In the Dog House

I can't figure out a way to embed, but take 5 minutes to watch this amusing video.

In this gift-giving season, just think of it as a public service announcement for those men people who prefer to give only practical gifts.

Silly Martha

I'm not really a Martha Stewart kind of person. I think her creations are lovely, and I've even attempted a few of them on my own. But really, I'm not one of her followers.

However, I am so glad I went searching for one of Martha's Christmas creations today.

Dear me, what is this? Martha and Snoop Dogg making mashed potatoes. I don't think I have ever laughed at a Martha show more.

Awesome beyond measure!

Best email I've received lately

This email from a friend had me laughing out loud. I need one of those shirts too.

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

The three of us (kids and myself) are driving down the road yesterday, on our way home from the grocery store. [Little Sister] is screaming, hollering, snatching toys, throwing stuff, etc. I gave her "the look" and said "Do you want me to pull this truck over and come back there.. you are acting UGLY!" - to which she started crying, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy..!!" (That's her thing, to cry for the other parent when one is getting her into trouble.)

[Big Brother] didn't miss a beat, he just looked at her seriously and said "Daddy is not going to protect you from the wrath of Momma."

I informed him I wanted that printed on a t-shirt...

Fun with Windows

Just too awesome.



Also seen on Graph Jam. Kristabella mentioned GraphJam a couple of weeks ago, and I love that site a little bit too much.

Monday Meme

Nothing to break the silence like a meme . . . . I've done this particular one before, so I'll try not to duplicate.

Tagged by Tina at Golden Goodness:

Seven Random Things About Me:

Both of my parents are left-handed. I am right-handed, but I do many, many things left-handed because that's the way I learned -- cutting meat, bread, or vegetables, playing pool, cleaning the counters or mirrors . . . .

I still hate The Disney Channel. We had the "privilege" of watching it recently, and I wasn't impressed. I have no idea why some parents think that these shows are a great thing.

I hate soap operas. I've never watched them, although my grandmother had a little thing going with One Life to Live.

My grandmother lived with us when I was growing up. She died when I was 12. My sister was 2 at the time, and I'm a little bit sad that she doesn't have those memories of Nana.

I took my first airplane ride when I was 16. I went to Washington, DC with a school group. When we arrived at the airport, the plane wasn't allowed to land due to ice. We circled the airport for two hours and were finally told that we had to land because we didn't have enough fuel to get to another airport. We landed, skidding the whole way, and ended up nearly half a mile from the terminal. They got our baggage out there on the runway and we had to walk to the terminal. That was really my first lesson.

I like the way my doggies keep me company, even if it's just listening to them snore.

Three years ago I switched Skeeter to decaf coffee without telling him. He had just been laid off from his job. He was drinking three or four pots of coffee a day and waking up in the middle of the night with migraines. At the time, we didn't have caffeine in our house at all. He knew that, but I made the conscious decision to keep buying only decaf without mentioning that to him. That first month was hard for both of us. I finally told him three months after he had gone decaf-only, after he was over the caffeine withdrawals. Considering that it had been nearly six weeks since he'd had one of those middle-of-the-night headaches, he wasn't angry. Annoyed at first, but not angry. And he'd agreed with me on not telling him. If he had known, there's no way he would have stood for it.

So there you are . . . a few extra bits about me! No tags this time, but let me know if you play along!

Procrastination makes me a copycat

I've had this post sitting my "drafts" since Sunday. No particular reason why I hadn't posted it, but I hadn't. And then Jenn Lancaster had to go and post HER favorite Kids in the Hall sketch, and now I feel like I copied.

Anyway, this is my absolute, complete, utter favoritest Kids in the Hall sketch. Ever.



And this is for Skeeter, who has two bosses named Dave. When they are in town at the same time, he always talks about them as "The Daves" and makes me think of this.



I am easily amused.

Traveling advice, or things I learned the hard way

Never order chili in a foreign country.

When going on an extended international vacation, it is better to pack too little than too much. If you happen to need something you didn't take, you can buy it there. If you take too much, you'll be shipping that extra suitcase (and crap therein) home within the first week.

Even when on a domestic vacation, pack light. You may be toting that suitcase half a mile to the terminal. In a blizzard.

