thursday's bullet points about ghosts and coffee

because my thursdays are hectic this will be to the point:

* Ghost hunters ROCKED last night...although I disagree with their interpretation of the second EVP they captured...they heard "I will do this." Do we all become Shakespearian actors when we die? I certainly don't know anyone who speaks that way. I heard "I will..." and then a word that begins with a "th" sound. They should seriously consider bringing in a speech pathologist as a consultant...they would, without a doubt, be able to more accurately decipher EVPs since they specialize in recognizing speech patterns.

* My mom was sweet enough to swing by my house this morning with a cup of coffee from McDonalds for me...and I hate to admit this, but McDonalds sugar-free vanilla coffee blows Starbucks version out of the water. *hangs head in shame* Those of you who know me, know I despise chains like McDonalds, Burger King and the like for numerous reasons, but I'm afraid I will have to lift my boycott and make an allowance for their coffee. Delicious. Seriously. Yum.

other things i'm loving right now:

*Smith's Rosebud Salve: great multi-tasker...it makes you lips soft and shiny, makes my cuticles and nails (and i have a habit of picking at them when i'm anxious) look amazing, makes my elbows nice and soft, looks great on the cheeks for that dewy look and it smells fantastic. The only way this stuff could get any better is if it changed flat tires and did laundry.

*David Lynch: I have been resisting the urge to go on another Twin Peaks bender...whether this is due to my friend Charlene's recent visit (we would have TP marathons in high school, complete with coffee and cherry pie) or because my mother and I were talking about Kyle McLaughlin (sp?) I do not know.

*Spray Paint: it's ability to simplify crafting projects is AWESOME.

*Special K protein water: as a vegetarian I am always looking for a little extra protein. Since I started drinking this once a day I have noticed I have more energy...who knows whether it's due to the extra protein or the fact that it is LOADED with b vitamins.

Hope you all have a smashing Thursday.

things that go bump in the night

I LOVE Wednesdays. Wednesday nights I geek out on my paranormal crack: Ghost Hunters....and they're back with new episodes next week.
Woohoo!
I have been obsessed with ghosts since, at least as far as I can remember, the age of 2.
I have no recollection as to what sparked my interest, but since my childhood I have had many interestingexperiences involving many different aspects of the paranormal. I even lived in a very active haunted house complete with disembodied voices, multiple interactions by multiple people (myself included) with a full bodied apparition and the usual "poltergeist"-esque activity (slamming doors and the like) when I was in my early 20's and living in San Marcos, Texas. Once he and I established our personal boundaries (like no scaring the daylights out of me by banging about the house in the middle of the night, or the middle of the day for that matter!) he actually proved to be the best and most respectful roommate I ever had...he never ate my food or drank my beer or Bushmills.

I love visiting haunted locations. For those of you that are interested, here are some of my photos and links to my favorite "haunts:"
(sorry, but the pun simply HAD to be made.)

The Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, Louisiana:



images copyright 2008 down & dirty designs

Rosedown Plantation, St. Francisville, Louisiana:


images copyright 2008 down & dirty designs

Jefferson Davis Memorial Hospital (now artist lofts), Houston, Texas
*photo taken prior to renovations*

images copyright 2008 down & dirty designs

La Carafe, Houston, Texas

images copyright 2008 down & dirty designs

Bath, England

images copyright 2008 down & dirty designs


Tower of London, London, England

images copyright 2008 down & dirty designs

Warwick Castle, Warwick, England

images copyright 2008 down & dirty designs

The Driskill Hotel, Austin, Texas
*note: this photo is from http://www.showcook.co.za/ *


If you would like to discover haunted locations in your area (or a wealth of information on other paranormal topics ranging from UFO's to cryptozoology) then check out this GREAT reference site:
The Shadowlands main page