It’s been a bit of a crazy past couple weeks. I’ve noted before that my hubby is “away” right now – so it’s just me and the Kid. The Kid is incredibly unhappy that Daddy is gone (understandable), but the DOG is also apparently not happy that Daddy is gone. He’s poo’d in Xander’s room twice now – last night at 3:30am! Thankfully, my parents drove up from Florida a couple days ago and they are helping me out a LOT! Once hubby gets home we will be driving up to New York in order to visit family (including my adorable nephew whom I haven’t seen in over a year and a half now). The house is pretty clean now thanks to my Mom and my fridge is full (and so is my belly). I love having my parents visit … I miss “home” and that includes them (don’t tell them!)

I’ve been working hard at school and it seems to be paying off. The teacher likes my work (it’s a Photoshop class) and I’ve really been learning a lot in the class. I’ve been trying to post work on the blog – I still need to post my “pen tool” drawing and a couple “print ads” that I’ve created. Next term I have “Storyboarding for Animation” which I believe is a Flash-based class. I’ve always wanted to learn how to use Flash so I am pretty thrilled to have the opportunity. I’ve been doing some freelance design work lately and trying to learn how to really personalize a Wordpress template and especially how to make templates cross-browser compatible. That’s taking me for a ride though – it’s hard designing for all the browsers available. Once you get something created and it looks good on say, Firefox or Chrome then you realize that it looks insane on Internet Explorer. So – you re-create and of course once you’ve gotten it good on IE it looks awful on FF and Chrome. It’s incredibly frustrating.

Oh! Forgot to mention that I was checking out North Face jackets for hubby again – I saw that a company that sells them has free shipping all over Europe (well, the “EU” at least). Figured that would be helpful for all of my Euro-readers (and those military families overseas).

Hopefully, I can remember to update more often – my brain has been completely elsewhere lately.

Screamo band St. Valentines Massacre launches tour, CD in New Port Richey

By Logan Neill, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Friday, June 26, 2009

For the Spring Hill heavy metal band St. Valentines Massacre, the big time is calling.

Once a popular area club band, the quintet is looking toward a busy summer on the road to promote its first full-length, major-label CD,Awakening.

The band’s inaugural tour, which kicks off Saturday with a concert and CD release party at the Bourbon Street Concert Club in New Port Richey, will consist of 20 shows spread throughout the East Coast.

Seventeen-year-old lead guitarist Tyler Jordan, who joined the band in April of last year, said he can hardly wait to hit the highway.

“Everyone’s been waiting a long time for this,” said Jordan, who recently graduated from Central High School. “It’s a dream come true for us.”

Getting together in the summer of 2005, vocalist Tony Rodriguez, guitarist Paul Starr (born Paul Zakar), bassist Alan Olshefski and drummer Andre Canale enjoyed a typical garage band existence, playing small clubs, dances — even bowling alleys — in and around Hernando, Pasco and Citrus counties. As the band’s following grew, so did the group’s vision for the music.

“It got more and more serious for us,” Olshefski said. “We started to promote ourselves more and look for more opportunities to get the music out there.”

In 2006, St. Valentines Massacre recorded its first demo CD and entered and won the Emergenza battle of the bands competition in Tampa. Next up was a featured spot on the west coast Florida leg of the 2007 Warped Tour.

Meanwhile, the band’s music — a blend of heavy metal, punk and blues-rock known to diehard fans as “screamo” — began attracting an even wider audience via SVM’s MySpace page.

“We did a three-song recording called Eulogy that got something like 10,000 plays in three days,” Olshefski said. “When that happened, we started to feel like this could be a big thing.”

Megaforce/MRI Records thought so, too, and in October, the label, which is distributed by Sony Records, offered St. Valentines Massacre a record deal. Awakening, which was recorded in Rodriguez’s home studio and mixed at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, represents some of the band’s most evocative work.

“We’re getting a lot of good response so far,” Olshefski said. “The Best Buy in New Port Richey is already sold out of them.”

Olshefski, a 2001 graduate of Springstead High School, credits SVM’s success to diligence, hard work and a little luck. He and his bandmates are looking forward to finally traveling outside the area to perform for fans they have only communicated with on the Internet.

“This band loves to play,” he said. “When they come to see us, we’ll give them the best we can give them.”

Logan Neill can be reached at lneill@sptimes.com or (352) 848-1435.

Check out the SVM MySpace!

Don’t forget to BUY THE CD - Awakening - on Amazon (check your local stores also!).

… and it’s already freaking HOT outside! But - it’s a NEW day! So, I will just completely ignore the fact that Xander woke me up this morning before the alarm went off to tell me that “there’s poop in (his) bedroom” … great … thanks Samson!

