What I Want For Christmas

I have only one thing on my Christmas List. Well, one kit.

I want this very large appliance:

For the uninitiated, this is a Shave Ice machine. This is not the silly little Snoopy sno-cone machine, this is a heavy duty industrial strength ice shaver.

Hawaiian Shave Ice (not shaved ice, if shaved then clearly non-authentic) is a delicious treat from the tropical islands. You may have had sno-cones, but until you have had Shave Ice in Hawaii, you have not had the real deal.

When we visit Hawaii, I like to eat two Shave Ices each day. They need to come in the fancy cup. I prefer the Blue Hawaii flavor, paired with Li-hing Nui for a sweet and sour treat. Blue Hawaii is coconut and vanilla, while Li-Hing Nui is a special Hawaiian plum. I highly advise topping off the Shave Ice with a Snow Cap, which is sweetened condensed milk poured on top. Many people enjoy a scoop of ice cream at the bottom of the cup, but I feel that takes away from the divinity of pure Shave Ice.

The only other place where I have had comparable Shave Ice is in Arizona at Bahama Bucks. Arizona readers, please visit Bahama Bucks in honor of me.

To go with my Industrial Strength Shave Ice machine (I've found them as low as $300 on Ebay), may I please order these flavors:

Blue Hawaii, Li-Hing Mui, Cherry Jubliee, Mai Tai, Blue Raspberry, Pink Lemonade, Lychee, and Horchatta.

Aloha.

Paige Has Been Here

Looks good, eh? You should visit her site and comment if you haven't already. She's seriously awesome. It's a wonder she can survive with us mere Earthlings due to her awesomeness. Let's discuss here.

This is Phil

Perhaps you are a little tired of Celia, Paige, Ellie and me. You've met Val, but have you met Phil? Phil is the Greenbaum Golden Boy. His only flaw is that he is not, infact, golden haired.

Here are ten things about Phil:

1) He is the first of the Greenbaums to go on a mission, and the only one of us who speaks a foreign language fluently. Until he returned, it was rumored that Greenbaums speaking foreign languages was physically impossible.

2) He thinks he might want to be a Broadcast Journalist, maybe. He's a sophmore in college. Time to decide, Phil.

3) He's a pretty funny writer. Don't know where he got that talent.

4) Phil doesn't like to read anymore. I think the last book he read was a Matt Christopher or RL Stein.

5) Snowboarding is one of Phil's hobbies. He also likes to ride motorcross bikes and do other macho things.

6) Girls like Phil.

7) Phil is number 7. He's the "good son" and he has the brand new truck to prove it.

8) When Phil was little, he believed he did not know how to smile. We do not have a single picture of Philly alone and smiling.

9) All of the cousins (grandchildren) are in love with Phil because he's the most fun guy they know. He wrestles with them and tickles them and gives them rides.

10) Phil used to be in love with Hillary Duff. They broke up when she started dating that tattoo guy and got all weird skinny, like an orange on a toothpick.

If you don't know Phil, you should meet him. I'd venture to say he is the most palatable of the Greenbaums.

Norophobic

Pho·bi·a /ˈfoʊbiə/ [foh-bee-uh] –noun
a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it.

Smurfette has Vermiphobia.

Whenever the phone rings and the number is unfamiliar, it sends a little chill up my spine. I'm convinced that the caller is calling to reprimand me for some wrongdoing. Sure, it's an irrational fear, but I harbor it nonetheless. My phobia is called Hamartophobia: fear of error. I am an equal opportunity offender, but I rarely aim to specifically insult. Perhaps I simply fear someone caring enough about what I say to a) be really offended b) let the offense fester without pointing it out immediately c) finally try to confront me.
My worst nightmare is the phone message, "Hi, we need to talk. Call me back right away." I would rather die than return that phone call. I've just given up on friendships rather than confront an error or offense. Yes, I'm a small person.

Here is a list of Phobias. What are your phobias?

If you don't already have a phobia, I encourage you to choose a fear and nurse your fear into a full blown phobia.

