As some of you may know I’m turning the big 29 on Wednesday. It was kind of depressing to think how in 1 year, I’ll be the bigger 3-0! It just sounds so….old. I don’t usually want to throw a big get-together for my birthday but I was thinking how boyrobot (who will also be 30 next year) and I should have a big party. Do you like how I’m already thinking 1 year in advance? ha ha.

So anyways, I’m not a typical “party” goer. So in lieu of a birthday party, I wanted to throw a weekend summer camp thing. The theme would be “30 going on 13”. You like?? haha….I’m such a dork.

So anyways, I was looking up campsites and stuff and you can totally rent cabins just like the kind you went to for summer camps when you were a kid. I totally want to reenact the whole experience. They even feed you meals…and it’s so cheap! Like less than 50 bucks a day. Some campsites totally cater to groups and have different activities you can do like swimming/kayaking, ropes course, archery, etc. At night, we could have a huge bonfire and tell ghost stories. HOW FUN IS THAT!?

One camp I went to when I was younger had the most awesome scavenger hunt. I would love to do something like that as well. Also, I remembered the girls and boys would always play pranks against each other. Summer camp is awesome.

So yeah, I have big plans for next year. I wonder how many people would go? I would open it up to pretty much everyone me and boyrobot knows (including my blog readers if anyone would be willing to come spend a uber dorkfest weekend with me :)) and of course people could invite their friends as well. The more strangers the better! It would be like real camp where you can meet new people too!

Anyways, it’s all an idea for now. I have my wedding to plan as well next year so I don’t know how feasible it is to plan this as well haha. If enough people are interested, I will definitely work on making it a reality!

PS. Camp Mim is Kim (me) + Minh (boyrobot) hehe

Illustrated stories from the bible – a review by the Friendly Atheist
The limited edition batman nokia cell phone – How much of a nerd am I since I think this is really cool hehe
How an english teacher caught one of FBI’s most wanted – I’d be scared when he gets released!
I wonder if that _____ will go through the mail – this website is so hilarious. it’s before and after pictures of weird things put through the mail like a paper towel or a dollar in a clear, plastic bag.
All of the problems ever solved by MacGyver – forget Chuck Norris, it’s all about Macgyver
Woman attempts to kidnap Ex-virtual bf – awesome.

I’m not very political, but I found these links interesting.

Obama and McCain Tax Proposals:

Connect2Elect – a website that will tell you who you should vote for based on your position on different issues. Glassbooth is another one.

About the Missouri Bellwether phenomenon where the state of Missouri has voted for the winner in every U.S. Presidential election beginning in 1904 except in 1956. In case you were wondering, supposedly Obama has the popular vote in Missouri.

10 things that won’t change no matter who gets elected – including our dependence on oil, military spending, and the influence of lobbyists.

So the olympics are over. Here are a few leftover olympics links that I never got a chance to post:

Not from this olympics but deserves a link for being pretty much the craziest gymnastics routine I’ve ever seen

DFL – celebrating the last place finishers of the Olympics, interesting stories about the losers that are usually overlooked

Which Olympic Sport Are You – It’s not a surprise that mine was Table Tennis. Ha!

Weird Olympics Photos – there are some great photos here

How some other Olympic stories ended – NYTimes recaps some of the major stories and their aftermath

This is a fun quiz to take and my results were spot on!

Use coupon code TASTE to get a free 60 day subscription to Zagat. They do ratings and reviews on restaurants, hotels, and attractions for major cities.

Every year I go on a fishing trip to Mammoth Lakes. Every year I NEVER catch any fish….except for this year!!!!! Man, I was on such a roll this trip. I don’t know what happened. I actually caught the limit I’m allowed to catch (6) and would have probably caught more if I didn’t stop! I must say fishing is a lot more fun when you’re actually catching fish.

We rented our usual cabin and got a pontoon for the whole day on Lake Mary. It was a fun and relaxing weekend. Too bad we only go once a year! I will post pictures when I get a copy of them.

*edit Here’s a pic of just a FEW of the fish I caught ;)

Sorry these are so late. I was in Mammoth for the whole weekend!

6 terrifying things about childbirth – ugh, I clicked on that picture of the placenta
How to solve the NYT crossword puzzle by Will Shortz – If you’re into crossword puzzles, definitely check out the documentary Wordplay that also features Will Shortz
How does it feel to die – interesting but morbid read
Stuff you didn’t know – I love useless facts like…Donald Duck had a middle name?? hehe
An article on a new kind of stalking..micro tampering – wow, this definitely made me want to read her book!
Eaten bird tried to claw through hawk? – crazy story with picture!!

How to survive a sinking car – wear your seatbelt, let some water in the car, don’t panic.

Car accident worksheet – Print this out and stick it in your glove compartment

7 things to regularly check on your car to save money – i really need to start checking my tire pressure regularly!

How to remove a bandaid painlessly – rub it with olive oil…seriously??

How to cut a 5 pointed star with one snip – I told you these were random :)

Watch higher quality youtube videos – One way is to add &fmt=18 to the end of a normal YouTube URL (only works on some videos). Check out the link for all of the diff ways.

How to wash baseball caps so they keep their shape – run them through the dishwasher!

I hate when I make a salad and find out I’m out of dressing or my dressing has expired! Here are some quick ones you can make using ordinary ingredients that you probably have in your fridge/cupboard.

honey mustard balsamic vinaigrette
2 parts olive oil
1 part balsamic vinegar
a bit of honey
a bit of Dijon mustard
salt and pepper

raspberry vinaigrette
2 parts olive oil
1 part raspberry vinegar
a bit of sugar
juice of a lemon
salt and pepper

out of salad dressing dressing
1 1/2 lemons, juiced
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons garlic salt
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup milk
Mix together lemon juice, parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and mayonnaise until smooth. Stir in milk, adjusting the amount or adding a little water, to make the dressing as thin or thick as you like. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.

And some dipping sauces too:

a dipping sauce
1 part soy sauce
1 part rice wine vinegar
a bit of sugar
a bit of toasted sesame oil

another dipping sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1 dash ground black pepper

russian dipping sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
salt to taste