
• Caption #5 - "Due to budget cuts, police forces have turned to brand placement advertising to make ends meet" - Sally Jean
• Caption #6 - "Bob, having been a Boy Scout, was always prepared. He knew that someday someone near him was going to be thirsty. And when he found that thirsty person, he was ready to quench their thirst." - Ryan
• Caption #7 - "Squirt - The official soft drink of the San Francisco Police Dept. " - Dean

Now it is your turn to comment and add what you think the caption should be.

The Story of 'Big Bob' and His Embroidered Backpack

There is a guy who rides my bus that wears a huge powder-blue backpack with 'Big Bob' embroidered on the back. It is a very nice backpack, most likely LL Bean. Every time he gets off the bus in front of me, I find myself fixated by the embroidered name because I have to assume based on his less than personable demeanor, he did not order this backpack, let alone have it embroidered with a nickname. So of course to ease my crazed mind, I have to think of my own assumptions for why a fairly grumpy looking man in his forties has a powder-blue backpack with 'Big Bob' embroidered on the back.

I have a mental image of an overly perky wife (blond, big-breasted, possibly medicated) at home, who last Christmas came across the perfect gift for her husband - a high-quality, backpack, from the LL Bean catalog that had mailed to her home in October. It makes perfect sense since her husband, Bob, rides the bus to work each day. It will be perfect for carrying his lunch, newspaper or other items for commuting.

However, when she (let's name her Helen) ordered Bob's new backpack, she could not resist and took it one step further by taking up the good people at LL Bean on their offer for free customization, in particular an embroidered name or initials. But what to embroider? Initials would be nice, but not very fun. How about just Bob? But what if Bob works with another Bob and they confuse bags? They limit characters, so a last name like Janiewski (yes, I have them last names too) is out of the question. Suddenly Helen is struck by brilliance. Why not buy matching backpacks for her 42 year old husband and her 8 year old son (who we will of course name Bob)? Yes! This will be so funny Christmas morning when they open matching backpacks, one printed with 'Big Bob' and the other 'Little Bob'. That will be adorable.

So now when I walk behind Bob as he exits the bus, I think it is funny he may be wearing the same powder blue backpack as a 2nd grader. If not a reference to a son or littler Bob, 'Big Bob' must be referring to something else completely. Perhaps Bob got it embroidered himself and is using it to advertise the fact he has a huge....well, you can probably guess, manhood. I checked out his shoes and he has small feet, so I am guessing 'Big Bob' is not referring to his manhood. Also, he is a thin to average guy, so I doubt 'Big Bob' is a reference to his overall stature.

So in my mind, you had 'Big Bob', his perky wife, Helen and their 8 year old son, 'Little Bob' all laughing Christmas morning at the funny embroidered new backpacks and now poor Bob is living the reality of life on the bus with his nickname for all the world to see. I think Bob loves Helen too much to tell her powder blue and embroidery make him look a bit odd and for some reason, even though all this is my own assumption/projection, this act of kindness makes me want to sit next to 'Big Bob' on the bus and be his friend. Yet, somehow I resist this urge. Mostly because I think his best friend would not be a Tom, but rather a Dan.

Oh, if you are looking for a new backpack consider LL Bean. From where I sit on the bus, they seem to offer a great product.

I just can't get this sound out of my head. It is so tragic, yet still somehow beautiful.

There is a dance version of the song, Be Mine! by Robyn, but if you ask me the acoustic version is so much more powerful.

Be Mine (Acoustic) - Robyn

This is going to sound weird but every time someone stops me on the street...

...and ask me for time, I am convinced he or she is involved in some intricate plot to mug me and steal my watch.

I mean honestly who does not own a watch or at least a cell phone to tell time? So them asking me for the time must be some devious plan to get my Seiko watch, right? So usually I tell them the time, smile and then watch for them to double back and kill me.

Am I crazy?

Maybe these men and women are just hitting on me? Okay, that sounds even crazier.

