Being back at my childhood home these past days has been interesting. Every so often something - a smell, an item, a sound - will spark a memory and I’ll flash back to an earlier time.

Yesterday I sat on my mom’s bed, flipping through channels and I had a clear glimpse of my sister and me, sitting on the edge of the bed and playing a remarkable game of Pong.

Naturally, I wondered if that console might still be in the house somewhere. My mom seems to save everything. If it’s here, I wouldn’t know where to look first, though. Oh, but I’d love to find it. I want to show my kids the device that got me started with this crazy technology obsession. And I want them to get an idea of how far gaming has come since I was their age.

Who’d have thought we’d go from a white blip bouncing on the scree to Madden, Guitar Hero and whatever else my kids are doing in front of the TV today. Amazing. Simply amazing.

Almost everyone who knows me reads my other blog. Not as many of my real life friends and family read this one. Still, I link to this blog from my other one so I suppose people could find their way here…

This is kind of a secret, but not really. It’s just not going to be made public just yet. It’s good news, at least the way I see it. I just can’t say exactly what or who or stuff. You know.

Okay, how about this, then? We’re having a community yard sale this weekend. I’m not selling anything but I will be looking around to see if anyone is selling maternity clothes. How’s that for a hint?

And that’s all I’m going to say about that!

We’ve all seen those fake name generators and doll builders. They’re cute and fun. And a great time waster, too. Even though I play with them I don’t often post the little graphics on my blog. I’m not sure why, I guess I just lose interest after a while.

I do bookmark them occasionally and noticed one from quite a while ago that’s still live. It’s the Warning Label Generator and actually, it can be quite useful. I mean, you can make silly labels but you can also make useful ones.I think Godzilla or the dinosaur holding the airplane would be considered silly, right? But a warning label with a no smoking sign for the front door or a caution sign telling the kids to keep out of the Dad’s tool storage chest would be quite useful.

So tell me why I keep going back to that dinosaur and trying to come up with an appropriate label for it? What is it about that graphic that appeals to me? Any suggestions for some text for that one?

When my friend Julie first showed me this toilet, I laughed. I wasn’t sure if it was for real or not. When I realized it was for real - and actually affordable - I immediately put it on my Wish List. I really want this toilet!

What is more appropriate than a combination fish tank/toilet tank? It’s the perfect marriage of function and fun. And it’s such a simple concept, too. I watched the video demonstration and my first thought was, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Granted, the cost is a bit more than a typical toilet, but I think there are benefits to this tank that the Fish ‘n Flush people haven’t even considered. You see, I have 5 sons. That means that the never-ending bathroom battle around here is all about the toilet seat and lid. I say keep them down; the husband and sons leave them up. With such a fascinating toilet tank, I have a feeling everyone will be putting the seat and lid down, just to be able to see the fish swimming around.

Since Christmas is just around the corner, keep in mind that I do accept gifts. This one would be very appreciated!

We all need to laugh now and then. Of course, the things that make me laugh may not tickle your funny bone at all. That’s okay since there are all kinds of humor resources for all kinds of people.

Admittedly, I’m not usually amused by puns; they’re just not my favorite type of humor. I do like comics, though, and after looking through a week or so of Silent Kimbly, I may have just changed my mind about puns. These are really cute!

I think these puns work because they’re pictorial puns. The artwork is excellent; Ryan, the creator of Silent Kimbly, has done an amazing job bringing these adorable characters to life. In fact, I was thinking that I want a few of these strips hanging in my granddaughter’s room when it occurred to me that this little alien girl, her jumping pet and her lovable, fluffy friend would make a great children’s animated show. I wonder if anyone’s thought of that?

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a daily dose of smiles, head on over to Silent Kimbly and see what Ryan is offering up. He’s noted on his site that he’s away for the holiday so this would be a great time to catch up on his comics in the archives so you can be ready for all the brand new stuff he has planned for next week. I’ll bet Kimbly and her pals will leave you smiling all day!

I love to walk. We have a bike trail near here that actually spans almost all of the northern panhandle of our state. It runs along our primary state road which makes it nice for having something to look at as you walk along. I always hated walking on treadmills because there was nothing interesting to see as you walked. And then I’d get bored.