It is unwise to go to a wine festival on your first night in Germany. You will drink too much. You may end up with a combination of jet lag and drunkenness, causing you to walk to your host's house in a manner that resembles an inept cat burglar. With your grandmother following and laughing like a maniac.

In like manner, take it easy on the free alcohol served on those international flights. Arriving with a hangover in addition to jet lag is not pretty.

Having your three-year-old son pee in a cup in the car is a Bad Idea, even if your husband insists otherwise. Even if it's nearly midnight and there is absolutely no exit on the interstate, it's still a Bad Idea. Boys do not have good aim.

Trust me on these.

Acceptable?

Not terrible, I suppose, considering I'm not in an office setting.

67 words

Wasting time on YouTube

Skeeter and I were wasting time this afternoon, looking up various comedians, and he happened upon this little gem:



Please tell me that the rest of the Back to the Future fans out there laughed as hard as we did.

We didn't even know that he did stand-up, but oh, he is so funny!

Accents?

Eh, I don't know if I believe this. I'm from the south. I think I sound like it.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The Northeast
The Inland North
The South
The West
Philadelphia
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Stealing from Candy

Candy posted this as a Thanksgiving meme. I'm shamelessly stealing it, albeit far past Thanksgiving.

( ) Been to Canada.

( ) Been to Mexico.

(X ) Been to Florida.

(X ) Been on a plane.

( X) Been lost.

Please. As my dad always says, "I haven't been anywhere until I've been lost there."

(X) Been on the opposite side of the country.

I'm undecided on how to answer this, since I live in the middle of the US. I have been to the coast before, so I'm going with yes.

( X) Swam in the ocean.

( X ) Cried yourself to sleep.

(X )Played cops and robbers.

(X ) Played with a Tonka Truck.

(X ) Recently colored with crayons.

( X) Sang karaoke.

(Not well, I might add.)

(x ) Paid for a meal with only coins.

I have also paid my $120 electric bill with one dollar bills. More than once. That's what workin' for tips will do to you.

(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t?

( ) Made prank phone calls.

(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue

( X ) Danced in the rain

(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus.

( X) Been kissed under the mistletoe.

(X) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about.

(X) Blown bubbles.

I love blowing bubbles. I sit outside and blow bubbles for the dogs. They jump and catch them like treats. It's awesome!

(X ) Made a bonfire on the beach.

Only the "beach" called a sand bar. But it was a fire, and it was on a semblance of sand. So there.

(X) Crashed a party.

( ) Crashed a wedding.

( ) Crashed a funeral.

(X)Gone ice-skating.

Only once, and in Germany. I couldn't speak the language well. I kept bumping into people, muttering "Bitte; bitte."

1. Any nicknames?

Not particularly. Skeeter is the one who calls me Noodle though. Just in case y'all were wondering where I came up with that.

2. Mother’s name?

Judy. Judith, actually, but she's not fond of that.

3. Favorite drink?

Depending on the time of day -- water, hot tea, Diet Dr Pepper

4. Any tattoos?

None. Because I'm a big chicken.

5 Body piercing?

Ears. Do those even count any more?

6. How much do you love your job?

The stay-at-home-mom gig? Most of the time, I love it. There are moments though . . . .

7. Favorite vacation spot?

So far, Norwich, England.

8. Ever been to Africa?

No.

9. Ever eaten cookies for dinner?

Yes. I'm not particularly proud of that though.

10. Ever been on TV?

I think so, but I can't really remember. Never any significant screen time, that's for sure.

11. Ever steal any traffic signs?

No, I don't think so.

12. Ever been in a car accident?

Yes, once. Unlike Skeeter, who has made it a hobby.

13. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle?

Yes, both, simultaneously. (This was Candy's answer, and I had to leave it because it made me laugh aloud.)

14. Favorite pie?

Pecan.

15. Favorite Number?

2. What can I say? I'm unimaginative.

16. Favorite movie?

Urgh. This is more difficult than it should be. I'll go for The Philadelphia Story.

17. Favorite holiday?

Christmas. Really though, I love Halloween through New Year's.