Some gems from 'F*** My Life: My life sucks but I don't give a f***'

I like the blog F*** My Life, where people post everyday things about why their lives suck. Even though you don't know these people, some of the posts can really make you laugh. Here are a few of my favorites from this week.
Today my mum came home from a business trip. My four-year-old brother, who I'd been watching, told her I was "sexing" my boyfriend a lot after I put him to bed. After lots of arguing, she banned me from seeing him and took my car away. Only much later did I realize my brother meant "texting". - 02/23/2009 at 11:47am by Megan
Today, I'm playing basketball with my little brother. After jokingly blocking his shot, he turns to me and says "You're a bitch." He's 6. After asking where he heard that word, he responded with "Daddy calls you that when you're not around." - 02/23/2009 at 7:51am by lifesucks4me
Today, my mom walked in on me looking at a 1978 playboy. She asked if I found it in the basement. I said yes. Then I realized she was the centerfold. - 02/22/2009 at 10:10am by CrimsonHills
Today, I went to the Doctor with my parents. When the doctor asked if I was sexually active, I said 'Yes.' My mom laughed and said 'Good one.' My dad, for added effect said, 'Your hand doesn't count.' - 02/21/2009 at 10:16pm by Nails
Today, at a strategy session my manager displayed a flow chart of his employees. I wasn't included. Apparently I had been fired and they forgot to tell me. - 02/20/2009 at 12:30am by Noname
Today, my four-year-old cousin gave me a hug, basically stuffing his face into my crotch. Then he pulled it out and said "Ew, that's stinky" in front of my entire class. - 02/18/2009 at 6:27pm by girlmeetsworld
Today, I got talking to a really hot guy at a party. He told me that he was only here because he heard the host would sleep with anyone, and he and his buddies had a bet going. It was my party. - 02/18/2009 at 9:15am by Sandra
I recommend F*** My Life if you ever need a good chuckle.

Am I the only one who did not know this about Former First Lady Laura Bush?

As a teenager, the former first lady was a bit of a wildcat. While cruising around town with her high school friends in her Chevy Impala, Bush (known as Laura Welch at the time) blew through a stop sign and broadsided classmate and ex-boyfriend(!) Michael Dutton Douglas’ Chevrolet Corvair, ejecting him from the car as his father watched the entire situation unfold from a car following behind Michael.

Douglas was declared D.O.A. at Midland Memorial Hospital. Laura and her friend were treated for bumps and bruises and released. Miss Welch was not charged with any crime and did not receive any sort of traffic ticket whatsoever. She refuses to discuss the matter to this day.

I found it on a site that had an article called Top Seven Celebrity Killers.

I just did what came naturally

This is one of the funniest skits I have seen on SNL since D*ck in a Box or Tina Fey as Sarah Palin. Check it out.


I do not think playing Wii will ever be the same for me.

7 photos that I enjoyed this week and you may too

I think this will be my last edition of "7 photos that I enjoyed this week and you may too," so enjoy.

Just chillin' on Sesame Street.

I took this photo while in Europe at a cemetery in Milan, Italy. I find her face truly captures sadness and grief.

Innocent bystander or fire starter?

The nurturing nature of a parent is universal.

Deer - Let us in, let us in. Cat - Let me out, let me out.

It is like they are from the past and the future all at the same time. Sort of creepy.

And who is the prettiest cat ever? You are!

Tonight in honor of the Academy Awards, Dale & I are having an Oscar-themed dinner. Check out the menu.

Here is the menu for tonight's Oscar dinner:

Main Course

Slum Hot Dogs Millionaire
two frankfurters served on a wheat roll with mustard & onion

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button's Tator Tots
seasoned potato tator tots

Root Beer Frost-ed/Nixon Mugs
root beer soda served in a frosted mug

Dessert

Harvey 'Dark Knight' Milkshakes
milk shakes made with chocolate ice cream & dark chocolate syrup

And yes, if you are thinking it, I do love themes because hot dogs and tator tots for dinner now sounds a lot more exciting, huh?

I got a haircut. Check out the before and after photos.

Today, I headed to Floyd's Barbershop for a haircut. I usually see Lisa or Heather, but neither was there three weeks ago, so I left with a bad haircut. Oddly, I have been cranky ever since. I was happy both were available today and I got a great haircut from Lisa.

As you can see from the before and after photos, I really needed the haircut and I am much happier now. Still as crazy, well not Phil Spector crazy, but still crazy.

BEFORE

AFTER

My picks for tonight's Academy Awards. Who do you think will win?