I’ve got a ton of stuff to do today - let’s make a list!

• Go back to bed until 9am (mwa ha ha!)
• Clean dining room
• Fold Laundry in guestroom
• Dishes
• Kitty box
• Clean stove
• Windex surfaces
• Lisa’s blog remix
• Don’t forget to eat lunch
• Come up with something for dinner
• Laundry - load of darks
• Laundry - load of blankets/sheets

Seems attainable - right? But first … back to sleep for a couple hours. Why? Because I CAN! I love daycare

Rumors are flying (thanks to sites like TMZ, Perez Hilton and especially Twitter) that pop-icon (and music legend) Michael Jackson has passed away. Jackson was admitted to UCLA Medical Center earlier today for cardiac arrest and according to some was unable to be revived. CNN and Fox News are “checking sources” and the LA Times denies Jackson’s death. Is this a case of gossip “telephone” on the Internet?

Rumors and truths (usually rumors) spread like wildfire on Twitter. The top trending topic right now is #MichaelJackson - thanks to everyone wondering if he is dead or alive. So - what is it? I think we might have to wait a little while longer to find out if Michael Jackson has indeed passed away.

If so - he joins Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon - two more Hollywood Legends who have passed away in the past few days. I guess if it is in fact, true, “these things” happen in three’s …

I will update this post as news comes in.

UPDATE: LA Times, CNN, TMZ and Perez are confirming that, in fact, Michael Jackson has died.

So - I bought Sims3 at a thrift store for $4.00 - but, someone had already pilfered the instruction manual (and therefore, the registration code). So I sent an email to EAxis (i.e. EA Games) via the Sims3 site to find out how to obtain a registration code. Here is what I sent:

06/19/2009 08:37 PM
I purchased a copy of Sims3 at a local thrift store - but, the game was missing the book (including the registration code). How would I go about getting a replacement registration code for my game? I want to do this legally since of course I could just go online and find it - but I would like to be able to shop at the “Store” and download things from the Exchange.
Please advise - thank you
Christine

And … here is what I received back:

Response (EARepJovi)
06/23/2009 07:13 AM
Greetings,
Thank you for contacting Electronic Arts.
I apologize for the delay in response to this ticket. If you have not registered the game and if the Registration code/Serial Number/CD Key for the game has been lost, misplaced or missing then you will need to purchase another Registration code/Serial Number/CD Key from our warranty department, please mail our Warranty department the following information:
-The [Proof of Purchase] page from the manual, or if that is not available the game disk.
Note: If you send the game disk, please send it using a traceable method as Electronic Arts is not responsible for products lost in transit.
-A letter explaining that you need a replacement serial number.
-A money order for $10.00 USD.
-Note: We do NOT accept cash, checks, or credit cards.
-Include full contact information:
-First and Last Name
-Return Address (Including City, State, and Zip Code)
-Phone Number
-E-mail Address
You must mail in your request to the following address:
Electronic Arts Warranty Department
9001 N I-35 Suite 110
Austin, TX 78753
Once all of the information has been received, our Warranty Department will process your request and e-mail as well as standard mail you a serial number. If you mailed the game disks to us, the disks will be returned to you shortly. NOTE: If you fail to include all of the requested items, it will prevent us from processing your request.
Sincerely,
EA Rep Jovi
Player Relations
Electronic Arts

First off … didn’t I say that I didn’t HAVE the manual - which is the reason for the initial email? Second … send the DISK!? Third … $10!?!?!? Are you effin’ kidding me EAxis?! I realize that they are trying to protect their “assets” but seriously; did I not say I got it at a thrift store? Not to mention they want me to send the actual disk PLUS $10? Why the hell do they need $10? Isn’t proving that I bought the freaking game by sending them the damn disk enough?

Seriously EAxis … between this and Securom … THIS is why people pilfer the game from TPB (or any other torrent/illegal sites). Because you people SUCK! SUCK! For your information I was already PLAYING the game (that is, until the power source went on my desktop … but that’s another issues all-together)! So, excuse me while I download a torrent of Riverview et al because A: I’m not sending you my disk (*cough*becauseitslockedinmydeadcomputer*cough*) and B: I don’t HAVE $10 to send you (and even if I did I feel that’s ridiculous!)

SO THERE!