Same thing with driving. Planes are faster but there’s nothing much to see out the window once you’ve marveled at the clouds for a few minutes. I love driving and checking out license plates. We used to do that as kids, trying to find different states. Now my own kids and I do it, trying to figure out any vanity plates we might find. There are loads of creative people out driving around, you know.

One website has actually listed some very entertaining vanity plates, all related to the internet. The site has 10 pages of vanity plates with ove a dozen plates on each page. Not only are there pictures of the plates but also the year of registration, the owner name and a little bio about the owner is included.

From reading the submission page, it looks as though you have to submit your own license. I’m not sure how they verify any of that but apparently it’s all done properly, with permission.

I have to tell you, that site has given me some great ideas. I think I might want my won internet related vanity plate. I just have to figure out how to squish what I want into 6 letters!

It’s been years since I dabbled in astrology. Nevertheless, my mind is still wrapped around the significance of specific days in relation to who we are. Birthdays just hold that kind of fascination for me.

My friend, Cass, shared this BirthVerse site with me several months ago and I just love it. All you have to do is put in your birthday and you’ll see the Bible verse that corresponds with that day. Interestingly, the verse does seem to fit with everyone I’ve entered so far.

1 Corinthians 11:12 NIV
For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.

Having my own verse got me to thinking about how to make that more a part of my life. I’ve been recently looking into changing banks for my checking account which means I’d need new checks. I wonder if putting that verse on my checks would be possible. I remember seeing something similar before but I don’t know if they were random quotes or chosen one. I’ll have to look into that.

So, take a look at your Bible verse and share it here. Does it seem to fit you in any way? Let me know!

I’m one of those odd people who love to take tests. All through school I did well on tests, quizzes and exams. Even when I didn’t pay attention in high school or spent more time skipping class than attending, I managed to pass my classes by whizzing through tests. Did I know the material or did I simply do a good job at guessing? I’d like to believe that I was just intelligent beyond anyone’s realization but the truth is, much of my success was a matter of being able to guess the right answer most of the time.

Naturally, when I found a site that rewards participants for guessing correctly, my heart skipped a beat. I’ve been clicking around at GuessNow and honestly, I’m so giddy that I’m having to really slow down and focus. This site is addicting! And fun!

Okay, here’s how it works. Just sign up, invite your friends and find questions that you’d like to answer. Take a guess at the right answer and wait to see if you’ve guessed right or not. You can earn points for your own right guesses, for your friends’ right guesses or for submitting your own questions. The current topics are sports, politics, entertainment and finance so there’s a topic for everyone!

Signing up is free and playing is free, too. It’s more than just a game, though. There’s an informative blog and a active discussion forum for getting to know all the other Guessers. This is an entire community filled with fun, not to mention there’s a cash pool awarded every month. Wow!

After you’ve signed up and played a little, let me know how you like it. If you get points for guessing correctly, stop back here and tell me that, too. Anyone up for a little friendly competition?

Have you ever been required to give out too much information at a site just to use the free service being offered? And did you think how nice it would be to have a list of fake information to use for just such a situation? Yeah, me too.

And that’s why I love the Fake Name Generator. All you need do is choose your gender, the country for your name and Go! You’ll get a name as well as an address, phone number, email address, mother’s maiden name and date of birth. What more could you need?

I’ve clicked over and over to get different names and I’ve never seen a repeat yet. So yeah, it’s kind of fun to play with, too. Just keep the site handy for the next time you don’t want to give your real info to one of those nosy sites. Oh, and keep a record of the names you use. I’d like to know if anyone else gets repeats since I never have.

It doesn’t take much to amuse children or dogs.

I’ve come to the conclusion that spending a lot of money on toys, either for kids or furkids, is a waste. Nothing beats a cardboard box from a new computer or other large item, for hide and seek, playng house, or a hundred other games. From tennis and golf balls to pots and pans and tupperware, my granddaughter and my dog can take almost any household item and turn it into hours of fun.

I think that’s an idea for a new website!