Generation Exhausted

Last call!

Nothing wraps up the week like a few laughs. Getting their nominations in under the wire are....

Krissy thinks Laura is All. That.

And Alan says his wife Andreia puts a smile on his face. (with her BLOG, you naughty thinkers)

Thanks to all who chimed in this week to say...She's Funny That Way!

Winners to be anounced later today. (when the nine year old gets home) Now, go make somebody giggle!

More funny gals

Who's the gal who makes you laugh? Blog about her to enter She's Funny That Way! Details are here.

I'm not sure who Ei is, but she thinks  Da Momma is a funny chick. Ei - I need to know who you are so's I can put your name on a scrunched up piece of paper!

El-e-e thinks Piehole's humor really packs a punch.

Come on readers - blog about your funny ladies and let me know!

Everybody's got a laughing place...

Want to enter She's Funny That Way? Details are here.

I love reading all your entries! For the last three days I've been tackling the monumental task of trying to raise $8000 in four weeks for the OM team (more on that later). Having a smile on my face goes a long way towards convincing people to maybe part with some cash. Thanks to those who've entered so far!

And now, here are two more bloggers who have nominees for Queens of Hilarity.

Saturn Cat writes about Sarah.

And Carrie wants everyone to laugh along with her at Pigs.

Chortle. chortle. giggle, giggle

Blog about your favourite Funny Girl, and you could win FREE books! Details here.

As you can see from comments on the last post, my Oldest likes things to be a laugh a minute around here. Should I tell you about when she was two years old, and I dozed off on the couch, and woke to discover that she'd eaten four bananas, including the peel and even the STICKER? That was a riot, let me tell you. Next time, I'll tll you about when she tried to kill me and her newborn sister with baby powder.

Meanwhile, check out more funny bloggers and their funny friends.

Holley's talking about one funny lay-dee over at Mean Teacher.

And the Mother Of All Things Mother-y thinks Marla is a lady to laugh at too!

Come on bloggers - send us more smiles!

They're funny that way....

Want to enter She's Funny That Way? Details are HERE.

And the first of the entries are rolling in, and I'm rolling with laughter! These bloggers wasted no time in telling the world about their favourite Funny Gals.

Stephanie thinks MammaWannabe is a laugh riot.

Stephanie has many funny friends. She's also blogged about Wenchy. Go read!

Melissa is blogging about the hilarious Mrs. Flinger. With a name like that, she's got to be a hoot!

Keep 'em coming bloggers! With the Spring sunshine still hiding behind those clouds, we could all use something to laugh about!

Drum roll please...

For the first time EVER, Generation Xhausted is having a CONTEST!!!!

According to the Internets, this coming Friday, March 31, 2006 is She's Funny That Way Day, created to pay tribute to the humorous nature of women.

Being a fan of Funny Ladies Who Blog, I want to celebrate!

Do you know a blogger who's One Funny Lady? Is there someone whose posts Always Make You Smile? Who's the one who Leaves You Laughing?

Here's your chance to tell the world about Your Favourite Funny Girl. I want to know who she is, and so does everyone else!

Here's how it's going to work:

- Pick your favourite Funny Girl and write a blog post telling your readers who she is and why you think the gal's a hoot. Your post should include a link to her blog and a link to Tales From Generation Xhausted, so others know how to enter She's Funny That Way.

- Got more than one favourite funny gal? Write a separate post for each one.

- Send me an email, or leave a comment with a link to your post(s). I'll list your links here throughout the week, so others can find you and your Funny Girl.

On the evening of Friday, March 31, 2006, I'll do a random drawing, (using the very scientific method of names written on scraps of paper, scrunched up, and pulled out of a hat by my nine-year old) of everyone who's sent me a link to their blog post about their favourite Funny Girl. Each post gets a seperate entry into the draw.

To be eligible for the draw, I must receive your links by 4 p.m. Eastern time, Friday, March 31, 2006.

The winner receives a FREE signed copy of Generation Xhausted: 30 Stories For 30-Somethings by Shelley Divnich Haggert (hey that's me!) and one copy of an as-yet-undecided book by another writer who's funny that way. (but I promise, she'll be a hoot too)

So what are you waiting for? Tell us why She's Funny That Way. Share the laughter - don't be shy!

Victory

FIRST PLACE!!!!

Iowa, here we come - we hope. Anyone got ten grand for a good cause? (just thought I'd ask)

More details later; I'm falling asleep where I sit.

Thinking outside the box

We're off to the regionals for Odyssey of the Mind tomorrow. I've really enjoyed the experience of acting as assistant coach, and have learned so much from these creative teens. Wish us luck!

Ahead of the game

It's production day, and all the things that I normally leave until the morning of (thus ensuring that I feel the angst ALL. DAY. LONG.) have been done. Since yesterday, latest. I've even done the tasks that I normally leave until the day AFTER production.

If I were going on vacation, say, tomorrow, I could actually pack less than 30 minutes before leaving.

But of course, I'm not going on vacation. I might WISH I were going on vacation, as everyone and their uncle (and maybe even their aunt) seems to have had some sort of Mid-March getaway, but I'm not. Linda went on vacation, kind of. It involved a plane, and New York City, and meeting two of the GREATEST AUTHORS in the world, so that comes close to a vacation. She's blogged about it, but not enough. I want to hear more about Joshilyn's shoes.

