#1 Billboard Tunes

#1 Song on October 15, 1983 - Katie's Birthday
Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler

#1 Song on December 18, 1982 - Eric's Birthday
Maneater by Hall & Oates

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Look who made the papers!

First, my mom and her fellow teachers were recognized with a statewide award and featured in the Waycross paper. Can you find her in this picture? Hint: she's 6'.


Here's an article I wrote about Four Corners Academy of the Arts. It ran in the Clermont News-Leader recently. No byline. Bummer.



Also, 2008 is the 10-year anniversary of the following article appearing in the Observer-Dispatch out of Utica, New York.

Mental Floss

If you haven't discovered MentalFloss.com yet, you're missing out. I just discovered it and it's already filling the void. Just thought I'd share a few interesting things that I've found so far.

First of all, Eric's brother Jeff attends Alfred University on a football scholarship. I found his school on MentalFloss.com as part of a list of 12 College Classes We Wish Our Schools Had Offered because in spring of 2005, Alfred offered a course entitled "Maple Syrup - The Real Thing."

Like many MentalFloss readers (and EricAndKP blog readers), I grew up on PBS family programming, so I thought y'all would get a kick out of 15 Reasons Mr. Rogers Was the Best Neighbor Ever. Warning: Only follow the obituary links at the bottom of the page if you have tissues handy.

And lastly, this article explains once and for all why we think it's so much fun to sing in the shower.

Lately

Well, our lives have been pretty busy lately! We've been singing in the Candlelight Processional at Epcot fairly often, which is a tradition that we really enjoy. As a part of the Concert Choir, I participated in a similarly-structured concert each year, and very early on I began to regard it as the herald of the holiday season for me. Thankfully, the Candlelight Processional Service of Traditional Songs and Scriptures (I think that's what it's called...something like that) has stepped into that role!

Also, Eric's birthday was last week. I got pretty excited and was going to bake a cake, but we didn't have any eggs. So I made a cookie cake! (This photo was taken after we had already gotten hungry and torn into it.) He also finally got the GPS he's been longing for!

In other news, President and First Lady Bush have caught up with the times and sent us a note congratulating us on our wedding. Way to get with the program, Bushes! :)


Let's see, what else is new? We're leaving for Waycross today to celebrate Christmas with the Pine-ders so Eric and I had our Christmas last night. Who has an awesome husband and got--not one but--two Coach purses? That would be yours truly! Tomorrow night we'll be caroling around the neighborhood (all six of us in harmony!) and performing at the Christmas eve service at FBC Wayx. If you're in town, swing by and have a listen!

Right now, I'm watching VH1 (instead of wrapping presents and packing), and I started to notice a pattern--I apparently love the '80s more than I thought I did because these are seriously all of my favorite karaoke songs! Namely #1 and #11, but where's "Open Arms" on this list?!

1. Bon Jovi / "Livin' on a Prayer" (1986)
2. Def Leppard / "Pour Some Sugar On Me" (1987)
3. Duran Duran / "Hungry Like the Wolf" (1982)
4. Michael Jackson / "Billie Jean" (1982)
7. Guns N' Roses / Sweet Child O' Mine (1987)
8. Madonna / "Like a Virgin" (1984)
10. AC/DC / "You Shook Me All Night Long" (1980)
11. Journey / "Don't Stop Believing" (1981)
13. U2 / "With Or Without You" (1987)
14. The Bangles / "Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986)
15. Van Halen / "Jump" (1984)
17. Whitesnake / "Here I Go Again" (1982)
20. Rick Springfield / "Jessie's Girl" (1981)
23. Cyndi Lauper / "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (1984)
24. A-Ha / "Take On Me" (1985)
28. Wham! / "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (1984)
30. Pat Benatar / "Love is a Battlefield" (1983)
33. Soft Cell / "Tainted Love" (1981)
34. Poison / "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" (1988)
38. U2 / "Pride (In the Name of Love)" (1984)
39. Modern English / "I Melt With You" (1982)
40. The B-52's / "Love Shack" (1989)
46. The Police / "Every Breath You Take" (1983)
50. Eurythmics / "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (1983)
52. Dead or Alive / "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (1985)
56. Bonnie Tyler / "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (1983)
57. Toni Basil / "Mickey" (just kidding, I would never sing this song)
59. John Mellencamp / "Jack & Diane" (1982)
62. Berlin / "Take My Breath Away" (1986)
70. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts / "I Love Rock N' Roll" (1981)
78. Blondie / "Call Me" (1980)
83. Prince / "Kiss" (1986)
89. The Pretenders / "Brass in Pocket" (1980)
91. Katrina and The Waves / "Walking On Sunshine" (1983)

Movie Stars in the Making

Before Eric and I ever met, all the Pinders went on a little trip called Paddle Georgia, which involved our kayaking about 45 miles down the Chattahoochee River over the course of three days on the water. It just so happened that during the trip, a documentary film maker was producing a piece on the Chattahoochee, and he took some footage of us for his project, Chattahoochee: To Fall in Love with a River. We appear in the full-length documentary several times, but Mom recently found the delightful YouTube clip below, in which Pinders can be seen if you fast forward to 2:50 and 3:30. (If you're wondering what it is we're doing, it's a cheer we learned on a guided trip of the Nantahala River a while back. We retained it and it's been a family tradition ever since!)

Mini-Vacay at Universal

Universal Orlando sent Eric a free ticket in hopes that he would buy another one. It worked. Check out the evidence here!

Homer burped in my ear.