Tonight we are watching The Sopranos, season 5, episode 6 and who should show up as a skanky mob girlfriend?

Gina, Sesame Street’s favorite vet.

The world is never going to be the same.

Ok, well then. Let’s look before we leap, ok?

Turns out that in Tennessee (where I live, where terrablogs resides) raffle equals lottery. Sure there are some hoops to jump through and $150 or more to the state to make to legal, but um… we need something easy, something quick, something to raise the funds that we need for terrablogs.

So, let’s start, right now, brainstorming! What kind of legal, nonlotteryesque fundraising can we do on the internet?

Comment, now!

If you are a terrablogger, then you all know that terrablogs needs a new server. The geniuses over at Terrablogs HQ have been collecting donations to raise money for a new server. They added advertisements to the portal pages and the money is trickling in.

I believe in the terrablog community and really like the idea of city centered blogging. The chattablogs portal page is a wide variety of blogging types- mom bloggers, political bloggers, technical bloggers, and the heniz 57 variety of blog where people just want to be heard read.

In order to help terrablogs (because I would hate to lose everything in a server related malfunction) I have decided to organize a fundraiser- specifically a raffle. I am still working on the details but I need prizes. I can donate something crocheted, but I am sure that there are other terrabloggers who have something that they could donate as a prize.

If you can donate something- art work, gift certificates, swag, or something- then leave a comment or send me an email (alicia at crumley dot org). Maybe you are a programmer and you can donate your time to “make over” someone’s blog? Do you want to donate a Flickr pro account to a lucky winner?

So, in order to make this a go, I need some support. Please spread the word on your blogs as well. I hope to start the actual fundraising in early August.

You like me, you really like me!

Well, the winner was announced today and I have a few people to thank? our loyal readers who follow directions so well! 19 comments for Rebecca, all referencing me as the referrer? how awesome are ya?ll?

Thank you to Rebecca for holding the contest and thank you to Rebecca for blogging her normal life for all the internet to read and comment on. I really like Rebecca?s blog title- Just a Normal Day. The Normal Mom t-shirt is something that I will wear with pride because it affirms something that I need to hear every day- I am a normal mom!

I have mentioned a recent identity crisis and part of getting through that is examining what kind of mom I am and what kind of mom I want to be and being ok with the circumstances that we have found ourselves in now.

When I was twelve I dreamt about the kind of mom I would be when I grow up. That dream has changed a little bit (like I used to think I would be a single mom? I think that changed a bit), but regardless of where I wanted to be and where I am right now, I am still a normal mom. That kind of affirmation is something that I need right now and well? all you who commented, thank you.

In the seven years that we have been married we recognize that our home has not been the hotbed of social interaction. We have had people over here and there, and one football season we had people over for several televised Auburn games, but football season ends in December and usually our home contains one or more power tools that don?t give a very inviting vibe to guests.

Recently I started to look around and wonder where our friends are in our lives. Sure, we have friends, people we talk to at church and see at work, the store, and a few of them we see in their homes when we go there once a year or so, but it just seemed like there was a hole where genuine friendship should be. I was feeling lonely for our family.

I mentioned this to Damon, I mentioned that I felt kind of left out. But then in the next breath I also said that I think that in order to expect socialization to occur, we need to be open to having people over to our house as well. Which has always been a stumbling block for us.

About five years ago some friends stopped by our house while on an evening walk. They had their two boys with them and while we visited in the living room the boys managed to find sharp nails, dangerous tools and electrical wires in the way of their enjoyment of our home. It wasn?t a very long visit. But it is a classic example of why we just haven?t had people over; our house just wasn?t condusive to hospitality.

But now? now we have the pretty gold walls and the clean dining room table, plus the only power tools with permanent residence are the kitchen appliances. Sure, we have more work to do on the house, but having a perfect house is not a requirement for having people over for a meal and fellowship.

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The attic, it is fini. As in finished. Complete. And you know what? We now have room for more stuff! Bring on the Christmas presents!

Ok, maybe it was only medium, not well-done. We still have a knee walls to install and the A/C. But, all those boxes we moved out on Saturday have returned to their home with a solid floor (no more beam exercises!) and better insulation.

And who thought working in the attic during the hottest week of the year was a bad idea?

Oh right, that would have been me. D gets superior props for working so hard and quickly this week. He worked in the evenings, after I got home and when it was cooler. Still hot in the attic but not as hot as it would have been around noon or two in the afternoon.

As an aside, the attic ladder we installed about a year ago? Total crap. One of the joints broke making it useless to us as a ladder. Now it is a really heavy attic door. We reverted to using the extension ladder, but now we have to chase down the manufacturer with our warranty. Lovely.

Good news is that we can return our unused lumber.