In case anyone is interested, here is who I think will win at the Oscars tonight and who I would like to see win. I did not see all the nominated movies, but I did see a few great films up for awards. The only film I was sad to see not nominated, in particular Clint Eastwood, was Gran Torino. It was probably the best movie I have seen in years and it deserved to be recognized.

Best Picture:
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- The Dark Knight
- Frost/Nixon
- Milk
- Slumdog Millionaire

Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
My Pick: Frost/Nixon; this movie was truly unique and powerful.

Best Actor:
- Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)
- Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
- Sean Penn (Milk)
- Brad Pitt (Benjamin Button)
- Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

Will Win: Sean Penn (Milk)
My Pick: Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino); I know he was not nominated, but that is an outrage. This was his masterpiece.

Best Actress:
- Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
- Sally Hawkins (Happy Go Lucky)
- Angelina Jolie (Changeling)
- Meryl Streep (Doubt)
- Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)

Will Win: Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)
My Pick: Meryl Streep (Doubt); Now, I am not a hge Meryl Streep fan, she creates such a realistic charcater it is incredible.

Best Supporting Actor:
- Josh Brolin (Milk)
- Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
- Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)
- Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
- Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)

Will Win: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
My Pick: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight); he creates such a rounded, unique villian.

Best Supporting Actress:
- Penelope Cruz (Vicky Christina Barcelona)
- Viola Davis (Doubt)
- Taraji P. Henson (Benjamin Button)
- Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)
- Kate Winslet (The Reader)

Will Win: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Christina Barcelona)
My Pick: Viola Davis (Doubt); she blew me away in this movie and even though she was only on screen for 15 minutes, she is unfortgettable.

Best Director:
- Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
- David Fincher (Benjamin Button)
- Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
- Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
- Gus Van Sant (Milk)

Will Win: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
My Pick: Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon); an excellent movie and worthy of praise.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
- Eric Roth (Benjamin Button)
- John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
- Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon)
- David Hare (The Reader)
- Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)

Will Win: Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
My Pick: John Patrick Shanley (Doubt); a thinking movie, which is rare today.

Best Original Screenplay:
- Woody Allen (Vicky Christina Barcelona)
- Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
- Mike Leigh (Happy Go Lucky)
- Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married)
- Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon (WALL-E)

Will Win: Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
My Pick: Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon (WALL-E); a 90 minute movie with barely any dialogue shows the power of a great screenplay.

Best Animated Feature Film:
- Bolt
- Kung Fu Panda
- WALL-E

Will Win: WALL-E
My Pick: WALL-E; loved it.

I think toys need to be more realistic for kids. This one is a good start.

This way little Susie can learn how the glue she uses in school was made.

There comes a time in life when you have to let go of all the...

Hi, we branded your baby today.

This is from Popular Science Magazine in 1938. Weird, huh? Hi, we branded your baby today.


Just as odd is the way the woman, I assume the baby's mother, on the right is looking at the nurse on the left. I sense a girl on girl love connection.

I am living in a frozen tundra right now...honestly.

Last night Dale made BLTs for dinner (they were yummy by the way). Anyhow, while cooking things got a little smokey, so he apparently turned off the heat when he opened the back door to let out the smoke.

He forgot to turn the heat back on.

This morning, I did not feel well and thought I was cold because I was sick. No. Last night the temperature in the house dropped to 56 degrees. It is freezing in here!

It is probably the same temperature inside as it is outside. Burrrrrrr! The bad part is I cannot complain. I did the same thing last week.

Ugh. Feeling a bit under the weather this morning.

• Did not sleep well last night.
• Feeling under the weather.
• Achy.
• Headache.
• Upset stomach.
• Ugh.
• Lying on the couch watching the TV shows Chuck and Dollhouse on TiVo.
• I am freezing.
• Need another blanket.
• But do not feel like moving.
• Dogs have a vet appointment at 10 AM.
• So I need to get better.
• And soon.

Ah, Marie Digby, how your music and voice warm me.

Another great original song by Marie Digby.

Cool video - one year in 40 seconds. Check it out.

One year in 40 seconds from Eirik Solheim on Vimeo.

I agree. I hate getting all dressed up for the Wal-Mart too.

I have a bunch of stuff to blog about, but...