18. Favorite dessert?

Mom's Four Layer Delight

19. Favorite food?

This time of year it's cornbread dressing, because I know that I only eat it at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

20. Favorite day of the week?

Monday.

21. Favorite brand of body wash?

Kiss My Face.

22. Favorite toothpaste?

Tom's of Maine Spearmint

23. Favorite smell?

Citrus.

24. What do you do to relax?

Read.

25. Do you have a message to your friends reading this?

Come on . . . play along . . . you know you want to . . . .

26. How do you see yourself in 10 years?

Still the same old me, just older. I'm guessing that I won't be watching Strawberry Shortcake with Sass though. I wonder if I'll miss it.

27. Furthest place you will send this message?

Who knows?

28. Who will respond the fastest?

No idea.

Four Things

I like doing these things, really I do. When I don't forget, that is. Candy tagged me for this several days ago, and I completely forgot until now. :)

Four First Names of Crushes I Had

1. Michael (no, not The Michael)
   
2. Matt
   
3. John
   
4. Scott
   

Four Pieces of Clothing I Wish I Still Owned

1. The red Indian shirt that I simply wore out.
   
2. The funky-plaid pants from college that disappeared, probably due to roommates.
   
3. The red twin shirt that I spilled bleach on.
   
4. The purple striped sweater that I also spilled bleach on. I have issues with bleach.
   

Four Professions I Secretly Want to Try

1. Travel writer
   
2. Songwriter
   
3. Researcher
   
4. Literary agent
   

Four Musicians I’d Most Want to Go to Dinner With

1. John Pizzarelli
   
2. Keb Mo'
   
3. Chris Rice
   
4. Alison Krauss
   

Four Foods I’d Rather Throw Than Eat

1. Ketchup
2. Boiled cabbage
   
3. Turnip greens (gah, smells like you're serving up the lawn waste)
   
4. Chitlins (talk about smell . . . .)
   

Four Things I Like to Sniff (er, Smell)

1. Bonfires
2. Citrus candles
   
3. Water
   
4. Roasted pecans
   

Ah, the tagging. Guess what -- you're it! So many people are participating in that NoBlo thing that I figure I'll help you out. Just leave me a comment so I'll know to check it out!

What Are You Into This Month?

Shamelessly lifted from Megan at SortaCrunchy:

This Month...

The Book I Am Really Into (or one I want to get into!): Currently reading Plain Secrets: An Outsider Among the Amish by Joe Mackall. It's not exactly what I was expecting, but it is a good read.

Looking forward to Bitter Is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered, Smart-Ass, or, Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office : A Memoir. I've had it as my #1 library request for a month, and it looks like maybe, finally, it may be coming!

TV Show Worth Watching: Heroes, perhaps? I don't really watch anything else. And I now confess . . . Heroes is now available on Netflix a couple of days after the show airs. I watch it on Netflix.

Movie I’ve Seen (In or Out of a theater): I last saw Dan in Real Life. I'm still undecided whether I liked it. I liked parts of it a lot, and I loved how the family was portrayed. It reminded me of mine, in an odd way. But . . . . The premise is that Dan meets an anonymous girl in a bookshop. They "connect" and the girl ends up being his brother's girlfriend. And during the next 2/3 of the movie, Dan is jealous of the time and attention that the girlfriend is giving to his brother. Am I the only one who sees something odd about that?

The Candle I'm Loving: I'm between candles. Until recently I was burning Pier 1's Citrus Cilantro, but now I'm moving to fall scents, and I'll probably break out the pumpkin and apple candles soon. Oooh, I do have a nice coffee scented Yankee Candle, but it's almost gone.

Blog I Am Always Visiting: Oh, Lawzy. There are loads that I love, but here are a few (other than the ones linked on the right) that I'm enjoying at the moment.

Unclutterer
My House is Cuter than Yours
Like Merchant Ships

What I'm Most Looking Forward To Next Month: Next month? Christmas, of course! Specifically, our Christmas Eve fiesta. It's one of my favorite things about Christmas.

Things about me

I was tagged by the Multitasking Mama for this meme. Here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post rules.
   
2. Share 7 facts about yourself, some random and some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of post and list their names.
4. Let them know they were tagged by a comment on their blog.