Acarophobia -- fear of skin infestation by mites or ticks
Acousticophobia -- fear of noise
Acrophobia -- fear of heights
Aerophobia -- fear of flying
Agoraphobia -- fear of open spaces
Ailurophobia -- fear of cats
Algophobia -- fear of pain
Amaxophobia -- fear of riding in a vehicles
Androphobia -- fear of men
Anginophobia -- fear of sore throat
Anthropophobia -- fear of people, especially in groups
Apiphobia -- intense fear of bees
Arachnophobia -- fear of spiders
Astraphobia -- fear of lightning
Atelophobia -- fear of imperfection
Automysophobia -- fear or dislike of being dirty
Autophobia- Fear of being alone or of oneself
Bacteriophobia -- fear of bacteria
Bathophobia -- fear of bathing
Batophobia -- fear of passing high buildings
Batrachophobia -- fear of frogs and toads
Belonephobia -- fear of pins and needles
Blennophobia -- fear of slime
Bogyphobia -- dread of demons and goblins
Bromidrosiphobia -- fear of having unpleasant body odor
Brontophobia -- fear of thunder and thunderstorms
Carcinophobia -- fear of cancer
Cardiophobia -- fear of heart disease
Cenophobia -- fear of open spaces
Cheimaphobia -- fear or dislike of cold
Chrometophobia -- fear or dislike of money
Cibophobia -- fear of food
Claustrophobia -- fear of enclosed spaces
Cnidophobia -- insect stings
Coitophobia -- fear of sexual intercourse
Coprophobia -- fear of excrement/feces
Cyberphobia -- fear of computers
Cymophobia -- fear of waves
Cynophobia -- dread of dogs
Cypridophobia -- fear of venereal disease
Demonophobia -- fear of spirits, demons
Demophobia -- dislike of crowds
Dermatophobia -- fear of skin disease
Dipsophobia -- fear of drinking
Domatophobia -- fear of being in a house
Doraphobia -- fear of contact with animal fur or skin
Dysmorphophobia -- fear of deformity
Ecophobia -- fear of home surroundings
Eleutherophobia -- fear of freedom
Elurophobia -- fear of cats
Emetophobia -- fear of vomiting
Enetophobia -- fear of needles or pins
Entomophobia -- fear of insects
Ergophobia -- fear of work
Erotophobia -- fear of sexual feelings and their physical expression
Gamophobia -- fear or dislike of marriage
Gephyrophobia -- fear of crossing a bridge
Gerascophobia -- fear of growing old
Glossophobia -- fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak
Graphophobia -- dislike of writing
Gymnophobia -- fear of nudity
Gynophobia -- fear of women
Hadeophobia -- fear of hell
Hagiophobia -- dislike for saints and the holy
Hamartophobia -- fear of error or sin
Haptophobia -- fear of touch
Harpaxophobia -- fear of robbers
Hedonophobia -- fear of pleasure
Hemaphobia -- fear of the sight of blood
Herpetophobia -- fear of reptiles
Hierophobia -- fear or dislike of sacred objects, fear of priests
Hippophobia -- fear or horses
Hodophobia -- fear or dislike of travel
Homophobia -- fear of homosexuality (same-sex affection)
Hydrophobia -- fear of water
Hydrophophobia -- fear of rabies
Hygrophobia -- fear of liquids
Hypnophobia -- fear of sleep
Iatrophobia -- fear of doctors
Ichthyophobia -- fear of fish
Iophobia -- fear of poisons
Kakorrhaphiophobia -- fear of failure or defeat
Katagelophobia -- fear of ridicule
Keraunophobia-- fear of thunder and lightning
Kinetophobia -- fear or dislike of motion
Kleptophobia --fear of thievery
Kopophobia -- fear of mental or physical examination
Laliophobia -- fear of talking
Linonophobia -- fear of string
Mechanophobia -- fear of machinery
Merinthophobia -- fear of being bound
Microphobia -- fear of germs
Misanthropy -- a hatred of mankind in general
Misophobia -- fear of dirt
Molysomophobia -- fear of infection
Musophobia -- fear of mice
Myxophobia -- fear of slime
Necrophobia -- fear of death or corpses
Neophobia -- fear of new things
Noctiphobia -- fear of the night
Nosophobia -- fear of contracting a disease
Nudophobia -- fear of nudity
Nychtophobia-- fear of darkness
Obesophobia -- fear of gaining weight
Ochlophobia -- fear of crowds
Ochophobia -- fear of vehicles
Odontophobia -- fear of teeth
Odynophobia -- fear of pain
Ombrophobia -- fear of rain
Ophidiophobia -- fear of snakes
Panphobia -- a nonspecific fear of everything
Paraphobia -- fear of sexual perversion
Parasitophobia -- fear of parasites
Pathophobia -- fear of disease
Peccatiphobia -- fear of sinning
Pedophobia -- fear of children
Peladophobia -- dread of baldness
Peniaphobia -- fear of poverty
Phagophobia -- fear of eating
Pharmacophobia -- fear of drugs
Phasmophobia -- fear of ghosts
Phenogophobia -- fear of daylight
Phobophobia -- fear of fear itself
Phonophobia -- fear or dislike of noise
Photophobia -- fear of light
Phonemophobia -- fear of thinking
Pnigophobia-- fear of choking or smothering
Poinephobia -- fear of punishment
Psychophobia -- fear of the cold
Pyrexiophobia -- fear of fever
Rhabdophobia -- fear of being beaten
Rhypophobia -- fear of filth
Sciophobia -- fear of shadows
Scoleciphobia -- fear of worms
Scopophobia -- fear of being looked at
Scotophobia -- fear of the dark
Socialphobia -- fear of people or crowds
Tachophobia -- fear of speed
Taphephobia -- fear of being buried alive
Telephonophobia -- fear of the telephone
Theophobia -- fear of God
Thanatophobia -- fear of death
Tocophobia -- fear of childbirth
Tomophobia -- fear of surgical operations
Topophobia -- fear of certain places
Toxiphobia -- fear of being poisoned
Trichophobia -- fear of hair
Urophobia -- fear of urine
Vaccinophobia -- fear of vaccines and vaccination
Venereophobia -- fear of venereal disease
Venustraphobia -- fear of beautiful women
Verminophobia -- fear of germs
Vermiphobia -- fear of worms
Xenophobia -- fear of foreigners and strangers
Zoophobia -- fear of animals

Late Halloween Post

This is a car advertisement from Great Britain. When
they finished filming the ad, the film editor noticed
something moving along the side of the car, like a
ghostly white mist.