...I have not had the time. I have time right now, but I feel more like reading than writing. Sorry.

Remembering a funny trip to the UPS Store in 2008

This is RE-POSTED from February 18, 2008. Now I am sorry to offer you repeat blog postings, but I was looking back to see what I was doing last year at this time and came across this. It was a pretty damn funny experience, so I figured I would share again.


We went to the UPS Store tonight so my friend Rob could send his newly purchased skis back home rather than take on the plane with a change over in Chicago.

So oddly enough the UPS Store proved to be more entertaining than the movie we went to see. Why you ask?

#1 - The clerk took the skis, boxed them up and had them ready to ship before ever offering a price. What if Rob said $60 was too high and did not want to ship? Could you imagine if he said, no thanks, please unpack them and remove the 6,000,000 styrofoam peanuts from the box. Not a good practice if you ask me.

#2 - The man who sat in his car for 10 minutes in the parking lot talking on his cell and came in after us spent all his time drumming his fingers on his box letting us all know how annoyed he was too wait. He honestly did this for 10 minutes straight. My advice: well, Chatty Kathy, if you came in when you got there, you would have been in line before us.

#3 - The place also makes copies and the woman in there when we first arrived kept struggling with the copier. She left her papers on the counter at one point, so out of boredom I looked at them and I kid you not, they were all about alien abduction. The includes aerial maps of abduction scenes in Colorado, plus a letter that started with the sentence, "When I was abducted...". The woman did not look overly crazy, but I am now wondering if she was making something as a joke or if she believes she was actually abducted. I am also now curious if all people who wear yellow Crocs are also victims of alien abductions, since this is what she wore.

#4 - The staff at the UPS Store lacks common sense other than the packaging without first providing a price. On the counter next to all the pens they have a little bamboo plant. On the plant pot there is a note that reads, "I am not a pen...please don't pull me!" and it made me laugh. I laughed enough to take a few pictures with my camera phone. Now, if you keep the plant next to the pens and people are thinking it is a jar of pens, rather than post a note on it, why not move the plant somewhere else. Perhaps to the back counter. Perhaps away from the pens. To take the time to tell people in a note that it is not a pen seems so funny to me. I included the poor quality camera phone pictures.



So the UPS Store is obviously the place to work as you get to meet people who do not like to wait in line, people paranoid of alien abductions and people who confuse pens with bamboo.

My take on tonight's American Idol episode.

Tonight 12 were battling for 3 spots. Below are my opinions. Overall, I would have to describe tonight as disappointing. I thought it would be hard to pick just 3. Instead I had a hard time picking even 3. Please shares your opinions and comment.

Jackie Tohn - No. Hated her rendition of a great Elvis song and the outfit was just bad, bad, bad.

Ricky Braddy - Maybe. Looked good and sang well, but not very memorable. I do not see him as 'a star'.

Alexis Grace - Yes. Bad dress choice, lipstick was too red and a poor song choice. I really did not feel the blues worked for this pale white girl from suburbia, but her voice was okay.

Brent Keith - Maybe. He is pretty. I do not love a lot of country music, but he did okay and he has star quality. And again pretty.

Stevie Wright - No. How did she make it to the final 36? Ugh. Painful.

Anoop Deasi - No. It was like a bad version out of something already bad like High School Musical.

Casey Carlson - No. I bet Sting watched her sing that song and felt a little sad you inflicted that on the world. Not good is an under-statement.

Michael Sarver - Maybe. Bad song choice and a little pitchy (dog), but I like the blue-collar thing he has going.

Ann Marie Boskovich - No. She does not have the soul to sing Aretha. A bit too karoke.

Stephen Fowler - No. Boring. He sounded like he will be on our next Carnival Cruise.

Tatiana Del Toro - Yes and it pains me to say this as I hate, hate, hate her personality, but compared to most tonight she was okay. I still hate her personality.

Danny Gokey - Yes. Good song. Good voice. A good guy. You want him to do well.

Here is how I think the votes will fall:

1st Spot Female - Tatiana Del Toro.
2nd Spot Male - Danny Gokey.
3rd Spot Either - Alexis Grace.

My two maybes for a possible upset or wild card are Michael Sarver and Brent Keith.