Seven Definitely Random, Possibly Odd, Things About Me (That I Think I Haven't Shared Before)

1. I am partially deaf in my left ear. Only a small percentage, and I can't even remember what percentage. Most of the time it doesn't bother me. It's the result of a combination of things: a really bad ear infection when I was in college, being an idiot and not going to the doctor as soon as I should have, and just after that, starting a job that required me to wear a earpiece phone. It's also made that ear very sensitive to high range pitches. The "beep, beep" of the register scanner at the Wal-Mart -- so far only at the Wal-Mart -- sometimes hurts so badly that I have to walk away while my things are being scanned. That's one of the (many) reasons that I avoid going there.
   
2. My first job was as a typesetter at a printer's shop. I made $3.35 an hour. And I thought I was living large.
   
3. When I was 17, I knocked the passenger side mirror off of my dad's truck while pulling into one of the parking spaces at the Sonic. The Sonic was one of the places to hang out, and of course, there were loads of people there. I was so embarrassed that I got out, picked up the mirror, threw it in the back of the truck, and drove off. In my defense, it was a 1977 Ford Ranger (that he loved immensely) with a column shift. I didn't drive it often, and it was bigger the car than I was accustomed to driving.
4. I prefer driving a car with a manual transmission. I bought a manual transmission car (a 1982 Toyota Tercel) before I knew how to drive one. My dad found it, declared it a good buy, and I bought it. He drove us off the lot to a low traffic road, and I learned how to drive it. Lawzy, I just Googled it, and this looks exactly like my old car. Same color and all. It was a good little car.
5. I took my first (and so far, only) trip to Disneyworld when I was 27 and pregnant with Spyder. It was loads of fun, and I was constantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it, being 27 with no children, at least none outside the womb.
6. My two favorite words are persnickety and indefatigable.
   
7. I almost went to graduate school in Canada, at the University of Saskatchewan. I had been accepted and had my scholarship and loan things all done, and Skeeter talked me out of it.
   

So there you are, seven more things that you didn't know (and possibly didn't want to know). And to keep this moving, I duly tag:

1. Southern Girl
2. Ramblings from Another Southern Gay Guy
3. The Musings of Another Working Mom
4. Bliss in Bloom
5. Saints and Spinners
6. Froggy Girl Designs
7. You!

Interview, Part V

Do you know why God decided to place whiskers on womens chins after they give birth?

Oh, we all know the real reason . . . hormones, hormones, hormones. But really, that's a wee bit unfair of Him, don't you think? As if we need something more to be hormonal about?

Baby? Check.
Lack of sleep? Check.
Extra laundry? Check.
Other child who feels as if he doesn't get enough attention any more? Check.
Weird hairs on chin? Check.

Thanks. Thanks loads.

I think it's much kinder to think of those extra bits as reminders. I know that I'm terrible about taking little or no time to focus on me as a person, not as Mom-only. It's been all-child, all the time for me lately, and it's taking a toll on me.

I think I'll take the time to check for unsightly chin hairs tonight, lest I end up looking like a grandmother before I should.

Interview, Part IV

Did you always want to be a homeschooler? Were you scared of that responsibility when you decided to go for it?

I never really gave it serious thought until Spyder was ready to enter kindergarten. Skeeter and I were in debate over what to do -- homeschool? public school? private school? -- so I decided to call the schools we were considering to learn about the structure and what they'd be teaching.

I called four schools. The answers from all of them were pretty much the same -- learning letters, numbers, colors. Everything that the teachers mentioned was something that Spyder could do already. He would have been bored out of his mind. And anyone who knows him already knows that Spyder + bored = trouble.

So we decided to homeschool for kindergarten. After some initial bumps, the kindergarten year worked out well. By the time first grade rolled around, I gave Spyder the option, going to school or continue homeschooling. He chose homeschooling, and we've been going strong ever since.

We have a long "review" discussion over several days at the end of every year, just to make sure that he's still getting what he wants and needs from his education. This year, he strongly considered going to school, so we went to check out what was offered. Ultimately, he decided that the school wasn't what he wanted and decided to continue with homeschooling, with us implementing a few changes that he requested.