I have a huge nasty migraine … I’ve literally had this stupid headache ALL DAY LONG (since I woke up this morning). I’ve been swallowing Excedrin but it just isn’t doing anything. I don’t have time for this crap - I have SO much to do in the next couple days! I had a couple Photoshop projects due for class today so I stayed up late last night working on them, plus the pets just didn’t want to let me sleep so I got maybe 2 hours last night. Like I said - woke up this morning with a nasty headache plus had a fundraiser today for the web club which went all kaflooey (thanks Domino’s … asshats …) PLUS I have to get a blog redesign done and clean the house and cope with a ‘business trip’ and an emo-preschooler (because of said ‘business trip’). I feel like ass and I just wanna go to sleep and get rid of this headache (which, incidentally, is making my neck all hurty also).

BLEH! Christine is not a happy camper today! NO SIR!

I found this on Perez and just HAD to repost it! It’s one of the funniest videos I’ve watched in awhile (especially being a Twilight and Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanatic!) It’s a great mashup … enjoy!

Also - with my friend Tabitha in mind I made a 100×100 graphic (for say, Livejournal) featuring Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) and Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). You can direct link it if you want (it’s uploaded at Photobucket) or save it if you want to snag it.

<a href="http://www.starryskye.org/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b200/moongoddessxtc/Twilight/JakeBellaMASHUP.jpg" border="0" alt="twilight,bella & jake,cullen,jacob black,bella swan,new moon" /></a>

I’ve blogged about BluFrog energy drink before on Atomic-Mama but I figured I would post about it here also since there is a HUGE contest going on over on the Blu Frog website. It’s called “It’s A Blu World” contest and the grand prize is a either a trip to one of four places or an awesome gaming package (X-Box 360 baby!). I would personally love the gaming package since the trips are for “two” and I would have to worry about what to do with Xander – although, my Mom keeps begging me to send him down to Florida to visit her. So, I guess if I could win a trip I would pick the trip to Lollapalooza in Chicago!

It’s really easy to enter – you get three entries. First, you can place a comment on the It’s a Blu World contest page – don’t forget to share within your comment which experience you want to win and why. Second, you can use Twitter to tweet out why Blu Frog is better in 140 characters or less. You must include #bluworld and http://bit.ly/UiiJy in your tweet to be registered for the contest. Finally, you can write a blog post about the contest and which experience or prize you would choose if you won. You must leave a comment on the contest page along with the URL of your post if the trackback doesn’t appear.

See? Simple! Now go enter … I did! Now, remember - tweet to win and Don’t Lick the Can Man…

Proud member of the Spark-E Insider Crew!

I’m slowly getting sucked in to “I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here” - just because I heart Janice Dickenson. Oops … show was just interrupted - we’re under a severe thunderstorm warning and even a tornado warning. Yay … I’ll be sure to hit the deck (i.e. the “bathroom”) if I hear a train coming.

I’ve been really busy lately - which is why I haven’t been blogging much. I’ve had a lot of work to do for my digital imaging class this term. It’s an “easy” class - but it’s extremely time consuming. Plus, I’ve been working on a couple blog reDesigns so that’s been taking up some time. The freaking house is a wreck though, as is my mind because I forgot to take my pill for two days now. GOTTA take it tonight - otherwise I might take someone out … and I don’t mean for dinner

Went to the mall and met up with some friends tonight. I left the kiddo in the play area w/a couple friends and took my friend Angie for a walk-about. We looked at the puppies in the pet store and went into Hot Topic where she talked me into buying a cool Harry Potter sweat-shirt. I think she needed some retail therapy … but I had to pay for it, lol. With a July release date I’m not sure going to the movie premiere in a sweater (the one I wore for Halloween) is a smart idea. The one I bought tonight is much lighter - and it FITS which is amazing for Hot Topic clothes.

Alan is on a business trip - so keep him in your thoughts, okay? Thanks

Oh hey - made this in class today … not my “best” work but it came out okay. Love the top with all the hair bands blended together! I love me some Brett Michaels Click on it to see a bigger copy.

I updated my portfolio also - be sure to check it out!

I’m SO tired … Xander is still up - and is “finishing up” playing a game on the computer upstairs. I keep giving him “five more minutes” because I just don’t have the energy to get off the couch and give him a bath. Ugh … Didn’t sleep well last night and didn’t eat enough breakfast this morning so I was tired all day. Began a new term at school (Digital Imaging … PHOTOSHOP!). Filled in an application at Target (doubt anything will come of it) and then picked up Xander from daycare. Went out to Chick Fil Ay with Chrissy and her kids (nom nom nom!) and am now just …. sitting.

Alan should be getting home from N’awlins tomorrow afternoon and I haven’t cleaned nearly as much as I was planning.

I’ve got two reviews to write up and a couple graphics to make and there is just no way I’m getting to those today (ladies I will be doing them tomorrow!)

I need sleeeeepppppp ……. Early to bed tonight - or at least pj’s on the couch for television time.