So who did you like?

Why has nobody actually invented this?

Think about it. Your kid gets the joy of riding their tricycle and you get the joy of a well manicured lawn. Now I understand the risk of a child and sharp blades, but I also understand the beauty of a nice lawn.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop was a good movie - there I said it & I am not ashamed.

Today Dale and I headed to a late morning movie and saw Paul Blart: Mall Cop. You are probably thinking really? Yeah, really. Lately, Dale and I have seen a lot of Academy Award nominated dramas and we really wanted to see something silly and fun, so we went for Paul Blart: Mall Cop. We were surprisingly pleased.

We both liked the movie. It was funny and actually a really good movie, which is a lot more than I expected going in. However, it was not over the top silly or stupid (which Dale hates). I would recommend it anyone looking for a good, funny family movie. There was no inappropriate language, it has a pretty good message, it has a fun mix of action and most of all it was funny. Kevin James and the supporting case were excellent. And let's not forget the movie has almost made $100 million so far this year, so I doubt I am the only one who liked it.

In honor of President's Day, some Presidential trivia & fun facts

Many of us have today off from work for President's Day, which is the celebration of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln's birthdays. I thought it would be fun to share some Presidential trivia I found online, so we would have a better appreciation of all the men who should be honored with this holiday.

In warm weather, 6th president of the United States John Quincy Adams customarily went skinny-dipping in the Potomac River before dawn.

9th U.S. president William Henry Harrison was inaugurated on a bitterly cold day and gave the longest inauguration speech ever. The new president promptly caught a cold that soon developed into pneumonia. Harrison died exactly one month into his presidential term, the shortest in U.S. history.

John Tyler, 10th U.S. president, fathered 15 children (more than any other president)--8 by his first wife, and 7 by his second wife. Tyler was past his seventieth birthday when his 15th child was born.

Sedated only by brandy, 11th president of the United States James Polk survived gall bladder surgery at the age of 17.

15th U.S. president James Buchanan is the only unmarried man ever to be elected president. Buchanan was engaged to be married once; however, his fiancee died suddenly after breaking off the engagement, and he remained a bachelor all his life.

Often depicted wearing a tall black stovepipe hat, 16th president of the United States Abraham Lincoln carried letters, bills, and notes in his hat.

17th U.S. president Andrew Johnson never attended school. His future wife, Eliza McCardle, taught him to write at the age of 17. (Bonus fact about Andrew Johnson: He only wore suits that he custom-tailored himself.)

Ulysses S. Grant, 18th president of the United States, died of throat cancer. During his life, Grant had smoked about 20 cigars per day.

Both ambidextrous and multilingual, 20th president of the United States James Garfield could write Greek with one hand while writing Latin with the other.

Grover Cleveland, 22nd and 24th president of the United States, underwent a secret operation aboard a yacht to remove his cancerous upper jaw in 1893.

The teddy bear derived from 26th U.S. president Theodore ("Teddy") Roosevelt's refusal to shoot a bear with her cub while on a hunting trip in Mississippi.

William Taft, 27th president of the United States, weighed more than 300 pounds and had a special over-sized bathtub installed in the White House.

Warren Harding, 29th U.S. president, played poker at least twice a week and once gambled away an entire set of White House china. His advisers were nicknamed the "Poker Cabinet" because they joined the president in his poker games.

30th president of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, had chronic stomach pain and required 10 to 11 hours of sleep and an afternoon nap every day.

Herbert Hoover, 31st U.S. president, published more than 16 books, including one called Fishing for Fun-And to Wash Your Soul.

32nd president of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt was related, either by blood or by marriage, to 11 former presidents.

The letter "S" comprises the full middle name of the 33rd president, Harry S. Truman. It represents two of his grandfathers, whose names both had "S" in them.

Military leader and 34th president of the U.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower loved to cook; he developed a recipe for vegetable soup that is 894 words long and includes the stems of nasturtium flowers as one of the ingredients.

40th president of the United States Ronald Reagan broke the so-called "20-year curse," in which every president elected in a year ending in 0 died in office.

George W. Bush, 43rd president of the United States, and his wife Laura got married just three months after meeting each other.