Some days it does overwhelm me, both the responsibility and the day-to-day tasks. What parent hasn't felt that way at one time or another? And yes, some days I long for time alone, for time to complete projects or tasks uninterrupted. But for now, homeschooling is the best thing for my children, so I give the time to them gladly. As with most things, it's a work in progress.

Interview, Part III

Pull out all the stops here, and make us less than extraordinary Moms feel more normal. What was your most embarrassing "Mom moment"?

First of all, lets clear up a little misconception: there's nothing extraordinary about me! (All of my real life friends are hooting with laughter and nodding their heads at that.) I appreciate the confidence in my parenting abilities though. :)

There are so many of these that it's hard to pick one.

I asked Skeeter, and he said, "The Coke thing. Definitely." Bless my soul. There have been so many since then that I didn't even think of that one. It was a doozy though.

When Spyder was little, we wandered -- thrift stores, malls, Target. It didn't really matter where; we just liked wandering. One of our places to wander was Goldsmith's, a now-defunct department store that was bought out by Macy's. On this particular trip, Spyder was riding in his stroller, and I had the diaper bag and a can of soda in the little basket underneath.

Spyder wanted to go through two of the columns in the stroller ("like a tunnel, Mama!"), and the stroller got stuck, of course. In my efforts to get the stroller wheels unstuck, I forgot about the open can of soda in the basket. The wiggling overturned it, and it spilled into the basket and onto the floor. When I finally got the stroller out, there was a nice little brown pool on the beige carpet. Spyder immediately started saying (much more loudly than warranted), "MAMA! YOU SPILLED THE COKE ALL OVER! MAMA!! YOU SPILLED!"

Any effort to quiet him only made it that much worse. I had been trying to make my way (discreetly) to the counter to ask for paper towels. That was ruined, of course, because Spyder thought I was trying to make a getaway without cleaning the spill. "MAMA!! YOU SPILLED! YOU HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP! YOU SPILLED THE COKE, MAMA!"

You never notice department store acoustics until there's a two year old testing them out. A very vocal and emphatic two year old.

Other shoppers were looking at me as if I was a rodent who got caught nipping into the Gouda.

I couldn't leave to get the paper towels because my little angel wouldn't stand for it, but I had to clean it up. What else was there to do? I stood there for a moment, frozen with embarrassment. I thought I would buy a little time by fussing with the soda that had spilled into the basket. The diaper bag was fabric and had absorbed most of it. It was as I was pawing through the diaper bag that I realized I had towels, of a sort.

We used cloth diapers most of the time, and I had several of those in the diaper bag. Towels. Sort of. I grabbed a couple of those to clean the mess, and said, "It's okay, honey. I'm cleaning the Coke right now."

You'd think that would have made it all okay, right? No. Spyder turned around to look, and he was completely, utterly freaked out that I was using his diaper to clean the spill.

"Cleaning the Coke, Mama? THAT'S MY DIAPER, MAMA! YOU CAN'T USE MY DIAPER TO CLEAN THE COKE!"

As if those diapers hadn't seen much worse.

And all of the other shoppers were still staring. I can't remember if any of them were close enough to actually see that I was using a clean cloth diaper rather than a previously used one. Or one that I had taken off of his little behind at that moment.

Cleaning the carpet of the department store with Spyder bellowing, "MAMA! THAT'S MY DIAPER!" under scrutiny of the other shoppers is not my idea of a good time. And, oh yes, there was much staring.

I cleaned up most of it, threw the wet diapers into the diaper bag, scooted over to the cashier to tell her about the spill (as if she didn't already know) and let her know that it probably needed some spot cleaner. After that, I booked it out of there as fast as I could.

Was that the end? Noooooo. Spyder had to tell everyone that "Mama spilled the Coke." Everyone. The people at Target; the next door neighbor; the person in the elevator . . . . He told everyone he met that I had spilled the Coke. And of course, he didn't leave it there. He also had to mention that I used his diaper to clean the Coke, as if it was the most humiliating thing he'd ever endured. I found myself having to explain what happened to everyone, nicely reliving my embarrassment each time, thankyouverymuch.

We attempted to go back to Goldsmith's only once, several months afterward. I'm sure you know why it was only once. I had thought that -- perhaps, just perhaps -- Spyder wouldn't think about my spill. Oh, how wrong was I. I found myself hearing, "MAMA! THIS IS WHERE YOU SPILLED THE COKE!"