The fact that I'm not going on vacation should not be blamed on Discount Vacations, Carribean Travel Outlet or any of the other umpty-million annoying companies that bombard me mercilessly and without ceasing, via my fax machine. Honest to god, I think I've finally found something that annoys me more than email spam and telemarketers. Daily - DAILY - I get several of these things. The fact that my fax machine resides in my house instead of in an office where everyone goes home at night makes it TRIPLE annoying. QUADRUPLE annoying, even. The fax machine, which shares the phone line, rings at all hours, and spits out another GREAT! SPECIAL! PHENOMENAL! offer to travel to Florida, Mexico, Jamaica, for LOW! LOW! prices.

It's such a bunch of crap. I'm starting to hate my fax machine. The only thing that could make me love my fax machine again would be if an agent sent me a fax that said "You and me baby, how about it? I'll make ya famous."

Of course, a phone call or an email along those lines would be great too. Serious offers only please - scam artists need not apply.

The only vacation offer this week that I actually like is the arrival of our first-ever PIN code from Disney. We can't use it - there's no budget, the timing's all wrong - but after years of wishing and hoping for a PIN code, it's nice to know that in Disney's eyes, at least, we're on the radar. Maybe next time - don't hesitate to send another!

Off to make the magazine look pretty and send it to the printer.

What kind of a noise?

Coming back from the College Visit, I hit the ground running, and forgot all about my intention to blog about Mary and Betty.

On Thursday last (the day that one of my children puked and broke the sick-free streak), as part of the hitting-the-highway preparations, I took the minivan in for it's quarterly oil change and service check. Now, I don't mind going to the garage - it's a nice place, the "boys" have been in the neighbourhood for nigh on 30 years now, and I trust them. It's that rare breed of independently owned and operated garages that doesn't look like a hole in the wall. The chairs are comfy, there's a resale shop next door, and the only complaint I have is that the table in the waiting area holds 532 golf magazines and a single copy of InStyle from 2001. The half hour they spend on my car is a nice quiet break in the day where I don't have to be anywhere, don't have to answer a phone, etc.

So I had been to the resale shop and was back in the waiting area, quietly meditating, when Mary and Betty pulled up. They were both of the "older" generation, with Betty nearing elderly, and Mary just shy of doddering. I don't know if they were mother and daughter, sisters, or just friends. The conversation that ensued was impossible to ignore, especially when they tried to drag me into it.

Betty (to mechanic): I looked at the sticker, and she was supposed to have an oil change done in December. Now it's making a noise. She's (gestures at Mary) hard of hearing, I just noticed it when I got in the car. Do you think it needs oil?

Mechanic determines whether the noise is upon starting, during driving, or only on Thursdays. Betty gives her impression of the noise, and mechanic says he'll have to take it for a drive. Betty comes to sit next to Mary, who has dropped into a chair some time ago.

Betty: He's taking it for a drive.

Mary: Shouldn't you go with him and point out the noise?

Betty: I don't need to go with him. I told him what it sounded like. You should have had the oil changed in December, that's probably what's wrong.

Mary: How do you know when I should have had the oil changed?

Betty: It says so on the sticker.

Mary: What sticker?

Betty: The sticker they put on the window to tell you when to get the oil changed.

Mary: I didn't see any sticker.

Betty: There's a sticker. They always give you a sticker. Ask HER. (gestures at me, I smile, and become very interested in the new technology advances in golf clubs)

Mechanic returns, and it's bad news. The car will have to come in, but not today, he's booked. No it's not the oil, it's a 1992 Corsica with bad bearings.

Betty: We have to book an appointment for tomorrow or Monday. (note: the mechanic said "drop it off, we'll get to it" not "book an appointment")

Mary: Why can't he fix it now?

Betty: He's booked. He can't just drop everything because you didn't get the oil changed. I'll go make an appointment for Monday.

Mary: Shouldn't we go home first and check our calendars? (Betty is now at counter, so convo is taking place from opposite sides of the room. At full volume, because Mary's hard of hearing)

Betty: You're not going anywhere. Where do you have to go?

Mary: I might want to get out.

Betty: My interior decorator comes on Monday. It'll have to be Tuesday.

Mary: Betty, wait! I need to check the calendar, I'm going to the dentist some time.

Betty: You're not going to the dentist until March 31. How's Tuesday?

Mary: I think I have somewhere to go on Tuesday. Maybe we should wait until April.

Betty: Wednesday. Definitely Wednesday. What time can I bring it in?

Mechanic: We open at 7, you can drop it off and leave it.

Betty: I'm retired, at 7 in the morning I'm just rolling over. How about 10? And can I call and change it if we decide we have to go somewhere?

Mary: Do we have to stay all day on Wednesday? I'm having company.

Mary and Betty walking out the door.

Betty: This is all your fault, you should have checked the oil.

Mary: I don't believe you. Where's this sticker you're talking about?

My minivan was ready, and the mechanic and I shared a smile. And maybe I'll put Mary and Betty in a book someday.