Nine Presidents never attended college: Washington, Jackson, Van Buren, Taylor, Fillmore, Lincoln, A. Johnson, Cleveland, and Truman.

The college that has the most presidents as alumni (six in total) is Harvard: J. Adams, J. Q. Adams, T. Roosevelt, F. Roosevelt, Kennedy, G. W. Bush (business school), and Barack Obama (law school). Yale is a close second, with five presidents as alumni: Taft, Ford (law school), G.H.W. Bush, Clinton (law school), and G. W. Bush.

Presidents who would be considered "Washington outsiders" (i.e., the 18 presidents who never served in Congress) are: Washington, J. Adams, Jefferson, Taylor, Grant, Arthur, Cleveland, T. Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Coolidge, Hoover, F. Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and G. W. Bush.

The most common religious affiliation among presidents has been Episcopalian, followed by Presbyterian.

The ancestry of 42 presidents is limited to the following seven heritages, or some combination thereof: Dutch, English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Swiss, or German.

Barack Obama is the first African American to be elected president of the United States. He was also born in Hawaii, making him the first president not born in the continental United States.

The oldest elected president was Reagan (age 69); the youngest was Kennedy (age 43). Theodore Roosevelt, however, was the youngest man to become president—he was 42 when he succeeded McKinley, who had been assassinated.

The tallest president was Lincoln at 6'4"; at 5'4", Madison was the shortest.

Eight left-handed presidents: James A. Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.

Fourteen Presidents served as vice presidents: J. Adams, Jefferson, Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore, A. Johnson, Arthur, T. Roosevelt, Coolidge, Truman, Nixon, L. Johnson, Ford, and George H.W. Bush.

Vice Presidents were originally the presidential candidates receiving the second-largest number of electoral votes. The Twelfth Amendment, passed in 1804, changed the system so that the electoral college voted separately for president and vice president. The presidential candidate, however, gradually gained power over the nominating convention to choose his own running mate.

For two years the nation was run by a president and a vice president who were not elected by the people. After Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned in 1973, President Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as vice president. Nixon resigned the following year, which left Ford as president, and Ford's appointed vice president, Nelson Rockefeller, as second in line.

Four Presidents won the popular vote but lost the presidency: Andrew Jackson won the popular vote but lost the election to John Quincy Adams (1824); Samuel J. Tilden won the popular vote but lost the election to Rutherford B. Hayes (1876); Grover Cleveland won the popular vote but lost the election to Benjamin Harrison (1888); Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the election to George W. Bush (2000).

The term "First Lady" was first used in 1877 in reference to Lucy Ware Webb Hayes. Most First Ladies, including Jackie Kennedy, are said to have hated the label.

James Buchanan was the only president never to marry. Five presidents remarried after the death of their first wives—two of whom, Tyler and Wilson, remarried while in the White House. Reagan was the only divorced president. Six presidents had no children. Tyler—father of fifteen—had the most.

Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, and Kennedy were assassinated in office.

Assassination attempts were made on the lives of Jackson, T. Roosevelt, F. Roosevelt, Truman, Ford, and Reagan.

Eight Presidents died in office: W. Harrison (after having served only one month), Taylor, Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Harding, F. Roosevelt, and Kennedy.

Presidents Adams, Jefferson, and Monroe all died on the 4th of July; Coolidge was born on that day.

Kennedy and Taft are the only presidents buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Lincoln, Jefferson, F. Roosevelt, Washington, Kennedy, and Eisenhower are portrayed on U.S. coins.

Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Jackson, Grant, McKinley, Cleveland, Madison, and Wilson are portrayed on U.S. paper currency.

Somehow this image seemed fitting post Valentine's Day

Sometimes it seems like once the holiday is over, it is no longer all about hearts and flowers.

7 photos that I enjoyed this week and you may too

Hauntingly beautiful.

I don't know what it is, but this photo is a bit creepy and sad to me. From the photo, I think this man must have a unhappy life.

Okay, now this is cold. I feel much warmer when I see winter images like this.

Okay, you have to admit if your family likes hockey or your kids played, this is fairly amazing and funny.

In the winter, I tend to long for the beauty of Spring. Is it close yet?

I love this photo. It seems eerie and haunting.

I have decided that David Akers of the Philadelphia Eagles may make me want to follow football.