They found out that a person had been killed a year
earlier in that exact same spot. The ad was never put
on TV because of the unexplained ghostly phenomenon.
Watch the front end of the car as it clears the trees
in the middle of the screen and you'll see the white
mist crossing in front of the car then following it
along the road....Spooky! Is it a ghost, or is it
simply mist? You decide.

If you listen to the ad, you'll even hear the
cameraman whispering in the background about it near
the end of the commercial. A little creepy but kinda
cool!
Click here (it's only 16 seconds):
Britain Car Ad

Me in Stratford Upon Avon, 2005.

Shoes Make the Woman

Here is Mimi rummaging through my shoe department, well, half of my shoe department. I have a whole other section dedicated to boots. I love shoes. I feel angry at people who don't love shoes, or who wear bad shoes. Sorry the picture is blurry. I wish you could see every shoe in detail, but alas.


Before I had a kid, I was anti baby shoe, especially Robeez. Robeez, I thought, were insults. They're expensive moccassins. I stand corrected. Robeez stay on and they have cute little decals on them. Also, they are comfy and fit for 6 months. Who knew that you need five pairs of baby shoes, and she can't even walk?

1- Light pink every day
1- Darker pink every day
1- Pumas I couldn't resist
1- Black church
1- Pink Church
1- What to wear with red?

Here are my next Robeez purchase.


How many shoes do you buy your kid, per stage? What is the price limit for kid shoes?

Overshare.com

This post does not constitute an announcement, a plan, or even any purchased preg tests. I'm not pregnant.

Every lady I know keeps talking to me about their cycles. Perhaps it is my stage in life, but 'ovulation' has become a word I hear every day.
Let me redirect you, ladies and unwitting gentlemen, to www.monthlycycles.com. Everything you need to know about your "moon cycle." The features are free and include personalized tools to track, monitor, and manage your monthly, uh, events.
Use calculators to plan and check your key cycle dates: ovulation, fertile days, if you're late, pregnancy due date, many more!
My favorite feature was the emailing tool. You can have the website email your significant other "Today would be a good day to go home and make sweet love to your wife" or "Look out for your wife, her hormones are araging." Dx used to call me all confused when his work email would provide him with little tidbits about his wife.
Happy pink pluses to you all.
Please note Dx's terrified expression on the day we discovered Mimi on her way.

What's on My Face?

In response to the many questions about the blindfold in the picture on the left.
A few years ago I was in the market for a black dress to wear over jeans. On Ebay I found something not unlike the dress in the picture below. When the dress arrived, it also had some hideous black and white witch thigh high stockings and a blindfold. Maybe it was intended as a costume of some sort? Perhaps a dead doll? Why the blindfold?
Anyway, the dress was of poor quality so I got rid of it and the ugly stockings. I kept the blindfold, for purposes not necessary to be published here.
There you have it. Kind of a boring story.

Winner, Best Greenan Costume 2007

There are 6 Greenan girls. You already hear too much from Celia, Paige, Ellie and me. Camille occasionally comments, when she has time. But the blog that elicits comments from Val is a true winner. Val doesn't have her Internet hooked up right now, but she sometimes sneaks a minute away from the kids she teaches in Southern California to look at our blogs. The best comment of all time was also one of Val's. She wrote, "Mom jumped the shark when she had Camille."
Val tries to have her own fun life without us -- she MySpaces rather than blogs. Nonetheless, the below picture is evidence that Val is most certainly a Greenan. She wins this year's prize for Best Costume.
Not Gene Simmons, not Darth Vader.
Take a close look at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle on the far right. That is Val.



Mimi and Little Red Riding Hood.


Celia wins worst costume this year. In efforts to be "good enough" she merely wore an orange shirt, which sent Pam into a rage. Greenans wear complete costumes and we don't half ass it. End of story.

Theater Thursday

The Danville Children's Musical Theater is a 17 year old non-profit company created by my Mom, Pam Greenan. She invented this group as a service for the town of Danville, and as a personal creative hobby. She does two shows a year with 40+ kids, aided by Nancy on the piano, Janice doing the tickets, Nate playing the drums, Scotty building the sets and occasionally I help with the choreography.
This season, the DCMT is putting on 'Guys and Dolls' which opens November 9 at 7:30 at the Village Theater in Danville. For the first time in the history of the company, DCMT has a website! Please visit and buy your tickets for the upcoming show!

www.danvillechildrensmusicaltheater.com

Here are some local actors, hard at work (in their Halloween costumes, there are no red bees in Guys and Dolls.)


For more personal accounts of the Danville Children's Musical Theater, please visit Celia, Paige's and Nancy's blogs -- all available by links on the sidebar.

To C, P, and N: My husband allowed me 10 minutes and this is the best I could do. At least I have a link to the website, which I made.