I only needed to hear that once before I turned around and left. At least that time I didn't have to worry about cleaning up first.

Interview, Part II

If you had one week just for Noodle, with no obligations or sense of urgency, no responsibilities, no kids, no husband, and plenty of spending money, what would you do to feel most alive and sublime?

This was actually Piper's question #5, but it's an easy-peasy one for me, so I moved it up in the rankings. :)

No little urchins, unlimited funds? I'd grab Skeeter and hop a plane to England. I know that Skeeter wasn't really part of the equation, but he's my best friend, and I wouldn't want to go without him. And I'd really want more than a week, but I'll take what I can get.

Skeeter and I spent about two and a half weeks in England on our honeymoon (ACK! almost 12 years ago!), and we had an incredible time.

We spent time wandering at outdoor markets, on lonely little roads, through ancient ruins and in old castles and cathedrals.

We laughed at the hotel that turned off the heat during the day when they believed everyone should be out.

We met interesting and fun people in the pubs who were enamored with my Southern accent and kept coming to our table and saying, "Talk to me, girl!"

We hung out with the Royal Shakespeare Company after a performance one night, and we got invited back for another time.

In all of my travels, that particular trip stands out as the one where I really did feel most alive and at peace with myself. And I'd love to go back and make more memories.

Interview, Part I

How long have you been blogging, and what was your inspiration to start your blog?

I've been blogging here for almost two years, since December of 2005. I started blogging about seven months before that though, on a blog that I deleted when I started this one.

A friend unintentionally introduced me to the idea when she started a blog chronicling the planning for her son's bar mitzvah. I started one a few months after I first read hers. That particular blog was very hidden, as much as I could make it, and I didn't tell anyone. It was on Blogspot as well, and I found that many times I would draft something without ever posting it. Not that it mattered anyway, since no one knew.

In November 2005, I was part of a group discussion on blogs and blogging in general. I mentioned (offhand, very late, in a foggy state) that I had been blogging. Because I know Julie all too well, I knew she'd search for it. And may or may not find it. Not that it mattered really, but it was much more introspective and personal. I ended up deleting that blog. There was no audience, and I had no real plan for it, so it wasn't all that fantastic anyway.

But at any rate, I deleted that one and started anew, this time with the idea that I would tell a few people about it, and there would be other people reading. Theoretically, anyway.

I use my blog as a journal of sorts, to remind myself where I was at that point. Sometimes I use it to chronicle our homeschooling activities or to share something with others. But mostly it's just for me to ramble on about our days.

Diane never knew that her blog about Max's bar mitzvah would inspire my own rambling blog. I'm not even sure that she knows now, but I'm glad that she started hers. It's opened my eyes -- to my own seriously diminished writing skills, to excellent ideas from others, and to meeting people whom I would have never met otherwise.

Rockin'!

Susan at Pyles of Clutter has given me the Rockin' Girl Blogger award! I haven't been rockin' in years, so I feel especially flattered!

Before I name my list of rockin' ladies, I'll encourage you to check out Susan's site. Make especially sure to check out the photos of Chile, taken when she went to pick up her son from his mission trip. Very cool!

And so, the list (in no particular order):

1. Piper at Bliss in Bloom, a single working mom (with two super-cute boys) who has a wonderful enthusiasm for living life to its fullest!

2. Julie at Multitasking Mama, one of my dearest friends, who always has more plates in the air than I could manage!

3. Alkelda at Saints and Spinners, a clever lady who makes up some of the wittiest songs and stories I've read! Waiting (somewhat impatiently) for her to produce a CD!

4. Kaleigh at Musings of Another Working Mom, truly a cool and rockin' mom who has two awesome children.

5. Mika at Froggy Girl Designs, crafty, thrifty mom of four boys! I don't know how she has time to be crafty, but I bought one of her CD holders, and it's super cute!

Play along as you wish, but make sure you credit the originator, Roberta Ferguson. The code for the button is in the comments in Roberta's post, but I couldn't get it to work. Perhaps someone can have sympathy on a less technologically savvy girl.